New England Books and Authors

178 pages; Published by Harcourt, Incorporated ©2001 There are many things we use everyday that we take for granted. We don't think about how they came to be, who came up for the idea, or how people survived or accomplished their work before the invention/discovery. Amir D. Aczel's "The Riddle of the Compass" sheds light on an instrument that proved vital to trade, navigation, and other maritime duties. "Compass" begins in the Bronze Age and immediately challenges the long-held notion that ancient sailors and navigators never let the coast out of their sights for fear of becoming lost at sea. Instead, sailors ventured far from terra firma with the aid of large statues, lighthouses, and even hiring out local fishermen whose knowledge of the waters due to their daily work proved invaluable. As time went on, ships' captains were able to sail the seas on their own with help from a little gadget that helped in big ways. A simple device that today is a basic

492 pages; Published by Zenith Publishing ©2021 It’s the 1770’s in Massachusetts, and Tories and Whigs alike are trying to go about their daily life on the eve of the American Revolution despite the constant threat of that life being upended by the tensions between the colonials and the British soldiers who have been sent to nearby Boston to keep the peace.  For young Annalisa Howlett, life is difficult enough at her home in Topsfield without the brewing trouble with the British. Annalisa would rather ride horses and drink cider than wear dresses and learn womanly duties. Society’s expectations keep her at home learning French and keeping house. Annalisa sneaks off to shoot a musket whenever she can and even takes that musket to a neighboring town, disguised as a man, to join its militia.  It’s not the only time she sneaks out, though. Another episode puts her in the middle of a confrontation between British soldiers and colonists on a fateful March night that would become known as “T