Imogene's Last Stand

Author:  Candace Fleming

Illustrator:  Nancy Carpenter

Imogene's Last Stand is a Texas Bluebonnet Award winner for 2011.

Exposition:  Imogene's Last Stand takes place in Liddleville, New Hampshire.  A town so small it is not even a speck on the map.  Imogene lives, eats and breathes history.  She has taken upon herself to fix up the Liddleville Historical Society--an old house at the end of main street. 

Conflict:  Imogene has finished cleaning up the Liddleville Historical Society when Mayor I. M. Butz decides to tear it down and build a shoe lace factory because it will put Liddleville on the map.

Rising Action:  Imogene paraded through the town to stop the demolition.  She put up ribbons, she dropped fliers from an airplane and picketed.  She wrote a letter to Professor Cornelia Pastmatters about a letter she found stating George Washington has once stayed there.  Nothing seemed to change the mind of Mayor I. M. Butz.

Climax:  On demolition day, Imogene stood her ground.  She put herself in stocks on the porch of the Historical house and would not budge.  Everyone in the town gathers around.  Imogene's father decides he will stand behind his daughter's wishes and joins her on the porch.  Suddenly Professor Cornelia Pastmatters arrives with the president of the United States.

Falling Action:  The professor and the president declare the house a historical landmark.

Resolution:  Everyone in the town including the mayor and the president go on a tour of the historical society building and Liddleville is put on the map because of it's history. 

I really enjoyed Imogene's Last Stand.  The book is interesting and well written.  The end pages of the book are filled with quotes from history such as information about Theodore Roosevelt saying "Balderdash" when he was angry or upset.  A little bit of history in a fun way to entertain the reader.   The figurative language is wonderful.  All throughout the book there were quotes from important people in history.  Imogene was constantly quoting people and their immortal words from Eleanor Roosevelt to Paul Revere.

Fleming, Candace. 2009.  Imogene's Last Stand.  Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.  New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.

ISBN:  9780375836077