Genius

Genius: a Photobiography of Albert Einstein	National Geographic
Written by Marfé Ferguson Delano	2005
Biography	64 pages
Reading Level ages 9-12

Summary

Albert was a good student in his studies but didn’t pay attention to subjects that seemed boring to him. He learned mostly on his own, reading math books at increasingly harder levels. He was left in Germany to continue school while his family moved for business. He dropped out before he was seventeen. He hated the military structure and rote memorization and didn’t want to be drafted into the army once he was old enough. He enrolled in a university and took math classes and many physics. He was engaging and entertained his friends with his violin and deep thoughtful questions. He almost didn’t pass the tests because he didn’t attend classes believing that science isn’t dull theories that have been proven for years. He believed it to be living aspect of life. He married and had two sons, who he called his little bears. He eventually became withdrawn from his family, leading into a divorce. He gave his Nobel Prize money to his wife and children as promised years before he ever received it. He wrote four papers that changed the thinking of science. The first was photoelectric, theorizing that light has the same protons that are within element’s atoms. The second was the mathematical formula for the movement of the atoms in a zigzag motion solidified the Brownian motion theory. The third was a question he had been pondering for years, relativity of light from the perspective of the light. He found that energy is the same as the mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. The last major paper was the combination of space and time, where light bended around objects. Scientists measured the positions of stars behind the sun and proved his theory correct. He was seen as a science celebrity and spent a lot of his time traveling, speaking in conferences and signing autographs. He died from an appendix rupture at the age of 76 on April 18, 1955.

Reaction

I loved reading more into the personal life of Einstein. I learned many things I didn’t know. The photographs added to the book as well as the quotes from his wife, friends, and his own words. It was fascinating to see the political side and how passionate he was against fighting and the German acts against the Jews.

Potential Problems

There are some complex theories that were difficult to follow even when they were translated to be easier understood.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to students who look up to Einstein and his works and interested in modern applications of his theories and laws.

An American Plague

An American Plague: the true and terrifying story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793	Houghton Mifflin Books
Written by Jim Murphy	2003
Nonfiction	140 pages
Reading Level ages 12-15	Newberry, National Book, and Sibert Awards

Summary

In 1793, when the French Revolution had refugees flocking to the states and calling on Washington for support against the English, there started to be one of the worst yellow fever outbreaks. Philadelphia is a port city where ships came to deliver their goods from all across the world. At first there was a selected area near the wharf and the sewage runoff that was affected and isolated to that one area. No one took notice until the tolling church steeple seemed to be ringing constantly. Doctors gathered and collaborated on what the malady was and how to cure the patients that were dying at an alarming rate. The residents of the town became more concerned and started fleeing the town. Even Washington evacuated and stayed at Mount Vernon. He believed it would only be for a short time and left his legal important papers in the state building. This led to trouble when a problem arose about an English seized ship by the French in an American harbor. Those eventually left were those too sick to help themselves. They died where they were, often without relief and lay there for days before workers carted them away to the gravesite. Doctors urged the homes to aired with gunpowder and vinegar and the body smothered in noxious fumes to help the humors keep balance. Those days, cures were more mild and helped with the symptoms rather than solving the disease. One Doctor believed in bleeding and having patients consume a vile combination that caused violent bowel movements and vomiting. As more were dying in their homes, some of the committee elected others to be over the Burn Hill place where the extremely sick were sent. The conditions were terrible and the building was more like a human slaughter house or waiting at death’s doorstep than a hospital. The Free African Society were some of the ones not affected as much as the white citizens, since some of them experienced the disease in Africa and built up defense against it that slowly deteriorated. The society became nurses and helped those in need. They were paid a dollar a visit and cleaned the homes, people and did what was called for. It became so dire that their time was auctioned off up to five dollars, which was a lot of money then. Also, farmers in the surrounding field refused to deliver food to the town and would not accept any more people fleeing from the city. Israel Israel was important in forming the Orphan society taking in children and caring for them. There soon were almost 200 children under the care of the institution. After the winter slowed the death count, some began to move back but were still aware of any one that appeared sick in any way. There were many books that were printed giving accounts and lists of those who died and what might have caused the disease. It was believed to have something to do with the mix of drinking water and outhouses but was discredited. They created the first water system in America, which allowed them to be more cleanly and not have to pump their water. There were studies experimented with mosquitoes, based on the fact that there were bite like welts on the affected people’s arms. He found that they carried the disease and affected others through their bites. Mosquitoes were observed during the plague to be prevalent in the standing waters and could be killed by adding a layer of oil to the surface of the water. This alone would have saved thousands of lives over the course of the months of the high death rates. There was a massive campaign to eradicate the mosquitoes and any breeding grounds that might be available. Even with most of the mosquitoes killed off, there are some still alive and have evolved against the method used to kill them. The virus also has evolved and is different to that in 1793, meaning that no one is immune to it and its effects.

Reaction

I thought this was well organized with sufficient eyewitness accounts and newspaper articles that balanced each other and kept me interested. I liked the portraits and description of the people and the quotes from their journals.

