The Girl from the Tar Paper School by Teri Kanefield

The Girl from the Tar Paper School: Barbara Rose Johns and the advent of The Civil

Rights Movement

by Teri Kanefield

Abrams. 2014

ISBN: 9781419707964

Grades 6-12

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

In 1950, fifteen-year-old Barbara Rose Johns was sick and tired of the horrible conditions she and other black students endured attending the Robert R. Moton High School. Nothing more than tar paper shacks, the buildings were called “the chicken coops. The roof leaked when it rained. Some students sat under umbrellas so the ink on their papers wouldn’t run. Potbellied wood stoves instead of furnaces heated the makeshift classrooms. Students sitting near the stove were too hot; those farther away too cold.  Joan asked herself, why couldn’t the black students attend Farmville High School with its superior facilities?

Teri Kanefield writes a very readable narrative that is part biography, part social history, recounts the courageous actions of the high school student whose act of rebellion is credited with starting the modern civil rights movement. The author's use of historical images and photographs that have never before been published perfectly complements the text. Back matter includes an author’s note, timeline of selected important events in Civil Rights, endnotes, sources, and index.

Barbara was described as smart, yet quiet. Yet, her classmates were eager to participate in her strike that began at eleven o’clock on Monday, April 23, 1951 during a regularly scheduled assembly.

Barbara gave a speech that students later described as electrifying and inspiring. She talked about the appalling conditions at their school and the inability of the PTA and others to secure better facilities. She said the students had the right to equal facilities, and it was clear that nothing would happen unless the students banded together and took action.

The NAACP supported the strike and the case went to the Supreme Court. Though things did not go as hoped, the strike helped outlaw segregation in the famous court decision (Brown vs Board of Educaiton) that declared segregation of schools unconstitutional.  

I found the quiet courage of Barbara Johns a real page-turner. To think that she had the fortitude to stage a nonviolent protest years before Rosa Park refused to give up her seat on the segregated bus is inspiring. What I also liked was the fact that after finishing high school, Barbara quietly faded from the public. She raised a family and, after acquiring a bachelor’s degree in library science in 1979, worked for twenty-four years as a school librarian. She passed away in 1991.

The Girl from the Tar Paper School is an excellent addition to the wealth of titles about The Civil Rights Movement. I recommend this book for all libraries and be sure to include it in displays for Black History Month, courageous women, and especially about people who did make a difference.

 Visit the author's blog to learn more about Barbara Johns. 

Kidlit Celebrates Women's History

The Kidlit Celebrates Women's History Month blog is back again this year with many wonderful guest bloggers and reviews of books featuring women who made a difference. Be sure to check out today's post written by Louise and Mary Ann Scheuer from the Great Kid Books blog.

Mary Ann and Louise have written a joint review of Clara and Davie by Patricia Polacco, and they include many excellent books and resources on Clara Barton.

Feathers: Not Just for Flying

Feathers: Not Just for Flying 
by Melissa Stewart
illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen
Charlesbridge, 2014
ISBN: 9781580894302
Grades K-5

The reviewer borrowed a copy of the book from her school library.

Melissa Stewart is the author of over 100 nonfiction books for children including Under the Snow, No Monkeys, No Chocolate and Inside Volcanoes. She is a prolific writer and researcher of all things science, and I had the pleasure of hosting her for an author event at my school last week.

I'm really excited about Melissa's latest science picture book, Feathers: Not Just for Flying. This is a book that is going to please everyone: children, parents, teachers and librarians. Kids will enjoy learning about how different species of birds use their feathers. Teachers will want to share the book with classes because of the rich language and similes used to describe the feathers and their uses. Parents and grandparents will want to share this book with the children in their lives.

The book is designed to look like a scrapbook full of bird photos. The primary text at the top of the page is poetic as it introduces readers to the various functions of feathers. Secondary text placed in boxes that appear as paper taped into a scrapbook, provide more information about the birds. Stewart pointed out that this format makes the book accessible to both younger children and older children.

"Feathers can shade out sun like an umbrella...or protect skin like sunscreen."

