Best Nonfiction Books of 2013

2013 was an unusual blogging year for The Nonfiction Detectives. I kept the blog running smoothly while Cathy served on the 2014 Sibert Medal committee. As a member of an ALSC committee, Cathy was not allowed to publicly review 2013 informational books. Too bad. Consequently, all reviews of 2013 titles were written by me! Ta da! It was hard not to have Cathy reviewing and to add her favorite books for this year's list of best books. Oh, well. She will be back reviewing next year. 
I hope you enjoy my favorite books from 2013.

Here is Louise's List of 
Best Nonfiction Books of 2013. 
(in alphabetical order by title with links to reviews)

Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons by Sara Levine

The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible...on Schindler's List by Leon Leyson

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel and Melissa Sweet

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone

Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton by Meghan McCarthy

Diego Rivera: Artist for the People by Susan Goldman Rubin

The Dolphins of Shark Bay by Pamela S. Turner

Eruption!: Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives by Elizabeth Rusch and Tom Uhlman

Follow, Follow by Marilyn Singer

The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown

It's Our Garden: From Seeds to Harvest in a School Garden by George Ancona

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

March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell

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

Rabbit's Snow Dance: A Traditional Iroquois Story as told by James and Joe Bruchac and Jeff Newman

A Reason to Read: Linking Literacy and the Arts by Ellen Landay and Kurt Wootton
(professional book)

A Splash of Red by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet

The Tapir Scientist: Saving South America's Largest Mammal by Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop

Why Do We Fight?: Conflict, War and Peace by Niki Walker

It's coming….

Stay tuned for our Best of 2013…

Coming on Monday, December 9.

Find out which books rose to the top of the pile. 

Nonfiction News- The Black Friday Edition

After giving thanks and spending the day with family and friends many people are out fighting the Black Friday crowds looking for deals on electronics and toys. Instead of braving the crowds to save a bit of money, the Nonfiction Detectives encourage you to visit your local library or independent bookstore.

If you're looking for the perfect gift for the nonfiction fan in your life, check out these lists of some of the best children's books of the year.

NSTA's Outstanding Science Trade Books 2014 (books published in 2013)

School Library Journal's Best Nonfiction Books of 2013

Kirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of 2013

     California Reading Association's Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award 2013

     Publisher Weekly's Best Children's Nonfiction of 2013

Louise is currently compiling a list of The Nonfiction Detectives' Best Books of 2013. 

Be sure to visit the blog next month when the list is revealed.

The Dolphins of Shark Bay by Pamela S. Turner

The Dolphins of Shark Bay: Scientists in the Field series
By Pamela S. Turner; Photographs by Scott Tuason
Houghton Mifflin; 2013
ISBN: 9780547716381
Grades 7 and up
I received a copy of the book from the publisher.

In this new addition to the award-winning Scientists in the Field series, veteran writer Pamela S. Turner (The Frog Scientist) travels to Shark Bay, Australia where she meets up with dolphin scientist Janet Mann. For over twenty-five years, Mann and her research team have been studying wild bottlenose dolphins, “the only tool-using dolphins anywhere in the world.”  

Yes, that’s right, folks. The dolphins that make their home in Shark Bay, which covers 3,900 square miles in Western Australia, intentionally hold a sponge on the end of their nose to help flush out their prey. It looks like brown blobs covering their noses. Called Spongers, a dolphin masters sponging only if Mom also sponges. Mann wonders why they use the sponges instead of echolocation.

Another technique, more rare than sponging, is beach hunting, a strategy where the dolphin rushes onto the sandy beach in order to scare their prey back into the water. Beach hunting is a dangerous method that requires a long apprenticeship.” Both practices are only kept in the family.

Turner uses a conversational tone in this highly engrossing narrative that includes lots of facts, research findings, and raises some thought-provoking questions about the animal kingdom. Accompany the text are Tuason’s stunning photographs that capture the playfulness of these fascinating creatures.

