Tag: Nonfiction

A Picture Book by Allen Say with a Japanese American Focus

1. Bibliography

Say, Allen. 2011. Drawing from Memory. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 978-0-545-17686-6

2. Plot Summary

Drawing from Memory is the autobiographical picture storybook of Allen Say’s childhood in Japan. Say quickly grew to love drawing comics as a child, something his father disapproved of. After his parents divorced, Say was sent to stay with his grandmother. She, too, disapproved of Say’s passion for drawing, hoping instead that he would be accepted into the prestigious Aoyama Middle School. When Say learned that he’d get his own apartment if he got accepted, he studied hard. At age twelve, Say left for Aoyama, receiving his own apartment where he was free to draw in peace. Learning that the Japanese comics master, Noro Shinpei, lived in town, Say asked to be his apprentice. Lucky for Say, Shinpei accepted. Say began to perfect his art technique with the master, who quickly became like a father. Say’s real father would periodically invite his son to events with his new family, but Say was uninterested. One day, Say received a letter from his father inviting Say to accompany his family to America, where they planned to make a new home. Say was initially reluctant, but Shinpei encouraged him to go, believing that Say would have better opportunities as a budding artist in America. Drawing from Memory ends with Say’s departure. The book also includes an author’s note section which pays homage to Shinpei and the special relationship Say and Shinpei shared even after Say left for America.

3.  Critical Analysis

Popular stereotypical images of “Asians” often include young geniuses who excel in STEM and music with laser focus and have no interest in any other subject. Obviously, “Asians” (who make up over 50 different countries with a plethora of languages, religions, and interests) are not a monolith, and Allen Say’s book Drawing from Memory proves it. Allen Say’s autobiographical story is notabout a math genius, a music genius or a boy who hopes to make it as a STEM leader (although authentic stories about those subject are important too!). Say is only motivated to do well in school because of his love of art—he studies hard to get into the prestigious Aoyama Middle School so that he’ll have an apartment and “art studio” to himself. And Allen isn’t the book’s only art lover. Allen’s fellow apprentice is high school dropout whose passion for art was so great that he escaped home and walked over 350 miles to study with the master of comics. The other Japanese artists that Allen comes in contact with are successful in their craft. Harmful stereotypes are thrown out in favor of authentic personal experiences.

The historical details of Say’s narrative also add depth to the story. Not only does Say lay out the complicated timeline of his family and interfamilial relationships, but he also lays out the world setting. Say talks about World War II, the bombing of the family house in Yokohama, and the labor strikes and the police backlash of the late 40s and early 50s. Along with historical details, Say provides readers with a glance of the values and beliefs that were important in Japan during the 1940s­ and -50s. His parents stressed the importance of education, but often disapproved of his love for art, his father claiming it wasn’t respectable and was only meant for “lazy and scruffy people.” Art was not important, at least to Say’s family. Interestingly, independence seems to have been highly valued. For Say, living an independent life was offered much earlier than in some other cultures. Say left for an apartment of his own when he was only 12 and his fellow apprentice left home and got a job at age 15. His independence seems to have given Say a mature perspective of his mother’s sacrifice on his behalf, helping him to make the decision to go to America with his father and relieve his mother of the financial burden that Say’s schooling and housing had created for her. Divorce was not valued in Japan—Say hides his family situation from his acquaintances, and when his fellow apprentice finds out, the apprentice comments, “Only American movie stars get divorced.” Say’s details allow readers to understand and reflect on the Japanese cultural values that were important during Say’s childhood, adding substance to the story.

The appealing format of Say’s story also makes it unforgettable to readers. The composition style is original, but well done: sketches, photographs, comics, watercolors, ink on paper, and historical images line the pages, bringing Say’s childhood to life in intimate detail, and making it clear to readers that Say has indeed become the artist Shinpei hoped he would be. This is a thoroughly engaging story about the pre-U.S. immigration story that readers oftentimes don’t get to hear. Engaging and artistic, Drawing from Memory would make a great choice for middle grade graphic novel fans, history buffs, artists, or anyone interested in learning about a young Japanese perspective. Highly recommended.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Cybils Awards, 2011, Nominee, Graphic Novels, Young Adult

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2012, Honor Book

Horn Book Fanfare, 2011, Nonfiction Pick

New York Times Notable Children’s Books, 2011, Middle Grade

Kirkus Best Children’s Books List, 2011

From Kirkus: “Exquisite drawings, paintings, comics and photographs balance each other perfectly as they illustrate Say’s childhood path to becoming an artist. . . . Aesthetically superb; this will fascinate comics readers and budding artists while creating new Say fans.”

