Synergy: Radium

Radium is a highly radioactive element discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898. Because of its luminous qualities, it was used in painting watch dials so they would glow in the dark. Unfortunately, many factory workers were harmed by this metal.

Read the recently published young reader's edition, then learn more at the websites:

THE RADIUM GIRLS by Kate Moore is a young reader's edition of the best-seller exploring the true stories of everyday young women who fought for labor regulations, advanced science, and saved lives in the early 20th century. Divided into three sections focusing on knowledge, power, and justice, the book weaves in less-known stories and primary sources. It concludes with a glossary, timeline, photos, and additional resources.

The book's website contains additional information about the individual women featured in the book along with other information.

To learn more, go to http://theradiumgirls.com/.

ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Explore.

Digital Spotlight: Gulag: Many Days, Many Lives

GULAG: MANY DAYS, MANY LIVES takes an in-depth look at life in the Soviet Gulag between 1917 and 1988.

Contents: Uses explore exhibits including original documentaries and prisoner voices. The achieve contains documents and images through history. The teaching and bibliographic resources are useful for teachers. Finally, the reflect area allows visitors to share their thoughts.

Classroom Connections: Librarians will find this website useful in meeting the needs of students and teachers exploring 20th century history.

Featured Digital Objects:
Days and Lives http://gulaghistory.org/exhibits/days-and-lives
Camp Tour http://gulaghistory.org/exhibits/perm
Escort Guard http://gulaghistory.org/items/show/237

To visit the collection, go to http://gulaghistory.org/.

Digital Spotlight: The Art of American Advertising

THE ART OF AMERICAN ADVERTISING features advertisements from 1865 to 1910.

Contents: In addition to a searchable digital collection, users can also explore nine exhibitions focusing on national markets, advertising products, trade catalogs, trade cards, souvenirs and novelties, scrapbooks and collectibles, the art of “posting”, brand name management, and a marketing revolution.

Classroom Connections: This collection is useful for activities across the curriculum. Art teachers will want to involve students in evaluating the artwork, while history teachers can use the images to provide insights into particular time periods. Divide classes into small groups to explore specific exhibitions. Involve younger students in “then and now” comparisons.

Featured Digital Objects:
Gallery https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/artadv/gallery.html
Trade Cards https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/artadv/trade-cards.html
Souvenirs & Novelties https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/artadv/souvenirs.html

To visit the collection, go to https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/artadv/.

Website Review: The Living New Deal

THE LIVING NEW DEAL shares the achievements of the New Deal and public works projects across the United States.

This interactive online project features information about the New Deal, a map containing more than 12,000 locations impacted by public works projects, resources and teaching materials, and ways that people can get involved by submitting experiences and digital objects.

Librarians will find this website an engaging way to explore the impact of this government program.

To visit the website, go to https://livingnewdeal.org/.

Digital Spotlight: Farm Security Administration Photographs

FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PHOTOGRAPHS from the New York Public Library are a collection of over 2500 black and white images.

Contents: Users will find this collection of high quality, public domain photos easy to navigate and use. Choose from well-known photographs such as Dorothea Lange or search by topic for a wide range of fascinating photographs.

Classroom Connections: Connect these photos with works of historical fiction, history projects, or science projects related to drought and natural disasters. They’re also useful in projects related to the workforce and daily life in the mid 1930s through mid 1940s. These public domain photos can be used in student projects and shared online.

Featured Digital Objects:
Migrant Workers https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/…/ba309cea-932e-4288-e0…
Famous Pea Picker Mother https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/…/639b2760-2289-0132-a9…
Garden https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/…/ba309cea-924e-4288-e0…

To visit the collection, go to https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/…/e5462600-c5d9-012f-a6….

Website Review: Navigating the Green Book

NAVIGATING THE GREEN BOOK shares travel guides from the mid 20th century that catered to black travelers along with interactive mapping activities.

During the mid 20th century, African American travelers weren’t welcome at many restaurants and hotels. The Negro Travel’s Green Book was intended to provide guidance for black travelers.