The book closes with an interesting question: If learning sponging is a tradition passed on from mother to child, does it mean that dolphins have culture? 

It is a question teachers and librarians may want readers to contemplate.

Visit Turner's website for a Dolphins Discussion and Activity Guide.

From the Backlist: Thank You, Sarah

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving  
by Laurie Halse Anderson
illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2002
ISBN: 0689847874
Grades 2-6

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

Next week when Americans are sitting down to a meal of turkey, stuffing, and pie, images of pilgrims and Native Americans come to mind. However, many people don't realize that without the tireless effort of Sarah Hale, Thanksgiving wouldn't be a national holiday.

Laurie Halse Anderson makes the case for why Sarah Hale should be viewed as a superhero in the nonfiction picture book, Thank You, Sarah. Anderson points out to readers that Hale wasn't your typical superhero. She looked like "a dainty, little lady." Yet, she was also "bold and brave and stubborn and smart."

Young readers will be captivated by Anderson's feisty writing style that mirrors the personality of Sarah Hale. Hale, who composed "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and wrote for Ladies' Magazine in the 1800s, made it her mission in life to make sure Thanksgiving was celebrated across the country. When readers read that "Sarah Hale had a secret weapon," they imagine what it could be. The page turn reveals her weapon to be a pen used to write letters to government officials. This could lead to some rich conversations about how to bring about change with the power of writing.

Matt Faulkner's humorous ink, gouache and watercolor illustrations are a perfect match to the witty story. Children will especially like the illustrations of Presidents Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan with oversized heads and grumpy facial expressions.  Be sure to read the additional facts in the back of the book. Anderson includes tidbits about the Macy's parade and Thanksgiving Day football games. Pair Thank You, Sarah with Balloons Over Broadway for a Thanksgiving story time.

Read Louise's review of Balloons Over Broadway.

The Mad Potter by Jan Greenberg & Sandra Jordan

The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius
By Jan Greenberg  & Sandra Jordan
Roaring Brook Press. 2013. 53 pgs.
ISBN: 9781596438101
Grades 6 and up
I borrowed this book from my public library.

In 1968, antiques dealer Jim Carpenter made a discovery of a lifetime. Responding to a request, Carpenter visited “Ojo’s Junk Yard and Machine Shop” run by Ojo and Leo Ohr. Stored in cartons were over 5,000 pieces of pottery made by their father. George Ohr, an eccentric Biloxi potter, insisted that someday his pots would be worth their weight in gold. Fifty years after his death, it looked as if his words might come true. 

Born in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1857, George Ohr always felt the odd man out, especially with his family. Suppose five hen eggs were put under a brood and somebody somewhere made a mistake and got a duck egg in the job lot…I’m that duck and no fault of mine. After sampling over fourteen low-paying jobs, at twenty-two Ohr discovered his passion…the potter’s wheel.

A brilliant man given to theatrics and called The Blacksmith Potter, Ohr’s artist pots were never appreciated in his lifetime.  By 1910, weary that no one recognized his talent, Ohr stored his pots, his ‘mud babies’ into crates and “instructed his family not to sell them for fifty years.” 

Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan have, once again, penned another distinguished book about art. (Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring. 2011 Sibert Honor Book) Illustrated with historical photographs and color reproductions of Ohr’s thoroughly creative ceramics, The Mad Potter tells the story of an individual who never stopped believing in his dreams. 

Back matter includes the creation of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi, instructions on how to look at a pot, directions for make your own pot using a potter’s wheel (And How to “Boss” One of Your Own (As George would say)”, bibliography, source notes, and picture credits.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. 

Click here to vsit the author's website.

March: Book One by John Lewis

March: Book One
By John Lewis, Andrew Aydin; Illustrated by Nate Powell
Top Shelf Publishing. 2013
ISBN: 9781603093002
Grades 8 and up
I borrowed a copy from my public library.

March is an autobiography told in graphic format about the life of Congressman John Lewis (GA-5). First in a planned trilogy, March chronicles Lewis’ childhood up to the early years of The Civil Rights Movement.

