Symphony for the City of the Dead

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson. Grades 9+ September 2015, Candlewick Press. 464 pages. Reviewed from egalley provided by publisher.

Book Talk:

Did you know that the USSR had the highest citizen deaths during World War II of any nation in the world? 27 million Soviet citizens died during WWII, making the Soviet death toll higher than the total deaths of ALL OTHER NATIONS COMBINED.

Over a million of those deaths were due to the Siege of Leningrad. Leningrad was the second largest city in Russia and the seat of the Communist Party before WWII started. When the Nazis attacked Russia, they blockaded Leningrad, cutting off supply lines and continually bombing the city. Rather than sending troops in to attack the city, their strategy was to wait it out and let the people of Leningrad slowly starve to death.

The Siege lasted 872 days, the longest siege in modern history.

And when people had no food, no fuel, no electricity, no way out, and the temperature was sometimes 40 below zero... music was one of the things that kept them alive, that gave them a reason to live.

Shostakovich lived through terrible times - the Great Purge of Russia when Stalin could have you executed at a whim - and he wrote music that spoke to the people. Could a symphony be enough to save a city from complete destruction?

If you are a person who believes in the power of art to change lives OR if you are fascinated by World War II and are looking for something that's different from other books you've read about it, pick up this book.


My thoughts: Holy cats, you guys. THIS BOOK.

It was recommended to me by once of my 2015 Newbery Committee colleagues and I am SO GLAD she did because I might not have picked it up and then I would be missing out.

This book is a masterpiece. There, I said it.

It's at once a fascinating biography, a testament to the power of music, and a riveting WWII story. I just want to talk about the horrors of WWII Leningrad all the time (which makes me really fun at parties). But seriously, there was so much to this story that I didn't know.

The one negative GoodReads review that I read of this title claimed that there would be no audience for this book. I agree that it's an ambitious book and one that might be intimidating to teens, who may not know who Shostakovich was (I kind of didn't) or what the Siege of Leningrad was (I definitely didn't). And that's where a good librarian comes in. Hand this to your performing arts kids. The recurring theme about the power of music to give life meaning and to keep people going will speak to these kids. Hand this to your kids who are fascinated with military history and WWII. This may be a WWII story that they don't know much about.

DON'T MISS IT.

Readalikes: 

As I was reading, I kept thinking about The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming, which may appeal to kids who are interested in reading more about Russian history.

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin is ostensibly a middle-grade novel, but I actually think it's maybe best suited to kids who have an understanding about Russia and Communism. It's a poignant look inside the pervasive fear that the Communist regime inspired in Soviet citizens.

This might be a good choice for teens who devoured Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys and want to know more about the Russian society that could enact such atrocities.

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Petersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose. Grades 7+ Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, May 2015. 208 pages. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Booktalk: 

During WWII, in 1940, Germany took control of Denmark. The Nazis basically seized Denmark and called it their "protectorate"and the government of Denmark said, "Okay." They rolled over and let Germany take over. Now, in Norway when Germany tried to take control, they fought back against the invading soldiers. And they didn't win, but they at least took a stand. But the government of Denmark didn't want to risk its citizens' lives, so they didn't resist.

And this made some Danish people very angry.

One of these people was Knud Peterson. He was fourteen years old when Germany took over and he thought that was garbage. He looked at Norway's response and thought Well, at least they stood up for themselves! They let the Nazis know that they were not okay with occupation!

But the adults in charge had let Germany in. And Knud was just a teenager. What could he do?

It turns out, he could do a whole lot. He and his brother Jens got together some like-minded classmates and they decided that they would start a resistance movement. They would do whatever they could to stop or slow down the Nazi soldiers.

At first, they did things like messing with the German directional signs that told soldiers where to go and defacing German property and the property of known Nazi sympathizers with their symbol of the resistance movement. As their ranks grew and they became more experienced, they seized German weapons and set fire to buildings and railcars.

They called themselves The Churchill Club. They awakened the nation of Denmark. They started the resistance movement. And all before they graduated high school.

My thoughts:

This is a gripping true adventure story that will have wide appeal with kids. Much of the story is told in Knud Petersen's own words, collected through hours of interview and hundreds of emails, which gives the book an authentic voice and brings the reader right into the action. And the action is nonstop. These brave kids had a fire in their hearts and they would stop at nothing to save their country from the Nazi invasion.

This story is truly a testament to the power of teens to make a difference in their world and this is an engaging and inspirational story that needs to be widely read. Hoose follows Knud's story through the formation of the Churchill Club to their eventual arrest and the aftermath in the later years of the war. Archival photographs and documents throughout the book help bring the time period and events to vivid life.

Back matter includes an epilogue, detailing life for the players after the war, an extensive bibliography, and source notes.

WWII books are popular anyway, but this story featuring actual teenagers performing extraordinary acts of courage is a sure winner. Don't miss it.

Readalikes:

For another gripping nonfiction book about courage and resistance in the face of oppression, pick up Steve Sheinkin's excellent The Port Chicago 50, also set during WWII but on the American homefront.

Readers interested in learning more about the actions of youth during WWII may like Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.

Those interested in more stories of resistance during WWII may like Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport or the historical novel Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus.

Terrible Typhoid Mary

Terrible Typhoid Mary by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Grades 5 and up. HMH Books for Young Readers, August 2015. 230 pages. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Booktalk:

What would you do if strangers showed up at your door, accused you of sickening dozens of people, and demanded blood and stool samples from you?

They claim that even though you haven't been sick, you've infected people you care about with a deadly disease. They tell you that you're a menace to society, that you must comply with them or else.

You've never been sick a day in your life. You're a clean person. You know you haven't made anyone sick. The theories they're telling you about sound like gibberish to you.

You haven't committed a crime, but they arrest you.

What would you do?

