An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever
Epidemic of 1793.  Clarion Books, New York: 2003. 165 pages. Tr. $17.00 ISBN 0395776082

Annotation

An American Plague is the terrifying and dramatic true story of the Yellow Fever epidemic which hit Philadelphia in 1793, effectively shutting down the Federal government which was based in Philadelphia as the time.

Review

In 1793 no one knew the cause of Yellow Fever, so when it hit Philadelphia that summer it was attributed to foul smells from the harbor and dirty streets.  An American Plague tells the story of how the Yellow Fever epidemic that swept Philadelphia in 1793 effectively shut down the city and the federal government, which at the time was based out of Philadelphia instead of Washington D.C.  Most of the cities wealthy citizen fled to country homes or the homes of family in other cities to escape the illness, this included the top government officials such as President Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton.  Those who stayed in the city were mostly those who had no other option; however there were a few people who stayed to help tend to the ill.  One of those people was Doctor Benjamin Rush.  Rush believed the fever sweeping the city was Yellow Fever, unlike some of his colleagues and went straight to work finding a way to combat the disease.  Rush’s treatment proved effective, though controversial.  In 1793 medicine was still very rudimentary and consisted of bleeding and purging patients, which is precisely what Rush’s treatment called for.  Rush was not the only one who opted to stay in the city and help the ill.  Several prominent towns people worked tirelessly to put together a make shift hospital and find volunteers to help tend to the sick and clean up the city. 

Awards/Honors

ALSC Notable Book 2004

Newberry Honor Book 2004

Orbis Pictus Award 2004

Sibert Award Winner 2004

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2004

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Sources, Acknowledgments, A Note about the Illustrations, Index

Author’s Website

http://www.jimmurphybooks.com/

Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way)

Macy, Sue. Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way).  National Geographic, Washington D.C.: 2011. 96 pages. Tr. $18.95 ISBN 9781426307614

Annotation

Sue Macy’s Wheels of Change chronicles how the newly invented bicycle contributed to the women’s rights movement of the turn of the 20^th century.

Review

Wheels of Change chronicles the history of the bicycle in relation to women’s history.  The bicycle allowed women much more freedom, but from the beginning there were critics who believed that the bicycle was an unladylike method of transportation.  Inventors even made side saddle bikes so ladies would not have to compromise their modesty by straddling a bicycle; however most bicyclists, male and female preferred the traditional safety bike.  The bicycle also caused uproar over women’s fashion as bikes were difficult to ride in long skirts and cumbersome petticoats.  Bicycling costumes came in many different styles.  For a time the bloomers saw a rebirth, but most women bicyclist simply opted for a slightly shorter skirt.  Besides bicycle styles and women’s fashion Macy also discusses the first female bike racers, women who competed to set distance records, how the bicycle was used in advertising and how the bicycle is still freeing women across the globe. 

Awards/Honors

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Adults 2012

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Foreword by Leah Missbach Day, Introduction, Features on: Celebrity Cyclists, Cycling Slang, Cycling Songs, the Cycling Press, Sell with Cycles. Highlights in Cycling and Women’s History, Resources, Sources of Quotes, Index, Picture Credits

Author’s Website

http://www.suemacy.com/

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Swanson, James L. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. Scholastic Books, New York, NY: 2009. 200 pages. Tr. $16.99 ISBN 9780439903547

Annotation

James L. Swanson’s Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a fast paced read which details John Wilkes Booth’s run from the law in the wake of his assassination of President Lincoln.

Review

In Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, Swanson excellently explains what kind of man John Wilkes Booth was and what motivated him to kill the president of the United States.  Booth was a Southern gentleman and stood every inch with the Confederacy during the Civil War and was sorely disappointed when he heard of General Lee’s surrender.  Booth believed if he could kidnap or assassinate President Lincoln, then he could provide new motivation for the South to go on fighting and win the war.  Booth was a handsome and well known actor at the time and knew that if he were to publicly act against Lincoln and fail, he would be most certainly sentenced to death. 