From Bulletin: “There’s a thoughtful, measured quality to Say’s modest storytelling, but it’s never dry; compact, simple sentences convey an existence teeming with human interaction (even from afar, his father exerts an influence) and human endeavor as the young boy develops his artistic skills. The narrative is as visual as it is textual, with period photographs, art from Say’s youth, and occasional images from his books joining forces with new illustrations that document his past in clean-lined graphic-novel-styled panel art. While this will obviously appeal to fans of Say’s books, young artists in general will warm to the account of artistic apprenticeship. . .”

5. Connections

Allen Say has his own cartoon character alter ego, Kyusuke, who goes on adventures. Allow middle graders to browse books about drawing comics and provide them with panels to draw their own. After a few sessions of drawing their own comics, invite middle graders to pass their comics around to be read by their classmates. The following comic how-tos might be helpful:

  • Taylor, Des. Cartoons and Manga. ISBN 9781448852833
  • Hart, Christopher. Manga Mania: Chibi and Furry characters. ISBN 9780823029778
  • Bridges, Ruby. Draw Your Own Manga: Beyond the Basics. ISBN 9784770023049
  • Arcturus Publishing. The Complete Guide to Drawing Comics. ISBN 9781784045128

Allen Say has written many, many books and won many, many awards. Create a display of his books. The following are possible options:

  • Grandfather’s Journey. ISBN 9780547076805
  • The Favorite Daughter. ISBN 9780605862326
  • Tea with Milk. ISBN 9780395904954
  • Silent Days, Silent Dreams. ISBN 9780545927611
  • The Inker’s Shadow. ISBN 9780545437769
  • The Sign Painter. ISBN 9780547771953

A Book By Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza

1. Bibliography

Mendoza, Jean, & Debbie Reese. 2019. An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People. Boston: Beacon Press. ISBN 9780807049402. Adapted from “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States,” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014, Beacon Press.

2. Plot Summary

Written like a textbook that teens actually want to read, Mendoza and Reese’s adaptation of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States is chock-full of information from a uniquely Indigenous perspective. The book begins pre-1492 with a history and celebration of the peoples and cultures who inhabited the Americas. In the following seven chapters, Mendoza and Reese highlight the calculated devastation and destruction brought about by European colonizers and the American grab for land no matter the cost. The final two chapters detail the Indigenous fight for sovereignty and rights, including the very recent Standing Rock Protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, and invite readers to find ways to defend Native American rights. Each chapter includes pictures, headings, “did you know?” sections, and questions for reflection. The book also includes back matter sections for further reading, book recommendations, chapter notes and image credits, and contains a thorough index.

3.  Critical Analysis

Look no further than this book to take readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Highs include learning about advanced pre-European civilizations and the victories for the Dakota Pipeline protestors. Lows include chapter upon chapter of horrific descriptions of the death and destruction incited upon tribe after tribe after tribe, and unfair killings conducted on unsuspecting, often nonviolent Native children, women, elders, and men. Chapters two through eight are heavy with traumatic events that, the authors argue, have led to intergenerational trauma for Native Americans, passed down through generations of abuse. While the lows of the Native American peoples are important to acknowledge and the decimation of entire populations is no small thing, I do wish that there were more stories of resiliency since, as emphasized in An Indigenous Peoples’ History, Native Americans are not extinct. They have overcome incredibly difficult odds and they are still here! 

