Archive for Historical
April 15, 2013 · Filed under Dystopia, Fiction, High School, Historical, Novels, Realistic · Tagged Adult fiction for teens, Anna Keesey, Hachette, Houghton Mifflin, Jennifer Miller, Julianna Baggott, Macmillan
The number of adult books I read last year was embarrassingly low. I suppose that is fairly typical among those working in the children’s literature field, but I do try to make it a point to pick up some books that I can discuss with my friends. It’s a bonus if they are good choices for teens as well. Here are a few titles from 2012 that you can recommend to teens and discuss with your adult friends.
Little Century by Anna Keesey. June 2012. 9780374192044. Gr. 11-Adult
This historical novel follows 18-year-old Esther Chambers as she heads west at the beginning of the 20th century. After her mother dies, she is in search of direction in a world that seems full of possibilities. Esther gets in contact with a distant cousin in a little frontier town in Oregon and travels from her home in Chicago to stay with him until she figures out what she wants to do next. Once there, Esther finds herself talked into homesteading and caught up in the politics of ranching in a climate where land and water are very valuable. This is all new to Esther. She is a city girl, who hadn’t even ridden a horse before, much less experienced the harsh realities of homesteading. There are definite comparisons to Hattie Big Sky here, and it’s a good choice for fans of historical fiction.
Year of the Gadfly by Jennifer Miller. May 2012. 9780547548593. Gr. 11-Adult
All the politics, secrets, and scandals that are typical of high schools everywhere are amped up at Mariana Academy. The school has seen its share of issues over the years, and now there is an elaborate Code of Conduct to prevent bullying that a secret vigilante group enforces with blackmail. Iris Dupont is looking for a fresh start at Mariana, but she can’t resist a good mystery. Iris is determined to use her journalistic instincts to break into the secret society and expose them. The twists and turns will keep readers guessing in this complex novel.
Pure by Julianna Baggott. February 2012. 9781455503063. Gr. 11-Adult
In the post-apocalyptic world in this novel, most people are disfigured in some way after surviving the Detonations. The Pures are the ones who live inside the dome that protected them. Pressia lives a survivor’s life outside the dome, where she has it relatively good. Her disfigurement is comparatively minor, and she barely remembers what life was like before. Partridge lives inside the dome. He is safe there, but he feels unhappy with the strict rules and his distant father. Partridge is certain that his mother survived the Detonations outside the dome, and he is determined to find her. Together, Partirdge and Pressia discover secrets that affect both of their lives. The next book in the trilogy, Fuse, came out in February
Ryan blogged about Pure and other crossover titles in his post about the recently announced Alex Awards. Check it out!
Blogger: Mindy R.
March 9, 2013 · Filed under Fiction, Historical, Mackin Picks, Middle School (6-8), Nonfiction, Novels, Reviews, Social Studies
Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes. April 2013. 9780763660376. Gr 6-8.
When I heard the Candlewick rep say, ” Hero is about a 13-year-old boy during World War II, living in Italy,” I wanted to read this book. World War II is my favorite period of history. We meet Paolo Crivelli, his older sister Constanza, and their mother Rosemary living in the hills of Florence. It is 1944, and the Allied forces are trying to push the Nazis north of Florence to the Italian border. Paolo wants to be part of the war efforts, but is too young to enlist as a soldier and is bored staying home. So he daily plans his escape and rides his beloved bike through the darkened streets of Florence late at night.
One night on his way back home, he is stopped by some Partisans who want help from Paolo’s family. Rosemary agrees to hide Allied prisoners until they can be moved to safety. By hiding prisoners, she puts her whole family at risk of being shot. Paolo, Constanza, and Rosemary show their bravery and courage.
This story captured my attention from the first page. It is Shirley’s first novel, but she has known since she visited Florence at the end of World War II that she would someday write a story about this beautiful area. That someday has come—sixty years later. Her teenage characters seem very authentic, because she based them not only on her own memories as a teenager living in England during this war, but also on a family she met in Italy after the war.
Courage Has No Color : The True Story of the Triple Nickels : America’s First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone. 2013. 9780763651176. Gr 5-8.
