Part of the Remembering the Holocaust series, this volume focuses on the first phase of Hitler’s plan to achieve the Final Solution. After the successful invasion of Poland, the Jews were to be “concentrated” in designated areas. The author describes the way the ghettos were governed, what daily life was like for the residents of the ghettos and more. Events were set in motion by Operation Barbarossa that changed the way the Nazis dealt with Jews; Russian Jews were not deported, they were slaughtered immediately. This edition goes on to describe the problems of disease and starvation in the ghettos, the Jews who hid or fought back and individual stories of courage. It ends with a timeline, glossary and a list of resources for more information.
Tag Archives: nonfiction
Line of Fire: Diary of an Unknown Soldier August, September 1914
As Barroux was walking through Paris, he found a diary in a heap of trash. It was the diary of a soldier serving during World War I. Barroux retrieved the diary and illustrated the soldier’s story. Much of the account is about boredom, waiting, digging, death and noise. Occasionally the soldier remembers something about home and family. But mostly he wonders where they will find shelter, where the war is, when he will get mail; it is a very realistic if depressing look at the Great War. Barroux’s illustrations are as stark as the diary entries. No one knows who wrote the diary or what happened to him. Those interested in WWI, history, or graphic novels should find this interesting.
The Manhattan Project
This reference begins with the Allies’ fears that Germany would be the first to create the atomic bomb and then proceeds through the steps taken to make sure the Allies beat them to it. From the selection of the scientists and the military commander in charge of the project to the selection of the facilities where the work would take place, Wukovits provides clear information, interesting sidebars, and photos to give students insight into this devastating event in history. The majority of the book details the planning and construction of the bomb; information on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is included although more detail is readily available elsewhere. While the book does touch on the opposing views on whether atomic bombs should be used, it is not explored in depth here. This resource does a good job illustrating the planning and execution of the creation of the bomb.
Essential Lives: Malala Yousafzai
This biography begins with the assassination attempt on Malala on her way home from school in 2012. The next few chapters provide background information: on Pakistan, Islam, the Taliban, and Malala’s childhood. The author does a good job illustrating how committed Malala and her father were to her education despite the obstacles they faced. The dangers they faced and the living conditions they endured when they had to flee their province are mentioned; however, the book seems to be targeting a young audience. It describes the living conditions in refugee camps as “less than ideal,” which I am sure is grossly understated. I do think kids will be interested in how Malala got started as an activist, with her diaries, blogs and documentaries. There is no mention of her Nobel Prize; the book was published in 2013. However, many students might already be aware of her award. The book ends with a timeline of events, important facts, a glossary and a list of resources for those wanting more information. This is a good overview, but there is not a lot of in-depth information or analysis of Malala’s life, beliefs or actions.
Walter Dean Myers
Washington Post reporter Jim Naughton called Walter Dean Myers a “one man movement.” Myers told stories about the lives of African American youth at a time when literature for youth was “monochromatic,” written by white authors about white characters. This book tells Myers’ story, from his troubled childhood and lack of success in school, to his time in the military to his career as a writer. Fans of his writing will see the roots of many of his characters in his childhood. His struggle to achieve and his perseverance in becoming a writer is inspirational. There is also a chapter on his efforts to reach children, especially troubled youth, through his writing. Myers is such a popular writer that this biography is bound to circulate well, especially after his recent death. The book is appealing, with many sidebars and photographs, and ends with a timeline of important events and a list of resources for further information.
At Issue: Fracking
This volume provides a range of opinions on issues related to fracking: the environmental risks, possible contamination, pollution, chemicals used and more. The sources range from government agencies to news reports to industry reports. The articles are short and accessible; the reading level is appropriate for high school students. The resource contains a list of organizations to contact for more information and a bibliography. This book is a useful addition to a secondary school library for research and could be used to support more nonfiction reading in the classroom as teachers align curriculum to ELA Common Core Standards.
