Non-Fiction

Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method is perfect for educators, fun for kids!

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method, by Sally Kneidel (2015, Fulcrum Publishing), $24.95, ISBN: 9781938486326

Recommended for 16+

Who said science has to be boring? Kids love to play in the dirt, right? The dirt is FILLED WITH SCIENCE. Sally Kneidel brings a love of her subject – she’s got a Ph.D. in Biology and has written extensively on the environment, natural history, and teaching science to kids- to this updated version of her book, Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method. She explains that everyone can find a creepy crawly or two to learn more about, whether you live in a building or out in the middle of nowhere – it’s all about looking under a rock, or between some leaves.

More than finding and experimenting, Dr. Kneidel stresses environmental responsibility. She urges children and adults alike to respect nature, to be kind and humane, and to release our test subjects once we’ve observed them. Do no harm isn’t just part of a doctor’s oath; we all need to remember and take this mantra to heart. We share the planet with “creepy crawlies”, but what do we know about them? Dr. Kneidel knows a lot, and that’s why we need to listen to her.

Written more for adults that work with or enjoy kids in their lives, Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method has extensive profiles on various “critters”: bugs and insects – to give adults and children alike a background from which to work. She outlines the five steps of the scientific method: question, hypothesis, methods, result, and conclusion, and provides activities and questions that will stimulate fun and creative thinking among kids. Beautiful photographs and in-depth descriptions of various critters, including different appearances at different life stages, make this book a hugely valuable resource for any STEM library. Bring this book to your backyard, the park, or on vacation to learn science and have a great time doing it.

This book is absolutely going on my order lists for my teaching libraries! I can’t wait to hear the teachers talk about their field trips.

Dr. Kneidel’s webpage is a great additional resource, with photographs and blog entries on nature, the environment, and social responsibility. You can follow her on Twitter @sallykneidel.

Non-Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

A Mr. Big Sting Goes Wrong – A True Crime Hi-Lo Reader from Lorimer

Posted on June 10, 2015June 10, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Real Justice: A Police Mr. Big Sting Goes Wrong – The Story of Kyle Unger, by Richard Brignall (2015, Lorimer), $12.95CAD, ISBN: 9781459408623

Recommended for ages 13+

I’ve got some teens at a few of my libraries whose reading levels aren’t always at age level, but giving these kids a younger level book isn’t always the answer. That’s what the term Hi-Lo is all about: high interest, low reading level. Reaching teens by writing deeper texts with complex themes and ideas, using succinct language and shorter sentences is the heart of Hi-Lo. There are some good hi-lo books out there – Saddleback has a good line of short chapter books available, as does Canadian-based Lorimer (distributed in the U.S. through Orca), whose chapter books are longer in length and seem to handle slightly more complex sentence structures and even deeper content.

Real Justice is a true crime series, with A Police Mr. Big Sting Goes Wrong detailing the true crime story surrounding the murder of 16 year-old Brigitte Grenier at a music festival in Manitoba, Canada. Unger, who was 19 at the time of the murder, was charged with her murder despite Grenier’s involvement with another concertgoer that evening. An entrapment sting operation led to his arrest and conviction for a murder he swore he did not commit until his acquittal thanks to DNA evidence 20 years later.

Brignall states his facts as objectively as possible and pulls no punches – the book gets somewhat graphic here – and offers an in-depth study of the case that true crime and nonfiction fans will appreciate. Further resources in the back offer a timeline and more reading for those interested.

Intermediate, Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction

STEM Bios – Aprille Ericsson, Aerospace Engineer

Posted on April 29, 2015April 29, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

STEM Trailblazer Bio: Aprille Ericsson, Aerospace Engineer, by Laura Hamilton Waxman (2015, Lerner Publishing Group) $26.60, ISBN: 9781467757935

Recommended for ages 8-12

Where are my science fans at? My future astrophysicists, mathematicians, and engineers? Maybe you’re still in middle school, watching episodes of Cosmos on YouTube. Are you at the museum or planetarium, or staring up at the night sky? Wherever you are, this book is for you. Get to your library and ask for it.

