Parents' Guide to Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance

Book Marthe Jocelyn Historical Fiction 2007
Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Pam Gelman , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

History, adventure, and women's rights for 10+.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

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What's the Story?

Mable and her sister Viola move to Sellerton, Ontario in 1901 when Viola is hired to work as the local teacher. Mable is to support her sister and help in the classroom with the younger children. They board at a dairy farm and quickly become topics of conversation in town. Some have reservations about a young female teacher. While her sister is pious, Mable is adventuresome and becomes friendly with a suffragette who lives by herself. When she learns of this woman's plan to help the exploited female workers at a local cheese factory, she wants to help, too.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Told through a diary, letters, poems, and a character-written story, MABLE RILEY presents a strong, likeable character. Though the story is told in old-fashioned prose, Mable remains very relatable to tweens today. Like many 14-year-old girls, Mable is still learning about herself, her world, and how to face her problems -- all this making for an interesting story for young readers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about this period in history. How were the roles of women different? Would you have liked to go to school during that time?

Book Details

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