Nonfiction

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Farrar Straus Giroux

Summary:  On the afternoon of November 4, 2013, Sasha, a white agender teen, and Richard, a 16-year-old African-American boy, ended up on the same Oakland bus.  For reasons that remain unclear, Richard used a lighter to set Sasha’s skirt on fire as they were sleeping.  The results were third-degree burns on Sasha’s legs and arrest for Richard.  The 57 Bus traces the stories of the two teens, the events that brought them to that fateful day, and what happened to each of them afterward.  It was a hate crime without the hate, a spur-of-the-moment, unthinking prank carried out by a boy who believed he had a good heart.  Friends, parents, and teachers share their experiences with Sasha and Richard, and readers will learn that the distinctions between male and female, victim and criminal, and good and evil are not always as clear as they may seem to be.  320 pages; grades 7+.

Pros:  So much to think about and discuss in this story.  Dashka Slater (who also wrote this year’s beautiful picture book The Antlered Ship) doesn’t flinch from looking at both teens’ stories, but also is compassionate in her descriptions.  Richard could have been portrayed as a monster, but instead he emerges as someone who is as much or more of a victim, born to a single teen mom (who seems pretty awesome), raised in poverty, and facing prejudice in the criminal justice system.  He shows strength and maturity as he carries out his sentence, and I found myself rooting for a happy ending for him as much as Sasha.

Cons:  I’m on the fence about whether to get this for my middle school library.  Aside from the subject matter, the f-word is sprinkled throughout, as well as other language.

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Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero by Patricia McCormick, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

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Published by Balzer + Bray

Summary:  When a group of U.S. Marines was looking for a pack animal to haul ammunition in the Korean War, they ended up buying a scrawny abandoned horse from a nearby racetrack.  She was given a military rank, and became known as Private Reckless.  The men trained her to duck incoming fire and to retreat, using her insatiable appetite for just about any kind of food to get her to do what they needed.  She learned to stay calm in battle, carrying heavy loads of ammunition on her back.  In one day-long battle, she made 51 trips, totaling 35 miles up and down hills, to carry 9,000 pounds of ammunition.  That earned her a promotion to sergeant, and her Marine friends started a campaign to send her to the United States.  They were successful, and she was able to retire with full military honors and two Purple Hearts, the only animal to ever hold military rank.  An author’s note tells more of Reckless’s story, including a photo and a brief bibliography.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Animal lovers and military history buffs will enjoy this story about a unique horse who won the hearts of the U.S. Marines with her humor, hard work, and bravery.

Cons:  Reckless’s diet of coffee, Coca-Cola, and chocolate.

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The Nantucket Sea Monster: A Fake News Story written by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by Peter Willis

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Published by Mims House

Summary:  August 4, 1937: Two men claim to have seen a sea monster off the coast of Nantucket.  The local newspaper reports the story, and before long, other witnesses come forward and describe a similar monster.  A few days later, five-foot long footprints are discovered on the beach.  Scientists at Harvard and the New England Aquarium study photos of the giant prints, while newspapers across the country pick up the story.  Two weeks later, word spreads that the monster has been caught.  When people rush to see it, they can’t believe their eyes.  The “monster” is a huge rubber balloon, designed by master puppeteer Tony Sarg for the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.  It had all been a publicity stunt, with news reporters in on the hoax from the very beginning.  The float flew in the 1937 parade and was seen by millions more people; Nantucket got tons of free publicity.  Includes a timeline and two pages on the ethics of fake news.  32 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A fun story that also has a timely message about the responsibilities of a free press; this would be a great catalyst for a discussion about today’s fake news.

Cons:  I was skeptical that the monster could be as goofy-looking as the illustrations showed.  As you can see from the photo, it actually was.  Hard to believe.

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The Champions’ Game: A True Story by Saul Ramirez, as told to John Seidlitz

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Published by Canter Press

Summary:  When Saul Ramirez was hired as the art teacher at Henderson Middle School, he promised the principal he would also produce a championship chess team.  Growing up in El Paso, the poorest zip code in America, Ramirez had been a state champion in high school.  His 2014 team came in second at the Texas championships, only to have a disastrous trip to nationals.  Many of those kids went on to high school, leaving Mr. Ramirez with a young, inexperienced team in 2015.  Much of the book focuses on those twelve sixth and seventh graders who worked for hours after school and on weekends that year to learn to play well enough to make their dreams come true.  Their roller coaster year through local tournaments, the state championship, and a triumphant national championship showcases Ramirez’s can-do spirit in an impoverished school made up mostly of immigrant kids from Mexico.  Each chapter title is a rule for chess that also applies to life, and Saul Ramirez makes sure that all the players on his team learn as much about succeeding in life as they do about chess. 194 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  This reads like an underdog movie, with a scrappy, unlikely team of young middle school students succeeding through their own sheer determination and that of their eternally optimistic teacher.  Even non-chess players like myself will find plenty to enjoy and cheer about.

Cons:  The hardcover’s $21.99 price tag.

