"The President Has Been Shot!": The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

"The President Has Been Shot!": The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
by James L. Swanson
336 pages
High School

In the fall of 1963, the world was shocked by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the youngest president ever of the United States.  After narrowly winning the election a few years earlier, he had grown in maturity and handled several tense situations that could have been catastrophic otherwise.  

Learn not only about this young president and what he accomplished before being killed, but also about the sniper, what drove him, and what happened the day of the assassination. 

Sometimes I find it difficult to write summaries of non-fiction.  There's not really a plot to highlight most of the time, and not really twists and turns to follow.  That being said, this book kind of does have a plot, even if the ending is not a surprise.

Told in more of a narrative style, not just laying out facts, it made it much easier to read than a lot of other non-fiction.  I enjoyed learning about JFK's background, highlights of his presidential time, and how he reacted to various situations.  Somehow, there is this huge gap in my U.S. history education after World War I through the 1980's.  This has help fill in some of those details, and it was much easier to read than a lot of the adult books would be.

Overall, this was an excellent book.  It had lots of facts, background into situation so that the reader can understand not just President Kennedy's background, but also that of the shooter.  There are also a lot of photos and diagrams to help the reader understand exactly how events played out.  Due to the depth and seriousness of the subject, I would recommend mostly for high school aged, unless a kid is super interested in history.  Great book about the topic!

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America's First Black Paratroopers

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America's First Black Paratroopers
by Tanya Lee Stone
160 pages
Late Elementary-Middle School

Decades before the civil rights movement, the army was just a segregated as the the general population.  If you were black and joined the army, you usually ended doing dishes, building roads, or other support roles.  No units were mixed white and black, very few officers were black, and everything from housing to mess halls were separated.

When World War II hits and blacks start enlisting, they realize that prejudice is still very strong.  Although they joined to fight racism across the ocean, they must face it at home first.  As they struggle to prove themselves, the 555th company learns not only parachuting skills, but also how to stand up to prejudice they see all around them.  Standing up for themselves is just as important as standing against the enemy.

This was the story of the 555th company, later battalion, that helped integrate blacks into the rest of the army.  Numerous pictures and personal experiences dot this narrative.  I love how often they are found with smiles on their faces even if the times were rough.  They stood for what they knew what right, even though it wasn't easy.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the narrative, but after I got the hang of it, the book was really engrossing.  Sometimes it was hard to keep names straight- lots of names in this!- but I think it was worth having all the personal experiences related in their words and personal situations.  I liked learning about another aspect of the war that I haven't known much about in the past.  While it didn't necessarily teach me about the war in general, it was very enlightening on what it was like to be of African-American decent during that time.

I will definitely recommend this!  Nothing grisly or bloody in the book (they don't see much was action) which makes it appropriate for the late elementary age, but would take the right kid to be excited about it.  If they want a historical perspective on the situation from a minority's point of view- perfect!  Really liked it, would have gotten full marks except I'm not a huge history fan in general. 

Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design

Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design
by Chip Kidd
160 pages
Middle-High School

Each book cover, every sign, and even books are designed for maximum effect.  How do they do that?  The answer is graphic design.  Everything from exit signs to gum wrappers are carefully designed to say exactly what the maker wants it to say. 

This book contains design secrets whittled down to the most basic principles, then built up into more complex ideas.   Written by an experienced graphic designer, he gives multiple examples of great work, his own and others, so that the reader can see effective use of the principles as he is teaching them.

So, this was a fascinating book!  Where was this two years ago when I was designing a website for school- I needed this!  I learned a lot about design, typography, and more.  It was super interesting, and really fun to read.  Lots of colors, and I loved the examples with the concepts.  At the end of the book, there are 10 projects that someone can participate in, and he's even built a website for people to share what they have made or designed!  Go here to see it: http://gothebook.tumblr.com/

Overall, really cool book.  I liked it a lot, but can see some kids not getting it.  Middle school to high school kids that are interested in the topic would devour it, but other might see it as uninteresting.  I enjoyed it a ton and learned a lot!  Very cool!

