The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb

Title: The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb

Author: Candace Fleming 

Publisher: Scholastic Focus

Pages: 304

Review copy: ARC via author

Availability: September 7, 2021

Summary: Candace Fleming presents the edge-of-your-seat true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within.

During the reign of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun ruled and died tragically young. In order to send him on his way into the afterlife, his tomb was filled with every treasure he would need after death. And then, it was lost to time, buried in the sands of the Valley of the Kings.

His tomb was also said to be cursed.

Centuries later, as Egypt-mania gripped Europe, two Brits—a rich earl with a habit for gambling and a disreputable, determined archeologist—worked for years to rediscover and open Tutankhamun's tomb. But once it was uncovered, would ancient powers take their revenge for disturbing and even looting the pharaoh's resting place? What else could explain the mysterious illnesses, accidents, and deaths that began once it was found?

My thoughts: Narrative nonfiction is probably my favorite and I started reading it in Junior High. Fiction had my heart, but when I read an awesome novel and wanted to learn more about a related topic, narrative nonfiction was my go-to for information. Even diehard fiction lovers can appreciate The Curse of the Mummy because it reads like a novel. Fleming has crafted an intriguing and thought-provoking story that carries a ton of information and questions about this king. 

The chapters are interspersed with brief commentary about rumors surrounding the curse. These tidbits are on black pages so it is easy to distinguished the rumors from the actual facts. She uses the phrase fake news at least once so readers can draw parallels to the current day.

This is mostly a chronological narrative, but it doesn't just tell the individual actions and happenings that occurred around the site of the tomb, but some of the things that led to British people digging up the artifacts of Egypt and even taking some of them out of the country. She asks questions and provides the background for readers to consider colonialism and some of its affects. Readers will also likely be questioning if it is a good thing to disturb the tomb a teenager who would never have envisioned how his body would be taken apart, studied, and put on display for so many people. 

It's a book about a particular set of circumstances, but it is a book that is meant to inspire curiosity and model questioning the processes and ways in which we move through the world. 

Recommendation: This is a significant book that would be an awesome addition to any library or classroom serving middle grade readers. I believe it will work best with readers on the higher end of middle grade, but it would also be an incredible read aloud with those on the younger end. There is much to discuss and many parallels to be drawn between current events. I immediately thought of the museum scene in Black Panther and so many of the Indigenous nations here in what is currently known as the United States that are working toward repatriation of remains and artifacts. Fleming respects her readers so she does not overly simplify the content and while it is a challenging book, it is well worth the read.

**Update: There are also Indigenous archeologists at work that it would be great to learn about or connect with around this book, like Marvin Defoe the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. You may listen to a podcast about the work he is part of at Frog Bay or read the transcript.

Extras:

Short book talk by the author

Longer video from SLJ Day of Dialog including her writing process & about her goals with the text

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more nonfiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year. So far, I've read 67 this year.

Goodreads summary: It was 1904 and St. Louis was proud to host the World’s Fair and America’s First Olympics. Hundreds of thousands of people came by car, by train, by boat. Part of the Olympics was a wild, wacky marathon. Forty-two racers registered, thirty-two showed up, and of the three racers vying for the finish line: one drove part way, one was helped by his trainers over the line, and one was a postman who travelled from Cuba and ran in street clothes that he cut off to look like shorts. How they ran and who won is a story of twists and turns that wouldn’t be believed if it weren’t true! And it is! Find out who won in this picture book all about the historic Olympic Marathon of 1904.

My thoughts: I'm so excited to read a book about running. It isn't a very common topic in fiction or nonfiction picture books. McCarthy sure found a wonderful race to highlight. There are so many quirky things that happened in that Olympic race. For young runners, they may be amazed to see what the conditions were. Sometimes we even have a water stop in a race as short as 5K and these marathoners only had two water stops in the whole 24.85 miles. As someone who has raced in marathons, I found it fascinating. It also made me appreciate the conveniences we have now with people directing traffic away from us, fabulous GPS watches, nutrition and water support, and the list goes on.