This is what happened to Mary Mallon; you may know her as "Typhoid Mary". She was a healthy woman, an Irish immigrant, and a good cook who worked for many good families in New York. She was also a carrier of the deadly typhoid disease. Even though she was not sick (and did not remember ever being sick), she carried the bacteria that cause the disease, infecting people through the food she was serving them.

It wasn't her fault. But she was still kidnapped and held prisoner by people who said it was for the public's good. How could this happen? Read Terrible Typhoid Mary to find out.

My thoughts:

This book is excellent. It's a finely crafted work, presenting a balanced view of Mary Mallon's life and the health workers who locked her up for the common good. The prose reads like fiction and Bartoletti draws out the tension slowly as the reader learns who Mary Mallon was and how she became a suspect in dozens of typhoid fever cases.

Historical details paint a picture of life in the early 1900s, revealing the action as if the reader is watching it unfold. Bartoletti is careful to present Mary as a sympathetic character. She brings in statistics and facts from the present day to put this historical event in perspective. For example, she explains Mary's reluctance to believe the scientists by pointing out that 51% of Americans "say they trust scientists and the scientific information a little bit. Six percent don't trust scientists and their facts at all." [page 56] Knowing that even today not everyone trusts scientific information, it's easy to see why Mary might not have been convinced in 1907.

Earlier this year, I read and loved Fatal Fever by Gail Jarrow, another book about the typhoid fever epidemic and Mary Mallon. While that book concentrated more on the epidemic and the disease, Terrible Typhoid Mary concentrates more on Mary as a person. I am happy to say that there is room for both books on library shelves, and both are excellent reads.

Readalikes:

For those looking for another great read about typhoid fever, don't miss Fatal Fever by Gail Jarrow (and also check out the readalikes I listed in that post!).

If you're drawn to Susan Campbell Bartoletti's well-crafted writing depicting historical events as a gripping drama, check out The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming.

Fatal Fever

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow. Grades 5+ Calkins Creek, March 2015. 192 pages. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Right from the start, this medical history grips the reader and won't let go. This book tracks down typhoid fever outbreaks, explaining how they started and why they were so devastating. Typhoid fever is a serious disease and it caused many deaths, especially of young people. In a time before antibiotics, there was little that doctors could do beyond managing the symptoms of the disease as it ran its course.

Gail Jarrow does a great job of presenting Typhoid Mary and explaining why it was so important that she be quarantined while also showing Mary Mallon's side of it. She was an immigrant to this country, distrustful of authority figures that had a history of taking advantage of immigrants, and she didn't understand how she could carry a disease when she had never been sick!

This book is not for the faint of heart and may have greater appeal to kids who enjoy a gross-out story. Typhoid fever is transmitted through human waste and, while it's never discussed in a graphic way, there's plenty of poo talk. You may want to choose something different to read over your lunch break, is what I'm saying. I don't mind icky medical details, so it didn't bother me, but I know some are more sensitive to that.

My one disappointment is the trim size of the book. I may book talk this to 5th and 6th graders, but the text is pretty solidly middle school and up and I know we'll have trouble getting teens to pick it up. It'd be an easier sell if it was a smaller trim size like an adult book.

The narrative moves at a fast pace and archival photos add much to create a sense of place and time. This is an engrossing story for fans of medical history.

Readalikes:

Deadly by Julie Chibbaro. This fictionalized account of an assistant in the Department of Health and Sanitation artfully portray's the city's side of the hunt for Typhoid Mary. This would be a good choice for teens who like historical fiction.

Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure by Jim Murphy and Alison Bank. This medical history focuses on the search for a cure and does a great job of illuminating the devastating effects of tuberculosis throughout history.

Red Madness: How a Medical Mystery Changed What We Eat by Gail Jarrow. This is another book investigating a deadly disease and it's also told in a gripping, fast-paced style, bringing in lots of case studies to bring the era and issue to life.

Terrible Typhoid Mary by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. This book comes out in August and I haven't read it yet, but it's definitely one I'm looking forward to.

And hey, it's Nonfiction Monday! Make sure you stop by the Nonfiction Monday Blog and check out what great nonfiction books bloggers are sharing this week.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery with Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley, illustrated by PJ Loughran. Grades 6+. Dial, January 2015. Review copy provided by publisher.

Booktalk:

"By the time I was fifteen years old, I had been in jail nine times." (pg 13)

So begins Lynda Blackmon Lowery's story of growing up in the Jim Crow South and marching for justice. At a young age, Lynda got involved in the Civil Rights movement in her hometown of Selma, Alabama. Even after she and her friends were jailed for protesting, even being put inside the "sweatbox" where the airless heat was so intense that all the girls passed out, Lynda would not stop in her quest for equal rights. When organizers put together a march for voting rights in Selma, Lynda knew she would be part of it. And even when she was horribly beaten by state troopers in an event called "Bloody Sunday," Lynda knew that she needed to find the courage to keep going, to keep marching.

"If I [gave up], I would never be the person I wanted to be. And the person I wanted to be was a person who would stand up against what was wrong." (pg. 82)

Lynda was the youngest person in the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March. She stood up for what she believed in. And you can, too.

My thoughts:

This is an important first-person account of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March. It's written in a conversational tone, as if Lynda's sitting across from you at the kitchen table and telling you about her experiences. Some archival photos and color illustrations accompany the text. The illustrations are well-suited to a teen audience, adding splashes of color throughout.

At the back of the book, you get brief bios of some of the casualties of the Selma March - Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young man shot by police at a nighttime protest just prior to the march; Reverend James Reeb, a white minister from Boston who traveled to Selma after seeing Bloody Sunday on the news; and Viola Liuzzo, a white homemaker who was murdered by the KKK while driving folks between Selma and Montgomery after the march.

The Oscar-nominated film Selma may pique additional interest in this topic.

