Review: The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West by Sid Fleischman

Fleishman, Sid. (2008). The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West. New York: GreenWillow Books/Harper Collins. 224 pages. ISBN 9780061344329

Awards/Selection Lists: 

- Nonfiction titles from ALSC Notable Books lists 2002-2013

- Richie's Picks- Richie's Picks Nonfiction titles
Author's Website: http://sidfleischman.com/

Brief Summary:  Most people remember Mark Twain, or Samuel L. Clemens, as an east coast and Missouri man, clever and cantankerous, but funny and brilliant. Many people know that he was a river boat captain in his younger days. Some may even know that he worked in many newspaper offices. But what few people seem to know is that Mark Twain had his own Wild West adventure, starting with the journey to Nevada where his older brother became the only Secretary of the territory. What did Clemens think of the Wild West? How did he get on? What is his connection to gold rush fever, California, and the Hawaiian islands? How did these adventures contribute to his becoming a published author? How did they shape the famous man we know of today?

Personal Reaction: As I'm finding with many of the books I am reading for this non-fiction blogging assignment, I really enjoyed this book. Now, I chose this book specifically because Mark Twain is one of my favorite literary and historical figures. He had a notoriously wicked sense of humor, sarcasm and satire, he loved to stir things up and challenged standard notions of righteousness and propriety. He just had to think for himself and be different and that, I admire. He was distinctive and devoted, talented and troubled. He wasn't perfect but he was colorful and brilliant, and his story inspires me and reminds me that it's ok to be different. In fact, it's probably the best thing I can think of.

At first I thought I was keeping in time well enough with the chronology of events, only to read at the end that many of these accounts may have been inaccurate because of Twain's love of embellishment for the sake of a good story. Then I'd shake my proverbial fist at the memory of Mark Twain, while smiling a wry smile,  and I would try to make sense of what happened. Perhaps this is why the author offers so much back matter, to help with the quest. Or perhaps that was Twain's idea all along. "Can't make it easy for 'em, " I can imagine him saying with a wink.

Front/Back Matter: Title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, Preface, content, timeline, references (by chapter and page), illustration and photograph sources, bibliography, "The novels and other works", index.

Content Evaluation: By far the most organized and complete set of back matter in any non-fiction book I have read to date, Fleischman was spot on the mark. He makes it easy for anyone to not only check facts, but keep events in order, reference particular time periods, events and topics and provides sources for further review and study. It really speaks to the dedication of the writer to portray events as accurately as possible and to give a complete picture of such a famous man's life.

I like Fleishman's tone because it is humorous and personal, though once you read at the end of the book that the way the events are depicted might not be accurate kind of turns you on your ear, as far as believing in his pure credibility goes. But perhaps he's wanting us to evaluate for ourselves what is factual and what is not. Still, the book is entertaining, informative and I believe accurately portrays the character of Sam Clemens.

Book Trailer:The trouble begins at 8 : a life of Mark Twain in the wild, wild West by Sid Fleishman

Due to processing/loading issues, deleted from YouTube and re-uploading from Animoto. Let me know if the video doesn't load!

Review: We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

Nelson, Kadir. (2004). We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Press.  96 pages. ISBN 0439357918.

Awards/Selection Lists:  - Coretta Scott King Author Award
- Richie's Picks Nonfiction titles
- Robert F. Sibert Medal

Author's Website: http://www.kadirnelson.com/

Brief Summary:  Up until the 1890's it was very common to see African American's playing professional baseball. Then, seemingly overnight, the league forced out the black players, who had no other choice but to play for Latin America teams or start their own league. In 1920, Rube Foster, a former baseball player, did just that. He joined most of the teams together to form the first professional negro baseball league. They played hard, in most cases at least ten times harder than the white leagues. Little to no equipment, few rules, showy players, bad tempers, opportunistic venues, little compensation, discrimination 3-4 games a day, and not even knowing how they might get from game to game, or where their next meal might be found, even if they had money in their pockets, showed just how dedicated these men were to the game. Along with an opportune comment by a new baseball commissioner in 1944, these men went from entertaining haphazard, though often plentiful, crowds, to re-integrating professional baseball in 1945, when Jackie Robinson was signed to the Dodgers. Unfortunately, while this was a huge step forward, it was also the beginning of the end for a hard playing league that gave many the opportunity and respectability they craved, as hardened and dedicated baseball players.