Brannen's gorgeous watercolor illustrations will make readers think they are looking at real feathers. The illustrator effectively captures the colors, textures, and shapes of the feathers. Captions and labels provide readers with more information about each feather and bird.

Bird lovers and science-minded readers will enjoy reading the page about the different feather designs. Pair this book with Look Up! Bird Watching in Your Own Backyard to inspire readers to notice birds in their own lives. Visit the Charlesbridge Publishing site to download a readers' theater script and a curriculum guide.

Images published with permission from Charlesbridge.

Determining Nonfiction Writing Styles

Today I had the pleasure of co-moderating a School Library Journal webcast with my friend, Amy Koester from The Show Me Librarian blog. The webcast focused on using nonfiction series in schools and public libraries, and we heard about new books from Scholastic, Gale, and Reference Point Press. Visit The Show Me Librarian Blog for programming ideas related to the titles mentioned in the webcast. If you missed today's webcast, you may view the archive on the SLJ site.

While Amy and I were sharing our ideas about recent trends in nonfiction series, I mentioned different nonfiction writing styles. Here's a recap of the different nonfiction writing styles discussed today.

Expository

The information is presented in a straight-forward manner. Facts are organized in paragraphs by topic. This style of writing is helpful to students doing research.

Example: The Massachusetts Colony by Kevin Cunningham

Narrative

 The information is presented as a story.

Example: Here Come the Girl Scouts! by Shana Corey and Hadley Hooper

Descriptive

 The author describes the topic in great detail using rich language so that readers may picture it in their minds.

Example: Creep and Flutter by Jim Arnosky

Persuasive

The author presents the information in a manner that will sway readers to think a certain way about a topic.

Example: Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone

Poetic

The information is presented in poetic form.

Example: unBEElievables by Douglas Florian

This is also the perfect time to re-visit a blog post that Louise and I wrote together last year. To learn more about evaluating nonfiction, check out our blog post from January 2013: The Nonfiction Detectives' Tips for Evaluating Nonfiction.

Plastic, Ahoy! by Patricia Newman

Plastic, Ahoy!: investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Written by Patricia Newman; Photographs by Annie Crawley
Millbrook Press. 2014
Grades 4 thru high school
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Located in the Pacific Ocean, 1,000 miles out to sea between San Francisco and Japan is the North Pacific Central Gyre, which covers an area three times bigger than the United States. Floating within this “oceanic desert” is the largest accumulation of trash, mostly plastic in the world. This massive accumulation of plastic which is pushed together by ocean currents is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and scientists estimate the size is two times bigger than the state of Texas. It was first discovered in 1997 by racing boat captain, Charles Moore,

He found abandoned fishing nets, plastic bottles, bottle caps, toothbrushes, containers, boxes, and tiny pieces of plastic. The litter came from rivers and streams, from people visiting the beach or riding on ships who did not properly dispose of their plastic.

  

All this plastic presents hazards not only to marine life, but also the fishing and tourist industry. According to Greenpeace, of the more than 200 billion pounds of plastic the world produces each year, about 10 percent ends up in the ocean. 

In Plastic, Ahoy! author Patricia Newman tags along with three scientists, Miriam Goldstein, Chelsea Rochman, and Darcy Taniguchi as they travel more than 1,000 miles into open water, off the coast of California to investigate the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. For three weeks, as part of the Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastics Expedition (SEAPLEX), they will conduct tests to try and answer some big questions: How much plastic is in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Are fish eating the plastic? Are the chemicals used to make plastics poisoning the water? Are any animals and plants living on the floating plastic? The process to find the answers to these questions and more make for exciting reading.

Complementing the easy to understand text are stunning photos snapped by professional underwater photographer and filmmaker, Annie Crawley. The pictures are well captioned and capture how intertwined plastics have become with marine life. Their students uncovered a sobering fact: The open ocean is no longer a wild place untouched by humans. At 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from land, SEAPLEX scientists saw evidence of human pollution in almost every net tow. Miriam found that a single piece of plastic is home to several flying fish eggs. Mussels, crabs, and sea anemones live on one piece of discarded rope.

Back matter includes source notes, glossary, books and websites for further reading, and index.

