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. 

Book Blog #2: Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

Title: Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

Author: James Sturm & Rich Tommaso

Publisher: Hyperion Books For Children (2007)

Age: 4^th-6^th grade

Lexile Reading Level: GN690L

Awards:  n/a

Review

Baseball is my passion. I love to watch, read, talk, and write about the game. I especially love to read about the Negro Leagues – the leagues created for black baseball players when they were not allowed to play with whites. Satchel Paige was the biggest name in the Negro Leagues (if not all of baseball) and the legends of his exploits both on and off the field are legendary.

However, Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow is not about Satchel Paige. Not really.

It’s about a fictional sharecropper in Alabama named Emmet Wilson. Wilson had once been a hotshot rookie who doubled off of Paige in a game only to suffer a career-ending injury later that inning when he tried to score. The book is told from Wilson’s perspective. We anticipate the at bat against Paige. We deal with the struggle of losing your dream and being forced into this horrific pseudo-slave system in the Jim Crow south where Wilson and his family live in fear of the young, sadistic white men who lord over them. When a traveling team of black ballplayers comes to town to take on the local white team, Wilson finds joy and pride in the exploits of the players on the field, especially Paige.

It’s a fine book. The reader is drawn to Wilson, roots for him. The art is simple - black and white and grey and tan - which I think gives the story gravitas. I’m sure it would be eye-opening for young readers and could be a starting point for other discussions. That being said, it’s not the book I expected or wanted. It’s not about Satchel Paige. It’s not about Jim Crow. It’s about a man who lives in the Jim Crow south. Paige becomes an almost mythical character in the book and, in an odd way, I think that cheapens what he did. Paige was a man. A man who was, in his prime, the best pitcher in the world and yet he wasn’t allowed to compete day in and day out against white players because of bigotry. Despite that, Paige thrived. And he inspired thousands if not millions. I think that graphic novel should be made. Sadly, this one is not it.

Recommended Pairings:

1. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball – Kadir Nelson

2. Only the Ball Was White – Robert Peterson

3. March – John Lewis

We Are the Ship is one of my all time favorite books. Like in Satchel Paige, Nelson uses a fictional character to be the narrator as he traces the history of the Negro Leagues from their creation in 1920 until the integration of baseball in 1947. As a bonus, Nelson’s artwork is incredible. In addition, Nelson has written several other books about the life of black men and women in America that are all worth reading. Peterson’s book is written for adults but excerpts could be read for students. The players – Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Buck O’Neill, and dozens more – come alive. And finally, March would be a great pairing as it, too, is a graphic novel and shows the continuation of the struggle that Wilson faces in Satchel Paige. I wrote about my love for Rep. Lewis’ March trilogy in my first Read & Discuss post. It’s one of the most important books of the last decade.

Suggested Activities:

Graphic novels are such a great tool for teachers and librarians. They break down barriers for children and there are numerous studies that show how GNs are beneficial for growing minds. You could just have a graphic novel class where students read graphic novels (both fiction and nonfiction) and create their own.

For older kids, Satchel Paige and March could be used in studies of segregation, civil rights, and American history in general.

And of course, Satchel Paige could be used in studying the history of baseball and, specifically, it’s role in the civil rights movement. Interesting parallels could be drawn between sports in the 20s, 30s, and 40s and today’s athletes.  

Book Blog #1: Some Writer: The Story of E.B. White

Title: Some Writer: The Story of E.B.White

Author: Melissa Sweet

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2016)

Age: 2nd - 5th grade

Lexile Reading Level: 1030

Awards: ALA Notable Book (2017), NCTE Orbis Pictus Award, Amazon Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016, Publishers Weekly Best of 2016, Washington Post Best of 2016, School Library Journal Best of 2016, and many more

Review

Some Writer had been on my “to read” list for a long time. It was well worth the wait. The book is stunning. It is a very good biography that - thanks to Sweet’s creative use of collage and original water colors - becomes something so much more. It is a treat to read, with practically each page containing something that makes the reader smile or want to explore.

 The illustrations are absorbing. It almost feels like a family scrapbook brought to life that serves as an informational journey of the man, a tribute to this exceptional writer, a tribute to the power of words, and, oddly, a manual on how to write a book! It is filled with photos, excerpts from manuscripts (including rough drafts that are particularly interesting), personal letters, and much more. It is a joy and a must-read for anyone who has, like me, adored E.B. White’s books, and a must-have for any library.

Recommended Pairings:

1. A Poem For Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day (Andrea Pinkney)

2. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus (Jen Bryant)

3. A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams (Jen Bryant)

The three titles listed above are, like Some Writer, engaging juvenile nonfiction books about famous writers and their famous works. I think a really good display, program, or lesson could be studying the writers and their works. (As a bonus, Melissa Sweet provided the illustrations for The Right Word and A River of Words as well.) Additionally, Some Writer would be an excellent read for anyone who has read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan. If a class reads one of those novels together than Some Writer would be a must-read as well.

Suggested Activities:

One of the great things about Some Writer is its depiction of so many aspects of White’s life. There are opportunities to do activities about grammar, cartoons, nature, animals, traveling across the United States, and more. A teacher or librarian who can’t find a jumping off topic from Some Writer isn’t trying that hard!