Act of Faith by Kelly Gardiner

Act of Faith is a book about books, about freedom, and about friendship. It’s an adventure story set in an era when ideas were dangerous and many books were banned: 

when an educated young woman was not only unusual but sometimes feared. 

A novel for young adults, it traces the story of Isabella Hawkins as she travels across Europe in search of a place where writers are free to publish, women are able to work, 

and people are free to dream.

Publisher blurb: A story of faith, intrigue and adventure in 17th-century Europe. Ages 14+

When ideas were dangerous, one girl found the courage to act. England, 1640. Sixteen-year-old Isabella is forced to flee her home when her father's radical ideas lead him into a suicidal stand against Oliver Cromwell's army. taking refuge in Amsterdam and desperate to find a means to survive, Isabella finds work with an elderly printer, Master de Aquila, and his enigmatic young assistant, Willem. When Master de Aquila travels to Venice to find a publisher brave enough to print his daring new book, Isabella accompanies him and discovers a world of possibility - where women work alongside men as equal partners, and where books and beliefs are treasured. But in a continent torn apart by religious intolerance, constant danger lurks for those who don't watch their words. And when the agents of the Spanish Inquisition kidnap de Aquila to stop him printing his book, Isabella and Willem become reluctant allies in a daring chase across Europe to rescue him from certain death.

Act of Faith was published in 2011 but it is still available. Here is an interview with the author about the inspiration for her book. You can read a sample of this book on the publisher page. This timeline will help you identify the major historical events that link to the setting of this book. Here are some very detailed teachers notes and discussion questions. 

Read this review for a very detailed account of the plot. 

Awards

• Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2012.
• Highly commended, Australian Society of Authors’ Barbara Jefferis Awards 2012
• Shortlist, 2012 Gold Inky Award
• Shortlist, Ethel Turner Prize, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

The cover of this book caught my eye as I was assisting with a library stocktake (inventory) in a local school. This is not really a book for readers in a Primary School - it will better suit Young Adult readers aged 13+ mainly because it covers a complex period of world history around 1640; the print is very small; and there are some graphic details of executions. 

Here is the sequel from 2013

Bookseller blurb for The Sultan's Eyes: It’s 1648, and Isabella has made a home for herself in Venice, safe from the clutches of the Inquisition. She, her friend Willem, and their mentor, the irascible Signora Contarini, work together as printers and publishers. Their publishing house is famous throughout Europe for one title: The Sum of All Knowledge, a revolutionary book of history and philosophy that has brought them - yet again - to the attention of the authorities. Then Isabella’s nemesis, Fra Clement, is appointed Inquisitor in Venice, and vows to stamp out heretical printing. Isabella knows she will no longer be safe in the city, and, guided by their learned cartographer Al-Qasim, the three friends make their escape to the one place they feel sure Fra Clement will never follow: the fabled city of Constantinople, now ruled by the Ottoman Empire. 

They are greeted as esteemed guests, in a city where beautiful books are still written and illustrated by hand, and mechanised printing is frowned upon. Isabella and Signora Contarini are welcomed into the royal household, ruled by the all-powerful Queen Mother, Kösem, in the name of her grandson, the child-Sultan Mehmet IV, who lives in the Palace’s legendary Golden Cage. Isabella quickly becomes friends with the boy king and his elder sister and acts as Mehmet’s eyes: she reads to him and teaches them both the languages of antiquity and of Europe. Engrossed in her duties, she doesn’t at first notice that Willem is besotted with a young slave girl called Suraiya - or that Signora Contarini and Al-Qasim are involved in an underground movement to bring the printing press to the Ottoman Empire. And none of them notice the mysterious foreigners who follow their every move. For the famous Sultanate of Women is far from serene. Court politics and an impending war with Europe place Isabella and her friends in danger - from forces within the Golden Cage, and beyond.

Adult readers who enjoyed The Dictionary of Lost Words might also enjoy Act of Faith.

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

Mac and his friends are assigned to a reading group Table 6. The way this works, their teacher. Ms Sett, gives each group a different book. They are told 'not to read ahead' and after each class session they have to complete vocabulary and response tasks. Just as an aside I do not like this format of teaching - especially the instruction 'do not read ahead'. And so I did cheer when one of the Table 6 group - Hannah Do (later we learn her real name is Hao Do) declares she has already read the whole book. In fact she has read all the class assigned books!