Potential Problems

This is about a plague that affected an entire city and had a death toll in the thousands. It is very descriptive and truthful in the accounts given.

Recommendations

I would be careful who I would recommend this book. It might be a book for students learning about diseases and the spread of them across the continents and the affects it has on people that are not immune to the disease.

Ice Story

Ice Story: Shackelton’s Lost Expedition	Houghton Mifflin Books
Written by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel	1999
Nonfiction/Biography	115 pages
Reading Level ages 8-12

Summary

Ernest Shackelton set off with a crew of 29 for Antarctica. His goal was to journey across the entire continent. They set off in 1914 and have been on the sea for a month and a half when their ship, Endurance became shuck fast in the ice. They stay with the ship, moving the dogs to igloo kennels to create room on the ship. The crew waits for spring in order for the floe to melt and free them. But as it nears spring, the ice doesn’t release them but starts to crush the ship. The ice floe in front of them hit the continent and was building back to where they were held fast. Schackelton ordered the ship be abandoned and in three days it was crushed and slowly sank as the ice moved. The crew kept light spirits by playing cards, games of ice soccer and performing plays. The ice was treacherous and hard to cross. They only traveled a mile in one day. They create two other camps on their way to the Antarctic land: Ocean Camp and Patience Camp. They were journeying inward because there was a cache of supplies left and they needed food and shelter for the coming winter months. The way was too difficult, so Shackelton had the men wait and ready to go in an instant, when the ice broke and they could load into their row boats and travel faster. Even when they were in the boats, the unpredictable ocean within the floe was harrowing. There were three boats and soon became soaked as water was sloshed into their boats. They finally made it to Elephant Island, where they decided to stay. They were the first people believed to land on the island. It was decided that Shackelton and five other men would take a boat and row to the closest whaling island, Saint Georgia some 800 miles away. They outfitted the boat with wood and sails from the other boats to make it as weather able as possible. It took them little more than two weeks of miserable, water soaked nights to arrive on the south west side of the island. The port was on the north east and the only way was through the mountain passes no one had ever climbed. Shackelton and two of the crew set off for the mountain peaks, leaving three behind who were unable to continue. At the top of the pass after all day climbing, the three faced a near shear drop. They didn’t have time to find another way as they had been searching most of the afternoon with no option and it would soon be too dark to see. The tree of them tobogganed down taking two minutes to reach the bottom. They laughed with relief and pent up adrenaline. They walked into the city, not recognized by anyone for having almost a year without bathing. Shackelton sent a boat to pick up the three on the other side of the island and elected a boat to rescue the rest of his stranded crew. The first three attempts had to be abandoned since the ice floe was too thick and could not be broken through. Shackelton became almost frantic to save the rest of his men, fearing that not many would be left to rescue. After three months of being gone from Elephant Island, the ship Yelcho was able to slip through a clear path in the ice. Shackelton arrived in a boat to the sound of shouts and waving arms. None of his crew had died. They had survived on seal ‘hoosh’ and believing he would come each new day. The crew wanted to show him all the accommodations they had made in his absence, but Shackelton was worried the safe passage between the ice would close and hurried them onto the boat. They all arrived home safely after two years being gone as heroes. Shackelton never was able to return to Antarctica. He suffered from a heart attack in Saint Georgia while taking supplies for another journey south. He was buried there in January 1922.

Reaction

I loved reading this book. The pictures tell the story and add to the accounts and facts that were presented. The amazing journey and trials kept me interested and worried about the outcome. It is incredible that the worst suffered were lost toes to frostbite. It is a great true story.

Potential Problems

The crew was abandoned for several months and had to kill their dogs to eat and hunted seals to survive.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to those who love learning about true adventure stories and about explorations of intriguing and exciting places.

Bad News for Outlaws

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal Written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson Carolrhonda Books 2009
Biography 40 pages Reading Level ages 9-12
Summary
Bass grew up in the south as slave in Texas to Colonel George Reeves. Bass loved horses and was skilled with a rifle. He even accompanied his master in fighting the Civil War. Bass eventually ran to Indian Territory and started a family in Arkansas. Out west there were plenty places for outlaws to hide from the law. All the new settlers moving in wanted protection from the bandits and robbers. Bass signed up to be a U.S. Deputy Marshal under the direction of Judge Parker. Bass soon became to best marshal around. He was quick with his gun and could use his left was well as his right. Being raised as a slave, Bass couldn’t read the warrants and had Judge Parker read them to him. He would memorize the descriptions and always bring the correct criminal to justice. He usually had more than one warrant, at one time he brought in seventeen prisoners. He was a good man and saved shooting until the last resort. He would often use disguises to find his targets. He was dedicated and took his time in planning each capture. He pretended to be a farmer, cowboy and even an outlaw looking for partners. He had a strong sense of right and even turned his son in for murdering his wife. Bass was a deputy for thirty years until Oklahoma became a state. He had arrested more than anyone, upwards of three thousand criminals. He was never wounded and only killed fourteen men, who wouldn’t give up without a fight. He was over seventy when state lawmen took over the new state. He still worked with the police force and for the two years he served, no crimes were committed in his area. He died from Bright’s disease on January 12, 1910.
Reaction
I loved this. It was informational, but had an interesting subject and supporting paintings. It was well organized and used shorter sentences rather than droning on and becoming too long. Each paragraph had a bolded first sentence which led into the topic covered on that page. It was quick and easy to follow and I learned a lot in those few pages.
Potential Problems
There is a painting of Bass looking over Webb in the first few pages. He was a lawman and had to shoot those who tried to kill him.
Recommendations
I would recommend this book to students who love reading about the Wild West and the heroes that aren’t well known. This would be a great book to start a unit on early U.S. law or settling the Indian Territory.

