How I Learned Geography

Written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz

Most enjoyed by 3rd through 8th graders

2009 Caldecott Honor Book

This book appears deceptively simple. A young boy is flying over land covered with elements from many lands. A mosque, skyscraper, palm trees, a camel. It looks like it could be a story of a boy and his dreams. And it is, but this boy dreams to escape constant hunger and extreme poverty.

In 'How I Learned Geography', author Uri Shulevitz tells the story of how his family fled Poland in 1939, after the Warsaw blitz. They escaped to Turkestan where they shared a home with complete strangers and struggled to survive. One day, when his father returns from the market, Uri and his mother look forward to the bread he will bring for them. But instead of bread to feed their hungry bellies, he brings a map. A giant map, one that covers an entire wall of their house. At first, Uri is angry, but as he spends his days drawing pictures from the map, he begins to imagine life in all of the distant places the map shows. He climbs mountains, visits temples and desert sands, and makes little rhymes out of the names of places on the map. The world of war around him disappears as he draws and takes his imaginary journeys.

In time, Uri forgives his father for bringing home the map. He realizes it has given him hours of pleasure. Perhaps his book will inspire you to bring home a map of your own to dream over. It just might make the waning days of winter go faster!

Wangari's Trees of Peace:A True Story from Africa

Written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter

Most enjoyed by peace lovers everywhere

Wangari lives in Kenya and grows up under the beautiful green trees. As a child, she helps her mother gather firewood from those same trees. When Wangari is older, she gets a scholarship to continue her schooling in America, but when she returns home, she finds the trees gone. Women who relied on them for firewood now must travel greater distances to find enough wood for their homes. The trees have been cut down to make way to more buildings. Enough, thinks Wangari. She begins to plant trees on her own, then soon begins a program paying women to plant even more trees. Often laughed at for her efforts, even arrested, Wangari persists until her world is restored to the green forests of her childhood.

This is the true story of Wangari Maathai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts at restoring the ecology of Kenya. Through her persistence and dedication, she made her world a beautiful place again. How inspiring! So what are you doing to make your world a better place?

Lincoln Through the Lens

How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life

Written by Martin W. Sandler

Most enjoyed by history lovers in 5th through 8th Grade

This excellent biography of Lincoln portrays him as a media savvy candidate and president who used the developing technology of photography to his advantage. It’s an interesting presentation in light of our recent election where many of the candidates took advantage of today’s technologies (i.e., test messaging, the Internet) in their campaigns much as Lincoln used photography. Young readers will find themselves engrossed by the pictures so much so that they will gravitate to the accompanying text to learn more. Some of the photographs are dramatic, such as the enlarged photo that shows Lincoln at the Gettysburg dedication and a long-lost photo of Lincoln lying in state.

Young readers who can’t get enough of Lincoln will enjoy ‘Lincoln Through the Lens’. A great addition to any Lincoln collection, find this on our shelves in the History section. Our review copy was provided by the publishers, Walker and Company, thanks to The Picnic Basket, a source of blog reviews for teachers and librarians. Find my review of this book on their website here.

Our Abe Lincoln

Written by Jim Aylesworth
Illustrated by Barbara McClintock
Most enjoyed by Preschoolers through 1st Graders

I love this book. This is a perfect picture book biography of Abraham Lincoln to share with preschoolers, Kindergartners and 1st graders. As the book begins, we see children getting ready to present a play called ‘Our Abe Lincoln’. Each two-page spread shows another act in the play, or episode in Lincoln’s life. Some of the episodes are familiar, such as his log cabin birth and his election to the presidency. But some may be new - his family’s early three-sided home in Indiana or Lincoln’s visit to a customer he had overcharged. The story can be sung to the tune of ‘The Old Grey Mare’ which is what makes it a hit with young listeners. Barbara McClintock’s illustrations of the costumed kids portraying the historical characters are charming. Some of the pictures are so detailed one could make an ‘I Spy’ game and have readers pouring over the book for hours.

The aspect I liked best about ‘Our Abe Lincoln’ is the way Lincoln’s death is handled. There is no mention of the assassination, which can be a tough topic to talk about with very young children. Instead, the words and accompanying illustration tell of Lincoln’s death in such a way that help kids realize how tragic it was without dwelling on specifics.