Still, the text is focused and understandable and the format of the book is attractive, both a huge plus for the teen target audience. Chapters are broken into short and manageable parts and images pair well with text. Sections on recommended books and topics for further reading are thoughtful and well-prepared. Footnotes are extensive, evidence of thorough research, and the index is impressive in its scope. The information found in the book is also fresh and is often illuminating, offering sharp insights: Why did settlers often have such an easy time cultivating the “new” and “wild” land? Maybe, Mendoza and Reese suggest, because the land was already being cultivated by the Native population who had lived there for thousands of years! The text also reviews treaties promising Natives land, treaties that were signed by one American president and then ignored by the next. It highlights the unfair treatment of Natives by some of America’s most highly revered presidents, men like Thomas Jefferson (who schemed up ways to make Natives secede their lands) and Abraham Lincoln (who authorized the largest mass execution in U.S. history). This Native-centered history isn’t something teens are likely to learn about in their U.S. history class, making the book invaluable as a resource for students looking to gain a more nuanced perspective of their country. All teen collections should include this book.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Cybils Awards, 2019, Nominee, Nonfiction

Booklist Book Review Stars, 2019

Kirkus Best Young Adult Books, 2019

Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2020, Grades 6-8

School Library Journal Best Books, 2019, Nonfiction

From CCBC: “This history of the place, people, and politics of this land from an Indigenous perspective rather than through a lens of American exceptionalism will offer a provocative shift for the majority of young readers. . . . This adaption by Mendoza and Reese of Dunbar-Ortiz’s adult book strikes a tone remarkable for its invitation to consider rather than desire to lecture, even as it definitively challenges the way middle and high schoolers are typically taught to understand the conquest of this land.”

From Booklist: “This adaptation of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (2014) should be required reading for all middle and high schoolers and their teachers. Dunbar-Ortiz’s scrutinous accounts of Indigenous histories are well-known among history buffs, and in this revision by Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, the same level of detail is maintained while still accommodating a teenage audience.”

5. Connections

Invite teenagers to explore the blog written by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese and dedicated to topics related to The Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People found at https://iph4yp.blogspot.com/. Use the teacher’s guide found there to initiate discussion about the book with teens.

After reading The Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People with teens, create a display of some of the books recommended by Mendoza and Reese at the end of TIPH and allow them to browse the selection:

  • Bruchac, Joseph. Hidden Roots. ISBN 9780439353588
  • Charleyboy, Lisa (Ed.). #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women. ISBN 9781554519583
  • Child, Brenda C. Bowwow Powwow. ISBN 9781681340777
  • Hardcastle, Nick. Unstoppable: How Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Defeated the Army. ISBN 9781543504064
  • Gansworth, Eric. Give Me Some Truth. ISBN 9781338268669
  • Minnema, Cheryl. Hungry Johnny. ISBN 9780873519267

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.

A Poetry Book by Margarita Engle

1. Bibliography

Engle, Margarita, and Rafael López (illustrator). 2017. Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9780805098761

2. Plot Summary

Beginning with Juan de Miralles, a Cuban born in 1713, and moving through the 1800s with Mexicans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans, and into the late 1900s with Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, an El Salvadorian, and a Venezuelan, winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1980, writer Margarita Engle pens short but stunning poetic portraits of both famous Hispanics and Hispanics whose contributions have mostly been hidden from the public eye. From politicians to priests and healers to healthy recipe writers, the cast of characters in Bravo! demonstrates the diversity of the Hispanic community. Illustrator Rafael López has contributed illustrations that use both digital and painterly elements to create eye-catching visuals to match Engle’s powerful text. The front of the book includes a letter to readers from Engle and the end includes notes about the lives of each of the eighteen Hispanics highlighted in the picture book.

3.  Critical Analysis

As Margarita Engle explains in her introductory letter to readers, “this is not a book about the most famous Hispanics.” Truly, Engle looks far and wide to create a picture book that shines with the diversity of the movers and shakers that are highlighted in this winning picture book. Readers may be familiar with the names of some Hispanics found in Bravo!—Cuban poet José Martí, for example, or nonviolent protestor César Chávez. But readers probably won’t recognize the names of Hispanics like Aída de Acosta, the world’s first woman pilot, or Ynés Mexía, a botanist that collected an impressive number of new plant species in Mexico and South America. With men and women; rich and poor; Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans; and cowboys, librarians, and baseball players, this book truly celebrates the diversity of the Hispanic culture. López’s illustrations also reflect the diversity within the Hispanic world with portraits of heroes and heroines of diverse skin and hair colors, dress, and economic status.

