Biography
Simon, Seymour. 2005. Big Bugs. San Francisco, CA: SeaStar Books. ISBN 9781587172656
Plot Summary
Seymour Simon gives young children an up-close look at some of the world’s most intriguing bugs. From the hard and cumbersome body of the goliath beetle to the dainty iridescent wings of a dragonfly, insects swarm the pages of Big Bugs. Accompanied by simple informational text, Big Bugs is sure to be a hit with the crayon-toting crowd.
Critical Analysis
Big Bugs is a slim informational picture book that is geared towards early readers. The turn of each page presents a different strange and wondrous bug that is certain to grab the attention of a young audience. Written in large bold print, Seymour Simon provides text that gives two or three facts about each insect. He cleverly compares the size or weight of the bugs to common objects. This helps to link a child’s background knowledge to the new information, giving them a clear point of reference: “The bulldog ant of Australia is about 1 ½ inches long, about the size of your pinky.” Each picture is large, often spanning the width of two pages and contains a small box exposing the insect’s actual size. The photos are slightly dim, giving the sensation that someone needs to flip the light switch to clearly see the details of the insects. None the less, the target audience will appreciate the unusual creeping little creatures.
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: “The information is better organized and offers limited but solid introductions to the giant water bug, the goliath beetle, and robber flies.”
Booklist: “Some of the photos are eye-catching and dramatic. In others, the form of the animal is hard to discern.”
Connections
*Could be used to introduce children to key facts about insects.
*Could be used for reading practice with early intermediate readers.
* Other books about insects:
Winner, Cherie. Everything Bug: What Kids Really Want to Know about Bugs. ISBN 9781559718912
Greenaway, Theresa. Big Book of Bugs. ISBN 9780789465207
Showing posts with label Nonfiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nonfiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Review of THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION by Russell Freedman
Biography
Freedman, Russell. 2004. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618159765
Plot Summary
On Easter Sunday 1939, a large crowd gathered along the Mall in Washington in anticipation of hearing the voice of the nation’s finest contralto float across the chilly Potomac breeze. But this crowd had shown up for more than a brilliant vocal performance; it was silently demonstrating support for our country's civil rights. Marian Anderson did not consider herself to be a crusader, yet as she stood in the watchful shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, she shone as a beacon for racial justice everywhere. The Voice that Challenged the Nation is a biographical account of the inspiring life of classical vocalist, Marian Anderson. It tells of her humble beginnings in one of Philadelphia’s many multicultural neighborhoods, and it follows her rising career as she travels extensively throughout the Jim Crow infected South: “The Anderson’s bags were taken to the first coach on the train headed south—the Jim Crow coach reserved for blacks. As Marian recalled, the car was dirty inside and out, the windows were badly in need of washing, and the ventilation and lighting were poor.” Unwavering in her musical pursuits, Anderson became a heavily sought-after vocalist and was esteemed by European royalty as well as President Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor. So when Anderson was racially spurned by The Daughters of the American Revolution, the public backlash peacefully came to a head on that fateful and historic Easter morning.
Critical Analysis
Russell Freedman paints a beautiful portrait of Marian Anderson. Using precision and a thorough presentation, Freedman details the famed vocalist’s life and the events that led to one of the most poignant moments in our nation’s turbulent history. He opens the book with a nearly poetic account of Anderson’s performance at the Lincoln Memorial: “Clouds, which had shadowed the monument, skittered away to the north, and the late-afternoon sun broke through to bathe the reflecting pool and shine on the gaily dressed Easter crowd.” He continues the book in chronological order of her life, borrowing from Anderson’s autobiography and other first-person accounts. Written for a youthful (ages 12 and up) audience, Freedman succeeds in presenting a richly simplified rendition of Anderson’s bounteous life. He also includes an ample cornucopia of photos that seem to animate the text. A selected bibliography for further reading and a discography of Anderson’s available releases complete this inspiring and historically relevant work.