Highly recommended, ‘Our Abe Lincoln’ is a title perfect for the littlest Lincoln bicentennial birthday celebrators!

Farmer George Plants a Nation

Written by Peggy Thomas

Illustrated by Layne Johnson

Most enjoyed by 3rd through 8th graders

When we think of George Washington, we usually remember him as a general and president, one of the Founding Fathers of America. But if you asked George himself, he quite possibly would have said he was a farmer first. A very clever and innovative farmer as well.

In 'Farmer George Plants a Nation', author Peggy Thomas gives us the farmer side of George. Inheriting Mount Vernon from his older brother, George improved estate, expanding it from 2,000 to 8,000 acres. He eventually owned 5 farms. Tobacco, which was a money-making crop for farmers at that time, was also very demanding of the soil it grew in. George slowly replaced his tobacco crops with wheat. He also practiced crop rotation, a novel idea at the time, experimented with different types of fertilizers, and created an early type of planter that saved the work of many slaves. George shared everything he learned as a farmer with others around him, hoping that with good stewardship of the land, America would become a world leader in farming.

Woven into the story of George as farmer are the aspects of his life we know so well: his time as a Revolutionary Army general and his presidency. Even during eight years as general and eight years as president, George thought about the farm he loved so much. The illustrations, created by Layne Johnson, portray the farming landscape beautifully.

As George's birthday approaches, take the time to read 'Farmer George Plants a Nation'. Then, instead of cake and ice cream to celebrate, plant some seeds in George's honor. He'd be proud!

Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World

By Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Christine Joy Pratt

Most enjoyed by 4th through 8th graders

Pirate fans rejoice! The gals get their due! As author Jane Yolen points out in 'Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World', pirates weren't just men. There were a few ladies throughout history that grabbed a cutlass and donned breeches in search of booty. This excellent book brings those ladies to life.

The opening chapter gives a brief history of pirating and pirates. The remaining 12 chapters offer the stories of 13 female pirates, beginning with Artemesia in 500 BC and ending with Madame Ching in 19th century China. From around the globe, these women committed acts of piracy as daring as the guys. But how much of these stories are true? Yolen does a nice job of sorting fact from fiction, and what remains is still pretty swashbuckling.

If pirate movies leave you wanting more, come in and check out 'Sea Queens'. It's just the right dose of salty sea story for free time reading!

Helen's Eyes: A Photobiography of Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller's Teacher

by Marfe Ferguson Delano

Most enjoyed by 4th through 8th graders

Into a world of silence and darkness, one ray of hope shone. But this ray couldn't be seen or heard; it could only be felt. That ray of hope was Annie Sullivan. For deaf and blind six-year-old Helen Keller, Annie's hands became her salvation, forming letters into young Helen's hands to teach her about the world she couldn't see or hear. Helen's hands on Annie's lips and throat gave Helen a chance to hear sounds she couldn't. Teacher Annie Sullivan gave Helen Keller a chance at a life as normal as could be offered to a deaf-blind person at the turn of the 20th century.

Annie Sullivan is the focus of 'Helen's Eyes' a photobiography full of fascinating pictures of Annie and Helen and their life together. Helen was six when she met Annie and had already been blind and deaf for four years. She was uncontrollable, a strong-willed girl who wouldn't obey but was curious about the world around her. With Annie, Helen met someone just as strong-willed as she, who wasn't about to admit defeat in the face of a child.

Annie herself had had a difficult childhood. Orphaned and abandoned to an asylum not known for it's comforts, Annie lost her eyesight while young until an operation restored it enough so that she could learn to read and write at 14. Graduating from the Perkins School for the Blind, Annie was offered the post of teacher to Helen. Determined to succeed with the little girl, Annie taught Helen the manual alphabet, unlocking the world and creating a relationship that would last until Annie Sullivan died with Helen holding her hand.

Annie's story is fascinating. Her dedication to Helen was life-long, a commitment that many questioned but most marvel at today. If you're looking for inspiration, check out 'Helen's Eyes'. I think you'll find Annie Sullivan to be a person to respect, admire, and yes, even look at as a role model.