Aerospace engineer Aprille Ericsson started out as the kid in school who loved math and science. After taking second place at a middle school science fair, she knew she wanted to make science her life. We follow her education path, her work with NASA, and learn what she’s working on these days. There are great pictures and callout quotes from Ms. Ericsson, a timeline of her life thus far, source notes, and a glossary. For anyone interested in learning more, there are recommended books and websites.

I adore Lerner’s STEM Trailblazer biography series. They’re great books for young to intermediate readers who need biographies on people that are making discoveries and progress today. These books – these people – are introducing kids to names like Aprille Ericsson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, who founded YouTube, theoretical physicist Brian Greene, computer engineer Ruchi Sanghvi, and more. Please get these books on your shelves, teachers and librarians; parents, get to your libraries and get these books for your kids. Let the other kids be Cleopatra and Albert Einstein on Biography Day – let your kid be Aprille Ericsson!

Non-Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Place Hacking: A Don’t Try This At Home guide to urban exploration

Posted on January 2, 2015January 2, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Place Hacking: Venturing Off Limits, by Michael J. Rosen (Feb. 2015, Twenty-First Century Books), $33.32 ISBN: 9781467725156

Recommended for ages 12-16

Activities like urban exploration and BASE jumping have become hugely popular over the last decade. Is it because we live in such a disposable society, that people have a need to preserve a moment in time? Is it the chance to find something new in a world that has been exhaustively explored and catalogued? There are many reasons and theories behind “place hacking”, as these kinds of activities have come to be known, and Michael J. Rosen explores the reasons, as well as the different types, of hacks. From urban explorers, seeking out abandoned and underground structures, to BASE jumpers, who look for the next (literal) high, to urban infiltrators – folks who get a kick out of showing up and gaining access to places they shouldn’t be, this is a great guide for anyone fascinated by the phenomenon.

Rosen does make sure to tell his audience that this is NOT a place hacking handbook, and emphasizes the dangers and hazards these explorers take on themselves, not the least of which is the risk of arrest and incarceration. Armchair urban explorer like myself will love this vicarious trip, and history fans can pair this with a favorite episode of the old History Channel show, Cities of the Underworld, and enjoy. Classrooms and libraries can use this in a history feature or an urban adventure feature (but PLEASE warn your audience not to try this at home!).

You can find Mr. Rosen’s author page here; he features information about his other works, links to social media, and information about school visits.

Non-Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Alice + Freda Forever looks at a shocking murder – in 1892

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Alice + Freda Forever, by Alexis Coe (Oct 2014, Zest Books) $16.99, ISBN: 9781936976607

Recommended for ages 15+

The late 1800s was a buttoned-down time in America. Girls were expected to marry, but were encouraged to cultivate intimate female friendships-a practice called “chumming”-with one another. Same sex love, though? Same sex marriage? Not even entertained as a concept.

Alice Mitchell and Freda Ward were two teenage girls whose feelings for one another went beyond “chumming”. They planned to run away and marry. Alice intended to live her public life as a man, working to support her Freda, and live happily ever after. When their plot was discovered and communication forbidden between the two, Freda obeyed her mother, moving on with her life. Alice snapped.

On a cold January day in 1892, Alice slashed Freda’s throat, in public, in front of horrified onlookers. What followed was a trial that became the event of the century, that forced both legal teams to examine the supposed insanity of same-sex love.

While same-sex love became a hotly debated topic, the country was still years away from another issue that emerged during this trial – racial equality. It was never in doubt that Alice murdered Freda, but being a young, white girl from a good family. the punishment was an issue. How could you send a young woman like that to hang? Meanwhile, three black grocers, in the same jail as Alice, were dragged out and hanged by a lynch mob for defending their store from a robbery by whites.

I’d seen something about Alice and Freda a couple of years ago on a History Channel show – the name long escapes me – so when I saw this book mentioned in School Library Journal, I HAD to read it. This book is fantastic – Alexis Coe is an archivist who spent the time to collect this story in primary sources – letters, newspaper clippings, court proceedings – and her work shows. It’s nonfiction that reads like fiction, with companion drawings of evidence.

