300 SOCIAL SCIENCES

    Twenty-eight essays on both sides of the question of legalized gambling are divided into four parts: The World of Gambling (including history); Perspectives on Gambling (personal stories); Gambling and Society (benefits VS harm); and Indian Gambling (history, benefits, harm).   The bibliography and the list of ten organizations to contact (including addresses, phone and fax numbers, and URLs) make the book even more valuable.  Because of increased gambling opportunities in Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, this book is an important addition for school and public libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

301 ETHNIC GROUPS

    Anthropologist Magdalena Hurtado has been studying  the Ache' (ah-CHAY,) one of the few groups of hunter-gatherers left in the world, for fifteen years.  The Ache' live in South America in Paraguay.  This book takes tells readers what an anthropologist does, especially a human evolutionary ecologist.  Batten begins with Magdalena's early life and shows how she became an anthropologist, then goes on to show readers what this field study is like, and how this society functions.  The quality of the black and white or color photos is excellent and helps readers to identify with the Ache'.  At the end of the book in a section called "What You Can Do To Help," there is an address for sending a tax free donation to help the Ache with a note that the Hurtado and Hill are donating their share of the proceeds from the book to the Ache'.  Besides the index there is a six book list called "Further Reading" and a page called "What It Takes to be an Anthropologist."   Because this book is half about the tribe and half about Hurtado's study of them, it is a good role model book to show girls about an exciting career.  Because Batten talks about similarities in cultures, the book can be used when studying all cultures, "Although the Ache' live very different lives than we do, they are like us in many ways.  They have feelings and concerns that all other human beings share: love, happiness, excitement, anger, fear, pain, and sadness.  Birth and death mark the lives of all of us, no matter where or how we live.  This book is a browser as well as a career and lifestyle book that will be welcome in all types of libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Fradin. Dennis Bindell and Judith Bloom Fradin. IDA B. WELLS: MOTHER OF
    THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.   New York:  Clarion, 2000.  178p. 
    0-395-89898-6 hb. $18.00  99-37038     Gr. 5-9+     323.092    or     92

    The first sentence in this well written biography is "Of all the GREAT civil rights leaders, Ida B. Wells is one of the least known–yet one of the most important."   Wells refused to give up her seat in a "White's Only" train car in Tennessee 70 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat.  Born a slave, Wells helped raise her siblings, was a creator of the NAACP, organized the first organization working for the rights of black women to vote and the first civic club for black women, owned and edited a newspaper, founded a neighborhood center to help poor people to find jobs, raised six children, was one of the first married women to have a hyphenated name, and conducted a lifelong crusade for justice.  But her greatest accomplishment was her successful campaign against lynching.  Although her uncompromising nature kept her from being close friends with others, the authors tell of her relationships with Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Frances Willard, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, Mary Church Terrell, and Jane Addams.  The authors have brought these famous people to life by providing anecdotes such as Susan B. Anthony giving Wells a hard time for being married.  Thirty-nine years after her death, the autobiography of  "The Princess of the Press" was published.  Purchase this book because it serves not only as a biography of a female civil rights reformer, but as a picture of living under Jim Crow laws and the KKK.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Milord, Susan.  HANDS AROUND THE WORLD: 365 WAYS TO BUILD CULTURAL
    AWARENESS AND GLOBAL RESPECT.  Williamson Kids Can! Series.  Milwaukee:
    Gareth Stevens, 1999. 160p.  0-8368-2231-5  lib.bdg. $25.93   98-01304    Gr. 5+    306

     The author begins with information about the materials and tools used and cautions readers to ask for adult help when using knives, saws, X-acto knives, and hot items as well as some other cautions.  There is a reminder to abide by the cautions mentioned in the projects themselves.  This is good advice because some of the projects involve lanterns, tapers, and fire.  Perhaps this book belongs in the adult collection for adults to prepare projects for children rather than have it on the shelves for the children to use by themselves.  A Chinese calender, the oldest continuously used calendar in the world is provided even before the projects which are numbered for days of the year within each month.  A glossary, bibliographies for books and videos, places to visit, and web sites are given.  Neither the list of books or videos have copyright dates.  Some of the ideas are just suggestions of things to do that have a tenuous relationship to the month.  General ideas like comparing greetings around the world, visiting a zoo, caring for a pet, looking at different alphabets, or designing a family crest, while interesting, appear to be ideas to fill up the days of each month.  Some of the projects are interesting craft ideas that can be worked into public library projects throughout the year:  poppers, 3-1; springing frog, 3-23; tangram, 4-21; rebus, 5-25; Morse code messages, 5-26; shadow puppets, 7-27; friendship bracelet, 8-14; folding book, 8-7; string story, 10-8; folded box, 10-27; and mask, 10-30.  The index is good for locating cultures but not one of the  projects mentioned in this paragraph is listed in the index by project type. Many of the projects can be used by teachers, librarians, and adult leaders for cultural art projects.  A  January 3rd  activity is making Belgian New Year's cookies.  Some February activities are:  decorating sticks for Bolladagur (Islandic pre-Leton holiday),8; making a dragon streamer for Chun jie (Chinese spring festival), 18; and making cascarones for Carnival (day before Lent), 27.  March activities include making: a wishing darma dolll (Japanese folk toy),18; an Easter egg tree (Europe), 28; and Belarus straw designs, 26.  May activities include:  folding paper airplanes, 7; baking Cuban yeast bread , 9; and eating flowers, 20.  Activities for June include planting a tree for World Environment Day, 5; baking a German spice cake, 8; listening to other national anthems, 17; and making a Huichol, "God's Eye," 28;    Activities for July include making a Tanabata decoration (Japan), 7; baking Turkish crescent cookies, 9; saying something in Esperanto, 30; or signing language, 31.   Ideas for August include a recipe for making Salsa Cruda (Spanish), 8 and making a Schultute for the first day of school in Germany, 28.   Ideas for September include:  adding with an abacus, 5; helping someone read on International Literacy Day, 8; and making a morris board (Egyptian game), 16.   October activities include reading from a holy book or learning about Lait al-Qadr or "Night of Power" from Islam, 5.  November projects include creating an Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement), 13, or constructing a Christian advent calendar, 30.  December includes making a Hanukkah dreidel, (Jewish top), 9; decorating for Las Posadas, (Mexico), 17; and sharing Kwanza memories (African American); 26.
    The main benefit of this book is the multicultural projects and libraries needing such  projects will be able to find enough projects to make this a worthwhile purchase.  Many libraries already have the 1995 book.  If so, that one will suffice.   However, a companion book, THE KIDS' MULTICULTURAL ART BOOK: ART CRAFT EXPERIENCES FROM AROUND THE WORLD offers patterns and more detailed directions.  Check 745.5  for this companion book.
     Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
     32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist.

Stanley, Jerry.  HURRY FREEDOM: AFRICAN AMERICANS IN GOLD
    RUSH CALIFORNIA.  New York: Crown, 2000.  85p.  0-517-80094-2;
    hb., $18.95  0-517-80096-9; lib.bdg., $20.99    99-57818    Gr.  5-12    979.4

    Before gold was discovered in California in 1948, William Alexander Leidsdorff, of Danish/African heritage, had been a cotton broker in San Francisco for seven years. When the rush came, there were African American forty-niners but few of them kept records.  Mifflin Winstar Gibbs was one of the few who did and his life constitutes a major portion of this book.  Gibbs was a successful boot and shoe merchant, patron of the arts, participant in the Underground Railroad, organizer of several State Conventions of Colored Citizens of California, and proponent of numerous petitions for the right of testimony for African Americans.  Stanley also explains the role of California in the "slavery question" as well as information about African Americans who participated in the gold rush in a variety of capacities.   This is a necessary book for intermediate, middle, and even high school students who study the gold rush in American History classes.
    Mary Ann Paulin, Director; Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]  

305 AGE GROUPS

     Beginning with #1 "A good morning kiss" from big brother,  to #101 "Fast Asleep,"
readers will enjoy seeing photos of multi-racial mothers, fathers, and siblings in activities throughout the day.  The book is divided into eleven segments like noisy and quiet times, eating and bathing.  Hanly's book  is a priority purchase for programs with teenage mothers, but is recommended for public library and day care collections as well.
     Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
     32 years experience as a school library/media specialist

Morris, Anne.  FAMILIES.  Illus. with photos.  New York: HarperCollins, 2000.
    32p.  0-688-17198-2; hb.,  $15.95   0-688-17199-0; lib.bdg., $15.89
    99-37036    PreS-Gr.3       306.85    or    362.8

     Clear color photos show families around the world in a variety of activities.  In case readers do not recognize the country or activity, a list at the back of the book shows a smaller version of the picture and indicates the country and activityis information.  Nineteen of the pictures are from the U.S. and 12 are from other places in the world.  A double page outline map of the world identifies the countries.  This  essential purchase for school and public libraries will be of interest to adopted persons, classes studying countries, families of all patterns, or for browsing.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

Rotner, Shelley and Sheila Kelly.  LOTS OF GRANDPARENTS . Photos by Shelley 
    Rotner. Brookfield, CT:  Millbrook, 2001.  0-7613-2313-9;  lib.bdg., $23.90.   
    PreS-Gr. 4    306.874

    Here is a book that celebrates grandparents, great grandparents, and great-great grandparents that can be used for Grandparents' Day in school and public libraries or in honor of Foster Grandparent programs.  The clear photos show grandparents of every age, size, shape, representing many ethnic groups, accompanied by simple easy to understand sentences.  There are names for grandparents in seven languages.  Activities engaged in with grandparents are visiting, telling stories, taking care of grandchildren, giving presents and treats, or playing with them.  "Some grandparents look old and have wrinkles, some don't." is one example of contrasting health because some don't hear, see, or walk well while others work at jobs that may or may not be at home.  One of the last sentences "Best of all, grandparents love their grandchildren." may not be true in all cases but is a natural part of this book.
    Mary Ann Paulin, Director; Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

Sita, Lisa.  COMING OF AGE.  Illus. with photos.  World Celebrations and Ceremonies
    Series.  Woodbridge, CT:  Blackbirch, 1999.  24p.  1-56711-276-5; lib.bdg., $14.95.   
    98-13506     Gr. 3-5        658.4

    Ten coming of age customs are included in this book.  Maps of the country and the country's place in the world are helpful in most cases.  The Apache are the only entry under the United States but the U.S. map shows a dozen cities, none of which are in the Southwest, which could lead people to believe that this is a custom throughout the country.  However, the text says that the Apache live in the Southwestern U.S. in a region which includes states such as New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona.  It is irritating that the map does not show where those states are. The Quince Anos, the 15th birthday celebration for Mexican girls, is also celebrated by Mexican-Americans in the Southwest.  Open any newspaper in Texas to see pictures of girls celebrating their coming of age.  The same is true for the Bar and Bat Mitzvahs which are listed under Israel. Sita does not mention that Jewish boys and girls ages 12 and 13, no matter where they live in the world, also celebrate similar rites of passage.  On the East Coast of the U.S. many Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are celebrated. Despite some of these problems, this book fulfills a multicultural need for information about rites of passages in various cultures.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library-media s pecialist.

Thomas, Shelley Moore.  A BABY’S COMING TO YOUR HOUSE!  Photos by Eric Futran. 
    Morton Grove, IL:  Whitman, 2001.  32p.  0-8075-0502-1 hb.  $15.95.    PreS-Gr.1    305.232

    The clear color photos in this book show families and babies of all colors.  The text is a handbook for the older sibling about what to expect when the new baby arrives.  The first sentence serves as a topic sentence for the whole book, “When a baby comes to your house, there are many changes."  Changes include the physical changes in mother, all the “stuff” a baby needs, crying and yucky diapers, the need for quiet, focus on baby by parents and relatives, and the role of the sibling in teaching the baby about life and love.
    This book offers traditional and nontraditional views; the baby can be born in a hospital or at home or can be adopted into mixed race families.  The only sex education could be a bit misleading about where babies reside before being born,  “The first thing you notice is your mommy’s tummy.  It gets bigger, and her lap gets smaller.”  However, the second sentence explains why the tummy is an issue.  The text goes on to poetically tell about feeling the baby kick: “It is only the baby dancing.”  There is humor in the book, the older sibling is warned “Don’t bounce it or pinch it, or you won’t get to hold it very much.”
    The concluding sentence is “Then you will be very happy when a baby comes to your house.”  Librarians and new parents will be happy to welcome this book which will be checked out by families with new babies along with fiction titles like Keats’ classic, PETER’S CHAIR (PutnamPenguin, 1983).
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director; Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

