In Fatty Legs, Margaret Pokiak is a young Inuit girl who is sent off to a Catholic “residential” school at the age of eight to learn English and the ways of another culture. A Stranger At Home follows the trials of her return home after two years away. Instead of the happy reunion she had long awaited, Margaret (whose Inuit name is Olemaun) finds her own mother doesn’t recognize her and that coming home again is not as easy as it seems it should be.

Christy Jordan-Fenton is Margaret Pokiak-Fenton’s daughter-in-law. She has done a marvelous job of capturing the first person voice of a young, scared Inuit who has been cut off from her roots. The dark-colored illustrations help maintain the atmosphere and the historical photographs fill out the setting.

Although this book takes up where Fatty Legs left off, it is really stands on its own as well. A Stranger At Home is a very readable book that stays with the reader even after the last page is done. Recommended for children interested in history, geography and other cultures.

Reading level: Ages 9 and up
Hardcover: 124 pages
Publisher: Annick Press (July 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554513626
ISBN-13: 978-1554513628

Fatty Legs: A True Story by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, with illustrations by Liz Amini-Holmes

Book provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s round-up is at Wende’s Wanderings.

A Leaf Can Be . . . by Laura Purdie Salas would be almost guaranteed next year’s Caldecott if illustrator Violeta Dabija was an American. Alas, she is from the Republic of Moldova in eastern Europe. I guess there’s still the Sibert medal…

Yes, the mixed-media illustrations in this gorgeous picture book are of that caliber. Yes, the illustrations are definitely what draw you in. It is Laura Salas’ sublime poetry, however, that makes you want to read it again and again.

Salas reveals on her website that she was inspired to write the book by the adorable white Honduran tent bats that use large leaves for tent-like shelters each night. From that jumping off point, she researched many other uses for leaves. The leaf “jobs” she highlights are sure to lead to further discussions, ideas for activities, stories, and memories. Notes in the backmatter help fill in the details, but readers’ imaginations are likely to take it much further.

Take a look:

Poetry, science and gorgeous art all wrapped together. This book is sure to inspire and enthrall many young readers (and adults as well.)

A Leaf Can Be . . . is already getting a lot of well-deserved buzz, with a review today at Shelf-employed and another wonderful review by Jeff at NC Teacher Stuff. Although technically being released February 1, 2012, some retailers are already carrying it.

Ages: 5-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Millbrook Pr Trade (February 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0761362037
ISBN-13: 978-0761362036

Review was based on an electronic copy provided by the publisher.

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s round-up is at Shelf-employed.

Starting with the sinking of the Lusitania, Bausum sets the stage for the United States entering World War I. Focusing on domestic events, she shows how a propaganda machine whipped up patriotism at the same time liberties were being curtailed, and anti-German sentiments were pumped up to the level where German language courses where discontinued at schools and people dumped German beer. Eventually it reached the point where it was illegal to speak out against the war, and suspicious individuals were jailed and even killed for doing little more than protesting.

In addition to the riveting text, the illustrations are outstanding as well. Bausum is fascinated with the political cartoons of the time, and the book includes several as illustrations, as well as a forward by editorial cartoonist Ted Rall. His two-page spread cartoon summarizes the thesis of the book. You can see more about political cartoons and how to use them for learning at Bausum’s website.

The book has extensive back matter for those who want to learn more.  It includes a “Guide to Wartime presidents”, a time line, research notes, resource guide, bibliography, and an index.

Unraveling Freedom is a thought-provoking book that can be useful on many levels. For example, would be an outstanding addition to a unit on World War I, an awesome resource for reports on U.S. History (including many extra details, such as an overview of President Woodrow Wilson’s later life), naval history (the sinking of the Lusitania) and even for a lesson on understanding political cartoons. It would also be informative for compare and contrast for lessons on 9/11.

Have you read Unraveling Freedom yet? What did you think of it?

Reading level: Ages 10 and up
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (November 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1426307020
ISBN-13: 978-1426307027

The book reviewed was my personal copy.

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s round-up is at Great Kid Books.

Sometimes it pays to reread a book. The first time I “read” this one I admit I was distracted. I skimmed some pages. I set it aside. Hey, who doesn’t know about George Washington? Then my son picked it up an read it cover to cover. From then on, all I heard about was George Washington this, and George Washington that, and George Washington’s teeth… So, I picked it up again. This time I really appreciated what The Many Faces of George Washington is about.