This would be fun to pair with Marathon Mouse by Amy Dixon and illustrated by Sam Denlinger. That's the only other picture book I've read involving marathons.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

 

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more nonfiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year.

This week, I'm highlighting all of the nonfiction picture books I've read so far this year that have earned five stars in my eyes.

 

Out of the Woods: A True Story of an Unforgettable Event by Rebecca Bond

Goodreads summary: Inspired by the author's grandfather's experiences living in a lodge in the woods, a story of how people and animals survive a forest fire in a small Canadian town.

Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Goodreads summary: This poetic, nonfiction story about a little-known piece of African American history captures a human’s capacity to find hope and joy in difficult circumstances and demonstrates how New Orleans' Congo Square was truly freedom’s heart.

Mondays, there were hogs to slop, 

mules to train, and logs to chop. 

Slavery was no ways fair. 

Six more days to Congo Square. 

As slaves relentlessly toiled in an unjust system in 19th century Louisiana, they all counted down the days until Sunday, when at least for half a day they were briefly able to congregate in Congo Square in New Orleans. Here they were free to set up an open market, sing, dance, and play music. They were free to forget their cares, their struggles, and their oppression. This story chronicles slaves' duties each day, from chopping logs on Mondays to baking bread on Wednesdays to plucking hens on Saturday, and builds to the freedom of Sundays and the special experience of an afternoon spent in Congo Square. This book will have a forward from Freddi Williams Evans (freddievans.com), a historian and Congo Square expert, as well as a glossary of terms with pronunciations and definitions

Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History...and Our Future! by Kate Schatz and illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl

Goodreads summary: Like all A-Z books, this one illustrates the alphabet—but instead of "A is for Apple", A is for Angela—as in Angela Davis, the iconic political activist. B is for Billie Jean King, who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; C is for Carol Burnett, who defied assumptions about women in comedy; D is for Dolores Huerta, who organized farmworkers; and E is for Ella Baker, who mentored Dr. Martin Luther King and helped shape the Civil Rights Movement.

And the list of great women continues, spanning several centuries, multiple professions, and 26 diverse individuals. There are artists and abolitionists, scientists and suffragettes, rock stars and rabble-rousers, and agents of change of all kinds.

The book includes an introduction that discusses what it means to be "rad" and "radical," an afterword with 26 suggestions for how you can be "rad," and a Resource Guide with ideas for further learning and reading.

American history was made by countless rad—and often radical—women. By offering a fresh and diverse array of female role models, we can remind readers that there are many places to find inspiration, and that being smart and strong and brave is rad.

Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals by Jess Keating

Goodreads summary: Some people think pink is a pretty color. A fluffy, sparkly, princess-y color. But it's so much more. Sure, pink is the color of princesses and bubblegum, but it's also the color of monster slugs and poisonous insects. Not to mention ultra-intelligent dolphins, naked mole rats and bizarre, bloated blobfish.

Isn't it about time to rethink pink?

Slip on your rose-colored glasses and take a walk on the wild side with zoologist Jess Keating, author of How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied, and cartoonist David DeGrand

Ada Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark and illustrated by April Chu

Goodreads summary:  Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous romantic poet, Lord Byron, develops her creativity through science and math. When she meets Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, Ada understands the machine better than anyone else and writes the world's first computer program in order to demonstrate its capabilities.

Olinguito, de La A a la Z!/Olinguito, from A to Z! by Lulu Delacre

Goodreads summary:  With text in both Spanish and English, travel to the magical world of a cloud forest in the Andes of Ecuador. Discover the bounty of plants, animals, and other organisms that live there as we help a zoologist look for the elusive olinguito, the first new mammal species identified in the Americas since 1978.

The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Chris Barton and illustrated by Don Tate

Goodreads summary: John Roy Lynch spent most of his childhood as a slave in Mississippi, but all of that changed with the Emancipation Proclamation. Suddenly people like John Roy could have paying jobs and attend school. While many people in the South were unhappy with the social change, John Roy thrived in the new era. He was appointed to serve as justice of the peace and was eventually elected into the United States Congress.This biography, with its informative backmatter and splendid illustrations, gives readers an in-depth look at the Reconstruction period through the life of one of the first African-American congressmen.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - Juan Felipe Herrera

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more non-fiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year.