Personal Reaction: The first thing that comes to mind when I read this book is "beautiful." The story is long, and there are a lot of names you may not remember, and some baseball terminology that the non-sports fan might find daunting, but overall the voice of this book is soft, and kind, hardworking, but above all, honest and humble. It accurately depicts the hardships that these players encountered just to keep on playing, to keep entertaining, to do what they loved and support their families. These men played when everyone else told them they couldn't. They were, in many cases, expected to be more respectable off the field than the other professionals. They were making history. Unfortunately, because of racial tensions and discrimination, many of the sports best players were never recognized. However, with Nelson's book, that grievous wrong is being addressed and many of these players are beginning to see the light of day once more.

Written from the narrative perspective of one of the old time baseball players, Nelson does a phenomenal job of really portraying how hard these men had it, but how many of them never dared to complain, as long as they could play. It's important history, for civil rights, for sports, but mostly, for human kind. The tenacity these folks showed paved the way for all those who followed, fighting for their rights in an unfair world.

Front/Back Matter: Title page, copyright page, dedication, foreword, author's note, acknowledgments, bibliography, filmography, endnotes (by chapter), index.

Content Evaluation: By far this book has some of the most comprehensive back matter I have ever found for young adult non-fiction. References are listed by the chapter they are used in, to help corroborate the research. A lot of background information is provided, along with clearly indexed common terms, and additional resources. The rich tone and the glorious presentation of Nelson's spectacular paintings carry this book all the way across home plate. You don't have to be a lover of baseball to love this book, just a lover a great book and a great story.

Review: The Journey That Saved Curious George:The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey by Louise W. Borden

Borden, Louise. (2005). The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey. New York: Houghton Mifflin. 80 pages. ISBN 0616339248  .

Awards/Selection Lists: 
- ALA Notable Books
Author's Website: www.louiseborden.com
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
(follow the second link for great lesson plans to coincide with the book)

Brief Summary:  This title briefly explores the lives of Hans and Margaret Reyersbach, otherwise known as H.A. and Margaret Rey, the creators of such beloved children's titles as Katy No Pockets and Curious George. The story tells briefly of the German Jewish background of both families, how each studied art, and how each moved separately to Rio de Janiero, where they studied the natural world, worked on their craft and married. Shortly thereafter, a would-be 2 week honeymoon trip to Paris turns into 4 years of living, and a tumultuous journey to escape France together, under suspicion and great odds, as Hitler and the Nazi party invade Poland and France. Thanks to a manuscript about a curious little monkey, smuggled in a bike basket, their lives were saved not once, but twice, as they flee and fight for freedom.

Personal Reaction: I enjoyed this book. Both Borden and Drummond, the illustrator, tell the story in words and pictures as if H.A. and Margaret Rey were writing the story themselves for their readers. Included are photographs of the authors, journals, letters, early works, and period photographs, immersing the reader in the world and minds of the subjects. It has a light and loving tone, focusing on the artists and their love for each other, which makes learning about the danger they were in, and the difficulties of war less traumatic, and scary, while still offering enough information to encourage further exploration, if the reader so desires.

 

Front/Back Matter: Title page, copyright page, Introduction (Finding the Story), Part I: The Artists, Part II: Escape from Paris, Epilogue (After the Escape), Partial Bibliography of books by the Reys, Picture Credits.

Content Evaluation: While I enjoy the tone, and the partial bibliography of the Reys titles in the back of the book, and appreciate the photo credits, it would have been nice to have seen a reference page for the sources the author used. I know this is uncommon in children's non-fiction, but it is becoming more common in Young Adult non-fiction, of which this title is a part. Otherwise, the illustrations carry the story very well, and make the story just as endearing as the timeless classics the couples published after their escape.