The quality of Engle’s poetry is just as commendable as the diversity of the Hispanics she’s chosen. Although she only has the single page of a picture book spread to explain each amazing Hispanic, Engle finds a way to convey the importance of each life with powerful simplicity. Juana Briones, for example, leaves her cruel husband after he hits her, and—though the 1800s were not kind to single women—survives “as a rancher and healer,” healing others with medicinal plants and “healing [her]self / with independence.” López compliments Engle’s powerful prose with powerful visuals. On the spread dedicated to Juana Briones, he draws a hand with plants blooming within it. While the hand was once the symbol of an abusive spouse—a hand of hurting—Juana decided to turn her own hands into hands of healing. With such a high caliber of poetry and illustrations, Bravo! provides ample fodder for discussion in classrooms, libraries, and homes. This is a must-have for any library dedicated to diversity.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing List, 2017, Poetry and Song

Tejas Star Reading List, 2018–2019

Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, 2018, Commended Title

From Bulletin: “Eighteen Latinos who made their marks in the New World are featured in verses in their own voices attesting to their achievements and their struggles. . . . López’s full page, mixed-media portraiture captures both the nobility and humanity of his subjects. . .”

From CCBC: “Biographical poems introduce 18 Hispanics whose lives, notes author Margarita Engle, range from some who were celebrated in their lifetimes but have been forgotten by history, to others who achieved lasting fame. Even the shortest poems provide a brief but intriguing sense of their subjects lives and accomplishments while nurturing readers desire to learn more. . . Gorgeous full-page portraits of each subject incorporate elements of the work for which they were known, while inspired spot illustrations add to the volume’s beauty.”

5. Connections

Ask children (ages 8 to 12) to read through Bravo! on their own, and then discuss which of the amazing Hispanics stood out to them. Dividing children into groups, asking each group to do a little more research on one of the Hispanics highlighted in the book. Invite children to present their research at an “Amazing Hispanics” night.

Create a display of children’s books written by Margarita Engle, such as the following selections:

  • The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom. ISBN 9780805086744
  • Enchanted Air. ISBN 9781481435222
  • Mountain Dog. ISBN 9780805095166
  • Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck. ISBN 9780805092400
  • The Drum Dream Girl. ISBN 9781520018171
  • All the Way to Havana. ISBN 9781627796422

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.

A Book by Kadir Nelson

1. Bibliography

Nelson, Kadir. 2011. Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. New York: Balzer + Bray. ISBN 978-0-06-173074-0

2. Plot Summary

Written in the voice of an African American senior who talks to her audience as if she’s talking to her own grandchildren, Heart and Soul tells the extensive history of the African American people. The story begins with the exportation of African laborers, slavery, abolition, the Civil War, Reconstruction, westward expansion, the Great Migration, and the Harlem boom, and goes on to detail the history of African Americans in World War II, Jim Crow, civil rights, and—most recently—the election of the first African American president. This 100-page monument to the strength of the African American people is written in twelve chapters, with detailed oil paintings accompanying the written history on every page. The book also includes an author’s note, an extensive timeline and bibliography, and a handy index in the back.

3.  Critical Analysis

Kadir Nelson takes pride in his heritage, a pride that is apparent in his striking illustrations of strong-willed African Americans—people like Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and even sharecroppers and schoolteachers who, though treated unfairly, stand up nobly and seem to look the reader in the eye. Nelson’s focus on the faces of his subjects allows readers to feel a sense of personal connection to the African Americans of history and respect their dignity, even in appalling circumstances.

Though Kadir Nelson’s story explains heavy topics like the founding fathers’ views on slavery, the animalistic treatment of slaves, and the Klu Klux Klan, the tone of the story’s narrator is matter-of-fact—never contemptuous or bitter. The reason to tell the tale is, in the words of this grandmotherly storyteller, to “know where you come from so you can move forward” and to “make the American promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness a reality for all Americans.” This isn’t a book of anger, although parts of it will rightly make readers angry. It’s a book to educate, to uplift, and to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

The book wears Black culture on its sleeve, shown most strikingly through its notable use of “oral speak”— the African American senior narrates her story as if her readers are her own grandchildren gathered around her knee. When she notes that the white colonists decided to rebel against English because they didn’t want to be slaves to the king, she says (with a wry hint of irony in her voice that’s almost palpable), “Chile, what in the world could they ever know about that?” Her authentic pseudo-oral narration pays tribute to the African American oral tradition of storytelling, passing down wisdom and history from generation to generation, even when reading and writing was relegated only to the white folks.

