tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48140997444377416392024-03-04T21:11:44.835-08:00Biography BreakEsme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-32639074588703097772008-12-09T09:00:00.039-08:002008-12-09T14:23:18.855-08:00HARVESTING HOPE (Cesar Chavez)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/harvesthope.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 149px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/harvesthope.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0152014373/planetesme" target="_blank">HARVESTING HOPE: THE STORY OF CESAR CHAVEZ</a><br />by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Harcourt)<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">On a ranch in the Arizona desert was a family thriving on eighty acres, until the great drought drove them all to migrant work. Though their crops may have withered, a seed was germinating in young Cesar Chavez. The indignities he experienced as a shy Spanish-speaking student and the grueling conditions are honestly portayed. Children will be stirred by these indignities, and their hearts equally swelled by the <span style="font-style: italic;">huelga</span>, Chavez's peaceful movement against threatening overlords. His three-hundred mile march from Delano to Sacramento was the longest in U.S. history, and resulted in the first ever contract for farmworkers. This is an extremely powerful book that underscores the bravery and resolve it takes to engage in non-violent protest, and rightly puts Chavez on the same scaffolding as Martin Luther King as a champion of civil rights. The lush illustrations roll across double-pages horizontally set, thoughtfully designed as to emphasize distance: how far the people had to travel both spiritually and physically to achieve the goal. A page-turning read-aloud about an important chapter of Latino history that reads aloud as well to second graders as to eighth graders, this is a welcome and well done contribution to the shelves of children's biography. Viva la Causa! (All ages)<br /></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-76218251416766902952008-12-09T09:00:00.038-08:002008-12-09T14:22:47.823-08:00WANDA GAG: THE GIRL WHO LIVED TO DRAW (Wanda Gag)<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPRayr6-nP48qv5Fb0xohVJOe7TtBL_3rP__LnXBGrAXhruEkINCGnFAL3C_G-s1LIr5qXpcvnBliMB3foux9KLhChtf8FsLBM4Q4rv-NoABe3kkwzqoq_nSPxg03RAtKWOqEJgDQtGM/s1600-h/wandagag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPRayr6-nP48qv5Fb0xohVJOe7TtBL_3rP__LnXBGrAXhruEkINCGnFAL3C_G-s1LIr5qXpcvnBliMB3foux9KLhChtf8FsLBM4Q4rv-NoABe3kkwzqoq_nSPxg03RAtKWOqEJgDQtGM/s200/wandagag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251936217939961378" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670062928/planetesme" target="_blank">WANDA GAG: THE GIRL WHO LIVED TO DRAW by Deborah Kogan Ray (Viking)</a><br />Thought of as the mother of the modern picture book thanks to her scrappy 1929 tour-de-force <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142407089/planetesme" target="_blank">MILLIONS OF CATS</a>, Wanda Gag did not always have it easy, but she always had the drive to succeed. Using primary sources (as she did in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374376271/planetesme" target="_blank">TO GO SINGING THROUGH THE WORLD: THE CHILDHOOD OF PABLO NERUDA</a>), the author captures the struggles of young Gag as she followed in the footsteps of her hardworking father. His imaginative dreams were thwarted by his need to support his family, but on his deathbed he fortells, "What Papa couldn't do, Wanda will have to finish." Most teenagers would have would have folded under the weight of caring for six young siblings and a sick mother, but the resourceful Gag not only gets her family through the hard times (two sisters became teachers!), but was published and earned a scholarship to study art in New York, where her creative genius began to truly blossom. This is a story that will truly inspire any creative spirit who encounters it, with lovely cozy-brown soft illustrations reminsicent of <a href="http://www.donfreeman.info/" target="_blank">Don Freeman</a>; you will have to resist pulling pictures out to frame (or maybe you don't have to resist). <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxECXwHcWNOEVTVUo0dQcKZwvRnVyIzh0W0b4MLaNm7CpswIohGTqnJGKQydi3oY1NJyUlCsOtkAN794EEt1VQz3pu6zlmjmFlHQsh0TaLzv9NDV9BNxhjKgPoRDrpZG1Rc5_t6RMq7w/s1600-h/millinsofcats.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxECXwHcWNOEVTVUo0dQcKZwvRnVyIzh0W0b4MLaNm7CpswIohGTqnJGKQydi3oY1NJyUlCsOtkAN794EEt1VQz3pu6zlmjmFlHQsh0TaLzv9NDV9BNxhjKgPoRDrpZG1Rc5_t6RMq7w/s200/millinsofcats.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251935691548464690" border="0" /></a>The story is penned with a personal touch that allows the reader to warm their own skin against the heat of Gag's passion for art ("I can't help it that I've got to draw and paint forever; I cannot stop; I cannot; cannot, CANNOT...I have a right to go on drawing...") and to genuinely revel in Gag's accomplishments, especially in the face of such hardships. By the last page, any reader would want to be friends with sweet Bohemian Wanda, and bring a basket of ginger cookies to her as she draws in "a sagging farmhouse she called 'Tumble Timbers.'" It's exciting to read about somebody who put dreams first, even when it wasn't easy to do. (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-31784906776997387482008-12-09T09:00:00.037-08:002008-12-09T14:20:36.618-08:00ABE LINCOLN: THE BOY WHO LOVED BOOKS (Abraham Lincoln)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaVLWwotEhFdPognMFV0ovxZCSSoWNww-EIkBMgwyrGAzG4EX2kyHrs1qwnDJXbnq-VMX1lwXn75l77S0Fk44OspZL3sPvWuf68X2RFPTBeNHuzczZo020ky0WCZxOGRoxb5BbwKs5Qk/s1600-h/abe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaVLWwotEhFdPognMFV0ovxZCSSoWNww-EIkBMgwyrGAzG4EX2kyHrs1qwnDJXbnq-VMX1lwXn75l77S0Fk44OspZL3sPvWuf68X2RFPTBeNHuzczZo020ky0WCZxOGRoxb5BbwKs5Qk/s200/abe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166326462391663458" border="0" /></a><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0689825544/planetesme" target="_blank">ABE LINCOLN: THE BOY WHO LOVED BOOKS </a> by Kim Winters, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (Simon and Schuster)<br /></have><div style="text-align: justify;"><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;">They thought he was lazy, this boy who would take a book out of his back pocket to read at the end of each row he'd plow. In fact, bigger things were in store for this young dreamer who was destined to become out 16th president. Readers are treated to a homey glimpse of this hero's boyhood, leaning on his father's lap by the fireside as yarns were spun, splitting wood, shivering with his sister in a drafty log loft. It chronicles both the dark days (like when Abe's mother dies of "milk sickness" when he is nine) and exciting adventures (such as the great wrestling match between him and Jack Armstrong, which was met with cries of "Body slam! Body slam!" by my second grade listeners). The story stops where most others begin, as Lincoln takes his seat at the White