America's National Parks: A Pop-up Book

America's National Parks: A Pop-up Book
Paper Engineering by Bruce Foster
Illustrations by Dave Ember
Concept and Text by Don Compton
Elementary+ (with supervision for really young kids)

Take a trip across the United States and catch the vision of the National Parks.   Learn about their features, their history and what makes them special!  Several parks are mentioned, with 6 covered more in depth.  Lots of illustrations, but lots of facts as well!

Not only is this book informational, but it is simply amazing!  This officially takes it's places as my favorite pop-up book of all time.  It has 6 full pop-up pages, plus fold outs, little booklets, sliding windows, plus more pages of info on other parks.  Each pop-up has lots of details, and is fascinating from any angle. Tons of information presented in such a unique format.

My favorite quote from this book was on one of the side columns: "'To a grizzly bear every-thing is food, except granite.' -John Muir" (from the Glacier National Park page).  This totally shows the feeling surrounding the National Parks!  Nature is powerful, amazing, and we can't really control it.  But it's beautiful and worth exploring!

Great book!  Lots of info, great pictures.  I went to Yellowstone recently, and the pop-up page on Yellowstone captured the feel and majesty of the park wonderfully.  Love this book!  This would be a great gift for any kid!

The Stars, A New Way to See Them

The Stars, A New Way to See Them
by H. A. Rey
160 pages
Elementary+

Ever looked up at night and wondered about the stars?  There are many constellations, but how do you find them?  What time of year can you see which constellations?

This book has amazing charts and detailed tools to find each constellation in the sky.  By finding the Big Dipper, the easiest of all, you are led to the rest of the constellations' locations. Easy to understand, but lots of depth for people that want a little more.

This is a great book.  I had it as a kid,and used it all the time to look at the stars.  Not only does it have the constellation charts, but also a lot of science thrown in as well. Such a great book that is simple enough for kids to use it, and it has enough that teens and even adults could continue to use it.  And I love that the author also writes Curious George!  Great book!  I highly recommend to everyone!

Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope

Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope
by Jenna Bush
304 pages
High School+

Ana has HIV, and she insists that she is not dying from HIV, but rather she is bravely living with HIV.  Instead of letting it determine her life, she makes her own decisions and lives life as full as she can.  Even though she is a teen-aged mother, she wants to live life and experience as much as she can.

The story starts with Ana's earliest memories- including the memory of her baby sister's death.  Unknown to her at the time, her mother and the baby both had HIV, which is where Ana inherited it from.  Told from a young age that she must never tell anyone, her life becomes full of secrets- not just about HIV but of abuse and sadness.

Follow Ana as she deals from the youngest age with HIV, family tragedies, abuse and loneliness.  Her life is not easy, but she changes, grows and handles every new trial that comes her way.

This was a book I found just browsing through my library's collection of ebooks, and was ended up enjoying it a lot.  It was a quick read- very short, concise chapters with a few pictures interspersed.  Because the chapters are so short, it moved quickly, never got boring.

This book was almost brutal with the truth at times.  Her life was hard.  She was abused in different ways, had a child at 16, and just struggled through so many trials.  While it might be read quickly and it's not complicated, this book is hard hitting and straight forward.  I put it as high school aged mostly because of how honest and blunt it is.  I hope that by reading this, teens can realize how easy some of them have it compared to her, and also realize that their choices have consequences.  Ana slept with a guy once without using protection and became pregnant from it.  She had to live with the result of what she did. 

While it's not the typical thing I enjoy, I did find myself really drawn into the story.  I read it in a just a few hours, and it really drew me in.  Ana's life is so different than mine, and helped give me a different perspective on life.  Good book to help gain a new outlook, and help teens see that decisions have consequences.  I will definitely recommend it as a good non-fiction!

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
by Lucy Knisley
176 pages
High School+

Lucy grew up living with her chef mother and visits from a foodie father.  Food has always been an important part of her life.  Whether it is learning how to make luscious croissants or perfecting the chocolate chip cookie, her growth and her story can be told through food.