Earth Day is right around the corner (April 22). Include Plastic, Ahoy! in any display about the environment, oceans, and pair it with Tracking Trash by Loree Griffin Burns, another excellent book about disturbing effects of trash in our oceans.

To grab students attention, watch this Great Pacific Garbage Patch Awareness Video.

After reading Plastic, Ahoy! I wonder why we can’t scoop up all that plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and take it to a recycling center.

Secrets of the Sky Caves

Secrets of the Sky Caves: Danger and Discovery on Nepal's Mustang Cliffs 
by Sandra K. Athans
Millbrook Press, 2014.
ISBN: 9781467700160
Grades 4-8

The reviewer received an electronic galley from the publisher.

High in the mountains in a region between India and Tibet, there are a series of caves carved out by people thousands of years ago. Sandra K. Athans takes readers on an adventure to discover that secrets of what was left behind thousands of years ago in the Sky Caves.

Secrets of the Sky Caves takes place in the Mustang region which is controlled by Nepal. In 2007 a team that included climbers, archaeologists, an author and two children spent thirty days traveling to the "Sky Caves" in Mustang. The caves were carved to be used as dwellings and burial chambers beginning around 1000 BCE. The 2007 expedition was led by Pete Athans, brother of the author. Using climbing gear, the team was able to reach caves high in the mountainous region where they discovered cave paintings dating back to the 1100s. They also located ancient, clay artifacts and rare manuscript papers containing religious writing. The team returned several times with the permission of the government of Nepal and Buddhist leaders. Their mission was to remove artifacts and papers and to document what they had discovered including numerous mummified bodied and the heads of mummified animals.

The unique topic along with the narrative writing style will hold the attention of middle grade readers. The book is well-organized and contains text features including maps, a timeline, and detailed captions that will help readers understand the information presented. Stunning photographs are thoughtfully placed throughout the book giving readers a glimpse into the beauty of the region and the amazing caves.

It is evident the author spent a great deal of time interviewing members of the expedition and researching the Mustang region. In addition to learning about the work of archeologists and translators, readers will also gain an understanding of the history and religion of Mustang.

Fans of the Scientist in the Field series will want to check out Secrets of the Sky Caves. It gives readers a glimpse of the important and interesting work of archeologists and historians.

Visit the Lerner Publishing site to preview pages from the book.

Wild Animal Neighbors: sharing our urban world by Ann Downer

Wild Animal Neighbors: sharing our urban world

Ann Downer

Twenty-First Century Books. 2014

ISBN: 9780761390213

Grades 4 thru 12

I borrowed a copy of this book from my local public library.

As our human population grows and spreads, wild animals are running out of space. What would you do if you found an alligator in your garage? Or spotted a mountain lion during your morning run through city streets? Ann Downer, known for her absorbing fantasy books, has turned her hand to writing nonfiction with a science theme. In Wild Animal Neighbors, she asks readers to think about what is bringing these creatures out of the wild and into our paved-over, glassed-in, and built-up human habitats, our concrete jungles?

Each chapter focuses on a specific wild animal: raccoons, mountain lions, Japan’s Jungle Crow, coyotes, Australian Flying Foxes, sea turtles, and alligators. She examines what is bringing them into our neighborhoods and what can we do to create space so possibly animals and people can live side by side. Within each chapter are well-captioned color photos and sidebars giving animal facts. Back matter includes source notes, selected bibliography, books & websites for further reading, and index.

Human impact on the environment is an ongoing research topic for students. It is important for students to understand how our actions can affect the world around us. Wild Animal Neighbors is a good title to use as an introduction to the subject of urban animals. 

Go here to visit Ann Downer’s blog.

As I read Wild Animal Neighbors and how humans are encroaching more and more into wild area, it brought to mind the book, The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carmen, the first in The Land of Elyon series. In this enjoyable fantasy, high stone walls surround the towns and roads in the kingdom of Elyon. The walls were built to keep out an unnamed evil, yet what they have done is divide local animals from their food supplies, homes, and families. To prevent an impending invasion, the forest dwellers seek the help of twelve-year-old Alexa whose connection to those of influence helps bring down the walls. I often wonder if Carmen wrote it as an allegory to our modern day problems.