House. The unpretentious illustrations are evocative of the period and contain many details that are springboards to discussion, such as what schools were like in pioneer times, and why Lincoln campaigned from a train. </have>And don't forget, in honor of Lincoln's favorite pastime, celebrate his birthday by starting a <a href="http://planetesme.com/money.html" target="_blank">penny drive fundraiser</a> for your school library! <have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;">(6 and up)</have></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-15855251094966795522008-12-09T09:00:00.036-08:002008-12-09T14:20:08.552-08:00VINNIE AND ABRAHAM (Vinnie Ream)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYis049BDZ5VVNcgXVGXsC1uyR7qw9y7231L_gjrVl7Be92aomz2dwXGzWrFd5iId79ilhHV7XkJ4wezIDofSDI8hQq_j2lry196s5Lafl-141X642vULBoIeO-HdSQkHw7SV_SfvibUA/s1600-h/vinnie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYis049BDZ5VVNcgXVGXsC1uyR7qw9y7231L_gjrVl7Be92aomz2dwXGzWrFd5iId79ilhHV7XkJ4wezIDofSDI8hQq_j2lry196s5Lafl-141X642vULBoIeO-HdSQkHw7SV_SfvibUA/s200/vinnie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166320913293916978" border="0" /></a><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">PICTURE BOOK</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570916586/planetesme" target="_blank">VINNIE AND ABRAHAM by Dawn Fitzgerald, illustrated by Catherine Stock (Charlesbridge)</a><br /></have><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">"My work has never been a labor, but an ecstatic delight to my soul. I have woked in my studio not envying kings in their splendor; my mind to me was my kingdom, and my work more than diamonds and rubies. If my encouraging words can help any struggling artist to have new hope, I shall be glad..." -Vinnie Ream</blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">With so many men away fighting the Civil War, women were given new opportunities for employment, and fourteen-year-old Vinnie Ream took on work sorting dead letters in the post office. During her noon breaks, she slipped away to the Washington graveyards, cultivating her gift for sculpture. Realizing "I'll have to make my own opportunity if I ever hope to make art," she apprenticed herself out to a famous artist, who could not deny her talent. Soon Vinnie reputation spread, and she was able to sculpt the likenesses of haughty congressmen, always putting out into the universe and into their influential ears her dearest wish: to sculpt the face of the brave President Lincoln, whom she often saw walking among the people despite many threats of assasination. Her wish was eventually granted, but bittersweet. After the deed of John Wilkes Booth, Congress sought to hire a sculptor to create a memorial statue of President Lincoln. Could Vinnie's image of the president as a kind and gentle man compete with other visions of Lincoln as a warrior or saint? Would the bias against her age and gender stop her from giving the gift she wanted to create for her country?<br /><br />Besides being a tribute to a woman who never gave up, this is an extraordinary story of friendship and admiration, of two parallel lives converging in a way that resonates through all time.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SrjU6lqa-q4snJKdW78HgZSfsbbZMmAVCw7WfnjT3lIxZMEbLICHA_A5DtM-8UKe3Fte81DfVgO4EdOmDxJT4wPzAmDhfVNu0GPQPKAupJJeDoCnkwyu3U9Os9kdjYSpuISSFiCTiZQ/s1600-h/pinkandsay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SrjU6lqa-q4snJKdW78HgZSfsbbZMmAVCw7WfnjT3lIxZMEbLICHA_A5DtM-8UKe3Fte81DfVgO4EdOmDxJT4wPzAmDhfVNu0GPQPKAupJJeDoCnkwyu3U9Os9kdjYSpuISSFiCTiZQ/s200/pinkandsay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166324551131216706" border="0" /></a> The graceful writing in this book lends itself to smooth storytelling, and almost euphoric levels of inspiration. <have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;">Have a hanky handy; I cried twice during the reading, just rooting for Vinnie and celebrating her achievement as the youngest and first woman to receive a commission from the U.S. government. Stock makes watercolors look easy, with varied layout, an expressive style that captures Vinnie's indomitable energy and what surely was also a loveliness about her, and also evokes the flavor of the period. Capped off with a stirring author's note and a manageable list of both print and internet resources, this unassuming picture book biography was never boring, and achieves a level of excellence will truly take readers by surprise. It's the best Civil War period piece to hit the children's shelves since Patricia Polacco's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0399226710/planetesme" target="_blank">PINK AND SAY</a>. (7 and up)</have></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-24223066570139911832008-12-09T09:00:00.035-08:002008-12-09T14:18:07.879-08:00WE ARE THE SHIP (Negro League ballplayers)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7bw4I0tawJYC89S3O2b9bTGPHseK8BMin0fs9y8gPGKtewzXw5omDCh_g33p0glqKaah5U59qznaCYWaqZsN81-S4pwITO6oz98L800vtq8pnlXTPJzsa7PGfnJMzmHXExd3uXehrwM/s1600-h/wearetheship.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7bw4I0tawJYC89S3O2b9bTGPHseK8BMin0fs9y8gPGKtewzXw5omDCh_g33p0glqKaah5U59qznaCYWaqZsN81-S4pwITO6oz98L800vtq8pnlXTPJzsa7PGfnJMzmHXExd3uXehrwM/s200/wearetheship.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216754800473713890" border="0" /></a><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">NONFICTION</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786808322/planetesme" target="_blank">WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion)</a><br /></have><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">"We look back and wonder, 'How did we do all that?' It's simple. We loved the game so much, we just looked past everything else. We were ballplayers. There was nothing we would have rather spent our time doing."</blockquote></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Imagine that you are child in the box seats of the great baseball game of history, and sitting right beside you, giving the play-by play, is a man who had been around the block and around the bases of the Negro leagues of the early 20th century, a man who wanted to whisper to you all the secrets, truths and legends of his day before it fades past memory; imagine that can really happen, that such a gift can be given, and you have a sense of the spell cast by this formidable book. The dust is stirred, the crowd is heard, and the crack of the bat and the sting of the mitt sings, sings, sings in these pages. Via first-person voice (which takes a little getting used to, but then becomes incomparably warm and confiding), readers discover a parallel sports universe, a dream manifested by some powerhouse business visionaries who created a league of their own, with rules that bent (six foot curve balls, sharpened spikes for sliding, umpires chased over center-field fences?!) and heroes that were larger than life. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZhdzTGBUr1km4APpgiXYfVK7kycc5Mr1lHEcPB99kvWQuNQdDGkJI2cPmGeLH2sflH1bxawXCTh9JNszjBGwvY2JDL_dgtm09KMEoc_6mhKrC2H6tcpcWDTC5sMioNxY4R2zWkwqayU/s1600-h/ellington.