The book begins on January 20, 2009 in Washington, D.C., the day of Barak Obama’s inauguration. Congressman Lewis is in his office getting ready when a mother and her two young boys from Atlanta come in hoping to see John Lewis’ office.  As the boys ask questions about objects in his office, Congressman Lewis begins sharing about his life. 

Born to a sharecropper in Pike County, Alabama in 1940, John’s responsibility was to look after the chickens.  I never had any feelings about the other animals on the farm, but I was always drawn to the chickens.  When asked why he didn’t become a chicken farmer, Congressman replies, What I really wanted to be was a preacher.

Lewis was a freshman in high school when, in 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court handed its decision in the school desegregation case of Brown vs the Board of Education of Topeka. That decision would change his life. He went from a student in a segregated classroom to attending a workshop in non-violence to staging peaceful sit-ins at all-white lunch counters.

Award-winning artist, Nate Powell, illustrates March. Done entirely in grayscale, Powell’s illustrations reflect many moods and emotions. The book has some humorous moments, as when we see a young Lewis ministering to his chickens. Yet the strength in this slim volume is that it provides readers with a highly accessible history of the Civil Rights Movement and the life of John Lewis, one of the movements most resounding voices for equality. 

March will definitely be on my Best of 2013 list.

Listen to the story of March: Book One on NPR.

  

The Poppy Lady

The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans 
by Barbara Walsh
illustrated by Layne Johnson
Calkins Creek, 2012
ISBN: 9781590787540
Grades 2-6

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

During World War I, Moina Belle Michael pitched in by delivering reading material to the troops and volunteering for the Red Cross, but she wanted to do more to help American soldiers. Her age prohibited her from traveling overseas to support and feed soldiers on the battlefield, so Moina helped troops at home before they shipped off to war. One day Moina was deeply moved after reading the poem, We Shall Not Sleep" about Flanders Field.

"The poem was 'most strikingly illustrated in color.' Spirits of soldiers floated about the battleground covered in white crosses and bright red poppies. There were no names on the crosses. No memory of who rested beneath the red poppies. And Mona knew what she had to do." 

She went out and purchased red, silk poppies and encouraged everyone to wear poppies as a way of remembering soldiers who had died in war. Eventually veterans' groups "adopted the poppy as their memorial flower, and the message traveled overseas."

The Poppy Lady is a touching story of how the actions of one woman had a impact on soldiers across the world. The oil painting illustrations bring a nostalgic feeling to the story. Read aloud The Poppy Lady with children on Veterans' Day. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will benefit children of the U.S. Military.

Book Trailer for The Poppy Lady

Click here to view the book trailer.

For the Good of Mankind by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein

For the Good of Mankind: the shameful history of human medical experimentation

By Vicki Oransky Wittenstein
Twenty-First Century Books. 2013
ISBN: 
Grades 8 and up
The publisher sent this reviewer a copy of the book.
We are taking part in a blog tour to promote For the Good of Mankind. 


According to Wittenstein, For most of early history, practicing sound medicine was not distinguishable from experimenting. There was just so much about the human body doctors did not understand. The experimenting that was happening was conducted for "therapeutic purposes, where doctors intended a direct benefit for the patient.  After all, the Hippocratic Oath, written about 4790 to 360 B.C.E. stated, "Primum non nocere" First of all, to do no harm. But around the 1700's, in hopes of finding cures for diseases such as smallpox, doctors began stepping over that fine line and upped the risks by experimenting on healthy people -- including children and African Americans -- exposing them to diseases, without their knowledge or consent. 

Though created as a framework for medical ethics and the laws regarding human medical experimentation, The Nuremberg Code came out of the Nuremberg Trials (October 1946 to April 1949) set up to prosecute those Nazi doctors who practiced horrific experiments on individuals held in the concentration camps in Germany during World War Two. Still, despite the Nuremberg Code and other laws that are created to protect human subjects, experimentation without consent or full knowledge of the outcome still continues. 

