history – Page 6 – Mom Read It

History, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Tween Reads

Black History Month: Shackles from the Deep, by Michael Cottman

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Shackles from the Deep: Tracing the Path of a Sunken Slave Ship, a Bitter Past, and a Rich Legacy, by Michael Cottman, (Jan. 2017, National Geographic Society), $17.99, ISBN: 9781426326639

Recommended for ages 10-13

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Cottman investigates the wreck of a 17-century slave ship, the Henrietta Marie, and goes on a journey that will take him from the Caribbean islands, where the Henrietta Marie docked to unload hundreds of kidnapped Africans to be sold into slavery, to Africa, to see Goree Island – location of the Maison des Esclaves; House of the Slaves, and the Door of No Return; the last glimpse enslaved Africans would have of their homeland – with his own eyes.

Cottman’s journey is as personal as it is professional. He struggles with anger at the slavers themselves, and with the manufacturers of the shackles, discovered by African-American diver Captain Demostenes “Moe” Molinar, in 1972. Cottman discovers that many of the men behind the Henrietta Marie were members of their parishes, even philanthropists in their own communities, and yet turned a blind eye to the suffering of countless men, women, and children caught up in the slave trade. He wonders if the spouses and children of these men knew that their comfortable lifestyle came at the expense of human misery, and he agonizes as he tries to understand, and forgive.

Adapted for younger readers from Michael Cottman’s 1999 book, The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie, Shackles from the Deep introduces readers to the aftereffects of slavery, centuries later. Entire families have been lost to history; people feel unrooted, to some degree, to this day. Imagine wondering your ancestors endured the brutal conditions of slavery, and never being able to find out the answer? By personalizing his story, Michael Cottman makes this already important book vital reading for middle school students and above.

We are still dealing with the fallout from centuries of slavery. It is personal, and by adding his story to the story of the Henrietta Marie, Michael Cottman invites readers to look at events that may seem so long past through different eyes. What we also get, unexpectedly, is a call to action for young divers of color to continue exploring the waters of our planet to learn more about our collective past, and our future.

An important book for libraries and nonfiction collections, Shackles from the Deep has received a starred review from Booklist. There are four pages of full-color photos; an index, and further resources on deep-water exploration, shipwrecks, and slave ships.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History has a comprehensive booklet on the Henrietta Marie, from their 2000 expedition at the West Virginia State Museum. It would be an excellent companion to any social studies unit on slavery and an accompaniment to Shackles From the Deep.

Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The Time Museum has something for everyone – no matter what time you’re from!

Posted on January 8, 2017August 29, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Time Museum, by Matthew Loux, (Feb. 2017, First Second), $14.99, ISBN: 9781596438491

Recommended for ages 8-12

Delia’s the class bookworm, the class nerd… you get the idea. When school’s out for the summer, all her brother wants to do is go swimming, but Delia has found something much more exciting: the possibility of an internship at The Time Museum, courtesy of her Uncle Lyndon! The Time Museum is kind of like the Natural History Museum, but on an Earth-wide basis. All time eras are welcome, as Delia learns when she meets some of the kids she’s competing against for the internship: Michiko, a Japanese girl from 2217; Titus Valerius Marianus, from Ancient Rome; Dex, who’s a Neanderthal, thank you very much, not a caveman; Reggie, a 51st century Canadian boy genius, and Greer, a prickly Scottish girl who’s already been time traveling. As they train for the internship, they must also go through time trials – going back – or forward – in time to find and collect anachronisms. They’ll also learn that working as a team is much harder, but more beneficial, than going it alone.

The Time Museum is a fun middle grade romp for every kid that wants to live Night at the Museum or catches every episode of The Librarians. Whether Delia and her friends are running away from dinosaurs or discovering a robot playing strip poker, there’s something here for everyone to laugh at. There’s a positive message about healthy competition and teamwork going hand in hand, there’s a giant, talking brain, and a super-cool android librarian that uses android cats to fetch books. If I had a library like that, I’d never leave; I’d just hang out at my reference desk, covered in robot kittens.

The Time Museum is a lot of fun, and maybe it’ll turn even reluctant readers into readers who see the fun in history. Add to your graphic novel shelves, and talk this one up with some good, tried and true Geronimo Stilton, our favorite time-traveling journalist mouse. Get out your Time Warp Trio series to create a fun display for everyone.