Calling the Doves/El canto de las palomas by Juan Felipe Herrera/Illustrated by Elly Simmons

Goodreads summary: Calling the Doves is poet Juan Felipe Herrera's story of his migrant farmworker childhood. In delightful and lyrical language, he recreates the joy of eating breakfast under the open sky, listening to Mexican songs in the little trailer house his father built, and celebrating with other families at a fiesta in the mountains. He remembers his mother s songs and poetry, and his father's stories and his calling the doves. For Juan Felipe, the farmworker road was also the beginning of his personal road to becoming a writer.

My thoughts: Juan Felipe Herrera is the United States Poet Laureate so this was a great book to read for poetry month. In Calling the Doves/El canto de las palomas, Herrera shares about his childhood with a lyrical voice. Readers find out about the beauty of the land he lived in and the care and nurture he had from his parents. His parents loved the open sky and the tender earth. They taught him "that inside every word there can be kindness." His parents were migrant farmworkers and life was not easy. Herrera makes it clear though, that he appreciated many aspects of his childhood. His parents were storytellers and they filled the air with poetry, songs and stories. Juan Felipe Herrera shows the many ways in which his childhood was rich and how this shaped him and led him to poetry.

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera/Illustrated by Raúl Colón

Another book of his that I enjoyed was Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes. 

Goodreads summary: An inspiring tribute to Hispanic Americans who have made a positive impact on the world This visually stunning book showcases twenty Hispanic and Latino American men and women who have made outstanding contributions to the arts, politics, science, humanitarianism, and athletics. Gorgeous portraits complement sparkling biographies of Cesar Chavez, Sonia Sotomayor, Ellen Ochoa, Roberto Clemente, and many more. Complete with timelines and famous quotes, this tome is a magnificent homage to those who have shaped our nation.

In this volume: Adelina Otero-Warren, Bernardo de Galvez, Cesar Chavez, David Farragut, Dennis Chavez, Desi Arnaz, Dolores Huerta, Ellen Ochoa, Helen Rodríguez Trías, Hero Street USA, Ignacio Lozano, Jaime Escalante, Joan Baez, Judy Baca, Julia de Burgos, Luis Alvarez, Rita Moreno, Roberte Clemente, Sonia Sotomayor, and Tomas Rivera.

The Upside Down Boy/El niño de cabeza by Juan Felipe Herrera/Illustrated by Elizabeth Gómez

I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but I have it at school and am eager to read it soon.

Goodreads summary:

Juan Felipe Herrera's playful language and the colorful, magical art of Elizabeth Gomez capture the universal experience of entering a new school and feeling like a stranger in a world that seems upside down.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more non-fiction. I am thankful that she has this challenge because I know I have read more nonfiction texts as a result.

Zoom in on Insects Series by Melissa Stewart

I got this series in the mail last week (minus the butterfly book) and am excited to share it with my students. The whole series is designed for younger readers. The books are laid out simply, but do share more than simple facts. The "zoom in" part of the title refers to the zoom bubbles that show the insects up close. The photographs are crisp and colorful and the facts are interesting too. They are eye-catching books that provide just the right balance of facts for my young researchers. I now know a lot more about fireflies than I did last week.

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more non-fiction. I am thankful that she has this challenge because I know I have read more nonfiction texts as a result.

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold
by Joyce Sidman & illustrated by Rick Allen

As I am typing this, I hear the clink of sleet on the window. It is so interesting to learn about how animals survive the bitter winter cold. I'm not sure I needed a mental image of thousands of snakes curled up together though. Eek!

There are twelve poems in the collection - each about an animal or part of nature in winter. She used a variety of poetic forms and provides a glossary that includes the nature terminology, but also explains a couple of the poetry terms. 

