Biography

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The Notorious Benedict Arnold

November 6, 2011 in Biography, Cybils 2011 Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Nonfiction Monday Review by Roberta | 2 comments

Steve Sheinkin’s obvious passion for his topic is evident in The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery. His enthusiasm has paid off because the book won the 2011 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature in the nonfiction category and it has been nominated for a Cybils award in the MG/YA nonfiction category.

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

nonfictionmonday

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.

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Jane Austen: A Life Revealed

October 31, 2011 in Biography, Cybils 2011 Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Nonfiction Monday Review by Roberta | No comments

If you are an ardent Janeite (Jane Austin fan), you already know that this year is the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility. To celebrate, Clarion Books has published a new biography, Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef. It has been nominated for a Cybils award in the MG/YA nonfiction category.

The first thing you notice about this book is the striking silhouette on the cover, a nod to the popularity of that art during Jane Austin’s time. Inside, right after the Table of Contents, is Jane Austin’s family tree (more about that in a minute). Scattered throughout are drawings and paintings from the time, as well as black and white photograph stills from modern movies based on Jane’s books. In the end, after the author’s extensive notes and bibliography, is a list of Austin’s six novels in the order they were published between 1811 and 1817.

The author starts the book with Austin’s unfinished final manuscript that she was working on at the time of her death. Reef then follows Austin’s life chronologically, adding summaries of each of Austin’s novels as they appear. Her account is rich in detail, a difficult feat since Austin’s relatives lost or destroyed much of her correspondence after her death, only leaving tantalizing glimpses into what Austin was really like based on recollections of surviving family members and quotes from her novels. She fills in with careful explanations of the culture of the times, for example explaining how the classes were structured and how difficult it was to be an educated single woman. Jane Austin could not even travel unless one of her brothers went with her.

Cybils Notes: This book is not light reading. It requires devotion of time and sharp attention to fully comprehend,  First of all, Austin’s family is huge. She has seven siblings alone. You will need to refer back to the family tree often to keep all the characters straight, especially due to the common practice of naming offspring after other members of the family. Secondly, I wish the the publisher’s had somehow set off the summaries and quotes from novels from the text. There is no subheading, no change of font, nothing but a word or two to indicate the reader is moving from Austin’s life into a summary of the novel. Busy students would have benefited if the summaries were more distinct and easy to find.

Jane Austin’s life was not a particularly happy one, but her position did allow her to observe people of many different stations. Her witty descriptions of human behavior are as relevant and popular today as when they were written.

Janeites will love this new biography of their favorite author. Those who are studying one of Austin’s novels will benefit from the careful analysis of the times and circumstances under which it was written.

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Clarion Books (June 6, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0547370210
ISBN-13: 978-0547370217

nonfictionmonday

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 Jean Little Library.

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Can I See Your I.D.?: True Stories of False Identities

October 11, 2011 in Biography, Cybils 2011 Nonfiction, Nonfiction by Roberta | 1 comment

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be someone else? Can I See Your I.D.?: True Stories of False Identities by Chris Barton and illustrated by Paul Hoppe is an intriguing look at ten people who actually did pretend to be someone else, carrying out extraordinary deceptions. This book is nominated for a Cybils in the MG/YA nonfiction category.

Chris Barton’s book The Day-Glo Brothers won the Cybils for picture book nonfiction two years ago, and a Sibert Honor in 2010. Can I See Your I.D.? benefits from the same feeling of discovery of people with a unique lives that have been previously overlooked, and the same deep research into each individual’s deception, exploring their motivations and the outcomes. It is really ten short biographies under one cover.

Starting with a young man who manages to trick the New York City Transit Authority into letting him operate the A Train, to a high school dropout who serves as a navy surgeon, to a woman who passes herself off as a male soldier during the Civil War, it is truly amazing what these imposters are able to carry out. In fact, reading the book might entice someone to give it a try if Barton hadn’t included so much information about how stressful it was to pretend to be someone else. In many of the examples the deception was not voluntary, but a response to a desperate situation.