CYBILS Winners Announced!!!

I had the pleasure of serving as second round judge in the Book Apps category for the 2013 Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (CYBILS).

The winner of the 2013 CYBILS in the Book Apps category is...

Disney Animated by Touch Press

Touch Press has created yet another engaging and multi-layered app that fully takes advantage of the interactive features of the iPad. Disney Animated is not your typical storybook app that is meant to be read from beginning to end in one sitting.  Readers will want to digest this informational book app over time. The app is chock full of information about how Disney movie are created from the storyboards to the animation and music. Because of the depth and breadth of information in Disney Animated, the ideal audience is a middle grade or teen reader, however younger children could also read this app with the help of an adult.

Here's what the CYBILS judges had to say about Disney Animated:

"Disney Animated brings to life the outstanding animation heritage of Disney Studios through the expertise of Touch Press, one of the most exacting and innovative developers in the app space today. Appealing to the entire family, Disney Animated meets all the criteria we seek in outstanding interactive media. The technical elements are impeccably rendered, the interactive elements are directly linked to the content, and the narrative content is endlessly fascinating. From stills to studies, animated shorts, soundtracks, interviews, and games that illustrate the points being made, this app is one you'll have trouble putting down.

Like any good non-fiction book, you can read this app in linear or non-linear fashion. Interactive workshops built into the app not only give hands-on explanations of how animation works, they challenge our understanding of physics in a game-like way. The app makes every use of the medium, animating just about everything, even the text. You can pinch, enlarge, move, examine and share just about everything in this app. With Disney Animated, Touch Press models what the digital environment is capable of and what a truly great book app can be."

Trailer for Disney Animated 

The 2013 CYBILS winner in the Middle Grade Nonfiction category is...

Look Up! Bird Watching in Your Own Backyard by Anne LeBlanc Cate

The 2013 CYBILS winner in the Young Adult Nonfiction category is....

Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War II by Martin W. Sandler

Visit the CYBILS site to view all the winners.

Sea Turtle Scientist

Sea Turtle Scientist 
by Stephen R. Swinburne
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014
ISBN: 9780547367552
Grades 5-8

The reviewer received a copy of the book from the publisher.

I am really pleased with the topic of the latest Scientist in the Field book. This book will immediately circulate with the upper elementary students and teachers in my library. Two classrooms at my school recently adopted sea turtles, and students had the opportunity to Skype with the sea turtle facility in Georgia where their turtles live.

Stephen R. Swinburne takes readers to the beaches of St. Kitts to meet biologist Dr. Kimberly Stewart in Sea Turtle Scientist. Stewart works with the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) to study, track, and conserve leatherback sea turtles. 

The book is well-organized and provides readers with information about the adaptations and survival techniques of leatherback turtles. Readers will be amazed at the journey a hatchling undergoes after hatching from an egg buried two feet under the sand. The hatchling must make it out of the sand to the open ocean without being eaten by a predator or scorched by the sun. 

Children interested in science will gain an understanding of Stewart's job. Part of her work is at the beach tracking leatherbacks, observing hatchlings and evaluating the habitat. Another aspect of what Stewart does is education. She works with WIDECAST to provide programs for school-age students as well as educating the community about the importance of sea turtles to the ecosystem. Readers will be enamored with Theophilus Taylor, a former sea turtle fisherman who now helps Stewart study sea turtles and educate children about the importance of conservation. 

Swinburne also traces the history of leatherback turtles from an abundant population to the source of meals for explorers and islanders. WIDECAST is currently working on a project to provide alternative jobs to turtle fisherman like Taylor so they may maintain their income without harming the leatherback population.

The book does an excellent job of showing readers how important it is to save the sea turtle. Sea turtles eat jellyfish, which keeps the jellyfish population under control. If sea turtles die out, then the jellyfish population will explode. Jellyfish eat fish larvae and plankton, so having a huge jellyfish population would be devastating to fish. 

Middle grade readers will enjoy seeing children help out in the conservation effort in Chapter 7: It Takes a Community to Save a Sea Turtle. There is even a page listing the items scientists bring to a turtle-watch including a handheld GPS to mark down the latitude and longitude, flipper tags and laundry bags to relocate eggs.