Tracking Trash

Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion	Houghton Mifflin Books
Written by Loree Griffin Burns	2007
Nonfiction	56 pages
Reading Level ages 9-12

Summary

This is all about the studies Curt Ebbsmeyer has observed and created. He studies the flow of trash and objects that fall into the sea, mainly from crates that fall off cargo ships on route. Dr. Curt’s assistants are mainly volunteers that work to keep the ocean clean with fundraisers and beach trash collecting events. It all started when his mother found an article about sneakers floating up on the west coast. There were thousands of them. He asked around and beachcombers from all over were calling him with their shoe finding serial numbers. He was able to find the exact ship that lost the shoe shipment and track the path the shoes took to end up on the beaches. In the old days currents were tracked by sealed messages in a bottle marking the location in longitude and latitude. Now there are floating satellite trackers that are monitored by computers. These were very expensive and through they were useful, when the batteries died, they weren’t replaced. Another spill was recorded of bath toys: ducks, beavers, frogs and turtles. He started researching the details and predicted where and when the floating objects would start to arrive on the beaches. The bath toys arrived earlier than the shoes would have if they were released at the same time. The shoe would be weighed down and be partially submerged, flowing with the currents. But the rubber ducks floated mostly above the water, so they are susceptible to the wind current and pushed faster than the shoe just being moved by the water movement. There is an area that Curt and his other scientists observed. In between Hawaii and the coast of California, there is a Garbage patch. The currents were keeping the plastic pieces trapped within that area as big as Alaska. They found six pounds of plastic trash for every pound of zooplankton, microscopic animals. Plastic is one of the most durable elements and why it stays in the system longer than any pollutant. Another study estimated the number of mammals dying each year due to plastic either ingestion or strangulation is 100,000. This realization prompted Curt to establish beach cleaning clubs and being aware of what you are throwing away, to recycle more.

Reaction

It was a fascinating read. I was surprised how long plastic stays in the ocean and how large the Garbage patch was. It was interesting with enough pictures to explain the information in the text.

Potential Problems

There are pictures of dead animals. It is to show the harm that is caused by the large amounts of plastic and floating nets in the ocean.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to students who are interested in learning more about ocean’s currents and ways to do their part to be more environment friendly.

Henry's Freedom Box

Henry’s Freedom Box: a true story from the Underground Railroad	Scholastic Press
Written by Ellen Levine	2002
Nonficiton	64 pages
Reading Level ages 5-8	Caldecott Award

Summary

Henry was a slave on a plantation. All his brothers and sisters worked there. His mother talked about how things changed and about the tree leafs falling away from the tree. His master was dying and called Henry to his beside. Henry hoped he would be set free, but he was given to the master’s son to work in his tobacco factory. Henry had to leave all his brothers and sisters to work in the factory. All day he twisted tobacco leaves. He was whipped if he didn’t follow directions or moved too slow. One day, he was walking through the town and met a woman, Nancy. She was shopping for her mistress. They soon married and had two children. Nancy’s master had lost money in an investment and Nancy was worried their children would be sold to pay his debt. One day Henry heard that his family was sold. They were taken away to a new master and he never saw his family after that. He was dead inside. He still worked and twisted the tobacco plants, but he did nothing else. After a time, he became aware of the birds again and thought of being free. He talked to a friend and Dr. Smith who agreed to go along with his plan. They created a box that he would be shipped to freedom. He was sent by wagon, ship and train to arrive finally in Philadelphia. He was a free man at last.

Reaction

I liked this book .The pictures are amazing with detail and a good portrayal of emotions. I didn’t realize he was older when he was freed. The cover makes it seem like he was very small when he was shipped to freedom.

Potential Problems

It would be difficult for young children to understand the concept of selling human beings and the slave trade.

Recommendations

This would be a good introduction to the slave era in our history and the Underground Railroad movement that helped runaway slaves arrive safely to the north.

