Nonfiction

A train station, a cooking vocation, and news for a new nation

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

A Grand Idea: How William J. Wilgus Created Grand Central Terminal by Megan Hoyt, illustrated by Dav Szalay (Quill Tree Books, 48 pages, grades 1-5). At the turn of the (previous) century, Manhattan was filled with the smoke of trains, not to mention the snarl of traffic they caused, at one point resulting in a crash that killed 15 people and injured dozens more. Chief engineer William J. Wilgus struggled to find a solution, finally proposing the revolutionary idea of moving the trains underground, electrifying them, and building a bigger station.

Another country might have invested some government funding, but in the U.S., the project was taken on by robber baron Cornelius Vanderbilt. Although the winning design was submitted by architectural firm Reed and Stern, Vanderbilt’s cousin owned another company that he insisted be part of the design process. This resulted in 18 months of feuding, but the new design finally emerged. The rest of the book traces the magnificent station, with its amenities that over the years included a movie theater, a hospital, and a ski slope. As planes replaced trains, Grand Central Station was used less. Demolition was on the table, until a group of citizens led by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis campaigned to save and restore it to its present glory. Includes additional information about Wingus and Grand Central Station, along with a timeline and a list of sources.

A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of José Andrés by Erin Frankel, illustrated by Paola Escobar (Random House Studio, 48 pages, grades 1-5). As a child, José Andrés loved to help his parents cook for big gatherings at their home in Spain. Cooking school, a stint on a Navy ship, and a job at a Spanish restaurant prepared him for a move to the U.S., where he quickly rose to become a star chef. But he wanted his cooking to be for everyone, not just for those who could afford to eat in his restaurants.

When he was invited to help after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, José learned to prepare large quantities of local cuisine for people who desperately needed food. This experience gave birth to World Central Kitchen, an organization that travels around the world offering humanitarian food aid. When Huracán María hit Puerto Rico in 2017, José and World Central Kitchen spent three months serving almost four million meals all around the island. They continue to travel around the world, as described in the author’s note at the end, doing work that earned José a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2019. There’s also a bibliography.

Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan’s Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finkelstein, illustrated by Vesper Stamper (Holiday House, 40 pages, grades 1-5). Growing up in Lithuania, Abraham Cahan loved languages, learning Hebrew, Russian, and Yiddish. He became a teacher and political activist, which eventually forced him to flee to the United States. He added English to the list of languages he spoke, and gradually became fluent enough to begin writing about the experience of Jewish immigrants for American newspapers.

His first love was Yiddish, though, and in 1897, Abe founded Forverts, a Yiddish newspaper which grew to become the largest foreign-language newspaper in the country. In addition to news, the paper helped immigrants adjust to their new home, providing them with detailed instructions about baseball, how Americans set a table, and explanations of democracy and the importance of voting. The author’s note describes how the paper evolved over time, continuing as an online publication to this day. There’s also additional information about Abe and the Yiddish language, as well as a timeline and a bibliography.

I know, I know, March is Women’s History Month! But these three picture book biographies all landed on the library hold shelf for me at approximately the same time, all of them telling inspiring stories about men I knew nothing about who made significant contributions to their communities that continue to this day. All three have excellent illustrations; I particularly liked the endpapers of Amazing Abe that show laundry day in a busy NYC tenement, and the full-circle beginning and ending illustrations of A Plate of Hope that portray José Andrés as a child and an adult cooking large meals over an open fire. Readers will find plenty of additional resources in all three books to continue their research about these men.

Stories from the past to inspire future generations

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The Last Stand by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). A boy tells the story of his grandfather’s farm stand, the last stand in a community where there used to be a whole farmers’ market. Not only does Papa grow food and sell it at his stand, but he delivers to neighbors who can’t get out. The day comes when Papa is the one who isn’t well enough to go to the stand, and the boy has to use his own resourcefulness to keep the business going. Fast forward a few years, and the last page shows the boy grown, Papa apparently having passed away, and another stand re-opened, offering hope that the market can come back again.

