Follow the links below for fact sheets, reviews, news articles, and online interviews and guest blogs.
2003 winner of the PEN New England Children's Book Caucus Discovery Award for an unpublished children's literature manuscript
A Difficult Boy has been selected as one of the 2009 Notable Books for a Global Society by the International Reading Association Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group. Each year the IRA CL/R selects a list of outstanding books for enhancing student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world.
A Difficult Boy has been named one of the 12 best young adult novels for 2007-2008 by Brigham Young University's Education Librarian Rachel Wadham.
A Difficult Boy has placed on the
Anokaberry list as one of the 20 best middle-grade books of 2008.
A Difficult Boy has been shortlisted by the
Eva Perry Mock Newbery Book Club
Reviews:
"...a riveting historical fiction novel, set in Massachusetts, which is a great read for older children and adults."
--Newburyport Public Library
"Barker’s gift for historical detail illuminates this absorbing first novel, accurately portraying the pleasures and the harsh realities of 19th-century Massachusetts farm life. From describing exactly how to milk a treacherous cow to the precise way a servant ties and knots her shawl over a dress that is 'the color of an overdone Indian pudding,' the author adds authenticity to her well-constructed story...Readers will like this book for its attention to heady issues like early prejudice against the Irish (Daniel is Irish) and the treatment of indentured servants as young as themselves, and for its satisfying and hopeful conclusion."
--
Publisher's Weekly (28 Apr 2008)
"The beautifully written book, set in 1839, is loaded with rich detail, both historical and sensorial..."
--Susan VanHecke,
Authorlink.com (June 2008)
"...Barker's young adult novel is one of the best historical fiction works I've read in a long time, emotionally authentic, full of period detail, and beautifully written."
--Author and reviewer Susan VanHecke's blog,
"Adventures in Authorhood"
"A gritty story of an Irish teen, Daniel, and a younger boy, Ethan, who struggle to survive life as indentured servants during the early 1800's in Massachusetts...The boys’ changing relationship and how they come to bond penetrates the heart. The details give the story authenticity and texture. The middle of the story soars, where so many sag. The momentum lasts until the final page of the book. Wonderful."
—-Kari Baumbach,
Children's Literature Network
"What was the life of an indentured servant but that of a slave? M.P. Barker brings it ringingly, cringingly to life...
A Difficult Boy hinges on the efforts of two boys—one social, one circumstantially remote, soon to be friends—to escape their brutalized existence... Then there is Ivy, a horse that bonds the boys and provides their ticket out."
--
Kirkus Reviews, First Fiction Special Issue (15 Apr 2008, p. 17)
"How Ethan and Daniel bolster each other and escape Mr. Lyman's tyranny makes for a memorable tale of friendship and a fascinating glimpse into mid-19th-century Massachusetts. Like L. M. Elliott's
Give Me Liberty (HarperCollins, 2006), this is an eye-opening look at indentured servitude in American history."
--Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA,
School Library Journal (1 May 2008)
"...readers will cheer for the two charming, perseverant protagonists as they force a corrupt grown-up to face the music."
--Anne O'Malley,
Booklist
"A fast-paced story set in 1839 but applicable to decisions young readers face today."
--Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger,
Children's Literature
"Children reading this book will gain an understanding of the intricacies of an indenture as Ethan asks questions to understand his situation. Children will also get an appreciation of the hard manual labor that Ethan and Daniel (and the children of the time that the boys represent) had to endure just to fill basic needs such as food and clothing. Meanwhile, through Ethan’s attempts to learn business at Lyman’s store, children will receive an introduction into some basic (and some not so basic) finance concepts.
"The author has clearly done a lot of research on the customs and colloquialism of the time to create an accurate pictorial of New England in the mid-1800s. In addition, she portrays characters that are well-developed yet constantly evolving as the story progresses. However, this is a dense read with a lot for children to digest--but it is well worth the effort."
--Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
“Daniel, or 'Paddy,' a 15-year-old indentured servant, has been through a lot in his short life: immigration from Ireland to America, subsistence farming with his family, and a tragic fire that left him an orphan. To stay off the public welfare system of 1839 Massachusetts, he is indentured to Mr. Lyman, a wealthy shop owner and farmer. The protagonist, Ethan, comes to live with Daniel when his father is unable to pay off his debts at Mr. Lyman’s store. Ethan and Daniel survive by supporting each other and trying to please the increasingly demanding and dishonest Mr. Lyman. Daniel’s love of horses promotes both his downfall and redemption in the heroic climax of this engaging story.” --Susan Wegmann, Orlando, FL,
ALAN Online (Sep 2008)
"Most of all this book is about friendship and the importance of friendship. It is just a beautiful story set to a beautiful background...Daniel and Ethan's relationship grows and evolves as the story goes on.
"My favorite aspect of the book is how real it feels. The racism Daniel gets. The hardships Ethan goes through. Their friendship even all feels very real..........and that's why I love this book. I read it within 24 hours and I couldn't put it down. At about Chapter 6 you will be hooked! I recommend this for all historical readers as well as those looking for a wonderful story about friendship."
--Trainspotting Reads Teen Book Reviews