Follow Lucy as she grows up, following in the footsteps of her parents.  She goes to Mexico with her mother, travels with her father, and eats McDonald's to make them mad.  Not only is her own story told through food, but she shares some favorite recipes!

This was a fun memoir to read.  It jumps around a little, moving sometimes from her story to her mother's.  I liked seeing the comparison between their stories, and how parallel they really were, but at the same time unique to each person.  The author acknowledges that parallelism, but is also definitely telling her own story, not just the history of her parents.

I really think that teens can relate well to some of her circumstances: an awkward first period, her long-time friend (who happens to be a boy) discovering smutty magazines, doing things just to annoy her parents, and finding comfort in her food and routines.  There is definitely a huge emphasis on coming of age and growing up, but it's gently told, nothing hugely overt.

Overall, I really liked the book.  I loved the "cozy mysteries" that have the recipes in the books, so this was a great twist on that theme.  Non-fiction, but doesn't read like non-fiction.  Will recommend it for teens, mostly since a lot of it takes place as Lucy is a teen or young adult.  Fun book!

Dutch Oven Cookout, Step by Step

Dutch Oven Cookout, Step by Step
by Michele Pika Nielson
208 pages
All ages!


Ever wonder how to cook in a dutch oven but were so overwhelmed that you just didn't know where to start? Then check out Dutch Oven Cookout, Step by Step!  This book covers everything from the basics, to great tips and amazing recipes.

Start by learning how to season your dutch oven, including the reason why we do it.  Once it is seasoned, create amazing meals like cobblers, soups and meat dishes.  After all the food is gone, properly clean your dutch oven in preparation for next time.  This book takes you, step by step, from the beginning to the end, with lots of helpful tips along the way!

This is an amazing book.   I worked with the author when I was younger, watched her spend years collecting data and trying out recipes.  Each part of this book is thoroughly tested, tried and tweaked until perfection has been achieved!  I love that the book has as much about caring for your dutch oven as it does recipes.  It simplifies what can seem super complicated and overwhelming.  Great tool for families, whether you camp-out all the time or are a novice.  I highly recommend it for anyone that wants to have their own dutch oven cookout!

Please see Michele's website at www.DutchOvenCookout.com for more details or to buy your own copy!  She is still doing signings at various locations, so go check her out!

You can also follow her on Facebook!  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dutch-Oven-Cookout/77072900348

Truce

Truce
by Jim Murphy
144 pages
Middle School+

The Great War, World War I is raging through Europe, sending despair through hearts.  Soldiers are converging, battle lines are drawn.  Death stalks these men, taking its daily toll.  Hope is scarce, and the future looks dim.

In the midst of one of the most horrible times of war, one day stands different than the others.  Christmas Day, 1914, dawns cold and silent.  Instead of bullets, Christmas carols ring through the air.  A brief truce between the English and German lines has enemies chatting together, celebrating Christmas in an entirely new way.  While tomorrow they may go back to shooting each other, for now, they are all bound by the special season.

This was a really good book.  There were lots of things I liked, including how it told the story.  Instead of just plopping us in the middle of the war, it gave some background- how the war started, what it was like leading up to Christmas, and overall, what it was like to be a soldier.  It is easier to understand what a miracle that day was when it is compared to the normal existence of daily life.  While the truce wasn't universal and some people still fought, the people that did participate remembered it.  It change them, and changed their outlook on the war.

I like all the photos and maps included in the book, as well as all the historical context of the setting.  I am not a history buff, and this book really helped me, as an adult, understand what was going on in the war better than any class I have ever had.

Good book!  Great story to tell, plus I really liked how it told the story.  Teens will learn not only about this specific instance, but about the rest of the war as well.  I listed as Middle School mostly for content and some of the pictures.  Life was not always pretty as a soldier, and some of the photos reflect that.  Text is detailed and informative, but not overwhelming.  Great book for history projects, or for kids interested in factual books instead of fiction.

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different
by Karen Blumenthal
320 pages
High School

This is a YALSA Best of the Best 2013 Challenge book!

Steve Jobs created Apple, thought up the iPod, and changed the way computer companies run.  His name in known throughout the world, but how much does the world really know about him?