I’m thrilled to see a new book illustrated by the Pumphrey brothers, almost as thrilled as I was when they won a Caldecott Honor this year for There Was a Party for Langston. This story harkens back to my favorite book of theirs, The Old Truck, with its empowering themes of Black farmers surviving despite the odds being stacked against them and passing a legacy down to the next generation. Be sure to read the author’s note to learn more about the struggles of Black farmers, as well as offering an acknowledgement of discrimination against other farmers, including women and Indigenous communities.

Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig (Rocky Pond Books, 40 pages, grades 1-4). In the Czechoslovakian ghetto of Terezin, a teacher named Irma Lauscher secretly taught children to read, write, and celebrate Jewish holidays. To help them observe Tu Bishvat (The New Year of the Trees), she obtained a maple sapling, putting herself and the prisoner who got it for her at enormous risk. The children shared their water rations with the sapling, watching it grow, until many of them were “taken away on trains to a place that was even worse.” Miraculously, the tree grew and flourished until the end of the war when it was five feet tall. Eventually it grew to sixty feet, and Irma Lauscher, who also miraculously survived, sent seeds from the tree to places around the globe. When the tree finally died in 2007, there were 600 descendants all over the world, including one planted outside New York City’s Museum of Jewish Heritage in 2021.

Elise Boxer’s author’s note also adds context to this story of brave people finding hope in tragedy, and offers additional information about Terezin, a Nazi propaganda camp that sent most of its inhabitants to Auschwitz. It includes the chilling statistic that 90% of Europe’s Jewish children were killed in the Holocaust, serving as a timely reminder of the horrors of war in which the innocent are victims. I hope this will be a contender for the Sydney Taylor award.

Some brave girls

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Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Alex Bostic (Carolrhoda, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Ten minutes before Ruby Bridges entered William Frantz Elementary School on November 14, 1960, three other six-year-old girls, Leona Tate, Tessie Provost, and Gail Etienne, started school across town at McDonogh 19 Public School. Escorted by U. S. Marshals, the girls were in a first-grade class taught by Miss Florence Meyers. Although there were other white students at school that day, they quickly left, leaving the girls as the only three students in the building for the rest of the year.

The girls were heroic, as were their parents, Miss Meyers, and the marshals, who helped them find the courage to keep going and made their first-grade year as normal as possible. Second grade proved a bit easier; after Christmas, about twenty-five new students arrived, and the kids were allowed to go outside for recess. Unfortunately, the girls were sent to a different school the following year, where they experienced bullying, racism, and occasional physical violence from students and even some of the teachers. In the end, the girls “survived and helped change our nation.”

This fascinating book will appeal to kids who are familiar with Ruby Bridges’s story. Leona, Tessie, and Gail were all interviewed for the book, as was one of the surviving U.S. Marshals. The text is quite long, and there’s a ton of back matter: more about school desegregation in New Orleans and Norman Rockwell’s painting based on it, what happened to the three girls when they grew up (two opted for all-Black schools in sixth grade, but all graduated high school, and two finished college.) There are also photos, a glossary, a bibliography, and websites with additional information.

Do You Know Them? Families Lost and Found After the Civil War by Shana Keller, illustrated by Laura Freeman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades 1-4). After the Civil War, Lettie and her Uncle Charlie are searching for lost family members. The newspapers are filled with ads, mostly people seeking information about their families, but occasionally someone reporting that a loved one has been found. Lettie holds on to this hope as she saves her pennies and reads the ads aloud to the congregation at church. Finally, she and Uncle Charlie have saved the fifty cents needed for an ad. Weeks go by, until one Sunday, Lettie is able to share the ad from a woman saying she knows their family. “Hallelujah!” rings out through the church, celebrating with Lettie.

This moving historical fiction story of the post-Civil War years weaves some of the real ads into the narrative (the author’s note at the end tells more about them) and doesn’t shy away from stories that don’t end as happily as Lettie’s. The illustrations are beautiful, incorporating the ads and the pennies Lettie saves into the main pictures.

