Picture This

When I was young, ever so long ago, my mother would read stories to us before bed and sometimes she would give us a sweet to suck on. I remember her reading a book about Siamese cats while we sucked on translucent blue mint hard candies. (I’m not sure they’re even manufactured anymore.) For years every time I saw a Siamese cat, the taste of those mints would flood my mouth.

Among other books, she also read us Winnie the Pooh and Wind in the Willows, not picture books, but full of wonderful illustrations. That is the early versions before Disney got his mitts on them. She also read from Robert Lewis Stephenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verse. This also had beautiful illustrations. One of my favorite poems from that collection is “Whatever’s the Matter with Mary Jane?” The illustration is of a five or six-year-old girl throwing a hissy fit; stamping her feet and scowling a mighty scowl, while her nanny watches with surprise and bemusement. The poem is “Whatever’s the matter with Mary Jane? She hasn’t an ache. She hasn’t a pain. And we’re having lovely rice pudding for dinner again.” Not sure that’s what made me not like rice pudding, but something sure did. Mother’s introducing me to world of words of words and visual art has served me well all these years.

So this blog entry is about picture books. I highly recommend Emma Dodd’s picture books, especially I Don’t Want a Posh Dog, or Scotti Cohn’s well written non-fiction picture books, especially those illustrated by Susan Detwiller. The first of those was One Wolf Howls, which is primarily a counting and calendar book.

Let me know what picture books are memorable to you.

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The first book on my list for this week is quite amusing and the illustrations really enhance the images.

 

Ella Kazoo will not Brush her Hair

Lee Fox

Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas

Ella has snarly, curly hair, which she does not like to have brushed. She throws away her hairbrush, hides in the cupboard, and roars at her mother “like a big, growly bear.” She whines and moans and howls. The next hairbrush her mother gets ends up hidden in various places, including under rocks in the garden. But Ella’s hair keeps growing and things get tangled up in it. Her hair grows down her back and along the floor and through the door. It tangles into everything and finally even Ella can stand it no more. Off to the hairdresser they go, who cuts off the tangles and tames the frizz. Now Ella brushes her hair without a fuss. Cute drawings and clever rhymes make this a story any child who’s had her scalp hurt when her hair is brushed will relate to. I liked the drawings of the hair with all the trash it’s picked up along the way.

BIBLIO: 2010 (orig. 2007,) Walker & Company, Ages 4 to 6, $15.99

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-8027-8836-8

ISBN: 978-0-8027-8755-2

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Next up is an anthropomorphic tale about an alligator’s wedding. Very silly, but with a sweet concept about getting along.

 

Alligator Wedding

Nancy Jewell

Illustrated by J. Rutland

The illustrations are what make this book. Mr. Alligator takes his bride on a warm summer night when the moon is bright. She is dressed in a gown of white moss and her head is crowned by a veil of cobweb. A turtle is the preacher and all the swamp critters gather round to witness and celebrate the wedding. Frogs and water rats and spiders and turtles sit happily by snakes and herons and lots of alligators to chow down on the wedding feast. Then they belch toasts to the new couple. The bride feeds her groom half the cake, served on the end of a long-handled rake. Soon the guests are dancing to tunes of the rock and roll band. They dance the Big Beast Boogie, the Reptile Romp, Gumbo Gator Gallop, and the Swampland Stomp. The bride’s bouquet is caught by a passing pelican, but no-one really cares. And when the honeymoon barge sinks under the weight of bride and groom, they shrug and swim off without it. I can see children, but more especially their parents, getting a kick out of this rhyming picture book, even though not all the rhymes are perfect.

BIBLIO: 2010, Henry Holt and Company, Ages 4 to 6, $16.99

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-8050-6819-1

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The last book is a non-fiction story of who eats what. It’s the kind of book that’s going make children squirm with the “eewies,” but want to read more.

 

What’s for Dinner? Quirky, Squirmy Poems from the Animal World

Katherine B. Hauth

Illustrated by David Clark

Creatures eat other creatures or plants. Each has its place in the food chain: butterfly drinks plant nectar and spreads pollen before being eaten by a lizard, which is then swallowed by a snake which is, in turn, swallowed by a road runner. Each has done its part in keeping our planet humming. Even the ugly vulture has a vital role to play by cleaning dead animals’ carcasses. Don’t be grossed out or squirmy by these poems; just enjoy the rhymes and drawings as you learn about who eats what. Remember you also must eat to stay alive and healthy. The poems tell about various critters—some large and some small—and what they eat. Take the wood turtle, for instance, that stomps on the ground to make worms pop up, or the archer fish that squirts flying insects with water and catches them as they fall. There is additional information in the back. The drawings will keep you from getting too much of the heebie-jeebies.

BIBLIO: 2011, Charlesbridge Publishing, Ages 8 to 10, $16.95.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-1-57091-471-3

ISBN: 978-1-57091-472-0

 

 

One last thing. I’m sorry to say I’ve been getting some spam comments on my blogs, so I’m going to start using a “robot detector” device to try to control the nasties out there who seem to have no other purpose in life than to annoy the rest of us.

 

Do You Miss Going to School?

          My answer to my question is: No, I do not miss school.  Life has been a much more interesting and informative school for me.          

         With some exceptions, I was not a good student until I got to college, and even then it took me a few years to really put my nose to the grind stone. I don’t take tests well and I prefer to learn on my own. Plus, I had a poor self image, which made me think that people wouldn’t like me. When I got to college I realized most everybody else was feeling shy and uncertain, so I started being the first one to speak in a group. Has anyone else had these experiences?

            The books for this week all have a theme of dealing with school. Hope you enjoy the selections and please let me know what you think.

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            The first entry is a picture book designed to teach children how to deal with the dynamics of making friends. I thought it was sweetly done.

