Book Review: Gorilla Doctors

Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes by Pamela S. Turner. (Grades 4-8)

Okay, you knew that humans and apes were genetically close. But did you know that we share 97.7% of our genes with gorillas? Did you know that a chimpanzee could give you a blood transfusion (or you could give blood to a chimp)? And maybe you've heard that some diseases like AIDS and ebola may have spread to humans from apes... but did you know that human diseases can infect apes, too?

In Gorilla Doctors, Pamela S. Turner examines several factors in the endangered population of mountain gorillas. Poachers are a major threat, as is habitat desctruction. But another threat is human disease. The mountain gorillas live in protected areas, but these areas are right alongside human dwellings and although scientists try hard to protect gorillas from our diseases, sometimes the gorillas catch them.

Why is that so dangerous? Well, gorillas have no resistance to these diseases. Much like European diseases decimated Native American populations when the colonists came to America, human diseases could easily destroy the dwindling mountain gorilla population.

Cue the gorilla doctors. This special team of scientists test gorillas constantly, looking for threats of disease. When human diseases are found, the gorilla doctors treat them. They also make sure that tourists who come to see the gorillas don't pass on any germs. Tourists can come into the parks for a limited amount of time, they must be healthy, and they must not leave anything behind.

I found this book to be a fascinating addition to the Scientists in the Field series. Turner includes some background information about gorillas and the study and preservation of gorillas. There are great color photos on every page showing gorillas and the African jungles in which they live. Turner includes resources about conservation and what we can do to help gorillas. The book includes a short list of books and websites for further reading and an index.

This would be a great book to promote for Earth Day, which is just around the corner!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Be sure and head over to Picture Book of the Day to peruse the many interesting posts!

Connections: Matthew Henson

It all started when I picked up the picture book I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer by Carole Boston Weatherford and Eric Velasquez. I didn't know anything about Matthew Henson. I just knew the book had gotten some buzz around the kidlitosphere (see here and here). Once I picked it up, I could see what the fuss was about... Strong and concise words read like poetry telling a brief story of Matthew Henson's life. The artwork is gorgeous, perfectly complimenting the words. It would make a great readaloud for upper elementary or even middle school students doing a unit on explorers, African-American history, or biographies. I read the inspiring story of Henson's life and...

I had to know more.

So I picked up Onward: A Photobiography of African-American Polar Explorer Matthew Henson by Dolores Johnson. With tons of awesome photographs, some spanning two pages, this book delves into the life of Matthew Henson in a bit more detail. He was born in 1866 and his
adventurous spirit led him to work as a cabin boy on voyages to China, Japan, North Africa, Russia, and Spain (among other places). Eventually he met Robert Peary, the man with whom he would 'discover' the North Pole. After several failed attempts and brushes with death, Peary and Henson were the first men to reach the North Pole. Henson's warm relationship with the Inuit people (he learned their language and taught other men on his treks about their culture) and his skill with dog sledging were integral to their success... and yet for many years after they reached the North Pole, Henson's contributions were downplayed because he was African-American. This book goes into enough detail to be useful for school reports and it has cool photos and an exciting story that will appeal for recreational reading, too. Matthew Henson's story is interesting and gives much to think about and discuss. Remember him when kids come begging for biographies!

But that wasn't all I found in my Matthew Henson quest...

A search for "Matthew Henson" in my library's catalog led me to North by Donna Jo Napoli. North is the story of Alvin, a boy with dreams of being an explorer. He pictures himself going to Africa, Asia, the Amazon... Unfortunately, his mother is so overprotective that she won't even let him buy a bicycle with his own money. When Mamma finds out that a drug dealer approached Alvin on his way home from school, she insists on having an elderly neighbor walk him to school every morning. For Alvin, it's the last straw. He's been studying the polar explorer Matthew Henson in school and he decides to follow the footsteps of his hero. He'll travel to the North Pole and see with his own eyes what Henson described as "fierce beauty". So he sets off. He's got a backpack full of clothes, a sleeping bag, and $439.00. First stop, New York City. From there all he's got to do is keep traveling north, right?

What I really liked about North is that I found it remarkably believable. Alvin's journey isn't easy and he makes plenty of mistakes. Certainly he makes friends and gets lots of help along the way, but never to a ridiculous point. This was a fast-paced adventure story that I couldn't put down. (And don't take my word for it... check out another review at a wrung sponge.)

My one complaint is, of course, the lack of an author's note... I would have loved to see what inspired Napoli to write this book, where she turned for research, and if she traveled to the Arctic... but then, I am a big author's note geek. We know this.

I suppose the point of this post is to show how books can lead you in different directions and how one book can connect you to all kinds of other books you might never have found otherwise. I never would have picked up North if I hadn't had an interest in Matthew Henson, which was inspired by I, Matthew Henson. I've read several books lately that have inspired me to seek out more information and led me to other books. I hope to explore more connections in children's literature in the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Book Review: Graphic Dicoveries Series

Happy Nonfiction Monday!

