BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins,Steve. 2021. THE SHARK BOOK. HoughtonMifflin ISBN 9781328569493
PLOT SUMMARY
There is not a “specific” plot for this text, but overall we see a combination of scientific information, engaging illustrations, and a message about conservation for its readers.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this text Jenkins does an excellent job in providing many facts and details about varieties of sharks. Using engaging kid-friendly images, with labels at times when need to explain an image further. The outline for this text is as follows, we begin with an introduction to sharks, what they are, where they live, what they eat and their life cycle all with details and depicted images. We can then see how the sharks evolution over time changes and the variety of sharks and their description.
Jenkins summarizes his findings with a table towards the end of the text that is easy for any reader to follow with quick information over the sharks that were talked about in the book.
Overall this text was a great and informative text, easy for readers to follow through but a plethora of information that may feel overwhelming but is needed to know about sharks.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal (6/1/21)
“There are lots of short passages with interesting facts about sharks, including their size from bigger than a bus to small enough to fit in the palm of a human hand. There are also pages about the function of sharks' anatomy readers will learn, for example, that sharks' scary dorsal fin is used to stabilize their body in the water. The artwork is striking and beautiful. Each double-page spread shows the variety of shapes and textures of sharks as well their gorgeous markings. Every spread also includes a human for a scale of reference to the size of the sharks. This book steers away from some of the scarier aspects of sharks, so there are no pictures of massive sharks chomping on unsuspecting prey. The work is thoughtfully conceived and will provide hours of perusal for shark fans, no matter their age. VERDICT An excellent choice for any library with people who are interested in sharks. Debbie Tanner, S.D. Spady Montessori Elem., FL”
Starred Review ALA Booklist (7/1/21)
“As in previous offerings, glorious torn-paper collages spill across pages, complementing the fact-filled commentary that seems to reflect exactly the kinds of information kids want (in addition to fish, turtles, dolphins, and seals, tiger sharks have been known to eat bottles, shoes, toys, and license plates). Many illustrations include human silhouettes to help contextualize the different species, which range from huge whale sharks, the world's largest fish, to tiny, rare pocket sharks, small enough to fit into human hands (only two have ever been found). Double-page spreads concentrate on one aspect (adaptability, ancient relatives, record holders, etc.), a bibliography offers further reading selections, and a concluding chart offers quick comparisons of the 31 featured species. This is a handsome offering about a perennially popular subject.
5.CONNECTIONS:
*This book would be an amazing tool to extend learning or further research within sharks.
*This book can also work as a guide if you're thinking of showing students how to write an informative text or to make their own version of another animal.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Freedman,Russell. 2004.THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION. HoughtonMifflin. ISBN 9780547480343
PLOT SUMMARY
In The Voice That Challenged A Nation, we follow the journey of Marian Anderson and how her voice broke barriers. She is an African American singer, who overcame adversity by using her voice. Freedman shows how Marian pursued her singing career, even if she was limited to her career because of how black performers were restrained socially in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Marian stood up for all performers of color and gave her world changing performance in 1939, in front of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, which ended in the end of segregation in the arts.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Freedman's book is made up of many black and white images with captions to describe the images. There are 114 pages. When starting a new chapter there is a quote that gives sort of an idea of what the chapter will talk about, it serves as inspiration and insight. Since this is a nonfiction book, the images are real life images of Marian and how her life unfolded and important images so that the reader can picture the time period of when this took place. The beginning begins with giving us a glimpse to a movement that Marian was a part of, and then as the chapters go on we can see Marian's story from a child and how she becomes the strong advocate, and barrier breaker she is.
Overall, in this book we can see the detail that was put into telling this extraordinary barrier breaking story. For the readers it seems to be a foreshadowing tale in the beginning but as the story progresses we can begin to see how the story unfolds.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 2004)
Freedman's comprehensive account of Anderson's burgeoning career shows the singer's intensive study of and dedication to the classical concert and lieder repertory and presents her accomplishments as both an actor in and an emblem of her times. The many photos are well chosen; appended material includes source notes, a selective bibliography and discography, and an index.
