Book Blog #5: Mesmerized

Title: Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France

Author: Mara Rockliff (words) & Iacopo Bruno (Illustrations)

Publisher: Candlewick Press (2015)

Age: 8-12

Lexile Reading Level: 690L

Awards: Cook Prize, ALA Notable Book, SLJ Best Book, and many more.

Review

During the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin went to Paris to try and convince the King that the colonies were worthy of French assistance in their war for independence against the British. When Franklin arrived in Europe he entered a continent obsessed with a young doctor named Mesmer. Mesmer claimed to have discovered a new force that he was able to tap into which gave him unique powers. When Dr. Mesmer channeled the force and waived his wand he was able to do amazing things including cure illnesses. The King of France asked Franklin to investigate Dr. Mesmer's claims and the rest, so they say, is history. I was absolutely transfixed with this book! While I was well aware of Franklin's trip to France I had never heard of his interaction with Dr. Mesmer. In fact, there was a moment early on where I debated whether or not it was real. It was! The story alone had be glued to every page but the unique presentation of the book - using a mix of fonts, graphics, maps, illustrations - and the exceptional artwork that made every page a feast for the eyes made the book a true joy. I wholeheartedly recommend it. It's an amazing story and introduces some important scientific elements that I didn't know. I think it might be a bit much for a 1st grader and possibly a 2nd grader, but it would be right in a 3rd-5th grader's wheel house.

Recommended Pairings:

1. Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride (Marjorie Priceman)

2. Mr. Ferris and His Wheel (Kathryn Gibbs Davis)

3. Anything but ordinary Addie: the true story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic (Mara Rockliff)

All three books that I have listed as pairings are, like Mesmerized, narrative nonfiction picture books. Each tells the story of a famous invention/person in a way that is appealing to both a child and the adult reading it to a child! The story told in the first book is actually referenced in Mesmerized. In 1783 the first hot air balloon took flight. It's passengers? A rooster, a duck, and a sheep! The second book is the true story of the invention of the Ferris Wheel and whether or not it would be ready for its debut at the 1893 World's Fair. The third selection was one I thought of while reading Mesmerized. Something about the book reminded me of another nonfiction narrative I had read about a woman who, after her husband - a world-famous magician - passed away, became a world famous magician herself. When I finally found the book I was surprised to discover that it was the same author as Mesmerized! All three books are informative, engaging, and inspirational.

Suggested Activities:

Each of the four books I've mentioned in this post sparked my curiosity. I read quite a bit more about Dr. Mesmer, the first hot air balloon, Mr. Ferris, and Adelaide Herrmann. Each story could be used for a larger subject study. Mesmerized alone could be used to study Ben Franklin, The Revolutionary War, The French Revolution, the Scientific Method, the placebo effect, Louis XVI, and more. I think a really fun exercise would be to have a classroom or library program study these narrative nonfiction picture books and then have each child or a small group create their own based on a historical figure/event that interests them.

Book Blog #4: Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine

Title: Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine

Author: Laurie Wallmark & April Chu

Publisher: Creston Books (2015)

Age: 5-9 years old (K-3rd)

Lexile Reading Level: n/a

Awards: Booklist Top Ten Books in Science and Health, Booklist Editor's Choice: Books for Youth 2015, Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 for 2016, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the Children’s Book Council... (several more similar awards)

Review

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine is a lovely book - both in words and pictures - about the 19th century Lovelace, considered by many to be the first computer programmer. It's an inspiring story - especially encouraging for young, inquisitive minds. Despite societal rules of the age (young women were not supposed to be studying math and the sciences!), Lovelace followed her hunger for numbers her entire life, eventually meeting the well-known mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage. Babbage had invented a counting machine, essentially the world's first computer, but it was Lovelace who programmed it. The books is easy for even young readers but it would still be appealing for 3rd and 4th graders. I especially loved the illustrations which are quite exceptional. They reminded me of paintings from the Renaissance era but somehow modern. The books glosses over quite a bit of Lovelace's life, but it is still a wonderful introduction to the woman and her role in the modern age of computing.



