Freedman, Russell. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. New York: Clarion Books.
Marian Anderson was blessed with one of the greatest singing voices of all times. She was blessed not only for singing, but also with the strength and talent in order to have a great impact on the struggle for equal rights. Marian would never describe herself as confrontational, and her intention was never to have the impact that she did because all she cared for was singing. She grew up in an immigrant populated neighborhood with not a lot of money however she attended her church and particpated in their choir faithfully. She never missed a day and for that they rewarded her. The Union Baptist Church proved to be her gauntlet into her musical career. They provided money in order for her to buy her first evening gown, and then provided money for her to attend a singing school. Although, she faced many obstacles because of her color her biggest opposition came long after her stardom. She had been denied the right to sing at the Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Even though she had powerful friends such as the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, they refused to let her perform there because of her color. Eleanor in support of Anderson decided to resign from DAR creating worldwide attention. In support for Marion she was asked to perform at the Lincoln Memorial in front of 75,000 people, way more than what Constitution Hall could accomodate. This proved to be a momentous occasion and a defining moment in the struggle for equal rights.
Freedman tells the beautiful story of Mariane Anderson and how her life became to be such a prominent one. Although, she had incredible odds against her, she managed to take what God had gave her and truly make an impact. Freedman tells us the story of her life with accurate and defining details. The photographs bring the story to life and allows us to see through her eyes during that time period by including racially discriminating signs. He includes many quotes by Anderson herself, and other important characters. Although this books only highlights Anderson's life the reader will surely appreciate her contribution to the struggle of equal rights.
Friday, May 2, 2008
York's Adventures with Lewis and Clark
Blumberg, Rhoda. York's Adventures with Lewis and Clark. 2004. New York: Harper Collins.
More than likely the story of Lewis and Clark and their journey of exploration throughout the western part of the United States is a familiar one. Sacagawea is also a familiar name, knowing that she was a brave Indian woman who contributed greatly to their quest. However, the story of York is an unfamiliar one. Clark was a rich plantation owner who had many slaves, but one in particular was very special to him and his family. As a young boy, they played together, swam together, and protected one another. As they grew older, York became his personal assistant and by slavery rules he had to do whatever Clark wished. When Clark was asked to particpate in this incredible journey he indeed expected York to accompany him. York became an invaluable part of this mission. His black skin, who once made him inferior, provided to be the key in gaining the trust of Indians. His strength and power was also valued by all the men in the Corps. Although, he was a vital part in this historical event, because of his skin color, he did not receive recognition. Clark never wrote his name down on the log of men who participated and therefore did not earn a penny for his efforts. In the end, York died a lonely and unproserperous man.
This story is unbelievably powerful and saddening. Blumberg provides the reader with historically accurate information by documenting journel entries, newspaper articles, maps, portraits, and other meaninful illustrations. Although, the information regarding York's life is not overwhelming the documentation provided gives the reader enough insight to realize his contributions made during this event. Blumberg defines York's life threw his eyes and also threw the eyes of the white men. We learn what it was like to live as a slave and all of the hardships that he had to endure. The reader really gets to experience the pain and sorrow relating to the life of an African American during this time period. It is amazing to see how vastly different the white men and the Indians treated black people. Although York, proved to be an invaluable component to the mission, it is amazing at how many people will not find his name a familiar one. This book definately needs to be added to any history section in the library.
More than likely the story of Lewis and Clark and their journey of exploration throughout the western part of the United States is a familiar one. Sacagawea is also a familiar name, knowing that she was a brave Indian woman who contributed greatly to their quest. However, the story of York is an unfamiliar one. Clark was a rich plantation owner who had many slaves, but one in particular was very special to him and his family. As a young boy, they played together, swam together, and protected one another. As they grew older, York became his personal assistant and by slavery rules he had to do whatever Clark wished. When Clark was asked to particpate in this incredible journey he indeed expected York to accompany him. York became an invaluable part of this mission. His black skin, who once made him inferior, provided to be the key in gaining the trust of Indians. His strength and power was also valued by all the men in the Corps. Although, he was a vital part in this historical event, because of his skin color, he did not receive recognition. Clark never wrote his name down on the log of men who participated and therefore did not earn a penny for his efforts. In the end, York died a lonely and unproserperous man.
