Biography

Born Just Right by Jordan Reeves and Jen Lee Reeves

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Jeter Publishing

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Summary:  Jordan Reeves was born with what she calls a “little arm”; her left arm ends just above the elbow.  Her mom has become her strongest advocate, making sure she participates in every area of life she can, including dance, soccer, softball, and Crossfit.  Jordan also has become passionate about design and STEAM, launching her Project Unicorn, a device she invented that can fit onto her left arm to shoot glitter.  Through her design work, she has become a spokesperson for people with disabilities, including working with Mattel to help design Barbies and American Girl dolls with limb differences. She and her mom cover a variety of topics in this book, not only their family’s story, but also what it’s like to have a disability, how to talk to a person about their disability, and resources for getting involved with design and the maker movement.  Includes a list of websites. 160 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Kids will learn a lot about what it’s like to have a disability and how to interact with people with disabilities.  Jordan is unfailingly upbeat, but also honest about her occasional frustrations and sadness about her arm. Her mom has written a few sections giving her perspective which makes this a useful resource for parents as well as kids.

Cons:  It was hard for me to get as excited about a glitter shooter as Jordan seems to be about it.

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Groundbreaking Guys: 40 Men Who Became Great By Doing Good by Stephanie True Peters, illustrated by Shamel Washington

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  From John Stuart Mill to Kendrick Lamar, these 40 men have become great by being good people.  As the author states in her introduction, “These men served their communities. They treated people with respect.  They lifted up others. They chose to listen and to care, even when doing so meant giving up control or feeling nervous or standing out.”  The men are from a variety of countries, mostly the United States and Great Britain, but also others like Japan, China, and Bangladesh. They contributed in all sorts of areas, including politics, literature, art, and music.  Some names will undoubtedly be familiar to readers, while others will be new, but all will inspire and possibly lead to further research. Includes source notes for each subject. 96 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  There have been a lot of collective biographies of women lately, so it’s nice to see this collection of interesting men, particularly with the theme of men who contributed positively to the world.  Each profile has a head shot of the subject. The interesting profiles and endnotes would make this a great resource to begin a biography research project.

Cons:  A timeline would have been a nice addition.

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The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Sarah Jacoby

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Balzer + Bray

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Summary:  “The important thing about Margaret Wise Brown is that she wrote books.”  And some of the important things about this book about Margaret Wise Brown are that it’s 42 pages because she lived 42 years.  That it celebrates the quirkiness of both Brown and her books. That the illustrations pay homage to many of Brown’s works. That critics of her works are humorously but firmly put in their place (Anne Carroll Moore, New York City’s children’s librarian, does not fare well here).  That you may not learn everything there is to know about Margaret Wise Brown, but you will learn interestingly odd facts like that every copy of the first edition of Little Fur Family were covered in fur.  That “sometimes you find a book that feels as strange as life does…Margaret Wise Brown wrote books like this, and she wrote them for children, because she believed children deserve important books.”  42 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  Mac Barnett is not afraid to go way outside the box in this picture book that pays tribute to Margaret Wise Brown, her art, and her books.  It is full of the kinds of details that kids will love, like the fact that, as a child, Brown skinned one of her pet rabbits after it died and wore the pelt around her neck.  Or that she bought every flower on a flower cart after selling her first book, then had a big party in her flower-filled house. Any readers who aren’t familiar with Brown’s books will want to go looking for them after reading this one.

Cons:  Some will definitely find this book odd.  On the other hand, isn’t that kind of the point?

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Enemy Child: The Story of Norman Mineta, a boy imprisoned in a Japanese American internment camp during World War II by Andrea Warren

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Published by Margaret Ferguson Books

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Summary:  Norman Mineta spent his first decade living a happy middle class life with his family in San Jose.  His father sold insurance and his mother was a housewife. Both his parents were born in Japan, but second-generation Norm felt very much an American.  After World War II started, though, all Japanese Americans were seen as suspect, and in May of 1942, the Mineta family was forced to leave behind their home and business for the Heart Mountain Internment Camp in Wyoming.  They were more fortunate than most: Norm’s father eventually got a job in Chicago, and after a little over a year in the camp, the family was able to relocate there. They rented their San Jose house, and moved back at the end of the war.  During his time at the camp, Norm met a local boy named Alan Simpson at a Boy Scout gathering; the two became friends, and later reunited when both served in Congress as adults. Extensive back matter tells more about the Japanese American experience during World War II and lists many resources for further research.  224 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  The story of Norm’s journey from a seemingly all-American childhood to being held prisoner by his own country is an eye-opening one that is told in terms many young readers will relate to.  The Mineta family’s unwavering optimism and courage is inspiring.  Andrea Warren should receive some Sibert award consideration.

Cons:  It would have been interesting and informative to hear more details about some of the Japanese American families who didn’t fare so well at the end of the war.

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The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Schwartz + Wade

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Summary:  Growing up in Oxford, Venetia Burney loved learning.  Her grandfather, the former head librarian at Oxford University, encouraged her curiosity.  When Grandfather shared a news item with 11-year-old Venetia about the discovery of a new planet beyond Neptune, she thought of how frozen, dark, and lifeless it must be.  It reminded her of the underworld in Greek mythology, and so she suggested naming it Pluto. Her grandfather sent a letter with her suggestion in it to a friend at the Royal Astronomical Society; he liked it, and eventually the name was voted on by astronomers.  Fast forward more than 70 years later: on the day before her 89th birthday, Venetia, still active and curious, gets an invitation to the Observatory Science Centre, where she finally gets a chance to see the planet she named. Includes an author’s note with additional information about Venetia and Pluto–including the change in its designation from plant to dwarf planet–and a bibliography. 40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  A fun story for kids learning about space; they will be inspired to hear how a planet was named by a kid, albeit one with a wealthy, connected grandfather.