Early Reader, Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate

Isabella is a Girl in Charge as she channels historic women

Posted on November 1, 2016August 29, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Isabella: Girl in Charge, by Jennifer Fosberry/Illustrated by Mike Litwin, (Oct. 2016, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $16.99, ISBN: 9781492641735

Recommended for ages 4-8

Isabella, the little purple-haired girl with the big imagination, is back in her fourth adventure: this time, she’s going all the way to the nation’s capital! Isabella wakes her parents up bright and early; they’ve got a big day ahead of them and Isabella doesn’t want to miss a second. As she and her family get ready to head out, Isabella imagines she’s different females politicians, first in their fields, from the first mayor to the first Supreme Court Justice. Isabella and her family have an important day to be part of: history is being made!

A good idea in theory, younger readers may need some prompting when first hearing the story; these names will largely be unfamiliar to them. Anyone reading the story out loud should mention beforehand that the women Isabella names are the first women in politics and what office they held. Kids will be better able to pick up subtle in-jokes in the text, too; for instance: When Isabella claims to be “Susanna, mayor of this here town,” her mother responds, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” If the children understand that Susanna Salter was the first female mayor, and she was mayor in Kansas, it’ll be more fun for them. Isabella’s adorable stuffed friend is with her, dressed in period clothing, in each spread – see if your readers can spot him (or her, if they like)!

Mike Litwin’s art, done with blueline pencil and Adobe Photoshop, is fun and emphasis on key words like names and identifying characteristics adds some punch. Brief biographies, quotes, and a timeline of women in politics, along with a list of books and websites for further reference, round out Isabella’s latest adventure.

The book is a good start for introducing younger readers to women in politics, and how long we’ve been around! It’s more of a companion volume to a lesson rather than a standalone. I haven’t seen an educator’s guide or activity kit yet, but there are some great resources about women and politics online, including printouts at Time for Kids. Most of the available information is branded for Women’s History Month, but we’re at a historic crossroads in history – celebrate women in politics NOW!

Jennifer Fosberry and Sourcebooks both offer links to Educator Guides for other books in the Isabella series and the companion book, My Name is Not Alexander. Illustrator Mike Litwin has samples of his artwork and animation on his site.

History, Non-Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads, Women's History

Women in the Old West: Frontier Grit

Posted on October 18, 2016October 18, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Frontier Grit, by Marianne Monson, (Sept. 2016, Shadow Mountain), $19.99, ISBN: 9781629722276

Recommended for ages 12+

Monson profiles 12 pioneer women who lived life on the frontier as America expanded into the West. From a freed slave who watched her husband and children sold in front of her to a woman who rescued Chinese girls from human trafficking, every woman profiled in this book withstood hardships, overcame obstacles, and thumbed their noses at nay-sayers to change the world. There are entrepreneurs, doctors, politicans, and activists, all here to inform and inspire a new generation.

Frontier Grit gives us a new batch of women in history that many of us would otherwise never have heard of; while the research is well done and comprehensive, the writing is simplified, more for a middle school audience than the 18+ age group suggested by the publisher. An author summary at end of each profile relates what each woman personally means to the author, detracting from the scholarship of the overall book and relegating it to the territory of history report. Each woman’s impact could more effectively be communicated by making it less personal, more definitive; the lasting impact of each woman on all women.

Each profile includes photos (or drawings, where applicable), notes and sources. A reasonable purchase if you need additional women’s biographies, particularly as they relate to the American frontier or women’s suffrage.

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

TNT has The Librarians, MomReadIt has The Lybrarians: Ninja Librarians

Posted on August 9, 2016August 16, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Ninja Librarians: Sword in the Stacks, by Jen Swann Downey, (June 2016, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $16.99, ISBN: 9781402287732

Recommended for ages 8-12

Dorrie, Marcus, and the gang at the Petrarch Library are back! When we last left Dorrie and her Star Wars-quoting brother, they’d been returned to Passaic, New Jersey, after an adventure where they discovered the Petrarch Library: a library outside of space and time, connecting libraries throughout space and time. They met the Lybrarians, a group of librarians and archivists (and apprentices) dedicated to intellectual freedom throughout history, and Dorrie couldn’t wait to be part of the group. In Jen Swann Downey’s next Ninja Librarians adventure, Sword in the Stacks, Dorrie and Marcus are back, now apprentices, are spending their vacation at Petrarch’s Library.