 

First Day at Zoo School

Sarah Dillard

Illustrated by Sarah Dillard

            Amanda, the panda, is very excited about starting school, but Alfred, the alligator, is not. But Amanda changes her tune when she gets to the school yard. Except for her, everyone has a best friend. She’s sad until she sees Alfred standing by himself. Ah ha! A best friend for the panda. Alfred is not quite as happy about the whole thing, in part because Amanda calls him Gator, instead of Alfred, and in part because Amanda is very bossy. She loves to sit up front, but the alligator is sure he’s going to be called on by the teacher. At lunch he tries to hide, but Amanda finds him. The panda bosses Alfred all day long, but when she announces at the end of the school day that best friends always walk home together, alligator yells at her. He tells her he’s not walking from school with her and he’s not her best friend and his name is Alfred. Amanda is crushed and Alfred feels awful. The next day our panda friend is downhearted. She’s lost her spark, Amanda tells the teacher. She and Alfred don’t speak all day long, until the alligator worries about the panda hurting herself while hanging upside down from a tree. He tells her to come down because they can’t be best friends if her head bursts. And the two are best friends again, but good ones. The illustrations are funny in the right parts, especially when Amanda’s question while she’s hanging from the tree is written upside down. A good story to encourage children to be polite, caring and not bossy which children will want to read or hear over and over.

BIBLIO: 2014, Sleeping Bear Press, Ages 4 to 6, $14.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-1-5836-890-7

 

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            Children all have to learn to get along, either by speaking up for themselves against a bully or an overly bold child, or not being the bully or pushy child. This book gives many discussion points for teachers and students.

 

Willow Finds a Way

Lana Button

Illustrated by Tania Howells

      Like most children, Willow wishes she could say to “no” to bossy Kristabelle who wants everything to go her way. But like the other children in her class, Willow always caves to Kristabelle’s orders. When Kristabelle invites her classmates to her “fantastic” birthday party, Willow is overjoyed to be included. But soon, Kristabelle demands the children sit with her at snack time or they’ll be uninvited. She wants them to watch only what she is doing and to wear only pink, but when she decides she should be first in line when it’s not her turn, Mateo reminds her it’s his turn. He gets his name scratched off her list. Willow is upset by Kristabelle’s actions, but she doesn’t know how make her bossy classmate stop. Then Julian doesn’t wear pink and gets his name scratched off the list. Willow knows Kristabelle is being mean, but is too afraid to say so. After she frets about the problem more, she comes up with the solution. She picks up the birthday list and scratches off her own name. The other children gasp and then follow suit. No-one is coming to Kristabelle’s birthday party and then no-one sits with her a snack time or watches her do her amazing tricks on the jungle-gym and she stands at the end of the line. Willow declines a spot next to her friend Jane and stands with Kristabelle instead. Kristabelle apologizes and then whispers something to their teacher. Having learned her lesson, the no longer bossy girl rips up her invitation list and invites all her classmates to her party. She even says please. Children will relate to the problem in this sweetly told story and teachers can use it as a platform to talk about manners and behavior.

BIBLIO: 2013, Kids Can Press Ltd., Ages 5 to 8, $16.95.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-1-55453-842-3

 

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            We’re still in elementary school, be we’ve advanced to the fourth grade in this book. The theme is to learn to get along and forgive.

 

Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: Blast from the Past

Meg Cabot

      Allie is now in fourth grade at a new school and trying to prove herself responsible enough to own a cell phone—after all she’s saved a total $36 from doing chores and helping her neighbors. Her parents say the rule is she could have her own cell phone in sixth grade, if she’s proved herself responsible by not losing things or not leaving her coat and book bag on the floor. Two whole years away! Plus she has other things to worry about: her cat, Mewsie, is hiding in a hole in the wall of her brother’s room; her wonderful teacher is probably getting married and moving away; and she has to go on a boring field trip and share the bus with the kids from her old school—including her ex-best friend, Mary Kate, who is now hanging out with the snobby “cool” girls. Turns out the field trip isn’t as boring as Allie thought; her teacher is getting married, but not moving; Mary Kate is now her friend again, sort of; Mewsie leaves the hole on his own; and Mom says Allie may have cell phone in fifth grade. Allie is a spunky girl and her antics are amusing, but she sure is repetitive. I’m not sure we readers need to be reminded in each chapter of how obnoxious Mary Kate has been, or that Allie’s teacher’s boyfriend threw rocks at the school window, or that Allie missed going on the last field trip because of Mary Kate.

BIBLIO: 2010, Scholastic Press/Scholastic, Inc., Ages 7 to 9, $15.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Middle Reader

ISBN: 978-0-545-04048-8

 

Up for magic and evil and humor? You might like these stories.

            Life is full of inexplicable occurrences, scary-but-intriguing events, and seemingly magical moments. So this week’s blog includes books that incorporate at least one of these traits. Too frequently, I’ve had psychic experiences where I seem to know what’s going to happen before it does. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for each instance, but maybe it’s more fun to buy into the theory of psychic powers. I hope you enjoy the reviews and, as always, I’d love the read your comments.

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            But, on another note, we still seem to be having racially-motivated violence in this country and we are coming up on another anniversary of the murder of four young girls in Sunday School. Please reread my interview of Carole Boston Weatherford and her description of her book about the day those girls died.

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            The first book today is a wonderful take on good and evil, with plenty of intrigue thrown in.

 

Consumed

Kate Cann

      Rayne has been caught up in the evil power of Morton’s Keep since she came to work at the tea shop two and half months ago. She had left home to get away from family drama and fell into much more evil drama. When the story opens she thinks the evil has been contained and that she’s safe, with even a new boyfriend in the making. The boyfriend part has its ups and downs, but the evil part just keeps getting bigger. Plus many of the townspeople think Rayne has special powers to save the town from the evil. Morton’s Keep is an ancient manor house originally owned by man who could conjure of nasty spirits and other terrifying entities and his true believers have tried to restore his evil through themselves. The Watchers work to protect the Keep and town from such evil by lighting bonfires at the points surrounding the area which would depict a six-sided star. Rayne’s new boyfriend is a watcher and fire dancer, which makes her wonder whether he really is interested in her or is just using her special powers. The Keep’s present owner hires a new, female, manager, who convinces him to embrace the building’s storied dark mysteries. He is smitten by her as things turn darker and scarier. Soon Rayne realizes she’s the key to saving everyone and uses her powers to find the missing link which will let the Watchers capture the evil presence for good. Other than feeling the story took place 14th Century England, when people didn’t have cell phones, and is a sequel to an earlier book, the book is enjoyable. I never did figure out how old Rayne is, since sometimes she seems like a teenager, but people give her alcoholic beverages to drink on several occasions.