In five chapters, Wittenstein's narrative describes a wide range of unethical and immoral medical behavior on the part of researchers, doctors and other medical staff, and government officials. She covers specific experiments on viruses, such as Hepatitis and Syphilis, and the shady business of medical research for new drugs. Deepening the readers experience are sidebars with more details about what is discussed in the text, and illustrated throughout with black & white historical photos. 

The author, a prosecutor and advocate for children and young adults, ends the book with, "What Do You Think?” She offers a brief paragraph with scenarios and questions to encourage students to think beyond the text about this highly emotional topic. Give this to middle or high school students studying the ethics of medical experimentations. 

Back matter includes source notes, selected bibliography, additional information of books, websites, films, and interviews, and index.

Reviewed by Louise

Visit the author's website for more information, and a free discussion guide.

To read what other bloggers have to say about Wittenstein's book, visit these sites.

Mon, Nov 4

proseandkahn

Tues, Nov 5

The Prosen People

Fri, Nov 8

Growing with Science

Mon, Nov 11

Ms. Yingling Reads

Tues, Nov 12

Through the Wardrobe

Wed, Nov 13

Kid Lit Frenzy

Thurs, Nov 14

GreenBeanTeenQueen

Fri, Nov 15

The Fourth Musketeer

The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson

The Boy on the Wooden Box: how the impossible became possible…on Schindler’s list
A Memoir by Leon Leyson with Marilyn J. Harran * Elisabeth B. Leyson
Atheneum Books for Young Children. 2013
ISBN: 9781442497818
Grades 6 and up
This reviewer borrowed a copy of the book from the public library.

Leon Leyson loved playing on the Krakow streetcars with his friends and tagging along after his older brothers. Then, suddenly, German soldiers were:
In his country.
In his city.
In his home.

Leyson was ten years old when the Nazi’s entered Poland, changing his life forever. Three of his brothers would die at the hands of the Germans, but Leyson, his sister, mother and father would be saved because of Oskar Schindler and his famous “list”. 

After surviving the war and living in a displaced persons camp in Wetzlar, Germany, in the American occupied zone the family came to California in May of 1949. Leyson was just nineteen years old. “My real life was just beginning.” 

In the epilogue Leyson explains that he never shared what he had experienced during the war with friends and colleagues until after the release of the movie Schindler’s List. This memoir is based on the talks he gave frequently for over twenty years. Told from the perspective of a child, Leyson’s story is very moving. 

Sadly, Leyson did not live to know that Atheneum would publish his book. He died from T-cell lymphoma on January 12, 2013. Please share this book with students who are studying the Holocaust. Pair the Boy on the Wooden Box with these fiction titles about the Jewish experience in Poland during WW2: Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli, and Run, Boy, Run by Uri Orliev.  

Listen to Leon Leyson tell his story in 12-parts on YouTube. 

Back matter also includes photos, an afterward, and index. 

Aliens Are Coming! by Meghan McCarthy

Aliens Are Coming!: The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast
by Meghan McCarthy
Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2006
ISBN: 9780375835186
Grades 2-6

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

Are you looking for a book to share with children on Halloween? Aliens Are Coming! may be just what you need. This informational picture book recounts how Orson Welles scared the pants off the entire country with the War of the Worlds radio broadcast on Oct. 30, 1938.

At the beginning of the book, readers get a glimpse of life in the 1930s as McCarthy uses black and white paint to illustrate a family sitting around the radio listening to Ramon Raquello play the tango. When the announcer interrupts the broadcast with news of explosions on Mars, things get serious in a hurry. Colorful illustrations of aliens landing in Grovers Mills, New Jersey accompany excerpts from the actual radio transcript. As citizens follow the news of a possible alien invasion, panic ensues until it's revealed to be a hoax. McCarthy is a pro at relating history to children in an accessible and exciting manner. The cartoon-style illustrations and characters with google eyes will make this a popular read with kids.