Dorrie and her friend, Ebba, are on a training mission to London in 1912 that isn’t quite was Dorrie expected, but it’s a great subplot that really brings home the importance of intellectual freedom for all points of view. Marcus – now spouting Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory quotes – has a mission of his own, and grows quite a bit in the process, something I’d been hoping for after reading the first book. The Foundation is back, and they’ve got a heck of a game-changer: a special weapon that will mean the death of someone in Petrarch’s Library, and countless lives in the balance outside of the library. There are high stakes this time out; let’s hope Dorrie, Marcus, and friends are up to it.

This is such a fun series. I loved the first book, The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand, and Sword in the Stacks continues the fun, wonderful world-building throughout history, and carries a powerful message about advocacy and intellectual freedom.

I have a “What’s Miss Rosemary reading this week?” sign at my desk, because my Corona Kids get a kick out of seeing what I’m reading. When they saw this cover, I got tons of questions: “Are they really ninjas?” (Well… no, but they are awesome, like ninjas.) “What’s it about?” (A library that exists outside of space and time, and people who protect history.) “WHOA, THEY TRAVEL THROUGH TIME?” (They sure do!) “Do you wish there was a portal in this library?” (Every single day, kiddo.) And the best question: “When are you getting that book here?” Soon, my friends. Soon.

Talk this one up with Chris Grabenstein’s Mr. Lemoncello’s Library books, or Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, and show kids how awesome librarians can be!

Early Reader, Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Intermediate, Realistic Fiction

Mother Jones is on her way to Oyster Bay – join the march!

Posted on July 2, 2016July 1, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

On Our Way to Oyster Bay: Mother Jones and Her March for Children’s Rights, by Monica Kulling/Illustrated by Felicita Sata (Sept. 2015, Kids Can Press), $17.95, ISBN: 9781771383257

Recommended for ages 7-11

Eight year old Aidan and his friend, Gussie, want to go to school, but they have to work instead, to help their families. When the millworkers go on strike, Aidan and Gussie join the picket line; that’s when they meet Mother Jones, a feisty activist who wants to take action against child labor. She organizes a children’s march that will take them all the way to President Theodore Roosevelt’s summer home in Oyster Bay, New York!

In 1903, child labor was a harsh reality for many children like Aidan and Gussie. Instead of going to school, children toiled for up to 12 hours a day, six days a week, in factories; they experienced unsafe conditions and many were injured, disfigured, or even died doing their work. On Our Way to Oyster Bay is a fictionalized account of the very real story of activist Mother Jones’ March of the Mill Children, beginning in Pennsylvania and going all the way through the streets of Manhattan, ending up on President Roosevelt’s Oyster Bay lawn. While the President refused to meet with Mother Jones and her brigade, the march raised awareness of child labor, leading to the 1904 formation of the National Child Labor Committee.

On Our Way to Oyster Bay is a great story for younger kids about a period in history that doesn’t get as much love as it should. If you ask any given kid you encounter whether or not they know Mother Jones, you’re likely to get a blank stare, and that needs to be remedied. We still work in a world where child labor is a reality for many – I constantly remind kids that kids have fought and died for the right to go to school and do the same things they complain about every day – and a book like this lends itself to some important discussions about our own history of child labor and unsafe conditions, as well as the chance to brainstorm some ideas about what kids can do to help other kids around the world. Being a CitizenKid book – an imprint I love – there’s loads of information about child labor, suggestions for getting involved, and discussion points. Kids Can Press has a winner with this imprint; the books bearing the CitizenKid stamp empower kids to learn about the world around them and to take action, just like the kids in their books do. These books give them the information and the tools to take action, putting the power in their hands.

The artwork is vibrant, with movement coursing through the illustrations. The march through Manhattan thrums with activity, and I found myself bouncing up and down on my seat as Mother Jones made things happen! This is great for a read-aloud or a read-alone, but it needs to be read. Add this to your collections, read it to your kids, and make things happen. Talk about social justice, everyday activism, and being a good citizen, globally and locally.

Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Tween Reads

Could Dracula make it in today’s world? Monster Science gives you the scoop.

