This solid biography begins with s short description of the defining moment in Cady Stanton’s life – the Seneca Falls Convention. Chapter Two goes back to her childhood and then on to her marriage, giving the reader a clear picture of how and why Cady Stanton developed such a passion for the women’s suffrage movement. While we see Cady Stanton and her close friend Susan B. Anthony as the founders of the suffrage movement, this book shows that their opinions were often opposed by many of their contemporaries, even within the movement, as too radical. The book ends with a chapter on Cady Stanton’s legacy, followed by a chronology of events, a glossary and additional resources. This would be an excellent reference for information on Elizabeth Cady Stanton in particular and the women’s rights movement in general.
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Sallie Mae How to Pay for College: A Practical Guide for Families
As other the books written by the Tanabes about how to get into college or earn scholarships, How to Pay for College offers excellent, practical advice on how to manage the cost of a college education. Each chapter begins with an list of what will be covered, making it easy to refer to specific information as needed. Chapters cover topics such as the various types of financial aid available, how to apply for financial aid, how to save for college, and more. There are sample forms and bright ideas, key concepts and money saving tips in sidebars. One of the most useful items in the book is “Straight Talk from Financial Aid Administrators.” Throughout the book there are entries from these administrators on specific topics. Some of them seem self-serving, “Running a college is not cheap,” or “Believe it or not, colleges only raise tuition as a last resort.” But most are practical, ” Rule No. 1: Apply on time,” and “Keep us in tune with changes.” Good resource for high school students preparing to go to college.
Sigmund Freud
Gillam begins with a brief overview of free association, Freudian slips, dream analysis, repressed sexual urges and other ideas developed by Freud and then launches into his childhood. Freud was the favorite son and received the best of everything in his family. Never lacking confidence, after he began studying medicine and psychology he believed that his theories and proposed treatments would rival the discoveries of Copernicus and Darwin. However, he was often ridiculed by his contemporaries, some because they felt threatened by his radical ideas and others because of anti-Semitism. The two World Wars had both positive and negative effects on Freud research and practice; he began the treatment of what was then termed “war neuroses” and is now known as PTSD. His personal life, including his interest in cocaine, is almost as interesting as his career. Although some of his theories have been rejected, some have been modified and are still practiced today. The book includes a timeline, glossary, a list of essential facts, and additional references. The use of excerpts from primary source documents, photos and sidebars give the book visual appeal. I highly recommend the Essential Lives series.
Don’t Spill the Milk
Beautiful, bright folk-art illustrations capture the reader right off the bat, setting the scene for this simple tale set in West Africa. The story tells of a young girl who is trying to bring a bowl of milk to her father who is watching over his sheep in the grasslands. The journey from her home to the grasslands takes her through over dunes, across a river, up a mountain, past camels, a parade, and a herd of giraffes. All along the way she is concentrating hard not to spill any milk, and then just as she arrives, a mango falls and lands in the bowl, splashing the milk all over. Disappointed that she has failed in her task, her father comforts her, by explaining that the bowl held not only milk, but all her love, and that didn’t spill. They share the mango, leaving some for her to carry back to her mother, with all her father’s love. Together, the text and illustrations evoke a far-away land, so different in so many ways for American school children, yet the efforts of a child to do something to show her love for her father are universal.
The Magic Ball of Wool
It’s an okay little story, with a nice lesson about coming together to help someone in need, but there seem to be a few holes in the thread tying the story together. A giant, magical ball of yard shows up one night in the hedgehog’s quills, the spider teaches him how to knit, he knits an assortment of gifts for various forest animals, and every time the gift mysteriously turns into something else that animal likes best. Finally a crab comes inland to find the hedgehog and ask him to knit something to help a beached whale, but he’s all out of yarn, so all the critters return their gifts, which the hedgehog is able to unravel and reknit into a single string which turns into a giant butterfly that is big enough to lift the whale and return him to the ocean. We are never told where the yarn came from, why the transformed gifts are better than the hand-knit ones, how the hedgehog is able to unravel things that are no longer made of yarn, or why a giant butterfly was the best way to get a whale back into the ocean.