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZhdzTGBUr1km4APpgiXYfVK7kycc5Mr1lHEcPB99kvWQuNQdDGkJI2cPmGeLH2sflH1bxawXCTh9JNszjBGwvY2JDL_dgtm09KMEoc_6mhKrC2H6tcpcWDTC5sMioNxY4R2zWkwqayU/s200/ellington.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216755624150004418" border="0" /></a>Descriptive and well-researched chapters celebrate the greats, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell and beyond, and allow us to travel across the country with them as far as the Jim Crow flies, across the border to Cuba, and then, so bravely across the color line. Stoic painted portraits capture the serene beauty and almost loneliness of the field, the power of every sinewy muscle of the bat-swinging, ball-throwing arms, the dignity of every set jaw, and a double-page fold-out group portrait of the "First Colored World Series" will take. Your breath. Away. Nelson managed to match if not out-do the stirring visual tribute he gave in Ntozake Shange's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0689828845/planetesme" target="_blank"> ELLINGTON WAS NOT A STREET</a>, and proved that his pen is as mighty as his brush. (And that's pretty mighty!)<br /><br />A grand slam of sports history, African American history and All-American history, it's sure to sweep the <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/literaryrelated.cfm" target="_blank">ALA awards </a>series and is the perfect gift for any baseball fan, but even more than that, it contains a piece of America that every child deserves to know. (8 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-39716064577914683162008-12-09T09:00:00.034-08:002008-12-09T14:16:57.846-08:00MANFISH (Jacques Cousteau)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrN4tlFFxre1tv4Rg-KFURp2LZi92AM0feYDf4iux7XITWjtVEkDRaa1_REp6Wwi_18lmeRL9nRyfkMZcSgxjg10-qF63mKrWe3Dxt27AmGW3n5AnHHZOMvLkHtF3Bh2Ko4MCb_w3FMI0/s1600-h/manfish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrN4tlFFxre1tv4Rg-KFURp2LZi92AM0feYDf4iux7XITWjtVEkDRaa1_REp6Wwi_18lmeRL9nRyfkMZcSgxjg10-qF63mKrWe3Dxt27AmGW3n5AnHHZOMvLkHtF3Bh2Ko4MCb_w3FMI0/s200/manfish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277917726153798130" border="0" /></a><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811860639/planetesme" target="_blank">MANFISH: A STORY OF JACQUES COUSTEAU</a><br />by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Éric Puybaret (Chronicle)<br /></have><div style="text-align: justify;"><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;">As a boy, Jacques Cousteau fantasized what it would be like to breathe beneath water. Later in life, all things converge as he combined his love of film and his amazing invention of the aqualung to show the world</have><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"> the undersea worth exploring...and worth saving. Smooth, flat art style against glossy paper goes far to capture the silky quiet of the sea, and the brilliant vertical fold-out that allows the reader to virtually and visually dive down into the depths of the ocean is a surprise. An inspiring life story clearly told for young readers across the grade levels, this beautiful book is a real catch. (6 and up)<br /></have></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-59964850055915125912008-12-09T09:00:00.033-08:002008-12-09T14:15:23.030-08:00WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE? (Alice Roosevelt)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObTfF3tFTd5J-Tz5dSsG73LpT0JuLjk_JYaijuo5H5NSouseFJsYa5KE15tsNliPWq1dYO8peOul2wPyvo2jpK7cFnO271AVUIY5MEOFB3gvFfchwc08x3hHxT7DdWi5LBAbb4F2dBFA/s1600-h/whattodoalice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObTfF3tFTd5J-Tz5dSsG73LpT0JuLjk_JYaijuo5H5NSouseFJsYa5KE15tsNliPWq1dYO8peOul2wPyvo2jpK7cFnO271AVUIY5MEOFB3gvFfchwc08x3hHxT7DdWi5LBAbb4F2dBFA/s200/whattodoalice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251935280221068210" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0439922313/planetesme" target="_blank">WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?</a> by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Scholastic)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both." -- Theodore Roosevelt<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Plans were being made to send the irrepressible Miss Alice Roosevelt to Miss Spence's boarding school to become a proper young lady. "Alice was appalled. The idea completely shriveled her." But with a little consistent effort, Alice manages to get herself homeschooled. Let loose in the library, the dear little autodidact "taught herself astronoy, geology, even Greek grammar. She read Twain, Dickens, Darwin, and the Bible, cover to cover." But what better home to school in than the White House? As her father's career rose to the highest power, Alice (and her pet snake Emily Spinach) make the move to D.C. Her high spirits and propensity not to listen to her father made headlines, and a difference in what women started to think they could do...and what fun they could have doing it. The goodwill ambassador and serious party girl gets celebrated here in a way that will have little girls snorting at the poor little Paris Hilton. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5Urho7rcZM52ZX8JWa-ZxYUZwnBIUpmJLk6S40-Mt99a3IzUseucIEbxiid7BirZ0TOgFjtB8pcTxuTvPbw2vHC9npYH-mZB3L4M2CiMbPfv-MyEOojeW9AqN4LDLuVyCKMstqBhOgI/s1600-h/bloomer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5Urho7rcZM52ZX8JWa-ZxYUZwnBIUpmJLk6S40-Mt99a3IzUseucIEbxiid7BirZ0TOgFjtB8pcTxuTvPbw2vHC9npYH-mZB3L4M2CiMbPfv-MyEOojeW9AqN4LDLuVyCKMstqBhOgI/s200/bloomer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257065737236968002" border="0" /></a>Some of the most charming pictures seen since McKinley's time happen here, and fans of Shana Corey and Chesley McLaren's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0439078199/planetesme" target="_blank">YOU FORGOT YOUR SKIRT, AMELIA BLOOMER </a>will appreciate the retro feel of the characters laid out with crisp, dynamic line and composition. Favorites pics include Alice having a tantrum with her head beneath a pillow, or zipping from shelf-to-shelf beneath a stuffy stuffed moose-head in the library; honestly, it makes me want to write something just so Edwin Fotheringham can draw it. What to do about Alice? Read about her days spent making the point: well-behaved women rarely make history. (6 and up)<br /></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-1505026828659060412008-12-09T08:59:00.007-08:002008-12-09T14:34:12.334-08:00GERSHWIN'S RHAPSODY IN BLUE (George Gershwin)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlpIFWR0jaW-bfGuB-IWdk2pW3yfARZgn8T3DD-d5goAXwAqNBHRikrYBDSCyVa5eX1-my5p5xKVd51MLaTMDskFQ46iM0L-WLkihVktWfLgQx-qYnvSn0ZjikSVKoesCYJgaiBmJCXg/s1600-h/gershwin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlpIFWR0jaW-bfGuB-IWdk2pW3yfARZgn8T3DD-d5goAXwAqNBHRikrYBDSCyVa5eX1-my5p5xKVd51MLaTMDskFQ46iM0L-WLkihVktWfLgQx-qYnvSn0ZjikSVKoesCYJgaiBmJCXg/s320/gershwin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160897664189389138" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570915563/planetesme" target="_blank">GERSHWIN'S RHAPSODY IN BLUE</a><br />by Anna Harwell Celenza, illustrated by JoAnn Kitchel (Charlesbridge)<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">American composer George Gershwin discovered by reading the newspaper that he was scheduled to debut a jazz concerto at a concert to be attended by the world's musical elite in a matter of five weeks, a publicity stunt pulled by an ambitious promoter. It seems like an impossible task, until George tunes in to the tempo of New York. "Klezmer, foxtrot, ragtime and blues. My concerto will be a tuneful kaleidoscope--a rhapsody about the music that surrounds me!" This is a wonderfully readable picture book biography celebrates how an artist synthesized what was around him in order to create a masterpiece; as George heard music in the train moving on the track, can children hear the music that surrounds them?