Current Controversies: Violence in the Media
In this volume of the series, violence in music lyrics and videos, exposure to violence in television and movies, violent video games and society’s reaction to violence in the media are considered. Opposing views on each of these issues are presented. The topics are timely and likely to appeal to teens. I think many teens will enjoy the article that questions whether PacMan will lead to the demise of a generation. (If they know what PacMan is.) Each chapter begins with an overview or a preface and several includes a list of references. The book ends with organizations to contact and a bibliography. With Common Core Standards necessitating the need for more nonfiction reading in the classroom, a book like this with timely, interesting articles is a good addition to a secondary school library.
Hidden Like Anne Frank
This book tells the stories of 14 Jews who went into hiding in the Netherlands during World War II to survive. The stories are stark; a few have moments of happiness but most are stories of desperation, fear and longing. Some of the survivors lived in more than 25 different locations before the Netherlands was liberated. Some spent their time hiding in confinement in small spaces; others were able for at least a while to move around in a home and have contact with other people. Some stayed with family or friends; others lived with perfect strangers.
Prins was inspired to write the book because his mother was forced to go into hiding in the Netherlands when she was only six years old. The experiences of the survivors vary greatly; however, many describe themselves as broken after the war. So many looked forward to liberation, only to discover that it was not significantly better: they had no homes to return to, no possessions, no businesses, and frequently, no sense of family after living apart for so long. They could not connect again with parents who sent them into hiding and had to hide apart from their children. Many felt closer to their “foster” families than their own.
Although I was compelled by the stories to finish the book, I am not sure who the audience will be. The voices in this book are stilted; whether that is a factor of translation, the unease of telling of their stories or that the survivors told their stories in the voices of the children in them who lived it, it felt off. I do think students who are fascinated by the Holocaust, especially if they have just finished The Diary of Anne Frank, will want to read this book.
The Arab-Israeli Six-Day War
Recently a group named Hamas, located in the Gaza Strip, and the nation of Israel engaged in prolonged exchanges of rocket attacks and air strikes. A series of “ceasefires” did nothing to assuage the violence. This military tit-for-tat response has its roots in the results of what historians refer to as the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War and which is the topic of a new book (by the same name) in the “Perspectives on Modern World History” series.
The 1967 Six Day pitted Israel against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. In that short conflict Israel defeated all three and took land from each. The land taken from Jordan, the West Bank (of the Jordan River) and East Jerusalem were inhabited by Palestinians, a Moslem ethnic group. Israel won the war, but has been unable to win the peace, mainly because of their inability to figure out what to do with the Palestinians. This Israeli victory on the battlefield has spawned numerous negotiations, an occasional agreement, and Palestinian anger which nurtured terrorism.
“The Arab-Israeli Six-Day War” is a collection of essays examining in detail the causes, miscalculations, and results of that short-lived conflict. The book begins with a short chronology of events leading to war, the war, and its results. The intent of the essays is to provide different perspectives on the major questions which still dominate the debate. For instance, was Israel’ pre-emptive attack on it neighbors justified? Abba Eban, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. at the time, builds a case for war. Another essay contends that Israel, militarily, had nothing to fear. “The Postwar Occupation Provided Many Benefits to Palestinians as Well as Israeli” is countered a short piece written by a Palestinian, “Israel’s Postwar Occupations Imposed Harsh Conditions on Palestinians.”
A couple of essays touch on the subject of how to unravel this complicated issue, but one comes to understand how national myths and bravado, domestic politics, and the international political scene make reasonable men seek solace in armed confrontations.
This volume provides an excellent introduction for someone new to the subject, relying on historical facts wrapped in competing perspectives.
