[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
Lourie, Peter. YUKON RIVER: AN ADVENTURE TO THE GOLD FIELDS
OF THE KLONDIKE. Illus.with photos.
Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills, 1992; 2000.
48p. 1-56397-878-4; pb., $9.95 91-77600
Age 8+ 917.98
The book begins with a map placing the Yukon
Territory next to Alaska and showing where the Arctic Circle runs through both.
Another map shows Whitehorse, Laberge, Shipyard Island, Five Finger Rapids, Fort
Selkirk, Dawson, and Bonanza Creek. The book is divided into these
geographic locations. A selection from Canadian poet Robert Service
appears at the beginning of the book. This first person account of the
author's 460 mile canoe trip down the Yukon River from Whitehorse to the
Arctic circle, follows the route of the gold rush. The travelogue of the
territory includes information about the gold rush that made it famous.
This book would appeal to canoers and persons interested in the gold rush,
Alaska, or the Canadian Yukon.
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 ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
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
Nobleman, Marc Tyler. THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE OF 1906. We the People
Series.
Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books, 2007.
48p. ISBN: 13:
978-0-7565-2460-9
Gr. 4-6 JUV
j979.4
Thanks to the California Gold Rush of 1848, San Francisco, a large,
natural harbor had become a city of 400,000 by 1906. Underneath the beautiful
hills of the city lay the San Andreas Fault, a place where two tectonic plates
met. On the morning of April 18,
1906 those two plates slid fifteen
feet past each other with devastating results to the buildings and streets. But
the out-of-control fires that consumed most homes within four days caused the
greatest damage.
This concise and well-written book is amply illustrated with photographs
and paintings, relating experiences from the viewpoint of inhabitants and also
describing the mistakes made in dealing with the catastrophe, such as
insufficient water for fighting fires and a shoot-to-kill order to be carried
out by soldiers against looters. The
account is well organized and as such makes a historical event an interesting
story.
Judy Bennett, Ironwood Carnegie Library, Ironwood, MI
Rau, Margaret. THE WELLS FARGO BOOK OF THE GOLD RUSH.
Illus from the Wells Fargo Historical Archives. New
York: Atheneum, 2001. 143p.
0-689-83019-X; hb., $18.00 99-028767
Gr. 6+ 979.404
According to the introduction "Wells, Fargo &
Co., Banking and Express, provided financial, delivery, and letter services.
To celebrate the Golden State's sesquicentennial, Wells Fargo is pleased to
support Margaret Rau's tale of gold!" The book begins with a
relief map of California Gold Mining and the discovery of gold. January
24, 1848, James Marshall, a friend of Capt. John Sutter saw flakes in the
tailrace of the sawmill.
This book provides information that can be found in other
sources about the gold rush but adds a perspective from the providers of a
reliable system to escort the transfer the gold, mail, and other cargo as well
as provide banking services. Two million people visit Wells Fargo's five
museums and four museum stores. The prints, photos, and drawings about the
era that come from the Wells Fargo Archives add to the understanding of the
subject and appear strategically throughout the book in interesting patterns and
with accompanying captions. An epilogue, bibliography, and index complete the
book.
This book prepares readers for the 2002 150th anniversary of Wells Fargo.
This book provides helpful background about the gold rush and the role of
economics in American history for curriculum support. Towns where
there are branches of Wells Fargo banks will be interested in the book and the
bank may provide copies for school and public libraries.
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 ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
Ashabranner, Brent. THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT: A BEACON FOR
AMERICA. Photos by Jennifer Ashabranner.
Great American Memorials.
Brookfield, CT: Twenty-first Century/Millbrook, 2002.
64p. 0-7613-1524-1;
lib.bdg., $25.90 Gr. 3+
975.3
The Ashabranners, father and daughter, begin with a personal
note about being in Washington D.C. during the Fourth of July celebration in
2001 to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of
Independence and move on to the history of the birth of our nation. There
is information about George Washington and early efforts to create a memorial to
honor him that the Continental Congress passed in 1783. The War of 1812
curtailed those efforts. Construction began again in 1848 when the
cornerstone was laid but construction stopped when they ran out of money in 1854
due to the Know-Nothing party. The Civil War also delayed the project and
the incomplete monument stood neglected for years until the nation was preparing
for its centennial. The federal government took over the project and the
dedication was in 1884. There are black and white photos of alternative
designs and color pictures of views from other historic places like the Lincoln
Memorial as well as pictures of those other memorials. A photo of the
monument and the crowd who heard Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a
Dream” speech. Statistics, visitor information, a bibliography of 15
books, and an index round out the book. This is an important
addition to school and public libraries that will be important for its historic
and geographical value or for celebrating Washington’s birthday.