Two artists from Harlem

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Jimmy’s Rhythm and Blues: The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Jamiel Law (HarperCollins, 48 pages, grades 2-5). Growing up in Depression-era Harlem, the oldest of nine children, James “Jimmy” Baldwin had plenty to do to help support the family. But he always loved words and found time to read everything he could get his hands on. His love of writing and art eventually led him to Paris, where he published his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain. Jimmy divided his time between France and the U.S., working for civil rights and interviewing Southerners for his essay collection The Fire Next Time. In 1971, devastated by the assassinations of Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he moved to an idyllic village in the south of France, creating a home that became a gathering place for friends and family from around the world. Includes an author’s note, James Baldwin’s oeuvre, a timeline, and photos on the endpapers.

This is a captivating biography of James Baldwin, with striking art by debut illustrator Jamiel Law. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never read anything by James Baldwin, but this book piqued my curiosity about his novels and essays. I do find it difficult to figure out the niche for picture books like this. Many reviewers recommend it for ages 4-8, but in my opinion, there’s not much here that would hold the interest of that age group. I would almost save it for middle school or high school, where it could serve as an introduction to Baldwin’s writing.

Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava by Gary Golio, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Calkins Creek, 48 pages, grades 2-5). The narrative follows photographer Roy DeCarava as he wanders through Harlem after work on a summer evening, taking pictures as he goes. Most of his subjects are people, although one is a close-up of a crumpled soda can. The narrative, interspersed with quotes from Roy, is like a snapshot from his life. Readers will learn more about him through the additional information, photos, and timeline at the end, with resources provided to do more research.

The text and illustrations feel impressionistic, with just enough of a story to whet readers’ appetites. It would make a great introduction to photography, encouraging kids to look around their own neighborhoods for interesting subjects. Although there’s a list of museums featuring Roy’s photographs, it would have been nice to include a few in the book.

Two picture books that may inspire a family camping trip

~ Janet Dawson ~ 5 Comments

Eclipse by Andy Rash (Scholastic Press, 40 pages, ages 4-8). ”Two months ago, I learned there would be a total solar eclipse,” the narrator begins. ”A month ago, I picked out the perfect place and time to watch the eclipse.” The countdown is on as he orders official eclipse glasses a week before the eclipse, travels with his dad a day before to a campsite near the big event, packs up to go to the perfect viewing site an hour before, and arrives a minute before. ”Now, Dad and I are in the dark.” Following this climactic moment, he and his dad will sit in traffic, finally get home, and savor their memories. 

I learned from reading this book that there’s a total solar eclipse in the United States on April 8! It looks like my school will be at about 90-95% totality, occurring right at dismissal, which could very well spell the end of the world. To prepare, I plan to read this fun and informative book to as many classes as I can. I liked the format of story, placing the eclipse as the central event, with the past and future referenced from the moment of totality. There’s additional information about different types of eclipses at the end, and the endpapers have a map showing annular and total eclipses in the US from now until 2048. I couldn’t see the path the April 8 one will take over Massachusetts, because it was hidden by the taped-down dust jacket.

Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku by Curtis Manley, illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann (Neal Porter Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). A boy narrates his family’s adventure to climb South Sister, a dormant volcano in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, using haiku poetry to tell the story. It’s an all-day hike, up past the tree line, into the snow, and finally to the summit! The descent is easier, and they finish the day back at their campsite for dinner and a well-earned rest. There’s additional information at the end about South Sister, the Cascades, what to bring on a hike, the flora and fauna encountered in the book, and haiku.

I love Jennifer Mann’s illustrations; just like in The Camping Trip, she makes you want to get out in nature. And of course, haiku is all about nature, making it an excellent format for describing the journey. This haiku doesn’t follow the 5-7-5 rule that’s often taught in schools, so read the end material to prepare if you’re reading with kids who know that format. 

Three Black history nonfiction books

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 272 pages, grades 6 and up). What many Americans know about the 1963 March on Washington begins and ends with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. But the march, the full name of which was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was much more radical than that one speech might suggest. Impatient with the slow pace of the Kennedy administration to pass even a watered-down civil rights bill, organizers A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin wanted to advocate for more sweeping changes such as school integration, an end to police brutality, and economic justice for all races, including the possibility of replacing capitalism with socialism.