BIBLIO: 2009, Point/Scholastic, Inc., Ages 14 +, $16.99

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-545-26388-7

 

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            The second book is not only a fantasy, there’s a mystery involved.

 

Departure Time

Truus Matti

Translated by Nancy Forest-Flier

      An eleven year old girl seeks shelter in an old, run-down hotel run by a fox—who is also the chef—and a rat—who is also the handyman. The rat is immediately angry with the girl, who can’t remember her name or where she’s from and can’t understand why the rat is so abrupt with her. That’s the first thread of the story; the other is of another eleven year old whose father died in an accident which he wouldn’t have had if he’d been home for her birthday. The two stories slowly begin to intertwine, until the reader realizes the part with the talking animals is a story written by the father. Another girl is hiding in the hotel and playing the piano. She is the orphaned girl, I think. I liked this book and think older teens would find it intriguing, but I can’t fathom any eleven year old I know understanding it. It’s one of the books I’d like to read in the original Dutch, if only I knew the language. The writing is stellar and the story compelling.

BIBLIO: 2010, (orig. 2009,) Namelos/Lemniscaat, Ages 14 +, $18.95

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-1-60898-087-1

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            Up for a not so wonderful fairy godparent? You’ll most decidedly get a kick out of this one.

 

Extraordinary: The True Story of My Fairy Godparent, Who Almost Killed Me, and Certainly Never Made Me a Princess

Adam Selzer

      Turns out it’s not cool to have a book written about you, if the author makes people believe things that didn’t happen. Instead of turning her into a princess, Jennifer Van Den Berg’s fairy godparent—a disheveled, grumpy elf named Gregory Grue—grants her wishes, but they come with a price or she’ll die. Along the journey, Jennifer learns there are other ways to control one’s anger than smashing dollar-store ceramic figurines. Her favorite guy friend suddenly reappears in her suburb of Des Moines, but is being chased by his parents who want him to become a vampire like them. So she has to save him. Her fairy godmofo, Gregory, is a mess and tangles Jennifer’s life webs into ever more intricate knots. All kinds of supernatural creatures surface in the story; the school counselor is a vampire. Scenes from the fictitious book of her life preface each chapter of the book Jennifer is writing. This is an amusing book, lightheartedly written to prove life is indeed no fairy tale.

BIBLIO: 2011, Delacorte/Random House Children’s Books/Random House, Inc., Ages 14 to 18, $15.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-385-73649-7

ISBN: 978-0-385-90612-8

ISBN: 978-0-375-98358-0

 

What would our lives be like without animals?

     I’m yet again revising my MG novel, Emily’s Ride to Courage, so I thought I’d do a blog on books that have animals being key to the plot. I’m fond of most animals, though yappy little dogs are not my favorites and I’m not sure I’d care to cuddle with a reptile. Some little dogs are not yappy and consider themselves to be worthy companions. My husband and I owned a horse farm for 20 some years which gave me a chance to observe snakes. I marvel at their agility and can even see the beauty in their markings. It’s amazing to watch snakes climb almost straight up a tree. So here are my entries for today. No snakes included, so don’t get all creeped out me and go high-stepping away, shaking your arms and squealing, “Eeewww!”

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     Alison writes lots of horse books and has good knowledge of her subject. I enjoy reading her books. Did you read all the horse books you could get your hands on when you were young? Do you still read them? I did and I do. Any of you guys out there ride horses?

Whirlwind

Alison Hart

      Jasmine Schuler is in foster care because she attacked Hugh Robicheaux with a hoof pick. But Robicheaux had just accused Jas’ grandfather of killing Whirlwind, a valuable mare, by giving her yew to munch on. Her grandfather suffers a heart attack, leaving Jasmine nowhere to go. And Jasmine is sure of the truth—Hugh is the culprit. She is relieved to discover that Whirlwind is not dead; that a look-a-like, but less valuable horse, was poisoned instead; for the insurance money. At first Jas is not keen on being in foster care, but when she ends up at horse rescue farm run by the no-nonsense Miss Hahn, things begin to look up. She still has to wear a tracking anklet because she attacked her nemesis, but she does have some freedom. The insurance company decides to prosecute the evil Robicheaux and needs Jasmine’s help in finding the real Whirlwind. Plus, the good looking Chase seems to have an interest in her and her problems. The book, a sequel to Shadow Horse, is fast paced with death threats and intrigue, plus a little romance thrown in for good measure. Horse lovers will enjoy all the horse talk and other readers will enjoy the mystery and romance.

BIBLIO: 2010, Laurel-Leaf/Random House Children’s Books/Random House, Ages 12 +, $7.99

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-375-86005-8  

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     Cats are frequently not treated with the same respect as dogs. Perhaps it’s because our feline friends can be more standoffish than our canine friends. But I had a cat when I lived in Brasil, who put her new born kittens on my chest, so I could keep them warm. The ultimate gesture of trust as far as I’m concerned. Unfortunately, the kittens were still born, but that moment has stuck with me for more than 40 years. Do you have a favorite animal memory?