305.8 SEX GROUPS

    This father-daughter team, known for ALWAYS TO REMEMBER: THE STORY OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL, begins with information about the memorial itself and the moves on to give a history of women in the U.S. military.   Popularly known as the Women's Memorial, it was under construction for two years and was dedicated in 1997.  Although the idea first begun in 1982, groundbreaking was in 1995.   The Ashabranners tell where the memorial is located and the politics of getting it built.  The memorial is near but not in Arlington National Cemetery and no federal funds were used.  The memorial commemorates women's role in America's wars beginning with Molly Pitcher during the American Revolution and Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, assistant surgeon in Union Army during the Civil War, through 1999 when Col. Eileen M. Collins became the first woman commander of a space shuttle.   During the Civil War, the only trained nurses were 600 nuns but 4,200 women North and South served as nurses.  Over 1,500 civilian contract nurses served in the Spanish American War and many helped during the San Francisco earthquake.  Of the 10,000 nurses overseas during WWI, about 400 women died.  Statistics from WWII include:  10,000 nurses, 440,000 WACs, and the Women Air Force Service Pilots, WASPs; 87 nurses who were POWs.   Also included is information about the Vietnam Women's Memorial which recognizes the 11,500 women in uniform during Vietnam War.  About 41,000 women served in the Persian Gulf  War.  The book also tells how Truman's Executive Order 9981eliminated racial segregation opened up service to blacks.   Now 48% of all enlisted women in the U.S. Army are African Americans; 20% of officers in air force are African Americans; the percentage is double their general population of 12%.
     The book does not whitewash inequities.  A photo shows a WWI volunteer who typed for the navy.  All women except nurses were terminated six months at the end of that war.  Col. Jacqueline Cochran was in charge of the WASPs women who flew noncombat airplanes during WWII.  About 25,000 applied, 1,830 were accepted, and 1,074 completed training and the women had to pay to get themselves to training and find own way home if they failed.  There was no insurance if they died in service.
     Statistics are painlessly woven into the stories of the women and there are numerous pictures.  Other features are a  bibliography, index, WWW URLs,  the memorial's address, phone and fax; and how to get printouts of 350,000 entries of women.  This is a subject that has been neglected too long and is an essential purchase for public libraries school library media centers  serving grades 6-12.  The book will also be of interest to adult women who served in the armed forces and public librarians will be tempted to place it in the adult collection.  The book was used by the middle school students at Aspen Ridge, NICE Schools, Ishpeming, MI  in preparation for their trip to the National History Day competition in Washington, D.C and could be used as background information for similar projects where students interview primary sources.  Because there isn't much on the topic, and the book is well researched, well written, and complete, it may be useful for college courses on Women's studies.  Highly recommended.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
   32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Corey, Shana.  YOU FORGOT YOUR SKIRT, AMELIA BLOOMER!
    Illus by Chesley McLaren.  New York:  Scholastic, 2000.  0-439-075819-9
    hb. $16.95.  99-27181   Gr.  1-4     305.42  or   92      PAULIN’S PICKS

    This is a humorous biography of a woman who was not considered “proper” by her contemporaries and was active in the women’s rights movement.  When she saw Elizabeth  Stanton’s cousin, Libby, wearing an unusual costume that had none of the health drawbacks of women’s clothing of the times,  Bloomer made some for herself and described them in her feminist newspaper.  Women wanted patterns and the new costume, “Bloomers,” became a hit.  The repeated use of the question “What was proper about that?” involves readers in the book and creates a dichotomy with Bloomer’s critics.  A final question is the perfect conclusion.  An author’s note at the end of the book provides additional information about Bloomer, women’s clothing at that time, as well as about Stanton and her cousin.   The typeface and placement of the text as well as the gouache illustrations, bordered in dark black line, add to the whimsy of this biography and create a totally integrated picture book that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

HOMOSEXUALITY.  Mary E. Williams, ed.  SanDiego: Greenhaven, 1999.  218p. 
    0-7377-0053-X; hb., $14.95.   0-7377-0052-1; pb.  98-32020   Grade 8+   305.9

    This book is one of a series of books written with opposing viewpoints on current social issues and subjects. Done in a straight-forward manner, it provides access to a wide diversity of opinions while at the same time it stimulates readers to do further research for school reports, group discussions, or for personal interest. The content of this book includes complete articles and speeches, extensive excerpts and interspersed cartoons as well as framed quotations. These are all documented. There is a brief introduction to each section. While the content will raise many personal questions, there are no pat answers. A bibliography is also included.  This book  probably belongs in the Young Adult section of the library rather than the Children’s room in public libraries and in middle and high school and college libraries rather than elementary libraries.
    Patricia Fittante, Children's Librarian, Escanaba  Public Library.
    24 years of experience as a librarian or teacher

Krull, Kathleen.  LIVES OF EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN; RULERS, REBELS
    (AND WHAT THE NEIGHBORS THOUGHT).  Illus by Kathryn Hewitt.  San Diego:
    Harcourt, 2000.  95p.  0-25-200807-1; hb, $20.00.    Gr. 8-12    92 or 320.082

    The watercolor and colored pencil illustrations, as well as the rollicking text, are reminiscent of the other books created by this pair-- about presidents, athletes, artists, writers, and musicians.  The twenty biographies, arranged in chronological order, are of women “who wielded significant political power, as queens, warriors, prime ministers, revolutionary leaders, Indian chiefs, fist ladies, or other government officials.”   Many of the women, beginning with Cleopatra, are well-known but some like Nzingha (Portugeste West African Queen and ruler of present day Angola); Tzu Hsi ((20th century Empress of China for 47 years); Gertrude Bell (uncrowned Queen of Iraq); Aung San Suu Kyi (Revolutionary leader in Burma);  and Rigoberta Menchu (Guatemalan Indian rights leader) are lesser known.  Also included are: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Isabella I, Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great, Marie Antoinette, Queen Victoria, Harriet Tubman, Jeannette Rankin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi, Eva Peron, and Wilma Mankiller.  Librarians who purchased the other lively collective biographies will want this one also.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Lickteig,  Mary J.  AMELIA BLOOMER.  Illus. with photos.  Read and Discover
    Photo-Illustrated Biographies Series.  Mankato, MN:  Capstone, 1998.  24p.
    1-56065-747-2; lib.bdg., $13.75   97-41512     Gr. 2-4.   92   or  305.42

    Full-page photos or diagrams appear on every left page while text appears on the right.  One fact on each text page is highlighted.  The print is large and the content is interesting.  Lickteig provides information about what life was like for women in Bloomer’s lifetime, the Temperance Movement, the Seneca Falls conference, and Bloomer’s life.  Personal information about Bloomer’s childhood, marriage, newspaper and post office jobs, as well as her writing and speech making are given.  Added features include four quotes from Bloomer, a chronology, glossary, bibliography of four books, two addresses, 3 URLs, and a short index.   Many people think that Amelia invented the bloomers but Elizabeth Stanton’s cousin Libby Miller wore the famous short dress with baggy pants underneath and Amelia wrote an article about it.  Other newspapers printed the story and writers named the pants bloomers.  This isn’t nearly as interesting as finding out men threw eggs or stones at women who wore bloomers.  When Bloomer died, women could not vote but examples of how their lives were better off were provided.
    The other titles in this series include four groupings:  presidents; African-Americans and; feminists; and minorities.  Purchase this title where easy biographies are needed or for brief information about women’s suffrage.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist.

McElroy, Lisa Tucker.  MEET MY GRANDMOTHER, SHE'S A UNITED
    STATES SENATOR.  Photos by Joel Benjamin.  Grandmothers at Work series.
    Bookfield, CT:  Millbrook, 2000.  32p.   0-7613-1721-X; lib.bdg., $22.90
    99-046202    Gr. 4-8  92   or   328.7

    Told in the first person by Eileen Feinstein Mariano, the six-year-old tells about her grandmother, a former mayor of San Francisco and a current U. S. Senator.  Eileen calls her grandmother Gagi and explains the daily activities of Sen. Dianne Feinstein as she works in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.   Eileen tells of meetings with staffers and constituents, Eileen also discusses Gagi's role as a mayor.  Because of the specific information about San Francisco, the book should be included when classes are studying California.  This title can also be used for career education because the last page includes nine blocks of information entitled  "If you Want to be a United States Senator."  This second book in this series, celebrating the contribution of  older women in the workforce, is a great addition to a public library or elementary through middle school library media centers.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Zeinert, Karen.  THE VALIANT WOMEN OF THE VIETNAM WAR.
    Illus with photos.  Brookfield, CT: Millbrook,  2000.  96p.  0-7613-1268-4;
    lib.bdg., $28.40     99-24630   Gr. 5-12+    959.704     or     920

    Zeinert discusses expectations for American women in the 1950s and the turbulence in the 1960s as well as historical background on Vietnam and the war contribution of women.   Quotes from women involved in the war are liberally sprinkled throughout the book and serve as an aesthetic break as well as provide interesting information.  Although maps and photos appear in the book, more would have been appreciated.  Information is provided about women in the armed forces, nurses, USO volunteers, Red Cross workers, war correspondents, photographers, gold star mothers and antiwar protesters and the peace movement.  The book ends with information about the Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C., a timeline, chapter notes, further reading, and an index.    Because the role of women in history has been neglected, this is an important book for middle, high school, university, and public libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years as a school library media specialist

Zeinert, Karen.  THOSE EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN OF WORLD WAR I.
    Brookfield, CT:  Millbrook, 2001.  96p.  0-761-1913-1; lib. bdg., $27.40
    00-068371     Gr.  7-12+     940.3

    This title begins with the death of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.  While most history books only mention the archduke and his wife because of the assassination, this book provides information about their private lives.  It is interesting to know that Sophie was not accepted by the royal family and their heirs would not have inherited the kingdom.
    Readers learn of the contributions made by women during the war.  Some jobs given women during this time period that are highlighted in this book are:  textile manufacturing, sewing, telephone operators, war nurses and journalists, and Red Cross workers.   Biographies that appear in full page sidebars are:  Sophie Chotek (archduchess), Jeannette Rankin (politician), Carrie Chapman Catt (suffrage leader), Joy Bright Hancock (First lady of the Navy), Julia Catherine Stimpsons (nurse in France),  Peggy Hull (reporter),  and Mata Hari and Edith Cavell (spies).  Other sidebar topics include information about farm women, YMCA volunteers, and women at war.
    Of special value are the timeline, notes, bibliography, further reading, and index.  A map showing allied, central, and neutral powers is another bonus.  Purchase this book for school libraries where the curriculum includes the study of this war.  Public libraries will wish to purchase this book because information about women’s contribution to the world during this time period is limited.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

320 POLITICAL SCIENCE

    This book has a number of good features.  It is written in a clear and understandable style and provides a lot of interesting information about the history of political parties.  It should be of interest to students who have a solid background in American history as well as students who are taking their first course on the subject.  Junior and senior high school students will probably not read this book from cover to cover because the author presents much material in a very condensed form and assumes that students have some background in American history or that they will remember the details that were summarized in previous chapters. The book would be  most useful as a source for students who were assigned to do a report on some aspect of American history such as a particular president, the history of a particular party, or an account of a particular era in American history.   The notes, bibliography, and glossary are helpful.  The index is very complete and pages for illustrations are given in italics. Morin provides a condensed and accurate summary of American political party history and the forces that shaped them.  Purchase for junior and senior high school libraries for curriculum support.
    Robert Kulisheck; Professor and former Head, Political Science Department,
    Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI

THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.  New York:  Scholastic Cartwheel,
    2001.  32p.  0-439-24184-7; pb., $5.99     PreS-Gr. 3+   323.65

    Clear color photos are accompanied by phrases from “The Pledge of Allegiance.”  At the end of the book, miniatures of each photo accompany an explanation of the photo. One of the photos shows four children placing their hands on their hearts “to show we mean what we say.”  Other photos show the first flag, the world’s largest flag, the one planted on the moon, and those flying at the Capitol and the Washington Monument.  One page is devoted to history and content of the pledge.  Another page is devoted to special days for displaying the flag and a few interesting tidbits of information; for example, it does not fly over the White House when the president is not in town.  There is also information about why the flag looks like it does.  Anyone who has ever heard the jokes about children’s misconceptions about the pledge will realize the value of this book.  Libraries of all types need this book
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

326 SLAVERY

    Stephen R. Lilley has added another title to the "History Makers" series with this title which fills the bill for any student who has to do a report on abolition. It might also possibly serve as an interesting read  for any youth who is browsing the stacks.  Six of the eight chapters feature a popular abolitionist including, Benjamin Lundy, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner and John Brown.  The book also gives a history of slavery and the  emancipation.  The neat part about this publication, which will really be a plus for any student doing research on the subject, is that at the end of the book there are "Notes", which in actuality, are individual bibliographies for each chapter.  Additionally, there is a "Chronology" that follows the lives and contributions of the featured individuals as well as  abolitionist happenings in history.  Also included is a valuable list of "Further Reads" which provide a lot of related titles on the subject.  There are many black and white historical photographs which compliment the text.  This definitely is a well-organized, easy-to-understand tribute to the dedicated leaders in the abolition movement.
     Patricia Fittantte, Children's Librarian,  Escanaba Public Library, Escanaba, MI
     23 years experience  as a teacher and librarian

Stanley, Jerry.  HURRY FREEDOM: AFRICAN AMERICANS IN GOLD
    RUSH CALIFORNIA.  New York: Crown, 2000.  85p.  0-517-80094-2
    hb. $18.95   0-517-80096-9 lib.bdg. $20.99    99-57818    Gr.  5-12    979.4

