Nonfiction

Vote for Our Future! by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Micah Player and Equality’s Call: The Story of Voting Rights In America by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Magdalena Mora

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Schwartz & Wade 

Image result for vote for our future mcnamara

Image result for vote for our future mcnamara

 

Published by Beach Lane Books

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Image result for equality's call story

Summaries:  Every two years, Stanton Elementary School closes down on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  Turns out it’s a polling place on Election Day, and the kids in Vote for Our Future! want to be a part of it.  They visit friends, family, and neighbors to encourage them to vote, meeting each one of their lame excuses with a solution to get them registered and to the polls.  A gatefold page shows long lines on Election Day, and excitement builds as votes are counted and recounted. Kids are back at school the next day, “and the future begins to change”.  Includes a list of Acts of Congress that have made the future better for Americans. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

The rhyming text of Equality’s Call tells the story of how voting rights have changed over the last 200 years.  At first, “white men with property went to the polls, but the rest of the people were left off the rolls”.  Over time, things slowly changed, allowing women, people of color, and the non-wealthy to vote. Every few pages, a double-page spread shows a growing parade of voters with the refrain, “We heard ever louder/Equality’s call/A right isn’t a right/Till it’s granted to all.”  The last few pages remind readers that we owe a debt of gratitude to those who fought for voters’ rights and that “democracy’s dream must be constantly tended”. Includes two pages of voting-related amendments and legislation with a description of each one and two pages with thumbnail profiles of voting rights activists.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A double dose of democracy with two excellent picture books that show the importance of voting and put it in historical context.  

Cons:  Not voting on Election Day!  If you’re in a Super Tuesday state and know someone who isn’t voting today, I encourage you to call or visit that person and read one of these books to them in an aggrieved, disappointed voice.  Say it kids:

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If you would like to buy Vote for Our Future on Amazon, click here.

If you would like to buy Equality’s Call on Amazon, click here.

The Only Woman in the Photo by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Alexandra Bye

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Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Although Frances Perkins was shy growing up, her passion for justice helped her overcome her fears.  As a young woman, she moved from Massachusetts to New York City where she became a social worker. Witnessing the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire turned her into an activist, and she was hired by former president Theodore Roosevelt to improve workplace safety.  She caught the eye of New York governor Al Smith, and moved to work at the state level, eventually working for Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. When Roosevelt became President, he appointed Frances Secretary of Labor, the first female member of a U.S. presidential cabinet.  She was instrumental in many New Deal reforms, including Social Security and the federal minimum wage. Roosevelt wouldn’t let her resign, so Perkins remained in her position until FDR’s death in 1945. Disliking publicity and refusing to write her memoirs, Frances Perkins wasn’t always well-known, but her work continues to benefit us to this day.  Includes additional information and a list of sources. 48 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  This lengthy picture book biography of Frances Perkins highlights her work ethic and concern for people in need that led her to work for numerous reforms that have improved lives for almost a century.  Alexandra Bye’s illustrations enhance the text and nicely weave some of Frances’s quotes into the pictures.

Cons:  There aren’t a lot of dates of places in the text or author’s note, and very little is told of Frances’s personal life.  A timeline, kid-friendly list of resources, and some photos would have made this a more useful research book.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

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We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport by Deborah Hopkinson

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Published by Scholastic

Image result for we had to be brave escaping the nazis on the kindertransport

Summary:  Following Kristallnacht on November 1, 1938, rescuers organized the Kindertransport to get as many Jewish children out of Germany and Austria as they could.  About 10,000 children’s lives were saved before World War II began in the fall of 1939.  This book focuses on three of those children: what their lives were like before Hitler came to power, how changes gradually or suddenly occurred afterward, and how their parents decided to send them away, not knowing if they would ever see them again.  In most cases, they did not. Many other children are profiled more briefly. There are quite a few photos, although, sadly, not many pictures of the children or their families have survived. The 80 pages of back matter include brief profiles of survivors, rescuers, and historians; a timeline; a glossary; resources for further exploration; a bibliography; source notes; and an index.  368 pages; grades 6-10, although I’m sure there are fourth and fifth graders who would enjoy this.