A Cat like That

Wendy Wahman

Illustrated by Wendy Wahman

      An elegant, whimsical cat happily teaches young people how to be his best friend. Play games that let Mr. Cat jump and pounce and claw and hide. Yelling at him won’t make Cat your friend. But stroking him softly from head to tail for a few times and under his chin or behind his ears will keep him purring. Especially scratching him at the base of his tail will bring him back for more. Mr. Cat’s best friend would never try to tickle his tummy; that’s what dogs are for. Cat does not like to be dropped, because he might not land on his feet. Nor will he be your best friend if you drag him from here to there. The illustrations perfectly set the stage in this wonderful book on how to treat a cat . The look of long-suffering displeasure as the poor cat is being dragged along is priceless. And the book is full of many helpful hints on how to get a cat to love you. A must for any household planning to include a cat.

BIBLIO: 2011, Henry Holt and Company, LLC, Ages 4 to 8, $16.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-8050-8942-4

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     I love reading or hearing folk stories from other cultures, don’t you? Learning about other customs and languages just makes my day. It’s such a wide world, in some ways, with so many different ways to tell the same things; reading about other peoples just enhances life for all of us.

Busy-Busy Little Chick

Janice N. Harrington

Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

      This is a charming retelling of a Central African story with lots of African words and sounds sprinkled throughout the narrative. Mr. Pinkney’s simple, but enchanting, illustrations set the story off beautifully. Mama Nsoso loves her chicks very much and knows she should make a better nest, ilombe, for them so they won’t have cold, wet bottoms at night. She promises each night that she will make a better nest, but the following day she gets distracted. Day by day, tee-tee-tee, busy-busy Little Chick gathers the grass and twigs and leaves and mud until he has enough to make a new nest. One with smooth mud sides to keep the wind out. One with a grass roof to keep the rain out. One with a nest made of clean, fresh leaves to keep the chicks warm and safe. Mama Nsoso pruck, pruck, prucks with pride for Little Chick, but he doesn’t even care. He’s too busy chasing cricky-cracky crickets. The special words are from the Nkundo people who speak Lonkundo and are very descriptive of the actions mentioned. Children and their parents will enjoy reading this book again and again.

BIBLIO: 2013, Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, Ages 3 to 5, $15.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-374-34746-8

Changing Weather

            The east coast of North Carolina was inundated with rain this past weekend—much more than usual. On an eastern peninsula jutting out along the Neuse River south of New Bern, we got 5.85” of rain from Friday, August 1st through Monday, August 4th. That’s a lot of rain! It flooded the areas behind and to the side of our house, making a lake aptly dubbed Swan Lake by our neighbors. The geese, frogs and lizards are all happy at the moment; you can’t hear yourself think if you venture out at night because of the noise.

            All the rain made me think about why the weather patterns have changed so much over the past few decades, which prompted me to present reviews of books about the environmental events on our planet.

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           Being the fair-skinned, scaredy-cat that I am, lying on the beach under a broiling sun, covered with sunblock pasted with sand is not my idea of fun. And, though I like to walk along the beach at surf edge, I’m not fond of being bowled over by waves, so you’d think I’d just stay away. But, as far as I’m concerned, the best way in the world to fall asleep is being lulled by the shush of gentle surf and the salty warmth of an ocean breeze.

 

100 Things You Should Know about the Seashore

Steve Parker

Consultant: Camilla de la Bedoyere

            Did you know there are seashores all over the planet—from pole to pole and every where in between? Each seashore has its own ecosystem of plants and animals. Where the salty ocean meets the land affects the terrain and type of beach. This book gives brief, but good, descriptions of the various types of environments. For instance, several bits of information describe how the action of the waves eats away at the land and there is a simple experiment to try which help the reader visualize the erosion in action. The sidebars scattered through the book give extra information, but perhaps should have been titled differently—“I Don’t Believe It!” lends an air of doubt to the information. The data is divided into sections dealing with the coastal land, battle between land and sea, types of coastline, ecosystems and people’s affect on shorelines. It is our job to protect the land and sea on our planet and we’re not doing a great job. The experiments scattered through out the book are interesting and helpful. The graphics and photos are clear and helpful, making the book a useful tool in tweaking students’ interest in marine studies, but bibliography, even a short one, would help. This is one of fifteen “100 Things You Should Know…” books exploring various subjects, including mythology and legends.

BIBLIO: 2011 (orig. 2010,) Mason Crest Publishers Inc., Ages 8 to 12, $19.95.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan; www.sarahsbookreflections.com

FORMAT: Middle Reader

ISBN: 978-1-4222-2006-1

ISBN: 978-1-4222-1993-5

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            When we lived in Jacksonville, Alabama, the main shopping town was about 10 miles away. The highway to it was a straight shot to Anniston, but we had to pass south of Pell City—tornado central for the part of Alabama. One summer evening I was driving our four children to Anniston during a thunderstorm and just as we passed south of Pell City, the sky turned solar-eclipse black and what sounded like a high-speed train roared overhead. Sure enough, the next thing we heard on the radio was that Pell City had been by yet another tornado. That’s as close as I ever want to get to one.

Anatomy of a Tornado

Terri Dougherty

            The natural world of our planet is capable of many awe-inspiring, fearful events and a tornado is among the most amazing occurrences. This book is part of a series discussing disasters and starts with photos and a description of a tornado’s destructive force. (It really does sound like a fast-moving train roaring overhead.) Tornadoes need certain storm conditions to form, which are clearly and graphically described through the use of illustrations and highlighted explanations. There is also a clever experiment using a role of paper towels to let the reader comprehend how a tornado develops. Concise photos of tornadic activity from start to finish give good visual understanding of the storm’s shape. The book also explains away myths about twisters and shows ways of staying safe during a tornado. These destructive forces can occur anywhere and at any time, although they tend to be more prevalent at certain times of the day and year. Photos of the devastation caused by a tornado are breath taking. The book is a good jumping off point for a science teacher’s discussion of weather and its affects on humans and the planet.

BIBLIO: 2011, Velocity/Capstone Press, Ages 8 +, $30.65.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan; www.sarahsbookreflections.com

FORMAT: Middle Reader

ISBN: 978-1-4296-5494-4

ISBN: 978-1-4296-6281-9

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            Volcanoes are amazing and probably thrilling as well as scary to witness. My father once had a story rejected because the editor didn’t believe Daddy’s description of a volcanic eruption. Having spent a number of years in Hawaii growing up, he, of course, witnessed several eruptions and probably knew more about it than the editor.