(Submitted by the Washington State Civics Educator of the Year, Ed Bergh)
50 Successful University of California Application Essays
This reference focuses on how to write the scholarship application essay that will get you into one of the branches of the University of California. Not quite as easily accessible as other guides by the Tanabes, this is very definitely aimed at a different audience. The book begins with a chapter called “25 Essay Mistakes that Guarantee Failure,” followed by a question and answer chapter that has UC admissions officers responding to questions. The next 15 or so chapters include essays about different topics, such as literature, family, challenges, and more. Each essay is followed by an analysis which offers an excellent critique and pointers on what to do and not do. The last two chapters are full of advice on topics and writing from University of California students. Traditionally, there have not been many students in my building applying to UC schools, but the lessons in this guide should apply to any four year university.
Sports Injuries
This book is divided into three sections: essays about sports injuries, the controversies surrounding them and personal stories about these injuries. In the first section there is an essay about brain injuries and concussions. Included in this essay is discussion about the suicide of Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson, who, in his forties began to suffer from headaches, blurred vision, memory loss and other symptoms so severe that he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest so that, according to his note, his brain could be preserved for research. The second section includes essays about whether or not the NFL should be held responsible for players’ concussions and why there is such an increase in the number of sports injuries suffered by children and how they might be prevented. The last section has two essays from those who have experience with these injuries. With sidebars, charts and photographs, the book is visually appealing. The book also includes a glossary, a chronology, a list of organizations to contact, and sources for further information. This volume could prove useful for Sports Medicine classes or as a source for debate information as well as providing useful information for anyone interested in the topic.
Darkness Everywhere: The Assassination of Mohandas Gandhi
While this book does provide a biography of Gandhi, it does not focus solely on his life. Half of the book provides the history of the group of conspirators who plotted and carried out the execution of “Mahatmaji.” Gandhi’s evolution as a proponent of nonviolent civil disobedience, from his time in South Africa to his return to British-controlled India, is juxtaposed with the growing movement for a Hindu controlled India. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was the leader of a group of Hindu nationalists who saw Gandhi’s vision of an independent India with freedom for both Muslims and Hindus as a betrayal of all Hindus. One of Savarkar’s followers, Nathuram Godse, decided that there was only one way to prevent Gandhi from further weakening India: Gandhi had to die, and Godse was willing to implement the solution. The book follows the conspirators through the assassination and the trial, and wraps up with more about Gandhi’s message and others who were inspired to action by it. The book is colorful; it includes many interesting sidebars, photos, and direct quotations from the major players in the events that occurred. Prime Minister Nehru’s speech to his nation after the assassination of Gandhi is included along with a few good ideas for a lesson connected to the speech. The book concludes with a timeline, a who’s who section with short biographies, a very short glossary, and a list of resources for further information. I see many uses for this book in the classroom to support both history and English curriculums and I highly recommend it.
World War I: From the Lusitania to Versailles
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the first step in what was to become a global conflict. When the United States entered the war on the side of the Allies, most believed that the “war to end all wars” would soon be over. This reference covers WWI from the sinking of the Lusitania to the Treaty of Versailles, beginning each chapter with an excerpt from a song, poem, letter or speech from the time. There are maps, photographs, posters and paintings throughout the book, but I was disappointed that there was so little primary source text material. The book ends with a timeline, glossary and a list of resources for further reading. I would only recommend this for 4-7th grades; it does not have the depth of information necessary for any kind of research at the secondary level.
Student Movements of the 1960s
Young women and men coming of age in 1960 were not, as a whole, worried about social hypocrisy or desirous of changing the economic, political, and social framework of the United States. The subsequent decade changed that. In Student Movements of the 1960s Alexander Cruden has brought together a selection of primary source documents [primarily speeches, manifestos and articles] which reflect a number of challenges that arose to the status quo.
What this set of readings does is reflect the voices of people who helped drive the politics of the era with their righteous indignation with the ways things were. For context, Cruden includes an interview with Jonathan Leaf who is quick to point out the reality of the sixties, that most young people were not protesters, poor, or feeling oppressed.
Anti-war protesters, women challenging gender roles, students dissatisfied with college rules and mores, and black power advocates all have a seat at the table in Cruden’s slender volume. Combined they represent a minority of voices from the era, but those that inspired and helped create an America different from the one they found in 1960.