Pros:  Middle school kids interested in World War II and the Holocaust will find this compelling reading.  Deborah Hopkinson really spells out how Nazism took over Germany, and how ordinary people embraced it and turned on their neighbors–a timely lesson for kids to learn.  The back matter is pretty amazing, including a lot of oral history resources where kids can hear the voices of the survivors.

Cons:  There were so many kids’ stories told, I couldn’t keep them all straight.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis’ Fleet-of-Foot Girl by Megan Reid, illustrated by Laura Freeman

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Published by Balzer + Bray

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Summary:  From a young age, Althea Gibson excelled at all sports.  Growing up in Harlem, she didn’t know much about the world of tennis, but when she started hanging out at the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club (tennis club for black people in her neighborhood), people immediately took notice.  She worked at the club in exchange for lessons, and before long she was traveling with the all-black American Tennis Association. But Althea had higher aspirations, and, in 1950, she courageously moved to the all-white world of professional tennis.  She lost a lot at first and was not always a gracious loser, but she decided to learn from her defeats, and slowly started moving up the ranks. In 1957 and 1958, she made history with back-to-back Wimbledon wins, opening the door for other black players to compete at the top levels of tennis.  Includes an author’s note, timeline, and a list of additional resources. 40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  An inspiring picture book biography of a natural athlete with a big personality who refused to accept the social norms of her day.  The back matter makes it an excellent choice for research–although the author’s note only hints at Althea’s post-tennis life which sounds pretty interesting.

Cons:  Once again, no photos.  Here’s a woman who lived into the 21st century, for crying out loud, there must be a ton of photographs of her.  

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

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Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Neal Porter Books

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Summary:  A new worker bee pushes her way out of her cell on the pages before the title page.  Apis Mellifera, or Apis for short, she gives new meaning to the phrase “busy as a bee” as she cleans up the hive, feeds the larvae, cares for the queen, and builds and protects the hive.  Finally, on day 25 of her life, she is ready to fly to the fields, where she spends the next ten days collecting nectar from 30,000 flowers before her life is over.  As she falls to the ground, back in the next, a new Apis Mellifera emerges from a cell.  Includes a detailed diagram of a bee’s anatomy; additional information about bees and how to help them; and additional books and websites for further research.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  The award-winning team that brought you Giant Squid has created another marvelous nonfiction book.  The poetic text, amazingly lifelike illustrations, and extensive back matter make this an outstanding resource for research or reading for enjoyment.

Cons:  I started getting impatient for Apis to fly already.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Fly High, John Glenn: The Story of an American Hero by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Maurizio A. C. Quarello

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Published by HarperCollins

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Summary:  John Glenn dreamed of flying from his early days growing up in Ohio.  He earned his pilot’s license at age 20, becoming a fighter pilot during World War II.  He kept flying after the war, flying the first supersonic flight across the United States. When NASA announced Project Mercury, a mission to launch a man into orbit around the Earth, candidates were selected from the country’s 508 test pilots.  Glenn was one of the seven chosen, and on February 20, 1962, he became the first man to orbit the Earth aboard his space capsule Friendship 7.  Despite a few glitches, the mission went well, and Glenn returned to a hero’s welcome.  He continued to serve his country as a U.S. senator, and in 1998, became the oldest person to fly in space at age 77.  Includes additional information, a timeline, and a bibliography. 48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  This is quite a complete biography for a picture book, including plenty of information on John’s career and family.  The realistic paintings are beautiful, particularly the ones of outer space.