I've recently discovered (hehe) a new nonfiction series published by Rosen Books: Graphic Discoveries. These books are certain to appeal to reluctant readers with their high-interest subject matter and graphic novel format. I definitely recommend them for recreational reading and I think the topics could definitely spark enough interest that kids might search out more books about the subjects.

Each book starts with several pages of basic facts about the general topic. This is followed by three separate graphic novel stories about specific incidents. The book is then wrapped up with another couple pages of information (often including a map), an index, and a short list of further reading suggestions.

Ancient Treasures by Rob Shone and illustrated by Nick Spender is about fantastic archaeological findings. The first several pages explain how scientists and amateurs find archaeological sites and how they excavate artifacts from these sites. Then the graphic novel portion shows the supposed discovery of Troy, the excavation of Tutankhamen's tomb, and the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors in China. This is followed by a map of the world showing other fascinating archaeological findings. I could definitely see a kid's interest being sparked by one of these stories and them wanting to find out more about King Tut or Troy. I was a tiny bit disappointed, then, that the suggestions for further reading only included more general archaeology titles instead of anything more specific. In lieu of listing websites, a short note at the end of the book directs readers to one central website that is supposedly a frequently-updated list of links. Upon visiting the website, there were only two links listed, which was also disappointing to me.

Spectacular Shipwrecks by Gary Jeffrey and illustrated by Claudia Saraceni starts off by giving information about how a ship might come to sink. It also provides a bit of background information on the three shipwrecks that will be examined in the graphic novel portion. This information is accompanied by photographs. In the graphic novel section, three shipwrecks are examined: the Tudor ship the Mary Rose, which sank in the 1500s; the Titanic; and the German WWII warship the Bismarck. The book ends with another informational spread (with photographs) that explains some of the process of recovering sunken ships and preserving the artifacts found within. This is another entertaining entry in the series and the topic is sure to appeal (I can't tell you how many kids come in looking for books about the Titanic).

Other books in this series include Fantastic Fossils, The History of Flight, Medical Breakthroughs, and Incredible Space Missions.

'Tis the Season: Spring

In some parts of the country, spring has sprung. Not so much here in northern Illinois (where it is currently 27 degrees and snowing), but we have the dream of spring... the possibility that one day all those ugly gray piles of snow will melt... So while we're wishing and hoping for spring, what do we read at storytime? Here are some of my favorites for a spring-themed preschool storytime:

Muncha Muncha Muncha by Candace Fleming. Mr. McGreeley has planted his garden and is looking forward to enjoying the spoils... Unfortunately (for him), three bunnies are already enjoying the veggies with a "Muncha muncha muncha!" Filled with fun sounds, this is a great readaloud for a spring or garden-themed storytime.

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. One popular topic as we head into spring is growing things. In First the Egg, we see an egg... then a chicken. A caterpillar... then a butterfly. Beautiful artwork compliments simple text that preschoolers will enjoy chiming in on.

Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck by Lisa Westberg Peters. This one is perfect for a climate such as mine. We're yearning for spring, but it's still quite cold. Little duck is cold, too, arriving too early at her pond. Her feet stick to the ice and only thoughts about the lovely spring to come can help her stay positive until spring comes for real.

Carrot Soup by John Segal. Rabbit's been gardening, tending his carrots, and anticipating the day when he will reap his harvest and make his favorite... carrot soup. But to rabbit's surprise, when he heads out to pick the carrots, they've disappeared! All that's left are a bunch of holes in the ground. Rabbit asks his friends if they've seen them and in the background we can see characters sneakily carrying loads of carrots off. When no one can tell rabbit where his carrots are, he dejectedly heads back home, only to find that his friends have surprised him by making carrot soup for him. Kids will love picking out the sneaky animals in the background and it's a sweet story about sharing and doing something kind for a friend.

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson. I really love everything Karma Wilson does. With clear, colorful pictures and sweet, often funny rhyming stories, you really can't go wrong with adding Wilson to your storytime. In Bear Snores On, Bear laid down for his long winter's nap. In Bear Wants More, he's waking up from hibernation and eating everything in sight! The repeated phrase "Bear wants more!" invites kids to join in and the rhyming story will help increase their phonological awareness.

So, there you have some of my favorite spring stories. What are your favorites? (And when will spring be here?!)

Hello, Hello!

Just wanted to send a shout-out to anyone coming here from Prairie's blog! You'll notice that I post about a lot of different library- and book-related things including storytimes, programs we do at the library, the Rebecca Caudill book award, and books for kids of all ages. So, WELCOME to kids, teachers, and librarians! Take a look around and feel free to leave a comment about books that you've liked (or hated) or anything else you have to say!