This story is unbelievably powerful and saddening. Blumberg provides the reader with historically accurate information by documenting journel entries, newspaper articles, maps, portraits, and other meaninful illustrations. Although, the information regarding York's life is not overwhelming the documentation provided gives the reader enough insight to realize his contributions made during this event. Blumberg defines York's life threw his eyes and also threw the eyes of the white men. We learn what it was like to live as a slave and all of the hardships that he had to endure. The reader really gets to experience the pain and sorrow relating to the life of an African American during this time period. It is amazing to see how vastly different the white men and the Indians treated black people. Although York, proved to be an invaluable component to the mission, it is amazing at how many people will not find his name a familiar one. This book definately needs to be added to any history section in the library.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo
Montogomery, Sy. Quest For The Tree Kangaroo. 2006. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Readers will learn quite a bit of history, geography, culture and science in this book about an expedition to New Guinea. Lisa Dabek, a forty-five year old scientist takes a team of 14 people on a quest to find a rare mammel called the Tree Kangaroo. Lisa grew up in New York City and always had asthma, so as a child she could not participate in sports and therefore found herself studying the behavior of animals. She was fascinated about why they did the things they do. She eventually became a scientist who would study animal behavior. In 2003, she decided to form a team of people to travel and study the creatures abroad. Readers will learn about the struggles, hardships, and great rewards that are involved with studying animals in the wild.
This book is broken up into ten sections making it extremly easy for the reader to follow. It creates a timeline so that we know who Lisa is, where she came from, and how her life path led her to the study of mammals in the wild. We follow along as the group boards the tiny plane and heads to this foreign land. The information is abundant in this book. Facts are simply added into the text, making it an extemely useful tool for any science classroom. The pictures are amazing as well. They will take your breath away looking at all the beautiful mountains, and waterfalls. Readers will also get a glimpse of the beautiful languages, and culture of the people that are from New Guinea. The end of the book contains several websites with more information about the Tree Kangaroos and where they are located. It also has several words in Tok Pisin, one of the many langugage in New Guinea, that is a great tool for extending the lessons in this book. I highly recommend this book.
Readers will learn quite a bit of history, geography, culture and science in this book about an expedition to New Guinea. Lisa Dabek, a forty-five year old scientist takes a team of 14 people on a quest to find a rare mammel called the Tree Kangaroo. Lisa grew up in New York City and always had asthma, so as a child she could not participate in sports and therefore found herself studying the behavior of animals. She was fascinated about why they did the things they do. She eventually became a scientist who would study animal behavior. In 2003, she decided to form a team of people to travel and study the creatures abroad. Readers will learn about the struggles, hardships, and great rewards that are involved with studying animals in the wild.
This book is broken up into ten sections making it extremly easy for the reader to follow. It creates a timeline so that we know who Lisa is, where she came from, and how her life path led her to the study of mammals in the wild. We follow along as the group boards the tiny plane and heads to this foreign land. The information is abundant in this book. Facts are simply added into the text, making it an extemely useful tool for any science classroom. The pictures are amazing as well. They will take your breath away looking at all the beautiful mountains, and waterfalls. Readers will also get a glimpse of the beautiful languages, and culture of the people that are from New Guinea. The end of the book contains several websites with more information about the Tree Kangaroos and where they are located. It also has several words in Tok Pisin, one of the many langugage in New Guinea, that is a great tool for extending the lessons in this book. I highly recommend this book.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Cirque de Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Shan, Darren. 2000. The Vampire's Assistant. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Darren Shan was a normal little boy curious about a freakshow that was in town. He and his friend Steve attended, and got into some trouble and Darren stole a poisonous tarantula. The spider bit Steve and in order to save him Darren had to go to Mr. Crepsley, the spider's owner, and ask him to save his friend. He agreed, but in exchange he turned Darren into a half-vampire. Book Two begins at this part and we learn what Darren is having a difficult time trying to deal with being a half-vampire. He refuses to drink human blood to keep him alive and so he feeds on animals. Mr. Crepsley is busy teaching him about his new life style and the things that he is going to have to accept. Mr. Crepsley decides that it is time to return to the Cirque de Freak and takes Darren along. At first, Darren is horrified because this is where it all started for him and he hates thinking about his former life. Once Darren is settled, he makes friends with Evra and two humans. Sam, who is one of the humans, becomes one of Darren's best friends and even offers to become "blood brothers" although Darren knows this isn't possible. Sam desperately wants to join the circus and will do anything possible, and Darren will do anything to keep him safe, but will efforts be enough?