Booklist (June 1, 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 19))
Gr. 4-8. In lush operatic style, Pam Munoz Ryan's picture-book biography When Marian Sang (2002), with beautiful illustrations by Brian Selznick, celebrated the triumph of the great African American vocalist in the face of the vicious segregation of her time. Now for middle-grade and junior-high readers comes this handsome, spaciously designed photo-biography. In his signature prose, plain yet eloquent, Freedman tells Anderson's triumphant story, with numerous black-and-white documentary photos and prints that convey her personal struggle, professional artistry, and landmark civil rights role. Everything leads up to her 1939 historic performance at the Lincoln Memorial, where, denied the right to sing at Constitution Hall, she thrilled a crowd of 75,000 and a national radio audience. Freedman reveals that Anderson never invited political confrontation, but with the support of such friends as Eleanor Roosevelt, she had a profound effect on the nation. Documentation is an essential part of her exciting story, with many pages of source notes as well as an enthusiastic, annotated bibliography, and, of course, a discography. Older readers and adults will want this, too.
Kirkus Reviews starred (April 1, 2004)
She had played the major cities in Europe, appeared before filled-to-capacity halls throughout the US, and been welcomed at the White House, but famous contralto Marian Anderson was turned down by Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The Daughters of the American Revolution, headquartered there, stood by their "white artists only" policy and wouldn't let her perform. But officials at Howard University, Eleanor Roosevelt, and others who believed in equal rights teamed up to organize a free public performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. On Easter Sunday, 1939, Anderson performed before 75,000 people and a national radio audience in an event that sent "a powerful message of defiance against the injustice of bigotry and racial discrimination." Anderson never saw herself as an activist, though, and Freedman never treats her as a symbol. He offers instead a fully realized portrait of a musical artist and her times. Well-chosen, well-placed archival photographs, clear writing, abundant research seamlessly woven into the text, and careful documentation make an outstanding, handsome biography. Freedman at his best. (chapter notes, bibliography, discography, acknowledgments, picture credits, index) (Nonfiction. 9+)
5.CONNECTIONS:
*Real world application, how is this book relevant to our world today? What are some other events that could be similar and significant like the following?
*Connections to the Civil Rights Movement
*Making connections to women who paved the way for others and overcoming adversity
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sheinkin,Steve. 2018.BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD AND STEAL THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON. SquareFish. ISBN 9781596434875
PLOT SUMMARY
In this book we can see a captivating but chilling true story of the creation of the world's most destructive bomb during the Cold War. A discovery by a German chemist began a race which contained three continents. A group of scientists were led by who we get introduced by as “the father of the atomic bomb”, J. Robert Oppenheimer. This is the story of the atomic bomb, and how it changed everything.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Race to Build and Steal The World's Most Dangerous Weapon is a 266 page book in which looks like a journal providing images when the chapters begin and when needed diagrams to show certain details. Sheinkin, giving us vivid descriptions and his ability to humanize the people involved gives readers an insight to their struggles, and what kept them motivating them. This book also does a great job at describing how time was of the essence, by racing to be the first to develop the bomb.
One of the downfalls that can be seen when reading this book is that we only get to see this through one side, we don’t get to see the effects and the downfall for Hiroshima and Nagasoki. Sheinkin plays it safe by sticking to the facts, and the science of it all. For readers who may have wanted to know more about the bad effects that it had on them, may need to read books who will speak on that side of things.
Overall this book would captivate the attention of young adult readers, but may not be as interesting appealing to our young readers with the heavy content contained, it may be a bit hard to follow through for them. This book was detailed so that readers who are into true spy stories will be intrigued by this story.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book
“While comprehensive in its synthesis of the political, historical, and scientific aspects of the creation of the first nuclear weapon, this account focuses on an extremely alluring angle: the spies. Sheinkin maintains the pace of a thriller without betraying history or skipping over the science; writing with journalistic immediacy, he eschews editorializing. Photos help readers organize the events and players. Bib., ind.”