Courage Has No Color is also a story about World War II, but it is based here in the U.S. Think about it, we had troops in Europe and the Pacific fighting Hitler’s injustices. But in the United States, men of black skin didn’t have the same rights as those with white skin. German and Italian prisoners of war, who had killed American soldiers, were allowed into the post exchange, but the black soldiers in uniforms were not allowed in. Black soldiers could not even sit at a table with the white soldiers to eat. They were treated as servants.
I had not heard of this group of paratroopers before, but I have gained much respect for them from this book. In the fall of 1943, first sergeant Walter Morris started a training program modeling that of the white paratroopers. Within a week his men began to act like soldiers. Sixteen African-American men made history on February 18, 1944, when they became paratroopers. The Triple Nickels were never sent to the war front, but were transferred to Pendleton Air Base in Oregon. At Pendleton, the Triple Nickels became smoke-jumpers, putting out fires started by bomb-laden balloons. These balloons had been floated by the Japanese on the jet stream to the west coast of the U.S. I found this story as fascinating as the Red Tails story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American group of pilots from World War II.
Tanya Lee Stone asks, “What did it take to be a paratrooper in World War II? Specialized training, extreme physical fitness, courage, and—until the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (the Triple Nickels) was formed –white skin… What is courage? What is strength? Perhaps it is being ready to fight for your nation even when your nation isn’t ready to fight for you.”
Guestblogger : Kathy V.
February 25, 2013 · Filed under Fiction, Historical, Humor, Middle School (6-8), Mystery, Novels, Reviews · Tagged Chicken House, History, Kieran Larwood, London
Freaks by Kieran Larwood. March 2013. 9780545474245. Gr. 6-8.
There are a lot of great new books out there. I am always amazed at the variety and diversity of books for kids; it seems that there is something for everyone. However, I sometimes get jaded with media, as it seems like everything is too derivative of something else. I like things that are unique, that haven’t been overdone.
A few things about Freaks piqued my interest and assured me that it would be unique. First, there is the eye-catching cover, depicting three of the “freaks”. Second is the tagline, “Weirdest. Crime Fighters. Ever.” Finally, the publisher’s note on the inside that describes it as the X-men meet Oliver Twist assured me that this title would be nothing if not unique!
Freaks is set in Victorian London, a time when sideshow freaks work in less-than-optimal conditions, and “street urchins” beg for money or work long hours at terrible jobs. Both of these play central roles in Freaks. The main character is Sheba, a wolf-girl who works as a sideshow attraction in Grunchgirdle’s World of Curiosities, alongside a two-headed sheep named Flossy. Grunchgirdle is a despicable man that Larwood describes as, “…a rheumy, skinny old man with the aroma of a long-dead trout.” Soon, Sheba is sold to an equally unsavory man named Plumpscuttle. It is here that she joins a group of other Freaks, including a giant named Gigantus, a ninja-like girl named Sister Moon, a rat-wrangler called Mama Rat, and Monkeyboy, who has a penchant for all things disgusting.
When a girl that Sheba befriends at the sideshow goes missing under mysterious circumstances, the sideshow performers team up to find out what is going on in the city. Why are poor kids who work near the river disappearing? What is the monstrous, crab-like thing that has been sighted there? Who could be behind all of this? Sheba convinces the other Freaks that they have to act and try to answer these questions, which takes them on an adventure throughout the city, culminating at the Crystal Palace of London’s Great Exhibition of 1851.
Freaks won the prestigious Chicken House/London Times Children’s Fiction contest. Kieran Larwood is a Kindergarten teacher in Britain, and one can see this in his writing. He obviously knows what children find funny, as Monkeyboy provides lots of one-liners and bathroom humor. Larwood concludes the book with some teaching, in this case about real Victorian London. He provides a nice history lesson about the impoverished state of the city, the history of freak shows, and the Great Exhibition.
In the book, a sign at the entrance of the freakshow reads, “A Collection of the Hideous, Horrid, and Humongous. Terror and Amazement Await You. You Are Advised to Bring a Change of Trousers.” While I won’t go that extent in encouraging you to read this book, I will say that it is a fun and unique story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Freaks will be released in March.