The first illustration of Heart and Soul is a painting of scores of Americans of all colors, races, genders, and religions, linking arms around an American flag. Nelson’s point, shown through his words and illustrations, is clear: America and its citizens are best when all of us stand together.

A book that allows children to gain a more nuanced perspective of American history, Heart and Soul is a must-have history book for children in higher elementary and middle school.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Cybils Award, 2011, Nominee, Children’s Nonfiction

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, 2012, Nominee

White Ravens Award, 2012, Winner, United States

NPR’s Book Concierge Pick, 2011, Kids

From Kirkus: In an undertaking even more ambitious than the multiple-award-winning We Are the Ship (2008), Nelson tells the story of African-Americans and their often central place in American history. . . . This intimate narrative makes the stories accessible to young readers and powerfully conveys how personal this history feels for many African-Americans.”

From Booklist: “Nelson, the creator of We Are the Ship (2008), recipient of both a Coretta Scott King Author Award and a Robert F. Siebert Medal, adds to his notable titles with this powerful view of African American history.”

5. Connections

Create a display of nonfiction African American history books for children and young adults, such as the following selections:

  • Crowe, Chris. Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. ISBN 9780451478726
  • Beals, Melba Pattillo. Warriors Don’t Cry. ISBN 9780671899004
  • Bridges, Ruby. This Is Your Time. ISBN 9780593378557
  • Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March: Book Three. ISBN 9781603094023

Create a display of Heart and Soul and other books written and/or illustrated by Kadir Nelson, such as the following selections:

  • We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. ISBN 9780786808328
  • Nelson Mandela. ISBN 9780061783746
  • He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. ISBN 9780803728509
  • Levine, Ellen. Henry’s Freedom Box. ISBN 9780439777339
  • Alexander, Kwame. The Undefeated. ISBN 9781328780966
  • Napoli, Donna Jo. Mama Miti. ISBN 9781416935056

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.

A Biography

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fleming, Candace. The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2020. ISBN 9780525646556

PLOT SUMMARY

The title says it all: The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh is about one man’s great triumphs—among them, his nonstop flight from New York to Paris—and his great flaws—among them, his belief in eugenics and a master race. Fleming takes her readers through Charles’s strange childhood, his short-lived college stint, and his pilot training. After graduating at the top of his class, Lindbergh heard about the race to get from New York to Paris and knew his plane could do it. With luck and incredible endurance, Charles and The Spirit of St. Louis made their historic flight across the Atlantic, the nation going wild for the “flying kid.” From then on, Charles was swarmed by tabloids. His wedding was carried out in secret, but his honeymoon was interrupted by intrusive reporters. When his young son was kidnapped and held for ransom, the press ran amok on his property. The Lindberghs finally fled to England to escape, but while there, Charles became even more enamored with Germany and eugenics. Returning to America, he became the voice of America First, opposing American involvement in World War II and supporting eugenics and anti-Semitism. For the rest of his life, Charles was both admired and detested by Americans and the world at large.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Candace Fleming has already proved that she’s well-versed in nonfiction stories for kids and teens with titles like Family Romanov, a Robert F. Sibert honor book; Amelia Lost, an ALA Notable Children’s Book; and The Lincolns, winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award; and over 25 other informational books. The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, the 2021 YALSA Award winner, is another exceptional piece of writing. Not only is Fleming’s biography engaging and easy to read, but it’s also sprinkled with the genuine voices of its protagonists. Her abundant use of authentic, raw journal entries from both Charles and Anne allow their personalities to leap from the page, creating an intimate picture of two very real, very flawed individuals. Photos, an extensive bibliography organized into primary and secondary sources, detailed source notes for all thirty-three chapters, and a thorough index provide readers with a wealth of resources that many teens will undoubtedly feel compelled to use to learn more about this fascinating, sometimes shocking character.