Back matter is rich and includes a glossary, ways to help a sea turtle, information on adopting a sea turtle, lists of web sites & books, and an index.

Dr. Stewart's work saving leatherbacks is an inspiring story that should be shared with middle grade and young adult readers.

Visit the author's web site to read the first chapter of the book, access a classroom discussion guide and learn more about saving sea turtles.

View the Sea Turtle Scientist book trailer.

Historical Heartthrobs Blog Tour and Book Giveaway

Historical Heartthrobs: 50 timeless crushes - from Cleopatra to Camus 

by Kelly Murphy with Hallie Fryd

Zest Books. 2014

ISBN: 978193676102

Grades 9 and up

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Historical Heartthrobs Blog Tour and Book Giveaway

Today we are taking part in Zest Book’s Historical Heartthrobs blog tour. In honor of the event, and Valentine’s Day being a few days away, we will give away one copy of the book to a lucky reader. See contest details and entry form at the bottom of this post.

Zest Books is an award-winning publisher of smart and edgy titles that cover timely topics. Books that have found an audience with the teens in my library include Don’t Sit on the Baby: the ultimate guide to sane, skilled, and safe babysitting by Halley Bondy, Dead Strange: the bizarre truths behind 50 world-famous mysteries by Matt Lamy, Scandalous! : 50 shocking events you should know about (so you can impress your friends) By Hallie Fryd, and The End: 50 apocalyptic visions from pop culture that you should know about—before it’s too late by Laura Barcella. Each book incorporates solid life advice, practical how-to instruction, and humorous commentary in creative ways. Teens waiting for parents to pick them up afterschool can dip into the short, easy-to-read format and learn something interesting.

Historical Heartthrobs looks at 50 of the sexiest men and women from history from a wide range of countries, ethnicities, and historical epochs. Some are artists, some are scientists, and many are political or military leaders, but all have had a lasting impact on human life—and a sizable impact on their admirers as well. The authors Kelly Murphy with Hallie Fryd ask the question: Would you really want to date them?

Everyone included made their mark on the world – but not everyone did so in an equally admirable fashion. Pablo Picasso was a smoldering Spanish artist who broke the rule – but wasn’t one for commitment. Nikola Tesla was a brilliant inventor who made Victorians swoon, but he seems incapable of swooning back. Che Guevara had the smoldering good looks, but would he for only look out for himself in a relationship? And what about Nelly Bly?

Each entry includes a photo, vital stats (place of birth, lifespan, and major areas of influence), the inside scoop on peccadilloes, noteworthy liaisons, and long-standing relationships, plus an overall heat reading that factors in sex appeal, charisma, accomplishments, and of course, moral virtue. A list of further reading and index rounds out this fun read.

Historical Heartthrobs Blog Tour Dates:
February 6: http://theempirestrikesforward.blogspot.com
February 7: http://themodpodgebookshelf.blogspot.com
February 10: http://www.inthebestworlds.com
February 11: http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com
February 11: http://www.readergirlsblog.com
February 11: http://www.thecovercontessa.com
February 12: http://bookreferees.blogspot.com
February 12: http://mclicious.org
February 13:  http://bookwhales.blogspot.com
February 13: http://theelectricalbookcafe.blogspot.com
February 13: http://www.teenreads.com
February 14: http://www.theyoungfolks.com
February 14: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com

  Giveaway Rules

•                Complete the entry form below.

•                Only one entry per person will be accepted.

•                You must be 13 years or older to enter.

•                Entries will be accepted from February 5, 2014 until 11:59 p.m. on February 9, 2014.

The winner will be contacted by email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, we will select a new winner.

The Port Chicago 50

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny and the Fight for Civil Rights  
by Steve Sheinkin
Roaring Brook Press, 2014.
ISBN: 9781596437968
Grades 7 and up

The reviewer received a galley from the publisher.

Steve Sheinkin is proving to be the master of the nonfiction narrative for kids. Sheinkin has a knack for bringing in interesting details to paint a vivid picture for middle grade and teen readers. He's done it again with his latest work, The Port Chicago 50.