Your Muscular System
The design is really nice: shiny cover, sturdy binding, color photos with color blocks setting off the captions, text broken into small enough chunks not to be overwhelming, and labeled diagrams providing visual support for the text. The information is well-organized, clearly explaining the differences between different types of muscles, and substantive enough that I learned things I didn’t know.
Police
The text is clear and concise, with chapters dedicated to describing different kinds of jobs police officers perform, what kind of training they need, the equipment they use, etc. The color photos are well-chosen to support the text and are clearly captioned. This is a high-interest topic for elementary students, and this volume provides plenty of substantive information, while breaking up the flow of information with enough photos, so as not to over-whelm young readers. Solid, sturdy binding, too.
Planet Earth: Preserving Earth’s Biodiversity
A lot of solid, scientific information, presented in very readable, comprehendible text, and illustrated with beautiful paintings. It discusses the inter-connectedness of living things on planet earth, the fragility “The Real World Wide Web,” problems that come from introducing non-native species into new areas, or from over-harvesting, or from climate change. It presents a variety of arguments for the importance of preserving biodiversity, describes efforts underway to keep the earth healthy, and offers suggestions for how individuals (even kids) can make a difference.
Salamander Smack Down
I’m sorry. I’m just not a fan. The same publisher puts out a similar series of early chapter books based on classic super heroes, of which I really am a fan. But this pet spin-off seems pointless. The characters are a speedy turtle who is meant to be the pet of The Flash, and two newts who want to be pets to the villain Professor Zoom. After hiding in Zoom’s bag, the newts find their way into his laboratory and start mucking around with his giant robot, but they’re in over their heads and set it loose on the city without really having it under control. Speedy comes to the rescue by causing the robot to crash into some electrical lines and fry itself. I found the characters undeveloped and the story line a bit lame. Maybe I’m a purist, but there didn’t really seem to be a point to the whole pet angle.
Relationship Smarts
This book begins with the explanation of the four types of relationships and how to build healthy relationships before going on to describe how to handle conflict and the signs of a bad relationship. There are sidebars on cyberbullying, how to know if you are ready to have sex, how much teen-aged boys lie about sex and more. It ends with a glossary and additional references. There are numbers and websites for teens who are suffering from abuse. The book offers solid advice; I’m just not sure how many teens will seek this advice in a library book.
Sonia Sotomayor
Gale’s People in the News Series provides 80-100 page biographies on newsmakers of the day. Emert’s book on Sonia Sotomayor portrays her in a realistic view, as a woman who has lived through good and bad times and not just as a role model or icon. Her childhood in New York City projects is detailed, including her juvenile diabetes, love of Nancy Drew and more. Her hard work and education set her on the path to a career in law. There are a lot of interesting details and insights that should appeal to students.
First Mothers
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a necessary addition to every collection, but if you’ve got students who exhibit particular interest in the Presidents of the United States, this could be a nice addition. As one might expect there is certainly more known about the mothers of some presidents than there is of others, but taken together, these snippets offer an interesting glimpse into the varied backgrounds of the men who became President. One of the sad things this book brings home is how many mothers didn’t live long enough to know that their sons had became president. The illustrations are rather cartoonish, adding a bit of levity, while helping to make clear the different personalities of the women who raised presidents.
Octopus Alone
The illustrations are the real lure of the book — they’re charming! The story basically tells of the day in the life of an octopus, as he uses his powers of camouflage and ink sprays to escape some annoying seahorses and seek some solitude. It tells of her encounters with jelly fish and crabs and a whale and clownfish on her quest for peace and quiet. When she finally finds herself in a quiet place, she finds herself missing the bustle of the reef and returns home.
The Last Present
This is the fourth book Wendy Mass has set in the small, unusual town of Willow Falls, and the title seems to imply it is the final book in the series. As such, it does a really nice job of wrapping together the other books, and explaining the mysterious character that linked her other books. While bringing satisfactory closure to this delightful series, it also manages to set up the possibility of a companion series to follow. It brings back well-loved characters and ties together mystery and humor and time-travel as Amanda and Leo (the main characters from the first book in the series, 11 Birthdays) work together to unravel and rescue Grace, who has fallen into a strange trance.
