Social Studies

Brave Like Me by Barbara Kerley

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by National Geographic Society 

Summary:  What’s it like when your mom or dad has to go overseas to do their job?  Through text and photos, this book explores kids’ feelings and day-to-day lives when their parents are deployed to another country.  The book opens with kids playing with their parents, then sending them off.  There are pictures of children and parents going through their days when they are separated.  The last two pages show the happy hugs of returning soldiers reuniting with their kids.  Back matter includes a map showing where all the photos in the book take place; and information on dealing with separation, who serves overseas from the United States, quotes on being brave, a note for caregivers, and additional resources.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This would be an extremely helpful book for kids whose parents are traveling abroad in any capacity.  The large clear photos and simple text focus more on the kids’ day-to-day lives and their feelings about separation than on the activities their parents are engaged in.

Cons:  Although many overseas workers are mentioned in the section at the end, the photos included are only of military personnel.

Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Rich Lo

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

 Published by Charlesbridge

 

Summary:  In 1915, there were eleven national parks, but no service to administer them.  Assistant Secretary of the Interior Stephen Mather knew the country needed one, but couldn’t get through the Washington red tape to set it up.  To convince lawmakers, he organized a two-week camping trip through the mountains of California, and hired Tie Sing, a Chinese American trail cook reputed to be the best.  Tie Sing had his hands full, transporting and preparing such delicacies as frogs’ legs and Lyonnaise potatoes, and serving them on a table set with a tablecloth and fine china.  Along the way, he lost a couple of mules packed with supplies and food, and often had to improvise.  He succeeded in keeping the campers well-fed and happy, though, and the National Parks Service will celebrate its 100th birthday on August 25. Back matter includes more information about Tie Sing, the expedition, and several members of the party.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A fascinating story about a little-known man; Pimentel and Lo have succeeded admirably in bringing to life someone about whom very little is known.  There’s a lot of text, but the story is so engaging that this would make an excellent read-aloud.  As someone who has camped all over the U.S. and Canada, I appreciated Stephen Mather’s philosophy: “Give a man a poor breakfast after he has had a bad night’s sleep and he will not care how fine your scenery is.”

Cons:  It’s my opinion that any activity that involves English plum pudding with brandy sauce, peaches and cream, and a heavy linen tablecloth cannot really be described as “camping”.

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

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Published by Peachtree Publishers 

Summary:  The USS New York is a Navy ship weighing 25,000 tons.  Seven and a half of those tons are made of steel from a most unusual source—the World Trade Center.  After the September 11 destruction of the Twin Towers, work crews removed a steel beam and had it transported from New York to Louisiana.  There it was melted down and molded into a ship’s bow.  The work of building the ship was interrupted by Hurricane Katrina, but eventually, the ship was completed and brought back to New York.  There it was greeted with a twenty-one gun salute before sailing off to do its work at sea.  An author’s note gives more facts about the USS New York and the meaning of the different colors and symbols of its crest. 36 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  History buffs, particularly fans of military history, will enjoy learning about the construction of this special ship.  The large, vivid paintings offer plenty of visual details to the story.

Cons:  There are only a few sentences about September 11 and Hurricane Katrina, so kids may need more information on both of these events to truly appreciate this book.

How Kate Warne Saved President Lincoln by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk, pictures by Valentina Belloni

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Albert Whitman and Company

 

Summary:  When Kate Warne walked into the Pinkerton Detective Agency in 1856, Allan Pinkerton had never considered hiring a woman to be a detective.  But Warne convinced him that women could go undercover in a variety of ways that men could not, and soon she was a valuable member of the world’s first detective agency.  She successfully worked on a number of cases, but her most famous was helping to thwart an assassination plot against Abraham Lincoln as Lincoln traveled from Illinois to Washington, D.C. to begin his term as President.  Kate infiltrated the group that was planning to kill the President, and learned that they had vowed to not let him leave Baltimore alive.  She and other detectives from the agency worked all night to make sure Lincoln got safely through the city, onto Philadelphia, and finally to Washington.  An author’s note tells a bit more about Kate Warne’s life, although little is known; a brief bibliography is also included.  32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Kate’s escapades make interesting and exciting reading, particularly given how difficult it was for women to have successful careers in her time.  The bright cartoon-like illustrations are appealing.  See last year’s The Detective’s Assistant by Kate Hannigan for an entertaining fictional account of Warne’s life.

Cons:  It’s frustrating that Kate Warne’s early life is a complete unknown.