Readalikes:

For those interested in learning about young people's roles in the battle for civil rights, suggest any of the following:

• Because They Marched by Russell Freedman
• Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose
• Marching for Freedom by Elizabeth Partridge
• We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson

For those interested in additional first-person accounts of young people standing up for what they believe in, suggest any of the following: 

• I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai 
• A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School by Carlotta Walls LaNier
• Warriors Don't Cry: The Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High by Melba Patillo Beals

And hey, it's Nonfiction Monday! Head on over to the Nonfiction Monday Blog to see what other great nonfiction bloggers are sharing this week!

Call of the Klondike

This post is cross-posted at the Nonfiction Monday group blog. Please check it out to see what nonfiction bloggers are reading this week!

Call of the Klondike: A True Gold Rush Adventure by David Meissner and Kim Richardson. Grades 6 and up. Calkins Creek Books, October 2013. 167 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

Looking for an adventure? Pack your bags, bundle up, say goodbye to your loved ones (just in case) and join Stanley Pearce and Marshall Bond on their journey to the Klondike region of Alaska in search of riches beyond your imagination.

In 1897, miners arrived back in Seattle with millions in gold, mined in the Klondike. Thousands of people then rushed to this remote area in hopes of making their fortune. It would NOT be easy. Using primary sources (letters, journals, and newspaper articles passed down within Stanley Pearce's family), David Meissner illuminates the hardships and risks of this fantastic adventure.  Pearce and Bond spent thousands outfitting themselves for their journey and it took them months to even reach the Klondike. Before planes, before train tracks reached the area, adventurers had to travel by steamship to Alaska, on foot up the hazardous mountain passes, and by boat down rocky rivers to reach Dawson City.

This is a fantastic adventure story and the author makes great use of the primary documents at his disposal. Excerpts from Marshall Bond's diary and letters from Stanley Pearce to his family give readers a play-by-play account of this dangerous adventure. Although Pearce and Bond are well-outfitted and maintain positive attitudes, many men and animals died in pursuit of Klondike gold. With temperatures dropping to 50 degrees below zero and food stores running low, not everyone who reached Dawson city returned. And less than one half of one percent of those who started the journey ever found enough gold to make them rich.

This nonfiction book reads like fiction, including plenty of archival photos to give faces to the many who ventured to the north. Back matter includes an author's note, source notes, and resources for further information. The excellent use of primary sources provides exciting material that fulfills Common Core requirements for analyzing primary sources. Although it definitely has classroom applications, there's plenty of appeal in this story for thrill seekers and history buffs.

Readalikes:

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson. The action-packed style of James Swanson's writing will please readers who enjoy true adventure stories that read like fiction, even though the subject matter and time period are different.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Set in the wilds of the Klondike, Jack London's story is based on some of his experiences during the Klondike gold rush. In fact, Jack London met and spent time with Stanley Pearce and Marshall Bond and the fictional dog Buck was actually based on Pearce and Bond's dog Jack.

"The President Has Been Shot!"

"The President Has Been Shot!": The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James L. Swanson. Grades 7 and up. Scholastic, September 2013. 270 pages. Review copy received from publisher.

Booktalk:

[From pages 44-45]

"On the morning of Thursday, November 21, John and Jackie Kennedy said good-bye to their daughter, Caroline, and flew in the presidential helicopter, Marine One, from the White House lawn to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Their son, John, who was almost three years old, loved flying in the helicopter, so as a special treat they took him along for the ride to Andrews. The boy wanted to fly with his parents to Texas as well. The president told his son that he could not come and that he would see him in a few days. The Kennedys took off from Andrews at 11:05am, flying to Texas on Air Force One, a sleep new jet that had become a symbol of the modern presidency.

"John Kennedy had been president of the United States for two years, ten months, and two days. He had left some unfinished paperwork behind on his desk in the Oval Office, including an autographed photograph of himself intended as a gift for a supporter. After inscribing the photo, he had neglected to sign it. It was of no consequence. He could sign his name once he returned from Texas."

As we know, JFK never did return from Texas because he was shot and killed in Dallas on November 22, 1963. This book puts you right in the middle of the action, giving the reader a bird's-eye view of all that transpired on that fateful day that changed history forever.

My thoughts: Holy cats, I loved this book. I have really been waiting for some nonfiction to wow me this year and this is it, folks.

Swanson gives you just enough background about JFK's presidency and Lee Oswald's traumatic life before plunging into a compelling play-by-play of Kennedy's assassination and its aftermath. I hid out, eating lunch in my office so that I could read undisturbed, which turned out to be an excellent idea since I found myself getting unexpectedly emotional as I read. Jackie Kennedy's strength as she stood by her husband through the entire ordeal, moved me to tears more than once.

This is just the book for teens interested in American history or anyone looking for gripping nonfiction. Swanson has a book for adults coming out next month (End of Days: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy), which I have to believe makes this teen book an adaptation, but it's very well done. I haven't read the adult title, but I felt like I got a complete picture in The President Has Been Shot.

Back matter is extensive and includes source notes, a bibliography, an index, suggestions of places to visit, diagrams showing the trajectory of the bullets and Oswald's path through the Book Depository fleeing the scene, and more. Throughout the book, archival photos are used to great effect, an important inclusion since the new media of TV and color photography were important players in JFK's brief presidency.

Readalikes:

Readers who enjoyed the fast-paced history story might enjoy Swanson's other books for young readers: Chasing Lincoln's Killer and Bloody Times (both adapted from adult nonfiction books). I would also suggest Steve Sheinkin's teen nonfiction titles Bomb and Lincoln's Grave Robbers.

Readers fascinated by the Kennedy assassination who don't mind a fictionalized account may also enjoy Stephen King's 11/22/63 about a man who finds a wormhole that takes him back to 1958 and his mission to prevent Kennedy from being shot.

Hey, happy Nonfiction Monday! You can find this week's roundup at Perogies & Gyoza, so make sure to stop by and check out what nonfiction is being read across the blogosphere this week.