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Monster Science, by Helaine Becker/Illustrated by Phil McAndrew, (Sept. 2016, Kids Can Press), $18.95, ISBN: 9781771380546

Recommended for ages 8-12

Monster Science takes a look at some of our favorite monsters – Frankenstein’s Monster, vampires, Bigfoot, werewolves, zombies, and sea monsters – and, using science smarts, discusses the plausibility of these monsters’ ever being able to exist in our world. If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you should really start stockpiling food and weapons for the upcoming zombie apocalypse, or stared for a little too long at those blurry pictures of Bigfoot and Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, you’ll love this book.

The book devotes a chapter to each monster, provides background info, incorporating the history of the monsters, and using science, history, literature, myths and legends, helps readers work through whether or not these creatures could have ever existed or could exist today. There are colorful, cartoony illustrations, seriously groan-worthy jokes, and pop up facts throughout the book, and a quiz tests finishes up each chapter and challenges readers to remember what they’ve just read. There are enough gross facts – the stages of decay; electric shock bringing making dead body parts jerk and move, dead people who sat up at their own funerals – presented with a humorous bent, to delight middle graders who want something fun and gross to read, yet will also give them some cool facts to bring to their science class.

This is the kind of book I love booktalking to kids, because my awesome nonfiction selections are sadly underappreciated. When I put a coding book out, I get interest, because I have a library full of Minecraft mouse potatoes, but when I try to get them excited about science, I usually get eyerolls, or – zounds! – blank stares. A book like this will help me explain how wonderful and gross science can be! We can talk about The Walking Dead (no, they’re not old enough to read the comics, but you know they’re watching it at home), we can talk about Dracula and Frankenstein, and I can terrify them with repeated viewings of Mad Monster Party and the Groovie Ghoulies, because ’70s monster claymation and cartoons are aces with me, but they leave the kids bewildered. They don’t know what they’re missing.

In all seriousness, the book is fun leisure reading and a good companion to science, history, or ELA classes. There’s so many interesting facts, presented in a fun, light, manner, that kids will end up reading and remembering more information than they can imagine. Add it to your library collections, or make it a fun gift for a monster fan you know and love.

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads

Beautiful historical fiction: Outrun the Moon

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Outrun the Moon, by Stacey Lee (May 2016, GP Putnam Books for Young Readers), $17.99, ISBN: 9780399175411

Recommended for ages 11+

Mercy Wong is a teenage Chinese-American girl living in 1906 San Francisco’s Chinatown. Her father labors as a launderer, her mother a fortune teller; her young brother Jack is sickly. Mercy wants to give her family much more in life, so she uses her wits and a bit of bribery to gain admission to the exclusive St. Clare’s School for Girls, convinced that she will learn the life skills and business acumen she needs to succeed in life. Life at St. Clare’s is frustrating: it’s essentially a finishing school for spoiled rich girls, and the Chinese girl is seen as beneath them – including by the school’s headmistress. Mercy’s determination is put to the ultimate test when the 1906 earthquake devastates San Francisco, destroying her school and Chinatown. Mercy pulls herself and her schoolmates together as they wait to be reunited with their families in the temporary park encampment. As the days press on and more news circulates about the devastation, Mercy sets a new task for herself: to ease the suffering of those around her.

I loved, loved, loved this book. Stacey Lee weaves a beautiful, powerful work of historical fiction, choosing a moment in time when people were forced to come together: black, white, Asian, wealthy, poor, the earthquake was the great equalizer. How the survivors chose to move forward often left me open-mouthed, as prejudices – racial and class (or perceived class) – prevailed.

Mercy Wong is the kind of protagonist whose name every reader needs to know. She’s smart, witty, determined, and full of love for her family. She has hopes and dreams, and she refuses to let other people’s ways of thinking narrow her own scope. When intimidated, she presses onward. She’s a survivor even before the earthquake hits, and in its aftermath, she becomes so much more: she becomes a beacon.

Stacey Lee brings every single character in this book to beautiful life. Every character moved me to a reaction, whether it was disgust, anger, or affection. She also reminded me that I’m as quick to judge others – even literary characters – on surface impressions – just as these seemingly skin-deep characters judge those around them. She unpacks these characters as the book progresses, and while their actions are still small-minded and cruel, the reasons are explained. She also weaves aspects of Chinese culture and true historical details into her narrative, giving us a work of historical fiction from a time period not usually touched on, through the eyes of a narrator with a very unique perspective.