As always, Sidman weaves together words in a beautiful way. In "Vole in Winter," a vole describes the snow above him as "a blanket made of sky-feathers!"

And I have to say, the illustrations are gorgeous. Also, watch for the fox. He is on the cover in the middle of a leap. If you want to know what that looks like in real life, watch this video. The fox is also on many of the pages of the book. I know that children will enjoy hunting for the fox on the pages.

I had never been to Joyce Sidman's website, but it is a fantastic poetry resource. If you teach poetry or want to experiment with your own poetry, she has pep talks and suggestions. I will be visiting her site again soon.

Aside from Winter Bees, if you wish to teach about winter, there are a few other picture books I would recommend. 

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Illustrated by Mary Azarian

Bugs and Bugsicles: Insects in the Winter by Amy S. Hansen

Illustrations by Robert C. Kray

Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve

by Francisco X. Alarcón

Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

It's not precisely nonfiction, but it could be argued so I'm including it anyway.

Besides, my students adore it!

Rabbit's Snow Dance by James & Joseph Bruchac

Illustrated by Jeff Newman

Here's a video with the author explaining the story:

Do you have any favorite nonfiction picture book titles focused on winter? Please share them if you do. Happy winter!

Non-fiction Picture Book Challenge

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Non-fiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more non-fiction.

We just finished up a Scholastic Book Fair last week and a few nonfiction titles caught my eye. Two by Sandra Markle stood out - What if You Had Animal Hair? and What if You Had Animal Teeth?

Aren't the covers just fantastic? They scream, "Check me out!" I grabbed a copy of both for our library. Each two page spread features a large and small photo of the actual animal and then one full page illustration of a child as they might look with that critter's hair. The illustrations of the children are often humorous. Aside from the illustrations there are facts about the animal's hair type and notes about it's purpose. There is also a note included about what it would be like for the child to have that hair. 

I am loving the creativity of these pairings and know that this is just the kind of book to hand a child or adult who believes that nonfiction isn't their thing. It would also be a great mentor text or springboard for creating your own pairing. I can just see students researching hair types of different animals and illustrating what it would be like on their own head. They could also move onto other feathers like skin or feet.

The author prepared some interesting activities to use and shared them on her blog here: Big Hairy Deal: The Perfect Activities to go with What if You Had Animal Hair?

When writing about hair, I can't help but think of a few fiction picture books that could be paired here. One in particular that stands out in my mind is Dalia's Wondrous Hair/El cabello maravilloso de Dalia.

I haven't had a chance to closely read What if You Had Animal Teeth? but it looks like another winner. The illustrations are fun and the text seems engaging. I appreciate that the illustrator used a diverse cast of children too.  I can't wait to share these with students.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Non-fiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. This week I am focusing on the work of Laura Purdie Salas.

Last Friday I mentioned Picture Yourself Writing Poetry for a Poetry Friday post. I had to get it through Inter-library loan, but will be ordering it for my school library.

Picture Yourself Writing Poetry is a great book that encourages readers to create poems of their own using pictures as inspiration. It begins with a brief overview of the writing process. Salas also provides plenty of poetry specific tips and advice including using ideas, images, and metaphors, word choice, character work, and arranging words on the page. Along the way, Salas offers a few sample poems that she has composed to go with the photos. The photo prompts and her verbal prompts are interesting and engaging. I think any reader will be inspired to create poetry after reading this text and teachers will find the prompts very helpful with students. If the reader needs more, Salas also has a great page on her website that is called 15 Words or Less. This is a page where she posts a photograph on Thursdays with the idea that readers will do a quick write poem to go along with it. It's meant to be a low stress activity that encourages creative thinking. I look forward to sharing it with teachers at my school.

Another book by Laura Purdie Salas that I ran across this week was Water Can Be... Here are two trailers that do a wonderful job of explaining the book.

Along with being a great non-fiction book about water, Water Can Be... could also be used as a mentor text for students to write poetry about a topic of their choice. If you haven't yet read Water Can Be... or its companion text A Leaf Can Be... I would definitely recommend you get them soon. The texts are fun and lyrical and the illustrations by Violeta Dabija are gorgeous.