Cons:  Due to the length, primary-grade audiences might get a bit antsy before the last page.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta, illustrated by Frank Morrison

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Published by Katherine Tegen Books

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Summary:  Born into slavery in 1864 (his father died before he was born; he and his mother were kidnapped when he was a baby, and she was never seen again), George Washington Carver showed an early love of plants and nature.  Unable to go to school, he decided to teach himself all he could from the woods. He started a secret garden to study plants and soon developed a reputation for his ability to grow things and restore sickly plants to health.  Later, he was able to go to school and became the first black graduate of Iowa Agricultural College. He was hired by Booker T. Washington to teach agriculture at Tuskegee Institute, and became well-known for his work with peanuts as a crop to replace cotton.  He also traveled to farms to teach people how to improve their crops and their own health. Carver preached the lessons he had learned in his garden as a child: “Regard nature. Revere nature. Respect nature.” Includes a timeline, a bibliography, and a list of books for further reading.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  This beautifully-illustrated biography of George Washington Carver opens in 1921 with him testifying to U.S. Congress on the many uses of the peanut, then goes back to show his amazing journey to reach that point.  There’s a fair amount of detail for a picture book, making this an engaging story as well as a good tool for elementary research.

Cons:  I would have liked to see a few photos included at the end.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Earth Hour: A Lights-Out Event for Our Planet by Nanette Heffernan, illustrated by Bao Luu

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Published by Charlesbridge

Image result for earth hour nanette heffernan

Image result for earth hour nanette heffernan

Summary:  All over the world, people use energy to light up the nighttime.  Kids and their families are shown enjoying this illumination at the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, the pyramids of Egypt, and other places around the globe.  “Energy is a wonderful resource from Earth–a gift from nature we respect and conserve.” To honor this, people around the world observe Earth Hour at 8:30 p.m. in late March, when they turn off their lights for 60 minutes.  “Alone we are one…but together we have power. United, we are Earth Hour.” Includes additional information about Earth Hour, and how our energy use is leading to climate change; also, an author’s note about how she came to write this book.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A simple but effective introduction to an event I was not aware of.  I like how the illustrations portray kids and their families at famous landmarks around the world to show that Earth Hour and energy conservation are global concerns.

Cons:  There were no additional resources listed or websites to find out when Earth Hour is this year (it’s March 28, 2020).

 

Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre

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Published by Beach Lane Books

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Image result for being frog april pulley sayre

Summary:  “A frog is a being./It is watching./It is seeing.”  The rhyming text follows a frog as it sits on a log, hunts for food, cools off in the water, and leaps into the air.  Questions are asked: does a frog remember its tadpole days? Does time move fast or slow for the frog? No one knows; the text simply concludes: “A frog has a life./A frog is a being.”  Includes a two-page author’s note in which Sayre talks about fictional frogs and how real frogs are different. She discusses things she imagines about the frogs she observes at a local pond (a favorite frog responds to her) versus what science teaches us about frogs.  Also includes resources for further exploration. 32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  It’s always a pleasure to discover a new science book by April Pulley Sayre, with her gifts for photography and rhyme.  I particularly liked her author’s note introducing kids to various topics dealing with science and scientists.

Cons:  There’s not enough information to use this as a research resource.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Roaring Brook Press

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Summary:  A girl looks at the colors in her crayon box and in a rainbow, and realizes there’s no black in rainbows.  But her color is black, and she looks at what else is black: a feather in the snow, her best friend’s hair, her bicycle tires.  From there, she moves to the black in Black culture: Thurgood Marshall’s robe, birds in cages that sing, raisins and dreams left out in the sun to die.  Finally, she moves on to the history, family, memory, and love that are all part of her and her community. “So you see, there is no black in rainbows.  No black in green or blue.  But in my box of crayons, Black is a rainbow, too.”  Includes an author’s note; a playlist of 11 songs; two pages with further information on some of the allusions in the main text; 3 poems; a timeline of black ethnonyms (words that have been used to refer to Black people) over the course of American history; and a bibliography.  40 pages; ages 4 and up.

Pros:  This beautiful poem with its stunning illustrations (they reminded me of stained glass) is a deceptively simple introduction to Black culture and history.

Cons:  Most sources recommend this book for ages 4-8, but the references in the main text and the extensive back matter could make this a useful resource for any age and would be even more meaningful for older kids.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.