Hansel and Gretel
The Hansel and Gretel tale told by the brothers Grimm is uniquely illustrated by Sybille Schenker and retold by Martin West. Schenker uses translucent pages to give amazing dimension to this tale of two children, abandoned by their parents, who try to find their way home. Coming upon a candy house, they need to outsmart a nearsighted witch. With each turn of the page, the reader is met with layers of semi-transparent pages of silhouette-like images mixed with opaque sheets which create depth and an almost movie-like aspect to this well-known tale. The effect is stunning. However, the binding is string and not durable enough to withstand multiple library checkouts. That being said, all collections should include this exquisite edition of this classic story.
Flood
This beautifully illustrated, wordless book shows the home of a family living near water. The children happily play outside and enjoy using technology indoors. The father is concerned with an approaching storm. Although they place sandbags around they house to mitigate damage, they reluctantly decide to abandon their home and flee to safety. As the storm abates, the family returns to view the damage. After a moment of grief, they energetically move to rebuild. Once again the home is returned to its former, tranquil condition and the family relaxes and enjoys an idyllic life once more. The paintings are large, filled with color and powerful. There are ample opportunities to discuss storms and flooding, emotions from comfort to grief, and perseverance with younger students, to the use of color and perspective in art with older students. On the surface a very simple topic, this book provides a variety of deeper themes. Recommended for all elementary library collections.
Pretty Princess Party: Hidden Picture Puzzles
This is a collection of hidden pictures for younger children. The topic is princesses and their various parties and activities. Each colorful, double-page spread includes an illustrated list of objects to find. The book begins with a short list of six objects and increases in complexity to twelve items to locate. Brightly colored illustrations are digitally created and are sure to capture one’s attention.
Adorable Accessories
For the older, more experienced crafters, this book contains ideas and directions on how to “upgrade” one’s fashion statement with paper. Yes, paper! Beginning with an illustrated list of supplies most crafters have, or can easily get, suggestions for jewelry, headbands, belts, purses, or hats are given. Each project includes a list of materials, photos of finished items, clear instructions, and tips. These projects take time because glues and sealants must dry between steps. Other related books are listed in the back with an internet site giving more resources and matching books.
Brown v. Board of Education
This book begins with background of Civil Rights for African-Americans , from the end of the Civil War to the events leading up to Brown v. Board of Education. The discovery of the events of the Holocaust forced the United States to confront the racism within our own borders. It discusses the division within the Supreme Court before the decision and the resistance of many states to implement it, as well as the progress made in the Civil Rights movement and what is still needed. At the end of the book, there is a list of important individuals, a timeline and additional resources, including a link to related primary source documents.
While the primary source material could be useful to upper grades, this book is definitely intended for grades 4-6.
Living through the Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War explains manifest destiny and western expansion and how they led to the war. The book has a “What Have We Learned” chapter which shows a connection between the historical information and the current world. The books provide overviews of the conflicts in an easy-to-read format, including sidebars and personal narratives. There are also maps, photos, and illustrations, a glossary and a “Find Out More” section in the back with a list of additional resources to explore.. The book does a good job at presenting both sides of the Mexican-American War. In addition to battles, there are sections on some of the people involved and topics like weaponry and hardships and information on westward expansion like the Donner Party.
Score With Football Math
Without a doubt, there is a lot of math used in sports. In football, calculating a quarterback’s passing yards, figuring how many yards the football traveled for the touchdown, or the net distance of the punt, provides a gold mine for math learning in addition, subtraction, and geomentry. Math problems related to the length of the football field, the offense (passing, running and kicking), the defense (lineman, linebackers, and defensive backs), and a chapter featuring a real coach’s last game are the focus of the content. Embedded in the text is some history and stats about favorite athletes, too. One page of useful math problem-solving tips are listed…including…”Don’t get upset! You can solve problems better when you’re calm.” Lots of colored photos and colored text makes for highly attractive page layouts. Back matter includes Further Reading, Web Sites and Index. Given the recent Seahawks world championship win, this could be a popular book for teachers to use in their math programs. Other titles in the series include, basketball, race cars, and soccer.