Barbed Wire Baseball

Barbed Wire Baseball by Marissa Moss, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. Grades 2-5. Abrams, April 2013. 40 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

Kenichi Zenimura (known as Zeni) loved baseball. Every since he was a little kid, he wanted nothing more than to play ball. And despite the fact that he grew up to be a small man (just five feet tall!), he did achieve his dream of becoming a professional ball player. When World War II started, Zeni and his family were forced into an internment camp for people of Japanese descent. But Zeni would not let that keep him from playing. With help from many people at the camp, Zeni built a ball field and brought baseball to the camp!

This is an inspiring story of one man's passion for sport and the things people will do to help each other. Zeni didn't build a ball field alone. Many people helped, from clearing the land to building grandstands to sewing uniforms. The reality of the internment camps isn't glossed over, but the story definitely concentrates on hope.

Yuko Shimuzi's illustrations help bring the desolate interment camp, located in the Arizona desert, to life. Colors are muted throughout the book, giving it an aged feel. Spreads set in the camp show how bleak and lifeless the land is until Zeni and his friends irrigate and grow grass for the field. The camp is portrayed with barbed wire fences to depict the fact that the camp was a prison, even though the barbed wire was eventually removed at that particular camp. This is addressed in the afterward, along with additional information about Zeni and baseball in the camp.

Back matter also includes an author's note and an artist's note, which talk about how Marissa Moss was inspired to write the story and how Yuko Shimuzi researched to make the illustrations as historically accurate as possible. An index and a bibliography (for both the author and artist) are provided. Yay for citing sources!!

This is a great book to add to lessons on World War II, particularly lessons about the Japanese internment or the home front. It would also work for lessons on immigration, BUT don't file this away as strictly a classroom book. It's a story that will have wide appeal with sports fans and kids interested in history.

Readalikes:

The same issue gets a fictional treatment in the picture book Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee. It might be interesting to compare a fiction and nonfiction book on the same subject.

For more on the Japanese internment camps, check out Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference by Joanne F. Oppenheim. This book contains letters written by kids in the camps to their beloved librarian Miss Breed.

For more about baseball history, check out We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson or A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League by Sue Macy.

For more books about Asian-Americans breaking color barriers, check out Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo (about swimmer Sammy Lee) or Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee by Marissa Moss.

Barbed Wire Baseball is on shelves now!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! This week's roundup is at Wrapped in Foil, so make sure you check it out.

Audiobook Review: We've Got a Job

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson, read by Ervin Ross. Grades 6 and up. Listening Library, 2012 (book copyright Peachtree Press, 2012). 6 hours and 22 minutes. Review copy purchased. Hey, I'm an Audible affiliate, so if you purchase audiobooks after clicking on links in this post, I get a small commission. 

In 1963, the people leading the Civil Rights movement were desperately trying to make headway in Birmingham, Alabama - sometimes called "Bombingham" because of the high amount of bombings connected to the Civil Rights struggle. When leaders of the movement got the idea to demonstrate and protest with the goal of filling up the jails to make a media splash, it seemed like a good idea. But the stakes were too high for many adult protesters... So the children and teens decided to go to jail.

Yes, this is a book about the Birmingham Children's March of 1963, but it's also a really rich resource on civil rights in general. There were many civil rights demonstrations that led up to the Children's March - sit-ins at lunch counters, ride-ins on segregated buses, marches and parades by adults - none of which really had the desired effect. This is an important book, not only for telling a little-known story, but for telling a story about kids and teens making a difference. The story of the Birmingham Children's March clearly illustrates that kids can make a difference and sometimes their efforts are essential.

Ervin Ross's narration is steady and clear and it fits the content nicely. This past year I've gotten into NPR and I'm enjoying listening to nonfiction audiobooks all the more (they're like long NPR episodes! You learn so much!). A very nice feature of the audiobook is that parts of Cynthia Levinson's recorded interviews with the featured activists are included. It was great to hear them talking about their experiences in their own words after reading about them in the book.

Often, listening to youth nonfiction books on audio is a little bit of a trade-off because there are photos, diagrams, or illustrations that you're missing. We've Got a Job is no exception, so you may want to hunt down a print copy to see photos of the four featured activists and other events mentioned in the book. I will say that, having listened to the audiobook first and then picked up the print book, there were less photos than I had thought there would be. There's a great deal of uninterrupted text, which may scare off some young readers.

This book is rich with content that would fit Common Core standards. It has much to add to units on Civil Rights and American history. Don't miss it!

We've Got a Job is on shelves now!

Nonfiction Monday: Brave Girl

I'm thrilled to host this week's Nonfiction Monday roundup! You can find awesome posts and reviews of nonfiction titles below my review of Brave Girl. Have a post to add to the roundup? Please leave a link in comments and I'll add posts throughout the day (I'm going to be in meetings today, but I'll start adding posts this afternoon, so thanks for bearing with me!).


Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Grades 2-5. Balzer + Bray, January 2013. Unpaged. Review copy provided by my local library.

Warriors can wear skirts and blouses...

When Clara Lemlich immigrated to the United States, she was hoping her family would find a better life there. But in the early 1900s, life was hard for immigrant families. Clara's father was unable to find work, so Clara got a job as a garment worker. Conditions were terrible. Clara was expected to work long hours with few breaks. If she was a few minutes late, she would be docked half a day's pay. Workers were locked in during the day and 300 girls had to share two filthy toilets. Clara knew something had to change and she began organizing strikes and picket lines. Men didn't think ladies were tough enough to walk the picket line, but even though she was arrested 17 times (!), Clara didn't give up until factory owners granted better working conditions!

This is a fabulous book for talking about women's history and activism or for exploring the lives of immigrants or child workers at the turn of the century. Clara's story is an inspiring one, but instead of a straight biography we here have a succinct and accessible introduction to the issues facing workers at the turn of the century. Clara joins a Union and speaks up for a general strike when the smaller strikes don't result in change. And through it all is the underlying message that girls can do anything.