This is an amazing book for teen readers and beyond. Its historical relevance is not to be ignored, and while readers can appreciate where we’ve come as a society, they can also see where, sadly, we’ve become stuck.

All in all, Alice + Freda Forever is an unputdownable read.

Non-Fiction, Tween Reads

Change the World Before Bedtime – Proof that everyone can affect positive change!

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Change the World Before Bedtime, a collaboration by Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, and Karen Good (Schiffer Publishing, 2012). $16.99, ISBN: 978-0764342387

Recommended for ages 4-8

For all the kids out there tired of being told that they’re too young to affect change, Change the World Before Bedtime is a primer on everything anyone, big or small, can do to bring about positive change in their world. The book takes place over the course of a day, with a group of children making positive decisions and taking positive actions to brighten the world around them. By tying on their “hero capes” and eating a healthy breakfast, they prepare for a day of random good deeds, like picking up litter, visiting a sick friend or family member, donating clothing, toys, and food to the needy, and just thinking and saying happy thoughts and words.

The book features multicultural images and the artwork incorporates some great collage work. The images remind me of Joan Walsh Anglund’s illustrations that I loved, growing up. The rhyming text makes this a fun read-aloud, particularly to 5-6 year olds who may have a better grasp on activism. Positive messages, like “recycle” and “one beautiful world”, are emphasized throughout the book, as are images including composting, teamwork, manners, and environmental awareness. The last page of the book asks the children to write their “bright ideas to change the world before bedtime”, and the endpapers look like pieces of looseleaf paper, encouraging the children to keep writing.

The book’s optimistic tone and beautiful imagery will motivate children and adults alike to do something right away! There’s no need to wait for Earth Day to come around again – there’s always something to do to change the world.

Change the World Before Bedtime received the 2012 Gold Medal Award from the Mom’s Choice Awards.

Graphic Novels, History, Non-Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads

March: Book Two cover revealed!

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

jI’ve made no secret that Rep. John Lewis’ MARCH: BOOK ONE was one of the best books I read last year, and that I was excited about the next book in the series. Well, we’re one step closer – Top Shelf just revealed the cover earlier today!

US Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis made history with the release of March: Book One, his award-winning and #1 bestselling graphic novel memoir co-written with Andrew Aydin and drawn by Nate Powell. Aside from the unprecedented factor of such a major figure using the graphic novel format, the book has been embraced as both a true work of literature and also a much-needed tool for reaching new generations with the history and lessons of the civil rights movement.

Today, for the first time, we’re revealing the gorgeous cover design of March: Book Two, the much-anticipated second part of the March trilogy. It’s scheduled for release in early 2015, so we’re still half a year away — but the interest in this title is so tremendous that we wanted to showcase something special now, as we head into Comic-Con next week.

Book Two will be significantly longer than Book One, taking a step forward into the tumultuous events of 1961-1963 while continuing the framing narrative of President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009. Major plot lines include the famous journey of the Freedom Riders, imprisonment at Mississippi’s Parchman Penitentiary, and young John Lewis’ involvement in helping to plan and lead the legendary 1963 March on Washington.

Nate Powell’s powerful cover showcases (on top) the Freedom Riders’ bus set on fire by a white supremacist mob in Anniston, AL, May 14, 1961, and (on bottom) Lewis’ fiery speech at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963.

Check out this great piece from CNN featuring Rep. Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and author Brad Meltzer!

History, Non-Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Discover the World War I trench poets in Above the Dreamless Dead

Posted on June 11, 2014June 11, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Above the Dreamless Dead, edited by Chris Duffy (:01 First Second, Sept. 2014). $24.99, ISBN: 9781626720657

Recommended for ages 16+

As World War I dragged on, an artistic movement arose from the trenches. The Trench Poets, as they came to be called, were a group of soldiers who wrote about the horrors around them, as a way to cope with what they saw around them. The Trench Poets ultimately became a significant literary movement – but as all things pass, it appears that the memory of the Poets has dulled a bit. No longer. Contemporary comic book and graphic artists have given new life to these poems by giving readers an illustrated retelling. Artists, including Kathryn and Stuart Immonen – two of my favorites – are here, as are Anders Nilsen, Eddie Campbell, Kevin Huizenga, George Pratt, and many more.

