February 2019 – Nonfiction Monday

February 25, 2019February 24, 2019

History’s Mysteries: Freaky Phenomena

History’s Mysteries: Freaky Phenomena: Curious Clues, Cold Cases, and Puzzles From the Past
by Kitson Jazynka (Author)

Booktalk: Is there any truth to the legend of Bigfoot? Why have planes and ships suddenly disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle? Is there really a lost city of gold in the jungle of Central America? Discover even more of history’s most fascinating head-scratching conundrums, including the curse of the Hope Diamond, King Tut’s tomb, black holes, the puzzling disappearance of ancient civilizations, long-lost treasure, and the cryptic creatures of myth and legend.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

February 25, 2019February 24, 2019

Alien Abductions

Alien Abductions
by Ken Karst (Author)

Booktalk: An investigative approach to the curious phenomena and mysterious circumstances surrounding alien abductions, from abductees’ hypnotic recollections to conspiracy theories to hard facts.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

February 18, 2019February 17, 2019

Let ‘er Buck!

Let ‘er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People’s Champion
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Author) and Gordon C. James (Illustrator)

Booktalk: In 1911, three men were in the final round of the famed Pendleton Round-Up. One was white, one was Indian, and one was black. When the judges declared the white man the winner, the audience was outraged. They named black cowboy George Fletcher the “people’s champion” and took up a collection, ultimately giving Fletcher far more than the value of the prize that went to the official winner.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

February 11, 2019

Haiku #kidlit Rain

Want to share a children’s picture book for National Haiku Writing Month? Rain by Anders Holmer is a lovely choice.

The picture book is a collection of haiku, each celebrated by a two-page spread of sometimes dark, sometimes humorous, and sometimes hopeful illustrations.

The topics of the haiku are not simple ones. For example, regarding a forest fire:

Beneath the ashes are
seeds for a new forest that
might burn someday too

Adults might shy away from the dark illustrations and/or the darker topics for children, but it is actually offers much to explore and consider.

Rain will appeal to both nature lovers and budding poets. Pull it out for haiku month or for any rainy day.

Review at Wrapped In Foil blog.

February 11, 2019February 9, 2019

Carter Reads the Newspaper

Carter Reads the Newspaper
by Deborah Hopkinson (Author) and Don Tate (Illustrator)

Booktalk: As the father of Black History Month, he spent his life introducing others to the history of his people. Carter G. Woodson was born to two formerly enslaved people ten years after the end of the Civil War. Though his father could not read, he believed in being an informed citizen. So Carter read the newspaper to him every day. When he was still a teenager, Carter went to work in the coal mines. There he met a man named Oliver Jones, and Oliver did something important: he asked Carter not only to read to him and the other miners, but also research and find more information on the subjects that interested them.

Snippet: At Harvard, so the story goes, one of Carter’s professors said that Black people had no history.

Carter remembered his father’s pride, his mother’s courage, and Oliver’s determination to read. He remembered reading the newspaper.

Carter spoke up. “No people lacked a history,” he said. The professor challenged Carter to prove him wrong.

For the rest of his life, Carter did just that.

BONUS! Download the Teacher’s Guide

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

February 11, 2019February 9, 2019

Puppies (Spot Baby Farm Animals)

Puppies (Spot Baby Farm Animals)
by Anastasia Suen (Author)

Booktalk: This search-and-find book invites early readers to look for new vocabulary words and pictures of baby dogs. It gives simple facts about puppies living on a farm.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

February 4, 2019February 2, 2019

Abraham Lincoln: The Making of America

Abraham Lincoln: The Making of America #3
by Teri Kanefield (Author)

Booktalk: Born in a cabin deep in the backwoods of Kentucky, growing up in a family considered “the poorest of the poor,” Lincoln rose to become the sixteenth president of the United States. As president, he guided the United States through the Civil War, helped end slavery in America, and strengthened the federal government.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

February 4, 2019February 3, 2019

Young, Gifted and Black

Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past by Jamia Wilson and illustrated by Andrea Pippinsis is a middle grade title that celebrates the lives of visionaries who also happen to be people of color.

Author Jamia Wilson has gathered the stories of 52 amazing people and condensed them into must-read single page summaries. Readers will learn about astronauts, athletes, entertainers, mathematicians, poets, and a president.

Although Wilson celebrates each person’s triumphs, she also doesn’t shy away from each person’s struggles. For example, both Stevie Wonder and Sidney Poitier were born prematurely, which caused Stevie Wonder to lose his sight. Madame C. J. Walker lost her parents when she was seven. When children read how others overcame challenges to become successful, hopefully they will be inspired to keep trying and dream big for themselves, too.

Andrea Pippinsis’s illustrations are so vibrant. They capture the energy and vitality of these strong personalities with bold lines and shapes that suggest movement.

Young, Gifted and Black is a perfect choice for both Black and Women’s History Months. Pick up a copy and inspire a child today.

You can find more details at Wrapped in Foil Blog.