Force and Motion

Force and Motion	Eyewitness Books
Written by Peter Lafferty	1992
Nonfiction	63 pages
Reading Level ages 8-11

Summary

This is an informational book with many facts about science and different forces and mechanisms that create easier work for us. My favorite page was on pressure and flow. It described how birds were able to get lift by the shape of their wings. Bernoulli was a Swiss mathematician that found the principle of as a flow of liquid or gas increases, it creates lower pressure. Since the bird’s wings are curved, the air above the wing is going faster than the wind moving beneath the wing. This faster moving air forms lower pressure that allows birds to experience lift and flight. Another page was on giant vibrations. It was all about music and how different lengths created different frequencies that translated into different sounds. It described resonance. Resonance is in everything. It is why a class can be exploded. If the resonance created is at the same frequency as the object, it will start to vibrate and eventually cannot hold the oscillations or movement and breaks. This can happen to bridges. In science we learned about the Tacoma Bridge that collapsed because there was a steady wind moving at the same natural frequency as the bridge. This can also happen with ski chair lifts, which is why they shut the lifts down on extremely windy days. Another interesting fact was a pair of Roman scissors. They are created by one metal piece that has fatter, sharp edges on one side and thin middle. It is bent on itself and creates shears. These are a type of lever. The tow cutting pieces revolve around the fulcrum, which is the point of rotation. The effort to use these scissors is less than if it was two separate pieces of metal with the force created by putting them manually together.

Reaction

It was a great book with amazing facts and examples to different types of force and information on the scientists that came up with the theories or laws of force.

Potential Problems

There is a lot of information that may be overwhelming to younger age children.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to students who enjoy learning interesting facts on how things work and about science that is in everyday life.

Ship

Ship	Trumpet Club Special Edition
Written by David Macaulay	1995
Historical fiction	96 pages
Reading Level ages 9-12

Summary

This tells the story of an archeologist group that finds a five hundred year old Spanish caravel. They found the remains at the bottom of the sea near the Bahamas Islands. They find the mast and ballast stones first and mark the different pieces to carefully chart where they were in relation to other artifacts. They return for more gear and help, finding assistance and a place to work at a local university. They set out for the site only to realize that robbers had taken all that was valuable and damaged or moved things that were in the way. They need to rely on their first drawings for an accurate account of what was catalogued and taken. They work in a grid pattern to uncover parts of the ship that have been buried with the currents of the ocean depositing new sand and coral growing on the artifacts. They carefully map their progress each day and send the smaller pieces to the university for cleaning. The cleaning process takes months and even years. The coral needs to be chipped away and then through different processes to preserve it from the new environment. One of the team researched through many piles of accounts and journals, histories and documents trying to find a match to their ship that would have been around the same time. She found a journal of a ship company’s brother kept. The two brothers commissioned a caravel exactly as the remains found, a Spanish ship named the Magdalena. They had found a match to the remains found on the ocean floor.

Reaction

I enjoyed reading the book and that the two plots were connected in the ship. It told the demise and the different pieces discovered underneath the coral and sand then it looks back to the creation and building of the ship with all the time and money that went into it. The paintings supported the storyline and gave more details that were not included in the text.

Potential Problems

It well written and I found there weren’t any problems with the book.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to students who love learning about ship making and archeological finds and the process or recovering lost treasures.

The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows	Aladdin Books
Written by Kenneth Grahame	200
Modern Fantasy	259 pages
Reading Level ages 9-12

Summary

This is a tale of four friends: Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger. Mole left his house one spring day when the pull of adventure was too great. He ended up near the stream where Rat was gliding down the river in his boat. Mole stayed with Rat the rest of the time. He loved the newness of the river and how different everything was from his humble abode below ground. Rat loved thinking about the river and spent most of his time coming up with poems about that and things he loved. One day, Mole ventured into the wood to explore. He became lost as it began to snow. Rat followed the tracks and scent of Mole. By the time they were reunited, it was dark and snow covered everything, making it impossible to find their way out. They wandered until they found a door. It happened to be Badger’s. Badger is a recluse who didn’t care much for others and what went on above his interesting home with winding tunnels under the meadow. He served Rat and Mole hot soup and helped the tired friends to bed. They spoke of Toad and his latest obsession, motor cars and how it would be the downfall of him. The three decide to have an intervention when the way was clear. Toad was a passionate fellow that had the best in mind, but most always allowed those passions to run away with him. He had already tried rowing and now had a boat house that was filled with new boats. He had given that up when he saw a motor car speeding down the road with a poop, poop and a beep of the horn! His boat house was now filled even more with remains of at least three demolished motorcars. When Badger confronted him, Toad was sincerely repentant and promised not to. Until, at least he thought of what fun he had when he was racing down the roadway. The three friends agreed that they would stay in Toad House until Toad came to his senses again and would see the severity of their decision. Toad stayed in bed and tricked Rat to believe that he was waning away, to call the doctor. Rat, concerned and worried left to fetch the doctor. Joyous Toad threw the bed sheets out the window and escaped. It was fate; he immediately saw an image of his fantasies. Down the road, a motorcar was sitting outside, just waiting to be driven. Toad revved the engine and was off, ignoring the owner’s calls to stop. He was caught and arrested, sentenced in the deepest cell of the jail for twenty years. There he bemoaned his fate and cried and regretted not following the council of his friends, who always had his best in mind. The jailer’s daughter came to cheer him some and came up with a plan for his escape. He dressed as the washerwoman and walked casually out of the jail. He couldn’t pay for the train because he had to leave his vest to fit into the dress, and forgot to take the money from it. So he acted like a bereaved woman with not a penny to pay. The engineman took pity and allowed her/ Toad on board to keep him company. Toad was overjoyed until a police car came chasing them down the track. Toad fearful, explained the situation and the engineman helped him off the train before adding more coal to lead the policemen astray. Toad continued on his journey, finally arriving at Rat’s river front door. Toad explained his travels and the cleverness it took to reach home. Only, he came to find the weasels and all other of vermin had taken over his mansion, believing he would never return for some time. Badger and Mole had been working nonstop to find a way to evict the loathsome creatures even without knowing Toad had escaped and was on his way home. When they return, they are overjoyed at Toad’s return and Badger explains of a secret entrance Toad’s father found. The four friends creep into the passage and emerge in the pantry. They burst out and clean the place of the unwanted houseguests. They clean up the disaster that had become Toad’s house in the time he was away and hold a great celebration, honoring the triumphant return of Toad the reuniting of friends.