First, once you realize that by training Carla Killough McClafferty is a radiologic technologist who is interested in history, you know this isn’t going to be the standard biography. At the heart of this book is the story of making three life-sized figures of George Washington at ages nineteen, forty-five and fifty-seven for the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center.

How do you make realistic life-sized models without access to the person’s skull or photographs? You assemble a team of forensic anthropologists, textile artists, taxidermists, dentists and historians, and let the experts piece together the most complete portrait of the man possible, right down to the age spots on his hands.

The experts went after every detail they could. Washington’s horse was recreated using taxidermy techniques. They used Washington’s surviving dentures to recreate his jaw shape. Someone who was near Washington’s size wore the new breeches while horseback riding to give them an authentic look. Amazing!

The backmatter of the book includes plenty of ways to delve into Washington’s life further, such as a timeline, source notes, a bibliography, suggestions for further reading, and an index.

The Many Faces of George Washington is an unusual combination, sure to enthuse budding historians and forensic anthropologists alike.

Reading level: Ages 10 and up
School & Library Binding: 120 pages
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (April 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0761356088
ISBN-13: 978-0761356080

Provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Practically Paradise.

Stewart Ross say he loves history, and his passion shows. From the first Greek to sail to the Arctic circle, to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s trip to the moon, Ross follows fourteen great explorers in chronological order as they course into the unknown.

What really makes the book, however, are the absolutely fabulously detailed cutaway illustrations by Stephen Biesty. For a child or young adult interested in transportation, particularly ship building, the illustrations are gold mines of technical information. Also included are maps, including the dust jacket which unfolds into a world map showing where each of the explorers traveled. Very cool!

Students of history, science and engineering will find Into the Unknown a book to come back to again and again. Be sure to pair  it with a hands-on challenge to see how long a paper boat can float, or other related activities for kinesthetic learners.

Other reviews may be found at:

NC Teacher Stuff

The Book Chook

Great Kid Books

Reading level: Ages 8 and up
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; Rei/Map edition (April 12, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0763649481
ISBN-13: 978-0763649487

Provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Geo Librarian.

“When you think about going to school, what do you imagine?” A traditional brick schoolhouse? The schools in this book are far from traditional, including floating schools on boats, schools in caves, and even schools on platforms of train stations. Susan Hughes did a fabulous job finding a good sampling of truly unique and diverse schools, and explaining the circumstances that led to their unusual conditions. She even mentions the “unschooling” form of homeschooling in the United States.

Laid out as a series of two-page spreads, each turn of the page reveals another school. Often you wish the author had included more information, because each story is so fascinating. Fortunately, there are links in the back to many of the organizations that run the schools if you want to find out more. The book is loaded with color photographs and plenty of maps to help with orientation, as well.

This is definitely a kid-friendly and inspiring book, and it stands on its own.  However, although I don’t usually do this, today I’m going to suggest pairing this book with the visually dazzling Children of the World: How We Live, Learn, and Play in Poems, Drawings, and Photographs by Anthony Asael and Stephanie Rabemiafara, with a forward by Ann M. Veneman, and with The Mysteries of Angkor Wat by Richard Sobol. What an opportunity to learn about culture and geography through the lives of children from around the globe!

See a recent review of Off to Class at Jean Little Library

Reading level: Ages 9 and up
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Owlkids Books (August 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1926818857
ISBN-13: 978-1926818856

The book was provided electronically by the publisher for review purposes.

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Gathering Books.

Dan Eldon was an artist/photojournalist who grew up in Kenya and was killed in Somalia at the age of 22. Although he did not live long, he did manage to fill his life with many interesting experiences and wild adventures that have inspired others who learn of his story.

Overall, the book has the feel of a journal, with pop-ups, fold-outs and consumables such as an iron-on transfer, a poster, a sticker and fold-out postcards. (The consumable items are not included in the Library Edition.) It is an unusual book, which is suited for an unusual young man.

Dan Eldon: Safari as a Way of Life is sure to be popular with teens/young adults, for even though he had an unusual life, he had many of the same problems as other young people. Readers will relate to the fact his parents divorced, he had troubles with his girlfriends, and he wasn’t always sure what to do with his life. On the other hand, his art, photographs and words are eerily mature. This is a book you will want to come back to again and again, and you will discover something new each time.