    Before gold was discovered in California in 1948, William Alexander Leidsdorff, of Danish/African heritage, had been a cotton broker in San Francisco for 7 years. When the rush came, there were African American forty-niners but few of them kept records.  Mifflin Winstar Gibbs was one of the few who did and his life constitutes a major portion of this book.  Gibbs was a successful boot and shoe merchant, patron of the arts, participant in the Underground Railroad, organizer of several State Conventions of Colored Citizens of California, and proponent of numerous petitions for the right of testimony for African Americans.  Stanley also explains the role of California in the "slavery question" as well as information about African Americans who participated in the gold rush in a variety of capacities.   This is a necessary book for intermediate, middle, and even high school students who study the gold rush in American History classes.
    Mary Ann Paulin, Director; Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

Tackach, James, ed.  SLAVE NARRATIVES.  Greenhaven Press Companion to Literary
    Movements and Genres series.  San Diego: Greenhaven, 2001;  Farmington, MI:  Gale
    Group, 2001.  190p.  0-7377-0550-7; lib.bdg., $22.95   0-7377-0549-3; hb., $14.96   
    00-037577    Gr. 9+     810.9

    Like other volumes in this series, this is a collection of essays from previously published works.  The essays are excerpts from books, introductions to books, and journal articles with publication dates between 1973 and 1999.  The authors are recognized scholars in their fields.  Each essay begins with a short resume of the author’s scholarship.  Five chapters explore the origins and development, literary sources, expressions of freedom, gender issues, and enduring legacy of the slave narrative.  The essays in these chapters discuss the various elements that support the major theme of the chapter.  The Introduction and the following discussion of the slave narrative as an American genre, give the reader an overview of the genre in a chronological order, noting authors and works of particular importance.  The book concludes with the following three sections: Chronology, For Further Research, and Index.
    For the student wanting an introduction to this genre, this book offers a great starting place.  For the student who has read a slave narrative, this book can offer a variety of insights into the elements that make up the work.  The introduction, the discussion that follows, and the chronology sections provide students with general or background information about slave writings.  The book is laid out in a logical progression and the five chapters cover the major elements of critical and analytical concern.  The essays that make up the chapters are thoughtful and well written.
    The interest level of this book is rated as Young Adult.   While all students can find useful information in this book, the students who would gain the most from it are those with a high interest in the subject, higher level students in high school, or those in general literature courses in college.  A good book but may find limited use in most high schools.
    Ted Snodgrass, Media Specialist, New Haven High School, New Haven, MI
    6 years of experience as a school library media specialist

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

324.7 ELECTIONS

    The framed pen and ink and watercolor illustrations cover single pages or are double page spreads and help to place Anna Howard Shaw's life in the proper time frame for readers.  When she was four years old, Anna and her family left England to join their father who was already in America.  Her family settled in Lawrence, Massachusetts and then her father sent part of the family to establish a homestead in Michigan.  Their life was typical of what pioneers did in the Michigan wilderness in mid 19th century Michigan.  At age 15, Anna became a schoolteacher.  After meeting a woman minister, Anna went to college to be a minister and later a doctor.  Until her death in 1919, the year before Congress voted for women's suffrage, Anna worked for the right to vote.  In the Author's' note, readers learn that Shaw replaced Susan B. Anthony as the president of the national American Woman Suffrage Movement at Anthony's death.  Shaw's autobiography, from which this book was derived, is located on the Project Gutenberg Web site and the URL is given.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

325 IMMIGRANTS

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

330 ECONOMICS

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

333 CONSERVATION

    When people think of a female environmentalist and writer, they think of Rachel Carson.  When they think of a Florida writer, they think of Marjorie Rawlings.  This biography combines the best of both in Marjorie Douglas, a suffragette, writer, fighter for civil rights, and environmental activist.
    Marjorie Stoneman grew up with an unstable, sometimes violent, mother and a father who left when she was small.   Marjorie was raised by her grandparents and an aunt who paid for her college education at Wellesley.  After a variety of jobs, she married Kenneth Douglas, a charming Irish born reporter who was an alcoholic.  An uncle helped her get out of the disastrous marriage and get in touch with her father who lived in Florida.  Marjorie lived with her father and his new wife in Miami where he was a newspaper editor.  Marjorie worked with him and wrote columns and articles about what was happening in Miami and she met some important people of the day, Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan and became a friend of his wife and daughter.   During World War I, Douglas joined the U.S. Navy and later worked for the Red Cross in Paris.   When she returned to Miami in 1920, worked at the Miami Herald for her father but resigned to write short stories for magazines which she did successfully.  Between 1924 and the mid 1940s, she wrote fiction , nonfiction articles including one about piracy and one about the Everglades.  In 1927 she won the O. Henry Memorial Award contest for the best short fiction.  A friend, Hervey Allen, author of Anthony Adverse, a 1933 best seller, asked her to write a book on the Miami River to be part of a series on rivers.  Since the river was short and she learned that the river was part of the Everglades watershed, she asked to write about the Everglades.  The result was her classic Everglades:  River of Grass, published in 1947.  A fiction book was published in 1952 but did not sell well.  Over the next two and a half decades she wrote numerous nonfiction books, including some for young readers.  She also wrote magazine articles.   In 1969 she formed a group called Friends of the Everglades with dues of $1.00 and she was their vocal representative for years.  Her job was to protect the Everglades.  When her eyes grew bad in the mid 1980s, she relied on Talking Books from the Library of Congress.  At the age of 95 Douglas taped two hundred hours for Rothchild who edited her words and created her autobiography.  In 1993 Douglas received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton.  Douglas died in 1998 at the age of 108.  Since then she has been inducted into the Conservation Hall of Fame and the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
    This is a noteworthy biography with curriculum ties to women’s studies, Florida, conservation, ecology, and literature.  The book is aesthetically pleasing and makes good use of the grass theme.  The end papers and cover are shades of green and photos are on pages with grass from the Everglades as decoration.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist.

Fitzgerald, Dawn.  JULIA BUTTERFLY HILL: SAVING THE REDWOODS .
    Gateway Green Biography series.  Brookfield, CT:  Millbrook, 2002.  48p. 
    0-7613-2654-5 lib.bdg. $23.90     2001-044921     Gr. 2-6     333.74  or   92

    A tree-sitter is a person who sits in a tree to keep it from being clear-cut by a logging company.  Tree-sitting is dangerous because logging owners hire people to drop down unto the platforms and wrestle the sitters, helicopters hover close to the trees to disrupt the them, lights and noises keep sitters awake, and platforms can be dislodged by storms.
    Tree-sitters are given code names to protect them and Julia chose Butterfly because she admired the creatures.  In 1997 Julia was supposed to relief-sit for a week for a tree-sitter in a tree called Luna in a redwood forest in California being clear cut by the Pacific Lumber Company which had been cited by the Environmental Protection Agency for 300 violations of the California State Forest Practice Act.  Julia broke the 90-day world record for the longest tree-sit and eventually was up there 738 days.  Concessions gained from the company were that Luna and all trees within a 200-foot area were saved, environmental groups paid the company for the land and that money went for environmental research. 
    Numerous color photos explain the events.  The book concludes with a list of important dates, notes, a bibliography of further reading including Hill’s autobiography and three web sites, and an index.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Green, Jen.  POLAR REGIONS.  Saving Our World series.  London: Aladdin, 2001 and
    Brookfield, CT:  Copper Beech/Millbrook, 2001.  32p.  0-7613-2162-4; lib.bdg., $21.90
    Gr. 4-6  333.7

    The maps, photos, and drawings spread artistically throughout the pages of this science book add interest to the text.   Some topics covered are polar regions, animal life, damage to the area, including ozone holes, greenhouse effect, and global warming, protecting life. Added features are the review at the back of the book, environmental addresses and projects, a glossary, and index as well as questions and answers disbursed throughout the book.  This utilitarian nonfiction book about the poles will be a useful additon to general knowledge in public libraries and curriculum support in school libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Mallory, Kenneth.  A HOME BY THE SEA.  Illus. with photos by author
    and others.  San Diego:  Harcourt, 1998.  64p.  0-15-20043-7; hb.,. $18.00.
    0-15-201802-6; pb.,  $9.00  97-38020  Gr. 5-10   333.95

     New Zealand experiences the same universal problem that so many other countries face--there are too many people competing with the animals for a place to call home.  The dangers the animals are as different as the animals themselves, but the danger is always the same. Mallory describes the programs being carried out in New Zealand to protect coastal animals such as dolphins and penguins which are being threatened.  He does this effectively not only with his clear concise text, but each page is complimented with a clear, concise, living-color photograph.  Side notes aptly describe the photos leaving the reader with no question in his/her mind that there definitely is a problem here.  A glossary of some terms used in the book is found at the end.   This is definitely a well organized, easy-to-follow and understand resource for anyone needing information on ecology.
    Patricia Fittante; Children's Librarian, Escanaba Public Library.
    23 years of experience as a school and public librariain

Markle, Sandra.  AFTER THE SPILL: THE EXXON VALDEZ DISASTER,
    THEN AND NOW.  Illus. with photos.  New York:  Walker, 1999.  32p.
    0-802786111; lib.bdg., $17.85   0-8027-8610-3; hb., $16.96    98-38550
    Gr. 2-8    333  or   363.73   or   578.4

    The central theme of this informative book is the ripple effect of one major event, the grounding on a reef in Prince William Sound of the Exxon Valdez and the subsequent oil spill. The impact on such diverse subjects as herring fry, the shipping industry, native cultures and tourism is examined in an interesting, objective, concise and non-judgmental manner.  This timely book ( 1999 was the tenth anniversary of the spill) and its timeless themes is presented in a question/answer format which can be read in its entirety from "What Happened Here?" to "Is the Mess Cleaned Up?", or one or more of the topics can be explored independently. From the endpapers (as black as an oil-covered sea bird) to the gorgeous photographs which enhance understanding of the environment, this is a book of contrasts: ugliness and beauty, disaster and regeneration, ruination and progress. It shows that all things are interrelated and that ecosystemscan change in both transitory and permanent ways. This book could be used in the primary grades (especially the photographs) to show man's impact on the environment, by middle school students as a part of the environmental, science and/or social studies curricula, and as a springboard for
further research. A glossary/index is appended.
    Carolyn Anderson, retired teacher with 28 years of experience
    Member;  L'Anse Schools /Public Library Board, L'Anse, Michigan

Miller-Schroeder, Patricia.  THE SCIENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT .
    Living Science series.   Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 2001.  32p.
    0-8368-2788-0; hb., $21.26    Gr. K-4     333.95

    This is one of 24 titles in the series.  Written in a logical progression for young learners, the book starts with a definition and examples of several natural ecosystems, addresses the how and why environmental change occurs and concludes with what we can do to help conserve and protect our environment.  There is a table of contents, glossary, index, website list, and references.  The photos and page lay-outs attract the interest of the reader, and the activities and puzzzlers included in each chapter encourage self-directed study and/or class and family projects.  This lovely book should be within the reading and vocabulary range of second grade and up, but it's content related activities and short, informative chapters make it especially appropriate for older reluctant readers.  Use as a read-to with younger children.
    Carolyn Anderson; Retired elementary teacher; member,  L'Anse Public Library Board

Pringle, Laurence.  THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT: FROM ITS
    ROOTS TO THE CHALLENGES OF A NEW CENTURY.  New York:
    HarperCollins, 2000.  144p.  0-688-15626-6 hb. $16.95    Gr. 5-9      363.7

    In developed countries during the twentieth century man's perception of his relationship to nature has undergone dramatic change.  The environmental movement has affected our legal, educational, social, political, cultural and economic systems - in short, every aspect of our lives.  Pringle, an award-winning children's science writer, traces the environmental movement from the fifteenth century to the present and discusses the ways it will generate change into the future.  He presents a fair portrayal of pro and anti-environmental thinking and explains why we must look beyond the emotional rhetoric and examine the scientific data.   He ends the book by emphasizing the global aspects of environmentalism and how these relate to national security, quality of life issues and the opportunity for global cooperation.   The book includes excellent resources for further study in the extensive bibliography and lists many environmental groups and government agencies.  Although this book is recommended for ages 10 and up, it would probably be better suited to teens.  The chapters are somewhat long and the sometimes grainy black and white photographs might be somewhat unappealing to the younger readers.  This is thought provoking important reading for those interested in man's relationship to his world.
    Carolyn Anderson, L'Anse Public Library Board; Superiorland Library Cooperative Board
    23 years of experience teaching elementary students

 Ryden, Hope. WILD HORSES I HAVE KNOWN. Photos by author.
    New York: Clarion, 1999.  90p. 0-395-77520-5;  lib.bdg., $18.00.
    97-49021    Gr.3+     599.665  or   333

     Filled with gorgeous equine photographs, this book is as thoughtful as it is beautiful, as informative as it is exciting. Ryden is one of America's foremost authorities on wild horses and she feels that to understand the domestic horse, it is useful to understand how its wild counterpart lives.  Because of this she has spent the better part of three decades in horse country to observe and photograph the lifestyle and habits of free-roaming mustangs. Along with her fascinating observations, Ryden recounts personal adventures--some scary, some humorous, and some mysterious. Whether for a report of for the sheer enjoyment of reading, this one will win a blueribbon!
    Patricia Fittante, Children's Librarian, Escanaba Public Library, Escanab,MI
    24 years of experience as a school and public librariain