Darren Shan writes a great suspenseful story in the Cirque de Freak series. The books are written at a fast pace, making it a very short and satisfying read. Anyone yearning for a good horror fantasy will love this series. The characters are real freaks that will make you cringe at the thought of them. Shan deliciously describes each character until you have a clear mental image of the person, and there are quite a few unique ones such as the wolf-man, the Little People, and Truska. This particular book setting takes place at the Circus that is located on the banks of a river. The reader quickly learns that it is not your typical circus with big bright striped tents, but we get a very eerie feeling of uneasiness. Shan is very talented in creating a sense of fear within his readers. Each book ends with a hook, therefore leaving the reader wanting more.
Darren Shan was a normal little boy curious about a freakshow that was in town. He and his friend Steve attended, and got into some trouble and Darren stole a poisonous tarantula. The spider bit Steve and in order to save him Darren had to go to Mr. Crepsley, the spider's owner, and ask him to save his friend. He agreed, but in exchange he turned Darren into a half-vampire. Book Two begins at this part and we learn what Darren is having a difficult time trying to deal with being a half-vampire. He refuses to drink human blood to keep him alive and so he feeds on animals. Mr. Crepsley is busy teaching him about his new life style and the things that he is going to have to accept. Mr. Crepsley decides that it is time to return to the Cirque de Freak and takes Darren along. At first, Darren is horrified because this is where it all started for him and he hates thinking about his former life. Once Darren is settled, he makes friends with Evra and two humans. Sam, who is one of the humans, becomes one of Darren's best friends and even offers to become "blood brothers" although Darren knows this isn't possible. Sam desperately wants to join the circus and will do anything possible, and Darren will do anything to keep him safe, but will efforts be enough?
Darren Shan writes a great suspenseful story in the Cirque de Freak series. The books are written at a fast pace, making it a very short and satisfying read. Anyone yearning for a good horror fantasy will love this series. The characters are real freaks that will make you cringe at the thought of them. Shan deliciously describes each character until you have a clear mental image of the person, and there are quite a few unique ones such as the wolf-man, the Little People, and Truska. This particular book setting takes place at the Circus that is located on the banks of a river. The reader quickly learns that it is not your typical circus with big bright striped tents, but we get a very eerie feeling of uneasiness. Shan is very talented in creating a sense of fear within his readers. Each book ends with a hook, therefore leaving the reader wanting more.
Fashion Kitty
Harper, Charise Mericle. 2005. Fashion Kitty. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
The Kittie family is an unusual cat family because they have a pet mouse. They are allowed to do this because they are all vegetarians and love to eat things like ice cream, cheese, and pancakes. Lana named her Mousie, but KiKi secretly named her Phoebe Frederique. KiKi is a extraordinary girl cat who loves fashion. One day on her birthday while she was blowing out the candles, a shelf on the wall that was loaded with fashion magazines, crashed down upon her head. Everything seemed normal after the accident until KiKi fell to the floor screaming. When KiKi jumped up she had been transformed into Fashion Kitty and flew out the window to go and save the day. She rescued Mary Jane who was about to make a terrible fashion faux pax, and from that point on she new that this is what she was meant to do.
Harper creates a cute graphic novel for young girls. The Kittie family is very eccentric and even though this is a cat family every young girl reading this book will think it is funny and relatable. The style in which Harper writes is very appealing and will make the reader laugh with statements such as "After all, every family has a few secrets. We like to wear striped underwear." The pictures are definately geared towards little girls because the images are all in pink and gray. The charcters are your typical comic book images that look like they were illustrated by a younger artist. The story is easy to read and follow along and the images definately add to the story. This is a cute book, that most younger girls would enjoy.
The Kittie family is an unusual cat family because they have a pet mouse. They are allowed to do this because they are all vegetarians and love to eat things like ice cream, cheese, and pancakes. Lana named her Mousie, but KiKi secretly named her Phoebe Frederique. KiKi is a extraordinary girl cat who loves fashion. One day on her birthday while she was blowing out the candles, a shelf on the wall that was loaded with fashion magazines, crashed down upon her head. Everything seemed normal after the accident until KiKi fell to the floor screaming. When KiKi jumped up she had been transformed into Fashion Kitty and flew out the window to go and save the day. She rescued Mary Jane who was about to make a terrible fashion faux pax, and from that point on she new that this is what she was meant to do.