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 ]
Doherty, Kieran. MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS: GUARDIAN OF THE
‘GLADES. Brookfield, CT:
Twenty-first/Millbrook, 2002. 143p.
0-7613-2371-6; lib.bdg., $24.90 Gr.
7-12 333.91
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.
Mary Ann Paulin, director, Superiorland Preview Center
32 years of experience of as a school library media
specialist
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
Santella, Andrew. JAMES EARL CARTER JR. Profiles of the
Presidents.
Minneapolis: Compass Point, 2003. 64p.
0-7565-0283-7; lib.bdg., $23.90
2002-003031 Gr. 3-6
973.926 or 92
This biography of a 20th century president begins will his
unknown status and attributes Carter’s election to his many speeches and
handshaking, confidence, hard work, Nixon’s resignation and voter loss of
faith in politicians. The biography returns to his childhood, grade
school, high school, and appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy. Because
of World War II, Carter’s class graduated in three years and he chose to work
on submarines. Carter left his new wife behind when he left for war.
Carter was in the navy for eight years until his father died and he came back to
take over the family farm and business. As a community leader, Carter took
an unpopular stand on segregation. Some offices he held were school board,
Georgia state senate, and governor. To prepare for the presidency, Carter
became chairman of the Democratic National Campaign Committee. His
campaign theme was “A leader, for a change.”
Carter defeated Ford in a close election and appointed many African-Americans to
important positions. He pardoned draft evaders during the Vietnam War
which allowed people who left the country to return to the U.S., worked on human
rights around the world, prepared a treaty to return the Panama Canal to Panama,
improved relations with China, brokered a peace treaty in the Middle East
between Sadat and Begin, worked on an energy plan, and worked on an arms treaty
with the Soviet Union that never became a treaty because the Soviets invaded
Afghanistan. The role of the hostages taken in Iran and Carter’s refusal
to return the ill Shah to Iran, Ted Kennedy’s candidacy, and Reagan’s
popularity lost him the 1980 election. However, Carter continued to work
to free the hostages and they were freed on Reagan’s first day in office.
Space is devoted to Carter’s service to the country and the
world after leaving office: The Carter Presidential Center of Emory University
in Atlanta to promote democracy, human rights, and health care throughout the
world; supervising world elections; building houses for Habitat for Humanity;
and publishing books. The book ends with a photo of Jimmy and Rosalyn
receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The glossary includes words
highlighted in the text. At the end of the book there are statistics of
his personal and public life as well as selected books written by him, a list of
cabinet members, a time line of his life in one column and world events in
another, and election results. A list of five book, five web sites, and three
addresses of historic sites are given. A list of U.S. presidents with
years in office and an index conclude the book.
There is a color or black and white photo on almost every
page and the text is large enough and the vocabulary is easy enough for fast
reading. This biography is recommended for school and public libraries.
Mary Ann Paulin, director, Superiorland Preview Center
32 years of experience of as a school library media
specialist
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
Heinrichs, Ann. ILLINOIS. This Land is Your Land series.
Minneapolis/Compass
Point, 2003. 48p. 0-7565-0313-2; lib.bdg., $22.60
2002-002961
Gr. 2-5 977.3
There is lots of information packed in this book that will be
helpful to students studying states in intermediate grades. Readers learn
about the land, cities, products, history, people, famous people, and culture.
A list of important dates from 1673 to 1997, a glossary of 11 terms that were in
bold print in the text, interesting facts, statistics, symbols, the text of the
stat song, and a recipe for prairie cornbread. Short bios of 17 famous
Illinoisans, two web sites, and six addresses are included. The photos and
drawings add to the text. An effort was made to add interesting photos of
the T Rex at the Field Museum, Michael Jordan, and Oreo cookies, the
best-selling cookies of all time. This is an interesting and informative
book about Illiinois.