Cons:  I think we all still feel a little sad about the fate of former planet Pluto.

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Sweet Dreams, Sarah by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Chris Ewald

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Creston Books

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Summary:  Born into slavery, Sarah dreamed of having a family and doing work that she loved.  After the Civil War, she moved to Chicago, where she married Archibald Goode and started her family.  The daughter of a carpenter, Sarah decided to open her own furniture store. When customers told her of the cramped spaces they lived in, she had the idea to build a cabinet that turned into a bed.  It took plenty of determination and perseverance to build it and to apply for a patent (her first application was rejected), but on July 14, 1885, Sarah Goode became one of the first black women to receive a patent.  Includes an author’s note, additional information on patents, a timeline of what is known of Sarah’s life, a timeline of black women patent holders, and a list of selected sources. 32 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Although the timeline reveals some sad aspects to Sarah’s life (she eventually lost her business and died at age 49), both the text and illustrations are hopeful and uplifting, with a well-delivered message about following your dreams.

Cons:  There was no author or illustrator information anywhere in the book.

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Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Creston Books

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Summary:  Born five months apart in 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank grew up in very different circumstances on different continents.  Both experienced prejudice and discrimination, though, and both loved to learn and express their ideas through writing and speaking. Although Martin lived more than twice as many years as Anne, they both had their lives cut short by hatred.  And both left legacies of peace and love that continue to this day; includes a timeline and bibliography. 32 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This would be a perfect text to introduce a unit on people who have made a difference, or to encourage students to compare the lives of two famous people.  An inspiring book.

Cons:  An author’s note with more information about Anne and Martin would have been a nice addition.

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We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai

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Published by Little, Brown and Company

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Summary:  Malala Yousafzai begins by telling the story of her own family’s displacement from their home in the Swat Valley of Pakistan.  As an internationally-known human rights activist, she has traveled around the world and met many others who have experienced displacement, and she shares nine of their stories (all girls and young women), as well as the story of Jennifer, a woman in Lancaster, Pennsylvania who has helped one of the families profiled.  The stories take place all over the world, in countries in Asia, Africa, and South and Central America. Malala concludes with a story of her family returning home, and wishes the same for those she has written about. Includes photos, a section on how you can help, and a little more information on where each of the young women is today.  224 pages; grades 6+ (there are many references to violence, but nothing too graphic; nothing that a mature fifth grader couldn’t handle).

Pros:  These stories will humanize the refugee crisis for readers who may have only thought about it in an abstract way.  The stories are compelling, and the subjects are close in age to middle and high school readers, sometimes even younger at the beginning of their journeys.  Their courage and determination will inspire kids to want to help others around the world.

Cons:  Some of the stories were only a few pages long and left me wanting to know more.

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Two Brothers, Four Hands: The Artists Alberto and Diego Giacometti by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Hadley Hooper

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Neal Porter Books

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Summary:  The two brothers in the title are Alberto and Diego Giacometti, and their four hands created two different types of art.  Alberto loved art from an early age, and pursued it with a passion, moving from Switzerland to Paris to become the proverbial starving artist at a young age.  Diego had no such passion, spending much of his time outdoors with animals, and having occasional scrapes with the law until his exasperated mother shipped him off to Paris to join his brother.  There, he learned how to help Alberto by creating models for his sculptures and casting them when they were finished. After World War II, Alberto’s art became well-known, but Diego stayed in the background.  After Alberto died in 1966, Diego dealt with his grief by pouring his energies into his own work, crafting metal sculptures and furniture that incorporated the animals he loved, and built his own following over the next two decades.  Includes an in-depth look at Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture Walking Man, an extensive timeline, photos, and a bibliography.  64 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A fascinating look at two very different brothers and how they helped each other create their own unique art.  The beautiful paint and ink illustrations help bring the story to life. The authors have received multiple Sibert honors, and may get another one for this book.

Cons:  Reviews I read started the recommended age at kindergarten, but this is definitely a book for older kids.  Nothing inappropriate; it’s just a longer book with subject matter that will be appreciated more by upper elementary and middle school students.

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I Am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon by Baptiste and Miranda Paul, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

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Published by Millbrook Press

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Summary:  Growing up in Cameroon, Tantoh was sometimes laughed at for asking too many questions in school.  He loved nature, especially learning how to grow plants. His classmates gave him the nickname Farmer, meant to be an insult, but Tantoh embraced the title.  He purposely failed an exam that could have led to a well-paying office job so he could spend all his time outside growing crops. After studying agriculture in Cameroon and the U.S., Tantoh helped transform Cameroon by focusing on clean water and community gardens.  He founded the organization Save Your Future Association to build community, protect the environment, and promote education.  Includes an authors’ note with additional information about Farmer Tantoh, and photos and African proverbs on both the front and back endpapers.  32 pages; ages 7-11.

Pros:  As the authors write about Tantoh in their note: “His story is a reminder of many things–being true to your passion, using resources wisely, and never forgetting your roots.”  It’s an inspirational tale about one person making a big difference for many others.

Cons:  This is not likely to be a book most kids will pick up without some adult guidance.

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