Harper creates a cute graphic novel for young girls. The Kittie family is very eccentric and even though this is a cat family every young girl reading this book will think it is funny and relatable. The style in which Harper writes is very appealing and will make the reader laugh with statements such as "After all, every family has a few secrets. We like to wear striped underwear." The pictures are definately geared towards little girls because the images are all in pink and gray. The charcters are your typical comic book images that look like they were illustrated by a younger artist. The story is easy to read and follow along and the images definately add to the story. This is a cute book, that most younger girls would enjoy.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A Wrinkle in Time
L"Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. 1962. New York: Dell Publishing.
The Murry family is clearly a unique group of people. Mrs. Murry is a very smart lady that has four children; Meg, Charles Wallace, Sandy and Dennys. Her husband has been away on a special assignment for the government which has clearly had an impact on the children. Meg seems to have taken her father's absence particularly hard causing trouble in school and with other children. She is a feisty girl, who seems to resist and push other people away. One dark, stormy night the family couldn't sleep, so they were all sitting in the kitchen eating when a neighbor shows up whose name is Mrs. Whatsit. It turns out that she lives in a nearby house with two other women, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who. Meg learns that her brother knows these women and that they may have information that will help them find their father. The women, who turn out to be some sort of supernatural spirits have discovered a way to travel through time called tesseracting. They take the children Meg, Charles Wallace, and a local neighborhood kid, Calvin to a planet called Camazotz where all the people have been brainwashed and they must fight the evil IT to save their father. In the end, Meg learns that love is all she needs in order to save her brother from the evil.
This story written by L'Engle was extremely disappointing. The story is somewhat confusing and hard to follow. The way in which the story begins we know that there is something fishy about the three women that live in the nearby haunted house because of their names and their peculiar behavior, but when Charles Wallace takes his sister to the house the reader is somewhat left in the dark. We are getting to see the story through Meg's eyes and since she doesn't know exactly what is happening neither does the reader, and this can be quite frustrating at times. There are great insinuations of good versus evil, supernatural characters, and religion, however I can not see how a fourth grader could possible interpret this book on their own. It is written on a fourth grade level, but the content is clearly intended for an older audience. The story jumps from one unbelievable setting to the next and never really has a climax that will grab the reader's attention. This book has won several awards including the Newberry Award, the Sequoyah Book Award, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and runner up for the Hans Christian Award.
It seems that after I researched the book I could appreciate more of the qualities that the book contained. I can definately see how this book could be used in a classroom, but in my opinion it is not one that I would recommend picking up off the shelf to read for fun.
The Murry family is clearly a unique group of people. Mrs. Murry is a very smart lady that has four children; Meg, Charles Wallace, Sandy and Dennys. Her husband has been away on a special assignment for the government which has clearly had an impact on the children. Meg seems to have taken her father's absence particularly hard causing trouble in school and with other children. She is a feisty girl, who seems to resist and push other people away. One dark, stormy night the family couldn't sleep, so they were all sitting in the kitchen eating when a neighbor shows up whose name is Mrs. Whatsit. It turns out that she lives in a nearby house with two other women, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who. Meg learns that her brother knows these women and that they may have information that will help them find their father. The women, who turn out to be some sort of supernatural spirits have discovered a way to travel through time called tesseracting. They take the children Meg, Charles Wallace, and a local neighborhood kid, Calvin to a planet called Camazotz where all the people have been brainwashed and they must fight the evil IT to save their father. In the end, Meg learns that love is all she needs in order to save her brother from the evil.
This story written by L'Engle was extremely disappointing. The story is somewhat confusing and hard to follow. The way in which the story begins we know that there is something fishy about the three women that live in the nearby haunted house because of their names and their peculiar behavior, but when Charles Wallace takes his sister to the house the reader is somewhat left in the dark. We are getting to see the story through Meg's eyes and since she doesn't know exactly what is happening neither does the reader, and this can be quite frustrating at times. There are great insinuations of good versus evil, supernatural characters, and religion, however I can not see how a fourth grader could possible interpret this book on their own. It is written on a fourth grade level, but the content is clearly intended for an older audience. The story jumps from one unbelievable setting to the next and never really has a climax that will grab the reader's attention. This book has won several awards including the Newberry Award, the Sequoyah Book Award, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and runner up for the Hans Christian Award.