This book has been nominated for a Cybils award in the MG/YA nonfiction category.

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 12, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 081187091X
ISBN-13: 978-0811870917

The book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at A Curious Thing.

Rubalcaba and Cline start their “Introduction” with a quick summary of the search for Troy at a place called Hisarlik, an ancient ruin in what today is Turkey. Started by egotistical amateur Heinrich Schliemann in 1870, the excavation was taken over by trained archaeologists and has continued sporadically until the present.

The first chapter, titled “The Legend”, is a retelling of the story of Troy based on a compilation of ancient texts. It is arguably the best chapter in the book. Students of history looking for a clear, succinct and sometimes humorous summary will find this chapter helpful.

The rest of the book gives an inside look into the field of archaeology and how it has evolved since the 1800′s. Schliemann, the rich amateur archaeologist, started digging destructively with a pickaxe because he was in search of fame and fortune. In contrast, the modern archaeologist Manfred Korfmann used magnetic imaging techniques to discover walls that were still buried underground. Did you know that archaeologists “dig” cultures that were messy because it gives them a lot of trash to explore for clues to ancient civilizations? Middle school is a time to start exploring potential career interests, and the text reveals not only the process, but also the pitfalls archaeologists may encounter when trying to reconstruct the past, including disagreements with colleagues.

Digging for Troy is a good source of background information for students studying Ancient Greece as well as a revealing look into the field of archaeology. It was nominated for Cybils awards in the MG/YA nonfiction category.

Reading level: Ages 8 and up
School & Library Binding: 74 pages
Publisher: Charlesbridge Pub Inc (February 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1580893260
ISBN-13: 978-1580893268

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Books Together.

In Trapped, Aronson captures the reader’s attention with a brief eye-witness account of the mine collapse. He then delves into the geological history of the site, as well as a bit of the social conditions that led to the miners working the mine at the time of the collapse. What follows is a play-by-play of the events both below and above the surface as people from all over the world rush to try to rescue the trapped men in time. The book is sprinkled with photographs of the actual rescue, as well as detailed illustrations of the mine and the drilling operations.

Reading this account you realize how very many things had to come together and go right for the rescue to succeed. If the miners had not organized as a group and planned the food distribution, they may have all starved before help arrived. If one of the drills had missed finding the shelter, if this, if that, if… Even though you know the outcome, so much is riding on every step succeeding that you are still on the edge of your seat.

If you read nothing else, look at “How I Wrote This Book”, starting on page 108. Aronson points out that when researching a recent event there aren’t any books to encapsulate the story. You need to be able to use the Internet effectively and he has some highly useful tips for doing so.

Trapped is an inspiring story of how much can be accomplished when people all work together towards one goal. It is also a study in how to research and write about a current event. Both journeys make it a worthwhile read.

Cybils Notes: Although the background information was meant to be enriching, sometimes it seemed to get in the way of the story. Once the author gets to the main story, it moves along quickly and succinctly, only wobbling occasionally.

Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (August 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416913971
ISBN-13: 978-1416913979

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Playing By The Book.

Starting off with a grim scene of a man about to be hanged (which those unfamiliar with Benedict Arnold’s life may assume to be his hanging since his name is synonymous with “traitor”), Sheinkin jumps back in time and tells Benedict Arnold’s life story in chronological order. And what a swashbuckling story it is, with high-stakes adventure, dark deeds, and power struggles galore. Putting a brilliant but flawed man in the context of the turbulent times that swirled around him, this book is a fast and powerful read. In tone and pace it gallops ahead like a thriller.

The book includes several maps that help visualize the action, particularly of some of the critical battles. As to be expected because Sheinkin has added many new tidbits to the story, the source notes are extensive. Although the reading level is appropriate to middle grades, some of the battle scenes may be too intense for sensitive advanced readers.

Once again showing how biographies written for children and young adults can add significantly to literature, The Notorious Benedict Arnold is a thrilling addition to any library shelf.

Reading level: Ages 11 and up
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Flash Point; 1 edition (November 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1596434864
ISBN-13: 978-1596434868

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Charlotte’s Library.