Book Review: Good Enough

Good Enough by Paula Yoo. (Grades 7+)

Patti Yoon. Straight-A student. Gifted violinist. Perpetual parent pleaser. All she's ever wanted was to get into HarvardYalePrinceton. Nothing less than a 2300 on her SATs is acceptable (2400 is a perfect score... a fact I can't get used to, incidentally). Patti goes to school, practices her violin, does homework, and hangs out with her Korean church youth group.

But from the moment Patti sets eyes on the dreamy, musical Ben at the All-State Orchestra audition, things begin to change. And Patti begins to realize that "her" dream of attending an ivy league school was actually her parents' dream. She starts figuring out that "successful" is not necessarily the same as "happy" and that she'd better think about what she wants for her future.
Funny! I was bummed out on Sunday night for various reasons and I knew that I needed something light and humorous to read. I was right on the money when I picked up Good Enough. Patti's a great character. I liked her right away. She's a total geek, but she's witty and passionate and kind. Unfortunately, other kids at her school have trouble seeing the good in her when she's, say, in gym losing a field hockey game because she has no coordination.

I had read a post about this title over at The YA YA YAs and when I saw it on our new books cart, I picked it up to thumb through it. Here's the passage that made me laugh out loud at work and check it out right away:

"My Mom's Korean Spam Recipe #1 - Spam Bi Bim Bap

Ingredients:
1 can of Spam
1 jar of kimchee
Daikon radish-style kimchi

...

6. Pour on all the kochu jang sauce you want, mix it up, and eat with a side of kimchi. (Note: I'm assuming you have a local Korean grocery store somewhere in your town where you can buy kimchi, daikon radish, and kochu jang sauce. If you don't, well, the only way to make kimchi is to ferment a bunch of cabbage underground for a few years. Good luck with that.)..." (pp 70-71)

I was hooked. Narrator Patti Yoon sprinkles Spam recipes and top ten lists throughout the book, to the great enjoyment of the reader. I was rooting for her the whole way and being really annoying to my coworker at lunch because I kept looking up and saying things like "Something important is about to happen!!!" and "The boy did not do what he was supposed to do! Ah, well, he still has xx pages to redeem himself..." Obviously everyone needs to read this book so that when I say things like that, they understand what I'm talking about.

The book's about a high school senior. And there's some stuff that older high school kids will probably identify more with (taking SATs, AP classes, college aps, etc.), but there's nothing in here that would be inappropriate for a middle schooler to read. It reminded me of some of Meg Cabot's novels (maybe along the line of Teen Idol or All-American Girl).

Don't miss Paula Yoo's guest post on The YA YA YAs, an interview over at Teen Book Review, and Little Willow's review.

Book Review: Heat

Heat by Mike Lupica. (Grades 4-8)

Twelve-year-old Michael Arroyo has had one dream since before he came over to America on the boat from Cuba: to play in the Little League World Series. He's good. He's very good. And his Papi has always believed in him.

But the road to the World Series isn't smooth. And Michael's got a secret that he's desperate to hide. His Papi has been dead for two months. His older brother Carlos is trying to keep them afloat by working two jobs, but the bills are piling up and the brothers aren't sure how much longer Michael's coach is going to believe that their dad is in Florida taking care of a sick uncle. They live in fear of "Official Persons". Then a challenge is made. A coach from another Little League team accuses Michael of being too old to play in the league. Michael must present his birth certificate, but he doesn't have it. It's somewhere in Cuba. And Michael has nowhere to turn.

This action-packed baseball novel will be a sure hit with young sports fans. Michael is a likable character that I found myself rooting for (even as I, stodgy grownup that I am, was wishing they would get found out so that some adult would step in and take care of them). Michael's got an obvious passion for baseball and when he plays the rest of the world is stripped away. The novel takes place squarely in the summer months with no complications from school or teachers.

I have to admit that I skimmed some of the baseball bits. I like baseball as much as the next guy, but some of the scenes were too steeped in jargon and baseball plays for me to really understand what was going on. It will definitely appeal to young sports players, though, who will see all the sports action as it unfolds. Some of the schemes that Michael and his best friend Manny come up with to protect the Arroyo brothers are far-fetched and the end comes together much too smoothly to be realistic. That said, this is a great book for summer reading. It moves quickly and you get the happy ending that you're looking for in a light, fun read.

There's some mild criminal activity (the book starts with a mugging that is foiled by Michael and Carlos is involved in a not-quite-legal operation to make more money), but no drugs or violence. Sports fans will gobble it up.