A detailed author's note provides readers with more background information about Welles' radio prank and its effects on the nation. If you're planning to share the book with a group in a classroom or library, be sure to play parts of  the War of the Worlds radio broadcast.

Visit Meghan McCarthy's web site to view pages from the book.
http://www.aliensarecoming.com/

Common Core IRL: The Salem Witch Trials

As Halloween draws near, we thought it fitting that Common Core: IRL focus on scary stories. Be sure to visit the following blogs today to read reviews of frightening tales (both fiction and nonfiction) and see how they may be used in classrooms settings. 

Great Kid Books

Kidlit Frenzy

100 Scope Notes

Sometimes real life is more frightening than fiction, so today we're highlighting books from a terrifying event from our past: The Salem Witch Trails.

Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem 

by Rosalyn Schanzer

National Geographic, 2011

ISBN: 9781426308703

Grades 6 and up

2012 Sibert Honor Book

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

Rosalyn Schanzer packs a lot into the 144 pages of this small nonfiction book for young adults. It is evident from the detailed story and the extensive bibliography that Schanzer meticulously researched the mysterious events from 17th century Salem.

Chapter One, titled "Where the Stage is Set," provides background information about the Puritan religion and their beliefs about the Devil. The author ends the chapter by identifying three reasons why Salem's Reverend Parris was discontent with his current situation: he had not received the firewood he had been promised, he had not been paid his salary, and his daughter was sick with fits and seizures. His daughter's mysterious illness will prove to be just the beginning of a frightening and dark period in history when innocent people were accused, tried and hung for witchcraft.

Witches! is a rich, nonfiction text to use with students for several reasons.  Schanzer's description of the events coupled with excerpts from transcripts from the trials provide readers with sense of the severity of the accusations during the colonial era. The author effectively uses questions throughout the chapters to encourage readers to think and reflect as they read.

"And who else would rake coals over the reputations of Martha Cory, Elizabeth Proctor, and even Elizabeth's husband, a big burly tavern keeper named John Proctor? It was the Proctors' very own 20-year-old servant, Mary Warren. Now why would she do that? Was she truly ill? Was she terrified by shadows in her chambers? Or was she out for revenge against her hot-headed master?" (p. 43-44)

Black, white and red scratchboard illustrations are fitting for this story involving beliefs about witches, the Devil and demons; the Caslon Antique font appropriately reflects the 1600s.
Educators who use Witches! in literature or history class should ask students to identify the central ideas of the book and to develop theories about what caused the hysteria and the subsequent trials based on evidence from the text.  Witches! could also be used to provide readers with historical context before reading fiction titles such as A Break with Charity or The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem addresses the following 7th grade Common Core State Standards:

• ELA Literacy: Reading Informational Texts

• Key Ideas and Details
• 7.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 
• 7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials 

by Marc Aronson

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003

ISBN: 9780689848643

Grades 9 and up

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

Aronson, always meticulous in his research, covers the same information as Schanzer does in Witches!, but fills out his detailed narrative with actual historical transcripts or notes taken during the trials. He outlines the events, and indicates key questions that historians over the years have also raised.

Why did the good people of Salem cause nineteen people to be hanged and twenty-five more to die? Was it revenge? A silly teenagers prank out of boredom? Did the judge and the adults who attended the trials really believe the accused were witches? 

Written directly with teens in mind, the ten chapters are presented as a mystery and Aronson states, “the challenge of this book is to give you enough information to begin to think for yourself about what really happened in Salem, Massachusettes, 1692. If the study of the witchcraft accusations, and of the mythologies that have grown up around them, teaches anything, it is that we must be careful with evidence.” 

Aronson in his epilogue continues to provide insight in order to help make sense of current scholars differing views.  In the appendix, Aronson believes that Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible and its compelling portrait of the Salem trials was influenced by his experience with the House Un-American Activities Committee that blacklisted hundreds of people in the motion picture industry during the late 1940s. Other back matter includes a timeline, source notes, bibliography, and index.