When Booth awoke on the morning of April 14, 1865, he had no definite plans to assassinate the president that day.  It was not until he went to retrieve his mail from Ford’s Theater, at the same time as a White House messenger came to notify the theater that the President and the first lady would be attending the performance that evening, which Booth started to formulate his plan.  This was not Booth’s first plot against President Lincoln, though nothing had come of his previous plots.  But Booth was prepared for the opportunity, having his cohorts in place and an escape already planned.  Booth immediately contacted his coconspirators and set a plan in motion.  While Booth assassinated President Lincoln that night, George Atzerodt would assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Lewis Powell would kill Secretary of the State Seward.  Booth was the only assassin to succeed and with coconspirator David Harold the only one to escape the city that night.  Booth and Harold spent twelve days on the run in the countryside of Maryland and Virginia.  Isolated from the new while hiding out, Booth was surprised to discover the reaction to his action had not spurred on the South, nor was the populace happy, most were angry and saddened by the president’s murder.  This did not deter Booth who continued to his escape to the deep South in Swanson’s fast paced and exciting narrative which reveals the story behind the assassinate that rocked a nation. 

Awards/Honors

Richie’s Picks

YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults 2010

Front and Back Matter

Author’s Note, List of Major Participants, From 1861 through 1865, Prologue, About the Author, Acknowledgments, Map of Assassins’ Route

Author’s Website

No Website

If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge

Aronson, Marc. If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge.  National Geographic, Washington D.C.: 2010. 64 pages. Tr. $17.95 ISBN 9781426305993

Annotation

Marc Aronson reveals the latest scientific discoveries and historical theories about Stonehenge and how it may possibly be related to other similar monuments found throughout the world.

Review

If Stones Could Speak is a fascinating new look at Stonehenge, featuring the latest research and theories about the famous monument.  According to archaeologist Mark Parker Pearson, Stonehenge consists not only of the stone circle, but also the surrounding sites including: Southern circle, woodhenge, long barrow, cursus, avenue, Durringson walls, and blue Stonehenge.  Pearson and his fellow archaeologist from Madagascar, Ramilisonina, believe that Stonehenge itself is a monument built to honor the dead.  Ramilisonina has seen similar stone structures in Madagascar which as constructed to honor the ancestors.  Previous theories held that the stone circle was some type of temple where the ancients worshiped.  Pearson believes Ramilisonina is right about Stonehenge being a monument to the dead and he believes that the Southern circle is the remains of a village.  So far Pearson and his crew have uncovered nine neolithic homes, and believe there may have been as many as a 1,000 homes on the site in the past.  This is just one of many mysteries that await to be discovered at Stonehenge and it’s surrounding sites. 

Awards/Honors

Orbis Pictus Honor Book 2011

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Epilogue, Appendices: Encyclopedia of Stonehenge, The Ever-Changing Timeline of Stonehenge, Suggestions for Further Reading

Author’s Website

http://www.marcaronson.com/

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

Stone, Tanya Lee. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream.  Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA: 2008. 134 pages. Tr. $24.99 ISBN 9780763636111

Annotation

Tanya Lee Stone expertly tells the story of the Mercury 13 women who were the first women who dared to dream about going to space. 

Review

Almost Astronauts tells the story of the “Mercury 13” women who were chosen to undergo astronaut testing in order to study the possibility of sending women to space.  The Mercury 7 men were the first humans in outerspace.  NASA had no interest in sending women to space, but Dr. Randy Lovelace did.  Lovelace believed that women were just as capable as men, and being lighter weight would be cheaper to send into space, saving NASA almost a $1000 a pound.  Lovelace decided to run tests on female pilots to proved to NASA that women were just as capable of being astronauts as men.  Lovelace’s first subject was young pilot Jerrie Cobb.  Cobb completed all of the tests just as well as he male astronauts, but with fewer complaints.  But Cobb was only finished with phase one of the tests.  Phase two’s psychological tests included an isolation test in which Cobb would have to spend time in an isolation tank.  The isolation tank was filled with water and was completely void of light and sound.  Most subjects only lasted a few hours in the isolation and tank and many spoke to or sang to themselves while in the tank.  Cobb spent over 9 hours in the tank, hardly uttering a word, only checking in to report that she was okay every few hours.  No one had spent as long in the isolation tank as Cobb and none of the male astronauts’ isolation testing was as rigorous as Cobb’s.  The male astronauts were simply asked to spend 2 to 3 hours in a dark room equipped with a desk, pen, and paper.  Cobb underwent one final phase of testing at the Naval School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola, Florida where she would undergo the same fitness tests as male astronauts.  Once again, Cobb excelled, passing all the tests.  12 more women followed in Cobb’s footsteps completing the entire phase one and two tests, but unfortunately the Naval School refused the use of their facilities for the other 12 subjects without an official request from NASA, which NASA refused to give.  Lovelace’s tests had come to a standstill, but the fight for women to become astronauts had not. 