Reaction

I liked the imagery in the book describing the scenery and characters. Some paragraphs were difficult to read and had to be reread, but it had interesting plot and had several stories intertwined that kept the attention of the reader. The friendships between the four friends are examples of real friends and relationships in life. It was neat to see in animal form.

Potential Problems

It is written in a different time, so some of the items or actions described were difficult to understand. It dealt a lot with the decorum and protocols that were upheld at that time.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy learning about England and the different dos and don’ts of the society. It would be a good book for students who love animal characters.

A Single Shard

A Single Shard	Yearling Book
Written by Linda Sue Park	2003
Historical Fiction	148 pages
Reading Level ages 9-12	Newberry Award

Summary

Tree-ear lives under a bridge with Crane-man, who has a crippled leg. They survive by storing through the village garbage heaps and scrounging in the woods for mushrooms and edible plants. Tree-ear has been watching the master potter Min at his wheel for weeks. It’s like magic to see the clay form something in the master’s hands. Tree-ear is curious and ventures closer, picking up a box with four other boxes nestled inside of it. He is startled as the master returns and drops the lid he was holding. He begs forgiveness and had to work nine days for the three it took Min to make the masterpiece that is ruined. Tree-ear is so excited. He will become an apprentice and learn how to form the clay. For the next nine days, he chops wood far from the village and carts it back and stacks it at the kiln entrance. He is happy to work, because he is given food for lunch and saves half for Crane-man to eat when he returned to the bridge each night. Min’s wife found his hiding place for his half eaten bowl and would fill it full each day. Tree-ear learns how to cut the clay into brick and takes it to the straining area to be slid through three, four almost five times before Min accepts the consistency. He returns home tired with aching muscles and blisters but happy with the prospect of making his own pot one day. He asked when he would try his hand at the wheel. Min refuses; Tree-ear is not his son. The tradition was to pass it down to the son with all the secrets, and Min’s son had died. Tree-ear keeps working for Min, but the joy seemed to disappear from it. He found that pottery isn’t all wheel work. He began to keep a ball of clay in his pocket that he would work on in his spare time. He traded his finished petal to one of Min’s petal pot and could not see the different. An emissary came to give a potter a commission to work for the emperor. One potter used different slips but was impatient and didn’t have a perfect pot under the fine work. Min works long hours to recreate the same effect on his perfect pot, but the firing of the pots gave off the dreaded brown spots on the clear green surface. The emissary says that he would be in the capital if by some chance Min could deliver samples of his work there. Tree-ear offers to take the finished pieces there. Crane-man makes a straw carrying case and gives him advice for the road. Tree-ear gives Crane-man the small clay monkey he worked on. Crane-man immediately ties it to his belt. Tree-ear sets off and when he is almost there, he is waylaid by robbers. They steal the last of his coin and break the vases maliciously. Tree-ear found a shard that still had the detail work on it and decides to still take it to the capital. At the gate, he demands to see the emissary and presents the small piece. The emissary sees the detail and gives the commission to Min. When he returns, Tree-ear tells Min the news and is off to tell Crane-man when he is told by Min that Crane-man was killed. Min and his wife adopt Tree-ear and Min starts to teach him how to spin clay.

Reaction

I enjoyed reading this book. It had an interesting plot and was well researched about the pottery process and the different steps Tree-ear learned.

