I Heard God Talking to Me-Biography

I have never seen a biography quite like this.  I Heard God Talking to Me tells much of the story of William Edmondson through twenty- three poems by Elizabeth Spires.  Each poem is the voice of one of Edmondson’s stone carvings describing who they are and how they are feeling.  Four of the poems are Edmondson’s own voice taken from interviews. 

William Edmondson began these stone carvings taken from cast off pieces of limestone in the early 1930s following a vision from God.  He said that God told him to begin carving and so he did.  He began with tombstones.  He was already in his late fifties.   This humble man was discovered and asked to have an exhibit at MoMA in New York and later in Paris.  He carved daily until 1948 and passed away in 1951.  Many don’t know about this inspiring man but they should.  Thankfully, his work is now on permanent exhibit in many museums. 

What I like about this biography is that you learn so much about him in a very unique way.  After you read the poems, you have a true sense of the man.  At the end, the author has a chapter called About William Edmondson and she fills in the details about his life and career.  As a teacher, it would be very interesting to ask high school students to read these poems and then summarize what they learned about the carver.  They would be surprised by how much they learned just through poetry!  Then, they could read the end chapter to fill in the blanks.  They would never forget this unique book or the man himself. 

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Ideas That Changed the World-Information book

Are you ready for a book that will entice you and pull you in?  Ideas That Changed the World is designed to do just that.  How did they build the London Underground now known as The Tube?  Who invented Velcro?  This book will answer hundreds of questions like these.  The book is set up into 6 sections.  They are Genius, Great Gizmos, Handy Gadgets, On the Move, Explore, and Culture.  You can jump into any section you want to.  The pages are set up like web pages with graphics and text intermixed all over the page.  The full color photos are the main draw of the book and are equally as important to the meaning as the text.   A reader could peruse this glossy page book for hours.  I can see both middle and high school students reading this book not only for required research reading but also just for pleasure.  I think this book would not stay on library or classroom shelves very long.  Thanks to Julie Ferris, Dr. Mike Goldsmith, Ian Graham, Sally MacGill, Andrea Mills, Isabel Thomas, and Matt Turner; the seven authors who obviously poured so much expertise and research into this truly engaging and informative book

King George, What Was His Problem?-Information book

King George, What was his problem?  The Whole Hilarious Story of the American Revolution was a real find for me.  The author, Steve Sheinkin,  is a former textbook writer.  You must read his “confessions” note at the very beginning.  He always regretted the fact that charts and graphs had to replace some of the more interesting or entertaining bits of history.  He vowed to someday put these into his own book.  Now he has done it!  This is the only one that I have read but I am positive that I will read the other two I saw on the back cover.  He sets up the book in conversational, short segments that flow into each other so that no facts are lost but you also don’t feel encumbered by them.  You find yourself chuckling or remarking, “What?  Really?”  For example, one night John Adams and Ben Franklin had to share a bed when they were traveling on Congress business.  Adams wanted the window closed; Franklin wanted it open.  “Open the window and come to bed and I will convince you.  I believe you are not acquainted with my theory of colds.”  Adams recalled “I was so much amused that I soon fell asleep and left him and his philosophy together.“ (Sheinkin, 2012, 77)

At the end, you find “What ever happened to…..” a list of the “main characters” and their lives following the revolution.  Such a brilliant idea to include this!  There is also an extensive list of source notes. 

Of course, as you can see from what I have already written, I just loved this book and I know that other teachers would be thrilled with it also.  What a great way to gain history lovers and inspire curiosity.  English teachers would also appreciate his writing style and I am sure that many student projects could use his work as a jumping off point.

I will be sure to check these out in the near future….

Two Miserable Presidents, The Amazing, Terrible, and Totally True Story of

 the Civil War

and

Which Way to the Wild West?

Please keep writing Mr. Sheinkin.  There is so much more to cover….

Bread and Roses, Too-Historical Fiction

During the Industrial Revolution of the early 20^th century, business was booming and that meant laborers were in high demand.  Owners, in search of high profit, hired recently arrived immigrants at very low wages.  The novel, Bread and Roses, Too follows the story of Rosa, a young Italian girl, and Jake, a poor, abused boy and the textile mills strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  Life is very harsh and challenging.  Rosa’s father has died and her mother must make a life for herself and her three children.  Jake, fends for himself on most days and must deal with a drunk father who beats him and takes all his meager pay.  Life is a moment- by- moment struggle.  Unions in other cities offer to sponsor children during the long strike and keep them safe and cared for.  Rosa and Jake find themselves on a train to Barre, Vermont and a completely different life.  As they are cared for in Vermont, they have time to evaluate their lives and those around them.  It is a time of discovery and a larger vision of the world. 

Anytime you can put a personality onto a situation, it becomes more real and meaningful.  Teachers will appreciate this book for its engaging story and historical accuracy.  Katherine Patterson brings this very important part of history to life.  Her historical note at the end shows just how accurate this story is.  History teachers and English teachers both will find that this book sparks lively discussions of these historic events and their effects on the present day.   Readers will stay invested until the end.  

Newbery Award books by this author:
Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved

Divergent-Dystopian Science Fiction

Up to a significant point, your life is decided for you.  Then, you turn sixteen and you make the biggest decision of your life alone.  That is the world in which Beatrice (Tris) lives.  In this dystopian world (formerly Chicago) , society is divided into five factions.  Each one is governed by their defining qualities.  Tris and her brother Caleb are from Abnegation, and there is also Candor, Amity, Dauntless, and Erudite.  Each faction is easily distinguished by what they wear, and eat, and how they live.  As people turn 16, they are given a test that tells them their aptitude.  After that, there is a choosing ceremony.  For most, it is very easy.  For others, it is difficult since the test tells them that they could fit in two or more factions and they must pick.  Tris is one of these.  She is “divergent” and it is not a desirable state.  In fact, she is told to keep it secret.

What follows is an action packed story full of danger, intrigue and suspense.  What faction does Tris pick and how does this affect her whole life and that of her family?

YA readers will be pulled into this story and it will continue to hold their attention through its 487 pages.  I can see it being used in high school classrooms for lively discussions and to compare with other dystopian stories such as The Hunger Games.  The bonus materials at the back are excellent as they include an author interview, a discussion guide and the Faction Manifestos.  

This is the first in a trilogy.  The second is called Insurgent and the final installment called Allegiant will be published October 22,  2013.