Author: @lauriethompson

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WHO GIVES A POOP? by Heather L. Montgomery

Who Gives a Poop cover

Who Gives a Poop?
Surprising Science from One End to the Other

By: Heather L. Montgomery, Illustrator: Iris Gottlieb
Bloomsbury Children’s Books/October 13, 2020
Ages 10-14, 192 pages

Here’s what the publisher says:

This uniquely crafted narrative nonfiction invites readers to follow the author into science labs, forests, hospitals, and landfills, as the author asks: Who uses poo?

Poop is disgusting, but it’s also packed with potential. One scientist spent months training a dog to track dung to better understand elephant birthing patterns. Another discovered that mastodon poop years ago is the reason we enjoy pumpkin pie today. And every week, some folks deliver their own poop to medical facilities, where it is swirled, separated, and shipped off to a hospital to be transplanted into another human. There’s even a train full of human poop sludge that’s stuck without a home in Alabama.

This irreverent and engaging book shows that poop isn’t just waste-and that dealing with it responsibly is our duty.

Here’s what reviewers have said:

⭐  “A well-stirred slurry of facts and fun for strong-stomached “poop sleuths.””  –- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

⭐  “Feces have lots of great stories to tell… .” — BCCB (starred review)

And here are my thoughts:

OK, I have to confess: I had so much fun reading this book! It felt like I was walking through the woods on an exciting adventure with a trusted friend. The author’s voice is unfailingly authentic, and each chapter contains a ton of real science alongside genuine human emotion and just the right amount of humor. I think what I loved most about it, however, is…

to read the full review, please click here!

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Three Stars in the Night Sky

Three Stars in the Night Sky cover

THREE STARS IN THE NIGHT SKY
by Fern Schumer Chapman
Gussie Rose Press/June 6, 2018
Grades 5-8, 56 pages

Here’s what the publisher says:

At the age of 12, Gerda Katz fled Nazi Germany and came to America all by herself. Decades before the label gained recognition, she became what’s now known as an “unaccompanied minor.” Gerda’s story of family separation reflects the dislocating trauma, culture shock, and excruciating loneliness many unaccompanied minor immigrants experience. As Gerda becomes an American, she never stops longing to be reunited with her family. Three Stars in the Night Sky illuminates the personal damage of racism in three countries – Nazi Germany, the Dominican Republic, and the United States during the 1930s and 40s — and the emotional devastation of a child coming to a new country alone.

And here are my thoughts:

This was an engaging, up close and personal look at an historical event that is sadly still relevant today for many reasons, including understanding World War II, anti-Semitism, refugees, and the very real impacts of immigration policies. There is also local relevancy here in western Washington state, as Gerda emigrated to Seattle to escape the persecution of Jews in Germany in 1938 and wound up facing the internment of the region’s Japanese-American citizens. I found the story and accompanying images to be…

To read the rest of my review, please click here!

Facts First! Nonfiction Monday

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Review: Votes for Women! American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot

Votes for Women! cover
Votes for Women! American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot
by Winifred Conkling
Algonquin Young Readers, February 13, 2018
Grades 8-12, 320 pages

Here’s what the publisher says about Votes for Women!:

For nearly 150 years, American women did not have the right to vote. On August 18, 1920, they won that right, when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified at last. To achieve that victory, some of the fiercest, most passionate women in history marched, protested, and sometimes even broke the law—for more than eight decades.

From Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who founded the suffrage movement at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, to Sojourner Truth and her famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, to Alice Paul, arrested and force-fed in prison, this is the story of the American women’s suffrage movement and the private lives that fueled its leaders’ dedication. Votes for Women! explores suffragists’ often powerful, sometimes difficult relationship with the intersecting temperance and abolition campaigns, and includes an unflinching look at some of the uglier moments in women’s fight for the vote.

By turns illuminating, harrowing, and empowering, Votes for Women! paints a vibrant picture of the women whose tireless battle still inspires political, human rights, and social justice activism.

And what the critics say about Votes for Women!:

  • “This is a fascinating account of the bumpy road to women’s suffrage in the U.S. . . . Well-chosen black-and-white archival reproductions and photographs ably support the text, which makes excellent use of primary sources, including excerpts from letters and writings to bring key personalities to life.” —The Horn Book Magazine (starred review)
  • “From the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848 to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, this is a commanding and relevant account of sweeping, hard-won social reform and action.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
  • “Spanning multiple centuries, this work may be the most comprehensive account for young readers about the founders, leaders, organizers, and opponents of the American suffragist movement . . . Conkling delivers a tour de force.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
  • “Looking for a comprehensive, well-written history of women’s fight for the right to vote? You’ve found it. Conkling draws readers in  . . . this is great for research as well as a good read.” —Booklist
  • “The intense drama of the 72-year battle for women’s suffrage springs vividly to life from the pages of this compulsively readable account.” —School Library Journal

And here are my thoughts about Votes for Women!:

I listened to this one as an audiobook as part of judging the CYBILS contest. I also plan to check out the print version so I can see the images and backmatter.