Did you know that he became a vegetarian, even to the point that his diet was carrot salad with lemon juice? Did you know that although brilliant, he was not universally liked.  While a great motivator, he was also very difficult to get along with.  Jobs had something that others called a "reality distortion field": whenever he was around, people believed they could achieve anything!

Follow Jobs life from childhood until his death in this in depth glimpse of his life.  From founding Apple, to being fired from it, this book covers all of it!

So, this was a lot more intriguing than I thought it would turn out to be.  Once I got into it, I had a lot of fun reading it.  But, it is not something that I think I would read again (unless for a specific reason, like a report).  I had fun with it, but there are other things I would rather read.

Overall, pretty good book.  I will recommend it to teens, especially those that come in looking for a biography for an assignment.  Had lots of tech stuff, so techie geeks would probably like it a lot!  It does have a little language (or at least implied language), plus Jobs is not necessarily the best role model. I would stick to high school aged teens for this, because of the maturity of the content, plus although Jobs did some amazing things, his life was seriously messed up at times.

Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

By Steve Sheinkin

272 pages

Middle School+

Part of the YALSA Best of the Best 2013 Challenge!

Meet Robert Oppenheimer-physicist, nerd, and loyal American.  Or is he?  This book follows Oppenheimer and others as they set out to create one of the strongest weapons the world has ever seen- the atomic bomb.  

This book is full of spies, intrigue, and history.  While the basic physics of how the bombs work is explained, it doesn't go deep into, something for which I was very grateful! If you like history, war, spies, or science, this is the book for you!

I actually enjoyed this a lot.  If you have seen from some of my other posts, I'm not a history buff, and don't often care to read tons of historic novels, especially non-fiction ones.  But, I am finding that I like teen targeted non-fiction much better than text books or adult focused books.  This book reminded me of Truce by Jim Murphy, another non-fiction book.  That one is shorted, but the flow was similar.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was getting to get to know some of the people involved in the process and how they felt about things.  That insight made the event a lot more realistic and approachable for me.  By knowing some of the people involved, it helped me relate more, and understand better motivations and why they did what they did.  

Another thing I appreciated in the book was organization.  Events followed, for the most part, in sequential order so it was easier to follow.  While there were several people involved, the author used clues to help remind us the role each person was playing.  The narration progressed logically, and helped show how events tied together. This book helped me understand not just about the creation of the atomic bomb, but also how it was influencing the war, how the idea came about, how it was developed and deployed, as well as the results of its use.  I understand more about history because I read this book.

Overall, this was a pretty good book.  I liked the story telling pace and order: it kept various events in sequence so it was easy to see cause and effect.  It gave background on individuals, plus tied their lives into the story as a whole.  While the ending is kind of sad and sobering, it fits since that is how they all felt.  I will recommend this, definitely!

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March
by Cynthia Levinson
192 pages
Late Elementary+

This review is part of the YALSA 2013 Best of the Best Challenge!

Meet Audrey, Wash, James and Arnetta, four African-American children living in Birmingham during the 1960's.  Each had a different life, different situations, and became involved in civil movements in different ways.  They lived through rampant racism and segregation, not being able to even sit at the same counter at the diner!

Follow their accounts of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, plus national trends.  Each has a different view of why they joined the march, what lead up to the event, and even where they were during it. They decided it was time to help change come about, instead of just waiting for it to happen.

This was a great subject, and it was so interesting to see their accounts of what happened.  I really liked how each was slightly different, their motivations to join were different, and their experiences varied.  It was a very strong portrayal of the Children's March, and it helped me understand more about the order of what happened during the Civil Rights movement.

I did like that they used the perspective of children in this.  Children and teens played such an important part in this event, it makes sense to tell the story from their point of view.  Helps children to identify with a historic event, instead of it being so distant and unapproachable.

To me, the storytelling felt a little choppy, jumping from one topic to another.  There were lots of names to remember, making it complicated. Admittedly, that is how history really is, with lots of people involved, but the storytelling seemed messy.  Not only were there lots of people and perspectives, but it also jumped around in time frames, as well.