Included also are representative voices of those who resisted or critiqued the change at the time. Together these pieces provide a rich tableau of perspectives of those who consciously tried to change this country a half century ago.
Harlem Renaissance Artists and Writers
The Harlem Renaissance, the period of time when art and literature of the African American culture flourished, is briefly explored in the preface of this book. The chapters are devoted to well-known artists and writers such as Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, and Josephine Baker, in addition to others with whom I was not familiar such as Aaron Douglas, Arna Bontemps, and Alain LeRoy Locke. I was disappointed that there were no excerpts of any of the authors’ works or reproductions of the artists’ works. There were photographs of the people profiled and further resources.
Recentering the Universe: The Radical Theories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton
This book explains the history of the theories of the universe. Miller provides a short segment on Egyptian and Babylonian cosmology before exploring the Greek theories that eventually formed the basis for Christian thinking on the geocentric view of the universe. These views became so fixed in church doctrine that anyone questioning the theories was deemed a radical and an enemy of the church.
Miller does an excellent job explaining the theories of the scientists who have considered the nature of the universe over time: Anaximander, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Galileo, and Newton among others. The information is accessible even for those who are not well-versed in science. His emphasis, however, is on the courage the scientists of the Renaissance and later displayed in the face of condemnation by the church for their pursuit of knowledge. While many people are aware of Galileo’s trial, not as many know Copernicus, who died in 1543, was buried in an unmarked grave and the Catholic Church banned his book. His remains were not discovered until 2005 and he was finally given an honorable burial in 2010. Photographs, sidebars, a glossary and a list of additional resources provide even more information on the topic. This book was surprisingly interesting and would make a excellent addition to a school library’s nonfiction section.
The Kurds
This reference presents essays that discuss not only the historical background of the Kurds, but also the actions against Kurds in modern Turkey and Iraq. The first chapter provides the background information, including information on the Turkish Settlement Law and the actions of Saddam Hussein against Kurds. Chapter two presents essays about several controversies, such as whether Hussein’s actions constituted genocide, whether the Kurds should be granted an independent state, whether Turkish actions against Kurds constitute genocide and more. The third chapter recounts personal experiences, such as a Turkish American Kurd who was tortured in Turkey, a Kurdish politician’s first impressions of Hussein in his early days of power, and others who experienced atrocities at the hands of Hussein and his forces. I don’t think many of our students know about the persecution of Kurds, and I think fewer understand the root of the problems; this book does a good job explaining it. There are exercises at the start of each chapter, including analysis of data and political cartoons, writing prompts and group activities. The reference includes a timeline, maps, and lists of websites and books for further information. I see this as an excellent addition to a high school library, both for students looking for more information on genocide or teachers interested in developing a lesson/unit on the topic, particularly one supported by primary source documents.
The Taliban
This volume focuses on three topics related to the Taliban: the power of the Taliban, the relationship between the Taliban and Afghanistan’s drug trade, and how the United States should deal with the Taliban. Each section provides at least four viewpoints on the topic, as well as questions to consider as you read each essay. After each essay restates the main argument made and poses questions to help the reader evaluate the argument asks how the next author would respond to the argument, what other facts the reader would need in order to This book takes a complex topic and makes it comprehensible even if it is a little simplistic in scope. There are photographs, maps, charts, and political cartoons that prevent the book from being too text-dense. Included at the end of the book are basic facts about the Taliban and organizations to contact and sources for more information.
D-Day: The Normandy Invasion
This reference is an excellent source of information on the invasion of Normandy, from the planning and preparation to the launch and what happened after. The photos, maps and text boxes add interest to the text. In addition to the basic information, there are interesting details, such as what the D in D-Day stands for, Enigma and the Code-Breakers, and Douglas Fairbanks and the Beach Jumpers. Like all the editions in this series, D-Day: The Normandy Invasion includes a timeline, glossary, essential facts and additional resources.