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 ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
Erickson, Paul. DAILY LIFE IN THE PILGRIM COLONY 1636.
New York: Clarion, 2002. 48p. 0-618-05846-X; hb.,
$20.00
0-395-98841-1; pb., $9.95 2001-017203 Gr.
3-7+ 974.4
This beautiful history book shares a wealth of information
about the pilgrims beginning with coming to the new world on the Mayflower.
A large color photo of the Mayflower II is representative of the sharp photos
taken at Plimoth Plantation that appear throughout the book. Clear
explanations accompany color photos, maps, artifacts, drawings, engravings, and
documents. The sidebars appear on blue backgrounds so they stand out from
the regular text. All of the topics are featured in double-page spreads
that have an interesting balance of photos and text, including the sidebars.
The book follows the daily life of the Prentiss family of Plymouth that includes
12-year-old Isaac, 7-year-old Isaac, 16-year-old Sarah, their parents and an
apprentice. Some topics are the colony and homesteads, cooking and eating,
eating, work of men and women, trade and defense, government and religion,
health and medicine, and their place in history. The book concludes with a
timeline, glossary, and index. Elementary and middle schools as well as
public libraries of all sizes should purchase this book.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI
32 years of experience as a school library/media
specialist
Miller William. TITUBA. Illus by Leonard Jenkins. San
Diego: Gulliver/Harcourt,
2000. 32p. 0-15-201897; 2; hb.,
$16.00. 99-6332 Gr. 1-4.
974.4 or 92
The author’s note for this picture book gives background
information about Tituba, the slave who came from the Barbados to New England
and was involved in the Salem witch trials. Although Miller states in this
note “This book is a creative attempt to tell her story and fill in the
missing periods of her life,” the book is catalogued as nonfiction. It
should be noted that cataloging and classification are not decided by the
author. The feelings, motivation, and dialogue attributed to this famous
slave are “creative” and it is surprising that it was given a B or 974.4
because it is really biographical fiction. Because no bibliography is
included and no information is given in the author’s note about sources, it is
unknown if Tituba’s inspiring words at the end of the book were hers or those
of the author because the dialogue at the beginning of the book is obviously
created. The illustrations were created with spray paint, acrylics,
and pastels and the colors are bold and the emotions raw. If this book is
biographical fiction it is successful, if it is biography or history, it
violates nonfiction rules. Purchase based on your needs.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
32 years of experience as a school library/media
specialist
St. George, Judith. JOHN & ABIGAIL ADAMS: AN AMERICAN LOVE
STORY.
New York: Holiday, 2001. 147p. 0-8234-1571-6; hb.,
$22.95 00-048226
Gr. 4-9 92
or 973.4
After reading two thousand letters written by the John and
Abigail Adams, a gifted writer tells the story of America’s beginnings through
their lives. John began as a lawyer who rode circuit from one district
courthouse to another. Their first letters, according to the custom of the
day were signed using their mythological names. The couple began their
correspondence before they were married in1764 when she was almost 20 and he was
29. Much of their life the couple was apart, once for five straight years.
The couple were apart when John was a delegate to the First (1774) and Second
(1775) Continental Congresses. John and son Johnny (John Quincey) left for
Europe in1778 where John was negotiating with the French and later John was
first American ambassador to the Netherlands, and when John was negotiating the
Peace treaty in Paris. Abigail joined him when he was appointed the first
American ambassador to Great Britain.
Their first years of marriage were spent raising children and
becoming active in patriotic causes. The British passed the Stamp Act
which John denounced. While on the Massachusetts General Court, John was
lawyer for the British soldiers who killed civilians at the Boston Massacre.
John wrote “The die is cast” when the Boston Tea Party and the retaliatory
Coercive Acts happened. “John nominated George Washington as commander
in chief…was a key player in establishing the American navy and the corps of
marines.”
The couple had their share of sorrow in their personal lives.