<have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"> This book also includes a CD recording of Gershwin performing Rhapsody in Blue in 1925! Everyone in America needs to know this piece of our cultural heritage outside of the commercial ditty co-opted for American Airlines, and this sure is a delightful way to receive it. (6 and up)</have></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-54940660662127414312008-12-09T08:59:00.005-08:002008-12-09T14:33:31.083-08:00PRISCILLA AND THE HOLLYHOCKS (Priscilla Silkwood)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Yk3uHGYM3ZOEtX7YoZId-SQxkRTVHt0HJ5zRFqCI1HZJScOVNX3qq7dL-bZiCcW59G7fNch8E4fNqWT6bTh2l77DpP0CP61J3FyEUQaOTwHop98w-OklkOD5kF6OhI2aOXq6chWXD2A/s1600-h/hollyhocks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Yk3uHGYM3ZOEtX7YoZId-SQxkRTVHt0HJ5zRFqCI1HZJScOVNX3qq7dL-bZiCcW59G7fNch8E4fNqWT6bTh2l77DpP0CP61J3FyEUQaOTwHop98w-OklkOD5kF6OhI2aOXq6chWXD2A/s200/hollyhocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251584742052926722" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570916756/planetesme" target="_blank">PRISCILLA AND THE HOLLYHOCKS</a><br />by Anne Broyles, illustrated by Anna Alter (Charlesbridge)<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the great joys of reading is learning something you really didn't know before, and I really didn't know that some members of the Cherokee tribe who were trying to assimilate with European settlers owned African-American slaves (though not without controversy within the tribe). This is the true story of one young African-American girl who, as a result of being enslaved in a Cherokee family, accompanied them on the Trail of Tears, a five hundred mile genocidal treck in freezing weather. She was rescued by a man who saw her by chance, tracked her down and bought her freedom, raising her as one of the family. The growing and blooming of flowers through the story is a moving and hopeful allegory, and the stark differentiation of a life under another's thumb compared to a life of freedom and inclusion is effectively drawn. A powerful, interesting book that retells a painful chapter in American history through the eyes of a brave child. (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-47541893304535814352008-12-09T08:59:00.004-08:002008-12-09T20:55:57.696-08:00SANDY'S CIRCUS (Alexander Calder)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55DQYVUjnAj7E10DVES2htOHN-LkOhTUEcQ-tgqjZLrBY6To_xjyWIb0BQIlakd8Stc2CsJvvYbDxO8qsValj-eu_NISba26wn8sg92NR4QXebeo1yGqRdwBC6W_pgQfNjAKICijfji0/s1600-h/sandy'scircus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55DQYVUjnAj7E10DVES2htOHN-LkOhTUEcQ-tgqjZLrBY6To_xjyWIb0BQIlakd8Stc2CsJvvYbDxO8qsValj-eu_NISba26wn8sg92NR4QXebeo1yGqRdwBC6W_pgQfNjAKICijfji0/s200/sandy'scircus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251583762392382274" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670062685/planetesme" target="_blank">SANDY'S CIRCUS: A STORY ABOUT ALEXANDER CALDER</a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Boris Kulikov (Viking)<br />With a few masterful twists of wire, an artist entrances the Parisian audiences with his playful scrap circus, and a world of joy and play. An angel-like muse seems to follow Calder from page to page. I found myself wishing there were more photos of Calder's actual work included (see Melissa Eskridge Slaymaker's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805071318/planetesme" target="_blank">BOTTLE HOUSES: THE CREATIVE WORLD OF GRANDMA PRISBEY</a>), as I was not sure that a child would be able to recognize Calder or his work based on this book alone (a concern that was confirmed when a child noted that the man in the photo has a moustache and the man in the drawings does not), but supplemented with additional images, this book makes for a very exuberant introduction to the inventor of the first mobiles. Play on, playa! (6 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-81977258997821510102008-12-09T08:59:00.003-08:002008-12-09T14:32:40.478-08:00PORTRAITS OF JEWISH-AMERICAN HEROES<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNs9MUTvmoYxv5G0cCv53Lz8KGsuxiGd19RxtvuJo0d_aln8nCfOIQUzKRjqIE0ROkRhL_x4CtCXQcPu39s-unwmQ3JLgyDdXa_7eR9k_6LjCdlWFdkKdTZgpD1LgqHXv7qgpQQCmKqw/s1600-h/jewishamer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNs9MUTvmoYxv5G0cCv53Lz8KGsuxiGd19RxtvuJo0d_aln8nCfOIQUzKRjqIE0ROkRhL_x4CtCXQcPu39s-unwmQ3JLgyDdXa_7eR9k_6LjCdlWFdkKdTZgpD1LgqHXv7qgpQQCmKqw/s200/jewishamer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251585441051599666" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0525477713/planetesme" target="_blank">PORTRAITS OF JEWISH-AMERICAN HEROES</a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">by Malka Drucker, illustrated by Elizabeth Rosen (Dutton)<br />From the well-known such as Harry Houdini, Albert Einstein, Leonard Bernstein and Gloria Steinem, to the lesser known and the modern (Henrietta Szold, Hadassah founder; Abraham Heschel, civil rights advocate; Judith Resnik, astronaut; and a very moving closure of the book with a tribute to Daniel Pearl, the journalist, and a poem by an Arab Muslim), Twenty-one thoughtfully selected personalities are presented and given a colorful portraiture in word and in picture. A fine addition to multicultural collections, a great gift book for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, high holidays and a must-have for Jewish American Heritage Month in May (what, do you want to wait until the last minute?) (9 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-86903113362049688732008-12-09T08:59:00.002-08:002008-12-09T14:31:24.330-08:00BUFFALO MUSIC (Mary Ann Goodnight)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3axioqoBHaQz9N2502joH4NYlfuYVPHjvisUtvnzbV7h961PMEamsnoCp41-XFx437JyiwlDKBE4CeQ0oFQg1xGK6r7mi5pcyleIAJ2BBtWUKrkiiS9RT_bCFH4jgjidqFRS13panNNA/s1600-h/buffalomusic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3axioqoBHaQz9N2502joH4NYlfuYVPHjvisUtvnzbV7h961PMEamsnoCp41-XFx437JyiwlDKBE4CeQ0oFQg1xGK6r7mi5pcyleIAJ2BBtWUKrkiiS9RT_bCFH4jgjidqFRS13panNNA/s200/buffalomusic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251585680333633170" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618723412/planetesme" target="_blank">BUFFALO MUSIC</a> by Tracey E. Fern, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (Clarion)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"The heat that summer fell heavy as an angry fist. the trails were deeps with dust. The grass cracked like glass underfoot. And everywhere, far as the eye could see, the bleached bones of the buffalo glistened white in the sun."