Volcano Alert!

Paul Challen

            Some people spend their whole lives keeping an eye on the “sleeping giant” hovering over their land. Some volcanoes erupt with regularity, flinging molten rock high in the air or oozing a steady stream down the mountain side. Others, like Mount St. Helen in Oregon, slumber for more than a century before erupting. There are a lot of interesting tidbits of information tucked into this brief overview of volcanic activity and many of the photos are spectacular. Plus, who wouldn’t want to make a volcano? The reader will learn about the four types of volcanoes, the type of rock they make and myths related to why volcanoes erupt. The word volcano comes from the Roman myth that their god Vulcan sent up molten rock and metal as he worked at his forge making weapons. Volcanoes coat everything in their paths with ash or lava, destroying villages and trees, but they also are responsible for building new islands in some parts of the world. Although the reader might be inspired to learn more after reading this Guided Reading Level Q book, there is no bibliography except for a couple of websites.

BIBLIO: 2011, Crabtree Publishing Company, Ages 8 to 10, $8.95.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan; www.sarahsbookreflections.com

FORMAT: Chapter Book

ISBN: 978-0-7787-1595-5

ISBN: 978-0-7787-1628-0

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            Even though we had a lot of rain this past weekend, my husband’s California family has been suffering from a 3-year drought. Whatever you think about what’s causing the changed weather patterns, we all need to be aware that changes are occurring and take care with how we manage our resources. This last book is about conserving water. There is, after all, a finite supply.

Water Wise

Alison Hawes

            One in a series of books put out by Crabtree Connections teaching about history, medicine and the environment among other things, this brief paperback discusses water and the ways we can use it more wisely. For instance, only 3% of all water on our planet is drinkable, yet people routinely waste gallons while brushing their teeth or watering the lawn—especially people in wealthy countries. People in poor countries frequently have improper sanitation and can get deadly diseases such as cholera or dysentery because their water supplies are polluted. The book contains much useful information, but nothing really entices middle-grade children to care. Perhaps relating water shortages to lack of a swimming pool or only being able to wash one’s hair or taking a full bath once a week with water the whole family has to share, would give children more of an appreciation for the water problems the world is facing. Simple experiments would also drive the point home. However, teachers will certainly find value in using the information as a starting point in discussing the Earth’s water resources.

BIBLIO: 2011, Crabtree Publishing Company, Age 8 to 12, $8.95.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan; www.sarahsbookreflections.com

FORMAT: Middle Reader

ISBN: 978-0-7787-9925-2

ISBN: 978-0-7787-9904-7

 

 

 

 

 

Growing up is hard to do.

Linda Vigen Phillips new book, Crazy, is due out in October and, judging from the trailer, it’s gonna be a spell binder. CRAZY (Eerdmans/October 2014)

http://www.lindavigenphillips.com

 

She asked me if I would be willing to review it, which made me think that maybe I could do that for others of you who would like to have reviews done. If you like the way I review books, please feel free to contact me. See if you can get an ARC copy, so I can get the review out ahead of time. But do understand that I might not be all positive about your book. I’m also open for doing interviews. The one I did with Carole Weatherford is about a year old, but will give you an idea of what I can do. Carole gave me a list of questions and answer from which to pick, but I can stretch my mind and come up with questions on my own, if you’d prefer.

 

If you’re wondering how I have all these books to review. They are sent to me by Emily Griffith who owns a firm that provides book reviews for the Children’s Literature Database. She sends me 5 books at a time, usually once a month, and after I’m through reading them I send the reviews as attachment to an email. It’s a good way for me to see what’s being published and what the marketing department thinks will sell. I get to keep the books. Check out the database at http://www.clcd.com/about/index.php

 

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Now on to this week’s reviews:

 

Family dynamics are very complex, as we all know, and are exacerbated by our own insecurities or arrogance. And that’s from a 73 year old woman, who has had a lot of years to trying to figure the dynamics out. But try remembering back to when you were a teenager. How did you feel about your family and yourself back then? Probably lots different, huh? The three books I picked for this blog entry include stories of kids navigating life as a teen. Hope you find them interesting.

 

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I hope most of you have not mourned a dead sibling when you were still a child. My children and my sister’s children have, so I know how much it hurts. This story has a powerful impact.

 

Adios, Nirvana

Conrad Wesselhoeft

      Jonathan’s twin brother, whom he calls Tellamachus or Telly, died last year during their sophomore year in high school when they thought they were on the top of the world and he can’t deal with it. So he’s in jeopardy of flunking his junior year. His friends, whom he calls his thicks, are trying to help him sort things out, as is his high school principal, Gupti R. Jacobson, PhD. Last year he won a major poetry award, but he dismisses that as a fluke. Telly was the talented one; a standout guitar player and skateboard rider. Jonathan was happy being his shadow. But now he’s floundering. Gupti and Jonathan’s English teacher, Dr. Robert Bramwell (a.k.a. Birdwell) team up to get him to believe in himself and in living. Birdwell gets him a job ghost writing an elderly World War II veteran’s war story and Gupti insists he perform a song from the wimpy rock group she likes. Reluctantly, Jonathan begins to relate with the world again and, with the help of all the people who believe in him, he starts to believe in himself. This is well written book about surviving life’s hurts and learning to thrive despite the pain.

BIBLIO: 2010, Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Ages 14 +, $16.00.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-547-36895-5

 

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I’ve also reviewed the sequel to this book and have gotten fonder of the characters.

The sequel is: Ask Amy Green: Dancing Daze

 

Ask Amy Green: Boy Trouble

Sarah Webb

      First off the title bugs me. Although thirteen year-old Amy Green helps out, she is not the advice columnist—her seventeen year-old Aunt Clover is. Plus the book really isn’t just about boy troubles; in fact it is more about finding one’s place in the world and not judging people without getting to know them. Amy is not in any particular group in her Irish school, but her best friend, Mills, has started hanging around with a wannabe popular girl named Sophie who tries to leave Amy out of the group. So Amy ends up not having in real friends in school until she gets to know Seth, who is in her art class. He is reticent about making friends because of comments he’s heard Amy’s friends say about him. But they do eventually start dating. Amy does have a chaotic home life having to frequently babysit her toddler half-brother and infant half-sister and deal with her mother’s partner. She also is having a hard time dealing with her father’s new wife, Shelley. Amy doesn’t know they’ve gotten married until after they announce their going to have a baby. Plus, Shelley pushes Amy’s dad to do things that were supposed to include Amy, like get a puppy, but then does snarky things like commandeer Amy’s bedroom for the baby. In the end, with the help of Aunt Clover and Seth, Amy learns to rise above the petty stuff and restore peace to her family. Clover seemed a bit too wise for her young age and I don’t believe girls really use words like “fave” and “fab” with regularity. It was nice the author provided a glossary of Irish teens’ terms.

BIBLIO: 2010 (Orig. 2009,) Candlewick Press, Ages 12 +, $16.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan         

FORMAT: Young Adult          

ISBN: 978-0-7636-5006-3

 

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Sometimes unappealing main characters can have merit, if they learn from their mistakes.

 

Swoon at Your Own Risk

Sydney Salter

      Seventeen year-old Polly Martin is a brain, but also obsessed with boys and dating. She agreed to take a summer job at the local water park, because her now ex-boyfriend wanted her to work where he does. She has a tendency to passively agree to do things others want her to do, but generally ends up ruing her decisions. She’s angry with her father, who left the family for another woman; young woman. And now Polly’s mom is working as a waitress at the local hamburger hangout. Plus Grandma, a.k.a. Miss Swoon, the world renowned advice columnist, is going to be living with them, so Polly has to share her younger sister Grace’s room. Polly is so caught up in her own self; she doesn’t see the problems the rest of her family’s having. I found her to be a very unsympathetic, selfish character. She’s so self-centered; she doesn’t understand why her best friend won’t speak to her anymore. She can’t even see that Xander, the kid down the street, has turned into a handsome and caring young man. But in the end Polly does come to an understanding of who she really is and what the others around her need from her. There is humor in the story and teens will relate to Polly’s struggles for self understanding.

BIBLIO: 2010, Graphia/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co., Ages 14 to 18, $8.99

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-15-206649-9

 

 

Death and children–not as dark as you might think

Since I’m on my way to Buffalo, NY, for my sister’s memorial service, death and how we deal with it are on my mind. Thank goodness I have my husband and children as rods I can lean against and I do have the memories of my sister’s bravery and humor in dealing with her long battle against breast cancer. So I will channel those feelings and remember the good times. May you have courage and love in whatever sorrows you may face in your lives.

 

This first book is a powerful read and well written. Enjoy.

 

Torn Away

Jennifer Brown

            Just as she ‘s about to finish her junior year in high school, Jersey Cameron’s whole life is blown away when a massive tornado wipes out a large swath of her Missouri town. Her mother and younger sister, Marin, die and then her stepfather, Ronnie, ships her off to her biological father and her paternal grandparents whom she has never met. Her remarried birth father has twin daughters who are cruel to Jersey. She sleeps on the screen porch of her grandparents’ seriously overcrowded house. With the exception of her aunt, who lives in the house with her two out-of-control sons, everyone is mean to her and very unaccepting. Then she learns her parents didn’t separate in the way she had always been told; that her mother wasn’t as truthful as she could have been. Eventually she is foisted off on to her also unknown maternal grandparents, but by now is so hurt and angry and guilt-ridden for ignoring Marin, she is rude. Since her mother told her lies about them she is surprised to discover they are good people who just want to help her heal. The description of Jersey’s surviving the storm all alone in the basement of her house is electrifying and her struggle to survive the pain and suffering she endures is emotionally powerful. The book is a good read and the characters are well defined.

BIBLIO: 2014, Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group, Ages 13 +, $18.00.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-316-24553-1

ISBN: 978-0-316-24551-7

 

Because her father’s reaction to her mother’s drug death leaves Emma pretty much a hostage, I included this book because of the message that the death of one person affects those around her.

 

Afterparty

Ann Redisch Stampler

     The reader might say Emma Lazar is held in “protective custody” by her father, who doesn’t want his daughter to turn out like her mother—a dead addict found behind a convenience store with a needle in her now lifeless arm. And Emma has had to give up a lot: her name, Amélie; her country, Quebec, Canada; her native language, French; and her religion, Judaism. But keeping a teenage girl from going to parties or out with friends or other normal adolescent behavior generally causes rebellion. So when Emma and Dad move to L.A. for his new job and her new fancy prep school, the girl goes wild. The first day of school she meets Siobhan Lynch, who is already past wild into dangerous and she leads Emma to over-the-top behavior. She tries to resist, but is sucked into “not-a-good-girl-anymore” behavior. Siobhan makes up a French boyfriend for Emma, supposedly to protect her from snarky remarks by the school’s mean girls. Of course, this keeps the school’s hottest guy, Dylan, from showing an interest in Emma. At Siobhan’s prodding, Emma’s behavior is increasingly dangerous. She sneaks out her bedroom window, frequently drinks too much, and tries drugs. Siobhan needles Emma into losing her virginity. By the time the notorious prom “Afterparty” rolls around, Siobhan has made Emma promise that if they aren’t ecstatically happy at the party, they should jump off the roof of the hotel. When Siobhan drags her to the roof, Emma resists her friend’s attempt to push over her over the side. Siobhan jumps over herself and survives. Siobhan refuses to be Emma’s friend, because she didn’t keep her promise to jump. This is a cautionary tale for both parents and children.