Vehicles of World War II
Fans of military vehicles will not be disappointed in this amazingly extensive and diverse gallery of small but authentic photos. Brief comments accompany each photo explaining how it was used and special features. Vehicles on land, sea, and air , as well as four experimental vehicles are covered in this graphically, well designed publication. Periodic insets provide interesting war facts, such as…”More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircrafts were used in the D-Day landings.” Back matter includes Glossary Read More, Internet Sites and Index. Other titles in the War Vehicles series cover the Civil War, Iraq War, Vietnam War, and World War I.
Jane Goodall
With the Common Core State Standards focusing on non-fiction, it is hard to find quality introductory biographies for the first and second grades. The Pebble series seems to fit the bill. Jane’s Early Years are covered in two, two page spreads with photo on the left and text (four, large print sentences) on the right. At the bottom of the pages is a time line that only shows the year of her birth. The next part, Young Adult, continues in the same manner with additional years and her activities added to the time line. Life’s Work and Work Continues complete the contents. Interesting tidbits about her, as a person, help the reader connect with the biography, such as her favorite books as a child. From a developmental standpoint, I believe that less emphasis on dates and time lines is needed for the intended primary audience. It is known, in education circles, that the time line concept is not really understood until fourth grade. The back matter includes Glossary, Read More, Internet Sites and Index. Other titles in this series include: Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, Pocahontas, Rosa Parks, and Susan B. Anthony.
Speed
Fast paced, brightly colored, and simple text – it’s a winner!
Speed by Nathan Clement is just right for young stock car fans. Each two page computer rendered pencil drawings will capture a young reader’s attention.
Clement manages to capture the excitement and feel of the races. The reader is taken right into the race from the shout of “start your engines” until the final checker flag. The story begs to be read again as readers discover that they have been privy to a young child’s imaginative play and “the next race is about to begin”. The end pages look like a checkered flag. The first page explains what each flag means.
This is one that I’m sure will be hard to keep on the shelf!
The Path of Names
Thirteen year old Dahlia has a summer camp experience like no other.
As part of a bargaining agreement with her parents, she must attend Camp Arava for two weeks. In trade she will then get to go to magic camp at the end of summer. Dahlia wants more than anything to improve her magic skills, so she accepts the deal. From the moment she arrives at Camp Arava unusual things begin to happen. She sees ghost children and she suddenly has inexplicably mad skills for understanding Hebrew. She begins to have visions and dreams of a man that lived seventy years ago. And then there’s the hedge maze; off limits and overgrown, but so enticing.
As the plot thickens so do the supernatural occurrences. A book of Kabala that mysteriously keeps finding its way back into Dahlia’s possesion, voices from the dead and a golem play key roles in unraveling this tale of mystery, spirituality, mysticism and adventure.
The author, Ari Goelman, has created a novel that fills a niche. Religion, mystery and adventure is a combination that is not often seen in children’s books. A component of the story revolves around spirituality and Kabala (Jewish mysticism) but Goelman handles the topic with finesse. He does not overwhelm the reader with in-depth information about the subject. He gives just enough information for a novice to understand and be engaged. Goelman deftly weaves several story lines into one engaging tale.
I found myself caring for the characters and was left wanting more when the story ended. This story might appeal to children who like mysteries, ghost stories, adventure or spirituality. The story is strong enough that if a child did not care for one aspect, it would not be enough to make them walk away. I feel this story could have a wider audience if certain items had not been included. I believe upper elementary students could have enjoyed this book if the following was left out:
In the girls cabin, the girls were to choose between a song or a story, but they wanted “S.O.S.” (sessions on sex). It was quickly overruled by a counselor in training. (p.173) This brief episode added nothing to the story, seemed a bit forced and could easily have been left out.
When a girl gets disturbed while sleeping she blurts out an expletive that some my find offensive. (p. 237)
These two items may seem minor, but when I consider my community’s culture I know this would not be a good choice as it stands. It is a shame too, because this well written, layered tale is one that upper elementary would also enjoy.