Music may not make the world go around, but it does provide many people with a connection that cannot be broken.  It is this type of strategy that Arn Chorn-Pond used to survive the violence of the Khmer Rouge. It is the many facets of music that Arn still uses to reconnect an entire culture of musicians to their heritage.

A Song for Cambodia tells Arn’s story as a child exposed to the ravages of living in Cambodia and a refugee camp during the Vietnam War. It is a story replete with images crafted by Shino Arihara that amplify Michelle Lord’s inviting text. To learn about Arn’s journey is to learn about the plight of the Cambodian people under the Pol Pot reigme. Fortunately, the story is not just Arn’s, but that of the triumph of the human spirit and the importance of music for sustaining the fight.

While young readers might not always be held captive by the story, they will certainly develop a sense of basic human rights that includes a great emphasis on the preservation of culture. A Song for Cambodia’s best use may be as part of a unit on human rights, or that of music around the world. Or perhaps it might be part of a biographical sketch on a current person who is making a difference in saving the music. General music teachers need to have this resource available along with the sounds of the khim and the khloy. Perhaps a website and a link from the publisher is in order?

It is important that children understand that music is more than just something encountered on an mp3 player. For Arn, music was literally his escape from a world that made little sense. It was more than a diversion; it was a connection to family, friends, and a culture that was violently changed by others. Music in all forms will continue to provide that possibility, but without the stories of the Arn Chorn-Pond the chances are diminished.

5 of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

Charles and Emma: The Darwin’s Leap of Faith tends to be less contentious and more readable than one might imagine. Aside from a jacket illustration that pits silhouettes of an ape and Charles against a cross bearing Emma, the book is relatively free of such obnoxious notions.

The writing style is comfortable and does focus on the relationship of Charles, Emma and their families. At times the book reads like Jane Austen, but that only lends authenticity to the voice that Heiligman is determined to expose.

The Darwins lived in a very different world; one much more severe in terms of its tolerance for religious ambiguity. It was a world fraught with sickness, tragedy, and little medical science. As a result, lives that were hanging in the balance would be treated with over the counter medications today. Similarly, breakthroughs in the life sciences seemed years away.

Readers young and old should enjoy this book, but they must be prepared for a challenge. They must be prepared for an intellectual challenge that will serve to strengthen their beliefs as they reconcile God and science. And challenges are good.  They help us deepen our understanding and commitment to the reasons that drive us as human beings.

The book focuses most of its energy on the relationship of Charles and Emma. To this end, it was most successful and entertaining. As a broader biographical work the book also gives the reader some perspective for the times in which the Darwins lived.

Perhaps the single most impressive accomplishment of Charles and Emma is that it is a biography about a great scientist that should interest girls. In true Jane Austen fashion the story is resolved.

My grandson still thinks Heiligman’s best efforts were Fun Dog Sun Dog. But then again, he’s only three.  I kinda like it too, but I am imressed with anyone that can write well enough to please both of us.

4 out of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

Morning in a Different Place may be one of the most important books that will never be widely read by those who need it most.  Set in the Kennedy presidency, it describes the relationship of two girls- one black, one white- and their families.  But it is more than a story in a critical period of our nation’s history; it is a story about race, families, and struggle that is timeless, and that is important.

People who grew up in the sixties may not have realized that the situation experienced by Yolanda and Fiona even existed. Family violence and racial concerns were often matters discussed behind closed doors. The idealistic families of the fifties were still prevalent in the sixties. Even well intentioned middle class working families conspired to keep socially embarrassing events secret.

Yet, the Kennedy administration offered new hope for families that transcended racial and social lines. Those lines spread from Appalachia to the largest urban centers and beyond.  People had hope.

Hope disappeared for many people on November 22, 1963 and the next day automatically became different.

Middle school and high school students will understand the book.  Their teachers, parents and grandparents also need to read it and talk about with them. The book is a great candidate for an entire community to read and discuss. It is a superb social commentary on the times that profoundly influenced a nation.