Blogger: Ryan H.
June 21, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Historical, Middle School (6-8), Novels · Tagged A Month of Sundays, Anne C. Voorhoeve, Debby Dahl Edwardson, Historical fiction, Kristin Levine, Lions of Little Rock, Macmillan, Marshall Cavendish, My Family for the War, My Name is Not Easy, Penguin, Ruth White
As most of you know by now, I’m a big fan of historical fiction. I love the way you can transport yourself to another time and place in history and get a feel for what it would be like to live in that era. Here are some great titles that have come out over the past year for middle and high school.
Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine. January, 2012. 9780399256448. Gr. 5-8.
Twelve-year-old Marlee Nisbett is painfully shy; afraid to even speak to others besides her family. Then she meets the new girl Liz. Liz teaches her to be confident and to stand up to bullies, even the resident mean girl Sally. But one day, Liz is gone and it’s rumored that she was African-American passing for white. The governor has forbidden interracial schools, and Marlee must put her new courage to the test as she maintains a secret friendship with Liz and joins an anti-segregationist organization. Readers will experience the impact of school segregation and the strong bonds of friendship from this powerful story.
A Month of Sundays by Ruth White. October, 2011. 9780374399122. Gr. 6-8.
Fourteen-year-old Garnet’s mother goes to Florida to look for a job, leaving Garnet with an Aunt she’s never met. While angry at her mother’s abandonment, Garnet comes to like living with her Aunt and her family in a large house full of the latest technology, including a television. Garnet learns that Aunt June has terminal cancer and agrees to accompany her to a new church each Sunday, where she meets the handsome son of an evangelical preacher. As Garnet settles into this new life, family secrets are reveled and a shocking ending will leave her reeling and questioning everything she’s learned about God.
My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve. February, 2012. 9780803733602. Gr. 7-10.
Even though Ziska and her family have been Protestant for two generations, they are still persecuted for having Jewish blood in their ancestry. When Ziska’s father is imprisoned, Ziska’s mother decides to place Ziska on the kindertransport, a train that took Jewish children secretly to England where they were adopted by English families. As Ziska arrives in England and is placed with a family, her named is changed to Frances, and she begins a new life with a new family. As she spends the next seven years in England, she is faced with trials, war, and the decision of whether to stay with her new family, or return to her old one.
My Name is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson. October, 2011. 9780761459804. Gr. 7-10.
Set in the 1960′s, this novel looks at a Catholic Indian boarding school in Alaska. Sacred Heart School includes children who are Eskimo, Native American, and white, and each group is prejudice against the others. Luke knows he will not be able to use his real name at his new school, his Eskimo name is too hard to pronounce, and he’s forbidden to speak his native language. As he spends his next four years at Sacred Heart, Luke and the other students learn to look past their differences and work together. Based on true stories, Edwardson takes a new look at boarding schools in our country’s history.
We have done several other posts focusing on historical fiction. So if you want even more titles than these, go to the categories section on the side bar and select historical under fiction.
Lindsey L.
June 11, 2012 · Filed under Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, High School, Historical, Middle School (6-8), Mystery, Novels, Realistic, Science Fiction · Tagged Article 5, Books for Boys, BZRK, Candlewick, Dayna Lorentz, Final Four, Froi of the Exiles, Kristen Simmons, Legend, Leigh Bardugo, Macmillan, Maggie Stiefvater, Marie Lu, Melina Marchetta, Michael Grant, No Safety in Numbers, Paul Volponi, Penguin, Random House, Ripper, Scholastic, Shadow and Bone, Stephan Petrucha, The Scorpio Races, Vindico, Wesley King
I think we’ve all noticed the YA trend with beautiful girls on the cover, usually in elaborate gowns with long flowing hair. Now I love these books as much as the next person, but it got me thinking…what about boy readers? The middle and high school boys I know would never walk around school with books that have those type of covers. Like these for example…
The tragic thing is that these books are told from alternating perspectives from both a female and male character. But a boy reader would never guess that by the cover. So I’ve taken it upon myself to search out great books that also have covers that boys won’t have to hide.