The Great American Dust Bowl
“A speck of dust is a tiny thing.” That is how Don Brown begins his story of the “Dirty Thirties” in graphic novel form. He provides information I never knew – fences for miles were decorated with dead snakes because it was said dead snakes would bring rain – enhanced by wonderful illustrations. While there are a few spots of green and blue in the illustrations at the beginning of the novel, most of the images are in brown tones. The author keeps the story moving, provides interesting details, and uses panels crafted to create just the right mood. An excellent addition to any middle or high school library.
Favorite Words of Famous People
When I picked this up, I assumed it would be the favorite quotations of famous people. But it is not quotations; it is literally favorite words. Yo-Yo Ma’s favorite words are “genuine” and “incredible;” Ann Landers’ is “chocolate” and she is not the only one. Gene Kelly loves “plethora” and Penn Gillete loves “ruckus.” Several people chose “yes.” If the book were simply a list of favorite words, it would be rather dull. However, almost all of the famous people supplied a story about why they love these words. Some love them because of the sound of the words; others because of their meaning. My favorite favorite word – cartoonist Jules Feiffer’s – “Duck!” – provided complete with drawing.
The Hudson Plane Landing
| This account of the emergency landing of Flight 1549 was incredibly moving. I remember watching it on television, wondering how they could possibly survive. The book begins with how the day started for many of the passengers and crew, and then goes back to the life of the man who saved them all, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. After giving some background on bird strikes, the author provides a minute by minute account of the strike and landing. The calm and skill of the crew, the caring and compassion of some of the passengers all make for much more interesting reading than I anticipated. An interesting note: the chronology, included as in other entries in the Essential Events series, is a minute by minute chronology rather than day by day or year by year as in most books. |
District of Columbia v. Heller: The Right to Bear Arms
This well-organized and written reference begins with the United States v. Miller, a case that was used by lower courts for years to regulate the right to bear arms, although since the government argued the case unopposed it raised as many questions as it answered. Streissguth then goes on to set the stage for the District of Columbia v. Heller case, including the NRA’s lack of support for the case because they had one of their own test cases pending. He also provides the historical background from colonial times. The reference provides readers with all of the necessary background to understand the gun control debate and the cases surrounding it without making judgments. The final chapter, “The Impact of the Decision,” gives information on the some of the results of the landmark decision and potential effects in the future. The book includes a chronology of events, a glossary and additional resources. A good reference on how cases are selected to be test cases, how they are built and move through the system. The author states in the last chapter that the Second Amendment is likely to come under review by the Supreme Court again; since there is such a high likelihood that there will be more decisions on this subject, I rated this an Additional Purchase.
Sigmund Freud
Gillam begins with a brief overview of free association, Freudian slips, dream analysis, repressed sexual urges and other ideas developed by Freud and then launches into his childhood. Freud was the favorite son and received the best of everything in his family. Never lacking confidence, after he began studying medicine and psychology he believed that his theories and proposed treatments would rival the discoveries of Copernicus and Darwin. However, he was often ridiculed by his contemporaries, some because they felt threatened by his radical ideas and others because of anti-Semitism. The two World Wars had both positive and negative effects on Freud research and practice; he began the treatment of what was then termed “war neuroses” and is now known as PTSD. His personal life, including his interest in cocaine, is almost as interesting as his career. Although some of his theories have been rejected, some have been modified and are still practiced today. The book includes a timeline, glossary, a list of essential facts, and additional references. The use of excerpts from primary source documents, photos and sidebars give the book visual appeal. I highly recommend the Essential Lives series.
Relationship Smarts
This book begins with the explanation of the four types of relationships and how to build healthy relationships before going on to describe how to handle conflict and the signs of a bad relationship. There are sidebars on cyberbullying, how to know if you are ready to have sex, how much teen-aged boys lie about sex and more. It ends with a glossary and additional references. There are numbers and websites for teens who are suffering from abuse. The book offers solid advice; I’m just not sure how many teens will seek this advice in a library book.