Social Studies

Wangari Maathi: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees by Franck Prevot, illustrated by Aurelia Fronty

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Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  While other picture book biographies about Wangari Maathi have focused on her tree planting, this book takes a broader look at her political activism.  She was fortunate to get a high school education in Kenya at a time when most girls didn’t go to school at all, and did so well that she was part of a group selected by President Kennedy to study in America.  Upon her return to Kenya, she observed how ravaged the land was from deforestation, and began her work to plant trees.  This work was in opposition to some of the plans of President Daniel arap Moi, and Maathai was imprisoned more than once.  In 2002, Moi was defeated, and Wangari Maathai was appointed assistant minister of the environment, natural resources, and wildlife.  In 2004, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  She died in 2011 at the age of 71.  End pages include an extensive timeline, information on Kenya today, quotes from Wangari Maathi, and further resources.  Grades 2-6.

Pros:  This French import is more extensive than other Maathi biographies, and would be appropriate for an older audience looking for more in-depth information.  The illustrations are striking, each one painted against a boldly colored background that fills the whole page.

Cons:  This is the fifth picture book biography of Wangari Maathi published since 2008, so some libraries may pass on purchasing this one, which would be too bad.

Dolley Madison: Parties Can Be Patriotic! By Kathleen Krull

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Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Summary:  When Dolley Madison died, her funeral was the largest ever seen in Washington, D.C. at that time.  It closed down the government, because so many people wanted to attend, including some of the twelve U.S. presidents she had known in her lifetime.  After a simple Quaker childhood and an arranged first marriage, Dolley, a widow at age 25, married James Madison, who later became the fourth U.S. President.  Dolley threw large parties every week, redecorated the White House, and famously rescued the portrait of George Washington just hours before the British burned down the White House during the War of 1812.  When Zachary Taylor referred to her as the First Lady, he coined a term that Dolley defined during her long, eventful life.  Ages 7-10.

Pros:  Veteran biographer Kathleen Krull has a new series, “Women Who Broke the Rules”.  This entry is fun, breezy, and informative.  At 46 pages, with illustrations on almost every page, it’s just the right length to give an enticing introduction to the life of a famous woman.

Cons:  The cover could be a bit more enticing.

Founding Fathers: Those Horse-Ridin’, Fiddle-Playin’, Book-Readin’, Gun-Totin’ Gentlemen Who Started America by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Barry Blitt

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Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Who were the men who helped start America, and what exactly did it mean to be a Founding Father?  Jonah Winter takes an irreverent look at fourteen of them, giving each one a page of information that includes height, weight, shoe size, career and wealth, slaveholding status, position on the Boston Tea Party, famous quotes, and a few other facts and anecdotes.  Each page is accompanied by a full-page portrait.  The introduction or “Preamble” tells a little about this group and draws some comparisons to present-day politics and arguing over issues.  The final few pages take a closer look at some of the issues including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, religion, slavery, government, foreign wars, and taxes, then concludes with a full page of additional resources.  Grades 2-5.

Pros:  The writing is heavy on humor and kid-friendly facts.  Yet this is a great introduction to the whole concept of “Founding Fathers” (a term coined by Warren G. Harding in 1918, in case you were wondering).  It might also make you feel better about today’s Congress to learn that so much was accomplished in spite of 18th-century partisan bickering.

Cons:  There’s not much depth.  The additional resources will be needed to cover the history of the period more thoroughly.

Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper

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Published by Capstone Young Readers

Summary:  When Mazie is mad at being told no, her father tells her about her great-great-great grandfather Mose who was a slave and heard “no” even more.  He learned about the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, and now Mazie and her family celebrate Juneteenth every year.  Her father talks about others who worked and fought for civil rights after they got their freedom, all the way to the present.  The last page includes a paragraph of information about the origins of the Juneteenth celebration.

Pros:  This is a great introduction to Juneteenth and the Civil Rights Movement for primary grades. The 150th anniversary is coming up on June 19. Mazie looks to be about six years old, and the facts are presented appropriately for her age.  The illustrations are very appealing.

Cons:  The information is pretty simple and basic.  Pairing this with another book like Angela Johnson’s All Different Now will give a broader perspective.

The Underground Abductor (An Abolitionist Tale About Harriet Tubman) by Nathan Hale

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Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Nathaniel Hale is about to be executed, but his executioners want to hear another one of his tales.  One of them accuses him of always making America sound perfect.  So Nathaniel tells the story of Harriet Tubman, which is also the story of slavery and the Underground Railroad.  Told in graphic novel format, the story spans the years from Harriet’s (or Minty’s, as she was known as a child) birth through the end of the Civil War.  Brief stories of Frederick Douglass and John Brown are woven into Harriet’s tale, and additional resources are listed at the end.  Ages 9 and up.