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons. January 2012. 9780765329585. Gr. 9-12. Set in a dystopian future, the Bill of Rights are a thing of the past replaced by the Moral Statutes and the Church of America. Ember was born out of wedlock and therefore considered a non-citizen. She’s kept a low profile her whole life, until her mother is arrested by the one boy Ember cares about.
BZRK by Michael Grant. February 2012. 9781606843123. Gr. 9-Adult. Grant steps away from his Gone series to launch this sci-fi spy series. Set in the near future, BZRK is about control over the human mind. Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corp. wants to create their own utopia by removing free will with the use of nanobot technology. Only the BZRK group consisting of teens can stop them and their evil plans. Like in his Gone series, Grant doesn’t shy away from violence and moral dilemmas in this new action-packed series. Read Ryan’s full review here.
Final Four by Paul Volponi. March 2012. 9780670012640. Gr. 9-12. Told through flashbacks, journal entries, newspaper accounts and TV interviews, this story focuses on four basketball players facing off in the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Volponi looks behind the scenes at the realistic and gritty world of college basketball Put this book in the hands of any basketball fan.
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta. March 2012. 9780763647599. Gr. 9-12. Set three years after Finnikin of the Rock this story focuses on Froi. Froi and the other exiles are recovering from the terrible curse placed on Lumatere, when disturbing news of another mysterious curse comes from the kingdom of Charyn, Lumatere’s enemy. Froi is sent to investigate, and what he finds will change his life forever. This is personally one of my favorite books of 2012 so far and should be given to any fantasy lover.
Legend by Marie Lu. November 2011. 9780399256752. Gr. 8-12. In my opinion, this is the best dystopian novel to come out since The Hunger Games. You have the over-controlling government, a rebel who threatens the system, and a girl who discovers the truth about the society in which she lives. To read more about this title, check out my full review. Give this to any fans of The Hunger Games and dystopian thrillers.
No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz. May 2012. 9780803738737. Gr. 7-12. Lorentz debuts with a tension-packed thriller about a biohazard released in a mall. Told from four teen’s perspectives, readers witness the breakdown of society when people are trapped in a small space in an emergency situation.
Ripper by Stephan Petrucha. March 2012. 9780399255243. Gr. 7-12. Set in New York in 1895, Carver Young, an orphan and aspiring detective, is trying to figure out the identity of his father. Apprenticed to an ex-Pinkerton agent and with the use of steampunk-like gadgets, Carver uncovers his father’s identity, much to his horror. To read more about this book, check out my full review.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. June 2012. 9780805094596. Gr. 8-12. In her thrilling debut, Bardugo uses Russian and Slavic myth and culture to create a new world. Alina Starkov is a cartographer’s assistant in the army of the Ravka nation when a mission goes terribly wrong. To save her best friend, Alina discovers she has the power to summon light, a rare ability. Quickly taken in by the magical elite Grisha, Alina tries to navigate her way through the dangerous politics of the order…and discovers she may be more important than she ever realized.
Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. October 2011. 9780545224901. Gr. 9-12. This Printz Honor winner features a thrilling horse race with monstrous horses and a boy and a girl who have everything to lose. Sean and Kate (Puck) risk everything when they enter this year’s annual water horse race. Sean agrees to help Puck, and the two become closer as the race approaches. But there can only be one winner. To read more about this fantastic title, check out Tracey’s review.
The Vindico by Wesley King. June 2012. 9780399256547. Gr. 8-12. The League of Heroes and the Vindico have been facing off in the age-old fight of superheroes vs. supervillians. But the members of the Vindico aren’t as young as they used to be, so they devise an evil plan to kidnap teenagers and teach them to be the next generation of supervillians. The five teens held captive become friends and plot their escape. But as they learn more about their captors, they learn that the fight between superheroes vs. supervillians isn’t as black and white as they thought.
Hopefully these titles give you some new ideas of books to give your male readers that they won’t have to hide behind other covers!