Witch-Hunt addresses the following Common Core State Standards for grades 9-10:

      Key Ideas and Details

    9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,   including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

      9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.

Craft and Structure

9-10.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas                                                                                                                    

9-10.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.

This book trailer of Witches! includes examples of Schanzer's scratchboard illustrations.

The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown

The Great American Dust Bowl
Written & Illustrated by Don Brown
Houghton Mifflin. 2013
ISBN: 9780547815503
Grades 5 and up
I borrowed this book from my local public library.

Using a graphic format, Don Brown tells the story of the great dust bowl, the worst environmental catastrophe our country has even seen that took place during the 1930’s.

Nonfiction News- October 2013

Here are some articles that caught our attention this month.

Several nonfiction authors have been focusing on the Common Core State Standards on the Interesting Nonfiction for Kids blog this month. Jim Murphy sheds light onto how he writes nonfiction for children in his enlightening post, "The CCSS and Me: I Could Be Wrong."

Meghan McCarthy fans take notice, Barbara Auerbach has put together a McCarthy author study for School Library Journal.

Over at the Heavy Medal blog, Jonathan Hunt gives the Scientists in the Field series some love.

Nominations for the 2013 CYBILS closed this week. Check out the Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction nominations and the Young Adult Nonfiction nominations.

We'll leave you with a book trailer for I Feel Better With a Frog in My Throat (winner of the 2011 CYBILS in the Nonfiction Picture Book category.)

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins

The Tree Lady: the true story of how one tree-loving woman changed a city forever
By H. Joseph Hopkins; Illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Beach Lane Books. 2013
ISBN: 9781442414020
Grades 1 - 5
I borrowed this book from my local public library


For anyone who has had the opportunity to visit San Diego, especially Balboa Park, you will remember the enormous variety of trees, shrubs, flowers and vines. Who was responsible for transforming this once desert town into a gardener’s paradise? Katherine Olivia Sessions.

Growing up in northern California in 1860 surrounded by trees, Katherine Sessions was someone who was very comfortable being in the woods. Girls from Kate’s side of town weren’t supposed to get their hands dirty. But Kate did. A wonderful student, in 1881, Kate became the first woman ever to graduate with a degree in science from the University of California.  

After graduation, Kate took a job in Southern California. When her boat docked in San Diego, she saw that her new home was a desert town.  

Could she live in a place with very few trees?

From the Backlist: The Day-Glo Brothers

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand New  Colors
by Chris Barton
illustrated by Tony Persiani
Charlesbridge, 2009
ISBN: 9781570916731
Grades K-5

A 2010 Sibert Honor Book

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

You know that you're in for a treat from the very beginning of this unique picture book biography. Upon opening The Day-Glo Brothers, readers will notice the fluorescent yellow, green and orange endpapers. Those bright colors play an important role in the story.

Brothers, Bob and Joe Switzer, grew up in the 1920s. The boys were both industrious and creative, so it's no surprise they used chemicals from their father's drugstore to create fluorescent paint. I've shared this book with many students in the age 8-10 range, and it's been a big hit.  The narrative style is very accessible to young readers, and the illustrations are visually appealing. Most of the illustrations near the beginning of the story are drawn in black, white and gray. When a fluorescent item appears on the page it quickly catches the attention of readers. By the end of the book, day-glo colors take over the page.

Barton does an excellent job of showing how an invention we see frequently in the twenty-first century has been used to save lives at sea, at airports, and at construction sites. Be sure to read the author's note which includes information about how Barton got the idea for the book and a list of sources he used in his research.

Pair this book with Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy or The Boy Who Invented TV by Kathleen Krull for a study of inventions.

Bone by Bone by Sara Levine

Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons
By Sara Levine; Illustrations by T.S. Spookytooth
Millbrook Press. 2013
ISBN: 9780761384649
Grades 1 up
I borrowed this book from my local public library.

Have you ever wondered what we would look like if we didn’t have any bones? 