 Thomas, Peggy. BIG CAT CONSERVATION. Illus. with photos.
    The Science of Saving series.  Brookfield, CT:  Twenty-First Century Books,
    2000.  64p.   $23.90.    99-37434   Gr. 3-6    333.95

    Scientists are studying and trying to solve problems with cats that have taken hundreds of years to create.  In turn they are trying to education the populus about cat behavior and how they survive in the wild as well  as to teach them the necessary care of the individuals that we have in captivity.  But not all scientists look at the same problem in the same way.  Thomas does her best to present these problems along with the necessaray information in a way that is both attractive and educational.  The photos are exquisite. This title should be a tremendous help to any student undertaking the subject for a report or to enjoy just for the sake of gaining personal insight.
    Patricia Fittante, Children's Librarian, Escanaba Public Library, Escanaba, MI
    24 years of experience as a school and public librarian

Thomas, Peggy.  REPTILE RESCUE. Illus with photos.  Brookfield, CT:
    Twenty First Century Books, 2000, 64p.    04, hb., $23.90    9937435
    Gr. 4-8    333.95

    This book explores the wild, wiggly and sometimes wet world of reptiles and the problems of extinction and man-made dangers that they face.  From the descendants of dinosaurs to roadside refugees, the author questions such things as:  “Why save the reptiles?  How to track a turtle; Why do they put turtles in hottubs?”  The book includes an abundance of full color photos and lively text that explains and shows varied research methods.  This title highlights conservation efforts and relates to the reader how they can make a difference.  It is a useful resource with a lot of reader appeal.
    Charlotte Oshe, Children’s Assistant, Escanaba Public Library, Escanaba, Michigan

Yannuzzi, Della.  ALDO LEOPOLD: PROTECTOR OF THE WILD. 
    Gateway Green series.  Brookfield, CT:  Millbrook, 2002.  48p. 
    0-7613-2465-8; lib.bdg., $23.90     Gr. 2-6   333.7   or   92 

    Instead of joining his family’s furniture business, Leopold went to Yale where he graduated from the Yale Forest School in 1909.  Yale’s program was the first forestry program in the U.S. and some of Leopold’s jobs for the U.S. Forest Service were to keep land from being overgrazed, companies from cutting down too many trees, overseeing a national forest, and working in a Forest Products Laboratory to conduct tests on wood to improve wood products. 
    Aldo taught at the University of Wisconsin in the first advanced program in game management and was pointed by President Franklin Roosevelt to a Committee on Wildlife Restoration.  A book published right after his death was A Sand Country Almanac is important in the conservation movement.  Because of his speaking and writing, Aldo was called the Father of the National Wilderness System. 
    The numerous color and black and white photos that explain the events are exceptionally clear.  The book concludes with a chronology, list of two books and four web sites for further information, list of articles and books consulted, and an index.
This is an excellent choice for environmental studies, career background, or for parts of the country containing wilderness areas.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

341.23 UNITED NATIONS

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

345 LAW

        This concise book tells about the capture of Eichmann, the trial and the cases presented by the prosecution and the defense, the summations, sentencing, and results.  A section called "Notes" documents the sources for this book. There is also a bibliography of  "Works Consulted" and a list of books "For Further Reading."  Eichmann's role in the Holocaust and the importance of having a trial are important issues in this book that is recommended for students in junior high school and above for report reading or for understanding a key player in the Holocaust.
        Mary Ann Paulin; Director; Superiorland Library Cooperative
        Author of 3 publications about Holocaust materials; developer of Holocaust bibliographies
        Worked for 25 years with classes studying the Holocaust and presented hundreds of booktalks.

Gerdes, Louise, Ed.  THE PATRIOT ACT:  OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS.  
    Greenhaven Press, 2005.  218p.  ISBN: 0-7377-3097-8  YA   345.73'02

    Opposing viewpoints about the content and enactment of the Patriot Act in response to the September 11 attacks are presented by professionals and prominent spokespersons. Varying opinions are drawn from periodicals, newspapers, government documents and other sources with the goal of challenging the reader to develop critical thinking. Is the Act effective? Does it threaten liberties? How have Americans reacted to the Act?
    This well-organized paperback book is thoroughly indexed, offers subjects for further discussion, and lists organizations to contact for more information.
    Judy Bennett,  Library Clerk, Ironwood Carnegie Library, Ironwood, MI

McElroy, Lisa Tucker with help from Courtney O’Connor.  MEET MY GRANDMOTHER: 
    SHE’S A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.   Photos by Joel Benjamin.  Grandmothers at
    Work Series.    Brookfield,CT:  Millbrook, 1999.  32p.  0-76-13-1566-7; lib.bdg., $22.00  
    Gr. 1-7.     347.73  or   92

    In this photo essay, 9-year-old Courtney O’Connor visits the U. S. Supreme with her grandmother, the first woman appointed to the highest court in the land.  Written in the first person, Courtney explains that “the job of the Supreme Court is to make sure that two things happen: that all people coming to the Court get justice and that the laws are interpreted and enforced fairly.”  Readers get a clear picture of O’Connor as a person, not just as a justice.  The book causally works information about O’Connor’s personal life and her job into the text.  For example, McElroy explains what a Chief Justice is when Rehnquist and his granddaughter, who is also visiting, are pictured.  Information about how the two justices knew each other before being on the court together is also given on that page.  Color photos follow the Justice as she begins her day with exercise, researches in the library, then read briefs and letters before writing opinions.  There is no glossary but one is not needed because McElroy skillfully works explanations of vocabulary like “opinions” and “chambers” into the text. The book is also useful for classes studying Washington, D.C. because Courtney and her grandmother visit places like Eleanor Roosevelt’s statue, the Vietnam Memorial, the Air and Space Museum, the Supreme Court building, and the National Archives where the U. S. Constitution is kept. The last page gives nine items labeled  “If You Want to Be a Supreme Court Justice…”   There is no index but none is needed  because the picture book is intended to be read like a story.  Since topic sentences and important phrases are in larger, colored type, readers are able to find topics readily and use the book for research.  Besides being an interesting pictorial biography, this book is of use for intergenerational and women’s studies.  Although Courtney is nine years old, the picture of Dana Rhenquist helps to makes the book accessible to middle school students.  This title is a fine purchase for school and public libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist.

Newman, Amy.  THE NUREMBURG LAWS; INSTITUTIONALIZED
    ANTI-SEMITISM.  Illus. with photos.  Words that Changed History Series.
    San Diego: Lucent, 1999.  96p.  1-56006-354-8; lib.bdg.   98-02778
    Gr. 7-12+       342.43   or   364.15  or  940.53

    Laws beginning April 1, 1939 were passed in Nazi Germany to keep Jews from: participating in government, practicing their professions, belonging to unions, citizenship, and freedom of movement.  A 1935 chart showing what makes an Aryan,  a Jew, and a Mischling First and Second Degree is helpful for visualizing  the laws against the Jews.  A map of German expansion and location of the gas chambers and photos illustrate the easy to understand text. Roots of hatred of Jews during Roman times and the Middle Ages are documented.   Examples of more recent discrimination against groups of people are introduced:  Jim Crow; Apartheid; Yugoslavia's ethnic cleansing; Neo-Nazism; and political Anti-Semitism.  An Appendix contains the text of  "The Nuremburg Laws on Citizenship and Race" beginning Sept. 15, 1935.  Source notes are listed by chapter and a list of "Further Reading" and "Works Consulted" are included.  This is an important purchase for schools and public libraries especially if  the Holocaust is studied.
      Mary Ann Paulin; Director; Superiorland Library Cooperative
      Author of 3 publications about Holocaust materials; developer of Holocaust bibliographies;
     

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

300 CRIME

Egendorf, Laura K., ed.  GANGS.  Opposing Viewpoints series.  San Diego:
    Greenhaven, 2001.  170p.  0-7377-0510-8; hb. $22.96   Gr. 9-12     364.1

    The purpose of this book is twofold.  First, it presents information on gangs.  It does this in four chapters that look at different aspects of gangs: gang behavior, the scope of gang presence, using the criminal justice system to stem gangs, and societal response to gangs.  Each chapter begins with a preface.  Within each chapter, several different opinions or viewpoints, edited from previously published works, are provided from recognized experts or authorities in the field.  At the beginning of each article, several questions are asked of the reader to consider as they read.  At the end of each chapter, a list of periodical literature is presented for further study.  The book ends with more questions for each chapter in For Further Discussion, a list of Organizations to Contact, a Bibliography of Books, and an Index.  Secondly, the book offers different viewpoints on the same topic and challenges the student with questions in order to help the student develop critical thinking skills and be receptive of new or different ideas.  The resources cited or recommended in this volume are no earlier than 1996, the date of a previous book in the same series, with the same title, but with a different editor, Charles Cozic.
    The articles that make up this book offer a broad picture on the causes, results and attempts at controlling gangs.  Statistics, studied opinions, first and third person narratives of gang involvement, and approaches to remedies are presented to the student who reads this book.  It not only provides the student with information and knowledge, but through the questions asked within the book, it helps the student think about the material being presented.  Some articles may be laborious reading for some while other articles may be quite an easy read for all, but the scope and depth of this book present the student with good information and if they participate in the questions presented they will improve their higher level thinking skills.
    Ted Snodgrass, Media Specialist, New Haven High School, New Haven, MI
    6 years of experience as a school library media specialist

Lalley, Patrick.  9.11.01: TERRORISTS ATTACK THE U.S.  Austin, TX: Raintree 
    Steck-Vaughn, 2002.  48p.  0-7398-6021-6;  lib.bdg., $31.40     Gr. 4-9+   
    364.1   or   973.930-31

    This book is so new that it is painful to read about the events that shocked the world at what is known as “ground zero” and the Pentagon.  The first two chapters explain the events of the day.  The third chapter gives a history of the World Trade Center.  The next chapter tells about Islam in the United States and differentiates between them and Islamic extremists. Information behind the attacks and about Bin Laden are included.  The next chapter includes stories from Ground Zero. The final chapter is about the impact of terrorism and about the war on Afghanistan.  A double-page map of the world locates the countries that lost citizens at the World Trade Center as well as provides a list. A glossary of a dozen terms that appeared in bold print in the text, a list of three web sites and five books, and an index conclude the book.  This straight-forward chronicle of events on September 11 is enhanced with maps and clear color photos. Purchase for school and public libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

353 U.S. GOVERNMENT

Ingram, Scott. THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.  San Diego:  Blackbirch
Press, 2004.  32p.  1-56711-283-8; hb.,  $22.45  grades 4-8   j353.2

	This brief book, one volume in the America's Leaders series, describes the duties of the US Secretary of the Treasury who is the CFO of the US
government.  Historical background of the position is included, as well as a typical day's schedule, a listing of all men who have held the position,
and websites that offer further information.  This book is expensive but does an up-to-date job of explaining this high-profile position.  Pictures that include President Bush make it very
current.  Text is large print with wide spaces and the paper is a beautiful high-gloss so it is very easy to read.  Sidebars provide
interesting relevant facts.  This book is highly recommended for elementary and middle school collections where there is a need for such
topics.
	Linda Cooley, Director, L'Anse School/Public Library, L'Anse, MI

McElroy, Lisa Tucker with help from Courtney O’Connor.  MEET MY GRANDMOTHER:
    SHE’S A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.  Photos by Joel Benjamin. Grandmothers at
    Work Series.  Brookfield,CT:  Millbrook, 1999.  32p.   0-76-13-1566-7; lib.bdg., $22.00
    Gr. 1-7.     347.73    or     92

    In this photo essay, 9-year-old Courtney O’Connor visits the U. S. Supreme with her grandmother, the first woman appointed to the highest court in the land.  Written in the first person, Courtney explains that “the job of the Supreme Court is to make sure that two things happen: that all people coming to the Court get justice and that the laws are interpreted and enforced fairly.”  Readers get a clear picture of O’Connor as a person, not just as a justice.  The book causally works information about O’Connor’s personal life and her job into the text.  For example, McElroy explains what a Chief Justice is when Rehnquist and his granddaughter, who is also visiting, are pictured.  Information about how the two justices knew each other before being on the court together is also given on that page.  Color photos follow the Justice as she begins her day with exercise, researches in the library, then read briefs and letters before writing opinions.  There is no glossary but one is not needed because McElroy skillfully works explanations of vocabulary like “opinions” and “chambers” into the text. The book is also useful for classes studying Washington, D.C. because Courtney and her grandmother visit places like Eleanor Roosevelt’s statue, the Vietnam Memorial, the Air and Space Museum, the Supreme Court building, and the National Archives where the U. S. Constitution is kept. The last page gives nine items labeled  “If You Want to Be a Supreme Court Justice…”    There is no index but none is needed  because the picture book is intended to be read like a story.  Since topic sentences and important phrases are in larger, colored type, readers are able to find topics readily and use the book for research.  Besides being an interesting pictorial biography, this book is of use for intergenerational and women’s studies.  Although Courtney is nine years old, the picture of Dana Rhenquist helps to makes the book accessible to middle school students.  This title is a fine purchase for school and public libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist.