School Library Journal Starred Review (4/28/22)
“Sheinkin skillfully combines lucid, conversational snapshots of the science behind the atomic bomb with a fast-paced narrative of the remarkable people who made it possible and attempted to steal it. Handsomely designed and loaded with archival photos and primary-source documents, the accessible volume lays out how the bomb was envisioned and brought to fruition. While the historical information and hard facts presented here will likely be new to the intended audience, they in no way overwhelm readers or detract from the thoroughly researched, well-documented account. It reads like an international spy thriller, and that's the beauty of it.&12; Brian Odom, Pelham Public Library, AL”
ALA Booklist (9/1/12)
“Using some of the same narrative techniques he used in the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction winning The Notorious Benedict Arnold (2010), Sheinkin shapes the story of the Manhattan Project into a dense, complicated thriller that intercuts the action with the deftness of a Hollywood blockbuster.”
5.CONNECTIONS:
*Military connections
*Atomic bombs and its effects to our nation
*Responsible decision making, how could this have changed things for the nation? Could we have prevented this? (if you feel comfortable with starting conversations about this topic)
Courage Has No Color The True Story of the Triple Nickles
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stone Lee, Tanya. 2013. COURAGE HAS NO COLOR, THE TRUE STORY OF THE TRIPLE NICKLES. CandlewickPress. ISBN 9780763668204
PLOT SUMMARY
In Courage Has No Color, we can see the hardships that African Americans had to endure while serving the U.S Army during World War II and still not being seen as equals with their white soldiers alongside them or the country that they so faithfully served. The story begins with giving us some background information on how African Americans were treated during segregation and how this still carried over even when serving in the Army. Later the Double V campaign was a movement that brought forward the victory for African Americans to fight for their civil rights, while still serving their country.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In Courage Has No Color, we can see how detailed Stone was with the story. She made sure to make this story as engaging and as descriptive as she could. Adding illustrations and captions to describe what was happening made it much more of an enjoyable read. She is able to depict the time period of when this was happening, providing us with black and white images and with captions to support how things were very segregated even for our American heroes who were serving our country. We were also provided with cartoons or what some may also see as propaganda during the war and how African Americans could serve their nation and at the same time be the change that they wanted to see happen. Stone's writing style makes for an engaging story telling, and easy to follow along within the narrative. She gives us an insight with her writing to the hardships that the soldiers of color had to endure by not being able to level up in advancement and how they had to face adversity while serving their country who did not see them as equal as their peers and how they still showed up and preserved and brought about change.
Overall this book was easy to follow along with and was very engaging with all of the pictures and captions provided. This makes it easier for readers to read, and understand the plot of the story and what came about with the fight to be seen as equal by their peers, and their country in which they served.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 2013)
The World War IIera 555th Parachute Infantry Company, nicknamed the Triple Nickles, didn't actually fight anywhere, as white soldiers didn't want to fight alongside black soldiers. The book's focus is wide: there are sections on segregation and stereotypes, Japanese American internment camps, Japanese balloon bombs, the Battle of the Bulge, and Operation Firefly, brought to life with archival photographs and Stone's always clear prose.
School Library Journal (January 1, 2013)
“Throughout the book, the courage and strength of these men is evidenced in their tireless quest to be the best at what they do, throwing themselves headlong into sometimes dangerous and terrifying training requirements. The photographs and the design of the book as a whole are a gift to readers. Rich with detail, the pictures not only complement the narrative, but also tell a stirring story of their own, chronicling the triumphs and frustrations of the soldiers as they pursued their dreams. Complete accessibility to a wide range of readers, coupled with expert research and meticulous care, makes this a must-have for any library.-Jody Kopple,”
Kirkus Reviews starred (November 15, 2012)
“Daring initiative and leadership led to the creation of the "Triple Nickles." Defying the deeply ingrained stereotypes of the time, the Triple Nickles proved themselves as capable and tough as any white soldiers, but they were never used in combat, serving instead as smokejumpers extinguishing Japanese-ignited forest fires in the Pacific Northwest. Stone's richly layered narrative explores the cultural and institutional prejudices of the time as well as the history of African-Americans in the military. Her interviews with veterans of the unit provide groundbreaking insight. Among the archival illustrations in this handsomely designed book are drawings Bryan created while he served in World War II. An exceptionally well-researched, lovingly crafted and important tribute to unsung American heroes.”
5.CONNECTIONS:
*Social awareness, how to understand perspectives from diverse backgrounds and or cultures.
*Breaking stereotypes
Comments
Post a Comment