BIBLIO: 2014, Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division/Simon & Schuster, Inc., Ages 14 +. $17.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-1-4424-2324-4

 

Though a bit outlandish, this book does have the good message that those of us who remain living after the death of someone dear to us must learn to move on. Holding on to the past does no one any good.

 

Cold Kiss

Amy Garvey

      Wren inherited magical powers from her mother and grandmother. If she’s angry, things tend to catch on fire or be hurled across the room by using the energy in her body. But Wren gets carried away when her boyfriend, Danny, dies in a car crash. She misses him so much, she casts a spell and brings him out of his grave, but not really back to life. Obviously, Danny must stay out of sight—most people freak out around the “undead.” Wren soon learns the Danny she brought back isn’t the Danny she loved and soon he begins to chafe at being stuck in a garage attic. Her two best girl friends are bewildered, hurt, and then angry about Wren’s refusal to hang out with them, but she can’t let them in on the secret and she can’t leave Danny alone too much. Plus her mother is being closed mouthed about their powers, which frustrates Wren, especially when she sees her younger sister, Robin, beginning to develop powers of her own. To top off her miseries, Wren is befriended by Gabriel—a new boy in school—who happens to have psychic powers of his own and for whom she begins to fall. She finally realizes the selfish mistake she made by bringing Danny back as he begins to remember more about his death and searches out a new spell to put him back in his grave. The book is a good read, with a compelling narrative and plenty of angst. It could be a good jumping off point for a philosophical discussion of what is life and is there a soul, not to mention how to deal with death.

BIBLIO: 2011, Harper/Teen/HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 12 +, $17.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-06-199622-1

 

Again, please feel free to leave me your comments. Thanks for reading me. Sarah

Happy Summer

This may show up twice because I’m having trouble getting this blog to load on my site.  So just read it once, unless it thrills you so much you just have to read it again.

Anyway, I do hope everyone is having a happy summer and not getting flooded out, dried out, blown away, or burned out.  Time on the beach or in the pool or in the garden or on the golf course or paddling up the river is a good thing, so do try to get some of that in. Ride a horse in the woods and cool off your soul with the beauty of the woods and the serenity of being with a special companion.  Take the dog for a long walk and a swim in the river.  Wherever you are, be sure to have at least on book along for company. 

For this post I included books that take place in the summer or include summer time activities.   Hope you enjoy them.

I do not recommend this first book except as a cautionary tale of why you shouldn’t let your daughters spend time in ritzy resort towns without supervision.

Beach Lane: Summer Fun in the Hamptons!

Melissa de la Cruz

      If you like books about “Barbie Doll” spoiled brat, teenage girls, this is the book for you. Originally published as The Au Pairs, it is told from the points of view of three girls who take jobs as Au Pairs to a family of wealthy children whose parents really can’t be bothered with them. Eliza Thompson is used to summer in the Hamptons, but only as a member of the elite. Now, thanks to her father’s bank fraud disgrace, she has to take the bus from her new home in Buffalo to be the hired help. Her parents wouldn’t even buy her a plane ticket. Mara Waters is used to scrimping and thrilled to be out of Sturbridge for the summer, even if her boyfriend, Jim, was scalding mad that she was going. Jacarei (Jacqui) Velasco is from São Paolo and is quite used to picking up older men to help her on her journey. The girls get to the Hamptons and meet at their employers’ house. Although the girls do adjust their views of the world a bit during the summer, Eliza and Jacqui stay pretty much the same throughout the book—obsessed with pretty clothes and pretty boys. Mara learns to salivate over the same things. She and Eliza do try to take care of their four charges, but Jacqui conveniently comes up missing when any real work is to be done. This book will do nicely if you want to encourage your teen daughters to drink, smoke and have sex.

BIBLIO: 2013 (orig. 2004,) Simon & Schuster BFYR/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division/Simon & Schuster, Inc., Ages 14 +, $9/99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-1-4424-7409-3

ISBN: 978-1-4391-0765-2

 

The second book has to do with scuba diving and treasure hunting, which many people do on vacation.

In Too Deep

Coert Voorhees

      Annie Fleet loves scuba diving, history and searching for treasure, which makes her feel even more out of place at the fancy private school she attends in Los Angeles, California. She’s surrounded by very wealthy kids, who, if not actors themselves, are the children of actors. Annie goes there because her father teaches there. She is going on a community service/treasure hunt to Mexico and the hottest guy in school, Josh Rebstock, is also going. The community service bit is hardly worth mentioning as far as Annie’s concerned and since she’s not much of a party girl, she’s bored with the after-work-hours drinking. Finally, they’re done with the community service part of their trip and on to the treasure hunt. Unfortunately, Annie is left for dead by her diving partner after she recovers a clue to the famed Golden Dragon, but makes it to the surface in tact. The rest of the story follows Annie and Josh trying to find the treasure and out wit the bad guys. It’s a rollicking good story with well drawn characters and lots of excitement. Teachers can use it as a jumping off point for history, social values or science.

BIBLIO: 2013, Hyperion/Disney Book Group, Ages 14 +, $16.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-1-4231-4035-1

     

The last book is a good tale of learning to stand up for yourself and why it’s good not to lie.

The League

Thatcher Heldring

      Eighth-grader, Wyatt Parker, wishes he was macho enough to not be picked on. Plus, he wishes the girl next door, Evan Robinson, would get romantic feelings towards him instead of the hulky quarterback, who seems to be all muscles and self-assurance. Still Wyatt’s at the movies with Evan and the quarterback isn’t. But Wyatt decides he’ll go out for summer football, so he can toughen up. Only problem, his dad has signed him up for golf camp, so they can play golf more often. Wyatt doesn’t even really like golf, but he’s not used to going behind his parents’ backs. And his best friend, Francis, is psyched about going to the golf camp also and hanging out with Wyatt. Wyatt’s younger sister, Katie, is also very excited about going to the camp. Older brother Aaron, introduces Wyatt to the “League of Pain,” a no holds barred, tackle football league that plays in a secluded part of the community’s sports park. His father won’t let him out of the golf camp, so he lies about it, telling the camp he’s going to a space camp instead. Then he hurts Francis’ feelings by not even calling to say he won’t be going to the professional golf tournament they have tickets for. Wyatt does get more muscular and more respected by the end of the two-week long league. Along the way, he discovers that telling lies and being deceptive really aren’t cool. He also learns that he can stand up for himself without giving in or being a bully. This is an engaging story, with good characters and could be useful in classroom discussions about bullying and self-esteem. There could have been a bit more effort to explain why the parents don’t seem to want much to do with their older son.