McElroy, Lisa Tucker.  MEET MY GRANDMOTHER, SHE'S A UNITED
    STATES SENATOR.  Photos by Joel Benjamin.  Grandmothers at Work series.
    Bookfield, CT:  Millbrook, 2000.  32p.  0-7613-1721-X; lib.bdg., $22.90
    99-046202    92   or   328.7

    Told in the first person by Eileen Feinstein Mariano, the six-year-old tells about her grandmother, a former mayor of San Francisco and a current U. S. Senator.  Eileen calls her grandmother Gagi and explains the daily activities of Sen. Dianne Feinstein as she works in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.   Eileen tells of meetings with staffers and constituents, Eileen also discusses Gagi's role as a mayor.  Because of the specific information about San Francisco, the book should be included when classes are studying California.  This title can also be used for career education because the last page includes nine blocks of information entitled  "If you Want to be a United States Senator."  This second book in this series, celebrating the contribution of  older women in the workforce, is a great addition to a public library or elementary through middle school library media centers.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

353.6 MILITARY

    This father-daughter team, known for ALWAYS TO REMEMBER: THE STORY OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL, begins with information about the memorial itself and the moves on to give a history of women in the U.S. military.   Popularly known as the Women's Memorial, it was under construction for two years and was dedicated in 1997.  Although the idea first begun in 1982 , groundbreaking was in 1995.   The Ashabranners tell where the memorial is located and the politics of getting it built.  The memorial is near but not in Arlington National Cemetery and no federal funds were used.  The memorial commemorates women's role in America's wars beginning with Molly Pitcher during the American Revolution and Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, assistant surgeon in Union Army during the Civil War, through 1999 when Col. Eileen M. Collins became the first woman commander of a space shuttle.   During the Civil War, the only trained nurses were 600 nuns but 4,200 women North and South served as nurses.  Over 1,500 civilian contract nurses served in the Spanish American War and many helped during the San Francisco earthquake.  Of the 10,000 nurses overseas during WWI, about 400 women died.  Statistics from WWII include:  10,000 nurses, 440,000 WACs, and the Women Air Force Service Pilots, WASPs;  87 nurses who were POWs.   Also included is information about the Vietnam Women's Memorial which recognizes the 11,500 women in uniform during Vietnam War.  About 41,000 women served in the Persian Gulf  War.  The book also tells how Truman's Executive Order 9981eliminated racial segregation opened up service to blacks.   Now 48% of all enlisted women in the U.S. Army are African Americans; 20% of officers in air force are African Americans; the percentage is double their general population of 12%.
     The book does not whitewash inequities.  A photo shows a WWI volunteer who typed for the navy.  All women except nurses were terminated six months at the end of that war.  Col. Jacqueline Cochran was in charge of the WASPs women who flew noncombat airplanes during WWII.  About 25,000 applied, 1,830 were accepted, and 1,074 completed training and the women had to pay to get themselves to training and find own way home if they failed.  There was no insurance if they died in service.
     Statistics are painlessly woven into the stories of the women and there are numerous pictures.  Other features are a  bibliography, index, WWW URLs,  the memorial's address, phone and fax; and how to get printouts of 350,000 entries of women.  This is a subject that has been neglected too long and is an essential purchase for public libraries school library media centers  serving grades 6-12.  The book will also be of interest to adult women who served in the armed forces and public librarians will be tempted to place it in the adult collection.  The book was used by the middle school students at Aspen Ridge, NICE Schools, Ishpeming, MI  in preparation for their trip to the National History Day competition in Washington, D.C and could be used as background information for similar projects where students interview primary sources.  Because there isn't much on the topic, and the book is well researched, well written, and complete, it may be useful for college courses on Women's studies.  Highly recommended.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Fredriksen, John C.  AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERS FROM COLONIAL
    TIMES TO THE PRESENT, Vol. I and II.  Santa Barbara, CA:  ABC-CLIO, 1999. 
    926p.   1-57607-001-8; hb., $175.00  99-27929   Gr. 7-12+    355.0092   or    920

    Vol. I moves from Creighton Adams, John Adair, and Ethan Allen to Raol Lufbery, Frank Luke, Jr., and Nathaniel Lyon.  Vol. II moves from Arthur and Douglas MacArthur to Thomas Macdonough to Alvin York, Hub Zemke, and Elmo Zumwalt.  There are two alphabetical lists of both volumes at the beginning of each book.  Each entry includes birth and death dates (if applicable) as well as rank and area of service; i.e., Army or Navy General, Militia General, Navy or Army Officer, Adventurer, Secretary of War, Airman, Army nurse, War Chief, Fighter Pilot, Explorer, Indian Fighter, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Privateer Captain, Marine Corps Commander, Inventor, and more.  There is a list of leaders by title from Adjutant General, Adventurer, and Aeronautical Engineer to War Correspondent, War Hero, and West Point Superintendent.   There is also a subject index.
    Of the 422 entries, only five are women; Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix, Jackie Cochran, Molly Pitcher, and Deborah Sampson.  There are 23 Native Americans; Black Hawk, Blue Jacket, Billy Bowlegs, Joseph Brandt, Cochise, Crazy Horse, Gall, Geronimo, Joseph, Little Crow, Little Turtle,  William McIntosh, William Weatherford, Opechancanough, Osceola, Ely Parker, Philip, Pontiac, Pushmahata, Red Cloud, Red Jacket, Tecumseh, and Stand Watie.  There are representatives from both North and South.  Not all are included because of military success, but some, like George B. McClellan or George A. Custer, are included because defeats are of national consequence.  Some like Beaumont, Gorgas, and Reed were doctors and several like Byrd, Peary, and Pike were explorers.  Ernie Pyle was a war correspondent who died in battle.  Some, like Lafayette, Kosciuszko, and Baron Von Steuben, were not Americans.  Some more recent military men include:  Chester Nimitz, William Westmorland, Oliver North, Norman Schwarzkopf, and Colin Powell.   This very accessible book is aimed at the high school market but can be used by middle school and college students as well.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Haskins, Jim.  AFRICAN AMERICAN MILITARY HEROES.  Black Stars Series.
    New York: Wiley, 1998.  182p.    0-471-14577-7; hb., $19.95     98-14312
    Gr. 5-10+    353.6   or   355.0089   or   920

    The introduction begins with statistics about the 5,000 free blacks who fought in the Continental army and ends with black soldiers in the Vietnam War.  The body of the book is 30 articles about individual soldiers divided into four chronological periods.  The first entry is Private Peter Salem who fought at the Battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill.  Crispus Attucks does not have his own article but has a sidebar that tells he was the first patriot killed at the Boston Massacre.  Women include Deborah Sampson who fought in the Revolutionary War disguised as a man;  Harriet Tubman of Underground Railroad fame who served the troops as a laundry woman and a nurse; Susie King Taylor who was the first known black army nurse; WAACs and WAVEs during World War II; and Brigadier General Sherian Cadoria.  Other articles are on the Buffalo soldiers; Benjamin O. Davis, the first Brigadier General; Col. Guion S. Bluford, Jr., first African American in space; and Colin Powell, hero of Desert Storm.  The chronology, notes, and bibliography are useful.  Purchase this book for school or public libraries for U. S. history classes or African-American studies.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

Zeinert, Karen.  THE VALIANT WOMEN OF THE VIETNAM WAR.
    Illus with photos.  Brookfield, CT: Millbrook, 2000.  96p.  0-7613-1268-4;
    lib.bdg., $28.40     99-24630  Gr. 5-12+    959.704     or     920

    Zeinert discusses expectations for American women in the 1950s and the turbulence in the 1960s as well as historical background on Vietnam and the war contribution of women.  Quotes from women involved in the war are liberally sprinkled throughout the book and serve as an aesthetic break as well as provide interesting information.  Although maps and photos appear in the book, more would have been appreciated.  Information is provided about women in the armed forces, nurses, USO volunteers, Red Cross workers, war correspondents, photographers, gold star mothers and antiwar protesters and the peace movement.  The book ends with information about the Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C., a timeline, chapter notes, further reading, and an index.    Because the role of women in history has been neglected, this is an important book for middle, high school, university, and public libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years as a school library media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

362.2 MENTAL DISABILITIES

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

362.4 PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

    This biography may be short but the impact is great.  Readers will be drawn into the story in the first pages when they learn how Braille blinds himself when playing with his father's saddle and harness tools at the age of three.  The empathy with Braille continues when he goes to Paris to a school for blind students, when he works on his inventions, when his alphabet becomes successful but not recognized, and finally when he becomes ill.  How Braille built upon the ideas of the embossed alphabet, nightwriting, and sonography to invent the Braille alphabet that bears his name and is still used today, is fascinating.  It is especially noteworthy that this happened between his 15th and 20th years.  This biography flows from beginning to end and shows Freedman at his best.  Kiesler's black and white pencil sketches are eminently suitable for the book.  School and public libraries who do not already own the hardback edition, should purchase the paperback.
Highly Recommended.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

362.29 ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

370 EDUCATION

Barchers, Suzanne I.  BRIDGES TO READING GRADES K-3:  TEACHING
    READING:  SKILLS WITH CHILDREN'S LITERATURE.  Englewood, CO: 
    Teacher Idea Press/Libraries Unlimited, 1999.  201p. 1-56308-758-8 pb.  $23.00    
    Adults    372.41

    There are activities and related books for over a dozen concepts including alphabetization, chronological order, figurative and idiomatic language, and generalization; 3 comprehension skills, 5 genres, 19 literary elements and features as author's purpose, context clues, style, tone, and characterization; 5 parts of speech, 6 text structures as enumerative and sequential, 4 vocabulary, 4 wordplay like alliteration; and word recognition of 23 consonants and 5 vowels.   Media specialists whose teachers appreciate this book will want the companion volume for grades 3-6, 1-56308-759-6.  Recommended for elementary and university collections in education and library schools.  A companion book is Bonnie's Tivenan's BRIDGES TO READING, GRADES 3-6: TEACHING READING:  SKILLS WITH CHILDREN'S LITERATURE .  (LU, 99)
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Braman, Arlette.  KIDS AROUND THE WORLD CREATE!  THE BEST CRAFTS
    AND ACTIVITIES FROM MANY LANDS.  Illus. by Jo-Ellen Bosson.  New York:
    Wiley, 1999.  0-471-29005-X; pb., $12.95.  128p.     Gr. 3-7      372.5    or    745.5

     Household items and simple ideas for making items to learn about customs and cultures around the world is the focus of Braman's book. The book is loosely arranged by topics, like "eye dazzlers" and "good luck always" which are not helpful.  However, the topics are laid out clearly for skimming on the contents pages and there is a good index by geography or name of the culture but not by type of project.  Beads and baskets are listed but vase, book, and flag are not.  Included among the 24 projects are:  an Amish quilt; Guatemalan woven bookmark; Chinese Bamboo strip book; Inuit animal sculpture; Greek worry beads; Sudanese face painting;  and an Italian carnival mask.  A recipe for homemade (flour) dough is included.  The ideas are easy and safe enough for children so one wonders why it wasn't listed under the handicraft number.  This is a worthwhile book for elementary and middle schools and for public library collections.
     Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
     32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist.