The Port Chicago 50 is a riveting account of how fifty African American sailors were tried for mutiny in 1944. Sheinkin weaves together quotes, photos, and primary documents to detail the injustice and prejudice African American sailors faced in the Navy during World War II.

The story is set at the Navy docks of Port Chicago on the coast of California. African American sailors were not allowed to serve on board Navy ships except as mess attendants. Hundreds of black sailors were assigned to load bombs and ammunition aboard Navy ships at Port Chicago. Working conditions were unsafe, and training was not provided. When two ships exploded at Port Chicago killing over 300 sailors during the summer of 1944, many black sailors refused to return to the unsafe job of loading bombs onto ships. Young adult readers will be outraged and surprised by the injustice that followed.

Sheinkin's meticulous research is evident; much of the information included in the book came from oral histories conducted with the sailors in the 1970s. The author also pulled out information from a 1,400 page court transcript to describe the Navy trial of the Port Chicago 50.

Readers who enjoy The Port Chicago 50 would like Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone.
Read a blog post about The Port Chicago 50 written by Steve Sheinkin for the Interesting Nonfiction for Kids blog.

2014 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award

View of Philadelphia from my hotel room.

I recently returned from ALA's Midwinter Conference in Philadelphia where I had the pleasure of serving on the 2014 Sibert Medal Committee. I was seated with the other members of the Sibert Committee during the ALA Youth Media Awards announcement. The excitement was contagious as audience members (mainly librarians, reviewers, and publicists) cheered, "oohed" and "ahhed" with the announcement of each winning title. The rumor is true... members of the Sibert committee flapped our arms like parrots when we stood to be recognized.

The Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children

2014 Sibert Medal

Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore and illustrated by Susan L. Roth

2014 Sibert Honor Books

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate

Locomotive by Brian Floca

The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Click here to learn more about the Sibert Medal.

I would like to thank Louise for keeping our blog running, for her thoughtful reviews of 2013 titles over the past year, and for her support while I served on my first ALSC awards committee. Now that my work with the 2014 Sibert Medal committee is complete, I am able to review new nonfiction titles on the blog. I'm excited about a number of 2014 nonfiction titles I saw while I was in Philadelphia. Look for those reviews in upcoming months.

Nonfiction News- January 2014

It's an exciting time of year for book awards. Here are some awards you may know and some that may be new to you.

The Cook Prize

The Bank Street Center for Children's Literature has named its finalists for the 2014 Cook Prize for best STEM picture books. Third and fourth grade students are invited to help choose the winner.

The ALA Youth Media Awards will be announced live from Philadelphia next Monday at 8:00 a.m. Viewers may stream the announcements live. 

ALA's Notable Children's Books committee will be discussing books from this list during ALA's Midwinter Conference later this week. The list contains fiction, nonfiction and poetry published in 2013.

School Library Journal's Battle of the Books announced this year's contenders. Two nonfiction titles made the cut. The Animal Book by Steve Jenkins and March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell.

Round two judges are currently reading and deliberating for the Children and Young Adult Literary Bloggers' Award (CYBILS). Winners will be announced on February 14th.

Click here to see the finalists in the elementary & middle grade nonfiction category.

Click here to see the finalists in the young adult nonfiction category.

Click here to see the finalists in the books apps category.

Calling Caldecott Ballot Now Open

The Horn Book's Calling Caldecott blog has opened the ballot for the first round of voting until 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Click here to see access the ballot.

Mock Sibert Award

Two blogs, Kid Lit Frenzy and Unleashing Readers, have announced their picks for Mock Sibert Award. 

Click here to see Aly's list from Kid Lit Frenzy. 

Click here to see Kellee's list from Unleashing Readers.

Angel Island by Russell Freedman

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain
By Russell Freedman; Chinese poems translated by Evans Chan
Clarion Books. 2014
ISBN: 9780547903781
Grades 7 to 12
I received a copy of this book from the publisher

Award-winning author, Russell Freedom, a master at writing nonfiction, again broadens our understanding of American history.