<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the terrible pioneer massacres of the buffalo, Mary Ann Goodnight had the foresight to cultivate the first captive buffalo herd, helping to save the species. Succinct, captivating writing with both strong description and dialogue hits hard but without any unncessary prosaic fuss, making anyone who reads it aloud seem like a seasoned storyteller, and a thoughtful bibliography with young readers in mind will keep kids following the buffalo trail. Homey illustrations accent the tender heart and common sense of a woman who made a big difference. (6 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-37247819604585506842008-12-09T08:59:00.001-08:002008-12-09T14:30:55.203-08:00A RIVER OF WORDS (William Carlos Williams)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPxyQz0rkiWhrVKx61qIW038b9c5opbhdu2OknV09D6o3tvtxMwaNwjP0vVBBfICcHiKH0nQ1aqPYlevz0s0yIkvmZ9j3eaE7YCLad8kkCrj95SKV9p9EfLpteP2STEXT1gYkBcJnaw0/s1600-h/riverofwords.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPxyQz0rkiWhrVKx61qIW038b9c5opbhdu2OknV09D6o3tvtxMwaNwjP0vVBBfICcHiKH0nQ1aqPYlevz0s0yIkvmZ9j3eaE7YCLad8kkCrj95SKV9p9EfLpteP2STEXT1gYkBcJnaw0/s200/riverofwords.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251581436426599650" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802853021/planetesme" target="_blank">A RIVER OF WORDS: THE STORY OF WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS</a> by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Eerdmans)<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">What a beautiful tribute to the poet who brought us a<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Wheelbarrow" target="_blank"> red wheelbarrow upon which so much depends</a> and the <a href="http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15535" target="_blank">apologetic eating of plums</a>, a man who worked hard all day as a busy doctor, and then fled to a world wallpapered in his own imaginings when the moon rose. The story captures not only the romance and beauty of being a poet, but the bravery and hard work as well; it's hard not to fall just a little bit in love wit ol' William. Illustrator Melissa Sweet has a lot of titles out these days (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618717145/planetesme" target="_blank">TUPELO RIDES THE RAILS,</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618997172/planetesme" target="_blank">CARMINE: A LITTLE MORE RED</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0152052909/planetesme" target="_blank">BABY BEAR'S BOOKS</a> to name a few), all consistently darling, but I this one in particular has a texture that goes beyond Sweet's sweetness, that I hope will warrant a closer gander by awards committees for the subtle and ecelectic genius she brings to books; she is one of those very gifted illustrators whose pictures truly bring something more to the text. Here, she weaves the words of the poet in and out of her artwork like a fine and golden thread. Thorough and affecting, this book also includes a timeline, notes from the author and the illustrator, and poems on the endpapers. (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-52894419477990582712008-12-09T08:58:00.006-08:002008-12-09T14:37:10.887-08:00SEQUOYAH: THE CHEROKEE MAN WHO GAVE HIS PEOPLE WRITING<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5668/2531/1600/850489/sequoyah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5668/2531/320/139003/sequoyah.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618369473/planetesme" target="_blank">SEQUOYAH: THE CHEROKEE MAN WHO GAVE HIS PEOPLE WRITING</a><br />by James Rumsford (Houghton Mifflin)<br /></have><div style="text-align: justify;"><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;">The mighty trees that bear the name Sequoyah are tall and strong, but the Cherokee man, a disabled metalworker in the early 19th century, dreamed of standing with equal authority among his people. He tried to contribute to his tribe by developing a language so that their words of would not disappear with the coming of the white man. He drew hundreds of signs to create a language, but superstitious people were afraid of his symbols, and burned his cabin down with all his work inside. This only inspired Sequoyah to create a shortcut: an alphabet. Look inside this book to see the language that he created, as well as bold and beautiful woodcuts. The writing comes around in full circle like the seed to a tree to a seed again. Well-researched and compelling, this is an outstanding contribution to the genre of children's picture book biography, as well as an inspiring tribute to both the power of the word and the genius of a man. Read this along with Susan Roth's DO, RE, MI, and have children try to invent their own language to fill a void where communication is needed! (7 and up)</have></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-41316717731983461992008-12-09T08:58:00.005-08:002008-12-09T14:36:38.300-08:00FOOTWORK (Fred and Adele Astaire)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGZVvRvWv10tBKPPg76rsT4FpIPrwozsl72_3tIWX9PQpKfLfdiKRKs6fjvX81vPhEYX54ih5f9ORNOPxoGU4YdwkchrmgMWcfAaDdbZRSHin1YlTIH6r5lSP4Ff2XPjtC9oG6hbY7wA/s1600-h/footwork.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGZVvRvWv10tBKPPg76rsT4FpIPrwozsl72_3tIWX9PQpKfLfdiKRKs6fjvX81vPhEYX54ih5f9ORNOPxoGU4YdwkchrmgMWcfAaDdbZRSHin1YlTIH6r5lSP4Ff2XPjtC9oG6hbY7wA/s200/footwork.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277912724711105666" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0763621218/planetesme" target="_blank">FOOTWORK: THE STORY OF FRED AND ADELE ASTAIRE</a> by Roxanne Orgill, illustrated by Stéphanie Jorisch (Candlewick)<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Before becoming tap-dancing king of the silver screen, Fred Astaire was on toe shoes atop a wooden wedding cake, playing the role of best friend and brother in his Vaudevillian family. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8bDv_rRCkOz5A1DlPyZtGVTnu1eT_Z3d0Wu0EWIw-sD6AHwqPqL0txOTUm7KbBuoEEy3IIDYplUcVfWf7vnQ6KdBTswnzEW_gw_BDaTgb-vYwtCf0mFwCZZaWUSEuzAMzwxz8G1S024/s1600-h/thatsentertainment.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8bDv_rRCkOz5A1DlPyZtGVTnu1eT_Z3d0Wu0EWIw-sD6AHwqPqL0txOTUm7KbBuoEEy3IIDYplUcVfWf7vnQ6KdBTswnzEW_gw_BDaTgb-vYwtCf0mFwCZZaWUSEuzAMzwxz8G1S024/s200/thatsentertainment.