Review Excerpts
2005 Newbery Honor Book
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
School Library Journal: “This inspiring work once again demonstrates Freedman’s talent for showing how a person’s life is molded by its historical and cultural context.”
Kirkus Review: “Well-chosen, well-placed archival photographs, clear writing, abundant research, and careful documentation make an outstanding, handsome biography.”
Connections:
*Excellent choice for required reading at the junior high level.
*Other books about Marian Anderson:
Anderson, Marian. My Lord, What a Beautiful Morning: An Autobiography. ISBN 9780252070532
Keiler, Allan. Marian Anderson: A Singer's Journey. ISBN 9780252070679
Freedman, Russell. 2004. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618159765
Plot Summary
On Easter Sunday 1939, a large crowd gathered along the Mall in Washington in anticipation of hearing the voice of the nation’s finest contralto float across the chilly Potomac breeze. But this crowd had shown up for more than a brilliant vocal performance; it was silently demonstrating support for our country's civil rights. Marian Anderson did not consider herself to be a crusader, yet as she stood in the watchful shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, she shone as a beacon for racial justice everywhere. The Voice that Challenged the Nation is a biographical account of the inspiring life of classical vocalist, Marian Anderson. It tells of her humble beginnings in one of Philadelphia’s many multicultural neighborhoods, and it follows her rising career as she travels extensively throughout the Jim Crow infected South: “The Anderson’s bags were taken to the first coach on the train headed south—the Jim Crow coach reserved for blacks. As Marian recalled, the car was dirty inside and out, the windows were badly in need of washing, and the ventilation and lighting were poor.” Unwavering in her musical pursuits, Anderson became a heavily sought-after vocalist and was esteemed by European royalty as well as President Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor. So when Anderson was racially spurned by The Daughters of the American Revolution, the public backlash peacefully came to a head on that fateful and historic Easter morning.
Critical Analysis
Russell Freedman paints a beautiful portrait of Marian Anderson. Using precision and a thorough presentation, Freedman details the famed vocalist’s life and the events that led to one of the most poignant moments in our nation’s turbulent history. He opens the book with a nearly poetic account of Anderson’s performance at the Lincoln Memorial: “Clouds, which had shadowed the monument, skittered away to the north, and the late-afternoon sun broke through to bathe the reflecting pool and shine on the gaily dressed Easter crowd.” He continues the book in chronological order of her life, borrowing from Anderson’s autobiography and other first-person accounts. Written for a youthful (ages 12 and up) audience, Freedman succeeds in presenting a richly simplified rendition of Anderson’s bounteous life. He also includes an ample cornucopia of photos that seem to animate the text. A selected bibliography for further reading and a discography of Anderson’s available releases complete this inspiring and historically relevant work.
Review Excerpts
2005 Newbery Honor Book
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
School Library Journal: “This inspiring work once again demonstrates Freedman’s talent for showing how a person’s life is molded by its historical and cultural context.”
Kirkus Review: “Well-chosen, well-placed archival photographs, clear writing, abundant research, and careful documentation make an outstanding, handsome biography.”
Connections:
*Excellent choice for required reading at the junior high level.
*Other books about Marian Anderson:
Anderson, Marian. My Lord, What a Beautiful Morning: An Autobiography. ISBN 9780252070532
Keiler, Allan. Marian Anderson: A Singer's Journey. ISBN 9780252070679
Review of SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD by Jennifer Armstrong
Biography
Armstrong, Jennifer. 1998. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. New York, NY: Crown Publishers. ISBN 9780517800133
Plot Summary
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World chronicles the inconceivable true events of Captain Ernest Shackleton and his crew as they are trapped by the perilous glacial grasp of Antarctica’s frozen wasteland. Shackleton and his men set sail from England in the summer of 1914 on an urgent quest to become the first explorers to sail Antarctica from tip to tip. But, just as they neared the southern most continent, their ship Endurance, became entrapped by large masses of ice. Stranded with no means of outside communication, Shackleton and his 27 men hunkered down for a long winter aboard Endurance. Several months passed, and the warming air of spring blew hope for a yielding sea to carry them home. In unanticipated horror, the melting glaciers shifted and crushed the hardy ship “like a walnut.” What followed was to become history’s most remarkable feats of survival that have ever been recorded. In the end, Captain Shackleton and all of his men miraculously survived unrelenting blizzards, subzero temperatures, a monstrous hurricane, and dangerous treks across unmapped regions of the Southern Hemisphere.