A child was stillborn. Son Charles was an alcoholic who abandoned his
family and died at age 30. Daughter Nabby died of breast cancer at age of
48. There were also political disappointments. John was not as
charismatic as Ambassador Benjamin Franklin while they were in Paris
wooing the French. As first ambassador to Great Britain, he was unable to
gain trade concessions from them and because of his ten years abroad, people
called him “His Rotundity,” puppet of the French, and called Abigail
“Her Majesty.” There were estrangements from friends because of
politics, Mercy Warren and Thomas Jefferson, which were fortunately made up
before it was too late. There was the political treachery of Alexander
Hamilton. John lost the presidency to Jefferson and although their
politics were very different, he had to serve as Vice President. Adams was
not reelected and when he left office, people did not visit him like they did
Washington. Abigail died 7 years before her son became President of the
U.S. and her husband outlived her.
An interesting sidelight was that Johnny was a child in arms
when his mother took him to watch the Battle of Breed’s Hill. He went
with his father to Paris and at age 13 he accompanied his father’s friend,
Francis Dana, who was appointed to represent the U.S. in Russia and became
Dana’s secretary because he spoke French, the common language with the
Russians. At age 17 he lived with his parent s in London where his father
was ambassador, graduated from Harvard, became a U.S. Senator, American
ambassador to Russia and later Great Britain, Secretary of State for Monroe, and
then president.
St. George says, “Abigail and John were equal partners.
They were partners in raising their children. They were partners in
sharing their joy in good times and upholding each other in times of sorrow.
Now they would be partners in sharing their talents to serve the country they
loved.” “John’s and Abigail’s letters to each other were more than
exchanges of affection, family news and political reports. They were
life-and love-sustaining.” This is a good addition to collections where
history of early America is needed, especially contributions of women.
There is a color or black and white photo on almost every
page and the text is large enough and the vocabulary is easy enough for fast
reading. This biography is recommended for school and public libraries.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center,
Marquette, MI
32 years of experience as a school library/media specialist
Waters, Kate. GIVING THANKS: THE 1621 HARVEST FEAST.
Photos by Russ
Kendall. New York: Scholastic, 2001. 40p.
0-439-24395-5; hb., $16.95.
00-050477 K-Gr. 4+
394.26 PAULIN’S PICKS
In the preface Waters tells readers that sometime between
September 21 and November 9, 1621, the Pilgrims and the Wamangoag shared a
harvest celebration. At the end of the book in a section called “More about
the 1621 Harvest Feast,” Waters dispels the myth of the first Thanksgiving and
says that it did not happen the way we were led to believe. Rather it was
a coincidence that the Wamangoag visiteed the Pilgrims when they were
celebrating their harvest. The photos are clear, crisp, and realistic.
The photos were taken at a three-day event that took place on October 7-9, 2000.
The story is told alternately from two first person perspectives by two boys.
Dancing Moccasin was played by a Mashpee Wampanoag from Cape Cod and Graham
Lelbica, whose mother works at works at Plimoth Plantation, played Resolved
White who was a real boy in 1621. There is a bibliography of three
books, information and web site for Plimoth Plantation, a glossary and a
combined glossary/index. This is an essential 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 ]
Appleford, Annie. M IS FOR MITTEN: A MICHIGAN ALPHABET.
Poetry by Kathy-jo Wargin. Illus. by Michael G. Monroe.
Chelsea, MI:
Sleeping Bear Press, 1999. unp.
1-886947-73-2; hb., $15.95 99-33497
Gr. K-4 E or
917.74
Capital and small letters are given on each single
or double page spread in conjunction with explanatory text. A poem is
incorporated into illustrations which cover about 3/4 of the page or pages.
Considering that the poems and text were written by different people, they work
well with each other and with the illustrations to make a unified whole.
Maintaining a rhyme scheme while providing meaningful information is not easy
and the result is informative and pleasing. Perhaps this is because the
total information imparted is not due solely to the poetry. Some
alphabet books are strained for difficult letters like Q, X, and Y
but the choices for these letters are natural. Q is for Henry Ford's first
car, the Quadricycle; X marks the spot because thousands of ships have sunk in
the Great Lakes; and Y is for yachts especially, the Chicago-Mackinac Yacht
Race. There are three products mentioned by name, Jiffy mix, Kellogg's
Frosted Flakes, and Vernor's Ginger ale. A is for Apples because the apple
blossom is the state flower. Because only a sentence is given, Appleford
could have added the word agriculture because Michigan is known for a wide range
of crops like navy beans, sugar beets, corn, and wheat among others. This
would not have been the only letter representing two concepts; for example, P
has a painted turtle and the Petoskey stone, the official stone. Cherries
are another crop that represents a letter. F could have been used
for farming but it was devoted to President Gerald Ford. This choice may
have been unfortunate because the text says that he "represented Michigan
in Congress for 24 years." Had Ford been a Senator, this would have
been accurate, but technically a Congressman represents a specific district, not
the whole state. This is a minor flaw that should not keep this book from
being purchased for school, public, and home libraries. Because it has
lots of information about the state that is portrayed in a pleasing manner, the
book will be purchased by libraries in other states to support a curriculum that
includes the study other states. All Michigan fourth grade teachers will
want their own copies of this book for use while studying Michigan history.