But Fleming does more than merely write a story to shock her readers. Anyone looking for a nuanced perspective on a very complex man will find it here in the pages of The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh. Fleming deftly paints a picture of the man who is neither solely the hero celebrated by America after his historic flight nor the villain decried by that same America after his infamous America First speeches echoed from radio stations across the nation. Nuance is so often lost in the human race’s inherent eagerness to categorize historical figures as either “good” or “evil.” Yet Fleming never gives in to this urge, staying ever faithful to her multifaceted approach of this complicated man, capable of both great love (stopping at nothing to save his infant boy) and terrible hatred (stopping at nothing to promote eugenics in America). Fleming invites readers to explore Lindbergh’s complicated life, to see both the bad and the good—ignoring neither—and to think critically about both. Controversial and vibrant, Charles Lindbergh comes alive in Fleming’s unforgettable biography. This book deserves be added to every library collection.

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

Winner of the 2021 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2020

Booklist Book Review Star, 2020

From Booklist: “Fleming places, in his historical context and ours, a man of intense contradictions. Absorbing and distressing in turns, this utterly prescient capture of a life and the lives it influenced is essential in classrooms and for history buffs alike.”

From Publishers Weekly: “A compelling biography of a flawed, larger-than-life man.” 

CONNECTIONS

  • Provide a brief introduction to The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and other young adult aviation stories, such as the following:
    • Wein, Elizabeth. A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II. ISBN 9780062453013
    • Sheinkin, Steve, and Bijou Karman (illustrator). Born to Fly: The First Women’s Air Race Across America. ISBN 9781626721302
    • Waters, Eric. Fly Boy. ISBN 9780143176305
  • Along with The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, show teens young adult materials about the Lindbergh family, such as the following:
    • Bryant, Jen. The Trial. ISBN 9780375827525
    • Haddix, Margaret P. Revealed. ISBN 9781416989868
    • Anne Morrow Lindbergh: You’ll Have the Sky. PBS Documentary: 2016. Susan Wallner (director).
  • Read a short bio about Candace Fleming, the author of The Rise and Fall of Charles Fleming. Then set out a display of other young adult books by Fleming for teens to browse.
    • Fleming, Candace. The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia. ISBN 9780375867828
    • Fleming, Candace. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. ISBN 9780375841989
    • Fleming, Candace. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. ISBN 9780375836183
  • Put out a display of all the 2021 YALSA Nonfiction Award finalists. Then allow teens to vote on their favorite title and hold an awards ceremony for the favorite nonfiction pick.
    • Soontornvat, Christina. All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team. ISBN 9781536209457
    • Sabic-El-Rayess, Amra, with Laura L. Sullivan. The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival. ISBN 9781547604531
    • Rocco, John. How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure. ISBN 9780525647416
    • Rusch, Elizabeth. You Call This Democracy?: How to Fix Our Democracy and Deliver Power to the People. ISBN 9780358387428

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.

Nonfiction Book by Catherine Thimmesh

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Thimmesh, Catherine, and Melissa Sweet (illustrator). Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. ISBN 9781328772534

PLOT SUMMARY

Girls Think of Everything is an informational book dedicated to girls and inventions from around the world. The book begins with end pages that introduce famous women inventors from the pre-1800s to 2018. Next comes the table of contents and an introduction to women inventors of yesteryear, of modern times, and of the future, followed by in-depth studies of 15 famous women inventors that have changed the world. Among them are Azza Abdelhamid Faiad, a teenager living in Egypt with ideas for eliminating plastic waste; Ann Moore, a former Peace Corps pediatric nurse who designed an ingenious baby carrier; and Grace Murray Hopper, a mathematician who helped to create the first universal computer language. Thimmesh finishes the book with a section titled “Your Turn,” with resources for kids and teens interested in creating inventions of their own. The book also includes bibliographic sources, a glossary of terms, and an index.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Girls Think of Everything is a well-crafted informational book and in its show of diversity, the book shines especially brightly. From chocolate chip cookies to waterproof solar lanterns; from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to Albuquerque, New Mexico; and from well-established professionals to high-schoolers and college students, this book is a fantastic showcase of women inventors and inventions of all kinds. Middle-grade and teenage readers will appreciate the diversity of inventions, races, and age groups of the inventors, especially the four high school inventors included in this updated second edition. Readers will also be inspired by the “Your Turn” section in the back of the book, which provides resources to learn more about the patent process and the programs and contests available to young inventors on an international level.