I just told a colleague that I want to wrap myself up in Stacey Lee’s words; they’re beautifully written and just curl around you, even when describing dark, aching moments.

Author Stacey Lee is a We Need Diverse Books founding member. Her previous book, Under a Painted Sky, received starred reviews from PW and Kirkus, and Outrun the Moon has received a starred Kirkus review. You can read an excerpt at the Entertainment Weekly website.

Add this book to your collections, booktalk it for summer, and give it to anyone who loves good literature.

Intermediate, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Non-Fiction, Tween Reads

NatGeo’s Awesome 8 has the lists kids love!

Posted on June 16, 2016August 24, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Awesome 8: 50 Picture-Packed Top 8 Lists! (National Geographic Kids), by Jen Agresta & Sarah Wassner Flynn, (May 2016, National Geographic), $12.99, ISBN: 978-1426323379

Recommended for ages 7-12

I love lists. I make them, I read them, it’s just a fun thing that people do. It gives you some cool insight into people, like when you read lists of their favorite books, foods, or things; it can make short work of a project, when you have a list of best books or coolest science fair projects. Bottom line, lists are helpful and fun. NatGeo Kids has taken that idea and run with it, giving us Awesome 8: 50 Picture-Packed Top 8 Lists!

This book is loaded with lists of the wildest things, from the most hair-raising roller coasters (that new Joker one at Six Flags Great Adventure may have to be in an updated version, tho’) to the the most bodacious buried treasures. Lists cover wild nature, history, food, and fun. Plan a trip to see some ridiculous roadside attractions (there really is a giant ball of string) and travel in the wackiest of ways, like on a monster school bus. Fun facts pop up throughout the book, as do extended features on some of the lists, like the spread discussing how icebergs flip, following Eight Awesome Things in Antarctica.

It’s a NatGeo book, so you know the pictures are stunning and the information covers different cultures and different parts of the world.There’s a full index in the back and a companion website, the Awesome 8 Hub, where you can find more Awesome 8 lists and log into NatGeo’s Kids portal, which offers resources for educators and homework help resources.

Icebergs can flip! Who knew? (from NationalGeographic.com)

I’m a huge NatGeo Kids fan, with good reason: the kids embrace the books, which are fun, factual, and contain beautiful photographs of the world around us. Know a kid who loves cool stuff? Consider this book. Looking for a summer program to put together on the spot? Maybe a spot the camouflaged creature game – there’s an Awesome 8 list dedicated to Coolest Camouflage, including this picture of three toads – can you find them?

photo from NationalGeographic.com

History, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Non-fiction, Non-Fiction, Tween Reads

Titanic survivor stories: 10 True Tales

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Titanic: Young Survivors (10 True Tales), by Allan Zullo, (Dec. 2015, Scholastic), $5.99, ISBN: 9780545818391

Recommended for ages 10-12

Another solid addition to the 10 True Tales series, Allan Zullo researched survivor stories of the kids who survived the Titanic sinking and told their stories. With heartbreaking statistics – only 86 of about 195 young people under age 17 survived – and tear-jerking stories of children saying goodbye to their fathers as they were lowered into lifeboats, these stories are tough to read, but create an emotional link between readers and the kids who survived the tragic sinking of the luxury liner over 100 years ago. It’s a good additional book to add to nonfiction collections; one that will go beyond the facts and straight to the heart of the people and what they lost. Each story includes a brief epilogue that details what happened to the survivors after arriving back in New York, and any information about the recovery of the survivor’s family members.

If Allan Zullo’s name is on it, I buy it. He’s written over 100 nonfiction books for kids, and knows how to write series nonfiction that reads like page-turning fiction. He knows the subject matter that kids like to read about, from war heroes to surviving sharks, and he makes sure to get a kids’-eye view with books like Kid Pirates and Teens at War. He puts the real face of history into nonfiction text by telling the stories of people affected by world-shattering events.

The book includes a glossary, and Zullo mentions several reliable Web resources, including Encyclopedia Titanica, Titanic-Titanic, and the Titanic Inquiry Project.

Allan Zullo’s author webpage offers more information about his books and an FAQ that features questions kids have asked him.