Overall, this was a pretty good book.  I'm not a history buff, so it wasn't exactly what I would choose to read, but it was still entertaining.  I do wish the story order had made a little more sense, or the telling frame would have been better.  But it did redeem itself in using such a unique perspective, plus a great topic.  I will recommend it to kids interested in history, but not many others.

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster
by Deborah Hopkinson
304 pages
Middle School+

Another review for the YALSA Best of the Best 2013 Challenge!

This non-fiction account of the sinking of the Titanic is related using journals and letters from the survivors of the crash.  Starting with a description of the ship, it covers many details of the voyage and experiences from the passengers.  It covers what it felt like to be on the maiden tip of the Titanic, when they realized they had hit the iceberg, and how they felt as they realized the ship was going down.

Yay! Another non-fiction book!  I actually really liked this one.  I was scared of having scenes from the movie running through my head as I read, but there was such a wide range of photographs in the book, that never became an issue.  I really liked all the photographs so the reader could see what things had looked like before it sank.

Another thing I really liked about this book was the neutral stance it took on situation.  Many people have been very emphatic about how there wasn't enough lifeboats, and rant on about it.  This book presented facts, including the regulations that the Titanic was required to follow, a statement of what was available that night, and the results of the tragedy.  I rarely picked up any hints of judgment about it, or any other controversial issues.  While it mentions what the reactions of other people were, this book is more about presenting facts about the story than taking a stand on an issue.

I also really enjoyed getting the perspective of several different types of people from the Titanic.  We have letters and records from first, second and third class passengers, crew members, and more.  In addition to that, the last sixty pages are bibliography, facts, charts, and ways to find out more.  This book was well researched, well organized, and a great resource to finding more information.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book!  The narrative flowed very well, especially for a non-fiction book, plus it stayed impartial to the facts.  It presented facts, including reactions of people from that time period, rather than trying to pass judgment about what happened.  It highlighted individual stories, giving the narrative a very personal feel, rather than just a presentation of facts.  Read this book!

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95
by Phillip Hoose
160 pages
Middle School+

This is a finalist for the YALSA 2013 Award for the Excellence in Non-Fiction.  This review is part of their reading challenge!  Learn more about YALSA, the award, and the challenge here!

Moonbird is based on a small shorebird called a rufa red knot,  known by the number B95.  First seen in 1995, this bird has flown from the southern tip of South America to north of the Hudson Bay every year for 20 years.  Overall, he has flown to the moon and half-way back! 

This book traces a typical year in B95's journey.  We start in South America, where B95 has grown out his flight feathers.  There, he gorges himself on the mussel spat on the coastline, and eventually, feels the urge to go!  He flies through two days and nights to his next stop. And this in only the beginning.

Moonbird was a very interesting read.  The "story" is constantly supported with set in blocks of text with more information, pictures, and stories of people the author met while writing about B95.  The pictures are great, showing lots of different settings and views of the birds. Not only is this book a study of the bird itself, but also of some other connected species, such as the horseshoe crab. 

At first, this book seemed to be very heavy on the environmental protection.  While that remained an undercurrent through the entire book, it lightened enough that I became more interested in the book. The environmental theme is definitely still present, and a reason behind the writing of the book, but information about the bird's amazing journey was more emphasized.  I did like some of the features it had at the end, including resources (where he got his info), what we can do, a bibliography, and an index.

Occasionally, this book almost switched writing styles, from a presentation of facts or telling a story about people who are gathering the information, to something that "supposedly" happens.  This was most obvious during the chapter on the bird's stay in Canada.  Instead of presenting facts, or having someone there collecting information, it changed to telling a possible story about B95's parents, and what they may have been like.  This transition in styles bugged me, and I kept focusing on the "might have" and "possibly" instead of the facts.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this book once I got into it.  The information was great and told in an organized manner.  I liked how the author told not only the story of B95, but also how it connects and interacts with the world around it.  The explanation of cause and effect (why the bird went where) was very well done.  I only wish that the environmental bias had been not as forceful and overt.