Part of the NYPL Labs, this interactive online experience provides access to travel guides published from 1936 through 1966. Users can explore the guides, map a trip, or view data on a map. For the map trip project, users choose a date and enter two locations. Participants are then presented a map showing a route featuring food, lodging, and other stops along the way. Each stop shows a primary source document.

Librarians will find this website to be a fun way to teach the use of primary source documents while connecting to history content. Associate the project with the Civil Rights Movement and issues related to segregation and travel. Work with teachers to design an interdisciplinary project that involves math, history, social studies, and English. Consider connecting the mapping element to works of historical fiction from this time period.

To visit the website, go to http://publicdomain.nypl.org/greenbook-map/.

Digital Spotlight: Medicine and Madison Avene

MEDICINE AND MADISON AVENUE is a digital repository exploring the rise of the consumer culture during the first half of the 20th century.

Contents: Housed at Duke University Libraries, this collection contains 600 health-related advertisements connecting modern medicine with the consumer culture. From cough and cold remedies to laxatives and vitamins, users can search by date, company, product, subject, publication, medium, or format.

Classroom Connections: Advertisements are an effective way to engage students with health and history topics. This digital collection can also be used to teach about marketing techniques and changes in society and culture during the 20th century.

Featured Digital Objects:
Listerine https://repository.duke.edu/dc/mma/MM0600
Classroom Germs https://repository.duke.edu/dc/mma/MM0709
Scot Tissue https://repository.duke.edu/dc/mma/MM0572

To visit the collection, go to https://repository.duke.edu/dc/mma.

Book Review: Undefeated

UNDEFEATED by Steve Sheinkin tells the story of Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian football team.

In 1907, a group of young men met at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. With hard work and the leadership of a skilled coach, these Native American athletes formed a football team that overcame prejudice to defeat Ivy League teams. Filled with primary source materials and source notes, readers will be amazed by the thought-provoking personal story along with the social issues associated with institutionalized racism.

Librarians will appreciate this well-researched work of nonfiction. Even reluctant readers will enjoy the football themed Table of Contents, the short, action-packed chapters and the conversational approach.

Published by Roaring Brook Press on January 17, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Painting Pepette

PAINTING PEPETTE by Linda Ravin Lodding tells the charming story of Josette, her pet rabbit, and their artistic quest.

This beautifully illustrated picture book begins in the home of young Josette who lives in early 20th century Paris. After seeing all the family members represented in paintings on the walls of her home, young Josette goes on a quest to find an artist to paint a portrait of her rabbit, Pepette. From Picasso to Matisse, each artist captures a different aspect of the lovable bunny. However, Josette has her own vision of the perfect portrait.

Claire Fletcher’s watercolor illustrations bring each artist and their style to life.

Librarians will find this adorable picture book to provide an excellent introduction to famous artists of the Montmartre district in Paris during the 1920s. In addition to the historical connection, the story’s emphasis on different perspectives and thoughts on what’s “art” makes it particularly effective for discussions about the meaning of art.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.lindalodding.com/.

Published by little bee books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster on June 7, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Nettie and Nellie Crook: Orphan Train Twins

NETTIE AND NELLIE CROOK: ORPHAN TRAIN SISTERS by E. F. Abbott is based on the true experiences of twin girls in the early 20th century.

When their parents can no longer take care of them, Nettie and Nellie are taken by the Children’s Aid Society to live in an orphanage. Eventually, they travel to Kansas then South Dakota to be adopted.

Orphan train stories are popular with children. Readers will enjoy the biographical information and the historical photographs will bring the time period to life for readers.

Librarians will find that this new series is a good way to introduce middle grade youth to the heartbreaking reality of children’s lives in key time periods in American history. Although written as historical fiction, the books are based on real events. The titles are short and easy-to-read making them useful for classroom activities.

Other books in the new “Based on a True Story” series include Sybil Ludington: Revolutionary War Rider, John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy, and Mary Jamison: Native American Captive.

Published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan on February 16, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.