The book’s organization is good, for the most part. Girls Think of Everything includes a top notch timeline, table of contents, introduction, select bibliography, glossary, and index—each a valuable research tool for its middle-grade audience, especially the inventors-in-training among them. However, the lack of order for Thimmesh’s 15 invention stories (chronological, alphabetical, or otherwise) is puzzling, especially since the book begins with end pages displaying a chronological timeline of women inventors. The pink side blurbs that accompany each invention are also problematic. While the extra information is fun to read, it always pops up mid-story when readers are still trying to engage with the main text, thus distracting from rather than enhancing the main text.

But despite some design flaws, Thimmesh’s stories create interest and enthusiasm about each unique invention and inventor, inspiring readers to create inventions of their own. Especially exceptional entries included those of Grace Murray Hopper, a woman with a can-do attitude and a love for mathematical code; Trisha Prabhu, a teen who heard about the harmful effects of cyberbullying and felt compelled to take a stand; and the inventing duo Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta, two college students who wanted to help those effected by the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010. Girls Think of Everything offers a fascinating look at woman inventors and, despite its imperfections, deserves a space on the middle-grade STEAM shelf.

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

From School Library Journal: “This updated edition of the 2000 collective biography showcases greater diversity in its representation of women inventors. . . . Expanded resources for aspiring scientists and a time line that emphasizes more recent inventions are welcome changes. . . . In a growing marketplace of works about women transforming the world, this title holds its own.”

From Horn Book: “Today’s readers will find a laudable increase in the subjects’ diversity as well as a more contemporary focus. . . . A resource as informative as it is empowering.”

CONNECTIONS

  • Using Girls Think of Everything, share the four stories of high-schoolers and their inventions. Then ask middle-graders to think of a problem they’d like to solve and invite them to come up with a prototype for an invention to solve it.
  • Divide middle-schoolers into groups and invite them to pick one inventor from Girls Think of Everything to study and research together. Then ask each group to present to the other groups about the inventor they researched.
  • Read about Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of the chocolate chip cookie. Then present children with the ingredients for cookies and allow them to choose an unconventional (but safe) ingredient to add to the cookies. Create a name for the cookies and, if possible, allow children to taste the cookies they’ve invented.
  • Read a few stories from Girls Think of Everything. Then read a bio of Catherine Thimmesh and set out some of her other books for children to browse such as the following:
    • Thimmesh, Catherine. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. ISBN 9780618507573
    • Thimmesh, Catherine. Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From. ISBN 9780547051994
    • Thimmesh, Catherine. Team Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild. ISBN 9780544818910

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.

Sibert Award Winner

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bryant, Jen, and Melissa Sweet (illustrator). The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. Grand Rapids, MI: Erdman’s Books for Young Readers, 2014. ISBN 9780802853851

PLOT SUMMARY

Peter Roget (pronounced “Roh-zhay”) loved making lists. At the age of 8, he began his first, listing the Latin names of beasts next to their English counterparts. As he grew older, Peter became more and more enamored with lists and especially with lists of synonymous words. Even as he studied, traveled, became a doctor, got married, started a family, and dabbled in science, Peter continued growing his book of synonyms. Finally, after several other men had attempted to create thesauruses but with mixed results, Roget’s children convinced him to publish the thesaurus he’d been creating for years. His was the best, they assured. The people who read Roget’s thesaurus thought his was the best too! It became an instant hit. Even today, more than 150 years after Roget’s thesaurus was first published, it has never gone out of print. The Right Word includes a short timeline of Peter Roget’s life and other concurrent world events, a selected bibliography, suggested books for further reading, sources, a complete list of the 1,000 words found in Roget’s thesaurus, an author’s note, and an illustrator’s note.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Right Word is one of those rare books with incredible dedication to detail and historical accuracy. Each page reveals careful study on the part of both author and illustrator. For example, readers learn that at age 8, Roget began writing his first “book”—a list of Latin words he’d learned from his English tutor. What makes this seemingly normal piece of information so incredible is that Melissa Sweet uses the illustrations to deepen the reader’s understanding of Roget’s list. To accompany the story about 8-year-old Roget, readers see an illustration of the actual words Roget printed in his book, a list of Latin beasts and their English counterparts—leo for lion, ursus for bear. In this and every other illustration, the lists of words that Melissa Sweet draws come straight from Roget’s notebooks and his 1852 thesaurus. Her design not only complements the text, but it often gives readers further understanding about the subject.

