Turn and Learn: Our World
by Isabel Otter (Author) and Hannah Tolson (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Explore five of the world’s habitats and use the magic slider to discover amazing adaptations that animals have made to survive. Uncover weird and wonderful plants and learn about the traditions of people from all over our world.
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It’s Nonfiction Monday!
Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
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Every Second: 100 Lightning Strikes, 8,000 Scoops of Ice Cream, 200,000 Text Messages, 1 Million Gallons of Cow Burps … and Other Incredible Things That Happen Each Second Around the World
by Bruno Gibert (Author / Illustrator)
Booktalk: See some of the incredible things that happen each and every second in our world! A unique introduction to numbers and statistics for kids in kindergarten and elementary school.
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It’s Nonfiction Monday!
Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
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A Bowl Full of Peace: A True Story
by Caren Stelson (Author) and Akira Kusaka (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Sachiko’s family home was about half a mile from where the atomic bomb fell on August 9, 1945. Her family experienced devastating loss. When they returned to the rubble where their home once stood, her father miraculously found their serving bowl fully intact. This delicate, green, leaf-shaped bowl–which once held their daily meals–now holds memories of the past and serves as a vessel of hope, peace, and new traditions for Sachiko and the surviving members of her family.
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It’s Nonfiction Monday!
Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
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W is for Welcome: A Celebration of America’s Diversity
by Brad Herzog (Author)
Booktalk: Following the alphabet this book uses poetry and expository text to celebrate America’s diverse population and showcase the remarkable achievements and contributions that have come from the many people who have chosen to make our country their home. Topics include well-known landmarks and institutions (the Statue of Liberty and the White House, our national parks system) and famous citizens whose talents helped make the United States a world leader (Albert Einstein and Madeleine Albright). In addition to celebrating America’s history and development, key concepts such as naturalization and steps to citizenship are explained in easy-to-understand terms for the young reader.
Snippet: Each year millions of people leave their homelands to start new lives in another country. They emigrate from their birth nation and immigrate to a new one. America, in particular, is made up of immigrants and their descendants. Everyone is here because their ancestors “migrated” (moved from one place to another). Some of them, such as the ancestors of Native Americans, migrated to North America very long ago. Many other arrived against their will. For instance, hundreds of thousands of Africans were forced to come here and were enslaved. But over the centuries, the United States has welcomed millions of strangers to its shores.
A is for America
a dreamer’s destination
made up of people who are here
due to immigration.
It’s Nonfiction Monday!
Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
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Truth and Honor: The President Ford Story
by Lindsey McDivitt (Author) and Matt Faulkner (Illustrator)
Booktalk: When Gerald Ford became president after the turmoil of the early 70s, Americans were ready for an honest, hardworking politician. And that is just what they got with President Ford. He was a man of integrity and honesty, who cared deeply about all Americans. His life, tougher than some and filled with character-building lessons, had prepared him for the job–from his childhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan to his days on the University of Michigan football team and in the Navy to his many years representing the Great Lakes State in Congress.
Snippet: As a baby in 1913, Junior, as he was called back then, survived stormy times. His mother, Dorothy, escaped her violent husband by clutching her baby close and slipping out the door without even a suitcase. Dorothy fled to Omaha, Nebraska, to her parents, with Junior, then just 16 days old. They all moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to start a new life.
It’s Nonfiction Monday!
Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
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North America: A Fold-out Graphic History
by Sarah Albee (Author) and William Exley (Illustrator)
Booktalk: North American history unfolds in this graphic timeline that places the United States, Canadian and Mexican/Caribbean histories in the context of their continent. From healers in the Aleutian islands in 10,000 BCE to the first to cultivate corn in 3,000 BCE in Mexico to Canadian scientists studying butterfly migration in 1975. From the Aztecs of the city of Tenochtitlan to the Mississippians who built Cahokia to the Inuit of the arctic and the Taino of the Caribbean. Then there are Spanish, French, English, and other Europeans who invaded in the 1500s, the enslaved Africans forcibly brought to our shores, and millions more, from all around the world.
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It’s Nonfiction Monday!
Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Cindy: What I learned about classical music was mostly learned during my high school days playing flute in our small school’s band and later watching the movie Amadeus. I’m not quite serious, but almost. My middle school orchestra students are probably way ahead of me today. It’s not for lack of wanting to know more, it’s for the lack of knowing where to begin or how to approach such a large body of music of which I know so little. If it’s intimidating to me, it surely must be for a teen who may have even less interest in pursuing that interest without some inspiration. And thus, concert pianist James Rhodes to the rescue for many of us. Playlist: The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound (Candlewick, 2019) is just the ticket. Packaged in the trim size to match an LP cover and stunningly illustrated by Martin O’Neill, this book will attract and convert new classical music fans.
In his introduction, Rhodes admits that classical music has a reputation of belonging to old people and about as interesting to read about as algebra. He makes a good case for why that just isn’t so. And, he also explains why this book focuses on the dead white males and makes some suggestions for composers to explore outside the “established ‘classics.'”
The book then opens with a Spotify playlist Rhodes created asking the reader to access it and listen along throughout the book. This is genius! From there we start in with each composer. When you see the double-page spread of “Bach: The Godfather,” him in short sleeves with double sleeve tattoos sporting the quote, “If it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it,” you know this isn’t your grandfather’s classical music book! O’Neill’s collage work (with a zine-like feel) is stunning throughout, and will attract young artists in addition to musicians!
For instance, Rhodes answers the question, “Where to even begin with Mozart…”
You can buy the complete compositions of
Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart on CD.
Or, to be precise, on 180 CDs.