By the way, Laura Purdie Salas has provided teaching guides and resources for both books that share plenty of ideas for activities. I will have to try a few of them this coming year.

Teaching Resources: A Leaf Can Be...   Water Can Be...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Non-fiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. This week I was working on my Latin@s in Kid Lit reading challenge so all of these books are written by a Latin@ author and/or have a Latin@ focus. All images and summaries are via IndieBound.

Title: It's Our Garden

Author: George Ancona

Summary: Want to grow what you eat and eat what you grow? Visit this lively, flourishing school-andcommunity garden and be inspired to cultivate your own. At an elementary school in Santa Fe, the bell rings for recess and kids fly out the door to check what’s happening in their garden. As the seasons turn, everyone has a part to play in making the garden flourish. From choosing and planting seeds in the spring to releasing butterflies in the summer to harvesting in the fall to protecting the beds for the winter. Even the wiggling worms have a job to do in the compost pile! On special afternoons and weekends, neighborhood folks gather to help out and savor the bounty (fresh toppings for homemade pizza, anyone?). Part celebration, part simple how-to, this close-up look at a vibrant garden and its enthusiastic gardeners is blooming with photos that will have readers ready to roll up their sleeves and dig in.

My Thoughts: Last year I read this review on the blog The Nonfiction Detectives. From their review I believed that this would be an excellent book for our school since we have a school garden also. I immediately purchased it, but didn't get around to reading it until this week. It's Our Garden combines simple yet informative text with fantastic photos and crayon illustrations created by the students. It is a gorgeous book that demonstrates the work, benefits and excitement of having a school garden. I can see this being a great introduction for our younger students before they begin working in the garden. It would pair well with Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table.

Title: Frida

Author: Jonah Winter

Illustrator: Ana Juan

Summary: This long-awaited companion to Jonah Winter's acclaimed DIEGO features the paintings of young Spanish artist, Ana Juan. This stunning picture book is the perfect gift for art enthusiasts of all ages. When her mother was worn out from caring for her five sisters, her father gave her lessons in brushwork and color. When polio kept her bedridden for nine months, drawing saved her from boredom. When a bus accident left her in unimaginable agony, her paintings expressed her pain and depression - and eventually, her joys and her loves. Over and over again, Frida Kahlo turned the challenges of her life into art. Now Jonah Winter and Ana Juan have drawn on both the art and the life to create a playful, insightful tribute to one of the twentieth century's most influential artists. Viva Frida! 

My Thoughts: I loved the fancifulness in the illustrations. The illustrator explained that she used elements from Mexican folk art that Frida would have seen in her childhood. It gave the story an added bit of creativity that seemed in keeping with Frida's own imagination. For me the illustrations take this book to a higher level. They really are unique and surreal. 

The author did an excellent job of explaining her very complex life in a way that young children can understand. He also kept it rated G. He described a woman who flourished despite the hardships she endured. The author's note included this line, "She has specifically been an inspiration to women artists, who have found in Kahlo's strength, courage, and pizzazz an example of how to thrive as a woman in an art world dominated by men." I ran across an interview with the author. The focus isn't this book, but definitely delves into why he chooses to focus on famous people of color in his books. It was a fascinating read.

Title: Round is a Tortilla: A Book of shapes

Author: Roseanne Greenfield Thong

Illustrator: John Parra

Summary: In this lively picture book, children discover a world of shapes all around them: rectangles are ice-cream carts and stone metates, triangles are slices of watermelon and quesadillas. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this playful concept book will reinforce the shapes found in every child's day!

My Thoughts: This is a bouncy rhyming book that offers examples of many different shapes. The examples are often part of Latin@ culture and are usually fun. It does include a glossary of the Spanish words used in the text in case a reader is not certain about the meaning though usually the illustrations assist with that. This will be a concept book that will be great to use in the primary grades. I can't wait to share it.