Braun, Linda W.  INTRODUCING THE INTERNET TO YOUNG LEARNERS:
    READY-TO-GO ACTIVITIES AND LESSON PLANS.  New York:
    Neal-Schuman, 2001.  145p.  1-55570-404-2; pb., $35.00      372.133

    Lesson plans about navigation skills, the WWW, E-mail, chat, and instant messaging, and more are included.  There is a bibliography with more lesson plans, curriculum integration, and citation resources.  Another appendix includes information literacy resources.  Besides a subject index there is one for web sites.  This is a good book for novices.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Crane, Beverley E.   TEACHING WITH THE INTERNET:  STRATEGIES
    AND MODELS FOR K-12 CURRICULA.   New York:  Neal-Schuman,
    2000.  380p.  1-55570-375-5; pb., $45.00    371.33

    Steps for units include applying framework standards and deciding what should be taught, identifying general goals and specific objectives, gathering materials, and creation of sample activities.  Sample projects with lists of web sites are given for immigrants/geneology, maps and globes, stock market simulation, Shakespeare, heroes, energy consumption, and native peoples. Especially noteworthy is the content-based lesson plan template; checklists for student learning center evaluation, and for evaluating web sites visually and spatially; a rubric for oral reports; and a worksheet for sample historical document. The appendix of web sites by subject is valuable Highly recommended for librarians who need templates to facilitate the research process.  Those who teah ESL learners to use the Internet will be interested in this book.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Curtis, Christopher Paul and Griffin, Amy.  SCHOLASTIC BOOKFILES:  A READING
    GUIDE TO THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM – 1963.  New York: 
    Scholastic, Inc., 2003.  0-439-29802-4 pb.; $4.99  Adult Non-fiction  371.6

    Teachers will want to use the background materials and discussion prompts from this book to introduce students to Christopher Paul Curtis and his journey to becoming a Newbery Award winning author.  He reveals his story line ideas and the writing techniques that have made him successful.  The biographical material could also be used  to study BUD, NOT BUDDY, also by the same author.  It's a very useful guide for a great book!
    Lynette Suckow, Peter White Public Library, Marquette, MI

Duncan, Donna and Laura Lockhart.  I-SEARCH, YOU SEARCH, WE ALL LEARN
    TO RESEARCH:  A HOW-TO-DO IT MANUAL FOR TEACHING ELEMENTARY
    SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SOLVE INFORMATION PROBLEMS.  How-To-Do-It
    Manual series.  New York: Neal-Schuman, 2000.  158p. 1-55570-381-X; pb., $45.00   372.13

    This guide helps adults to teach elementary school students to solve information problems like skimming and scanning; solve higher-level questions; create I-Search Questions; brainstorm; conduct interviews; take notes cite sources; keep search logs; plan for research; choose a topic; conference with peers; write drafts; use rubrics;make presentations; and assess their work.  It helps adults provide contracts, assess and evaluate eight student I-Search papers.  This title is extremely helpful to teachers and librarians in elementary and middle schools.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Eisenberg, Michael B. and Robert E. Berkowitz, et al.  TEACHING INFORMATION
    AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS:  THE BIG6 IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS .
    Worthington, OH: Linworth, 2000.  203p.  1-58683-006-6; pb., $39.95.   025.04

    After an overview of the Big 6 approach, the authors provide practical strategies, charts and worksheets.  Specific aids include unit charts, ways to develop a thesis statement, learning peers, planning timelines, information seeking strategies, Internet search tools, a quick reference guide, keywords and Boolean searches, surfing and search engine aids, and methods of assessing.  Middle and high school media specialists who need help in structuring lesson plans using the Big 6 will appreciate this book which is also recommended for district and regional centers or schools of education or library schools in universities. TEACHING INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS: THE BIG6 IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (Little, 1999) is a companion book.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

 Fredericks, Anthony D.   SCIENCE ADVENTURES WITH CHILDREN'S
    LITERATURE:  A THEMATIC APPROACH.  Englewood, CO: Teacher
    Idea Press, 1998.  233p.  1-56308-417-1; pb., $24.50   98-34268  372.3;  028

    Thematic resources for using over 400 trade books in the science curriculum for grades 1-6 are the focus of this book.  How to develop thematic units and National Science Education Standards add value to the book.  The best feature is the  ten thematic units with many more mini-unit spin-offs contain generalizations/principles, concepts, materials, initiating activity, general activities, literature selections, and culmination.  The weakest link is that children's books cited are from the late 80s and early 90s so media specialists will have to provide newer titles for the units.   The resources for teachers in the appendix have newer dates.  A list of science periodicals and web sites helps to update the information.  Recommended for elementary media centers and collges of education libraries where teachers need ideas for preparing thematic units in science.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

George, Jean Craighead and Denega, Danielle.  SCHOLASTIC BOOKFILES: 
    A READING GUIDE TO JULIE OF THE WOLVES.  New York:  Scholastic, Inc.,
    2004.  0-439-53835-1 pb.; $4.99    Adult Non-fiction   371.54

    Readers of Jean Craighead Georges’s books will learn more about this award winning author and how she composes her stories.  Teachers will benefit from a JULIE OF THE WOLVES glossary, along with author explanations of plot, setting, and character development.  Discussion questions and enrichment activities are also included..
    Lynette Suckow, Peter White Public Library, Marquette, MI

Hopkins, Lee Bennett.  PASS THE POETRY PLEASE!  3rd edition.
    New York:  HarperCollins, 1998.  277p.     0-06-027746-7; hb., $15.00
    0-06-446199-6; pb,  $13.95  Adult    372.64    PROFESSIONAL PICK.

    Many new editions of books offer only a few cosmetic changes to update here and there.  However, Hopkins' poetry book offers substantial changes.  The biggest change is in the "References" section which lists poetry anthologies.  There are 151 anthologies listed in the new edition and 80 in the old one; only 24 of the titles appear in both books.  In the list of poetry anthologies by or compiled by Hopkins, there are 14 titles in the new book, 15 in the old book, and only 4 appear in both.  The 3rd edition contains authors and titles of a dozen subjects as opposed to 6 different subjects in the 2nd edition.  The subject lists are not duplicated..  The articles about the poets, although they contain some identical paragraphs, are different.  Two poets appeared in the second but not the third edition and six poets were added to the third edition that were not in the second while eighteen appear in both editions.  Poets dropped are N. M. Bodecker and B. S. de Regniers.  Poets added are: B. J.  Esbensen; E. Greeenfield; N. Grimes; J. P. Lewis; V. Worth; and J. Yolen.   Poets who appear in both are: A. Adoff; H. Behn; G. Brooks; J. Ciardi; L.Clifton; A. Fisher; R.Frost; N. Giovanni; L. Hughes; X. J. Kennedy; K. Kuskin; M. C. Livingston; D. McCord; E. Merriam; L. Moore; J. Prelutsky; C. Sandburg; and S. Silverstein. Silverstein died after the book was published so no mention is made of his death.  The section containing forms and writing poetry contains different examples and bibliography and has been modified.  The list of  birthdays by month contains 11 more poets.  The only section that remains the same is "Guidelines for Reading Poems Aloud."   The answer to the question "Do I need the 3rd edition if I have the 2nd " is yes!  The answer to the next question, "Should I keep the 2nd edition if I purchase the 3rd "is also yes!  Although many of the books in the bibliographies are out of print, many are still available  in libraries.  Just make a note on the title page that the third edition is also available.  Colleges of Education and professional collections in elementary and middle schools, and public librarians should make Hopkins' new edition an essential purchase.
        Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
        32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist;

Hurst, Carol Otis, et al.  CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:   PICTURE BOOKS
    IN GRADE 2 AND UP. Worthington, OH:  Linworth, 1999.  278p.  
    0-938865-70-6 pb. $34.95   Adult    372.64

    The idea of using picture books with readers beyond the traditional preschool-Gr.3 audience is not new.  However, teachers and school-library media specialists will appreciate the way the authors have organized these 85 recent titles.  A chart at the beginning of the book arranges the books by author/title; page; possible themes and curriculum ties; and strongest curriculum areas which include language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, and music.  Each article about the book includes: a summary; information about the illustrations including art medium; related novels and picture books; and other books by that author or illustrator.  The information about the language arts includes similes, idioms, cause and effect, genres, vocabulary, predicting, comparing literature, and more.  The title/author/illustrator index and a subject/skills index is helpful.  Purchase this book for elementary,  intermediate, middle school, and high school collections.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Hurst, Carol Otis.  OPEN BOOKS:  LITERATURE IN THE CURRICULUM,
    KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 2.  Professional Growth Series.
    Worthington, OH: Linworth, 1999.  266p.  0-938865-77-3 pb. $36.96     372.64

    Hurst provides a summary, comments, items to notice, activities, and related books for each picture book theme; half are about science.  Of the 25 author/illustrator studies, three were born in Michigan.  Of the 14 focus books two are by Michigan authors.  This is an important purchase for libraries serving primary grades.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Jay, Ellen M. And Hilda L. Jay.  250+ ACTIVITIES AND IDEAS FOR DEVELOPING
    LITERACY SKILLS.  New York:   Neal-Schuman, 1998.  175p.  1-55570-329-1; pb.
    $39.95    98-16512   372.6

    The activities are designed to foster the literacy skills according to the authors' expanded definition of literacy which includes "the ability to interpret symbols used in means of communication as such pictures, maps, charts, graphs, mathematical or musical notations, and computer icons."   Included in each of the activities are: prerequisite skills; concepts to be learned; materials needed; step-by-step- procedures; and expanded activities.    The book is divided into four sections of the language arts: listening, reading readiness, and beginning reading and writing as well as visual; math; science; geography; economics; computers; and computers programs.  The chapter on computer programs and formats contains activities about: drill and practice/game format; discus books; create a book format; thinking skills; decision-making; paint/presentation; and content-specific CD-ROMS.   The bibliography includes books, periodicals, and computer software.   These activities can be used with children from preschool through the primary grades.  Recommended for elementary schools or university collections in library and education schools.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Jobe, Ron and Mary Dayton-Sakari.  RELUCTANT READERS:   CONNECTING
    STUDENTS AND BOOKS FOR SUCCESSFUL READING EXPERIENCES.  
    Markham, Ontario, Canada: Pembroke, 1999;   York, ME: Stenhouse, 1999.  160p. 
    1-55238-106-0; pb.
.
     Jobe, a past president of IBBY (International Book Board for Young People) and professor of children's literature, and Dayton-Sakari, a professor of reading;  list characteristics of reluctant readers,  strategies and webs for overcoming their barriers,  and annotated lists of 1,000 titles that kids like.  The background information on how our reading has changed is thought provoking and contains similar changes to those included in Dresang's Radical Change  (Wilson, 1999).  Even if teachers and media specialists just read the sidebars KidLinks, AuthorLinks, ComputerLinks, ReasearchLinks, and Websites, the book would be worth purchasing.  Elementary media specialists and teachers of children's literature shouldn't miss this helpful professional paperback.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Kasowitz, Abby S.  USING THE BIG 6 TO TEACH AND LEARN WITH THE
    INTERNET. Worthington, OH: Linworth, 2000.   160p.  1-58683-007-4; pb.,
    $39.95    371.33

    The author, a coordinator of a project of the U.S. Dept. of Education and Syracuse University about Internet-based library reference services, incorporates K-12 lessons from many media specialists to teach Internet skills using Eisenberg and Berkowitz’s model.  The six-step model is introduced with a variety of charts that include goals, objectives, uses, potential mentors, sample use, advantages, considerations, and examples/supporting resources.  Sample lessons include buying a car and immigration.  Worksheets include defining, narrowing, or expanding a topic and strategies for locating, accessing, and using information.   A variety of bibliographies provide URLs for Internet Resources, ERIC documents, and books on many subjects, some of which explain citations and evaluations.  Internet sources, online safety, locating and designing web sites, and net courses are some of the topics covered.  Media specialists at all levels, university departments of education or library schools, and district and regional centers should purchase this book.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

MacLachlan, Patricia and Denega, Danielle.  SCHOLASTIC BOOKFILES:  A READING
    GUIDE TO SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL.  New York:  Scholastic, Inc., 2004. 
    0-439-29798-2 pb; $4.99    Adult Non-fiction    371.54

    After using this reading guide to SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL, teachers may want to explore the other two books in this series, SKYLARK (1994), and CALEB’S STORY (2001).  The guide provides biographical material on the author, along with her writing techniques.  It also includes discussion questions on plot, theme, characters, and historical fiction.
    Lynette Suckow, Peter White Public Library, Marquette, MI

McElmeel, Sharon.  LITERATURE FRAMEWORKS FROM APPLES TO ZOOS .
    Worthington, OH: Linworth, 2001.  182p. 1-58683-060-0; pb., $36.95    372.64  

    The book begins with a dozen “Standards for the English Language Arts.” Each section includes collaborative themes, project, literature and related activity ideas, and professional books and web sites.  The collaborative themes for “Lighthouses and Their Keepers” includes purposes of lighthouses, locations/mapping, writing letters for information, and building scale models and themes for “Wagons Going West” includes the Westward movement, transportation, and settlers.  There is a project for every letter of the alphabet like quilts, x-rays and other inventions, yo-yos and other childhood games, and zoos and animals.  The appendix includes 29 reproducible graphics to accompany projects.  The indexes are A/T/S and Internet sites. Although no comparison to the 1997 edition was made, many of the copyright dates for the books are late 1990s and 2000.      
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Nebraska Educational Media Association (NEMA).  GUIDE FOR DEVELOPING
    AND EVALUATING SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAMS.  Englewood,
    CO:  Libraries Unlimited, 2000.  261p.  1-56308-640-9 pb. $39.00.  027.8

    This title contains all of the usual information about media programs, personnel, and facilities to help implement national standards but the strengths are in the practical forms and checklists.  Sample checklists include: inventories for resources and equipment; evaluations for legislators, media specialists, parents, administrators, teachers, students, district and regional directors, district, regional, and state leadership.  Other strengths are a directory of state teacher offices in the U.S., online resources, and professional associations.  Valuable descriptions of the search processes include:  the Big6; a 20-step research process from Brainstorms and Blueprints; Follett’s Information Skills Model--Pathways to Knowledge; Know-It-All Four-Step Process; and a Rubric for the Assessment of the School Library Media Program.
    The advocacy section, especially useful and worth the price of purchase, should be required reading for all school library media specialists.  Information includes: product promotion; publicity; lobbying; public affairs; teaching, learning, and community connections; PR programs; developing an internal and external promotions plan; dealing with many types of media; communication goals; deadlines; deciding what is news; preparing for TV appearances; PSAs (Public Service Announcements); holding press conferences; and forms for collecting information from various types of organizations and mass media.  This essential guide is a practical resource for building, district, and regional media specialists as well as library school personnel.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Polette, Nancy J.  GIFTED BOOKS, GIFTED READERS:  LITERATURE
    ACTIVITIES TO EXCITE YOUNG MINDS.  Englewood, CO:  Libraries
    Unlimited, 2000.  282p.   1-56308-822-3; pb., $32.50    371.95

    Polette’s activities are always creative and this title is no exception.  University personnel who teach media specialists and teachers as well as those practitioners in grades 1-5 will use these activities or think of others that apply to their own students and situations.  Sample activities come from picture books, folklore, and classics.  Some of the activities include: creating songs, chants, and poetry; sentence strips and starters; pre-reading questions; questions to think about; rewriting and recalling stories; descriptions; drawing; story strips and starters; diagrams; vocabulary; comparison and contrast; creative and critical thinking; problem solving; imaging; and observation.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Szczepanski, Sue and Standerford, Suzanne, eds.  A VIEW INSIDE:  INTEGRATING
    READING AND WRITING STRATEGIES.  Grand Rapids, MI:  Michigan Reading
    Association, 1999. 115p.  pb. $12.00    372.3  1-800-MRA-READ.