 

 

Review: Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents of World War II by Penny Coleman

Colman, Penny. (2002). Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents of World War II . New York: Crown Publishers/Random House. 128 pages. ISBN  9780517800768.

Awards/Selection Lists: 
-ALA Notable Children's Book
-Notable Children's Trade Book in the Social Studies, CSC/CBC

Author's Website: http://pennycolman.com/

Brief Summary:  Against all odds, 127 women were given credentials to be war correspondents during World War II, and even though they were technically forbidden, as women, to report on the front lines, they somehow still managed to make history and find "where the action was". In this exciting and informative book by Penny Colman, a handful of some of the most significant journalists and photojournalists are portrayed, in almost a spy novel fashion, including first hand accounts, interviews, true emotions, and spectacular photographs during the war, many taken by the women in question.

Read about a woman stationed on a boat off the shore of Iwo Jima two days after the attack begun, or the photojournalist who stood up in the middle of a firefight to get a good photo, only to realize after the fact that the buzzing she heard was not wasps, but bullets whizzing past her head. Find out about the woman stranded by our own military on shore, who was then arrested and had her credentials striped, in what most believe was retribution for the superior level of reporting she was performing, as a woman. See first hand what these women saw when Czechoslovakia was invaded by Hitler, or what the concentration camps looked like before they were liberated. These women brought heart, and compassion to war reporting, while pushing the envelope for civil rights and equality, only to be met by seemingly insurmountable odds and prejudicial views of what they were capable . They refused to ignore the grittier and sadder places and topics of the war go unrecorded, because it was the true cost of war, and the public needed to hear about it.

Personal Reaction: This book is really well written and shows fantastically how those who dare to forge ahead with tenacity, curiosity, compassion and indeterminable will can change history. It's exciting but sad, as there are so many atrocities that these women experienced, refusing to let an antiquated patriarchy deter them. I believe that the black and white photographs and illustrations carry that somber tone throughout the entire book, showing the severity and seriousness of their mission, not sugar coating their circumstances. Colman also does a great job of showing how the sights and sounds that the top brass thought would be their undoing proved to be their greatest opportunity as many of these women went on to continue to defy the odds, as adventurous explorers, reporters, writers, and journalists, even after their male counterparts returned to their chosen professions after the war.

This book really does show how people are capable of such great things and it has nothing to do with their skin color, gender, identity, or background, or perhaps it is exactly these things that help strength their resolve and give them the opportunity to do something great, or perhaps that's something that is already in us all.

Front/Back Matter: Title page, copyright page with dedication, table of contents, maps (Europe and Japan),preface, content, selected bibliography, acknowledgments, author's note, index.

Content Evaluation: Colman writes in a no-nonsense, straight forward fashion, but in a way that is entertaining, honest and dramatic at the same time. She is a great story teller and covers a lot of history and a lot of detail in a relatively short space. The maps and photographs she has included are comprehensive and really put the reader in the middle of what it was like for these women, participating during war, showing how truly dangerous it really was. While I wouldn't characterize the photographs as overly gorey, there are a few that might be difficult, such as wounded men, for more sensitive readers. Therefore I recommend that either older, more seasoned readers might enjoy this better, or that this should be read with a parent close at hand, to help explain the situation and context.

The layout makes sense, and even though the bibliography is not comprehensive, it is still sizeable and offers a lot of sources. It would be great to have seen additional resources listed for further research or perhaps discussion questions to help put the story in context. However, the index is particularly useful.

Booktalk: Life During World War II

One of my favorite topics of history, so full of ups and downs and extraordinary things, this book talk is about 4 books with a similar thread...their subjects all contributed distinctly to the experience of those living, loving, fighting, surviving and dying during World War II, and turned the world on its ear.