Melissa Sweet's mixed-media illustrations make a perfect partner for the text. She incorporates many textiles into the paintings, often very subtly, using bits of ribbon or fabric to create background buildings or pieces of clothing the people are wearing. She uses stitching as frames and embellishments throughout. This is Melissa Sweet doing what Melissa Sweet does best - incorporating materials that directly relate to the subject matter and add interest to watercolor paintings. It reminds me of the work she did on her Caldecott-honor-winning A River of Words.

Back matter includes an author's note with additional information about the garment industry, subsequent strikes, and mention of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and its results. A selected bibliography is also included (hooray!). This book would be perfect as a ladder for the books Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin, Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix, or Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor by Russell Freedman. (Also, if you are discussing this subject, you might as well watch Newsies. C'mon now.)

I'll leave you with this powerful ending passage (and just see if that doesn't make you want to run right out and pick up this beautiful book!):

And the strike convinced Clara to keep fighting for the rights of workers. Her throat is hoarse, her feet are sore, but she has helped thousands of people. 

Proving that in America,
wrongs can be righted,
warriors can wear skirts and blouses,
and the bravest of hearts
may beat in girls
only five feet tall.

Brave Girl is on shelves now! Don't miss it!

You also won't want to miss these nonfiction posts and reviews from around the blogosphere:

Laura Salas shares a piece of art from her forthcoming book Water Can Be... (Milbrook Press, 2014) and discusses some activities to use with her book A Leaf Can Be.

At Hope is the Word: a review of The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley.

Roberta of Wrapped in Foil snuggled up with Shep: Our Most Loyal Dog by Sneed B. Collard III.

Tara of A Teaching Life posted about what she's been reading lately, which includes nonfiction books The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up to Slavery and Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty.

Jennifer of Jean Little Library is ignoring the weather outside and reviewing Grow It, Cook It: Simple Gardening Projects and Delicious Recipes.

Alex of The Children's War posts about His Name Was Raoul Wallenburg: Courage, Rescue, and Mystery During WWII by Louise Borden.

Cindy and Lynn of Bookends "race" to add to Nonfiction Monday with a review of Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jump Champion by Heather Lang.

Jeff of NC Teacher Stuff is treating us to a review of Dessert Designer: Creations You Can Make and Eat! by Dara Meachen Rau.

Jennie of Bibliophile joins us with a review of The Amazing Harry Kellar: Great American Magician by Gail Jarrow.

Jeanna of True Tales & A Cherry on Top is featuring Colorful Dreamer: The Story of Artist Henri Matisse by Marjorie Blain Parker.

Margo of The Fourth Musketeer posts about War Dogs: Churchill and Rufus by Kathryn Selbert, a book about Winston Churchill and his poodle!

Alicia of The LibrariYAn gives us a review of Rescuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport by Deborah Hodge.

Andromeda of A Wrung Sponge reviews What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Raymond Obstfeld.

Anastasia Suen of Booktalking shares her new book Online Privacy and the Law.

Janet of All About the Books posts about Digging for Troy: From Homer to Hisarlik by Jill Rubalcaba and Eric H. Cline.

Sondra of Sonder Books reviews I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Kadir Nelson.

Have another post to add to the roundup? Leave the link in comments, please!

Bomb

Bomb: The Race to Build -- and Steal -- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin. Grades 7 and up. Flash Point, September 2012. 272 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

So, you knew that the first atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in 1945, forcing Japanese surrender and ending World War II. But, um, what exactly is a nuclear weapon? And how did scientists develop it? And what was with all the secrecy? And to what lengths would the Soviets go to get their hands on scientific information about the bomb? And to what lengths would Americans go to keep the bomb out of the hands of the Germans?

Bomb answers all those questions and so many more in a compelling narrative that will keep teens (and adults) turning the pages. Looking for literary nonfiction that fills Common Core Standards* and won't put teens to sleep? THIS IS IT, folks.

Here's why I loved this book:

1. The characters. I love character-driven stories, and Steve Sheinkin turns all those major players at Los Alamos and beyond into real people. Not only does he shine a light on Robert Oppenheimer and the other physicists who are developing the bomb, he presents a balanced look at the Americans who passed secrets to the Soviets, as well.

2. The espionage. Not only were there Soviet spies trying to get their hands on American information (and Americans who helped them out), but there were Americans doing covert operations to keep the Germans from developing the bomb. Americans also spied on German scientists to try to find out how close they were to developing it. The book includes many stories of such operations and espionage, which is something I really knew nothing about.

3. The science. Sheinkin artfully explains the science behind the atomic bomb in an accessible way. You don't have to be a physics student to understand this book. (But there could very well be passages that might be useful in a physics or science class! *cough* CommonCore *cough*) I particularly liked how Sheinkin builds tension in the beginning of the book when published physics research begins to inspire scientists to contemplate the possibilities of such a weapon.

4. The back matter. Of course. You don't get to be an ENYA-Award-winning author without including awesome back matter in your books. This book includes extensive source notes and resources for further research, as well as archival photos and original documents like Einstein's letter to FDR warning him that an atomic weapon might be possible.

All of these elements are expertly woven together to create one hell of an adventure story, particularly appealing to curious and thoughtful teens and for adults wanting to know more about the bomb. I'm really into YA nonfiction that has crossover ("crossUNDER"?) appeal for adults. I think YA and kids' nonfiction is a great way to get an overview on a topic you're curious about without having to read hundreds and hundreds of potentially complex and technical pages. There is so much GREAT nonfiction being published for teens and kids that there's a really rich selection to choose from.

Bomb was a finalist for the National Book Award this year, and you can read another review at The LibrariYAn.

Bomb is on shelves now!

* My staff and I have been to several trainings on Common Core Standards over the past couple of months, and I'm so excited that literary nonfiction (which I have loved for years) is such a big part of it. 

Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan

Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan: The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate by Rick Bowers. Grades 8+ National Geographic Children's Books, January 2012. 160 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

It's a bird... It's a plane... It's SUPERMAN!
He's faster than a speeding locomotive. He can leap tall buildings in a single bound.
But could Superman defeat the divide between races in America?

I found this book totally fascinating. I love history books that read like a story someone's telling me, but I am easily bored by a lot of history books (even when the concept sounds like something I'd be interested in). Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan is a book that I didn't want to put down. It was so well told and so fascinating that it definitely kept my interest and I can see it having high teen appeal.

In 1946, the Superman radio show broadcast a miniseries called The Clan of the Fiery Cross in which Superman takes on a white supremacist group modeled after the KKK.

 Rick Bowers weaves together two histories that would seem unrelated at first. He starts with the creators of Superman and explains how much the American people needed a superhero at the exact moment of Superman's creation. He goes into the rise of the comic book industry and Superman's phenomenal popularity. At the same time, Bowers details the rise of the Ku Klux Klan from its start as "a social club for a handful of men with time on their hands, a taste for the absurd, and a penchant for harmless mischief" (pg 57), through its rises and falls. Eventually the KKK would have thousands of members and carry out violent acts in the name of white supremacy.

Bowers weaves these two narratives together in alternating parts. The fact of the matter is that the actual collision between Superman and the KKK was actually a rather brief event in the book, but the real meat is what leads to that point. Creators of popular media for CHILDREN were actually taking a social stand in the name of educating kids about racism. In 1946. It's kind of amazing.

Back matter includes an index, a bibliography, and a list of sources. Rick Bowers ends the narrative with an afterword that explains what happened to the major players after the broadcast and public response. Bowers is the author of Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network That Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement, a finalist for the 2011 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults award.

Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan is on shelves now! And hey, it's Nonfiction Monday. Check out this week's roundup of nonfiction book reviews from around the Kidlitosphere at Books Together.

The Many Faces of George Washington

The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon by Carla Killough McClafferty. Grades 6-10. Carolrhoda Books, 2011. 120 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

It's all about image.

Millions of people only know George Washington's image from the portrait printed on an American one-dollar bill, but is that really how he looked?

When the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association (the folks who own and operate George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate, Museum, and Gardens) did some research, they found out that many people viewing that portrait of Washington described Washington as "stiff", "old", "grumpy" or "boring". This surprised the site's president, who said:

"Boring is not a word anyone in the eighteenth century would have used to describe George Washington. He was the most robust, athletic, outdoorsy, and adventurous of all the founding fathers. He was the 'man of action' of the eighteenth century. The real Washington made heads turn." (pp 8-9)

What to do? The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association decided to create life-size figures showing George Washington at the ages of 19, 45, and 57. Uncovering the real George Washington would prove to be a real challenge, from researching his bone structure without disturbing his bones to hand-sewing authentic clothing and even recreating his horse.

Interspersing passages about important events in George Washington's life with passages about the research and artistry behind creating the figures, this well-crafted book will appeal to young historians. Full color photos show artifacts from Washington's life and the artists and historians researching and building the figurines. If anyone picks up this book expecting to find dry information about a stodgy dead president, they will be pleasantly surprised to find a thrilling account of the adventurous, take-charge patriot.

This is not your dollar-bill president.

The back matter included in the book is excellent, including an index, timeline, selected bibliography, and many resources for further reading.

Pair this book with Jim Murphy's excellent book The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution for riveting reading on one of our founding fathers.

Check out more reviews from Jennie at Biblio File and The Nonfiction Detectives.

The Many Faces of George Washington is on shelves now.

And Happy Nonfiction Monday! This week's roundup is at Simply Science, so head on over there and check it out!

Flesh & Blood So Cheap

Flesh & Blood So Cheap by Albert Marrin. Grades 7 and up. Random House Children's Books, February 2011. 182 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

On Saturday, March 25, 1911, just at the end of the workday, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City caught fire. The doors were locked to discourage factory workers from leaving early. The fire hoses were not connected. Flames soon exploded out of control as the highly flammable cloth scraps and paper patterns caught fire. The factory occupied the top three floors of a 10-story building. Many women had no choice but jump or be burned to death.

146 people, mostly women, died in the Triangle Fire, and this well-researched book is more than a chronicle of the worst workplace disaster New York has ever seen (with the exception of the 9/11 terrorist attacks). It's a snapshot of the time and a portrait of a changing nation. The first half of the book examines immigration in America in the second half of the 19th century and how it shaped the way American industry developed. It paints just the right mood for acknowledging how terribly tragic the Triangle Fire was. The last part of the book shows what changes were made in industry and labor laws as a result of the fire and shows that sweatshops still exist in many parts of the world.

Archival photos are well-selected and well-used to bring the time period to life. Back matter includes a bibliography, source notes, and an index. The writing is accessible and interesting, giving teens a glimpse into the lives of teens and children of this era. Not only would this make a great addition to history lessons, but it could easily spark conversations about immigration and how it has changed in this country over the past hundred years.

This book would make a perfect pairing with Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix or Katherine Paterson's Bread and Roses, Too or Lyddie. For older teens interested in a more recent look at immigration and sweatshop work, you could also pair this book with Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok. And, of course, don't forget Russell Freedman's Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor.

You can find more reviews of Flesh & Blood So Cheap at Biblio File and The Fourth Musketeer.

Flesh & Blood So Cheap, finalist for the 2011 National Book Award, is on shelves now!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Check out this week's roundup at Great Kid Books.

Blizzard of Glass

Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker. Grades 5-10. Henry Holt, November 2011. 145 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

It was 1917, smack in the middle of World War I, and many ships carrying war supplies went in and out of the harbor at Halifax, Nova Scotia. But the Mont-Blanc wasn't just any ship. Packed to the brim with explosives and combustibles, every sailor knew to take extreme precautions on board that ship. But accidents happen and when another ship collided with the Mont-Blanc in Halifax Harbor, it created the largest man-made explosion until the 1945 detonation of the atomic bomb. Halifax would never be the same.