Dorothea’s Eyes by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Gerard DuBois

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Published by Calkins Creek 

Summary:  Young Dorothea was a keen observer, often feeling like an outsider after a childhood bout of polio left her with a limp.  At the age of 18 she decided to become a photographer, even though she had never handled a camera.  She worked in a number of studios, first in New York, then in California, where she learned the art of taking pictures, eventually setting up her own portrait studio in San Francisco.  But she felt unfulfilled taking photos of wealthy people.  In the midst of the Great Depression, she took to the streets, photographing the poor and neglected, traveling across the country, and waking people up to the poverty that was sweeping the nation.  Although she was plagued with ill health for many years, Dorothea continued to be a crusader with her camera, both in the United States and abroad.  End matter includes several of Lange’s photographs, an author’s note, a timeline, and resources for further research.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  An interesting biography of an inspiring woman who followed her heart to do work that made a difference.  The unique illustrations have an appropriately vintage feel to them.

Cons:  I really liked Dorothea Lange’s quote on the bibliography page.  Too bad it couldn’t have been worked into the text.

Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Meilo So

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Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Viv is new in town, and unsure how she feels about her new home.  On her first day of school, her new teacher encourages the class to look for a problem in their community that the kids can work to solve.  Walking on the beach, Viv learns that sea turtles nest there, and that the babies often get disoriented by beach house lights and can’t find their way to the ocean.  Her own difficulties finding her way in a new place makes Viv sympathetic for the turtles.  Soon her whole class is involved in researching the turtles’ plight and spreading the word to turn out lights and close curtains at night.  Their hard work pays off, and on a night patrol, Viv gets to see a line of loggerhead turtles heading for the sea.  Back matter includes a letter to young activists, a note to parents and teachers on how to help kids make a difference in their communities, and additional information about sea turtles.  48 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Environmental activist Cousteau (grandson of Jacques) and award-winning write Hopkinson join forces for an inspiring tale about young kids making a difference, backed up with information readers can use themselves.

Cons:  I was hoping this was based on a true story, but it seems to be fictional.

America’s Tea Parties: Not One But Four! Boston, Charleston, New York, Philadelphia by Marissa Moss

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Published by Abrams 

Summary:  Everyone knows about the Boston Tea Party, but it turns out that event was just the beginning.  After word got around to the other colonies, Sons of Liberty groups in Charleston, New York, and Philadelphia had their own tea parties to prevent British tea from getting into colonial shops and to protest the hated tax on tea.  The four tea parties are put into context with a thorough look at the events leading up to them, as well as the various players in each colony.  Plentiful illustrations and sidebars add even more information.  End matter includes a six-page author’s note, a timeline covering events from fall of 1773 to the end of 1774, an extensive bibliography, and an index.  48 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Middle grade social studies curricula will be given a boost with this well-written history of the period leading up to the American Revolution.  Thorough research, an engaging writing style, and plenty of illustrations make this an excellent nonfiction choice.

Cons:  There’s a lot of information here for the average fifth or sixth grader to wade through.

Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Orchard Books 

Summary:  Imagine Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, both civil rights activists who lived in Rochester, New York, sitting down to tea and cake together.  That’s the starting point of Two Friends, which then takes a look back at the early life of both Anthony and Douglass and how they became involved in the struggles to end slavery and give women the right to vote.  An author’s note gives a bit more information, as well as dates when both goals were achieved in the United States.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  An interesting introduction to two important 19th century activists whose civil rights struggles are still relevant today.  The colorful folk-artsy illustrations nicely portray Anthony, Douglass, and their homes in Rochester.

Cons:  A pretty brief introduction with only a little biographical information.

The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller, illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Summary:  Hanson Gregory left his family’s farm for a life at sea in 1844 at the age of 13.  He quickly rose from cook’s assistant to become captain of a clipper ship.  By all accounts, he became an excellent commander, even receiving a medal for heroism from the queen of Spain after rescuing seven Spanish sailors.  But what Hanson Gregory is remembered for today is inventing the doughnut.  As cook’s assistant, he was charged with making breakfast cakes of fried dough.  Because the centers of these cakes remained raw and heavy, they were called sinkers.  One day Gregory had the brilliant idea to cut out the centers with the top of the pepper shaker.  The rest is baking history.  Over the years, legends arose about the genesis of the doughnut, and others even claimed to have invented it, but this book lays these rumors to rest once and for all.  An author’s note gives a bit more information about Gregory.  A timeline and bibliography are also included.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  An excellent introduction to the invention of ordinary items, told with plenty of humor in both the text and the illustrations.

Cons:  Does not really address the question, Dunkin’ or Krispy Kreme?

 

We Came to America by Faith Ringgold

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Alfred A. Knopf 

Summary:  An illustrated poem celebrating immigration.  Ringgold starts with the lines, “We came to America/Every color, race, and religion/From every country in the world” then repeats them several times through the book.  In between, she mentions those who were here already, those who came in chains, those who came to escape from a dangerous situation, and other ways immigrants came to America.  She celebrates the contributions each culture made to American culture.  All the people are depicted with simple, brightly colored illustrations.  The entire poem is printed on the last page.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A perfect introduction to immigration for the primary grades (although a little context would be needed before reading).  The illustrations are eye-catching, and the repeating text invites kids to chant along.

Cons:  Every time I saw this book sitting on my desk, Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America” got stuck in my head.