Pros:  This is the fifth installment in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. (It’s a little confusing. Nathan Hale is the real name of the author, but Nathaniel Hale of Revolutionary War fame narrates the stories). These books do an amazing job of teaching history through an appealing graphic novel format.  I learned a lot from reading this book, and it reads like a great story from start to finish.  I have a small but dedicated group of fifth grade boys in my school who have read all these books, and I can’t wait to give them a copy of this one.

Cons:  It’s impossible to tell Harriet Tubman’s stories without relating some of the horrors of slavery, so make sure readers are prepared.

Yard Sale by Eve Bunting illustrated by Lauren Castillo

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Callie’s family is about to move into an apartment, and they are having a yard sale to sell what they can’t take with them.  Callie’s bed is sold, because the new apartment has a bed that pulls out of the wall, and her bicycle because the family will be living on a busy street with no sidewalk.  Her best friend comes to see how it’s going, and asks Callie to remind her why they’re moving.  “It’s something to do with money,” says Callie.  A woman tells Callie she’s “the cutest thing” and asks if she’s for sale, which scares Callie.  Her dad hugs her and assures her that he would never sell her for any price.  She realizes that as long as her family is together in her new apartment, it will feel like home.

Pros:  A heartwarming story which could also serve as bibliotherapy for children in a similar difficult situation.

Cons:  You may get a lump in your throat on more than one page.

Chasing Freedom: the Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony Inspired by Historical Facts by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Michele Wood

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Published by Orchard Books

Summary:  This book imagines a conversation between these two women who were friends and worked tirelessly their whole adult lives to improve the lives of women and African-Americans.  They tell each other true stories about themselves and some of the other people they worked with, like John Brown, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Frederick Douglass.  The women relate their stories in alternating pages, just like a real conversation, and each page is illustrated with a folk art style painting.  The end pages includes brief biographies of the two women and fourteen other people who were involved with similar work; additional notes about some of the events of the period; a bibliography; and an author’s note about how she came to write the book.  56 pages, grades 2-5.

Pros:  This is a unique and engaging way to learn about these two very interesting women who blazed their own trails and made a difference in many lives.

Cons:  Kids will need some historical context to fully appreciate this book.

Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm by Karen Deans

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Published by Holiday House

Summary:  Piney Woods Country Life School was a remarkable school for African-American orphans in Mississippi.  In 1939, the school’s director organized an all-girl band to raise money for the school.  He called the group the Sweethearts, and they played big band music at schools and churches around the state.  When the girls graduated, they decided to move to Washington, DC to try to make a living.  Eventually, they traveled all over the country, playing for crowds as large as 35,000.  Their biggest concern was making great music; when some of the women left, their replacements were of different races, which made for some complications when touring in the south.  The Sweethearts went on a six-month USO tour of Europe during World War II.  After the war, it was hard for them to make a living with their music, and the group broke up, but they had opened doors for women of all races in the music business.  Recommended for grades 2-4.

Pros:  This inspiring nonfiction picture book reminded me of the movie A League of Their Own about women baseball players from the same era.  It would be fun to share some of the Sweethearts music after reading this.  Here’s a YouTube clip that looks just like one of the illustrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WczP3PyHt20

Cons:  Too bad these women couldn’t make enough money to keep the band alive after World War II.

Families by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly

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Published by Holiday House

Summary:  A photographic celebration of every kind of family imaginable: big, small, multi-racial, two moms, two dads, single parents, extended family.  Each page has a single sentence with several photos illustrating the kind of family described.  The last few pages tell what families do (e.g., help each other, love one another), and finishes with a question, “There are many different kinds of families.  What about yours?”  Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Pros:  This is truly a celebration of family.  Even the dogs in the pictures are smiling.  The first page says that the creators hope the book will lead children and their parents to engage in conversation about their families, and this would indeed be the perfect vehicle for that.

Cons:  People objecting to certain family configurations will probably not want to share this book with their kids.

Elvis: The Story of the Rock and Roll King by Bonnie Christensen

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Published by Henry Holt

Summary:  This picture book biography focuses on Elvis Presley’s early years, growing up in extreme poverty in the south.  From a very young age, Elvis was drawn to music, and he was surrounded by a wide range of influences.  Even though his town was segregated by race and class, the music of jazz, blues, and gospel was everywhere.  When Elvis was 13, his family moved from Mississippi to Memphis, and he learned to play guitar.  A few years later, he managed to get a recording session with Sun Records.  It was turning into a disaster, when Elvis started singing “That’s All Right”, a Delta blues song he infused with country and gospel.  That song became a hit, and Elvis Presley was on his way.

Pros:  Kids today may see Elvis Presley as something of a joke, and this story really humanizes him, portraying him sympathetically as a nervous kid who loved music.

Cons:  Elvis looks a lot better in these illustrations than he did when I saw him in the candy aisle at Walmart last week.