“After Gandhi: One hundred years of nonviolent resistance offers a very selective history that is used to explain nonviolence in a very modern context. The vignettes and their principal actors are presented to illustrate the practices often associated with Mohandas Gandhi.
It is within the context of these vignettes that the book introduces the reader to essential terms such as “apartheid,” “strikes,” “junta,” “petition,” and dozens more. The summaries of the incidents are concise and retain the focus of their ability to demonstrate noviolence. The concise biographical data that follows each of these entries is also helpful, but not entirely necessary.
The illustrative material that was done in pastels feels more like charcoal, but communicates clearly the seriousness of the subject matter. Unlike the illustrations, not everyone views the situation in such stark terms. There is hope with each generation. Justice and war are still issues of importance, and it requires a new and personal call to action. The Obrien’s make this call, but it could be louder and stronger. Aside from the cover illustration depicting the progression of nonviolence from Gandhi to the masses, and a few pages at the end of the book devoted to their own action, the O’brien’s eliminate their own influence. Their backgrounds as activists give their voices experience and authority. They have the ability to connect the works of Nobel laureates to the everyday experience of children.

3.5 Out of 5 for Motivational Work
4.5 Out of 5 for Coverage of the Topic

John Parker
Media Coordinator
Andrews High School
50 HS Drive
Andrews, NC 28901
www.slamguy.wordpress.com

 

 

From the first line of Our Abe Lincoln to the last the book sings itself. Drawing upon the annals of Lincoln’s presidential campaign for material this song/book/historical record provides the perfect introduction for young children.

 

Teachers and children will have many opportunities for success with this book. It can be read, but why? Set to the tune of  The Old Gray Mare, this book demands a sing-aloud by the reader. Anything less will just miss the point.  And the point is that children can and should be taught in an engaging manner. That method is also emphasized by Barbara McClintock’s illustrations that suggest that children can recreate the scene in their own public performance donned in period attire.

 

This is one book that embeds a body of core knowledge into the hearts and minds of children in a way that will develop into a lifetime memory that can be shared and recalled again and again. Teachers of Pre-K and early elementary aged children will also find ample opportunities to pair movement with the lyrics and create their own interpretations of the work. Add this book with confidence to any collection, but be prepared to sing.

 

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

Just in time for his 200^th birthday, “Lincoln and His Boys” offers much more than a cursory account of the beloved president’s life. The story is biographical and Tad and Willie are the storytellers. Their fictionalized dialogue based on historic accounts gives Wells great credibility as both researcher and writer. The dialogue is engaging, yet challenging the reader to discover new words that have long passed out of popular usage. The text is covered with facts that are skillfully woven to give a rather complete story of Mr. Lincoln’s perspective of the Civil War.

Teachers of American History from upper elementary through high school will find uses for the book. Although intended for a younger audience a middle or high school teacher may use it in a center to give more perspective to the importance of Lincoln and his family. Generally speaking, good resources that probe the relationships of the Lincoln family are missing from most school curriculums.  Even more scarce are books that tie the family influences to the administration itself. Clearly, “Lincoln and His Boys”  will invite children to explore  the other factors that influence decision making. Add it with confidence to your classroom or library. 

 

4 out of 5

 

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life. New York: Walker & Company. 97 pages.

ISBN  0-8027-96664

$19.99

Lincoln Through the Lens offers some needed variety in a plate of “Lincoln Lit” that has grown stale, and frankly, unappealing. Martin Sandler has laid out a visual feast and supported his argument that photography both revealed and shaped the life of Lincoln. 

 

Text that is accessible to a wide variety of readers is a rarity. When that type of access emerges in a worn out topic (sorry, but Lincoln and the Civil War are no longer fresh) there is reason to take note. Perhaps the accessibility lies within each page’s organization as the reader is presented with a menu of choices.  The choices include color, photos, and at least three different sizes and types of font. Or perhaps it lies within Sandler’s ample helping of quotations that further his point, or the meticulous inclusion of his sources and other helpful information in the appendices? Casual readers searching for morsels of information will be able to easily pick and choose the sections they like most. Other readers will find it necessary to complete the entire 97 pages. Others will enjoy the pictures and maybe even read the captions. All will benefit.