Critical Analysis
Jennifer Armstrong takes the reader on an icy voyage with the captain and crew of the explorer ship Endurance. Written in form like a suspenseful novel, Armstrong presents a factual blow-by-blow account of Captain Ernest Shackleton and his team’s harrowing decent to the frozen Antarctic Ocean and the staggering events that followed. Miraculously salvaged photos of the Endurance crew are strategically placed throughout the book, adding depth and chilling reality to this extraordinary story. In one such photo, we see first officer Lionel Greenstreet donning a mustache of icicles while draped in remnants of soggy, waterlogged wool. What is most telling of this portrait is the warm smile that is peering from beneath its frosty frame. This is the pervading theme of this true tale—optimism in the face of mind-blowing peril.
Although written for adolescents, Armstrong uses graphic suspense that is strong enough to intrigue adults young and old. The narration reads smoothly as Armstrong utilizes descriptions that are vivid and beautifully effective: “Killer whales cruised the open leads, blowing sprouts of icy spray. The tricks of the Antarctic atmosphere brought mock suns and green sunsets, and showers of jewel-colored crystals.” The narration also has a feel of intimacy due to Armstrong’s ample use of quotes taken directly from Captain Shackleton and his crew’s diaries. Shackleton had ordered his men to keep diaries chronicling their expedition. Even through the most turbulent of situations, Shackleton managed to keep a maticulous account of his journey. Referring to the crushing of his beloved Endurance, Shackleton wrote, “Mighty blocks of ice, gripped between meeting floes, rose slowly until they jumped like cherry and stones squeezed between thumb and finger.”
With an uncanny eye for detail, Armstrong brilliantly captures the humor and passionate spirit of Shackleton and his team. She includes stories of the crew putting on plays and comical productions while confined to a frozen ship. Accompanied by photos of the men dressed in costumes and holding props, the reader is transported to a cozy little room within the heart of Endurance. There she tells of the team’s Christmas aboard as they jokingly toasted “To our sweethearts and wives—may they never meet!” Just as the reader is lulled into a sense of refuge, Armstrong ominously adds, “Outside in the darkness, the endless mass of pack ice was grinding against itself like a restless giant breaking mountains in its sleep.” Boldly honest, beautifully told, and elegantly designed, Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World is an exceptionally artful work of nonfiction.
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: “This is a very effective presentation of not only how the disaster occurred, but of the toll it took on the crew and how they rose to the challenge.”
Boston Globe-Horn Honor Book
Kirkus Review: “This unbelievable story is enhanced by the vigorous prose; from the captivating introduction through the epilogue, it is the writing as much as the story that will rivet readers."
Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: "Armstrong's absorbing storytelling, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs, makes this an enthralling adventure."
Connections
*Can be used within the context of a thematic unit in the classroom.
*Due to the books heavy use of scientific and mathematical references, it would provide a concrete example for math and science classes.
*Would make a perfect selection for assigned reading for junior high and high school students.
*Could be used as an opening to conversations about the human spirit and the fight for survival as well as the value of strong leadership.
