Youth Literature scholars, notably Professor Emeritus Kay E. Vandergrift, Rutgers, Department of Library and Information Science, have contested the claim that the story is factual, referring to it as "historical fiction for children".
Youth Literature scholars, such as Professor Emeritus Kay E. Vandergrift from Rutgers, Department of Library and Information Science, have questioned the factual nature of the story, describing it as "historical fiction intended for young readers."