Awards/Honors

ALA Notable Book 2010

Siebert Award 2012

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2010

YALSA Best Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist 2010

Front and Back Matter,

TOC, Foreword by Margaret A. Weitekamp, Author’s Note, Appendix, Further Reading, Webliography, Sources, Source Notes, Photography Credits, Index, Acknowledgments

Author’s Website

http://www.tanyastone.com/

Master of Deceit: J. Edgar Hoover and America in the Age of Lies

Aronson, Marc. Master of Deceit: J. Edgar Hoover and America in the Age of Lies.  Candlewick Press, New York: 2012. 230 pages. Tr. $25.99 ISBN 9780763650254

Annotation

Master of Deceit is a biography of the first director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover and how he contributed to the emotional turmoil of the Cold War and the terror Communism might take root in America.

Review

Master of Deceit is an unbiased portrait of an incredibly smart, driven, and powerful man, J. Edgar Hoover.  Aronson explains how Hoover’s intelligence and ambition led him to become the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Hoover’s job was to protect America from Communism and in doing that Hoover had no qualms lying to supervisors or turning to blackmail.  Hoover did get results and helped keep America safe during the Cold War, but a part of how he did that was by creating a state of fear and paranoia.  One of America’s criticisms of Russia was that they forced their citizens to live in a state of fear, encouraging family and friend to report on one another.  Despite being completely anticommunist Hoover used some of the same tactics here in American in an effort to root out communist spies.  Hoover and the FBI were also behind much of Senator McCarthy’s crusade against Communism.  Eventually, the FBI came under fire for Hoover’s clandestine projects and files, but most of Hoover’s actions as head of the FBI were not revealed until after his retirement. 

Awards/Honors

Richie’s Picks

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Prologue, Epilogue, How I Researched and Wrote this Book, Notes, Bibliography, Image Credits, Acknowledgments

Author’s Website

http://www.marcaronson.com/

Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates

Rubalcaba, Jill and Robertshaw, Peter. Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debaters.  Charlesbridge, Watertown, MA,: 2010. 186 pages. Tr. $18.95 ISBN 9781580891646

Annotation

In Every Bone Tells a Story Rubalaba and Robertshaw recount four pivotal hominin discoveries in their engaging narrative. 

Review

Rubalcaba and Robertshaw’s Every Bone Tells a Story is a fascinating and engaging book which reveals the stories of four pivotal archeological finds which reveal important information about our ancestors: the Turkana boy, the Lapedo child, the Kennewick man and the iceman.  Each of these discoveries led to fascinating and controversial theories.  The Turkana boy raised the question of whether homo erectus had language or not And the Lapedo child raised the issue of when Neandertals went extinct and if the interbred with humans.  Even with these and similar questions answered these prehistoric bodies still have much to tell us as science and scientists continue to advance and question. 

Awards/Honors

YALSA Finalist for Best Nonfiction for Young Adults 2011

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Introduction, Conclusion, Further Reading and Source Notes, Timeline, Glossary, Hominins and Friends, Bibliography, Index, Acknowledgments/Photo Credits

Author’s Website

http://www.jillrubalcaba.com/

The Impossible Rescue: The True Story of an Amazing Arctic Adventure

Sandler, Martin W. The Impossible Rescue: an Amazing Arctic Adventure.  Candlewick Press, New York: 2012. 164 pages. Tr. $22.99 ISBN 9780763650803

Annotation

The Impossible Rescue is an exciting and dramatic real life adventure in which three men struggle against the elements in the attempt to rescue hundreds of sailors stranded in the Arctic. 