With riveting prose, Sally M. Walker presents a detailed account of the devastating Halifax Explosion and how it affected the people of Halifax. She starts by introducing the reader to a handful of families living in Halifax and how they started the morning of December 6, 1917, unsuspecting. The first few chapters give background information about Halifax and the ships and the war, each chapter ending with foreshadowing of the tragedy to come.

When tragedy does strike, Ms. Walker's gripping account is hard to put down. Archival photos grace nearly every page, putting the reader right into the middle of the action. Buildings for 12 miles around were damaged and most of the buildings near the harbor were absolutely leveled. Luckily, a brave telegraph operator had been able to send out a final message alerting other towns to the disaster, so help was soon on its way.

Confession: I am a huge fan of Sally Walker's books and I picked this one up on the strength of her name alone. It did not disappoint. I knew nothing about the Halifax Explosion before picking up this book, but now I find myself wanting to press Blizzard of Glass into the hands of every young Titanic fanatic I know. This is surely just as exciting and tragic account as any about the Titanic. This is narrative nonfiction at its finest.

And just as we've come to expect from Sally Walker, her excellent writing is paired with extensive research, making a truly fantastic nonfiction experience for young readers. The book includes extensive source notes, an author's note, a bibliography, and an index. I fully expect to see a shiny Sibert sticker on this one in a couple of weeks and I'll be devastated if it's overlooked for the ENYA shortlist next year.

Promote this one to your Titanic fans as the anniversary approaches and hand it to anyone who likes thrilling disaster stories.

Blizzard of Glass is on shelves now!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! This week's roundup is over at The Nonfiction Detectives, so head over there and check it out!

Balloons Over Broadway

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet. Grades 1-5. October 2011, Houghton Mifflin. Unpaged. Review copy provided by my local library.

Happy Halloween! Are you ready for a Thanksgiving book?!

Since he was a little boy in England, Tony Sarg loved figuring out how to make things move. When he was six years old, he rigged pulleys so that he could open the chicken coop doors from the comfort of his warm bed, prompting his impressed father to excuse him from chores. As he grew older, Tony developed a love for marionettes and began to create them in London and then show them on Broadway after he moved to New York City. He first worked for Macy's by designing moving figures for their holiday windows and when Macy's wanted to add puppets to their Thanksgiving parade, they knew who to call.

 The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924 to honor the many immigrants who worked for the store and their cultural celebrations. Tony Sarg, an immigrant himself, created the iconic floating balloon puppets, which debuted in 1928 and have been in every Macy's parade since (except for 2 years during WWII when rubber and helium were needed for the war effort). In accessible prose, with just the right level of detail, Melissa Sweet tells Tony Sarg's story.

This story is destined to become a Thanksgiving favorite. This time of year, we're inundated with tales of turkeys and giving thanks. There's nothing wrong with either of those topics, of course, but Balloons Over Broadway gives us a refreshing change of pace with a look at another Thanksgiving tradition. The fact that the parade was started to honor immigrants ties in nicely to the bigger themes of the holiday.

I love the art in this book and it's definitely one of my Caldecott picks this year. Melissa Sweet, Caldecott honor winner for A River of Words*, uses colorful watercolor paintings and mixed media collage to bring this story to life. She includes whimsical details in the pictures that kids will love to pick out (and I'm sure Tony Sarg would have appreciated). I'm especially impressed with the toys she created for the mixed media spreads, some of which are based on toys that Sarg himself created. Even the endpapers contain information and details that add to the story - the back endpapers include an original advertisement for the 1933 Macy's parade.

As all children's nonfiction should, the book includes an author's note and a bibliography and source notes. A librarian would be hard-pressed to ask for more. Don't miss this book!

Balloons Over Broadway is on shelves now!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Check out this week's roundup over at Jean Little Library.

* Incidentally, this was one of my mock Caldecott picks back in 2008, a fact that I remain proud of to this day. ;)

Bootleg

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal. Grades 6 and up. Flash Point (Macmillan), May 2011. 160 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

This book starts with gangsters.

(Did I get your attention? Good. Keep reading.)

On January 17, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect, outlawing the sale, transportation, and manufacture of intoxicating beverages. The amendment was supposed to make the country stronger and more moral. It was supposed to protect the children and strengthen families. Instead, the country began a slide into lawlessness, inviting corruption and gangs to take over.

Karen Blumenthal examines Prohibition from its roots in the early 1900s to its repeal in 1933, and even though we know from the get-go that Prohibition "failed", Blumenthal shows us a balanced view. Women's campaign efforts contributed greatly to the ratification of Prohibition, perhaps paving the way for the Nineteenth Amendment, giving women the right to vote. Prohibition also resulted in fewer arrests for drunkenness and an overall reduction in the amount of alcohol consumed for years to come (even after the amendment was repealed).

A somewhat strange effect of Prohibition was:

"... booming business at beauty salons. 'When men drank, they were not so critical,' Mrs. Harry Newton Price told the New York Times. But now that men were sober and could see the wrinkles and straight hair of their partners, 'women are flocking to beauty parlors.'" (Page 77.) 

The book's arranged very effectively and it starts with a bang (kind of literally). The opening paragraphs describe the St. Valentine's Day murders, an act of blatant violence spearheaded by public enemy Al Capone. It was certainly enough to grab my interest and it's sure to grab the interest of many teens, as well. Quotes and photos pepper the pages, helping to bring the time period to life.

Extensive back matter includes a glossary of Prohibition terms (including words like "bootlegger", "flapper", and "teetotaler"), source notes, an author's note, and a thorough bibliography. This book is a valuable resource for reports, with writing accessible enough to be recreational reading for young historians.

