Heikki helped me create a realistic picture of the Finland that Otto left behind, and he also secured the cover photo for the book from the Soini Historical Society. Other helpful sources included oral history tapes, immigration records, and mine accident statistics that are housed at the Iron World Research Library in Chisholm, Minnesota. The Finnish people had the highest literacy rate of all the European immigrants. They not only placed a great value on reading, but they were also skilled craftsmen, and they appreciated music and the arts as well. You've written historical fiction books in both journal and non-journal format.
Conventional fiction is developed through chapters that are linked together by transitions.
For a journal format to be realistic, it is also important to resist the temptation to tie the ending too neatly together. Discussion Guide written by Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D., Professor of Literature for Children and Young Adults, University of Houston, Houston, Texas and Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Houston, Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Read our Privacy Policy Statement .