Review

In 1897 a fleet of whaling ships became trapped in the Arctic by sea ice.  Only one ship, the Alexander commanded by Captain Tilton, who steamed back to San Francisco to alert the nation to the whalers trapped in the Arctic.  Some of the ships were destroyed when they were crushed by the ice and the crewmen were forced to take refuge on other ships or on land at Point Barrow.  The accommodations at Point Barrow were basic at best and there was not enough food to feed all of the sailors through the long Arctic winter.  As soon as President McKinley heard about the stranded sailors he ordered the Bear of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service to sail as far north as possible and then launch an overland rescue effort.  The rescue would mean traversing over a thousand miles of Arctic tundra and herding reindeer to Point Barrow to feed the sailors, but first the rescue team would have to convince the reindeer herders to give up their herds.  Three men were assigned to the rescue team, David Jarvis, Dr. Samuel Call and Ellsworth Bertholf.  The three men had a near impossible task ahead of them: a 1,700 mile journey by dog sled, while herding hundreds of reindeer in a race against time for the starving whalers. 

Awards/Honors

Richie’s Picks

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Introduction, Epilogue, What Happened to Them, Timeline, Source Notes, Bibliography, Photography Credits, Index, Acknowledgments

Author’s Website

No website

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, and Treachery

Sheinkin, Steve. The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism and Treachery.  Roaring Book Press, New York: 2010. 337 pages. Tr. $19.99 ISBN 9781596434868

Annotation

Sheinkin’s The Notorious Benedict Arnold presents another side to America’s first and most infamous traitor. 

Review

Benedict Arnold went from being one of America’s greatest heroes to being America’s greatest traitor.  Arnold was a fearless leader who never hesitated to engage in battle alongside his men.  Despite being a bold leader Arnold was quick to anger and impulsive, often disobeying orders from superiors.  While Arnold won many decisive battles for the patriots, he was not duly rewarded for these feats by the Continental Army.  He was passed over repeatedly for promotions, which led to Arnold being more difficult to get along with.  After a disastrous diplomatic post in Philadelphia, Arnold started plotting to turn against America.  He convinced General Washington to give him the appointment supervising West Point, which Arnold then plotted to hand over to the British.  Arnold’s plan was foiled however, when his British contact was captured.  Arnold managed to escape, but he never lived down the shame of turning on his countrymen. 

Awards/Honors

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults 2011

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Source Notes, Quotation Notes, Index, Various Maps

Author’s Website

http://stevesheinkin.com/

The Race to Save the Lord God Bird

Hoose, Phillip. The Race to Save the Lord God Bird.  Melanie Kroupa Books, New York: 2004. 200 pages. Tr. $20.00 ISBN 0374361738

Annotation

The Race to Save the Lord God Bird is an exciting ecological drama which unfolds around the quick endangerment and subsequent disappearance of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, once the largest woodpecker in the United States.

Review

The Race to Save the Lord God Bird is an exciting ecological drama that chronicles the work of a handful of scientists’ devotion to preserving on of American’s most magnificent birds, the Ivory­-billed Woodpecker.  The Ivory-bill used to be common throughout the forests and swamps of the Southern United States.  Nearly two feet long and with a three foot wingspan, the Ivory-bill was the largest woodpecker, and was doubly easy to spot with their distinctive black and white markings.  Sadly their size and distinctive markings made the woodpeckers easy prey for hunters until the once common bird became more and more rare.  Eventually the Ivory-bill became so rare that the bird was restricted to remote swampland in Louisiana.  Today there are still reported sightings of the bird, though nothing official, scientists still devote time to searching the swamps of Louisiana in hopes that this magnificent bird has somehow survived the harsh loss of habitat.

Awards/Honors

ALA Notable Book 2005

Orbis Pictus Honor Book 2005

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2005

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Introduction, Prologue, Maps, Epilogue, Important Dates for the Protection of Birds, Especially the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Glossary, Sources, Acknowledgments, Picture Credits, Index

Author’s Website

http://philliphoose.com/

Frederick Douglass: A Noble Life

Adler, David A. Frederick Douglass: A Noble Life.  Holiday House, New York: 2010. 144 pages. Tr. $18.95 ISBN 9780823420568

Annotation

Frederick Douglass: A Noble Life is a stunning biography of a national hero, Frederick Douglass who despite being born into slavery grew up to be an eloquent speaker, writer, abolitionist, and women’s rights and civil rights activist.