Lindsey L.
March 15, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Historical, Middle School (6-8), Mystery, Novels, Reviews · Tagged High school fiction, middle school fiction, Penguin, Ripper, Stefan Petrucha
Ripper by Stefan Petrucha. March 2012 (advance copy)
Grades 7-12
9780399255243
Carver Young is living in an orphanage in New York City. The year is 1895, seven years after the Ripper killing spree in England. Due to a financial crisis, Carver must leave the orphanage, but not before he uncovers a letter written by his father. Because of his cleverness, Carver is apprenticed to an ex-Pinkerton agent, Albert Hawking. Albert teaches Carver to think and act like a real detective, and introduces him to the new secret Pinkerton agency. Armed with new steampunk-like gadgets, Carver sets out to find out who his father is. But new Ripper murders begin occurring in New York City, and Carver’s search may lead him straight to the killer.
So I’ve mentioned before how I don’t really gravitate toward male lead characters, and it’s really time I changed that! I loved reading Carver’s perspective throughout the book as he struggles to impress Mr. Hawking and become a good detective, to figuring out what his changing feelings toward Delia mean. Reading this book from Carver’s perspective has made me want to go out and find more books from a male point of view.
The mystery also kept me turning the pages far later into the night than I should have been. The reader knows who Carter’s father is based on different letters that would appear in the book, and I thought knowing that information would make me less interested in Carter’s search, but I was wrong. It was fascinating to see Carter slowly reveal his father’s secrets. And a twist at the end had me almost falling out of my chair as I quickly flipped back and read it again and again!
I for one hope there will be many more Carver Young adventures to come!
**Don’t forget to enter our 1 Year Anniversary Extravaganza Contest! We’ll announce the second winner tomorrow morning!**
Lindsey L.
February 16, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, Historical, History, Intermediate (3-5), Nonfiction, Picture Books, Primary (K-2), Social Studies, Uncategorized · Tagged Barry Moser, Born and Bred in the Great Depression, Candlewick Press, Donna Jo Napoli, Douglas Wood, Franklin & Winston, Houghton Mifflin, Jim Madsen, Jonah Winter, Kimberly Bulcken Root, Levi Strauss, Lewis & Clark, picture books, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Stacy Innerst, Tony Johnston, U.S. History
As you can probably tell by now, I love history. And I love when history comes alive in books and stories. So when I find good picture books that focus on history, I just have to talk about them! Here are some that have come out in the last year that I think you’ll love just as much as I do.
Franklin and Winston: A Christmas that Changed the World by Douglas Wood. Illustrated by Barry Moser.
In the winter of 1941 aboard the HMS Duke of York, Winston Churchill braved the threat of Nazi submarines to travel to America in order to meet with President Roosevelt. America just entered the war days before, and the two world leaders agreed to meet and formulate a strategy against their enemies. When asked how long it would take to end the war, Churchill responded, “If we manage it well, it will only take half as long as if we manage it badly.” Even though they planned day and night, Churchill and Roosevelt still took time to joke together and celebrate the holidays. Children will enjoy reading about the relationship between these two pivotal historical figures. I loved this one so much, I included it on my Top Ten of 2011.
Crossing: Lewis & Clark’s Historic Journey Seen Through a Brand-New Pair of Eyes by Donna Jo Napoli. Illustrated by Jim Madsen.
Experience Lewis and Clark’s journey as never before through the eyes of Jean Baptiste, Sacagawea’s baby boy. Napoli gets in Jean’s head as she describes the sights, sounds and smells of his journey. He’s fascinated by the grizzly bears, cougars, elk and other animals and hears an assortment of different languages. Madsen’s crackled oil illustration give off a dream-like quality and denotes the passage of time through changing seasons and the boy’s own growth. Children will experience this historic and famous journey as never before.
Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea: A Fairly Fabricated Story of a Pair of Pants by Tony Johnston. Illustrated by Stacy Innerst.