Highly recommended.
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 ]
Uschan, Michael. JESSE VENTURA. People in the News series.
San Diego: Lucent,
2001. 111p. 1-56006-777-2; lib.bdg., $29.94
00-010391 Gr. 3-9 977.6 or
92 or 796.812
James George Janos was born in 1951 in Minneapolis.
Ventura is his wrestling name. The book chronicles his early years, his
Navy SEAL years in Vietnam, professional wrestling, movie star career, Mayor of
Brooklyn Park, MN, governor of Minnesota, and ends in 2000. Sidebars
include “A Brief History of Pro Wrestling,” “Why Jesse Ventura Won,”
“Leaving the Reform Party,” and “The Infamous Playboy Interview.”
There are extensive notes for each chapter, a chronology, two books “For
Further Reading,” a long list of “Works Consulted,” and an index.
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 ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
Kroll, Steven. WILLIAM PENN: FOUNDER OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Illus. by Ronald Himler. New York: Holiday, 2000.
0-8234-1439-6; hb., $16.95
98-18932 92
or 974.8
Many full-page illustrations of watercolor, gouache,
and pencil enhance the text which is so packed with information that there is no
room for transitions. William's father was given an estate in Ireland for
his service as a rear admiral in Cromwell's navy. It was these estates
that provided Penn's father with his wealth. When William was ten,
laws were passed against Quakers. When Charles II came to power, William
was a student at Oxford but was expelled for refusing to attend Church of
England services. William was thrown into the Tower of London for his
Quaker preaching. Penn received his colonial charter in 1681 for several
reasons, the King owed a debt to his father for loans and services and they
wanted to be rid of the Quakers. In the new world Penn make friends with
the Lenni Lenape Indians. When he returned to England he was charged with
treason and later was thrown into debtor's prison. Although most of the
book is devoted to events outside Pennsylvania, the book is still useful for
U.S. history programs in intermediate and middle schools because it sheds light
on the various leadership in England during Penn's life as well as Penn's
activities. Despite problems, school and public libraries will find this
book useful for history, biography, or geography units of study
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 ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
Rau, Dana Meachen.
MOUNT RUSHMORE. Let’s See series. Minneapolis: Compass
Point, 2002. 24p. 0-7565-0141-5; lib.bdg., $18.60
2001-001590 Gr. 1-3 978.3
Items in dark print appear at the glossary at the end of the
book with a list of five books, two web sites, two mail addresses, and an index.
Photos appear on every other page. The text conveys lots of information
and answers the following questions: Who are the four faces? Who carved
the faces? How was it carved? What were problems during carving the sculpture?
How big is it? How can people visit the site? There are lots
of names that could have used phonetic interpretations. This is an
interesting book that can be used when studying South Dakota, presidents, or
National Parks.
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 ]
Stefoff, Rebecca. AL GORE. A Life in Politics series.
Brookfield, CT:
Gateway/Millbrook, 1999. 48p.
1-56294-433-9; lib.bdg, $22.90
0-7613-13329-X; pb. 93-13850
Gr. 92 or 973.929
Libraries who do not own this book and order it now,
should check to see that
the last line of the chronology been updated to include the election. The
book that includes the
update has the same ISBN numbers as the first book but information from pages
38-48 are
different beginning with a different picture on page 38. Note that the
title of the first book is AL
GORE: VICE PRESIDENT.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center
32 years of experience as a school library/media
specialist
Stefoff, Rebecca. AL GORE: VICE PRESIDENT.