Check out another review at The Fourth Musketeer. And then go check out this book because Bootleg is on shelves now!

It's Nonfiction Monday! Head on over to Simply Science for this week's roundup!

The Incredible Life of Balto

The Incredible Life of Balto by Meghan McCarthy. Grades K-5. Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Unpaged. Review copy provided by my local library.

I have been fascinated by the story of Balto and the 1925 race to get medicine to the children of Nome, Alaska, since I saw that Disney movie. I have also long been a fan of Meghan McCarthy's picture books (see my reviews of Pop! and Strong Man). So, for me this book was a perfect match!

The first half of The Incredible Life of Balto tells the story we already know: sick people in Nome, lots of snow in Alaksa, dogs save the day! The second half goes on to tell the rest of Balto's story. At first, Balto was super famous, starring in a movie and having dog food named after him. But all too quickly, Balto's fame seemed to dissipate as the dog team was sold and sold again. When a kind businessman, George Kimble, saw Balto in a sideshow and wanted to save him, the owners charged more money than he could afford. He turned to the Cleveland community and many people donated money to help save the dogs.

The Incredible Life of Balto has classroom applications on many levels. This would be a great book to start discussions on community and teamwork. Not only do the dogs (and mushers) work together to get the medicine to Nome, but the entire community of Cleveland works together to purchase Balto and give him a nice home.

In an extensive author's note, Ms. McCarthy writes about being a history detective and tracking down the details of Balto's story when various historical accounts had conflicting details. It took an incredible amount of research just to figure out what color she should paint Balto in the pictures (brown or black?). Included with the back matter are some activities and tips related to researching nonfiction and reporting on events. Pair this book with Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson for a discussion about historical research.

Yes, this book has many classroom applications, but it's also just a fun story. Not only is it about a DOG but Meghan McCarthy's trademark bright colors and cartoon-style illustrations are sure to catch the eye of kids. Balto goes through some tough times, but he has a happy ending and Ms. McCarthy features the fact that kids contributed their pennies and school classes collected money to help save Balto.

Check out more reviews at A Fuse #8 Production and The Nonfiction Detectives.

The Incredible Life of Balto is on shelves now!

The Crossing

The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution by Jim Murphy. Grades 5-9. Scholastic, December 2010. 96 pages. Reviewed from library copy.

In the winter of 1776, George Washington, commander of the American army, faced not only the British troops but the panic and disillusionment of the American soldiers. With his ragtag army untrained and outnumbered and half of his soldiers' enlistments ending in the coming January, Washington knew he had one last chance to save his job and his country. So, the day after Christmas... in the middle of the night... in the middle of a storm... Washington crossed the Delaware.

You know what you're getting with Jim Murphy - impeccably researched, detailed nonfiction for kids. The Crossing is no exception. Mr. Murphy does a very nice job painting a picture of George Washington and the obstacles he faced when he took command. Washington had never commanded an army of that size and he was met with untrained soldiers whose ideas of democratic freedom led them to desert on a whim. Add to that the fact that the Americans were grossly outnumbered. Washington needed a win.

And a win he got. Using maps to show the progress of the battles and positions of the troops, Jim Murphy explains what happened in various battles, including the Battle of Trenton (the first time Washington crossed the Delaware). Mr. Murphy also explains why this battle was a turning point for Washington and for the American soldiers.

Mr. Murphy includes lots of archival paintings and portraits to bring the time period and the players to life. The back matter is excellent, including a timeline of the Revolutionary War, a list of sources, further resources, and a detailed index. Mr. Murphy also includes a note about the famous painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, noting its technical factual inaccuracies in light of the bigger message that artist Emmanuel Gottlieb Leutze meant to send.

This will be a definite hit for young history buffs and will certainly add to any unit on the Revolutionary War. Kids doing biography reports on George Washington should peruse this book to ascertain exactly why Washington was so important to the Revolution. They'll certainly come across impressed.

The Crossing is on shelves now!

Hey, it's Nonfiction Monday!! Head on over to Bookmuse for today's roundup!

Surviving the Angel of Death

Surviving the Angel of Death: The Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Mozes Kor and Lisa Rojany Buccieri. Grades 7+ Tanglewood Press. 141 pages. Review copy provided by publisher for Young Hoosier Book Award consideration. **This review reflects only my own opinion, not necessarily the opinion of the YHBA Committee!!**


...[B]ecause we were identical twins so easily spotted in the crowd of grimy, exhausted Jewish prisoners, Miriam and I had been chosen. Soon we would come face to face with Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor known as the Angel of Death. It was he who selected those on the platform who were to live and those would die. But we did not know that yet. All we knew was that we were abruptly alone. We were only ten years old. 


And we never saw Papa, Mama, Edit, or Aliz again... (Introduction, iii-iv)

So begins Eva Mozes Kor's account of her journey through the Auschwitz concentration camp, Dr. Mengele's experiments on her twin and herself, and their determination to survive even when all hope seemed lost. Identical twins Eva and Miriam Kor were ten years old when they arrived at Auschwitz. Separated from the rest of their family, they clung to each other for survival.

A survivor's story is a precious resource and this is one that shouldn't be missed. The book strikes a delicate balance between providing details of Eva's experience and keeping it age-appropriate. Although the book doesn't go into great detail about all of Mengele's experiments (understandably, since 10-year-old Eva would have had no idea what was going on), this is a story told from a unique perspective. Even teens who have read widely on this subject may find new information here.

The writing is functional and gets out of the way of the story, which is perfectly appropriate. Lisa Rojany Buccieri helps Eva Kor get her story across to its audience.

Photos of Eva's family and of Auschwitz are included, as well as an author's note. Eva Kor started the CANDLES Holocaust Museum in Terre Haute, IN to commemorate her experience and the experiences of other Holocaust and Mengele survivors.

Hand this one to your teens who are fascinated by Anne Frank or the Holocaust.

Surviving the Angel of Death is on shelves now!