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277913306456032770" border="0" /></a>Sensitive ink lines and watercolor washes capture the grace of the dancers and the tin-pan alley feel of the era. Hard knocks and high points mark the lesser-known part of Astaire's career, lending a new appreciation of the man leading Ginger Rogers, climbing staircases in slow motion, dancing with brooms, performing origami with his feet and dancing on the ceiling. Read, and then watch <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002OXVD2/planetesme" target="_blank">THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT</a> to choreograph a few good steps toward a knowledge of Hollywood musicals. (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-3239097979910405522008-12-09T08:58:00.004-08:002008-12-09T14:36:20.262-08:00GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH (George Washington)<have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"></have><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyke4RaT3h9IMwZUZ04PbkLkRkSSmp1qr9GfxuoI1e4wlX2Hej6TJMPRMB4BE0o0ShrtN7yqHErDZhdAJWHnWsfCdOhW4UfVK4SxsdbTpBGqbxu7DrF8Ajj4KamD0ZdAUQUhkCApIvmT8/s1600-h/washington'steeth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyke4RaT3h9IMwZUZ04PbkLkRkSSmp1qr9GfxuoI1e4wlX2Hej6TJMPRMB4BE0o0ShrtN7yqHErDZhdAJWHnWsfCdOhW4UfVK4SxsdbTpBGqbxu7DrF8Ajj4KamD0ZdAUQUhkCApIvmT8/s200/washington'steeth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166324624145660754" border="0" /></a><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374325340/planetesme" target="_blank">GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH</a><br />by Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora, illustrated by Brock Cole (Farrar Straus and Giroux)<br /></have><div style="text-align: justify;"><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;">What was the biggest challenge for the father of our country? The invasion of British troops? Winter at Valley Forge? No, it was toothaches that ultimately brought poor George Washington to his knees! Starting at age twenty-four, Washington lost a tooth a year (spitting out two as he crossed the Delaware) and by the time he took office, he had only two chompers left! No wonder he didn't smile for his portraits! Told in witty verse, we follow the immortal general as he battles this mortal and mortifying malady. The watercolors are glorious and humane. This book shows that even the most powerful people are prone to an Achilles' heel (or molar), and incorporates all sorts of fascinating and downright juicy history. A timeline is included at the end, along with a photograph of Washington's last set of dentures carved from hippopotamous ivory. It is unusual to find history told in a way that is so accessible and compelling to young children. How resonating is this book? After we first readthis some years ago, my son came up to me wiggling a tooth and announced joyfully, "Ma! I'm just like George Washington!" (6 and up)</have></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-47866351261571218352008-12-09T08:58:00.003-08:002008-12-09T14:36:03.396-08:00DO RE MI (Guido D'Arezzo)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5668/2531/1600/334361/doremi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5668/2531/320/383669/doremi.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">NONFICTION</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618465723/planetesme" target="_blank">DO RE MI:IF YOU CAN READ MUSIC, THANK GUIDO D'AREZZO by Susan Roth (Houghton Mifflin)</a><br /></have><div style="text-align: justify;">"A thousand years ago, if you heard a song and wanted to hear it again, you would have to remember it by heart. If you forgot the song, it could be lost forever. A thousand years ago, no one could write down even a single note of music. There were no notes. there were no staffs, no clefs, no sharps, no flats. there was no writen music at all." Luckily, a thousand years ago, there was also Guido d'Arezzo, a music-loving monk who was resilient in his efforts to create a musical language, despite resistance from choirmasters who felt his efforts might put a tidy end to their jobs. Through persistence and the support of a few good friends, Guido was able to reach his epiphany and give his gift to the world...a gift that touches us every day, every time we hear music on the radio, in an elevator, on a commercial, on a favorite CD. Of course, why wouldn't we want every child to know the biography of someone whose impact on the arts is so far-reaching? It's hard to find a picture book that can be read to a wide range of age levels, or one that so tidily integrates both the arts and character education, but this book accomplishes both. Susan Roth's highly textured handmade paper collage illustrations are interesting, if not altogether effective (one illustration of a line of angry monks in white hoods brought something else to mind altogether). Still, Roth is always one to take chances, with a unique creative energy that is sure to influence other artists, young and old. My favorite of her many projects remains <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374443300/planetesme" target="_blank">LEON'S STORY</a>, written in conjunction with Leon Walter Tillage, a school custodial engineer who shares his recollections of post-reconstruction and civil rights (wow, some truly amazing sections to read-aloud and a must-have for any month, but certainly black history month, for ages 9 and up). Susan Roth's titles are ones that I always find both useful and joyful, and this latest tribute continues to hit a high note. (6 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-55257060547927345312008-12-09T08:58:00.002-08:002008-12-09T14:35:40.127-08:00BE WATER, MY FRIEND (Bruce Lee)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/bewatermyfriend.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/bewatermyfriend.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584302658/planetesme" target="_blank">BE WATER, MY FRIEND: THE EARLY YEARS OF BRUCE LEE by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee (Lee & Low)</a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit counts more than the object pursued. </span><br />--Bruce Lee<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Young Bruce Lee doesn't like to sit still at school. But at the school of the martial arts master, he doesn't have to. When Bruce uses his new skills to fight others, his sage teacher ignores him, then advises him. "Big branches of a tree snap under the weight of snow, while weaker and suppler reeds bend and survive." What lessons are there in this master's riddles? How can Bruce learn to be calm while exchanging blows and kicks, how can he learn to be gentle in his world where so many blows were thrown? It is not until he tries to lay his fist on water that he realizes his own power to break through anything in the world. The enlightenment of this wild child is gradual and believable, and so hopeful, as children often make mistakes and need chances at a fresh start. Older children will be inspired by this book as well as younger children, so share it in high school classrooms along with the third grade! Sepia-colored renderings from acrylic/wax scratchboard are unusual, and evocative of the time period. This beautiful multicultural biography with universal appeal packs a real one-two punch. (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-70459566206300694272008-12-09T08:58:00.001-08:002008-12-09T14:35:24.087-08:00A LIBRARY FOR JUANA (Juana Inez)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/juana.