Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming

Imogene's Last Stand

Imogene is a history-loving young girl who manages to get Liddleville, New Hampshire's dilapidated Historical Society Building renovated, only to find it is to be torn down and replaced by a shoelace factory!  Mayor Butz and most of the Liddleville's residents think the shoelace factory will "put this town on the map."  Imogene's efforts to keep the historical society open seem to be doomed until she finds a letter in the building from George Washington, indicating that he had slept in town.  Imogene informs the Liddleville historian about President Washington's letter and asks for his help.

Imogene has already locked herself in a stockade when the bulldozers arrive.  Fortunately the Liddleville historian and the President of the United States declare the house a national landmark!  This will definitely put Liddleville on the map!

Filled with appropriate quotations from several United States presidents and other actual historical figures, this book is a delightful call to stand up for what you believe in.  The charming illustrations perfectly complement the old -time feeling of the story.  The endpapers describe the origin of each famous quotation.  The book ends with Imogene's own "immortal" quotation: "That was totally fun," which is a perfect description of the experience of reading this book.

Carol Buchanan
2012