There are 20 poems in comic form here, and they present a brutal, beautiful look at World War I through a soldider’s eyes. There’s no glorification of war here; no rousing cries of “Let’s get ‘im, boys!” and no grandstanding. These poets rejected the glorification of war and looked inward at the psychological damage these men knew they were taking home. The stark black and white art adds to the powerful punch delivered by this work.

I consider myself a pretty well-read person. Perhaps it’s because I’m not as up on poetry as I should be, but I’d never heard of the Trench Poets until I got a copy of Above the Dreamless Dead in my hands, and was blown away by what I read. This is a book that should be in every high school library; English and History teachers could put together one heck of a unit with this book. This stands with Maus and Persepolis, as graphic novel interpretations of history that demand to be read to understand, truly understand, a moment in time through the eyes of a person living it.

Some of the Trench Poets didn’t make it home from the War. Their stories are told briefly at the end of the book. I may not have known anything about the Trench Poets when I picked this book up, but I intend to find out more now. And really, that’s one of the best things one can say about a book.

Non-Fiction, Teen

Peek into the mind of a teen with The Isobel Journal

Posted on June 4, 2014June 4, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Isobel Journal, by Isobel Harrop (Capstone, August 2014). $16.95, ISBN: 9781630790035

Recommended for ages 12+

The Isobel Journal is a real-life journal from Isobel Harrop, “just a girl from where nothing really happened”. She lives in Britain, and shares her journal here with readers, who get a glimpse of her thoughts on herself, her friends, otters, and love. It’s filled with her artwork – she loves to sketch – and tidbits about her family and friends. I like her sketches, juxtaposed over photos, like the pages featuring her dog and cat. They’re fun pieces that bring art and life together.

Isobel is a teen girl – she likes to collect things, like photos and ticket stubs, and stick them in her journal. She likes to draw on herself. She daydreams, she explores. She’s got a fun, friendly sensibility that comes right through the page. Some reviewers have called this book random, but isn’t that the point of a journal? Isobel invites readers into her world, and in so doing, brings readers together – because what feels like not far too long ago (but in actuality, is), I was a teenage girl doing the same things, and reading this journal made me smile and think about that.

The Isobel Journal is a fun, quirky book that teen girls will get a kick out of looking through. Take a look at the book trailer!

Middle School, Non-Fiction, Tween Reads

ChitChat Makes Phonics and Language Made Interesting for Middle Graders

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

ChitChat: Celebrating the World’s Languages, by Jude Isabella/Illustrated by Kathy Boake. Kids Can Press (2013), $17.95, ISBN: 9781554537877

Recommended for ages 9-12

ChitChat takes a look at language – spoken, written, and sign; how it’s evolved, and how it continues to evolve over time. Author Jude Isabella talks about everything from phonics sentence structures to the Rosetta Stone, slang, dead and endangered languages to how babies and toddlers can learn up to one new word every 90 seconds – all in 44 pages. It’s an incredible amount of information packed into a relative handful of pages, and yet nothing feels forced, rushed, cut off, or – and this is the most important part – boring.

Kathy Boakes’ illustrations are fun and interesting; she creates fun graphics using distorted faces from a wealth of ethnicities and giant mouths that call attention to interesting facts. There are fun callout boxes and graphics, including an interesting look at endangered languages of the world set against a map of the world. I was particularly happy to see a section devoted to diagramming a sentence – I haven’t seen one of those in far too long!

ChitChat is a good book to have in school and home libraries. Middle graders will get a kick out of the bite-sized facts and information, and pick up some Victorian slang while they’re at it (“fizzing fart catcher” is really a term I’d like to see someone bring back).