 

Sandler has a book that should be included in every public library collection as well as those of the middle and high school. A North Carolina teacher of U.S. History (an 11^th grade course) could easily take this book and use it as a vehicle to cover the period 1850- 1865. Yes, they would need to supplement, but this book is that well organized.

 

5 out of 5

 

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 High School Drive

Andrews, NC 28901

The Chosen One

978-0312-55511-5

Available May 2009 

 

Carol Lynch Williams’ The Chosen One might be what one gets when they throw the Duggars of TLC fame into a little darker environment. It is powerful, like a gruesome car wreck that has to be viewed again and again. It is a well told story and skillfully adapted to address a subject that is taboo for most readers. Thankfully, it is fiction, but we all know this has probably existed.

 

Kyra is thirteen and about to marry her uncle, but only because it is God’s will. Polygamy aside, violence and skewed religious views exact control over all who live within the compound. Outsiders are viewed as anathema.

 

Kyra’s curiosity leads her back to books, familiar and forbidden, that have been purged from the community when she was little. Toss in an adolescent boy along with a would-be-hero, who happens to drive a bookmobile, and the stage is set for violent and almost unbelievable conflict.

 

Teenage girls will make this book circulate, but reserve a few copies for the guys too. It is action packed in a refreshing way that makes several important points about basic human rights. The Chosen One will likely open discussions concerning a wide range of family dynamics. Encourage the conversation and know that this book will make a difference.

 

Lowboy, a novel by John Wray

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
On Sale: 3/11/2009
ISBN: 978-0-374-19416-1
ISBN-10: 0-374-19416-5

 

 

A sixteen-year-old boy is about to combust. The ever-increasing fever within his body needs to be released, but it is more than a story of a young man’s first sexual experience. It is a journey into another world; a world that is defined by schizophrenia, paranoia, and their interactions with society and themselves.

 

Will Heller’s life seems defined by the New York subway system. It is an apt metaphor for a predictable, and seemingly unchanging life that runs a parallel course to the burgeoning activity above ground. It is into this world that Will retreats, engages, and finally finds the purpose for his life.

 

Meaning for Will is obscured by the schizophrenia that has plagued both he and his mother. Other characters are skillfully brought into the pursuit of Will and the paranoia of the chase is what catapults readers through the story.

 

Schizophrenia is easy to talk about in a clinical manner. However, it takes great skill and a special sensitivity to communicate its nuances so that each of us can identify with the character. Indeed, each of us exhibits some characteristic others might consider strange enough to be labeled as dysfunctional. Wray has the insight and the self-imposed limits needed to develop believable characters who rival those of Ken Kesey’s.

 

Lowboy also creates a soundtrack of rhythms for the reader. From Will’s father and mother comes the meandering jazz influence. From the subway comes the precision of the door chimes and the clackety-clack of the trains. Will’s quest to cool himself also hints of Bruce Sprinteen’s I’m on Fire:

 

“And a freight train running through the

Middle of my head

Only you can cool my desire

I’m on fire”

 

All of the components assembled together in Lowboy make for an interesting read that is worth the risk of knowing more about something that we may not want to know about. It is safe, not to read, or add this to the collection. It is a risk that we may develop insight and empathy into the minute-by-minute struggle of our students and their families. How should the decisions about medication be made? Lowboy is a slice of reality that we all need to taste. It is most appropriate for high school students and those who work with them on a daily basis.

Well done. It is time to ring the dinner bell and have a feast with The Big Bell and the Little Bell. Alistair Graham’s visual interpretation of the Martin Kalmanoff song is simple, yet complex. From cover to cover, Graham’s skills and imagination are showcased in the carefully crafted cats that bring the song to life.
As a matter of fact, the characters that propel the story surpass both bells in terms of personality. While the bells remain rather plain (and most bells are, right?) the king and his company are focused on his upcoming wedding.

Readers will enjoy the book even more thanks to the included CD that contains two well-produced versions of the song. After listening to the song one may find a different rhythm for reading the book, and that is just fine. It is musical, lyrical, and fun-filled. It should be shared aloud with a small or large group. Teachers should make this selection a part of their classroom libraries and listening centers. Rich activities lie beneath the surface of this book just waiting to address social skills and group dynamics. Public and school librarians should also give due consideration to acquiring and highlighting this timeless story.

5 out of 5