Brookfield, CT:
Milbrook, 1999. 48p. Gateway Biography
series. 0-7613-1329-X; pb., $8.95.
93-13850 Gr. 2-5
92
The book begins when the Gore's son was hospitalized
in 1989 and they were uncertain about his future. Al Gore was a U.S.
Senator at the time and this incident made him think of the future of living
things, his son's future, and his own childhood. The book moves back to
Gore's early years spent in a hotel in Washington, D.C. and the family farm in
Tennessee, meeting Tipper, law school at Harvard, views of and service in the
Vietnam War, enrollment in divinity school, work as a reporter, membership in
the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, running for president in 1988,
writing EARTH IN THE BALANCE, and being vice president. There
is emphasis on his environmental activities, with information on the impeachment
of Clinton and Gore's hope to be the Democratic party's candidate for president
in 2000. Not all of the information is complementary but a balance is
provided. There are 15 full-page black and white or color photos that have
informative captions but shorten the amount of text space, making the books
shorter than it appears. A chronology, list of further reading, and index
are helpful. This is an up-to-date and timely addition for elementary and
middle school collections and for children and youth collections in public
libraries but Stefoff's biography is also a fast read for high school students
and adults who want quick and basic background information on a presidential
candidate. Replace Steffoff's earlier 1994 edition with this paperback.
This also updates Burford's AL GORE: VICE PRESIDENT (Enslow, ‘94) which
is for an older audience.
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 ]
Alter, Judy. SAM HOUSTON: A LEADER FOR TEXAS. Community
Builders series. New York:
Children's Press, 1998. 48p. 0-516-26331-5 pb.
$6.95 Gr. 3-6
976.4 o 92
Black and white and color photos, drawings, large print
and sidebars combine to make this biography appealing. It can be used as a
biography, to provide information about Cherokees, or for information about
Texas history. This easy to read book mentions his three marriages,
drinking, Six Flags over Texas, fight for Independence, the Alamo, and the
defeat of Santa Anna's troops in the Battle of San Jacinto. Houston was
the first president of the Republic of Texas, and was one of the first senators.
Features include a timeline, book list, 5 online sites, and an index.
Others in series are lady Bird Johnson and Milton Hershey. Purchase where
reports about sates are needed at the intermediate level and for American
history studies up through middle school.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
32 years of experience as a school library/media
specialist
Cohen, Daniel. GEORGE W. BUSH: THE FAMILY BUSINESS. Illus.
with photos.
Gateway Biographies. Brookfield, CT: Milbrook, 2000.
48p. 0-7613-1851-8; lib.bdg.,
$21.90 Gr. 3-6+
92 or 976.4 or 92
Like a newspaper article that has an
"angle," the author mentions several other American political families
with multiple presidential aspirations: Adams, Roosevelt, Taft, and Kennedy.
Cohen tells abut George's father, brother, and grandfather (Senator).
George W. is called Junior by his supporters and "Shrub" by others.
Cohen shares Junior's good and bad points. Bush's pluses are that he
was a good boss, a good fund raiser, has a gift for making friends, was loyal to
his employees, is a good family man with twins, is bilingual, and is governor to
Texas. Minuses include Bush's college experience as a
"fair student" "barely passing a "pilot aptitude' test"
to get into the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War, not being accepted
into the University of Texas Law school but being admitted to the Harvard
Business school where he received an MBA, losing a congressional race, and
receiving jobs because his father was president. When the oil business as
a whole wasn't good and his business was failing, he sold it to a larger company
and made sure his employees were hired by the new company. The new
company hired Junior because of his family connections. At age 40 he gave
up drinking about the time his father was running for vice president and he
worked on his father's campaign. He went to Texas and found backers
to help purchase the Houston Astros and became a managing general partner which
provided him TV coverage, helped to get backing for new stadium in Arlington,
which helped him to become known so he could successfully run for governor.
Although the governor of TX does not have independent power, Bush worked
successfully with the legislature to accomplish his goals. No bibliography
of other young people's books about Bush is included because there aren't any
but here are three web sites, an index, and a chronology This book
ends with Bush as a front runner for 2000 Republican nomination.