Potential Problems

There is prejudice against Tree-ear because he is an orphan and the village people avoid him. Also, Tree-ear was poor but he had strong morals and worked hard for his food.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to students who enjoy learning about other cultures and times. Also, this would be a good introduction to an art unit in pottery.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Scarlet Pimpernel	Puffin Books
Written by Baroness Orczy	1905
Historical Fiction	323 pages
Reading Level ages 12-14

Summary

Aristocrats are lined up to face Madame Guillotine. The Citizens all wear red caps and demand more and more heads to roll for their bloody revolution. There is a mysterious Englishman that saves them through disguise and cover of night. His is known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel, a small red flower that is common along the waysides. All of England and France are talking about him, for different reasons. Sir Andrew escorted Madame la Comtesse and her children into an inn when Marguerite, star French actress and recently married to Sir Percy Blakney, entered. She unwittingly sent an entire family to the guillotine because she spoke to some she thought as confidants who condemned the family. Sir Percy is a fop and only cares for the latest fashion and repartees. Marguerite can’t see the man she married in the shallow man and can’t hold back her biting comments that don’t faze him, if he understood them at all. A government agent, Chauvelin comes to Marguerite with information on her brother’s association with the Scarlet Pimpernel, blackmailing her. He forces her to use her status as Percy’s wife to spy on the English lords to find the Scarlet Pimpernel, who had become a nuisance and a rallying image for the aristocrats, stealing more and more heads from the chopping block. She recovered a message of a meeting at a ball and passes it onto Chauvelin. He only finds Sir Percy asleep on the settee. Marguerite, in a moral battle with herself, is frustrated at Percy for not being someone she could turn to. She reveals the plot against her brother and sweeps into the house, not looking back to see Percy looking longingly after her. Percy leaves quickly, with Marguerite wondering why. She glances in his study and finds a ring on the floor. On it is a small flower she had seen and heard tell of many times, the scarlet pimpernel. She realizes that she gave up her husband’s identity in order to save her brother. She speeds to Sir Anthony and commands him to accompany him to France in order to make Percy aware of the trap he was walking into. Chauvelin arrives at the meeting place and meets with Percy, who manages to escape. He orders a Jew to take him to the next point. Marguerite follows at a distance, hoping to find a way to alert Percy. The small hut is surrounded and all the soldiers are waiting for the signal. Marguerite can’t wait and shouts for Percy, warning those in the hut. When Chauvelin orders the door broken down, the hut is empty. The only thing is a note giving the refugees direction to the ship lying off the coast. Enraged, Chauvelin beats the Jew and leaves with his soldiers to block of all routes to the shore. Marguerite is left with the Jew, that turns out to be Percy! He had sneaked the note into the hut while the soldiers were surrounding it. He gave orders for them to go north while the note that was left on purpose said south. Marguerite is so relieved and thankful that her journey wasn’t in vain, for her brother was safely absconded on the ship and Percy was safe. Sir Anthony arrives from going the long way around to avoid the road blocks and guides them to the ship, returning to England.

Reaction

I love reading this book. It is one of my favorites. The plot twists and suspense keep the same anticipation and thought each time. The charade of Percy being the fop and fooling even his wife for a period is amazing and all the planning and coordination that went into the rescue of so many people.

Potential Problems

This is set in the time of the French Revolution, which is a bloody period in history. Baroness Orczy kept some actual characters but created the Scarlet Pimpernel as a fictional rescuer.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to students who enjoy historical fiction and adventures with suspense and intrigue.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy	Yearling Book
Written by Gary D. Schmidt	2006
Historical Fiction	217 pages
Reading Level ages 10-12	Newberry Honor and Printz Honor

Summary

Turner just moved into the town of Phippsburg, Maine. His father is the preacher and as his son, Turner must be an example and wear starched shirts while all the other children are wearing comfortable plaid. He wants to light out to the territories when they don’t play baseball the same way as in Boston. He is forced to play the organ for an elderly lady as payment for kicking a rock that bounced off her picket fence. Mrs. Cobb sits in her recliner listening to him play and talking about her last words and makes him promise to write them down. He wanders down to the beach, frustrated that nothing is going right, not even baseball. He tossed up a rock to hit with a driftwood piece when someone shouted. It was Lizzie Bright Griffin. She lives on Malaga Island with her grandfather and other descendants of runaway and freed slaves. She teaches him how to play baseball and collect mussels. They form a quick friendship that is frowned upon by the leaders of the community. The leaders want to evict the islanders to make a resort for income. They strong-armed Turner’s father as the Reverend to help them. Lizzie still meets with Turner, but instead of at their beach, she comes in the backdoor of Mrs. Cobb’s house. At first there is only stony silence, but Mrs. Cobb comes to be affectionate and accepting of Lizzie. Mrs. Cobb died and left her house to Turner, who decides that Lizzie and her family can live there. Lizzie is always telling Turner to face the world straight and see it how it really is. They saw whales in the bay and Lizzie said that they let you touch them, only if you knew what it meant to look in their eyes. One night, Turner stayed in Mrs. Cobb’s house fearing something would happen. It did happen but not at her house. The leaders burned all the houses on the island down and administered the rest of the islanders to the mental hospital down the road. Turner struggles with the Sheriff and his father, finally standing for his son and what was right, fell off the cliff. He was in a coma and eventually died. Turner tried to save Lizzie, but had to wait for the thaw. When he arrived, he found she had died ten days after being institutionalized. The plan for resorts didn’t last and the town slowly declined. Turner took on sea jobs as he grew and one day rowed alone to look for whales. He had found what it meant and cried as he placed his hand on one of the majestic mammals. He wanted to tell Lizzie but knew what she’s say already and returned home to tell Willis.