Review

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818 on the plantation of Col. Lloyd, and was shuffled among his various family members and estates throughout Douglass’s life, though Douglass spent most of his life as a slave in the home of Hugh Auld in Baltimore.  Douglass learned to read in the Auld’s home, a skill which would greatly affect his life.  At age 20 Douglass ran away and lived as a freeman in Massachusetts, though if he were to be caught by slave catchers he could be returned to his former master.  In Massachusetts Douglass met abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, who helped Douglass get started lecturing and encouraged him to write his memoir.  Douglass continued to lecture throughout his career, as well as running an abolitionist newspaper, and working for the government. 

Awards/Honors

Richie’s Picks

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Preface, Important Dates in the Life of Frederick Douglass, Notes, Illustration Credits, Selected Bibliography, Index

Author’s Website

http://www.davidaadler.com/

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Nelson, Kadir. We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.  Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, New York: 2008. 88 pages. Tr. $18.99 ISBN 978078680832

Annotation

Author and illustrator Kadir Nelson’s book We Are the Ship is a boldly illustrated tale of the phenomenal athletes who played in Negro League baseball.

Review

Kadir Nelson’s We Are the Ship is a beautifully illustrated tale of baseball’s Negro League which was formed when baseball was still racially segregated.  Nelson’s bold and original paintings bring to life the story of these amazing athletes.  The Negro League was poorer than the Major Leagues, but the players were just as good, if not better than Major league players and their games were often just as well attended.  The Negro League played fast-paced, rougher games that the spectators found wildly entertaining.  The Negro League players would also often play 3 to 4 games a day and travel all night while Major League players would play 3 to 4 games a week.  All Star games were especially popular.  In these games the greatest athletes of the Negro League faced off against the greatest player from the Major Leagues.  That is how the African American players knew they were just as good as the Major League players.  Even though the Negro League players were just as good, it was not until the 1940’s that Major League baseball finally saw integration was Jackie Robinson started playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.  This was not an easy position to be in, Robinson faced discrimination everyday from fans and other players.  Eventually other Negro League players were hired by the Major Leagues until the Negro League could no longer compete and was eventually dissolved in 1948. 

Awards/Honors

ALSC Notable Book 2009

Orbis Pictus Honor Book 2009
Sibert Award 2009

Front and Back Matter

Foreword, Original illustrations by Kadir Nelson, Author’s Note, Acknowledgements, Negro Leagues who made it to the Major Leagues, Negro Leaguers in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Bibliography, Filmography, Endnotes, Index

Author’s Website

http://www.kadirnelson.com/

Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry

Nelson, Scott Reynolds & Aronson, Marc. Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry.  National Geographic, Washington D.C.: 2008. 64 pages. Tr. $ ISBN 9781426300011

Annotation

Ain’t Nothing but a Man traces author Scott Nelson’s search to uncover the real man behind the American legend of John Henry.

Review

Ain’t Nothing But a Man catalogs Nelson’s quest to discover the man behind the American legend of John Henry.  Nelson goes beyond just telling the story of John Henry; he details the experience of his research.  Nelson begins by deconstructing the various different versions of songs about John Henry, but his research takes him much further than just song lyrics.  Nelson’s quest is demonstrative of the fact that not all research takes place in the library or archive.  Nelson goes out into the field visiting parts of the railroad that Henry possibly could have worked on.  These field trips provided invaluable clues to discovering the real John Henry’s identity.  In the end not only did Nelson uncover the likely identity of John Henry and the truth behind the legend, he uncovered the truth behind 300 unmarked graves found around the Virginia Penitentiary.  Like John Henry, these prisoners were loaned out to work on the railroad and died working on the railroad, probably from inhaling dust and developing the lung disease silicosis.  Nelson found these men’s voices in the lyrics of John Henry and the true meaning behind the legendary railroad worker. 

Awards/Honors

ALSC Notable Book 2009

YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults 2009

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Appendices (The Search Goes on, Many John Henrys, Map of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in 1873), How to Be a Historian by Marc Aronson, suggestions for further reading, a note about my sources, index

Author’s Website

http://srnels.people.wm.edu/

http://www.marcaronson.com/

The Longitude Prize

Dash, Joan. The Longitude Prize.  Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York: 2000. 200 pages. Tr. $16.00 ISBN 0374346364

Annotation

The Longitude Prize is the story of John Harrison, the man who accomplished the seemingly impossibility of calculating longitude in the eighteenth century. 