*For additional reading:
Alexander, Caroline. Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition. ISBN 9780375404030
Armstrong, Jennifer. 1998. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. New York, NY: Crown Publishers. ISBN 9780517800133
Plot Summary
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World chronicles the inconceivable true events of Captain Ernest Shackleton and his crew as they are trapped by the perilous glacial grasp of Antarctica’s frozen wasteland. Shackleton and his men set sail from England in the summer of 1914 on an urgent quest to become the first explorers to sail Antarctica from tip to tip. But, just as they neared the southern most continent, their ship Endurance, became entrapped by large masses of ice. Stranded with no means of outside communication, Shackleton and his 27 men hunkered down for a long winter aboard Endurance. Several months passed, and the warming air of spring blew hope for a yielding sea to carry them home. In unanticipated horror, the melting glaciers shifted and crushed the hardy ship “like a walnut.” What followed was to become history’s most remarkable feats of survival that have ever been recorded. In the end, Captain Shackleton and all of his men miraculously survived unrelenting blizzards, subzero temperatures, a monstrous hurricane, and dangerous treks across unmapped regions of the Southern Hemisphere.
Critical Analysis
Jennifer Armstrong takes the reader on an icy voyage with the captain and crew of the explorer ship Endurance. Written in form like a suspenseful novel, Armstrong presents a factual blow-by-blow account of Captain Ernest Shackleton and his team’s harrowing decent to the frozen Antarctic Ocean and the staggering events that followed. Miraculously salvaged photos of the Endurance crew are strategically placed throughout the book, adding depth and chilling reality to this extraordinary story. In one such photo, we see first officer Lionel Greenstreet donning a mustache of icicles while draped in remnants of soggy, waterlogged wool. What is most telling of this portrait is the warm smile that is peering from beneath its frosty frame. This is the pervading theme of this true tale—optimism in the face of mind-blowing peril.
Although written for adolescents, Armstrong uses graphic suspense that is strong enough to intrigue adults young and old. The narration reads smoothly as Armstrong utilizes descriptions that are vivid and beautifully effective: “Killer whales cruised the open leads, blowing sprouts of icy spray. The tricks of the Antarctic atmosphere brought mock suns and green sunsets, and showers of jewel-colored crystals.” The narration also has a feel of intimacy due to Armstrong’s ample use of quotes taken directly from Captain Shackleton and his crew’s diaries. Shackleton had ordered his men to keep diaries chronicling their expedition. Even through the most turbulent of situations, Shackleton managed to keep a maticulous account of his journey. Referring to the crushing of his beloved Endurance, Shackleton wrote, “Mighty blocks of ice, gripped between meeting floes, rose slowly until they jumped like cherry and stones squeezed between thumb and finger.”
With an uncanny eye for detail, Armstrong brilliantly captures the humor and passionate spirit of Shackleton and his team. She includes stories of the crew putting on plays and comical productions while confined to a frozen ship. Accompanied by photos of the men dressed in costumes and holding props, the reader is transported to a cozy little room within the heart of Endurance. There she tells of the team’s Christmas aboard as they jokingly toasted “To our sweethearts and wives—may they never meet!” Just as the reader is lulled into a sense of refuge, Armstrong ominously adds, “Outside in the darkness, the endless mass of pack ice was grinding against itself like a restless giant breaking mountains in its sleep.” Boldly honest, beautifully told, and elegantly designed, Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World is an exceptionally artful work of nonfiction.
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: “This is a very effective presentation of not only how the disaster occurred, but of the toll it took on the crew and how they rose to the challenge.”
Boston Globe-Horn Honor Book
Kirkus Review: “This unbelievable story is enhanced by the vigorous prose; from the captivating introduction through the epilogue, it is the writing as much as the story that will rivet readers."
Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: "Armstrong's absorbing storytelling, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs, makes this an enthralling adventure."
Connections
*Can be used within the context of a thematic unit in the classroom.
*Due to the books heavy use of scientific and mathematical references, it would provide a concrete example for math and science classes.
*Would make a perfect selection for assigned reading for junior high and high school students.
*Could be used as an opening to conversations about the human spirit and the fight for survival as well as the value of strong leadership.
*For additional reading:
Alexander, Caroline. Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition. ISBN 9780375404030
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