Reaction

I loved reading this book. The cover and back synopsis are mi leading. It appears to have a happy story line but ends up with most of the characters dying. The imagery was engaging and allowed the reader to envision the scenery and characters. My favorite analogy was of the secret council of the deacons compared to a whale to come down the road than the decision to be kept secret until Sunday. It had a range of emotions and was engaging until the last page.

Potential Problems

There are a lot of deaths: Lizzie, her grandfather, those in the institution with her, Mrs. Cobb, Mrs. Hurd, and Turner’s father. It also is based on a town’s fierce prejudice to the islanders and those who are misfits and go against their thinking.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to an older audience and those interested in historical fiction. This is a great example of that genre.

Love that Dog

Love That Dog	Scholastic, Inc
Written by Sharon Creech	2003
Poetry/Fiction	86 pages
Reading Level ages 8-12

Summary

Jack doesn’t want to write poetry. It’s for girls. He has to write poetry in his journal. He starts by disclaiming that he only is writing because he has to. He writes in short sentences, because poetry is just short phrases on each line. He thinks that Robert Frost had too much time on his hands when they read about stopping for the evening in the woods and if a poem could be written about a wheelbarrow, then poems could be written about anything. He wrote a poem about a blue car covered with mud driving fast and started to apply the different poetry types to it. He allowed his poem to be printed and put on the board, but wouldn’t let his name be on it. He doesn’t get why another person didn’t put their name on it when it was so good. He asks what anonymous means. His favorite poem became Love that Boy by Walter Dean Meyers. He applies it to his poem and Mrs. Stretchberry suggests he should write the poet and ask to come to their classroom. Walter Dean Meyers replies and comes to read his poetry to the class. Jack loves it. He sends Walter Dean Meyers a poem inspired by him about his dog Sky. His dog was hit by the blue car driving fast down the road. He even allows Mrs. Stretchberry to put his name on it. In the end, he thinks Walter Dean Meyers is the best person ever. Jack loved listening to his voice reading the poetry.

Reaction

I loved reading this book. It showed the progression of Jack from hating poetry to writing some really fantastic and deep poems about his dog and the experience he had with Sky. I liked that we didn’t see what Mrs. Stretchberry wrote in his journal, only Jack’s reaction to her comments. It was a quick read, but had depth to the plot and unique writing style, all in short verse.

Potential Problems

This book is about the development of Jack’s blue car poem that eventually tells how his dog Sky was run over the car driving down his road. It may be difficult for younger students to understand because it is written based on poems they might not have read yet.

Recommendations

I would recommend this to students who dislike poetry; it shows how Jack became a better writer and deepened his understanding of it. It would be a great introduction to a poetry unit.

Manfish: a story of Jacques Cousteau

Manfish: a story of Jacques Cousteau	Chronicle Books LLC
Written by Jennifer Berne Illustrated by Eric Puybaret	2008
Biography	40 pages
Reading Level ages 4-8

Summary

Ever since Jacques was a little boy, he loved the water. He wondered why some things floated and others sank, how a man said he could breathe underwater through a tube. Jacques loved mechanics and how things fit together, he even made a crane from all the drawings he studied. He was given a video camera by saving his allowance. He made movies about everyone, with himself as the star. He became fascinated with the underwater world seen through a pair of borrowed goggles. With his two friends, Philippe and Didi, he swam under the surface and explored the new exciting world. But he didn’t want to stay down for just one breath; he wanted to say down as long as he could. He built an aqualung that strapped onto his back and allowed him to breathe air while being with the fish. He had become a fish just like them. The three friends chartered a boat, Calypso, and set off to explore more of the underwater world. Jacques made a watertight case for his camera and took it down beneath the water and shared his experiences with all the people above on land. After years of traveling the oceans and spreading his films around the world, Jacques began to see something wrong. The ocean was being polluted by people. Many areas were unfit for fish or even plants to live anymore. Jacques knew he could do something to show what was happening. He began to make movies about the oceans to warn people what they were doing to the oceans. He gave many speeches and spoke with important people to get them involved with cleaning up the oceans and helping it be better for their children. Jacques wanted everyone to have the opportunity he had in exploring and coming to love the sea as he did.

Reaction

I loved the illustrations. There is a page that folds out and read vertical to show all different fish and plants he was as he dove deeper. The colors are bright and detailed. The first page is interesting as well. The writing is in waves that become smaller and smaller until they lead to Jacques with his air tank on.

Potential Problems

The only problem I had with this book was that it was factual without giving any more details than it needed to. It was a great introduction to Jacques Cousteau, but I felt that it could have mentioned more details of his life. It also has an environmental end that might go against some parent’s views.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to students interested in ocean exploration and who invented the first portable underwater breathing apparatus.