BIBLIO: 2013. Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s Books/Random House, Inc., Ages 13 to 17, $15.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-385-74181-1

ISBN: 978-0-375-99025-0

ISBN: 978-0-375-98713-7

Whatever you do this summer have a good time and wear sunblock.  Talk to you soon.  Sarah

 

 

 

Four young girls died during a cowardly church bombing in Birmingham, AL

Carole Boston Weatherford, guest blogger

 http://cbweatherford.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/snapshot_20120928_42.jpgWere you alive in 1963?  At an age where you could understand the horrors of racism?  Were you picked on just because of the color of your skin or the shape of your nose or how curly your hair was?

     This still happens in 2013, but not to the extent it did in 1963 and before.  At least I hope so, though we do have the idiocy of Trayvon Martin’s encounter with deadly force just because he was sauntering down a street in his own neighborhood in a hoodie.  Even I, a 72-year-old, faded, red-headed woman, wear hoodies.  Do you think I would have been challenged?

      Before 1963, African-Americans were tormented, beaten, hanged, barred from restaurants, drinking from the same water fountains or using the same bathrooms as whites, just because of their skin color.

       In her powerful book, Birmingham, 1963, Carole Boston Weatherford tells us the story of four young girls  who lost their lives because they were at church when cowardly men blew up the building.  Below, she answers questions about her journey to writing this book.  Sarah

 

Why did you decide to write this book?

I don’t want young people to forget the sacrifices made in America’s freedom struggle. I’ve written a few books with that mission. One is even titled Remember the Bridge. In Birmingham, 1963, I offer an elegy to the four girls who were killed in the church bombing: Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley.

Discuss your research/creative process.

After writing Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins, I wanted to tackle another watershed event in the Civil Rights Movement. I chose the church bombing because, at the time, there was not children’s book devoted to the subject. The death of the four girls turned the tide of public opinion against white supremacists and the systemic racism that they avowed.

I began research using primary sources in the Birmingham Public Library collection. I read newspaper accounts of the event, viewed news photos, and read responses by President John F. Kennedy and the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. I also referred to secondary sources. An article that interviewed the girls’ families helped me to humanize and personalize the victims.

From the start, I used poetry to tell the story. My early drafts in third person, however, lacked immediacy. So I decided on historical fiction and created a fictional first-person narrator. To layer the plot a bit, I set the action on the anonymous narrator’s tenth birthday. For rhythm and resonance, I employed repetition: “The year I turned ten…”; and “The day I turned ten….” What would have been a childhood milestone, she remembers instead for violence.

(Here the narrator tells us of trying to flee the bombed church.)

Smoke clogged my throat, stung my eyes.

As I crawled past crumbled plaster, broken glass,

Shredded Bibles and wrecked chairs—

Yelling Mama! Daddy!—scared church folk

Ran every which way to get out.

Discuss the book’s “In Memoriam” section.

The book has two sections: a longer opening poem with a first person narrator is followed by four short “In Memoriam” poems—one about each of the four girls. The tributes read like incantations. I could not have written this book without honoring Cynthia, Denise, Carole and Addie Mae. I felt that it was important to spotlight their individuality. I did so by revealing their pastimes, personalities and passions. I tried to show not only who they were but who they might have become. In May 2013, the four girls were posthumously awarded Congressional Gold Medals.

What do the commonplace items represent on the verso pages?

But Mama allowed me my first sip of coffee

And Daddy twirled me around the kitchen

In my patent leather cha-cha heels.

 

Another passage mentions “coins for the offering plate.” These details led the amazing designer Helen Robinson to ask for a list of everyday items that the anonymous narrator might own. I thought back to my childhood in the Sixties.  Armed by my list, Robinson had the text on verso pages overprint such props as barrettes, bracelets, Barbie doll clothes, birthday candles, 45 records, jacks, an eraser, embroidered white gloves, lace-trimmed socks, pencils, and a puffed heart locket. The commonplace items symbolize youthful innocence and serve as historical touchstones.

Do you have a favorite passage from the poem?

The last stanza is my favorite.

The day I turned ten,

There was no birthday cake with candles;

Just cinders, ash, and a wish I were still nine.

 

Didn’t the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. speak at the girls’ funeral?

Yes, Dr. King delivered the eulogy. He called the girls “martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity.” Read the entire eulogy here.

Thanks, Carole, and thanks for including the links listed below for those who wish to learn more about your book and the history of the Civil Rights era.

 

How are you marking the 50th anniversary of the church bombing?

This fall, I am offering free Skype visits to schools that read Birmingham, 1963.

Links to Classroom Resources

Free Film Kits (from Teaching Tolerance Magazine)–Mighty Times: The Children’s March and America’s Civil Rights Movement: A Time for Justice

Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections — Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Collection

Birmingham Civil Rights Institutehttp://bcri.org/index.html

The King Centerhttp://www.thekingcenter.org/

The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow (PBS) – For Teachers

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/education.html

Eyes on the Prize (PBS) – For Teachers  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/tguide/index.html

Teachers Guide Primary Source Set – Jim Crow in America

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/civil-rights/pdf/teacher_guide.pdf

Songs of the Civil Rights Movement (NPR) — http://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/99315652/songs-of-the-civil-rights-movement

Photographs of Signs Enforcing Discrimination (Library of Congress) — http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/085_disc.html