Books:
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of The Greatest All-Girl Swing Band In The World
Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents In World War II
The Journey That Saved Curious George

Embedded Video:

Direct Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeYWcI_ZpDc&feature=youtu.be



*Remind me to change the angle of the camera for my next booktalk. I swear, I do have a neck ;)

Review: Walt Whitman: Words for America by Barbara Kerley

Kerley, Barbard. (2004). Walt Whitman: Words for America. New York: Scholastic Press. 56 pages. ISBN 0439357918.

Awards/Selection Lists: 
-Sibert Honor Book
-California Book Award
-ALA Notable Book
-Best Children’s Books -- Publishers Weekly
-Best Illustrated Books -- New York Times
-Best Book Award -- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Author's Website: www.barbarakerley.com

Brief Summary:  Walt Whitman is known far and wide as one of America's greatest poets, characterized by his long white beard and wavy locks. What most people don't know is that Walt Whitman was sympathetic, perhaps even empathetic, of the plight of the down trodden, those souls who suffered and persevered though all odds were against them, and to bring their struggle and their glory to light, he wrote about them, in verse, in notebooks, and eventually typeset them into books, wherever and whenever he could. When the Civil War threatened to take his brother, he travelled to the camp to tend to him, as he tended to other wounded soldiers in hospitals where they convalesced. He tried to cheer their spirits and rally them, singing the praises of American, and bringing his words to every person. This was his passion, to not only make the world better, but to make it equal.

Personal Reaction: I liked this book, though it is more than likely a little short for the requirements of this assignment. I also loved the illustrations but felt that as grandiose as they were, there should have been more text to back them up. Walt Whitman is a fascinating and passionate character, a gentle soul who wanted nothing more than to make people feel better. He is one of the best poets ever known, a man of the people, having grown up in Brooklyn, and living of limited means. He was accessible, he was almost valiant and I think, while this book is good, particularly so for those with limited attention spans, I wanted to learn more, and I was disappointed that the book focused primarily on the influence of the war, and little else.

Front/Back Matter: Front cover, dedication page, title page, content, author's note, illustrators note, a note on poems, selected poems, sources and copyright page.

Content Evaluation: The focus of this book was very obviously on the full page illustrations. While they were beautiful, they also distracted the reader from the text, which I thought could have been more comprehensive. While there was a lot told about Walt Whitman, it almost all circled around his involvement in the Civil War, and as we all know, there is much more to learn about a man's life than once story. The selected poems are a nice element, so that the reader can get to read the full passages described in the book, now knowing what the backstory was, but the bibliography (sources) is very small, and leaves little for further exploration.

Review: Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal- The World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

Sheinkin, Steve. (2012). Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal- The World's Most Dangerous Weapon. New York: Roaring Book Press. 266 pages. ISBN 9781596434875.

Awards/Selection Lists:
-Newbery Honor Book
-National Book Awards - Finalist
-Robert F. Sibert Award
-YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
-Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
 -Washington Post Best Books of the Year
  -VA Jefferson Cup Winner (Older Readers)
 -NBA Young People's Award Finalists 2000-2013

   

Author's Website: http://www.stevesheinkin.com

Brief Summary:  In 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States entered into the second world war, a war that threatened to engulf the entirety of Europe and Asia, and certainly affected every country on the globe. As the war got worse, and new types of brutal warfare emerged, a previous accidental discovery led to the greatest race, the race to end the war by creating the world's first atomic bomb. The only question was, who was going to get there first.

 

With allies fighting against each other, Norwegians being trained for secret spy missions to cripple the German's efforts, KGB blatantly recruiting in the United States, and the FBI trailing them all, a group of scientists were rounded up and brought to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the American's effort to stop the war truly gained speed. But would it be enough and who were these men and women willing to risk everything, to create the impossible?