A Year Down Yonder

A Year Down Yonder	Avon Books
Written by Richard Peck	2000
Historical Fiction	130 pages
Reading Level ages 9-12	Newberry Award

Summary

Mary Alice is sent to live with Grandma Dowdel. She arrives with her radio and her cat, immediately put into school. She has to sit next to the school bully Mildred, who demands money. When Mary Alice arrives home, Grandma Dowdel gives both a glass of milk and bread and quietly let Mildred’s horse loose, leaving her to walk home. Near Halloween there are vandalisms to the outhouses. Grandma Dowdel will have nothing with that. She makes a batch of glue that will stick to anything. They wait up and slip the glue on to the leader in the middle of the night. It turns out to be August Fluke, who looks like a plucked chicken at the Halloween party. When Grandma Dowdel shows up with her pumpkin and pecan pie, she uses his knife as her way to show she found it was him. She gathered the pecans from the ground but there weren’t enough to her satisfaction, so she ran the tractor into the tree for even more to fall. She took the pumpkins from a farmer, justifying they would have some of the pie the pumpkins made. Grandma served the gumbo at the Turkey shoot, having people pay more than others to pay for the host of the event. Her son was a veteran who was gassed in the war. There is a painter who is commissioned by the federal government and Grandma allows him to rent out the attic. Mary Alice has Royce over to do math but also to have a claim before Carleen tried to make her moves. All of the sudden, the postmistress runs from the attic stairs with only a snake covering her. Arnold the painter was using her as a nude model. Grandma Dowdel shot her gun and woke up the town to let everyone on the excitement. At the end of the year, Grandma Dowdel tried to distance herself from Mary Alice to try and make it easier for her to leave. Years later, Mary Alice returns to marry Royce in Grandma’s front room.

Reaction

I enjoyed the book and thought it was a good sequel to A Long Way from Chicago. It was funny and Grandma was the same, but through the long year, we through Mary Alice were able to see a different side of her and the reasons truly behind all her acts that seemed outlandish were actually to help someone else or administer justice when she sees fit.

Potential Problems

Grandma drove a hard bargain when she made the banker pay five dollars for the gumbo to help and ran the tractor into the pecan tree for more pecans. The farmer said she could have those on the ground, so she made more fall on the ground. Her interpretation of the law or social norms is at a different level than those around her.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to those who loved the first of this series. They would see the town and Grandma from Mary Alice’s view and see more of the everyday routine.

A Long Way from Chicago

A Long Way from Chicago	Puffin Books
Written by Richard Peck	2000
Holocaust Autobiography	148 pages
Reading Level ages 9-12	National Book Award Finalist

Summary

Joey and Mary Alice have to spend a week each summer in Illinois at their Grandma’s home while their parents work and stay in Chicago. The first chapter spoke about how Grandma Dowdel watched over the body of Shotgun, a friend as the open house was in her home. It introduced Grandma Dowdel perfectly. She spoke as if she didn’t care, but showed how much she took care of those around her and the elders of the community everyone passed over. She puts mice in the milk when the boys of the family are tormenting the town. Grandma Dowdel snuck the children under a No Trespassing sign and into a boat. They rowed to a spot where she took out a bag of smelly cheese and put it into a trap. Inside were huge catfish, which Grandma Dowdel took out and left in the bottom of the boat. They park the boat and take the fish to an elderly lady that thinks Grandma Dowdel is still a young woman working as her housekeeper and maid. Grandma Dowdel pretends she doesn’t know what her grandchildren want, but always finds ways to make them happy. Like when they go to the fair and Joey wants to ride on the airplane. Grandma tries to ride but is too heavy, so she says that Joey should just have her ride instead. Then for the centennial celebration, she brought an old veteran to have one older than the prim busybody’s father and had Mary Alice dance in the talent show. At the last chapter, Joey signed on the Army Corps and the train went through Grandma’s town. She never once gave them hugs or welcomed them in any way when they came to visit, but when the train roll straight through all the lights in the town are on, with Grandma standing there waving.

Reaction

I loved reading this book. The characters were well developed. Grandma Dowdel is had really an interesting personality. She takes care of her own and those who she thinks had wrong done to them. When Grandma Dowdel’s enemy neighbor, Elfie Wilcox’s home was taken by the bank, Grandma Dowdel talked the banker into giving it back by creating a false stir about her house being full of Lincoln relics. Even afterward, Grandma Dowdel didn’t behave any differently. She showed her love through what she does without changing her words. The descriptions were great and did a great job in involving you into the story. Grandma Dowdel is literally larger than life. I could really relate to the character of Granma Dowdel. She was a combination to my grandmothers. She is loving but in her own way. She has funny sayings that are completely unique to her. She makes amazing breakfasts each morning and spends a large amount of time baking and making sure her pies are perfect. She makes Mary Alice work on learning how to make pie crusts and cutting it just right.

Potential Problems

Grandma Dowdel lives on a higher law and sometimes works around the law to get what she wants. She trespassed and stole the Sheriff’s boat to deliver her trapped fish to Aunt Puss. She puts mice in the milk in order to stop the milkman’s boys from misbehaving.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever lived with their grandparents and learned how to react to their different way of life. It is a great read.