This group are assigned The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen (1988). Hopefully you do know this is a real book. I will confess I had not read it but it is now on my list. Here is the Kirkus Star review. And Jane Yolen writes about her book here. 

When Mac opens his copy of this book there are words that have been blacked out - we would call this a texta here in Australia but in the US it is called a Sharpie. Why has this book been censored? What do the missing words say? Mac and his friends are completely shocked and so they decide to take action. First off, they talk to the school Principal, but she just offers platitudes. So, then they make a presentation to the school board. Their local independent bookstore has their assigned book and so they can read the 'offending' passages. This content is simply about body parts and these kids can see absolutely no reason why these words are covered in rectangles. They decide to protest outside the bookshop each Saturday in the hope of raising awareness about this issue. 

Meanwhile Mac is navigating some difficult times in his family. His dad no longer lives with them but he does visit once a week. His behaviour is very strange and then his father robs their house and takes the car owned by Mac's grandfather. 

And there is also the issue of their class teacher. She has assigned herself as a rule maker for the whole town. Halloween is banned; there is a curfew of 9pm; in some streets the houses are expected to be painted white; and no one is allowed to eat junk food. Also at school girls are banned from wearing shorts even though this is okay for boys.

Objections to the town rules are presented in the form of letters to the editor. This part of the story really resonated with me. I often despair when rules at every level are set as reaction to one event. In this case some teenagers scare some little kids at Halloween so Halloween is banned - ridiculous. 

Having finished another book a couple of days ago I picked up the next one. I thought I would just dip in and perhaps read a few pages - I lifted my head around page 176 and then when I couldn't sleep, because I wanted to know how this story could possibly be resolved, I read the remaining pages, up to page 258 from 1-2am. YES this book is THAT good. And page 248 contains the best scene I have ever read in a book - it made me smile and gasp. 

Attack of the Black Rectangles was published in 2022 but the paperback edition from Scholastic has only just reached Australia. I purchased my copy for AUS$17 but I see it is offered by Scholastic Book Club here is Australia - issue 3, 2025. 

The students in this book are in Grade 6 but my recommendation is that this is a book for students in Grades 7 and 8. There is some confronting content about the holocaust and also the issue of censorship which I think better suits an older group. And of course the key text - The Devil's Arithmetic is a Young Adult title for readers aged 13+. 

Listen to an audio sample here. This is a timely and important book. It is easy to read and there are touches of humour. These kids, as Colby said (see below) feel so real. I highly highly recommend Attack of the Black Rectangles for readers aged 11+. 

Here is a quote from a review about the audio book: The group of narrators do a great job with the audiobook and King’s vivid storytelling and great characters come to life as the story unfolds. It’s a wonderful insight into the American censorship battle and shows there’s hope and always a fight to have against those who try to silence others.

Colby Sharp said: "It just so real." "I love how real this felt." "How possible it felt for kids to make a difference and for kids to find their voice and demand that they are heard." "One of the best books of the year." Listen to this audio interview at The Yarn. 

But this book is not just about book banning, it’s a moving story of a young teen boy trying to figure out who he is and navigating family, friendship, first crushes, and his own emotions as he transitions into adolescence. It’s a powerful and inspiring look at the inner lives of teen boys and it moved me at times to tears. At other times, I cheered for our Mac, who is genuine, authentic, inspiring while also being complicated, complex, at times messy and flawed. School Library Journal

Take a look at these review comments quoted on the author web page:

“Poignant, humorous, and bright . . . Whip-smart, tuned in to the mind of sixth-graders, and beautifully concluded, the novel takes a bold stand in a time of book bans and rampant censorship . . . Against the backdrop of family issues, first crushes, and the end of elementary school, this is a beacon of hope for middle grades and an object lesson in treating kids like the intelligent readers they are.”—Booklist, starred review

“[Amy Sarig King’s] respect for young people is exemplary, and her characters indelible.”—Horn Book, starred review (contains spoilers)

“Skillfully encourages keeping open minds and extending grace to the oblivious and hostile alike . . . A searingly relevant opus to intellectual freedom.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“King’s latest novel is so timely and relevant, some readers may feel like the author has been privy to what’s going on in their own schools . . . A striking book on censorship; a must-have in all middle grade classrooms and school libraries.”—School Library Journal, starred review