I was fascinated by this story, and there may be extra interest generated from last year’s movie Rustin, about Bayard Rustin, a queer Black Quaker who was an outsider in every way possible, but who never gave up on his vision of justice. Filled with photos, sidebars, and stories of ordinary people who went to incredible lengths to organize and/or attend the march, this is an engaging read, and the 15 pages of notes at the end are a testament to how well-researched it is. If you’re a Kennedy fan, prepare for some disillusionment, such as when Robert Kennedy casually refers to the march as “that old black fairy’s anti-Kennedy demonstration.”

We Are Your Children Too: Black Students, White Supremacists, and the Battle for America’s Schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia by P. O’Connell Pearson (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 288 pages, grades 5-8). As promised in an earlier post, here’s a more in-depth look at what happened when the Prince Edward County, Virginia public schools closed down for four years to prevent integration. The book starts with a 1951 walkout organized by high school student Barbara Johns to bring attention to the deplorable conditions of her all-Black high school. Her case eventually became part of Brown vs. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruling that ultimately led to the shutdown of the schools. 

While a segregated private academy solved the problem of education for the county’s white residents, Black families scrambled to find a way to send their children to school. Quakers and other activists around the country offered to host kids, while other students lived with relatives or traveled long distances each day. Some tried to get an education through hastily organized schools in homes or churches. But all suffered in some way; even those who graduated from high school usually had to leave their families and go live in unfamiliar communities, often the only Black students in their new schools. And many simply missed the four years of school, leading to poor economic outcomes for them as adults.

Sadly, this felt like reading a blueprint of efforts today to use vouchers and “school choice” to keep schools segregated and to diminish or even eliminate public education. The story is infuriating, and so is the fact that it’s not more widely known about. There’s a lengthy timeline at the end that puts the events of the book into context with what else was happening in the civil rights movement at the time, as well as a bibliography, index, and notes.

Unequal: A Story of America by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 368 pages, grades 7-12). ”This is a book of truth. So we’ll start by telling you the stone-cold fact that there are many people who do not want you to read it.” American history has been whitewashed time and again, the authors state in their prologue, by people who don’t want to “feel victimized or collapse in a puddle of guilt.” True history is important, though, and they relate it in twenty chapters, each opening with a contemporary scene demonstrating that the injustices of the past often continue into the present. 

Topics range from school segregation to Jim Crow and lynching to voting rights to police brutality. Each chapter could easily stand on its own to teach a particular topic and tie it to current events. The writers tell their stories compellingly in a way that would undoubtedly engage both middle school and high school students. The final chapter, about Nikole Hannah-Jones and her struggles to teach Black history, would make an excellent introduction to a wide range of history classes. Almost 30 pages of notes and a comprehensive index round out this well-researched book.

I can’t remember how I heard about this book, but somehow I had it in my mind that it was from 2024. After reading it, I discovered it was actually published in 2022, but it’s certainly still timely and having put in the effort to read it, I’m including it with the 2024 books.

New Black history picture books

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With Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January and Black History Month in February there are always new books about Black history to start the year off. Today, I bring you three nonfiction picture books, but there’s more to come! Stay tuned for some historical fiction and longer nonfiction–even a YA book, as I expand my horizons in the new year.

Fighting With Love: The Legacy of John Lewis by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books). This comprehensive look at Lewis’s life begins with John’s Alabama childhood, surrounded by the love of family and church, and continues through his early years of activism, particularly with the Freedom Riders, ending with him about to lead the march across the Edmund Pettus bridge. 

The back matter gives some additional information about Lewis’s life, including a timeline, sources, a bibliography, and photos of the author and illustrator with John Lewis. At 48 pages, each with a pretty good chunk of text, it’s a great and thorough biography, although perhaps a tad long for younger listeners. (48 pages, grades 2-5)

When the Schools Shut Down by Yolanda Gladden, as told to Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, illustrated by Keisha Morris (HarperCollins). When Yolanda Gladden was ready to start school, the public schools in her town of Farmville, Virginia were closed. From 1959-1963, Prince Edward County closed its schools to avoid integration, opening a private academy for white children. Black parents scrambled to find ways to educate their children, and Yolanda went to school at First Baptist Church until she was 10 years old, when the public schools finally re-opened. She was at the top of her class and kept the lessons she had learned in resiliency and pride in her heritage. Includes authors’ notes, photos, a timeline, and sources for further reading.

