YA literature: THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING TRAITOR TO THE NATION VOL 1: THE POX PARTY by M.T. Anderson

THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING TRAITOR TO THE NATION VOL 1: THE POX PARTY by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. 2006. THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING TRAITOR TO THE NATION VOL 1: THE POX PARTY. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 987-0-7636-3679-1

A virtuoso violin player, fluent in several languages including Greek and Latin, well-versed in the sciences and ancient literature, and a subject of an experiment describes Octavian, son of a princess. With his mother, Octavian lives in the house of serious minded philosophers and scientists, who afford the all the luxuries, attentions, and classical education they can, despite the fact they are Africans living in Colonial America. The characters of the story richly varied in personality and purpose, some playing archetypal roles. 

Though Octavian has never thought twice about acts such as tracking the intake and output of his food consumption, he discovers through the entrance of a forbidden area he is part of an experiment to prove inequalities in the various races of humans. He becomes aware that he and his other are in fact slaves, not the royal guests he had always presumed. Things begin to change as he learns more about his purpose in the house; a scandal causes the humiliation of a first beating, and the poor financial status of the College results in a cruel new leader, Mr. Sharpe. Octavian soon learns what the life of a slave entails as he seems to be set up for failure in the experiment. The rich 18th century language and harsh reality of detail absorb the reader into the historical time period with a fresh sense of realism over romanticism.

When scenes of revolution begin to appear, and another venture in the experiment causes the illness of his mother, Octavian begins to pay more attention to the warnings of fellow slave Pro Bono. After the death and appalling treatment of his mother, Octavian escapes to a life of hardship, fear, and uncertainty, ending up with the militia in the beginnings of revolutionary battle. Though he refuses to speak as a result of his trauma, Octavian begins to question further what freedom really means and what freedom is being fought for in the revolution against England. Historical facts and rumors are skillfully intertwined within this story which piques the readers’ interest into further research and investigation. Octavian’s mind is made up when he is captured, chained and tortured by Mr. Sharpe, then escapes again with the aid of his tutor. This intriguing story is unfolded as a collection of manuscripts in chronological order which tell the story of young Octavian. “The cover's gruesomely masked Octavian epitomizes a nation choking on its own hypocrisy. This is the Revolutionary War seen at its intersection with slavery through a disturbingly original lens” (Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept 2006). A gritty story which illuminates several perspectives during the time period will both entertain and incite contemplation for teen and adult readers alike. 

Classroom Connections:

-        Cross-curricular novel study for LA, history, science

-        Research project possible topics: beginnings of American Revolution, slavery in Colonial America, impact of slavery in the Revolution, science of the 18th century

Best Books:

Amazon Editors' Picks: Top 10 Books, 2006 ; United States
Book Sense Children's Picks, Winter 2006/2007 ; American Booksellers Association; Top 10; United States
Booklist Book Review Stars , Sep. 1, 2006 ; United States
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2006 ; Booklist Editor's Choice; United States
Booklist Editors' Choice: Top of the List, 2006 ; American Library Association; Winner; United States
Booklist Top 10 Black History Books for Youth, 2007 ; Booklist; United States
Capitol Choices, 2007 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Children's Pick of the List, 2006 ; NAIBA; United States
Choices, 2007 ; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States
Horn Book Fanfare, 2006 ; Horn Book; United States
Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2006 ; Kirkus; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, September 15, 2006 ; United States
Notable Children's Books, 2006 ; New York Times; United States
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 2006 ; Publishers Weekly; United States
School Library Journal Best Books, 2006 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, October 2006 ; Cahners; United States
Senior High Core Collection, Seventeenth Edition, 2007 ; The H. W. Wilson Co.; United States
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2007 ; American Library Association; United States
YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, 2007 ; American Library Association; United States

Awards, Honors, Prizes:

American Booksellers Book Sense Book of the Year (ABBY) Award, 2007 Honor Book Children's Literature United States
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2007 Winner Fiction and Poetry United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2006 Honorable Mention Best Book for Older Teens United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2006 Winner Best Book Title United States
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2006 Finalist Young Adult Fiction United States
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2006 Finalist Young Adult Literature United States
Michael L. Printz Award, 2007 Honor Book United States
Thumbs Up! Award, 2007 Nominee Michigan