    Eleven upper peninsula teachers of students from primary to college age studied  about MELAF ( Michigan English Language Arts Frameworks) and the related content standards  before implementing those standards into practice.  The result is a handbook that provides practical ideas for integrating reading and writing at all levels.  The bibliography of professional books reflecting current thought on reading and writing is especially useful.  School library media centers at all levels, college library science and education programs, and REMC professional collections could make use of this book for ideas to integrate the MELAF standards into the curriculum.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Snyder, Timothy.  GETTING LEAD-BOTTOMED ADMINISTRATORS EXCITED
    ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS.  Englewood, CO: Libraries
    Unlimited, 2000.  184p.  1-56308-794-4;  pb., $27.00    027.8

    After presenting types of personal characteristics like right-brained, Type A, and explorer, Snyder invites readers to decide which characteristics they share and relates this to learning and leadership styles.  Characteristics of administrators are also included.  Various roles of librarians such as keepers of knowledge and change agents are explored and case studies of five media specialists are shared.   Some topics include planning for success as well as implementing and evaluating the plan.  There is also a section on gaining credibility.  The best features are the checklists and figures.  Some figures include:  components of successful planning; objective examples; a plan outline; builders of relationships; and the informal customer satisfaction survey.  Checklists include:  intelligence gathering; library media center resources; and evaluation.   Although the title lists administrators as the target; students, teachers, parents, and the community are part of building better relationships.   This introspective look at media specialists is worth reading by media specialists at all levels, school library supervisors, and schools of education or library science.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI 49855
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

 Toor, Ruth and Hilda K. Weisburg.   RAISING READERS: APPEALING APPROACHES
    & SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES.    Berkeley Heights, NJ:  Library Learning Resources,
    1997. 142p.  0-931315-09-3  $22.00    372.43 or 028.5

    This spiral bound book is divided into four types of reading activities.  Part I includes history, forms, certificates, score sheets ideas for questions, rules, list of books from 1984-97 for K-12, and everything you need to execute a Battle of the Books program.  Part II includes 20 "theme-based" units linking literature to all areas of the curriculum.  The units include an annotation of the focus book and a variety of activities about letter writing, fairy tales, history, art, and more.  Part III is about preparing author days and autographing with special information about 5 authors: Jan Brett; Eve Bunting; Barbara Park; William Steig; and Jane Yolen.  Information includes: biographies; book annotations on several grade levels, as well as activities.  Part IV contains five reading incentive programs to reward students for reading books.    The authors are the editors of THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN'S WORKSHOP, a 20-year-old newsletter which provides school library media specialists with bibliographies, projects, puzzles, poetry;  exchange of ideas, information skills,  technology topics, and web sites for grades K-12. Elementary media specialists should consider this book but media specialists K-12 can benefit from subscribing to the newsletter.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

380 COMMUNICATION

       According to the Greenhaven Press, "Those who do not know their opponent's arguments do not completely understand their own."  This book is packed with reputable authors'  viewpoints on TV, music, legislation, society, and media's artistic value.  The writers provide new insights into this topic that will make readers question their own beliefs about the influence of media on American society.  This is an excellent, well-organized resource on the continuing debate of media violence. The book's layout is structured with four chapters, each of which includes a variety of viewpoints supporting the many sides of the issues.  The chapters include many thought-provoking essays, which incorporate a wide variety of key research findings.  Each section includes a short list of questions to help readers organize their thoughts and increase their understanding of the specific topic.  This resource book's content challenges the opposing sides. Who is to blame for all of the violence in American's society?  How does the research impact the entertainment industry and does entertainment industry in turn impact the research?  Several examples of media generated crimes are documented.  These prime examples show the power of the media and continue to question the accuracy of the research. The authors emphasize the responsibility of America's citizens to provide children with a culturally healthy environment. They continue to challenge the reader's opinions by including additional questions for further in-depth debates. Dudley also provides a detailed periodical bibliography and a list of organizations to contact.
    Cheryl Gustafson,  Bothwell Middle School, Marquette, MI - 22  years of Experience
   *Editor's note: Cheryl was "Teacher of the Year" for Marquette Area Public Schools and the U.P.
 
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

385 TRANSPORTATION

    This book covers the period from the early 1800s to the present plus a quick look at air travel by balloon in the early 1700s in France.  All time periods receive a balanced treatment.  Several special events such as the building of the Erie Canal, the building of the transcontinental railroad, and the wagon trains to the west highlight specific historical periods and provide a little more detail.  The text is interspersed with colored boxes containing short special interest subjects that provide a visual focus.  The illustrations successfully attract the reader to the book as well as enhance the text.  While most history and social studies textbooks provide a more in-depth study of transportation, this book is a good introductory overview.  Special features include a chronology, bibliography, places to visit, websites, and index.  Illustrations are color and black and white photos and drawings.
    Carolyn Anderson, L'Anse, MI; Retired elementary teacher
    L’Anse, MI School and Public Library Advisory Board

Mitten, Tony.  BUSY BOATS.  Illus. by Ant Parker.  Amazing Machines series.
    Boston, MA:  Kingfisher Books, 2005.  24 p.  ISBN: 0753459167  pb. $3.95
    Gr. PreS-K    E

    Busy Boats is part of the Amazing Machines series of books.   A trio of cartoon animals (a bird, a rat, and a rabbit) form the crew of animals on each of the boats shown.  The boats include rowboats, sailboats, motorboats, fishing boats, ferry boats, freighters, and passenger liners.  The illustrations are clear, detailed and brightly colored.  The words are written in verse.  The last page is a picture dictionary, which explains various boat parts.  There is much basic information in an attractive format about boats and their use, which will appeal to the 2-5 year old.
    Kay T. Elzinga. Member, Superiorland Library Board

Simon, Seymour.  SEYMOUR SIMON'S BOOK OF TRAINS.  Illus by author.
    New York:  Harper, 2002.  p.  0-06-028475-7; hb., $16.95     Gr. 3+  385

    This handsome book begins with photos of trains on the end papers and title page.  There is a full-page illustration opposite each page of explanation.  The illustrations alternate as to which side of the page they are on to give variety to the visual appearance of the book.   Information is given on diesel locomotives, electric trains, passenger trains, high-speed trains, boxcars, gondolas, flatcars, cabooses, and more.  The photos are spectacular works of art and the use of shade, light, and color is exceptional.  This is a beautiful and informative nonfiction book that will appeal to train lovers of all ages.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 
Wilkinson, Philip.  THE WORLD OF SHIPS.  Boston, MA:  Kingfisher Publications, 2005.
    63p.  ISBN: 0-7534-5836-5  pb. $8.95      Gr. 5+      387.2

    As a reference source, THE WORLD OF SHIPS provides a brief history of early ships, trading ships, ships of discovery, present day tankers, destroyers and luxury liners.  Colorful illustrations reveal cut-away glimpses of ship interiors revealing  early austere living conditions.  Narratives tell related stories of piracy, myths and mysteries, exploration and emigration.  
This paperback book is an excellent first-report resource that might make a student want to delve further into the world of ships.
    Judy Bennett, Ironwood Carnegie Library Clerk, Ironwood, MI

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

372.642 STORYTELLING

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

391 COSTUMES

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

392 CUSTOMS

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

394.2 HOLIDAYS

• AUTUMN HOLIDAYS
• WINTER HOLIDAYS
• SPRING HOLIDAYS
• SUMMER HOLIDAYS

    Like the many other photo-essays including CELEBRATING KWANZA (Holiday, 1993), CELEBRATING CHINESE NEW YEAR (Holiday, 1998), LAS POSADAS (Holiday, 1999), CELEBRATING PASSOVER (Holiday, 2000), Hoyt-Goldsmith and Migdale have created a memorable and informative book about ethnic Americans.  In this new title, they follow Ibraheem, a fourth grader who lives near Princeton, New Jersey, and his family for the month of fasting to celebrate Ramadan, a 1400 year-old celebration.  Ibraheem is one of 5 million American Muslims who celebrate the time when the Prophet Muhmmad received the Qur’an  (Koran), the sacred book of Islam in a revelation.  The family fasts to show obedience to Allah as well as to experience what it is to be poor.  During this time, Muslims end disputes, ask forgiveness, and are kind to everyone.   The photos and maps are clear and of the quality one might expect in books by this pair.  Information is provided through text, sidebars, and photos.  Some sidebars include: The five pillars of Islam, the five daily prayers, the Islamic calendar, and the call to prayer.  A glossary and a recipe for Ghorayyibah, cookies, are included.  The celebration that ends Ramadan concludes the book. Because the Muslim calendar is based on a lunar year of 354 days, there is no season for this holiday.   This is an important ethnic book, especially in these times when we are trying to understand Americans of Middle Eastern descent.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Murphy, Patricia J.  OUR NATIONAL HOLIDAYS.  Let's See series. Minneapolis: 
    Compass Point, 2001.  24p.  0-7565-0194-6; lib.bdg., $18.60    Gr. 1-2    394.26

    After an explanation of a national holiday, including our first one, Independence Day; six other holidays are explained with a photo on one page and an explanation on the other.  The holidays, in order by month, are:  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Presidents' Day; Memorial Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; and Thanksgiving.  There is a glossary of five terms, three points in the "Did You Know?" section, and a bibliography section called "Want to Know More?" that includes three books, two web sites, and addresses for Plimoth Plantation and Independence National Historical Park  An index concludes the book.  Because many businesses are closed on Christmas and there is no mail delivery, it could be considered a national holiday.  However, the definition, "On national holidays, Americans celebrate their history" excludes religious holidays. This is an easy-to-read book about our historical holidays.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Thompson, Sue Ellen. HOLIDAY SYMBOLS, 2nd ed. Detroit:  Omnigraphics, 2000. 
    694p.   0-78408-0423-6; lib.bdg.,   $58.00     00-33630    Grade 4-12+     394.26

    Each article begins with the official name of the holiday, origins, type, date, where celebrated, symbols, and a list of further reading.  Optional items include the common name, related holidays, and colors.  The table of contents and articles are arranged alphabetically which makes it easy to locate holidays by name if the reader knows the official name.  For example the Lantern Festival can be found under that name alphabetically in the book but in order to find other names, Teng Chieh or the Feast of the First Moon, readers must look in the general index.   Because many of the holiday names are unfamiliar, it is even more important to access them chronologically.  However, this is difficult.  Since Thompson already confused readers by having two indexes, she should have added a chronological index.  It is not easy to find a holiday by date.  For example Purim occurs on the 14th day of Adar which means it occurs in February or March.  The word “februa” (a typo) appears in the symbol index that yields only one reference to a holiday that appears in February, Lupercalia.  Other months are not included in either index.   Of the two indexes, the general index includes countries, alternate holiday names, and names of holidays that were mentioned in articles of other holidays.  The symbols index includes all of the items that are listed in each article under the symbols heading.  It is unclear why these symbols were not integrated into the general index because it would save time by looking in only one index.  Because this important and worthwhile book provides information for over 200 holiday, it is unfortunate that it cannot be accessed chronologically.
    Librarians who already own the first edition need to know the differences between the 1998 and 2000 editions so they can decide whether or not to purchase the new one.  The 2nd edition contains 136 more pages and 47 more holidays.  There are 13 more sports articles like Wimbleton, America’s Cup, and the Tour de France.  There are seven new Christian religious entries, most of them Roman Catholic, and nine worldwide religious entries, all but one are Sikh, Hindu, or Islamic.  There are three new Native American festivals.  Three of the four new topics under the calendar heading are Asian.  Two promotional types include Earth Day and a Japanese snow festival.  Of the four historical types, three of them are American and the other is Japanese.  Six are combinations of the following types:  folkloric, ethnic, or  geograpy.   In a spot check of five articles, all of them in both books were identical, including the bibliographies.  Because of low budgets, most small school and public libraries will not be able to purchase the new edition but if they do not own the 1998 edition, the 2nd edition is worth the purchase.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