All the gold in the world is no good if it falls right out of a miner’s worn out pockets! It’s Levi Strauss to the rescue in this taller than tall-tale. Arriving too late to get gold, Levi noticed how worn the miner’s pants were. Armed with a needle, thread, and the durable fabric of the miner’s tents, Levi set out to make a name for himself. Kids will love the humorous illustrations painted on actual Levi jeans, and colorful prose while storytellers won’t be able to resists performing the book with an old-timey Western accent.
Born and Bred in the Great Depression by Jonah Winter. Illustrated by Kimberly Bulcken Root.
Jonah Winter writes this story as though he’s talking to his father and reminiscing over stories his father told him about living in the Great Depression. The fact that the author is speaking of his own father makes the story feel personal and real. The Great Depression taught people to overcome hardship, to find joy in the little things, and that family is the most important thing. And because this story is written in second person, it will be a great resource to teach students the difference between first, second and third person narratives.
Bibliography
Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea: A Fairly Fabricated Story of a Pair of Pants by Tony Johnston. Illustrated by Stacy Innerst. January, 2011.
Crossing: Lewis & Clark’s Historic Journey Seen Through a Brand-New Pair of Eyes by Donna Jo Napoli. Illustrated by Jim Madsen. June, 2011.
Born and Bred in the Great Depression by Jonah Winter. Illustrated by Kimberly Bulcken Root. October, 2011.
Franklin and Winston: A Christmas that Changed the World by Douglas Wood. Illustrated by Barry Moser. September, 2011.
Lindsey L.
February 9, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, Grade Levels, High School, Historical, History, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Multicultural, Nonfiction, Novel in Verse, Novels, Picture Books, Poetry, Primary (K-2), Reviews, Social Studies · Tagged African American, Bettye Stroud, Black History, Calvin Alexander, Candlewick Press, Capstone Press, Civil Rights, Diane Dillon, G. Neir, Jesse Joshua Watson, John Holyfield, Leo Dillon, McKissack, Patricia C, Random House, Shelley Marie Tougas, Slavery
“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, / I am the dream and hope of the slave. / I rise. / I rise. / I rise.” ~ Maya Angelou, Still I Rise.
Whenever I think about Black History Month, I always think of this amazing quote from Angelou. She eloquently states that she has learned from her ancestors’ history and lives her life with their hopes and dreams (as well as her own) at the forefront. It’s a very inspirational quote that we can all learn from. Keeping Still I Rise in mind, each of the titles that I have chosen has an impressive message that people of all colors and creeds can appreciate. If you are looking for similar titles, check out my ALA Mock Youth Media Awards post (specifically the Coretta Scott King Award picks), as well as Lindsey’s Historical Fiction for Elementary School post.
Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neir. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. 2011.
Twelve-year-old Coltrane is always getting in trouble at school, and his mother cannot take it anymore. She decides to drive him to Philadelphia to meet his father for the first time. In Philly, Cole is in for many surprises! He learns that his father is part of a group of black urban cowboys who save horses from slaughterhouses. They use the horses to teach the neighborhood kids how to be responsible for the care of another life. The kids groom and feed the horses as well as help with the upkeep of the stables. In exchange, they get to ride the horses as payment. I really enjoyed the fact that this story is based upon an actual group of urban black horsemen in North Philadelphia. A wonderful and inspirational story for children and adults, it will have you cheering and crying at the end!
Never Forgotten by Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. 2011.
An African folktale mixed with historical fiction tells the story of an 18th century West African boy, Musafa, raised by his blacksmith father and the Mother Elements (Earth, Fire, Water and Wind). One day Musafa disappears and is captured by the slave traders. The Mother Elements try to save him, but to no avail. Luckily, the wind is able to bring Musafa’s father news that he is still alive and working as a blacksmith. McKissack’s Coretta Scott King honor book will haunt you in many ways, and the free-verse will beat across the page at you like a drum. An amazing story with beautiful acrylic and watercolor illustrations. A must for any library collection!
Little Rock Girl 1957; How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration by Shelley Marie Tougas. 2011.