ONE. HUNDRED. AND EIGHTY.
He says, “Imagine Rihanna or Coldplay releasing SIX albums a year. Every year. For thirty years. It’s ridiculous.”
Each composer gets a double-page spread called “The Facts of Life” that includes basic bio, quotes about or by the artist, musical output, tracks of contemporary artists including rock and rap that have referenced or sampled the composer’s music, and soundtracks of movies, tv, and streaming series that have used that composer’s music. The facing page is a short essay that uses humor and adoration to convey the highlights of his life and career. The following two double-page spreads each explores a composition as an introduction to a piece of music (so, two per artist) with a reminder to listen to those tracks in the playlist. Listening to the track before, during, and after reading those essays was very helpful to not only understanding the particular piece and its composer better, but it gives the non-music student some help in how to listen to all music, classical or not. I recommend this for all secondary school libraries (and music classrooms), public library collections (adult departments, too), and as a gift book for that young person beginning their own musical instrument.
Lynn: I grew up with music as part of my family life. My father loved music, especially classical and jazz and he played music every evening. Being a college professor, he was always ready to teach on any subject that interested him and my sister and I absorbed a lot of music history over the years – sometimes more than we wanted at the time! I came to this book, interested but not expecting to get much more than a refresher look at some of the important composers. Boy was I wrong! Oh the facts are there, wonderfully chosen to appeal to teens and humanize the historical figures—and yes, show them as revolutionaries of music. The introduction to famous pieces is there and information about why each composer stands out. But what completely captivated me was Rhodes’ intensely infectious love for classical music, his spellbinding passion to share that, and his ability to convey that passion to a skeptical teen. It is clear in every syllable that James Rhodes champions classical music and the shining highlight of this impressive book is his ability to make current teens give it a chance. I already love the music and I found his words so compelling that I listened to every note of the playlist with a new sense of wonder. I am so hooked and I think teens will be too.
I admire so much about the writing here but one of my absolute favorite of the repeating sections is where Rhodes describes the musical selections on the playlist. Sometimes he tells about what was happening at the time or he imagines what the composer might have been feeling. Often he describes the way the music makes him feel. Here is his quote about Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. It will give you a good feel for the wonderful tone of this book:
“…as the piano begins, I can see a beautiful bird floating miles above the earth, then soaring down toward the ground and landing on my shoulder. It picks me up and flies me away from all the madness and confusion of the world, up to a place where nothing seems to matter. At least this is what I imagine. I’m sure you will have your own story–it is such a moving piece of music.”
I dare you to read that and resist the urge to immediately listen to the music!
Rhodes also includes a short informational page on a symphony orchestra and a really helpful Timeline of Western Classical Music and the back matter includes a glossary of musical terms.
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Beastly Bionics: Rad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible Inventions Inspired by Nature
by Jennifer Swanson (Author)
Booktalk: Did you know that scientists have developed a bionic tool shaped like an elephant’s trunk that helps lift heavy objects? Or that the needle-like pointed beak of the kingfisher bird encouraged engineers in Japan to change the design of the Shinkansen “bullet trains” to reduce noise? Across multiple fields of study and methods of problem-solving, scientists are turning to biomimicry, or engineering inspired by biology or nature, to make all kinds of cool technological advancements. Discover more than 40 examples of technology influenced by animals, learn about some of the incredible creatures who have inspired multiple creations, and meet some of the scientists and the stories behind their inventions.
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It’s Nonfiction Monday!
Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Want a book to help keep those math skills sharp over summer? Look no further than Cool Math: 50 Fantastic Facts for Kids of All Ages by Tracie Young and Katie Hewett.
Organized as a series of two-page spreads, this small book packs in a king-sized number of tips, games, cool facts, and tricks that will interest even the most math adverse. Examples range from tips for speeding up multiplication to how to make a magic square. Tucked in are practical refreshers, like how to calculate area and volume.
Although designed for middle school, the title is correct; it could be fun for adults as well. You could read it cover to cover, but Cool Math is so easy to browse. Glance through the table of contents or thumb through the book. Either way, something will catch your attention and before long you’ll grab a pencil to figure out how it works. Plus, the practical tips will make you want to return to it again and again.
Cool Math is a fun, painless way to hone those math skills. Explore a copy today!
Stop by Growing with Science blog for more information and activity suggestions.
Copyright © 2020 Roberta Gibson All Rights Reserved.
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Woman in the House (and Senate): How Women Came to Washington and Changed the Nation (Revised and Updated)
by Ilene Cooper (Author) and Elizabeth Baddely (Illustrator)
Booktalk: For the first 128 years of America’s history, only men served in the Senate and House of Representatives. All that changed in January 1917 when Jeannette Rankin was sworn in as the first woman elected to Congress. From the women’s suffrage movement to the 2018 election, this update highlights influential and diverse female leaders who opened doors for women in politics. Women featured include Nancy Pelosi (the first woman Speaker of the House), Margaret Chase Smith (the first woman elected to the Senate), Patsy Mink (the first woman of color to serve in the House), and newcomers like Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.
Snippet: Did your parents or relatives leave you an inheritance? Sorry–that automatically becomes your husband’s property.
Not married? Well, you might be able to keep your own money . . . but you’ll have a hard time earning any. There are only a few jobs open to women. You can be a teacher, perhaps, or a seamstress. And with no husband and no children to take care of, many people wil look down on you. You’ll be called an “old maid.”
Oh, and one more thing. You will not be able to vote.
That’s right. Until 1920, there was no national law that guaranteed all women in the United States the right to vote.
It’s Nonfiction Monday!
Copyright © 2020 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