America is a nation of immigrants. People still arrive daily from all over the world with one thing in common; they come for a chance at a better life: The American Dream. Both of my grandfathers were immigrants from Italy and Canada, respectively. The majority of immigrants from Eastern Europe, until 1954, were processed through Ellis Island in New York City. Those half a million people coming to our western shores, between 1910 to 1940, were mostly from China and other Asian countries. They were processed at the Angel Island Immigration Station located on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. It was called, “the other Ellis Island”, or “the Ellis Island of the West.” Freedman offers readers an accessible, informative history of Angel Island and its role in the Chinese immigration story. 

It was the California Gold Rush of 1848 that brought young men from China to America. By 1853, some 25,000 Chinese immigrants had reached the gold fields. But these men, hoping for a better life, were met with hatred and violence. To prevent too many Chinese from sharing in the wealth, the United States enacted exclusion laws towards only the Chinese. While awaiting their fate at the Angel Island Immigration Station the Chinese expressed their fears and anguish in poems brushed or carved on the interior walls of the detention center buildings. 

These emotional poems, many translated and placed within the narrative, were forgotten until by chance a California park ranger, Alexander Weiss, decided to venture into a “two-story wooden structure” that was scheduled for demolition. Recognizing the historical importance, Weiss alerted the Asian American community who launched a campaign to save the building.

For more than twenty days I fed on wind and tasted waves.

With luck, I arrived safely in the United States.

I thought I could land in a few days.

How was I to know that I would become a prisoner

suffering in this wooden building?

In Angel Island, Freedman conveys the misery along with the determination, while placing the Chinese immigration experience firmly in US history by referencing actual historic events from that era. Scattered throughout the book to complement the text are historic black & white photos, and endpapers showing an enlarged picture of how the Chinese characters looked carved on the walls of the station. Back matter includes source notes, bibliography, acknowledgements, picture credits, and index.

Visit the California State Parks website to learn more about Angel Island. 

Here are a few nonfiction books about the California Gold Rush(there were quite a few). Gold! Gold from the American River! By Don Brown, The California Gold Rush by Dennis B. Fradin, How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush: an adventurer’s guide to the fabulous riches discovered in 1848 by Tod Olson, and The California Gold Rush by Linda Jacobs Altman. 

Fiction books about the Angel Island: The Dragon’s Child: a story of Angel Island by Laurence Yep and Landed by Milly Lee. 

Handle with Care

Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey 
by Loree Griffin Burns
photos by Ellen Harasimowicz
Millbrook Press, 2014
Grades 2-6

Reviewed from an electronic galley sent by the publisher.

It's no secret, Louise and I are fans of Loree Griffin Burns. In 2010 we coordinated a Mock Newbery program for readers in grades 3-6, and we included The Hive Detectives on the reading list. We reviewed Citizen Scientists and named it one of the top ten math and science books of 2012. I was excited when I learned a new book by Burns would be released in 2014.

In Handle with Care, Burns turns her attention to butterflies, but this is not your typical informational book about butterflies. The story begins at the Boston Museum of Science where a package has arrived. Inside the box is Blue Morpho butterfly pupa. The pupa traveled to Boston from a butterfly farm in Costa Rica. In a clear, accessible narrative accompanied by up-close, colorful photographs, readers learn how farmers care for caterpillars and butterflies at the El Bosque Nuevo farm. The farm raises butterflies for museums where visitors can see them in live exhibits.

Handle with Care is a teacher's dream. It's the kind of book that kids will be eager to pick up on their own for pleasure reading, and it would be an excellent book to use in science classes. Students in elementary school will be able to read it independently and understand the concepts presented. Back matter includes a glossary, bibliography, index and information about visiting a live butterfly exhibit.

Several years ago I visited the butterfly garden at the Boston Museum of Science. I was in awe of the gorgeous butterflies, but I never thought about how they got to the museum. Now I know!

Photo taken by Cathy at the Butterfly Garden at the Boston Museum of Science.

Searching for Sarah Rector

Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America 
by Tonya Bolden
Abrams Books for Young Readers
On shelves January 7, 2014
ISBN: 9781419708466
Grades 5 and up

The reviewer received a copy of the book from the publisher.