While the illustrations are notably researched, they might prove problematic to readers who find Sweet’s signature collages (colorful organized chaos) visually overstimulating. For example, Sweet draws columns of lists describing the four elements, the weather (in Latin and English), shapes, triangles, things that are green (in Latin and English), and things that fly, all on just one motley page spread of browns, whites, greens, reds, and blues ripped from pages of many-textured papers, some clipped onto the page, some pasted helter-skelter. With so much clutter, readers may be derailed from the main text of the story.

But while the illustrations sometimes outshine the text they’re meant to complement, it’s never due to poor writing. Jen Bryant has a knack for creating sentences that use just the right words to keep readers interested. The book begins, “Baby Annette slept in Mother’s arms, a small pink blossom against a wall of black.” The first sentence creates immediate interest with its unique metaphor—a baby isn’t a blossom but she could certainly look like one! Bryant never stops constructing these wholly original sentences. Roget’s idea for a thesaurus is carried “like a secret treasure,” and to describe the popularity of Roget’s thesaurus, Bryant writes, “People snatched it from the shelves like a new kind of candy,” a simile that will certainly strike a chord with its young, confectionery-loving audience.

The story’s reference aids are impressive too. Most notably, the timeline of principal events both in Roget’s life the world at large gives readers a better sense of the time period Roget inhabited. During Roget’s lifetime, he saw the end of the American Revolution ended and, only eighty years later, the beginning of the American Civil War. Young researchers will also learn that the term “scientist” wasn’t coined until Roget was almost 50!

One of the characters in The Right Word declares that Roget’s thesaurus is “a marvel, a wonder, a surprise!” But The Right Word itself, an incredibly crafted informational picture book, certainly deserves the same praise. This book is a must-buy for every library.

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

Robert F. Sibert Informational Picture Book Award Winner, 2015

Randolph Caldecott Honor Book, 2015

Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 2015

Golden Kite Award Winner, 2015

Kirkus Prize Finalist, 2014

From Booklist: “In brilliant pages teeming with enthusiasm for language and learning, Bryant and Sweet (A Splash of Red, 2013) joyfully celebrate curiosity, the love of knowledge, and the power of words.”

From Kirkus: “Bryant’s prose is bright and well-tuned for young readers. She goes gently, omitting Roget’s darkest traumas, such as witnessing his uncle’s suicide. Sweet tops herself—again!—visually reflecting Roget’s wide range as a thinker and product of the Enlightenment. . . . In a word: marvelous!”

From Publishers Weekly: “Together with Bryant’s sympathetic account, Sweet’s gentle riot of images and words humanizes the man behind this ubiquitous reference work and demystifies the thesaurus itself.”

CONNECTIONS

  • After reading The Right Word, play a synonym game with middle-graders. Split children into groups and then say a word (like “big”), giving the groups one minute to write down as many synonyms as they can for the word (like “humongous,” “gigantic,” “ginormous,” “huge,” etc.). Then share the words each group has come up with, and repeat the exercise.
  • Read The Right Word with another 2015 Sibert Honor picture books, such as the following:
    • Roy, Katherine. Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands. ISBN 9781596438743
    • Tonatiuh, Duncan. Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation. ISBN 9781419710544
    • Powell, Patricia H., and Christian Robinson (illustrator). Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. ISBN 9781452103143
  • As a creative writing prompt, ask children to write their own unique list of things like Peter Roget did in The Right Word, and pull out art supplies for children to decorate their lists. Hang them up when they’re finished.
  • Read The Right Word. Then read a bio of the illustrator, Melissa Sweet, and set out some of the other nonfiction books she’s illustrated, such as the following:
    • Sweet, Melissa. Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White. ISBN 9780544319592
    • Sweet, Melissa. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. ISBN 9780547199450
    • Markel, Michelle, and Melissa Sweet (illustrator). Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909. ISBN 9780061804427

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.