Book Review: Project Mulberry

Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park. (Grades 4-7)

Julia and Patrick have been best friends ever since Julia moved to Plainfield several years ago. They do homework together every night, help each other study for tests, and they both belong to the Wiggle Club. Wiggle is actually Work-Grow-Give-Live (WGGL = Wiggle), a 4-H type club whose members are now starting to prepare projects for possible entry in the state fair. When Patrick comes up with the idea of raising silkworms, Julia immediately balks. The project seems too Korean to her. She'd much rather do something "American". Knowing she can never talk Patrick out of his idea, she reluctantly goes along with it, though she's counting on something to go wrong and nip Project Mulberry in the bud. Can Julia secretly sabotage the project? And can she do it without Patrick hating her?

This was my second reading of Project Mulberry and I like it quite a bit. The thing that strikes me most about this book is its discussion on race. First of all, Julia feels self-conscious about doing the "weird Korean project". At the same time, her mother is teaching her Korean embroidery (different than Chinese or Japanese embroidery because when you're done it looks the same on the front and the back). Julia's caught between wanting to take pride in her heritage and wanting to blend in with her white-bread neighborhood.

Another interesting issue that arises is between Julia's mother and the African-American man that offers his mulberry leaves to help their project. Julia knows right off the bat that there's going to be a problem because her mother doesn't like black people. It's not something that Julia and her mom have ever really talked about, but Julia pieced it together after she had a black teacher in the fifth grade. Julia's afraid to confront her mother about it because she's afraid that the confrontation will reveal that her mother is racist and Julia doesn't know how to deal with that. Later in the book, Mr. Dixon says something racist, too, and Julia learns that people of all races can have prejudices.

When an unexpected issue comes up with the silkworm project and Julia can't decide what to do, she realizes that there are no perfect solutions to anything.

"Maybe everything in life had its messy bits. Things other people didn't see. Or didn't know they didn't know. Or didn't want to think about.

"Maybe that was exactly the reason I had to think about them." (pg 197)

One other thing I want to point out about this book. In between the chapters, Ms. Park inserts little "conversations" between herself and the main character. The purpose of these inserted bits is to show a little of the "inside story". Ms. Park talks about how she came up with characters, some parts that were based on her own life, etc. I don't know what to make of these, really. Personally, I found that they disrupted the story. The first time I read the book, I read them. This time, I skipped them, but I found that the story still felt disjointed in parts. Maybe kids really love those inserted bits. I could certainly see how it might appeal. And if it was left to the end in an author's note, kids might be less likely to read it. I dunno... What do you think??

Book Review: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief by Percy Jackson. (Grades 4-8)

In this twist on Greek mythology, Percy Jackson discovers that he is a demigod, son of Poseidon and a human mother. This fact has been hidden from him for the past twelve years, but once Percy finds out, it explains a lot. He's dyslexic because his brain is hardwired for ancient Greek, not modern English. The monster he slayed on his school's last field trip wasn't a figment of his imagination. And his best friend Grover walks funny because he's actually a satyr with goat legs stuffed into human shoes. Whew. Once the secret's out, Percy finds himself at Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for heroes like himself. Unfortunately, his mom disappeared in the struggle that led him to the camp. When Percy is offered a quest, to retrieve Zeus's lightning bolt and prevent a massive war between the gods, he finds his chance to rescue his mom. Along with pals Grover and Annabeth (daughter of Athena and a mortal man), Percy sets off to find the Underworld (located in L.A., where else?) and complete his quest. Along the way he runs into Medusa, Echidna, and a host of other mythological characters, all updated for the modern age.

This is a laugh-out-loud adventure fantasy and will appeal to fans of Harry Potter and Peter and the Starcatchers. I read it several years ago, but decided to reread it because I couldn't remember it enough to booktalk it. I liked it the first time I read it, but I loved it even more this time around. Percy Jackson is this kind of punk kid hero who won't take anybody's crap. He cares about his friends and about doing what's right, but he's also got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. As the book goes on, he starts to deal with his issues and figure out who he is.

This one will be an easy sell for the Caudills, I think. Who doesn't love Greek myths? And if anyone didn't love Greek myths before they read this book, they'll certainly want to check some out after reading it.

The Lightning Thief is the first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It's followed by The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth (coming in May).

And the winners are...

One of my colleagues is at the Children's Literature Conference at NIU as I speak and he just texted us the results of the 2008 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award and the 2008 Monarch Award. (Of course, I had to blog it right away...)

Ahem.

Drumroll, please...

For the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award:

In third place, we have MVP* by Douglas Evans.

In second place, we have The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn.

And our first place WINNER is... Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick!!

For the Monarch Award, which is for K-3rd grade:

In third place, we have Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor.

In second place, we have Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel.

And our first place WINNER is... If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen!!

The children of Illinois have spoken!!!

I'm a bit surprised by the Caudill results, but I'm overjoyed that Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie won. That book kept me amused and riveted at the DMV, of all places. It definitely deserves an award. What do you think, Illinois teachers and librarians? Were you surprised by the results? What would you have voted for?