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Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville, illustrated by Brigitte Barrager

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Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  From the time she was a child, Mary Blair loved colors of all hues.  She used them at art school, and they led her to a job at Disney Studios, one of the first women to be hired by them.  Once there, though, a group of older men rejected her colorful drawings, preferring to stick with mostly black and white.  She did succeed in catching the attention of one man, Walt Disney himself, who invited her on a tour of South America to create art.  Upon her return, under the South American influence, her art grew even more eye-popping, and some of her ideas were finally accepted, including Cinderella’s pumpkin coach and Alice in Wonderland’s caterpillar.  But too many of her ideas were turned down, and Mary went off on her own, where she created children’s book illustrations and theater sets.  A few years later, Walt Disney approached her with a new plan, and Mary became the chief designer for his “It’s a Small World” ride.  At last, her colors could flow freely, and the world could finally see Mary’s world as she had always imagined it.  Includes an author’s note with biographical information.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A colorful biography of a little-known artist with a connection most kids will recognize and a “be yourself” message about creativity.

Cons:  Now we will all have “It’s a Small World” stuck in our heads for the rest of the day.

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Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome

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Published by Holiday House

Summary:  Harriet Tubman’s story is told in reverse, beginning when she is “an old woman/tired and worn/her legs stiff/her back achy”.  Before that, she was a suffragist, and before that, a Union spy.  The narrative continues back in time, showing Harriet as Moses, conducting slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad, and finally, all the way back to a child named Araminta, “who dreamed/of living long enough/to one day/be old/stiff and achy/tired and worn and wrinkled/and free”.  32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros: A brief, poetic look at Harriet Tubman’s life and many achievements, beautifully illustrated by Coretta Scott King medalist James Ransome.

Cons:  I was disappointed that there was no back matter giving more biographical information.

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Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say

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Published by Arthur A. Levine Books

Summary:  James Castle was deaf, mute, and autistic.  He never learned to read or speak.  He spent a good portion of his childhood in the loft of an unused icehouse, and later lived in an abandoned chicken coop.  His parents and teachers actively discouraged him from art, but he kept creating it any way he could.  He would collect scrap paper, and use a burned match and saliva to draw.  The people and animals he created from cast-off cardboard became his friends.  His nephew, Cort Conley, loved to watch him draw.  When Cort went to art school, he showed one of his teachers his Uncle Jimmy’s work.  The professor was so excited, he drove to Boise, Idaho to meet James, and later organized an exhibit in Portland, Oregon.  Other exhibits and sales followed, and when James Castle died, he left behind over 15,000 pieces of art.  An author’s note explains how Allen Say came to write this book after being asked by his friend Cort to create a portrait of his uncle.  64 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A sad but fascinating story of a man who was pretty much treated like trash by everyone who knew him, including his own family, yet continued to create art whenever and wherever he could.  Much of Allen Say’s art is done in the style of Castle’s, and may very well be considered for a Caldecott.

Cons:  I wasn’t sure if the illustrations were done by Castle, or by Say in Castle’s style.  If they were the originals, some captions would have been helpful; if they weren’t, I would have liked to see some of the originals at the end of the book.

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Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris

~ Janet Dawson ~ 5 Comments

Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Think you know about the Statue of Liberty?  Chances are, you will learn something new if you read this book.  It starts in France, where the Statue herself started, and describes the creation and construction of it, first in France and then again in the United States.  It was brown for about 35 years until the copper turned its current shade of green.  The author relates some quirky details about different parts of the statue, then focuses on one specific part: her right foot, which is lifted as though she is walking away.  Where is she going?  He concludes that she is an immigrant, like all the other immigrants she has welcomed over the years.  Immigrants don’t stand still.  They are always moving forward, and like them, the Statue of Liberty is moving toward the ocean to greet the people who continue to come to the United States.  Includes a page of sources for further reading.  104 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  A quirky, moving book that is part history and part celebration of immigration, told in a conversational tone and beautifully illuminated with unique cut-paper illustrations.

Cons:  Nonfiction? 104-page picture books?  About the Statue of Liberty?  Or immigration?  It’s hard to know how to categorize this 104-page picture book that jumps from one topic to the next.

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The Red Bandanna (Young Readers Adaptation) by Tom Rinaldi

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Viking

Summary:  On September 11, 2001, as people were struggling to evacuate the Twin Towers, some were led out by a young man with a strong, clear voice and a red bandanna over his face.  Although he helped many people to safety, he himself did not survive.  This book tells the story of Welles Crowther, a 24-year-old Wall Street trader who had worked as a volunteer firefighter, and was considering a career change to FDNY.  From a young age, Welles was fascinated with firefighting, and was a compassionate and exuberant boy who often helped his friends.  He always carried that red bandanna, and it later helped identify him, allowing the survivors he helped to connect with his family.  A feature on ESPN spread his story around the world, and continues to remind others to follow Welles Crowther’s inspiration to help.  176 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Keep the tissues handy for this moving story of a young man whose brief life has touched many, many others around the world.

Cons:  “Bandanna” just looks wrong, but apparently “bandana” and “bandanna” are both correct.

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Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre

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Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  “September sun is low in the sky/So long summer/Green, goodbye!” So begins this homage to autumn.  Each page has a few lines of poetry, describing the colors as leaves change from green to red and gold to brown.  Large, colorful photographs show the stages in detail, as well as animals often associated with the season, like squirrels and geese.  “Goodbye, leaf show/Winter is coming/Oh, hello, snow!”  The last page provides a perfect transition to check out a similar book by the author, Best in Snow.  Includes two pages that give more scientific information about what is happening on each page of the book.  40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  Another gorgeous book about the seasons from April Pulley Sayre (see also Raindrops Roll).  Combine this with In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes (see my 9/22 review) for a perfect autumn story hour.

Cons:  All that raking.

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