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 192px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/juana.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375806431/planetesme" target="_blank">A LIBRARY FOR JUANA: THE WORLD OF SOR. JUANA INÉZ </a><br />by Pat Mora, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal (Knopf)<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This exquisite volume pays homage to the great poet of the seventeenth century and one of the greatest booklovers of all time. While children today still recite her poetry throughout the Spanish-speaking world and her face appears on Mexican currency, many North American girls will find a new and worthy heroine between these bindings. Juana Inéz is a child prodigy, her thirst for knowledge so great that she follows her sister to school when she is three years old and learns to read. So begins an unusual childhood for her time; though girls were not permitted at university, at ten years old she went to Mexico City where she was privately tutored, ultimately becoming a lady-in-waiting at the viceroy's palace and wowing the court and an assemblage of forty scholars. She ultimately left the palace and became a nun so that she could concentrate on her pursuit of knowledge and create one of the largest libraries in all of the Americas, and one glorious day, her own book of poetry would be added to those shelves. Children will be inspired by her cheerfulness and insistent spirit, and intruiged by how someone so long ago could have had such modern sensibilities. Nearly every page is graced with borders of delicate fruit and flowers, and the illustrations are crisp and elegant, painted using small brushes under a magnifying glass. A jewel of a book about a jewel of a woman. (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-2065984873747744572008-12-09T08:58:00.000-08:002008-12-09T14:35:04.416-08:00WHAT ATHLETES ARE MADE OF<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/ath.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/ath.1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"></span><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416910026/planetesme" target="_blank">WHAT ATHLETES ARE MADE OF by Hanoch Piven (Atheneum)</a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Photographed collage illustrations a la Joan Steiner's<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316812552/planetesme" target="_blank"> LOOK-ALIKES</a> utlizes everyday objects in ingenious ways to create fantastic portraits of twenty three sport superstars representing both genders and a variety of sports and cultural/racial backgrounds. Babe Rith has a hot dog for a mouth (he did eat eight of them at Coney Island one afternoon), David Beckham has pink nail polish bottle for a nose (he painted his nails to match his girlfriend's), and every page has such a thoughtful visual detail to point out and discuss. Though the clever pictures will be pored over again and again, the anecdotes are equally strong: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/lookalikes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/lookalikes.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Once when [Mohammed Ali] was on a plane, the flight attendant told him to fasten his seat belt. 'Superman don't need no seat belt,' he bragged. 'Well, Superman don't need to airplane,' she shot back. Ali fastened his seat belt." Also inspiring is how Pele pressed the pause button on the war between Biafra and Nigeria for two days just by playing his game, and the advice given to children by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: "You should have dreams as students in addition to having dreams as athletes." A "post game recap" at the end of the book contains real photos, stats and career highlights for every game-player named. A strong addition to any biography or sports collection, it's also a fantastic read-aloud. I know, because I had the pleasure of having a sixth grade boy read it to me cover-to-cover, ofhis own accord, because he thought it was that good. This is the kind of book boys battle to be next in line to read.Do you need another reason to get your hands on this one? Home run, goal, touchdown! (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-48207518990268155592008-12-09T08:57:00.006-08:002008-12-09T18:13:50.081-08:00FRIDA (Frida Kahlo)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/frida.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/frida.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0590203207/planetesme" target="_blank">FRIDA</a><br />by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Ana Juan<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This phantasmagoric picture-book tribute to artist Frida Kahlo celebrates the imagination that helped her endure her troubled life, and allowed her spirit to endure after death. The author portrays the loneliness and misfortune that plagued Kahlo in brief and straightforward text, balanced by amazing illustrations in which everyday things seem to fly, and eyes and smiles peek out in unexpected places. The double-paged spreads are surreal, wild in color and splayed with motifs from Kahlo's work and Mexican folk art. Through it all, Kahlo's character eminates a calm in the fray. Her eyes are illustrated as sleepy, often closed, as if this story of her life was a dream she once had. This book is ambitious and accomplished, a fitting tribute to a woman who knew how to turn her pain into something beautiful. An outstanding picture book for older readers. (9 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-68898530456794644992008-12-09T08:57:00.005-08:002008-12-09T18:13:37.052-08:00THE SNOW BABY (Marie Ahnighito Peary)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrikPruU-BHvB5TON1ViQ53WBMnS1feMshukvLY5dpHs1ifge90MCwSNiOzzdKHCnaSMz8-ruYdijPypP7z8wi-uZFg0VBK3EVI86ZsmXVJKxlXS8foqF1pDOqOF8OZnUn2QmcLu3OZpQ/s1600-h/snowbaby.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrikPruU-BHvB5TON1ViQ53WBMnS1feMshukvLY5dpHs1ifge90MCwSNiOzzdKHCnaSMz8-ruYdijPypP7z8wi-uZFg0VBK3EVI86ZsmXVJKxlXS8foqF1pDOqOF8OZnUn2QmcLu3OZpQ/s200/snowbaby.