This humorous nonfiction picture book asks readers to imagine how human skeletons are similar, yet different, from other animals. Levine asks what kind of animal would you be if  “your vertebrae didn’t stop at your rear end but kept going?” or “What kind of animal would you be if we took away your leg bones but kept your arm bones? “ HINT: we’d also move your breathing hole from the front of your face to the top of your skull. Can you guess what you’d be?

Different fonts differentiate the questions from the answers and further science facts. T.S. Spookytooth’s full color illustrations are humorous as they show just how we would look without arms, legs, or with 10 extra vertebrae in our necks. (Think giraffe).

Back matter includes more facts about bones, more facts about vertebrates, a glossary, and a list of books and website for further reading.

A fun way to learn facts about skeletons.

Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone

Courage Has No Color: the True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers 

By Tanya Lee Stone 
Candlewick Press. 2013 
ISBN: 9780763651176 
Grades 8 and up 
I borrowed a copy of this book from my local public library. 

 Prejudice is a flaw of human nature, but awareness and education are powerful weapons against it, according to award winning nonfiction writer Tanya Lee Stone. 

In Courage Has No Color, Stone examines the long history of racial discrimination in the US military through the history of the first black paratroopers, the 555th: The Triple Nickles. Though very well-trained, the 555th never saw active combat, yet their perseverance and hard work paved the way for those who came after. Despite facing negative attitudes and prejudice, 

Why would a black man risk his life to help his country? The answer was simple. This is my country, my children’s country, and their children’s. It is up to me and many, many people of all races and cultures to fight the haters and racists to make this a better place to live, said Walter Morris, a leader in forming the Triple Nickles. Morris retired from the military in 1946. 

The book is well-researched using primary and secondary sources, as well as interviews with the remaining Triple Nickles. According to the author’s note, Stone admits this was, perhaps my hardest book to write to date. Much of the Triple Nickles story was scattered in obscure places through the decades. It took several years to sift through all the information to tell the 555's story. Readers will find the writing engaging with the story unfolding in chronological order. Black and white photos are spread throughout, making the reading experience even better with visual tie-ins. Back matter includes author’s note, appendix of key players in the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, timeline of desegregation and the Triple Nickles, source notes, and index. 

Click here to see the book trailer.
 
A thought-provoking read on a timely subject.

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table

Written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin; Illustrated by Eric-Schabazz Larkin

Readers to Eaters. 2013

ISBN: 9780983661535

Grades 1 - 4

I borrowed this book from my local public library.

There is nothing that tastes so yummy than popping a tomato, cucumber, pepper or green bean into your mouth that has just been picked from your garden.  Mmmmmm! 

As more and more people strive to eat healthy as a way to combat obesity, many schools, day cares, and home gardens have sprung up. People want to eat foods grown organically, free of harmful chemicals. Throughout the United States, the local food movement is growing in popularity.  

In this picture book biography, Martin writes about a remarkable man, Will Allen, who has dedicated much of his life to bringing good food to everyone, especially those who live in the cities. As a young boy growing up, 

“bowls of peas, greens, and his favorite – lima beans with ham – covered the kitchen table. 

"My mother often fixed enough food for thirty,” Will says. “We never had a car or TV, but we always had good food.”" 

For Will, good food equaled good times.

The CYBILS 2013

Can you feel the excitement in the air? It's almost CYBILS season.  I'm pleased the share that I'm a Round #2 judge in the Book Apps category along with these talented bloggers:

Elisabeth LeBris from the LeBrisary blog

Helen Dineen from CAppTivated Kids

Carissa Kluger from The Digital Media Diet

Sarah Towle from Sarah Towle: History Turned On

Our fearless leader and Book Apps chair is Mary Ann Sheuer from Great Kid Books.

Nominations for the CYBILS open on October 1st, so start thinking about which books and book apps you want to nominate this year. Books and book apps must be published between Oct. 16, 2012 and Oct. 15, 2013 to be eligible for the 2013 CYBILS. Visit the CYBILS site for more information about the categories and the nomination process.