395 ETIQUETTE

    Pencil with watercolor and gouache illustrate this humorous history of eating utensils.  A modern family roasting marshmallows on sticks over a night fire begins and ends the book and makes a humorous contrast to the cave people who roast meat on sticks over a fire.  The discovery of copper mixed with tin ushered in the Bronze Age where many changes were made.  Some civilizations covered are:   China, Rome, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance.  Beginning with the 1500s there is a century by century progress report.  Forks were used in the Middle East for a long time and finally reached the West about 1100.  There are several clever turns of phrases like "The Knife Loses Its Point" or "The new style of knife spread."  The illustrations are also humorous.  There is a gross spaghetti scene at a restaurant and the text reads "It's a good idea to use them [utensils] and eat neatly so that other people can enjoy their food."  A two page spread tells of eating customs in other lands where fingers and chopsticks are used.  Another two-page spread shows ten "...Table Manners for Today's Very Refined People." One is them is "Do not throw a gnawed bone on the floor.  Leave it on your plate."  Others are more practical like " Do not eat and drink at the same time."  The accompanying illustrations make the rules even more humorous.   A bibliography of thirteen books is included.  Giblin's FROM HAND TO MOUTH: OR HOW WE INVENTED KNIVES, FORKS, SPOONS, AND CHOPSTICKS & THE TABLE MANNERS TO GO WITH THEM (Crowell, 1987) is the only other book for young people and it is for an older audience than this picture book.  There is room for both in school and public library collections.
    Mary Ann Paulin, Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as s school library media specialist
 
 

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

 398 FOLKLORE

Gibbons, Gail.  BEHOLD…THE UNICORNS!  New York:  HarperCollins, 2002.
    32p.   0-688-17955-X; hb., 15.95.  0-688-17958-4; lib.bdg., $  15.89.
    00-049880    Gr. 2-6+     398.24

    Unicorns have held the interest of humans for centuries.  Beginning with the Latin word for unicorns and moving on through dinosaurs then on to a variety of cultures beginning with ancient times, Gibbons provides a wealth of information about these magical beasts.  The drawings add to text that is highlighted against a blue background on each page.  The only discordant element in the book comes with three pages of photos of the tapestries from the middle ages with the cartoon style of illustrations in the rest of the book and the orange color is not in hormony with the rest of the illustrations.  However, this book is recommended for collections serving patrons of all ages.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]

398.2 FOLKLORE FROM REGIONS OF THE WORLD

398.8 RHYMES & RHYMING GAMES

    The text is based on a version of the rhyme published in 1805 by Martin.  The child-like illustrations remind readers of finger paints and are tinged with humor; for example, the dog is reading a newspaper called "The Daily Dog."  The end papers are photos of dogs with hand printed names and added illustrations like glasses, hats, wings, and halos.  The text is the standard nursery rhyme but includes only five places where Mother Hubbard went: to the cupboard, tailor, hatter, barber, and cobbler.  This nursery rhyme can be easily adapted to antiphonal choral reading.  The leader can say all the parts beginning with "She" and the class can say in unison the parts beginning with "But."  Read this book aloud in day care centers, public and school libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin, Director; Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

Collins, Heather. ROCK-A-BYE BABY.  Illus by H. Collins.  Niagara Fallls,
    NY:  Kids Can, 2000.  12p.   1-55074-572-7; bd.bk.; $3.95.
    C99-932022-X    PreS    398.8    or     BB

     Sized for little hands, the four books in this series are just right for the youngest child.  The total rhyme of four lines is included in this board book.  The characters are stuffed animals which will appeal to small children.  The last scene, when baby falls, is not scary because all the other animals are there to catch the rabbit.  This series provides good choices for preschool and public library boardbook collections.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

 Collins, Heather. ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT.  Illus by H. Collins.
    Niagara Fallls, NY:  Kids Can, 2000.  12p.    1-55074-570-0; bd.bk; $3.95.
    C99-932019-X  PreS      398.8      or   780       BB

     The chorus of this favorite nursery song is the text of this board book which is sized to the youngest  child.  The characters are stuffed animals and even the moon looks friendly.   A stuffed bear climbs into a cottage bedroom and takes the animals to a rowboat.  For the "gently down the stream" sequence.  The rowboat takes off into the sky for the "Life is but a dream" sequence.  The book is a "warm fuzzy" and deserves a place in board book collections at home, at preschools, and at public libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

Collins, Heather.  TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR.  Illus. by H. Collins.
    Niagara Falls, NY: Kids Can, 2000.  12p.  1-55074-566-2; bd.bk.; $3.95.
    C99-932020-3      PreS      398.8  or    780          BB

     The stuffed animals admire the star in the sky at the beginning of this board book and as the favorite nursery song ends, the animals examine the star at close quarters.  There is no music but it is impossible to read this book aloud without giving in to the temptation to sing the familiar song.Add this to board book home, preschool, and public library collections.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

Collins, Heather.  WEE WILLIE WINKIE.  Illus by H. Collins.  Niagara Fallls,
    NY:  Kids Can, 2000.  12p. 1-55074-568-9; BB; $3.95.   C99-932021-1
    PreS     398.8     or      BB

     In this nursery rhyme board book, Willie is an elephant in baseball cap who raps on the window of the pig family.  The tiny board books are tot size and just the right length, the total sentence total is two, the same as the traditional rhyme.   The only difference is that sometimes the rhyme says "crying through the lock" and this version says "peeping" instead of crying.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library media specialist

 Greenberg, David T.  WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HUMPTY DUMPTY?
    AND OTHER SURPRISING SEQUELS TO MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES .
    Illus. by S. D. Schindler.  New York: Little, 1999.  unp.   0-316-32767-0; lib.bdg.,
    $14.95    97-14173.   Gr. 2-8+      811.54    or   398.8

    The original nursery rhyme is followed by verses explaining what happened to the characters after the familiar verse finished.  Although the rhymes are funny when read aloud, they are gross enough to tickle the fancy of junior high students who are writing their own fractured fairy tales.  For instance, when Humpty Dumpty was broken, his yoke was put into a blender with the top off and people are still cleaning him off a wall.  Nimble Jack caught fire in a flash and all that is left of him is ash; now he is buried in a box–jack-in-the-box.   The wolf who threatened this little piggy and his friends is now working on a chain gang pulverizing stones to be used for building wolf-resistant homes.  Peter the Pumpkin Eater's wife is tired of being stuck in melons and coconuts and turns the tables on Peter.   Paraphrasing the parodies for this review does not do them justice.  To appreciate these poems, you have to read them aloud but read them to yourself first because not all of them are appropriate for reading aloud to a whole class.  If you can stand one more fractured tale book, this one is better than most.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Hoberman, Mary Ann.  MISS MARY MACK.  Illus by Nadine Bernard Westcott.
    Boston:  Little, 1998.  24p.  0-316-36642-0; bd. bk., $5.95.   PreS    BB  or  398.8

    Hoberman and Westcott's hand clapping picture book is now available in board book format and has transferred to the new format without missing a beat.  Consider this title for board book collections in preschools, home and public libraries.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

 Hoberman, Mary Ann.  THE EENSY-WEENSY SPIDER.  Illus. by
    Nadine Wbernard Westcott.   Boston: Little, 2000.  32p.   0-316-36330-8;
    $12.95      99-25701      PreS-Gr. 1   782.42164   or   E        Paulin's Picks

    Does the world need another picture book about the eensy-weensy spider?  The answer is a resounding yes.  Hoberman begins with the original four lines but adds eleven more verses.  Hoberman's humor shines through with buying three pair of shoes, needing six band aides for a skinned knee, and lending a helping leg or two.  You can begin reading this book aloud to children but you will end singing it instead.  The ink and watercolor end papers flow into lyrics and music and diagrams for playing the hand motions and add to the total presentation of the book.  Westcott and Hoberman make a perfect team.  Even if you have other copies of this finger play, choose this book for personal, preschool, school, and public libraries.
   Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
   32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Lass, Bonnie and Philemon Sturges. WHO TOOK THE COOKIES FROM
    THE COOKIE JAR?  Illus by Ashley Wolff.  Boston:  Little, 2000.  32p.
    316-82016-4; hb., $14.95    99-16877    PreS-Gr. 2     E

    Wolff uses watercolor and pen to illustrate this favorite action song.  The refrain has been rewritten by Lass and Sturges.  There is even a new storyline to this book--it is the ants that take the cookies and all the animals follow the crumbs where they have a picnic of cookies with the ants.  This book has a desert theme with desert animals so will be useful when studying deserts or the southwest.  The animals in the story are skunk, mouse, raven, squirrel, rabbit, turtle, raccoon, snake, beaver, frog, and ants.  Directions for playing the game are given at the beginning of the book along with the music and lyrics.  This is a solid choice for picture book collections.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Long, Sylvia.  MOTHER GOOSE.  Illus. by S. Long.  San Francisco: Chronicle,
    1999.  109p  0-8118-2088-2; hb., $19.95.   98-52311    PreS-Gr.3    398.8

     The illustrations have an old world look.  There is lots to see in each of the illustrations and it takes time to look at all of the details.  Most of the characters are animals in humorous situations. Check page 78 for a Refrain style choral reading.  Show children a sign that says "Yaup, yaup, Yaup!" as a signal for them to shout  the refrain.  It would be great to have a frog puppet or adult dressed as a frog, or at least a leader wearing green to read the rest of the rhyme.  There are illustrations of creatures on the first line index pages.  There are over 80 rhymes, some of them unfamiliar.  Opie's HERE COMES MOTHER GOOSE (Candlewick, 1999),  illustrated by Wells, is a solid collection but her illustrations are static compared with Longs which tell a separate story.  Buy both if you can afford them but if you can only afford one, buy this one.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years as a school library media specialist

Manning, Jane, illus.  MY FIRST BABY GAMES.  New York:  HarperFestival, 2001.
    14p.  Harper Growing Tree series.  0-694-01435-4; bd.bk., $5.95.   PreS-K    BB

    Seven nursery rhymes with instructions in italics for making them into fingerplays and action games include "This Little Piggy," "Pat-a-Cake,"  "Eye Winker, Tom Tinker," and more.  Several of them are not well known. The illustrations, while not distinguished, are adequate and are sexually and racially balanced.  This is a durable family game book and a companion to MY FIRST SONGS. (Harper, 1998).
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years as a school library media specialist

Manning, Jane, illus.  WHO STOLE THE COOKIES FROM THE
    COOKIE JAR?  Playtime Rhymes.  New York: HarperFestival, 2001.
    12p.   0-694-01515-6; bd.bk.   $7.95   BB

    Although the pages are not as thick as most board books, the pages are much thicker than regular picture books.  This thickness, the small size, and the topic make this book a candidate for the board book section of libraries in day care centers, preschools, and public libraries.  Because the game is so much fun, the book is suitable for kindergartners also.  There are no directions for when to clap along with the story but most people who work with children in various institutions already know the score.  The appealing animals that appear in the text and pictures are dog, cat, mouse, bunny, and piggy.  This is also a good book for personal giving.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

Mother Goose.  HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE.  Illus. by Jeanette Winter.
        24p.  San Diego:  Red Wagon/Harcourt, 1999.   0-15-202133-7;
        bd.bk.,  $4.95.  98-87814  PreS-K      BB

        Winter's illustrations are child friendly and capture the essence of this nursery rhyme.  This book can also be used to reinforce the concept of lines and shapes, because the moon, the plate, buttons, and the cat's head are perfectly round.  The spoon, spots on the cow, and all the eyes are oval. There are also lines and stars.  This board book can provide an excellent first experience with a nursery rhyme at home, nursery school, public library, or kindergarten. This is a worthy addition to any board book collection.
        Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI;
        32 years of experience as a school library-media specialist

Mother Goose.  MY FIRST REAL MOTHER GOOSE BEDTIME BOOK.
    New York:  Scholastic Cartwheel, 2002.  20p.  0-439-34032-2; bd.bk., $7.99.
    PreS   BB

    This not exactly a board book but the pages are stiffer than regular paper but not as stiff as a board book; pages are spill-proof like a board book.   The ten rhymes all have a bedtime theme and many of them are not well known.  The front cover with the signature black and white checkerboard frame of Blanche Fisher Wright is similar to her cover on MY FIRST REAL MOTHER GOOSE (Scholastic, 2000) and predecessors from many years past.  This is a good introduction to Wright’s classic rendition of nursery rhymes.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist

 Opie, Iona, ed.  HERE COMES MOTHER GOOSE.  Illus. by Rosemary Wells.
    Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick, 1999. 107p.   0-7636-0683-9; hb., $21.99.
    99-14256     PreS-Gr.3        398.8

     Owners of MY VERY FIRST MOTHER GOOSE by this winning combination will also wish to purchase this new collection of over 60 nursery rhymes by the same pair.  Information about Mother Goose appears in the introduction.  The book is divided into four sections.  Even the Index of first lines contains appealing animal figures.  Watercolor, ink, and other media, illustrate the rhymes, many of which are familiar, but which also includes some surprises that most people do not know.  One of most interesting  illustrations is  "As I was Going to St. Ives"   This is a good purchase with or without the companion book.
    Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI
    32 years as a school library media specialist
 
 

[ To the top of this page ]  

[ To SPC Homepage ]