Activity Ideas from Reading is Fundamental

Title: Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation

Author/Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh

Summary: Almost 10 years before "Brown vs. Board of Education," Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a "Whites only" school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.

My Thoughts: This is a very important part of our history that is not often discussed. Students may hear of Brown vs. Board of Education, but this happened earlier and in some ways paved the way for that ruling. I knew of this case before, but I taught in California or I probably wouldn't have. The story is well told and includes many details that add a lot. To find out that there were signs in business that said, "No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed" could be eye-opening for many readers. 

Tonatiuh explains that many people pulled together from all around the country to help desegregate the schools in California. These people included the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Japanese American Citizens League, and the American Jewish Congress among others. I love the quote attributed to Felícitas, Sylvia's mother, "Cuando la causa es justa, los demás te siguen. When you fight for justice, others will follow" (p 33).

As I was reading though, I was thinking about the project that Michelle Norris has been tweeting about, Segregation Now, that has investigated the resurgence of segregated schools. I wondered if this book would have students thinking that segregation happened a long time ago and then it was stopped forever. That might be true if readers stop with the story, but in his author's note, Tonatiuh addresses the fact that unfortunately this fight is still relevant. That note and the other materials at the end are very helpful. They include photographs of the family and schools involved. He also included a glossary that includes many of the legal terms among other things. The Bibliography is very thorough and he also included an index.  

I will be recommending this book to my teachers, students and many others. I think it is a part of our country's history that everyone should know about. I also believe that it is all too relevant right now. It will be helpful for civil rights studies and would pair up well with Through My Eyes or The Story of Ruby Bridges. 

One final note, if you have read the middle grade book Sylvia & Aki, this Sylvia is the same Sylvia that story is based on.

Extras:

If you are interested in the illustrations, Tonatiuh explains his digital collage process in the following video.

Julie Danielson (from the blog 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast) had a chance to interview the author for Kirkus here. She followed up after the interview over at her blog and that includes images of some of his preliminary sketches. Both posts are quite interesting.

What nonfiction has caught your attention lately?

Non-fiction Picture Book Challenge

Hiromi's Hands by Lynne Barasch has been one of the books that I have shared with students during Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. I love this biography and my students stay very engaged throughout. The book touches on immigrants honoring their heritage while also adopting some of the culture of a new country. I also appreciate the fact that Hiromi was breaking into a male dominated career. The video below is not for children, but it was interesting to hear from Hiromi herself. It's interesting that the author chose not to address Hiromi's difficulty with school and that she dropped out of high school. Also, the book made it sound more like Hiromi was pestering her dad to let her work with him, but in this video, she says he asked her if she would like to work at the restaurant after she had dropped out of school and was just hanging out at home. The biography was a bit more rosy than reality I think, but I imagine that often happens with children's books.

Goodreads summary: The true story of Hiromi Suzuki, a Japanese American girl who defied tradition to train at her family s restaurant, and who became one of the first female sushi chefs in New York.

We Feel Good Out Here by Julie-Ann Andre and Mindy Willett is a book that I will be sharing with my students. Julie-Ann shares how her family lives in the Northwest Territiories of Canada. Their lives are closely connected to the nature that surrounds them. The book is part of a series, "The Land in Our Storybook" and I want to read more of them.

Goodreads summary: In "We Feel Good Out Here," Julie-Ann shares her family's story and the story of her land-"Khaii luk," the place of winter fish. As Julie-Ann says, "The land has a story to tell, if you know how to listen. When I travel, the land tells me where my ancestors have been. It tells me where the animals have come and gone, and it tells me what the weather may be like tomorrow." Her home is an important part of who Julie-Ann is. She wants to help make sure that her environment is healthy, so it can continue to tell its story to her children and their children.

Yes! We are Latinos! is not technically a picture book, but it does have some illustrations. I couldn't leave it out because it is one of my favorite non-fiction books that I've read recently. I loved hearing from so many different perspectives and learning the history of so many people.