From the opening scene to the final chapter, I was completely drawn in. I thought I knew a fair bit about the history of the women’s suffrage movement, but it turns out I had only superficial knowledge of the people and events involved. I’m grateful to have been enlightened, although I’ll admit the experience wasn’t always easy nor pleasant….

To read the rest of my review, please click here.

Facts First! Nonfiction Monday

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Capsized! The Forgotten Story of the SS Eastland Disaster

Capsized! cover
Capsized! The Forgotten Story of the SS Eastland Disaster
by Patricia Sutton
Chicago Review Press (July 1, 2018)
Grades 5-8, 176 pages

Here’s what the publisher says about Capsized!:

A fascinating historical account of courage and tragedy on the Chicago River

On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland, filled to capacity with 2,500 passengers and crew, capsized in the Chicago River while still moored to the pier. Happy picnic-goers headed for an employee outing across Lake Michigan suddenly found themselves in a struggle for their lives. Trapped belowdecks, crushed by the crowds attempting to escape the rising waters, or hurled into the river from the upper deck of the ship, roughly one-third of the passengers, mostly women and children, perished that day.

The Eastland disaster took more passenger lives than the Titanic and stands today as the greatest loss of life on the Great Lakes. Capsized! details the events leading up to the fateful day and provides a nail-biting, minute-by-minute account of the ship’s capsizing. From the courage of the survivors to the despair of families who lost loved ones, author Patricia Sutton brings to light the stories of ordinary working people enduring the unthinkable.

Capsized! also raises critical-thinking questions for young readers: Why do we know so much about the Titanic’s sinking yet so little about the Eastland disaster? What causes a tragedy to be forgotten and left out of society’s collective memory? And what lessons from this disaster might we be able to apply today?

And what the critics say about Capsized!:

    • “A true disaster story rivetingly told.” —Kirkus Reviews
    • “A badly designed ship, a careless captain, and decks jammed with 2,500 passengers are a recipe for disaster. Patricia Sutton describes the tragic launching of the SS Eastland in a dramatic, riveting narrative filled with the vivid firsthand accounts of those onboard that brings readers along on a harrowing day trip.” —Jim Murphy, author of Newbery Honor titles The Great Fire and An American Plague
    • “A riveting page-turner sure to grab readers’ attention. Patricia Sutton’s well-researched Capsized! will leave you shocked, saddened, and unable to put it down.” —Kate Hannigan, author of The Detective’s Assistant
    • “Through meticulous research and vivid prose, Sutton brings to life the little-known story of the Eastland ship disaster. Based on firsthand accounts of passengers, ship workers and bystanders, readers can experience the people and events that led to the sinking of the fastest steamship on the Great Lakes and its tragic aftermath.” —Claire Rudolf Murphy, author of Gold Rush Women and Marching with Aunt Susan
    • “The narrative-driven account, filled with quotes from individuals and newspapers, historical photos, and trial transcripts, is engaging and accessible…Extensive source notes, which account for every quote, as well as a bibliography, round out this informative, engrossing title.” —Booklist
    • “Capsized! is an excellent book for historical research and highly recommended for both middle and high school libraries.” — KidsReads

And here are my thoughts about Capsized!:

I read this one as part of judging the CYBILS, and I could not put it down! I started reading it one night in bed, intending to get in a quick chapter or two before turning off the light, but I didn’t stop until I’d read every last page.

I’m shocked, and frankly a little appalled, that I’d never heard of this event before. Thankfully, Sutton chose to dedicate herself to telling this little-known story, and she tells it very well….

To read the rest of my review, click here.

Facts First! Nonfiction Monday

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Eavesdropping on Elephants

Eavesdropping on Elephants cover

EAVESDROPPING ON ELEPHANTS
by Patricia Newman
Millbrook Press/August 1, 2018
Grades 4-8, 56 pages

Here’s what the publisher says:

Can understanding how forest elephants communicate help scientists find ways to protect this vulnerable species? Researcher Katy Pane and others involved with Cornell University’s Elephant Listening Project believe it can. Patricia Newman takes readers behind the scenes to see how scientists are making new discoveries about elephant communication and using what they learn to help these majestic animals.

Features: Author/Illustrator biography, Bibliography/further reading, Glossary, Index, Maps, Page Plus, Primary source quotations/images, and Reviewed

And what the critics say:

  • A Junior Library Guild Selection
  • “An inviting introduction to biologists at work.” —Booklist
  • “…this book does an excellent job of transporting readers and providing a clear, multifaceted picture of African forest elephants…“The more you listen to wildlife, the more your mind opens up to new ideas about why the world is a place worth saving.” VERDICT A great pick for middle school nonfiction collections.” —School Library Journal
  • “Fascinating for earnest conservationists.” —Kirkus Reviews

Read my thoughts here.

Finally, watch the trailer to see–and hear–some of the animals from the book!

Facts First! Nonfiction Monday