Traveling the Blue Road

Traveling the Blue Road: Poems of the Sea
by Lee Bennett Hopkins (Editor) with Bob and Jovan Hansman (Illustrators)

Booktalk: A collection of poetry for children on the themes of the courage, beauty, and promise of sea voyages.

Compiled and edited by award-winning poet Lee Bennett Hopkins, the poems describe how the sea has historically shone as a metaphor for both hope and despair, and served as a pathway for people searching for new life. Included are poems about the pilgrims coming to the New World, the Mariel boatlift, the Vietnamese boat people, a Dutch slave ship, the current migration situation in the Mediterranean, and the voyage of the St. Louis.

Contributing poets include Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Paul B. Janeczko, J. Patrick Lewis, Allan Wolf, Marilyn Nelson, Denver Butson, Georgia Heard, Jane Yolen, Naomi Shihab Nye, and G. Neri, and Margarita Engle, the current Young People’s Poet Laureate.

Snippet:
The Seventeenth Century / The Mayflower, 1620
WITH FEARLESS FAITH
AND EVERYTHING TO LOSE
by Allan Wolf

One hundred and two hopeful souls all climb aboard,
with thirty or so salty dogs to crew them on.
One hundred and two faces turn upward to the Lord.
One hundred and two prayers blow windward and they’re gone.
One hundred and two faithful huddle in the hold,
amidst the massive sea, their ship a fragile fleck.
The mainmast cracks. The heathen winds harass and scold.
The brutal cold Atlantic swamps the sagging deck.
But through the mist and foam they somehow reach the land.
And cradled safe (for now) at last in Cape Cod Bay,
their pilgrim journey ends the same as it began:
with one hundred and two facing heavenward to pray.
They risked it all to worship as they choose,
with fearless faith and everything to lose.

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A 2018 Cybils Poetry nominee

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

November 12, 2018

Two Biographies: Maya Lin and Ruth Asawa

Let’s explore two more fascinating biographies for children nominated for Cybils awards.

Appropriate for Veterans Day, the middle grade title Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands by Susan Goldman Rubin discusses the life of the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

In addition to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, architect Maya Lin has gone on to shape many more breathtaking buildings and outdoor spaces. Abundant color photographs reveal Lin’s story and her projects, like a gorgeous two-page spread of the Storm King Wavefield covered with snow (see). The images give the book a vibrant, modern feel. They also make you want to go visit all the places she’s created.

Do you know a budding architect or artist? Get Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands into their hands right now!

In contrast, the picture book Ruth Asawa: A Sculpting Life by Joan Schoettler and illustrated by Tracie Van Wagoner is quietly inspiring.

Ruth Asawa’s story could have been made into at least two books. She started out life as Aiko Asawa from Southern California. She was given the Americanized first name Ruth when she went to school. A short time later World War II started, and she and her family were taken to one of the Japanese internment camps. While inside, Ruth studied art and spent her free time creating. If the author had chosen, this could have been an entire story of its own.

But there was more to Ruth. Once she was released, she used her experiences to create astonishing looped-wire sculptures and later on, public fountains. She became a renowned sculptor.

Ruth Asawa: A Sculpting Life will captivate readers interested in history and those who enjoy art. It is a perfect choice for women’s history month, too.

See a more extensive review and activity suggestions at Wrapped in Foil blog.

November 12, 2018November 11, 2018

Momcilo Gavric’s World War I Story

Momcilo Gavric’s World War I Story
by Vanessa Acton (Author) and Ann Kronheimer (Illustrator)

Booktalk: In August 1914, Austro-Hungarian troops attacked eight-year-old Momcilo Gavric’s village in Serbia. With his home destroyed and his family missing, Momcilo set off on his own to seek help from the Serbian army. The Serbian army took him in, and soon Momcilo was fighting against the Austro-Hungarian army that had taken everything from him. Follow Momcilo as he enters battle and becomes the youngest soldier to fight in World War I.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

November 12, 2018November 4, 2018

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

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.

November 5, 2018November 3, 2018

Harvesters Go to Work

Harvesters Go to Work
by Jennifer Boothroyd (Author)

Booktalk: Learn about the role of harvesters on farms in this month of giving thanks.

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

November 5, 2018November 4, 2018

Capsized! The Forgotten Story of the SS Eastland Disaster

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.

November 5, 2018November 3, 2018

Diwali (board book)

Diwali (board book)
by Hannah Eliot (Author) and Archana Sreenivasan (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Each autumn we gather with our friends and family and light our brightest lanterns. It’s time for Diwali, the festival of lights!

Snippet: A long time ago, Diwali was celebrated after the last harvest of the year. The people of India would ask Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, to bless them and their crops in the coming year.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

November 5, 2018November 2, 2018

Two Pioneering Women Athletes

In alphabetical order, today we have two picture book biographies about pioneering women athletes. Their stories are remarkably similar, unfortunately. They were both told they couldn’t participate in their sport of choice because of their gender, and they went ahead and took part anyway.

First up at bat is Anybody’s Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball by by Heather Lang and illustrated by Cecilia Puglesi.

Kathryn Johnston loved baseball and she wanted to play for a Little League team. The only problem was it was 1950 and girls were not allowed. Kathryn cut her hair and and tried out for the team anyway, saying her name was “Tubby” Johnston. She made the team!

The back matter contains very cool black and white photographs of Kathryn at bat in her Little League uniform. Lang also includes a timeline of “Women and Girls in Baseball,” as well as more information about the events that occurred in the years after Kathryn played.

Anybody’s Game will play to young athletes, but it is inspirational for anyone who is brave enough to dream big.

Not far behind is Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon by Annette Bay Pimentel and illustrated by Micha Archer.

Bobbi Gibb was a long distance runner. She lived near the route for the Boston Marathon, so decided to enter officially. The year was 1966, however, and women weren’t allowed to run. She knew she could do it, so she decided to run the course during the race anyway. Although Bobbi Gibb proved women could finish the race, ahead of many men, it would be several years before women were allowed to run officially.

Pimental includes many specifics that make the story personal, like the fact that stores do not carry running shoes for women so Bobbi has to by men’s shoes.

Girl Running just might leave young readers breathless.

See more at Wrapped in Foil blog.

October 29, 2018October 28, 2018

Up & Down

Up & Down: The Adventures of John Jeffries, First American to Fly
by Don Brown (Author / Illustrator)

Booktalk: Swept up by the European ballooning craze of the 1780s, Dr. John Jeffries longed to become the first person to fly across the English Channel. But first he had to outwit a rascally copilot, keep the balloon from bursting, and avoid crashing into the sea.

Snippet: