The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln by Marissa Moss, illustrations by Jeremy Holmes

December 2, 2018December 2, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

Summary: In a follow-up to last year’s Kate Warne: Pinkerton Detective, Marissa Moss traces the history of Allan Pinkerton, the man who founded the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Born in poverty in Scotland, Pinkerton had a good memory, sharp eyes, and a thirst for justice that got him into trouble with the British government. He and his bride fled to America on their wedding day to escape his arrest. In Chicago, he started a business making barrels, until he almost accidentally solved a counterfeiting case while collecting wood on an island. He worked with the Chicago police for awhile, then started his own private investigation firm. Much of the book is about his most famous case, outwitting secessionists who planned to assassinate Abraham Lincoln as he traveled by train from Springfield, Illinois to Washington, D.C. It was a complicated operation that required disguises, codes, and moving Lincoln’s railroad car through the streets of Chicago in the middle of the night. Lincoln rewarded Pinkerton by appointing him to run the newly-formed Secret Service, an organization that exists to this day, as does PInkerton’s detective agency. Includes a timeline, author’s and illustrator’s notes, a bibliography, and a brief index. 48 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros: Who doesn’t love a good spy story? Or a rags-to-riches tale? Allan Pinkerton’s life provides both; Marissa Moss’s narrative and Jeremy Holmes’ unique illustrations will have readers turning the pages to see how Abraham Lincoln got safely to the White House.

Cons: While the illustrations are very cool (they’re done on digital scratchboard and include vintage typography–read the artist’s note for more details, because, honestly, I don’t really know what that means), some of them could be a little confusing to younger readers.

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Someday Is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-Ins by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, illustrated by Jade Johnson

November 28, 2018 ~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Seagrass Press

Summary: When Clara Luper was growing up in Oklahoma in the 1930’s, her father promised to take her to segregated parks and restaurants “someday” when it was legal for them to go there. Clara grew up to be a teacher, and decided that “someday is now”. She wrote a play called “Brother President”, and her students were invited by the NAACP to perform it in New York. There, they experienced the freedom to go wherever they wanted, and to eat in restaurants with white people. Back in Oklahoma, they studied Martin Luther King Jr.’s four steps to nonviolent change: investigation, negotiation, education, and demonstration. They used these steps to try to desegregate the lunch counter at Katz restaurant. When the first three steps failed, they demonstrated by sitting at the counter and demanding to be served. Day after day, they braved being spit on, having food thrown on them, and hateful phone calls to their homes. Finally, Katz agreed to desegregate the lunch counters, not only in Oklahoma, but in Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa. Clara and her students enjoyed a meal together, then moved on to their next challenge. Includes additional information about Clara Luper and nonviolent resistance and a glossary. 32 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros: An interesting and little-known chapter in the Civil Rights Movement. Clara Luper and her students used sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters two years before the more famous protests at the Woolworth’s in Greensboro, NC. The folk art-style illustrations are a good complement to the story, and the back matter provides important additional information.

Cons: A few more dates included in the text or a timeline at the end would have helped place the story in historical context.

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The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix

October 23, 2018August 1, 2021 ~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary: Growing up in Germany in a family of scientists, Dietrich Bonhoeffer went his own way, showing a keen interest in theology at a young age. At age 12, he lost his older brother in World War I and began a lifelong quest to understand human suffering in the light of his Christian faith. When Hitler came to power in Germany, Bonhoeffer found himself with increasingly difficult choices to make. He founded the illegal Confessing Church to support those who opposed Hitler’s takeover of the German churches. When that was shut down, he decided the moral choice was to join forces with those who sought to assassinate Hitler, and was part of two unsuccessful attempts before being arrested. He spent a year and a half in prison, ministering to other prisoners and guards and refusing a chance at escape because of the danger it would bring to his family. Finally, Bonhoeffer was found guilty of trying to kill Hitler, and was executed on April 9, 1945, just three weeks before Hitler committed suicide. Includes an author’s note, bibliography, notes, and an index. 176 pages; grades 6-12.

Pros: I’ve read a lot of good reviews of this book, and I was not disappointed. It’s kind of like a graphic novel, with the text well-incorporated into the black, turquoise, and red illustrations. The rise of Hitler is chilling, and the lessons to be learned from the complacency of those in power in Germany can’t be overstated. Hendrix clearly wants readers to think about how those lessons can be applied to today’s political situations. Bonhoeffer’s faith and humanity in the face of an increasingly inhumane world is inspiring to say the least. Both the Newbery and Caldecott committees should give this book consideration.

Cons: Some of the print was so small I had to take my glasses off to read it. (If you’re over 45, you’ll understand what I’m talking about).

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