It seems that after I researched the book I could appreciate more of the qualities that the book contained. I can definately see how this book could be used in a classroom, but in my opinion it is not one that I would recommend picking up off the shelf to read for fun.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Twilight
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. 2005. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
When Isabella Swan moved from the sunny city of Phoenix to the gloomy and rainy town of Forks to be with her father, she had no idea of how her future was going to change. On her first day at her new school she noticed a group of kids, the Cullens, and how beautiful yet secluded they were from the rest of the students. She was immediately drawn to one of them, Edward. She was fascinated by his beauty and elusiveness. It took him a while to begin talking to her, but from that moment on it was destiny that these two young lovers be together, but there were complications. It turns out that Edward is a vampire that was born in Chicago in 1901. He was dying of the Spanish Influenza when Carlisle found him in a hospital. Carlisle a vampire himmself, saved him from death by biting him and changing him to one of his own kind. He did the same with four other young kids and they soon became a family together. The Cullens were a special group of vampires because they all had agreed not to harm any humans, for the blood that they were required to get in order to survive. When Isabella learned of their secret, she accepted them and soon became a part of their pack. Everything was going great until one night they went to a field to play ball and another group of vampires caught her scent and decided they wanted to devour her. The Cullens immediately try to protect Isabella and they knew they would do anything they could to protect Edward's new love.
Twilight is the first book in Stephenie Meyer's series. This series is captivating right from the first page. Every reader will frantically turn the page dying to know what the future holds for this young couple. Although this gothic story about vampires and werewolves is strictly fantasy, the reader will no doubt be drawn into the highly believable characters and setting. Meyer creates strong, realistic qualities in each of the characters that superbly flows throughout the entire series. It is possible to know what each character feels, thinks, and sees so well that the reader will feel as if they are a part of the story themselves. The bond that forms between Edward and Bella is so real and so powerful that people will wish they could feel this themselves in their own lives. Although this book is 544 pages long, once beginning the first page you will never want the story to end. It will be a race to the library to get your hands on the next book. This book's intended audience is Young Adult, but older fans of vampire stories will fall in love with this series. This book is highly recommended for any young adult or older library.
When Isabella Swan moved from the sunny city of Phoenix to the gloomy and rainy town of Forks to be with her father, she had no idea of how her future was going to change. On her first day at her new school she noticed a group of kids, the Cullens, and how beautiful yet secluded they were from the rest of the students. She was immediately drawn to one of them, Edward. She was fascinated by his beauty and elusiveness. It took him a while to begin talking to her, but from that moment on it was destiny that these two young lovers be together, but there were complications. It turns out that Edward is a vampire that was born in Chicago in 1901. He was dying of the Spanish Influenza when Carlisle found him in a hospital. Carlisle a vampire himmself, saved him from death by biting him and changing him to one of his own kind. He did the same with four other young kids and they soon became a family together. The Cullens were a special group of vampires because they all had agreed not to harm any humans, for the blood that they were required to get in order to survive. When Isabella learned of their secret, she accepted them and soon became a part of their pack. Everything was going great until one night they went to a field to play ball and another group of vampires caught her scent and decided they wanted to devour her. The Cullens immediately try to protect Isabella and they knew they would do anything they could to protect Edward's new love.
Twilight is the first book in Stephenie Meyer's series. This series is captivating right from the first page. Every reader will frantically turn the page dying to know what the future holds for this young couple. Although this gothic story about vampires and werewolves is strictly fantasy, the reader will no doubt be drawn into the highly believable characters and setting. Meyer creates strong, realistic qualities in each of the characters that superbly flows throughout the entire series. It is possible to know what each character feels, thinks, and sees so well that the reader will feel as if they are a part of the story themselves. The bond that forms between Edward and Bella is so real and so powerful that people will wish they could feel this themselves in their own lives. Although this book is 544 pages long, once beginning the first page you will never want the story to end. It will be a race to the library to get your hands on the next book. This book's intended audience is Young Adult, but older fans of vampire stories will fall in love with this series. This book is highly recommended for any young adult or older library.
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