Review

Joan Dash’s The Longitude Prize recounts the life of Englishman John Harrison who spent the greater part of his life attempting to perfect a sea clock which would allow sailors to determine their longitude when on the open ocean.  In the 1700’s clocks were still hard to come by and difficult to construct, which is why it is all the more amazing that Harrison taught himself to construct clocks and highly accurate clocks at that.  Dash explains that one way sailors calculated longitude in the eighteenth century was by using time.  However, clocks depended on a balanced pendulum to keep accurate time and the pitch of a ship would through off the balance of a clock, making it impossible to accurately tell time while at sea.  Calculating longitude was of such importance that British Parliament formed the Longitude Board who offered a prize to anyone who could come up with an accurate method of calculating longitude at sea.  After designing highly accurate clocks on land, Harrison made it his life’s mission to develop a sea clock which would allow sailors to calculate their longitude.  Though the Longitude Board never officially recognized his achievement and it took the better part of his life to perfect, Harrison did indeed succeed in creating such a clock.

Awards/Honors

ALSC Notable Book 2001

Sibert Honor Book 2001

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Afterword, Glossary, Timeline, Bibliography, Index

Author’s Website

None

Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop

Greenberg, Jan and Jordan, Sandra. Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop.  Delacorte Press, New York: 2004. 200 pages. Tr. $16.95 ISBN 038573056X

Annotation

Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop is a biography of one of the 20^th centuries best known and most controversial artists, Andy Warhol. 

Review

I studied art history as an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara, but at the time my focus was on the Baroque artists in Italy and modern, female Islamic artist, so I started Greenberg and Jordan’s book with very little knowledge of the cultural icon, Andy Warhol.  Warhol was a very interesting character and refused to conform to other people’s ideas of what he should be or what his art should be.  While Warhol’s Factory became synonymous with drugs and the counter culture movement, Warhol himself never participated in taking drugs and in fact rarely drank alcohol.  His effeminate style and his openness about his homosexual lifestyle drew attention to Warhol, but his critics focused on his art.  They did not understand the messages he was trying to convey in painting seemingly mundane objects like a can of soup or how his film would later be seen as the precursor to today’s reality television.  Warhol was a truly innovative artist, ahead of his times and never afraid to tackle a new medium or challenge. 

I was disappointed with the layout and design of Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop.  Andy Warhol is such an iconic and inspirational subject.  I would have liked to seen page designs and titles that matched his artistic style.  As great example of how book design can be tied to a subject is Ann Angel’s Rise Up Singing, in which the pages feature colorful borders reminiscent of the psychedelic art movement that coincided with the psychedelic music movement that Joplin was a part of. 

Awards/Honors

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2005

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Important Dates, Selected Films by Andy Warhol, Books by Andy Warhol, Glossary, Notes, Sources, Photography Credits, Index

Author’s Website

http://www.jangreenbergsandrajordan.com/

Getting Away with Murder: the True Story of the Emmett Till Case

Crowe, Chris. Getting Away With Murder: the True Story of the Emmett Till Case.  Phyllis Fogelman Books, New York: 2003. 128 pages. Tr. $18.99 ISBN 0803728042

Annotation

Getting Away with Murder is the story of murder of 14 year old Emmett Till and the subsequent acquittal of the murderers and how this trial helped launch the civil rights movement.

 

Review

Emmett Till was a 14 year old African American boy visiting Mississippi from Chicago in the summer of 1955.  It was while visiting family that this young boy was dragged from his bed in the middle of the night, tortured, and horrendously murdered by two white men for whistling at a white lady.  Till’s horrifying murder and the photograph of his bloated and beaten body in Jet magazine, outraged the African American community and sparked the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.  What is most unfortunate about Emmett’s murder is that it is often left out of American history texts.  Till’s story is important because it reminds us of injustice and racism that once existed in this country and why it is important to stand up to bullies and fight for what is honorable and right. 