It's turning out to be a stellar year for nonfiction books for children, and it's only January. One of those amazing nonfiction titles from 2014 is Searching for Sarah Rector by Tonya Bolden.

I love books that introduce me to a topic that was previously unknown to me, and Searching for Sarah Rector is a prime example. The story centers around a black child named Sarah Rector who lived in the early twentieth-century. Rector's great-grandmother was a slave owned by Chief Opothole Yoholo of the Creek tribe. When the U.S. government forced Native American tribes off their land onto Indian Territory, their slaves traveled with them. This meant that Sarah and her family, who were living on Indian Territory, were considered Creek citizens.  At the turn of the century, each individual living on Indian Territory was awarded 160 acres of land in Oklahoma as part of a government allotment. In 1907, at the age of five, Sarah Rector became a landowner. She had no idea that the land she owned was full of oil, and that by the age of twelve she would become a very wealthy young lady.

Bolden thoroughly researched the story of Sarah Rector and how her money was managed by a guardian appointed by the court. The story gets even more intriguing when newspapers published false reports that Rector was missing and may have been murdered by unscrupulous people who wanted her wealth. This rumor proved to be false and Bolden uses is as an example to show readers how unreliable news organizations could be before reporters could travel by air, highway or use telephones to access information. The newspaper articles prompt W.E.B. Dubois, a founder of the NAACP, to investigate Rector's situation to make sure she is safe and that her money is protected. Booker T. Washington heard about Sarah and invited her to attend his Tuskegee Institute, but Sarah stayed with her family in a home she had built for them.

The design of Searching for Sarah Rector is outstanding. Primary documents such as maps, photographs, township allotment charts, legal documents and newspaper clippings are thoughtfully placed throughout the book. The placement of theses visual elements is well-done so that the flow of the story is not interrupted. Back matter is comprehensive and includes an author's note, glossary, source notes, and an index.

If you're a history buff or work with children who are interested in stories from the past, you'll want to add Searching for Sarah Rector to your list of books to read this year.

Looking Ahead to 2014

Happy New Year from The Nonfiction Detectives!

Here are some upcoming nonfiction titles that we're excited about reading in 2014.

Angel Island by Russell Freedman

Publication Date: Jan. 7, 2014

A Baby Elephant in the Wild by Caitlin O'Connor

Publication Date: March 18, 2014

How the Beatles Changed the World by Martin W. Sandler

Publication Date: Feb. 4, 2014

Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

Publication Date: Jan. 28, 2014

Sea Turtle Scientist by Stephen R. Swinburne

Publication Date: Jan. 7, 2014

Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by Tonya Bolden

Publication Date: Jan. 7, 2014

Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything by Maira Kalman

Publication Date: Jan. 7, 2014

Josephine

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker 
by Patricia Hruby Powell
illustrated by Christian Robinson
Chronicle Books
On shelves January 14, 2014
ISBN: 9781452103143
Grades 3 and up

The reviewer received a copy of the book from the publisher.

In poetic form, Patricia Hruby Powell chronicles the amazing life of Josephine Baker in this extended (104 pages) picture book biography. The book is divided into six sections organized by date. Readers will learn about Baker's rise from poverty to success as a singer and dancer on stages in New York and Paris in the face of racism and segregation. Quotes from Baker are brilliantly placed throughout the book bringing her personality to the page.

"When I saw those watching faces a giddiness swept over me... I let the music carry me away. The audience whistled and clapped."

Young readers will be dismayed at the racism Baker encountered as she performed in America in the 1920s.  "To the whites, I looked chocolate, to the blacks, like a pinky."

Baker found success and acceptance on the stages of Paris and even returned during WWII to serve soup to the poor and to spy for France. "At embassy events she flirted with friend and foe, eavesdropped on Nazi officials. Then, safe in her room, she wrote it all out in invisible ink."

Robinson's vibrant, acrylic illustrations inspired by artist, Paul Colin's paintings, capture the exuberance and energy of Baker. According to the illustrator's note, Robinson traveled to Paris to "get a sense of Josephine's journey." The poetic narrative coupled with the bold illustrations make this picture book biography a true gem and a great way to start 2014.

Book Trailer for Josephine