Barton uses a strong second-person point of view to tell these stories. Not wanting to sound like a hypocrite because I often use the second person voice myself, I still found the second voice a bit overpowering. It typically works best in a paragraph or two at the beginning to draw the reader in. Using it too much can interfere with getting to know the characters. Maybe Barton intended this, trying to recreate the feeling of disorientation that the people who were hiding their identities must have felt. In that case, it’s a brilliant idea, but I’m not sure it really worked.

That said, if you (couldn’t resist) are a teacher who is teaching point of view, here is an example of the strongest use of the second person I can remember reading. Students will certainly find it riveting reading and, as many of the individuals were young people, will be able to relate to them. For a young reader who is interested in learning more about one of the individuals, there is an extensive bibliography on each person separately, making it easy to find out more.

Overall, Barton has once again captured the imagination with a fascinating look into people that have been passed by in other historical accounts.

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Dial (April 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803733100
ISBN-13: 978-0803733107

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Ellen Ochoa and Women in Space

October 4, 2011 in Astronomy, Biography, Nonfiction by Roberta | No comments

This is a busy time of year. In addition to World Space Week, it’s also National Hispanic Heritage Month. To celebrate both, let’s take a look at Ellen Ochoa: The First Hispanic Woman Astronaut by Maritza Romero.

Starting out life as one of five sisters and daughter of a single parent, Ellen Ochoa could have gone in many directions. She chose to go to school and study hard. She majored in electrical engineering  at Stanford University, where she earned her doctorate by studying optical systems. After becoming a pioneer in the field and inventing optical devices used in recognizing images, she went to work for NASA. She became the first female Hispanic astronaut in July 1991. Participating in four space flights, Dr. Ochoa was in space over 978 hours. She currently serves as Deputy Director at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. What an inspiring woman!

If you are interested in learning more, try Ellen Ochoa: The First Hispanic Woman Astronaut or one of the other age-appropriate biographies of Ellen Ochoa:

For other inspiring stories of women astronauts to celebrate World Space Week, be sure to check:

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone
Note: I have to admit I didn’t care for this one on my first reading, somewhat because there are so many women to keep track of. I liked it much better with a second reading.


Roberta Bondar: Canada’s First Woman in Space by Judy Wearing is about another inspiring woman who worked hard and sacrificed to become an astronaut.

For more information about Hispanic culture and Latino history, I recommend Valerie Petrillo’s A Kid’s Guide to Latino History:  More than 50 Activities.

Be sure to visit National Hispanic Heritage Month Roundup at Books Together Blog.

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Who Was Dr. Seuss?

August 8, 2011 in Biography, Nonfiction, Nonfiction Monday Review, Picture book- nonfiction by Roberta | 2 comments

Everyone probably has a favorite Dr. Seuss book, but how much do you know about the man behind the books? Who Was Dr. Seuss? by Janet Pascal and illustrated by Nancy Harrison celebrates the life of the person who altered the flavor of children’s books for generations to come.

Punctuated with numerous black and white illustrations, the book reveals many interesting tidbits that are sure to capture a child’s attention. It turns out that Ted Geisel (his real name) loved to draw but wasn’t a very good student. He made a lot of money coming up with funny ads for products, and came to the world of children’s books because that was one of the few areas his contract with advertisers allowed him to explore. As an aside, although he wrote many beloved children’s books, his wife Helen was unable to have children and so Ted never had any of his own.

Written in an energetic and fun style, this book would be a great addition to Read-Across-America, (which is celebrated on Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2) for older children. It is also sure to be an inspiration for budding illustrators and writers.

Random House Children’s Books has lesson ideas for using Dr. Seuss books throughout the school year.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap; Original edition (July 7, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0448455854
ISBN-13: 978-0448455853

nonfictionmonday

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 Apples With Many Seeds.

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