This title is timely, and is currently the biography for George W. Bush at this
age level. Purchase it for school library media centers serving grades
4-12 and public libraries where it will also be used by adults.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director; Superiorland Preview Center
32 years of experience as a school library/media
specialist
Cohen, Daniel. GEORGE W. BUSH: THE FAMILY BUSINESS.
Illus. with photos.
Gateway Biographies. Brookfield, CT: Milbrook, 2000.
48p. 0-7613-1851-8; lib.bdg.,
$21.90 99-054082 Gr. 3-6+ 92
or 976.4
Libraries who do not own this book and order it now,
should check to see that the
last pages have been updated to include the election because the update has the
same ISBN
numbers and the same title as the first book. Differences between the two
include one extra line in the chronology telling readers that Bush became
president. Pages 40-48 also contain different
information.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview Center
32 years of experience as a school library/media
specialist
Wukovits, John F. GEORGE W. BUSH. People in the News
series. San Diego:
Lucent, 2000. 112p. 1-56006-693-8; hb., $18.96
Gr. 5-10 92 or 976.4
This biography of George W. begins when he is
Governor of Texas then moves to his family’s legacy in politics. Then it
goes back to young George’s school days from boarding school through Yale and
the Fraternity scene, graduation and his enlistment in the Texas Air National
Guard during the Vietnam War. In 1970 George W. ran his father’s losing
senatorial campaign against Lloyd Bentsen. When he was accepted into
Harvard Business School, George W. received an early release from the National
Guard. After graduation he joined the Texas oil boom and met and married
Laura. After an
unsuccessful congressional campaign, Bush sold his ailing oil business and
worked for the purchasing company. During this time he gave up alcohol and
embraced religion. George W. worked for his father’s campaign for
president in 1988 then purchased the Texas Rangers with a group of investors.
The controversy of profitably selling his oil shares right before the Persian
Gulf War made stocks plunge, caused critics to wonder if he had inside
information. The biography returns to Bush’s terms as governor, his
governing style, education initiative, the juvenile justice system, and capital
punishment. The book ends with Bush’s campaign for the presidency and
his losses in the New Hampshire and Michigan primaries. This book is
very similar to Cohen’s GEORGE W. BUSH: THE FAMILY BUSINESS (Millbrook,
2000). The best features of this book are the extensive chapter
notes, chronology, “For Further Reading,” “Works Consulted,” and
index.
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 ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
Aronson, Marc. SIR WALTER RALEIGH AND THE QUEST FOR
EL DORADO. New York: Clarion, 2000.
222p. 0-395-8427-X; hb., $20.00
99-04396 Gr. 7-12+
942.055 or 92
A Cast of Characters at the beginning of the book
lists Raleigh's relations and allies; Elizabeth's courtiers and advisors;
English seamen; poets, playwrights, writers; conquistadors; and Americans.
Among those listed in the Durham House set is Thomas Harriot, who kept detailed
records on a trip to the new world with Raleigh and who is featured in R.
Stiger's THOMAS HARRIOT: SCIENCE PIONEER (Clarion, 1999).
Much attention was devoted to John White who drew maps and sites of the new
world on a trip with Raleigh. When White returned three years later,
the Roanoke colony had disappeared including his daughter's child, Virginia
Dare, the first European child born in the new world. Sir Humphrey
Gilbert, Raleigh's half brother, was "the first to set out for the new
world with the aim of creating an English colony." Sir Francis
Drake was Raleigh's stepcousin and Sir Richard Grenville was his cousin. A
section of the prologue explains El Dorado and how it affected explorations to
the new world. Readers learn that Raleigh was a second son who had
to make his own fortune and received lands for his role in Ireland and in the
new world. Raleigh had the patronage of Elizabeth I but she threw him into
the Tower of London when he married one of her ladies in waiting without her
permission. When Elizabeth died, Raleigh was charged with high treason by
her successor, James. Other persons who receive attention in the book are
Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Essex, Shakespear, and Milton.
The black and white maps and drawings are period
pieces. Extensive chapter notes, a six-page time line, and a detailed
index add to the value of the book. This title is useful for middle and
high school students who are studying the Elizabethan Age, early exploration in
the Americas, the Spanish Armada, or the early history of England.
Although this title will appear in youth collections in public libraries, it
will also be useful to adults. Don't miss this versatile biography.
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 ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]
[ To the top of this page ] | [ To SPC Homepage ]