Awards/Honors

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2004

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Acknowledgments, Time Line, Bibliography, Additional Resources

Author’s Website

http://www.chriscrowe.com/

Hole in my Life

 

Gantos, Jack. Hole in my Life.  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York: 2002. 200 pages. Tr. $16.00 ISBN 9780374399883

Annotation

In Hole n My Life, Newberry Award winning author Jack Gantos recounts his youth when he was arrested for smuggling drugs from the Virgin Island into the United States and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Review

In his autobiographical book, Hole in My Life, author Jack Gantos bravely and honestly tells the story of his experience on the wrong side of the law, when he was arrested for conspiring to smuggle 2,000 pounds of hash from St. Croix to New York.  Gantos makes no excuses or apologies for his action, but fully owns up to his mistake.  Gantos sense of invincibility as a young man will resonate with many teens, but hopefully reading his story will cause other teens to think twice before making similar mistakes.  Despite being caught and being sentenced to six years in prison, Gantos was actually lucky.  He quickly earned a position working in the jail hospital, which came with his own cell, away from the dangers of the dorm with the other prisoners where he risked being beaten, stabbed, or raped.  Gantos also counts himself lucky because it was in prison that he finally realized his dream to become a writer and gained the motivation to make his dream a reality. 

Awards/Honors

ALSC Notable Book 2003

Printz Honor Book 2003

Sibert Honor Book 2003

Front and Back Matter

None

Author’s Website

http://www.jackgantos.com/

Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science

Fleischman, John. Phineas Gage: a Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science.  Houghton Mifflin Company, New York: 2002. 86 pages. Tr. $216.00 ISBN 0618052526

Annotation

Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science is the incredibly story of Gage, a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 1848 and miraculously survived. 

Review

In 1848 Phineas Gage worked as a railroad foreman in Vermont and on September 13^th his life changed forever when a tamping iron shot through his head.  A tamping iron is a 3 foot 7 inch iron rod used for packing gunpowder.  In a horrifying accident the tamping iron shot through Gages cheek and out through his frontal lobe, literally leaving Gage with a hole in his head.  It is incredibly that he survives this injury, but that he is able to walk and talk directly after.  To all appearances Gage recovers from his trauma, but upon closer examination Gages personality is completely changed.  This is because every part of the brain controls a specific function in our body, but in 1848 doctors did not know this and even today scientists still do not know what every part of the brain does.  Gage is no longer the man he was before his accident, but he is still able to maintain a fairly normal life for the next 12 years until the brain damage he suffered early finally catches up with him and he passes away in 1860 in California.  However, Gage did not die in vain, his accident and case greatly helped doctors and scientists of the time to better understand the brain and it’s different functions.

Awards/Honors

ALSC Notable Book 2003

Orbis Pictus Honor Book 2003

Front and Back Matter

Acknowledgements, Glossary, Resources, Index

Author’s Website

No website

Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado

Aronson, Marc. Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado.  Clarion Books, New York: 2000. 222 pages. Tr. $20.00 ISBN 039584827x

Annotation

Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado is a well researched biography of a man few Americans know of beyond his failed attempt to colonize the island of Roanoke off the coast of Virginia.

Review

Most of us know Walter Ralegh simply as the explorer who set up the doomed Roanoke colony off the coast of Virginia.  But Roanoke was only a footnote in Ralegh’s life of adventure on the high seas.  Ralegh was born a commoner, but quickly made a name for himself as a fearless soldier and moved up in the court of Queen Elizabeth.  It was not long before Ralegh was considered one of the Queen’s favorites and she rewarded him with wealth and position.  Ralegh was an adventurer at heart and he longed to find fame and fortune in the new world, but his position at court allowed him few opportunities to explore himself, so he was forced to settle on backing enterprises to the new world.  Ralegh finally was given the opportunity to launch an exploration to the mythical El Dorado after falling out of favor with the queen.  Ralegh believed he would find the mythical city of gold and regain favor in Elizabeth’s eyes.  Instead of locating El Dorado, Ralegh witnessed a beautiful and untamed land and realized that this was a place that Europeans were doomed to destroy.  Unlike many explorers of his time, Ralegh did not see the rainforests of South America as a place to conquer and tame, but as a Garden of Eden, which should remain pure and untouched by humans.  This did not stop Ralegh from launching yet another adventure to find El Dorado after Elizabeth’s death.  This time Ralegh hoped to gain favor with the newly crowned King James, but instead Ralegh’s mission failed and led to his trial for treason against the king and eventual execution.    

Awards/Honors

ALSC Notable Book 2001

Sibert Medal Winner 2001

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Acknowledgments, Note to Readers, Map of Voyages to the New World, Cast of Characters, Endnotes and Bibliography, Time Line, Index

Author’s Website

http://www.marcaronson.com/