4.0
A Season Most Unfair
ByPublisher Description
Perfect for fans of The Beatryce Prophecy and Catherine, Called Birdy, this “spirited” (Booklist) historical middle grade coming-of-age story set in medieval times follows a strong-minded girl determined to prove she’s just as good a candlemaker as any boy.
Scholastica, or “Tick,” has grown up helping her father make candles in his shop. The experience has its ups and downs—while constantly smelling like tallow makes it hard for Tick to keep friends, stray cats love her. Still, she delights in the work and the fact that she can help Papa. Every summer, they use the long daylight hours to make as many candles as possible to sell at the Stourbridge Fair, the highlight of their year. And this year Tick is finally going to be allowed to make the special Agnus Dei charms that keep travelers safe.
Because she’s a girl, Tick can never be a true apprentice in the trade, but if she gets to do the job anyway, does it matter what she’s called? But one morning she finds a boy sitting at her workbench. Papa has taken on an apprentice and now Tick is forbidden from helping with the candle-making.
Tick isn’t about to stand for this unfairness. She’s going prove to Papa that she deserves to be his apprentice, even if it means sneaking away to the Fair…
Scholastica, or “Tick,” has grown up helping her father make candles in his shop. The experience has its ups and downs—while constantly smelling like tallow makes it hard for Tick to keep friends, stray cats love her. Still, she delights in the work and the fact that she can help Papa. Every summer, they use the long daylight hours to make as many candles as possible to sell at the Stourbridge Fair, the highlight of their year. And this year Tick is finally going to be allowed to make the special Agnus Dei charms that keep travelers safe.
Because she’s a girl, Tick can never be a true apprentice in the trade, but if she gets to do the job anyway, does it matter what she’s called? But one morning she finds a boy sitting at her workbench. Papa has taken on an apprentice and now Tick is forbidden from helping with the candle-making.
Tick isn’t about to stand for this unfairness. She’s going prove to Papa that she deserves to be his apprentice, even if it means sneaking away to the Fair…
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4.0

Tamara York
Created 6 months agoShare
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“This captured the subtle changes of growing up and the changing relationship between a father and daughter. It’s a gentle story, but the MC is a bit whiney and it takes her a long time to stop sulking about a new apprentice taking over her candle making duties.”

Terisa Mora
Created 10 months agoShare
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Vanessa B
Created about 1 year agoShare
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“I was drawn to this book because of the cover. A fantastic historical fiction for young readers that will delight adults who love books like Anne of Geen Gables.
Wonderful coming-of-age story of a young girl who has been a candle maker beside her Papa in a town near Cambridge for a long time. She loves the hard stinky work but her father has other plans. Her life changes suddenly when her father welcomes a young boy as an apprentice to take her place. His intention is good but the lack of communication leads to a lot of events that may bring trouble to the whole family.
I loved the writing style, the theme, and learning that a lot more goes into candlemaking. Also, the last third of the book is amazing with so much happening and so many characters playing their part in the amazing market.
This was my first time reading the works of this author, but I am convinced that I will love everything done already and what will come in the future. Looking forward to getting into another one soon.”

Yee Shin Tian
Created over 1 year agoShare
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About J. Anderson Coats
J. Anderson Coats has master’s degrees in history and library science and has published short stories in numerous literary magazines and anthologies. She is the author of the acclaimed novels The Wicked and the Just, The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming, R Is for Rebel, The Green Children of Woolpit, and The Night Ride, as well as A Season Most Unfair and The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls. She lives with her family in Washington State. Visit her at JAndersonCoats.com.
Other books by J. Anderson Coats
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