This is an inspiring story about an important–and shocking–chapter of U.S. history that has often been neglected. However, having just finished a longer book on this topic (coming soon in another blog post), I found Yolanda’s story a bit too rosy. The real story is more complicated and didn’t have this happy of an ending for many kids. (40 pages; grades 1-4)

We Dream a World by Yolanda Renee King, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell (Orchard Books). Yolanda Renee King, the only grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, expresses gratitude to her grandparents for their vision and hard work. She then shares her own dreams for the future, inviting others of her generation to create a better world. Yolanda has been an activist from a young age, as her parents explain in the back matter, describing the 2018 March for Our Lives where she was asked to address the crowd and made an excellent impromptu speech (watch it here). There are plenty of photos in the back matter, too, as well as some information about Martin Luther King, Jr.

It’s an inspiring read that encourages kids to dream and to speak up for what they think is right, all beautifully illustrated with soft watercolors. It would be easy to get some writing prompts from the text, and I can imagine kids being extremely interested in the backmatter with the photos and description of Yolanda’s activism. A little more editing would have served the book well, giving it a sharper focus. (40 pages; grades K-5)

Please note, I’ve updated my Black History book list, adding books from last year. 

Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II by Daniel James Brown (adapted for young readers)

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Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Even before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans faced daily racism, but afterward, things got much worse, as families were rounded up and sent to concentration camps.  This story profiles four young Nisei (those with Japanese ancestry born in America) who fought back in different ways.  Rudy Tokiwa, Fred Shiosaki, and Kata Miho volunteered for the 442nd, a regiment made up entirely of Japanese American men, while Gordon Hirabayashi, a Quaker and conscientious objector, served jail time for refusing to be deported to an internment camp.  The story follows the four young men from December 7, 1941 until shortly after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of World War II.  Includes additional resources, notes, a bibliography, and an index.  240 pages; grades 6-9.

Pros:  A fascinating history that shows the courage of so many Japanese Americans during World War II, particularly the young men who were determined to show their loyalty to the United States, even after losing their homes and being sent to internment camps. The 442nd became known as one of the toughest, bravest regiments to fight in Europe. 

Cons:  I loved Gordon Hirabayashi’s story and was disappointed that it kind of fizzled out once the battle action began about halfway through the book.

Butt or Face? By Kari Lavelle

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Published by Sourcebooks

Summary:  This guessing game style book shows a close-up photo of part of an animal, asking the reader: is it the animal’s butt or face?  Turn the page to find out the answer, see a full photograph of the animal, and learn some interesting facts and where in the world it lives.  The author’s note tells how she was inspired by an article she read about farmers in Botswana who painted eyes on the rear ends of their cattle to scare away predators.  Includes a map showing where each animal lives and a chart telling where each one rests its butt and what food goes in its face.  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  I wasn’t sure how this book would be received by exhausted teachers the week before vacation, but so far, they have enjoyed it as much as the kids–which is a lot.  It’s an amazing introduction to animal adaptations.  Look for book 2 in the spring.

Cons:  The photos are pretty hard to figure out, and many of the animals aren’t well known.

Unseen Jungle by Eleanor Spicer Rice, illustrated by Rob Wilson

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Published by MIT Kids Press

Summary: After an introduction to different types of microbes, the author looks at different places where these tiny creatures live. There are four parts: house, yard, food, and you, with several section in each. Whether it’s your pet, your bed, or your own body, it’s pretty much impossible to escape the microbes that are everywhere. Fortunately, most are benign or even beneficial to humans, but the ones that take over various creatures, turning their hosts into zombies, are pretty horrifying. In between the descriptions are interviews with scientists whose passion is learning more about the tiny creatures all around us. Includes a few pages at the end with some additional information and resources, as well as directions on how to draw E. coli; also an extensive bibliography. 176 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros: The lighthearted tone and funny illustrations make this a pretty entertaining reading, and kids will no doubt enjoy grossing out their peers, parents, and teachers with the information they learn here. The scientist profiles are a nice addition.

Cons: I may be in the minority here, but I felt like the section on microbes that live on humans was a bit too short. I want to know what I’m up against.