Goodreads summary: Juanita lives in New York and is Mexican. Felipe lives in Chicago and is Panamanian, Venezuelan, and black. Michiko lives in Los Angeles and is Peruvian and Japanese. Each of them is also Latino.

Thirteen young Latinos and Latinas living in America are introduced in this book celebrating the rich diversity of the Latino and Latina experience in the United States. Free-verse fictional narratives from the perspective of each youth provide specific stories and circumstances for the reader to better understand the Latino people’s quest for identity. Each profile is followed by nonfiction prose that further clarifies the character’s background and history, touching upon important events in the history of the Latino American people, such as the Spanish Civil War, immigration to the US, and the internment of Latinos with Japanese ancestry during World War II. Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy’s informational yet heartwarming text provides a resource for young Latino readers to see themselves, while also encouraging non-Latino children to understand the breadth and depth of the contributions made by Latinos in the US. Caldecott Medalist David Diaz’s hand-cut illustrations are bold and striking, perfectly complementing the vibrant stories in the book.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Non-fiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I am late getting this posted, but wanted to share a few books that focus on fine arts.

Much like in her earlier and shorter book Hands, Ehlert shares her own art journey in this scrapbook of her life. Both books explain how her family nurtured her artistic talent. The Scraps Book, goes further into her adult art life and shows even more. Seeing her process is fascinating. Ehlert does such a good job of keeping things simple yet engaging.  

Music Everywhere! combines amazing photographs with easy to read text about instruments and music making from around the world. I appreciated the specificity when talking about the people who are in the photos or who traditionally use the instruments. Individual groups of people are named rather than simply saying something or someone is from Africa. The specific country or even tribe is given. The pictures and descriptions are likely to inspire readers to create some music of their own or hunt down examples on the Internet. At the end, there are also simple instructions for making some musical instruments too.

The other books were library books, but this final book, Summoning the Phoenix, was provided by the publisher (Lee and Low Books). I will post a full review within the coming week. The illustrations are wonderful and it includes two different sets of text. On each page, a Chinese instrument is highlighted through a poem and a few paragraphs of description. One could read the poetry all the way through or choose to read the prose or read both together. I really enjoyed the fact that traditions and legends about the instruments were included. I wanted to track down all of the instruments online and hear how they sound. 

-- Cover images are from Indie Bound

Review: Almost Astronauts

Title: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to  Dream

Author: Tanya Lee Stone

Publisher: Turtleback Books

Review Copy: Library copy

Release Date: February 2009

Summary: They had the right stuff. They defied the prejudices of the time. And they blazed a trail for generations of women to follow.

What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape — any checklist would include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken rule: you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age. -- cover image and summary via IndieBound

Review: In Almost Astronauts, Tanya Lee Stone provides a look into the lives of some heroic women. Stone opens the curtains and lets the light shine in on the ugliness of discrimination in the early days of the space program. I knew that women had limited rights for many years, but had no idea that women couldn't rent cars or get loans without a man's signature even into the '60s. Some of the indignities that the women faced were astounding. It reminded me of Wheels of Change in that I kept being amazed at comments from the men in power who wanted to maintain the status quo. So many people were unwilling to work for change. Stone points to those who tried to help, but also reveals the names of those standing in the way. I appreciated learning about these women who stepped forward and endured grueling tests and workouts in their attempts to prove themselves worthy of being astronauts. 

What moved me was that I am the beneficiary of their blood, sweat and tears. As a child I did my biography report on Amelia Earhart. I dreamed of becoming a pilot. I also entertained the idea of becoming an astronaut. It never occurred to me that I could not do that, but before these women made their stand, it wouldn't have even been a remote possibility. When an astronaut came to my school in the 80s with a space suit for us to see, Sally Ride has already made her first trip. I changed my mind about careers plenty of times so I did not pursue space travel, but I am glad that they opened the way for us so that at least it is a choice young women could make.

This will be a perfect book to use with our upper grade students as they read fiction and non-fiction about the issue of discrimination. Stone delivers the information with passion and she moved me to tears on several occasions. I will not forget these women.