A worthwhile and honest approach to the events surrounding the Little Rock Nine’s attempt to integrate Central High. There are 64 pages of clearly addressed history, which is appropriate for its target audience (5th-8th graders). The book concentrates not only on the events of the three years of attempted integration, but on other things such as what happened with the photographer, the students, and many of those who opposed their chance at education (such as Hazel Bryan, who will forever be known as the lewd girl following Eckford). Little Rock Girl is an excellent resource for those looking for more information on this aspect of the Civil Rights movement.
Belle, The Last Mule at Gee’s Bend: A Civil Rights Story by Calvin Alexander and Bettye Stroud. Illustrated by John Holyfield. 2011.
This story centers around the people of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, and the part they played in the struggle for civil rights for all citizens. This community, or “Benders” as they are called, were motivated by a visit from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to take the ferry to Camden to register to vote. Upon their arrival at the river, they are stopped by the white sheriff who has shut the ferry down. So the Benders pack up their wagons and hitch up their mules, Belle included, and make the trip to register to vote. As you can imagine, it was not a peaceful resolution. In April 1968, Gee’s Bend is saddened to hear of the assassination of Dr. King, but some of that grief is eased when they find out it was Dr. King’s wish to have mules pull the wagon with his coffin. Belle and Ada, the mules of Gee’s Bend, became part of history in tribute to the late civil rights leader. The story is framed around a young boy named Alex, who hears the whole story from Belle’s owner. Young readers will relate to Alex as he realizes that the people he’s learned about were not just characters in a book; they were real people. A fantastic nonfiction picture book that belongs on every library and classroom shelf.
*More new Black History reads:
Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love by Fred McKissack. 2012.
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson. 2011.
Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 2011.
To the Mountaintop!: My Journey through the Civil Rights Movement by Charlayne Hunter-Gault. 2012.
White Water by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein. Illustrated by Shadra Strickland. 2011.
Kristin J.
February 2, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, Novels, Intermediate (3-5), Historical, Middle School (6-8) · Tagged Historical fiction, Random House, Penguin, Macmillan, Tony Abbott, Lunch-Box Dream, Historical fiction for kids, Winifred Conkling, Sylvia & Aki, Kimberly Bradley, Jefferson's Sons
Historical fiction is a great way for kids to get a glimpse of the past if they don’t like reading non-fiction. Historical fiction allows readers to immerse themselves in the past, to feel what the characters feel and experience what the characters experience. Whether the issues are slavery or racial inequality, these books will give readers a peek into the past so we don’t repeat it.
Jeffer
son’s Sons by Kimberley Brubak Bradeley
Thomas Jefferson was a great man, a leader in the Revolution, a founding father. But to Maddy and Beverly, he was the father they weren’t suppose to call papa, because Maddy and Beverly’s mother was Sally Hemmings, Jefferson’s slave. Thomas Jefferson didn’t make his sons work in the fields, and they were never beaten. He even gave them a violin and provided music lessons for them. But they weren’t free. Light-skinned Beverly learns that when he turns 21, he’ll be freed to live among white people. But how can he leave his darker-skinned brother Maddy, who doesn’t have the same option, behind? This powerful book shows Jefferson in a different light…as a patriot of freedman while his own sons lived in captivity.
Sylvia & Aki by Winifred Conkling
Based on true events, this story follows Sylvia, whose parents are from Puerto Rico and Mexico, and Aki, whose parents were born in Japan. Although both girls are American citizens, they do not enjoy the same rights as other children. When Aki’s family is forced into an internment camp, Sylvia’s father rents their farm in hopes of sending his children to a better school. But when they try to register, they’re told his children must attend the Mexican school instead. Sylvia’s father takes the matter to court and wins, a case that became the precedent for the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1955. The story alternates between Sylvia’s struggles to attend school, and Aki’s struggles of being separated from her family and the poor conditions in the internment camp. This book will be great for social studies units, both on the impact of World War II and on equality.
Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott
When Bobby and Ricky’s mother tells them they have to drive 1,300 miles to bring their grandmother back home, she promises that they’ll stop at several Civil War battle fields for Ricky, and they’ll fly back in an airplane for Bobby. While Ricky enjoys visiting each war site, Bobby finds himself confused and scared at the thought of so much death. The boy’s story is intermixed with a southern African-American family’s as they discover their son is missing a few towns over. Their worlds come together when a car accident forces Bobby and his family to take the bus. On it, they witness racial discrimination first hand as the African-American family struggles to find passage to locate their son. Based on a childhood experience, Abbott’s work will give children a lot to think about when it comes to the history of race relations in our country’s past.
Lindsey L.
January 19, 2012 · Filed under Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, History, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Nonfiction, Novels, Realistic, Science · Tagged ALA Mock Awards, Between Shades of Gray, Bootleg, Can We Save the Tiger, Candlewick, Carmen Agra Deedy, Harper Collins, Heart and Soul : The Story of America and African Americans, Inside Out & Back Again, Kadir Nelson, Karen Blumenthal, Macmillan, Martin Jenkins, Peachtree, Penguin, Randall Wright, Ruta Sepetys, Sheila O'Connor, Sparrow Road, Thanhha Lai, The Cheshire Cheese Cat, Vicky White
When Kristin first suggested selecting our own nominees for the ALA awards, I was excited. But then came the agony of narrowing down all the wonderful and fantastic books that came out this year to a handful of titles! It was an impossible task, but after careful and painstaking consideration, here are my selections for the Newbery, Sibert, and Morris Awards.
John Newbery Medal
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai – This amazing title has already won the National Book Award and I think it has a real shot at winning the Newbery as well. Thanhha Lai, a debut author, based this free verse novel on her own childhood experiences. It features 10-year-old Ha, immigrating from war-torn South Vietnam to Alabama in 1975. Lai’s imginative prose depicts the beauty and culture of Vietnam in stark contrast to what Ha experiences in Alabama. Even though Ha struggles with her new life in America, her narrative is still full of humor and hope for the future.
The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright – This novel was featured on my Top 10 of 2011 post, and I believe it deserves the Newbery for its clever and imaginative plot, characters, and language. I think kids will have a great time reading about Skilley and Pip’s adventures, and they’ll expand their vocabulary without even realizing it!
Sparrow Road by Sheila O’Connor – This was another book featured on my Top 10 of 2011 list. I loved this story. I’m not usually drawn to realistic fiction for this age, but a friend recommended it to me, and I’m so glad she did because I thought the story was amazing. Raine is such a compelling character, and I loved taking the journey with her as she discovered secrets about herself and her past. To read more about this title, also check out my full review here.
Robert F. Sibert Information Book Medal
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson – From early slavery to the election of President Obama, Nelson takes a look at the African American experience through the eyes of a grandmotherly figure whose not afraid to look at both the good times and the truly shameful times in America’s past. Nelson’s exquisite illustrations bring dignity and honor to African American figures of the past.
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal – The proponents of the Eighteenth Amendment envisioned a stronger, more moral America. But a decade later, the results were from far the vision. Many people blatantly ignored the law, organized crime rose, children helped their parents make and distribute illegal alcohol, and many police officials were bribed to look the other way. Blumenthal’s engaging narrative takes readers into this tumultuous decade of our nation’s history.
Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins – Because I didn’t want to just pick historical nonfiction, I added Martin Jenkins’ title to the mix. Jenkins does a great job of presenting a difficult topic with a light and even sometimes humorous tone while Vicky White’s magnificent artwork brings the creatures to life on every page. By reading this, children will be inspired to do their part to save the endangered species featured in this incredible book.
William C. Morris Award
I have to admit I cheated a little when picked this award, because the five finalists have already been picked…so all I needed to do was pick a winner! And for me, that choice is obvious…Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is the clear winner. As I wrote in my review for this book, this is one of the most powerful books I’ve read in a long time. The tragedies and horrors Lina and her family suffered through stayed with me a long time. Add in the fact that those events were based on actual people’s experiences, makes this novel all the more heartbreaking. Although the other nominated books are very good, I will be very disappointed if this book doesn’t win. For more on this title, check out my full review.
What are your picks for these awards? We would love to hear about them!
Lindsey L.
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