Recommended Pairings

1. Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (Laurie Wallmark)
2. Margaret and the Moon (Dean Robbins)
3. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World (Rachel Ignotofsky)

To my surprise and delight, there are numerous picture books available that tell the stories of women scientists and mathematicians. Grace Hopper is also by Wallmark and is a really cool story about another woman who had a major impact on the computer age and whom I knew nothing about. (It's worth nothing that this book has a different artist than Ada Byron Lovelace.) Margaret and the Moon is very similar to the books about Ava and Grace. All three would be excellent storytime reads or classroom reads. My third pairing is a wonderful book that I was actually introduced to by reading a fellow student's Book Blog. The book tells the story of 50 different women who made massive contributions in the various STEM fields. The book is probably best suited for slightly older children than the audience of the other three books I've written about, but I think a teacher/librarian could absolutely still use it with the younger audience. And for those children wanting to explore more on their own - this would be a great choice. My two daughters were enthralled by it. (Interestingly, my youngest loved the book on Ada while my oldest felt it was a little too "babyish" for her.)

Suggested Activities

Girls Who Code is a very popular program in libraries these days and these books would be great for that. I also think it would be a wonderful program or lesson - especially with the current political situation - to celebrate the impact and advancements made by women in the STEM fields. These books could all be a part of that. While a program/lesson like that would be excellent any month of the year, March is "National Women's Month."

Book Blog #3: Owen & Mzee

Title: Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

Author: Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu

Publisher: Scholastic (2006)

Age: Preschool - 5th Grade (according to Scholastic's website)

Lexile Reading Level: 920L

Awards:  ALA Notable Children's Book, NYT Bestseller, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Book Award 

Review

The story of the friendship between a baby hippo named Owen and a 130 year old tortoise named Mzee is remarkable. Owen loses her family in the 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of Asia and Africa. She was taken to Haller Park, an animal sanctuary in Kenya, where she struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. Then she is befriended by the infamously unfriendly Mzee and an unlikely partnership forms. The story is wonderful, heartwarming, and uplifting. Unfortunately, the book is not. It's stilted with far too many unnecessary details thrown in for no apparent reason. Subsequently the book does not flow. It reads like a manual, bogged down in minutiae, and it screams for an editor. 

The book's authors are a father and daughter (the daughter gets a writing credit but she was only five when the book was written) named Craig and Isabella Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu, who was the manager of Haller Park. It is the first book for all three. (Interesting side note, Craig Hatkoff is a real estate bigwig and philanthropist who co-created the Tribeca Film Festival). The art in the book are all photographs by Peter Greste, a photojournalist and broadcaster for the BBC. You take the good and the bad with the pictures. The good: They're real and they help make the story real. You see what Owen looked like and what Mzee looked like. You see Owen trapped in the Indian Ocean after the tsunami. You see Owen and Mzee's interaction. It's very powerful. But, at the same time - not all of the photos are great. Some are grainy and not particularly good shots. 

I am a crier. This book should have had me weeping. It's a wonderful story and yet my eyes were completely dry from start to finish. I also don't think it would work as part of a storytime - especially with younger kids. The book - and it pains me to write this - is a slog to read. It could work for older ages as an assigned book, something the children could read on their own and do reports on, but I would avoid reading it out loud.

Recommended Pairings

1. Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends - Carol Buckley

2. Kate & Pippin: An Unlikely Love Story - Martin Springett

3. Sniffer & Tinni: A True Tale of Amazing Animal Friendship - Berit Helberg

A librarian or teacher has a few different avenues they could go with when looking at pairings. They could focus on the animals involved: the hippopotamus and tortoise. They could look at Kenya. Or they could do fun animal friendships. I've gone with that route but I think that Owen & Mzee lends itself to any of the three options. Tarra & Bella is a wonderful story about a retired circus elephant and a dog. (I mentioned earlier that I'm a crier, right? Well this book had me sobbing! In a good way!) Kate & Pippin is about a deer and a dog while Sniffer & Tinni are about a fox and a dog. Both feel aimed at a younger audience than Owen & Mzee and would work well in a storytime or as a read-aloud.

Suggested Activities

As mentioned above, Owen & Mzee is a great leaping off point for so many different paths. I think a classroom study of Kenya would be really fun. Scholastic (the book's publisher) actually has a website about the book that features activities and suggestions. You can visit it here. (That site also has more information and multiple videos about Owen & Mzee.) There are numerous Kenyan folktales and legends that would be great for readalouds, too. A study of hippos are tortoises would also be a fun possibility.