5 of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

http://www.slamguy.wordpress.com

Every Human Has Rights: A photographic declaration for kids belongs on the table of every waiting room in every school, public agency, and health care provider. It is a book that can be browsed, read page-by page, or meditated upon by young and old.

The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been simplified and amplified by the team of National Geographic and the ePals Global Learning Community. The full and rather sophisticated text of the Declaration is included in the appendix, but it is the enumerated and simplified captions that make this particular edition valuable. The pictures and the writing of kids from around the world only enhance the value of expressions such as, “You have the right to a free and safe LIFE.”

Also included is valuable information that can help everyone take the ideas beyond the page and into the world. Former President of Ireland and member of The Elders, Mary Robinson, contributes a foreword that is truly inspirational.

Order this book for your children and pass it along to the neighbors, or make it a gift to your school and take an active part in changing the world one reader at a time.

5 out of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

From Russia with Lunch is Bruce Hale’s latest entry into the Chet Gecko Mystery series. In typical Hale style the book is satirically playful drawing heavily from a deep cabinet of tastes and flavors.

As expected the book draws heavily on some “punny” stereotypes. The playfulness is rampant, yet almost exhausting in a place or two. While adults will certainly pick up on and appreciate the humor, kids may not.  If they do not, the book is still well written and thought out in terms of the mystery and how it is resolved.

In Hale’s own way the book is also multicultural. He brings in characters like Wiccans that may be perceived as dangerous by some only to dismiss them and render them totally innocuous in regard to the story and its resolution. There is no question about Hales’ ability as a storyteller.

Late elementary and middle school students may enjoy the book most, but may have to be urged to remember that there is some real artistry transpiring on the pages. Add the book to your collection with confidence that some readers will find Chet Gecko irresistible just like Garrison Keillor’s listeners find Guy Noir, Private Eye indispensable.

4 out of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

http://www.slamguy.wordpress.com

The Case of the Stinky Socks is an aromatic mystery that will be enjoyed by young readers that discover the Milo & Jazz Mysteries series recently introduced by the Kane Press.

The enjoyment is sure to last beyond the life of the book because the readers are exposed to some rather interesting illustrations that capture the investigative process.  These illustrations, coupled with the activities at the end of the book prepare kids to seek out and unravel the mysteries in their own world.

The mystery itself is not easy to decipher before the conclusion; wrong paths are explored and hypotheses are revised. The simple language makes this little mystery accessible to all but the earliest readers.

The book would make a nice gift or addition to a classroom library where exposure to different types of literature is essential. Boys, girls and teachers will love the investigative strategies that apply scientific method in a school-based story.

5 of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

http://www.slamguy.wordpress.com

O’Brien, Tony, and Mike Sullivan. Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan. New York: Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2008. $18.99.

Afghan Dreams is a sobering look at the lives of children in and around Kabul. At the same time it is both beautiful and horrific. The beauty lies within the eyes and soul of each child featured in this photo tour. The horror abounds in the stories that comprise their past and the uncertainty of their future.

Tony O’Brien’s pictures are compelling, to say the least. They capture, without words, the necessary conclusion that children are the largest casualties of the longstanding Afghan wars. Mike Sullivan’s text reveals the mixture of hope and reality that makes dreams possible. Together, O’Brien and Sullivan relay the message that these Afghan children are forced to grow up too soon because of their geographic destiny.

The Afghan landscape has been fraught with problems for more than a century. The Taliban and the presence of the United States in the region is only the most recent version of the problem. Given the length of the protracted struggle, the strategy of O’Brien and Sullivan is to address the problem with a younger audience. By creating awareness the authors have planted seeds for humanitarian action that will eventually ripen.

The young voices of Afghanistan need to be heard in every community around the world. One way to make this happen is to share this book with someone, or ask that the local library make it available. Educators need to be refreshed by the war-torn stories of children who desire to be teachers. Kids of all ages need to hear the strained voices of children that could be their brother or sister. Everyone needs a beautiful encounter, and this book provides.

5 of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901