Personal Reaction: As with all Sheinkin's books, I couldn't stop turning the pages. Once again it felt like I was watching an action/spy thriller, rather than reading non-fiction. Being a huge history lover, particularly in regards to World War II, I have always been curious about the Manhattan Project and the nuclear physics that went into making the atom bomb but Sheinkin explained more about nuclear physics and fission by the time I got to page 82, than 12 years of science classes did! I was flabbergasted that not only was I reading this exciting true story of espionage, FBI agents, covert operatives, cutting edge science and the tools to stop the war, but I finally understood how these things worked and saw the faces of the people who made it happen, in the pages of this book. I found myself wondering what kind of security clearance Sheinkin had, and then realized, the man is just a superb research and an even better story teller.

Front/Back Matter: Preliminary title page, photo of an atomic bomb, title page, copyright page with dedication, table of contents, prologue,source notes, quotation notes, acknowledgements, photo credits, index.

Content Evaluation: (Same evaluation as previous title )One of the things I love about Steve Sheinkin's books is that he incorporates a lot of citations and first hand accounts, and more importantly, tells you where he got the information! So many other non-fiction writers completely skip over this part. Not only does he do this in text, but he provides a distinct quotations index by chapter and includes a detailed index, which allows for greater in-depth research and additional related reading on the subject. He even recommends books to start from. His enthusiasm is contagious and all the extra detail work shows, not only a great deal of research, but a great deal of thought and credibility. I can't wait to read more and I particularly liked the acknowledgement, which explains how the author developed the concept for the book.

Review: The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin

Sheinkin, Steve. (2010). The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery. New York: Roaring Book Press. 337 pages. ISBN 9781596434868.

Awards/Selection Lists:

- YALSA Award for Excellence in Non-fiction
-  Horn Book Award
- Beacon of Freedom Award
- New York Charlotte Award Master List
- Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List, Best
of 2010
- School Library Journal, Best Children’s
Books of 2010

Author's Website:

http://www.stevesheinkin.com/ArnoldBook.html

Brief Summary:  The name "Benedict Arnold" has become synonymous, for more than 200 years, with school children, as a term for a cowardly, backstabbing traitor, even for those who know nothing about the man himself. Steve Sheinkin takes his personal passion for this story and turns our preconceptions on their ear. Benedict Arnold, the second child of his family to bear this name, was an impetuous war hero, brave and rash, who bucked authority and was seeking to restore his family's name and fortune, before he was ever a traitor. He fought duels, wrote love letters, was wounded in battle more than once,  owned a mercantile, studied apothecary, went to private school, but also worked to support his parents and siblings. Who knows...if only one detail had been different during the course of his life, perhaps Benedict Arnold would have become synonymous with valor and courage, but therein lies the plot twist in this better-than-fiction tale of how a battle hero General goes from a physical representation of the ferocity and independence of a fledgling nation, to a worn and destitute man, despised by the country he betrayed.

Personal Reaction: I really enjoy Sheinkin's writing style. He makes non-fiction seem like an adventure novel because he has such passion for his subjects and is a superb story teller. He keeps the reader interested and turning the pages. This is what great non-fiction should all be like, entertaining and truthful.
 

I learned more about Benedict Arnold in 200 pages of this book than I did in 12+ years of school. I had no idea he was a war hero, or impetuously led himself and other men into battles, almost like a sport. I had no idea he had been wounded, not once, but twice in the battle for independence and I had no idea whether or not he had actually been captured after his treason. Sheinkin tells all this and more, giving us the reason for the betrayal, and pointing out that why it may have been wrong, it also could have been avoided.

Front/Back Matter: Title page, copyright page with dedication, table of contents, source notes, quotation notes, index.

Content Evaluation: One of the things I love about Steve Sheinkin's books is that he incorporates a lot of citations and first hand accounts, and more importantly, tells you where he got the information! So many other non-fiction writers completely skip over this part. Not only does he do this in text, but he provides a distinct quotations index by chapter and includes a detailed index, which allows for greater in-depth research and additional related reading on the subject. He even recommends books to start from. His enthusiasm is contagious and all the extra detail work shows, not only a great deal of research, but a great deal of thought and credibility. I can't wait to read more.