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277912187069283330" border="0" /></a><br /><have style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"></have><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0823419738/planetesme" target="_blank">THE SNOW BABY: THE ARCTIC CHILDHOOD OF ROBERT E. PEARY'S DARING DAUGHTER</a><br />by Katherine Kirkpatrick (Holiday House)<br /></have><div style="text-align: justify;"><have top="" billing="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;">I read this book on an airplane, and literally had people craning over the aisle to see the beautiful and unusual photographs of the great junior adventurer, Marie Ahnighito Peary, whose daddy Lt. Admiral Robert Peary was hell-bent on winning the race to the North Pole. An intimate and very complete look at a family on a mission, the book captures the adventure of racing down cliffs, dodging avalanches, relocating a meteorite, witnessing a walrus slaughter and being trapped amidst icebergs and midnight blizzards, as well as the dualities of Marie's frustratingly genteel life in the states and the free spirited one spent amidst her Inuit friends. Children who love non-fiction history or survival stories in the vein of <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen/">Gary Paulsen</a> will whoop with joy and disappear with the book as fast as a dog-sled will carry them, however, my one compunction is that there was nothing distinctively for children in the writing style; the straighforward essay-like text peppered with facts, long names and geography may leave some children with less prior knowledge in the dust (or the snow, as the case may be), only suggesting all the more that this is a book to be shared. The photos are plentiful, evocative and gorgeous and go far to take the reader away to the snowy landscape, with Marie at the helm (see page 31, she looks so marvelous with those buttons up and down her hood). The details of the lives are moving, from Peary's African-American companion Matthew Henson becoming an uncelebrated clerk after accompanying Peary on his celebrated adventure; the devoted wife Josephine Peary who suffered the loss of a child and followed her husband literally to the end of the earth, only to discover he was messing around with some chick named Allakasingwah; and the controversy against Peary's claim that he ever was first at all. At the core of this story with its very adult conflicts is the optimistic and confident child who finds friends all around the world, and will find a friend in readers today, a century later. Overall, this is a compelling, well-researched book that reads like a treasured photo album with a narrator to tell you the stories behind the people. Make the discovery! (8 and up)</have></div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-20525963828529031512008-12-09T08:57:00.004-08:002008-12-09T18:13:19.670-08:00BOTTLE HOUSES (Grandma Prisbey)<span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/bottlehouses.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/bottlehouses.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786818417/planetesme">BOTTLE HOUSES: THE CREATIVE WORLD OF GRANDMA PRISBEY by Melissa Eskridge Slaymaker, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Henry Holt)</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Grandma Prisbey needed a place to keep her pencil collection, her doll collection, and herself! So she drove down to the dump to find materials for a house, and what she found was bottles of all shapes and sizes. Using these materials, she built a little spot of heaven, complete with wishing well, singing tree, and pyramid. Colorful and folksy illustrations accentuate this inspiring true story of a woman who was able to build a wonderful world using what was available to her, and photographs at the end will leave readers with eyes as big as bottle-bottoms. The spirit of independence shines through every page like colored glass, and the text is full of gems from Grandma Prisbey herself: "What some people throw away I believe I could wear to church," and "They call me an artist even though I can't draw a car that looks like one. But I guess there are different kinds of art." I guess so, Grandma…and this book qualifies! (6 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-17144151056570280602008-12-09T08:57:00.003-08:002008-12-09T18:13:04.215-08:00SHOLOM'S TREASURE (Sholom Aleichem)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/sholom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 163px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/sholom.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374380554/planetesme">SHOLOM'S TREASURE: HOW SHOLOM ALEICHEM BECAME A WRITER by Erica Silverman, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein (Farrar Straus Giroux)</a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Little Sholom's life is no picnic, shivering while he studies in the crowded, icy <span style="font-style: italic;">kheyder</span>, abandoning plans of lucrative treasure-hunting when his best friend moves away, and the slings and arrows of a short-tempered, sharp-tongued stepmother are almost more than the unfortunate fellow can bear. Luckily, his ability to notice and imitate the idiosynchrocies of those around him is a source of laughter and light, and allows Sholom to stand out first in his home, and then for the whole wide world to see. This realistic and compelling story of the boyhood of the author of the short stories that would someday inspire <span style="font-style: italic;">Fiddler on the Roof </span>does a dandy job of recreating the life and struggles of the <span style="font-style: italic;">shtetl</span>, and Gerstein's busy frames further bring the vignettes into focus. Literary legacy aside, though, this biography successfully brings to life a very real little boy who likes to make people laugh and maybe gets into a little bit of trouble here and there. Know any little boys like that? (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4814099744437741639.post-27832159136161037772008-12-09T08:57:00.002-08:002008-12-09T18:12:41.451-08:00I COULD DO THAT! (Esther Morris)<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/1600/esthermorris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5668/2531/320/esthermorris.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374335273/planetesme">I COULD DO THAT!: ESTHER MORRIS GETS WOMEN THE VOTE<br />by Linda Arms White, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (Farrar Straus Giroux)</a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">From an early age, independent and confident Esther McQuigg has been saying "I can do that." When her mother dies and the family is left to take care of one another, she says "I can do that." When she turns nineteen and it occurs to her to run her own millinery shop, she thinks, "I can do that." She can attend an abolitionist church, she can try to claim land in Illinois, she can raise her son Archy on her own, and she can move to the wild, wild western Wyoming territory. And finally, when it is time to vote in the first territorial elections, why, Esther takes out her trusty teapot and uses her influence to finagle a way she can do that, too. This picture book biography voices tells the true story of a spunky suffragette who became the first female judge, and the first woman in the United States to hold a political office, and the woman who influenced legislature that allowed women in her territory to be able to vote. Homey, wry colored-chalk illustrations are a perfect match to the text; the montage of women receiving the news of their hard-won right springs off of the page. This book is a jubilant celebration of what a can-do attitude can achieve. Tea-pot endpapers also serve as a timeline of the achievement of women's rights throughout the frontier territories. "There are still some countries where women's voices are not heard," the author's note points out. Can this be fixed? I have a feeling some little girl will read those words and think, "I can do that." (7 and up)</div>Esme Raji Codellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04517767178981635423noreply@blogger.com0