Synergy: Carter G. Woodson

Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) is best known as the father of Black History Month. However, he was also a scholar who sought out and preserved the story of Americans of African descent.

Read the recently published a picture book biography, then learn more at the website:

CARTER READS THE NEWSPAPER by Deborah Hopkinson traces the life of Carter Woodson from his childhood and life as a coal miner to his education and creation of Negro History Week in 1926.

The Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site from the National Park Service is a website that explores the life of this important historian.

Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site

https://www.nps.gov/cawo

ARC courtesy of Peachtree Publishers.

Synergy: Cryptography

Cryptography is the study and practice of sending and receiving private messages. The discipline connects computer science, mathematics, and other subject areas.

Read the recently published middle grades nonfiction book, then learn more at the website:

CAN YOU CRACK THE CODE? by Ella Schwartz explores the history of ciphers and cryptography. Each chapter introduces a piece of history along with engaging activities.

Journey into Cryptography from Khan Academy examines hidden messages through history along with modern cryptography. Users are presented with real-world code breaking challenges to try.

Journey into Cryptography 

https://bit.ly/1wyWwlP

ARC courtesy of Bloomsbury.

Synergy: Vaslav Nijinsky

Vaslav Nijinsky (about 1889-1950) was known for his ballet dancing and choreography. Considered the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century, he was part of the Ballets Russes.

Read the recently published young adult biography, then learn more at the website:

THE GREAT NIJINSKY: GOD OF DANCE by Lynn Curlee traces the life of a dance prodigy and cultural icon from the early 20th century. Using original paintings along with artwork, documents, and photographs, the book chronicles his tragic story including his obsession with artistry and famous love life.

Vaslav Nijinsky: Creating a New Artistic Era is a website from the New York Public Library that provides a biography, information about Ballets Russes, Nijinsky’s experiences as a choreographer, his time in America, and an essay about his life and work.

Vaslav Nijinsky https://on.nypl.org/1Oa5DUd

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge Teens.

Synergy: Internment of Japanese Americans

During World War II, 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated in concentration camps in the United States. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 authorized the military to round up both citizens and non-citizens alike.

Read the recently published graphic memoir, then learn more at the website:

THEY CALLED US ENEMY by George Takei, Eisinger Scott Becker, and Steven Scott tells the true story of Takei’s childhood in American concentration camps during World War II. The book’s stunning illustrations capture the celebrity’s experiences and reveal lessons that are still relevant today.

Densho is a digital collection chronicling incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. The site includes the core story, an encyclopedia, digital archives, American concentration camp information, and many other resources.

Densho http://densho.org/

ARC courtesy of Top Shelf.

Synergy: Opioid Crisis

For the past couple decades, pharmaceutical companies have pushed prescription pain relievers leading to their misuse. An Opioid Crisis has emerged leaving over 50,000 Americans dead and millions suffering from substance use disorders.

Read the recently published nonfiction young adult book, then learn more at the website:

DREAMLAND: THE TRUE TALE OF AMERICA’S OPIATE EPIDEMIC by Sam Quinones is a young adult adaptation of the popular adult book. Using a community in Ohio as an example, the author explains the rise of painkillers in America, their promotion by pharmaceutical companies, and the increase in illegal drugs from Mexico.

The Opioid Overdose Crisis website from the National Institute on Drug Abuse provides an overview of the epidemic, summaries by state, and related resources including reports, plans, videos, and infographics. 

Opioid Overdose Crisis https://bit.ly/2j6YEE1

ARC courtesy of Bloomsbury.

Synergy: Makerspaces

Makerspaces are areas where people can create products using traditional arts and crafts supplies or technology tools such as 3-D printers or digital studios.

Read the recently published nonfiction children’s book, then learn more at the website:

MAKE THIS! by Ella Schwartz explores building, thinking, and tinkering projects for youth. Chapters feature facts and projects for topics including simple machines, materials, systems, optics, energy, acoustics, forces, and motion.

The Maker Education website provides starting points for over a dozen affordable tools and technologies for use in makerspaces. Each category includes a suggested web resource, project ideas, video links, and documents.

Maker Education http://www.makereducation.com/ 

ARC courtesy of National Geographic Kids.

Synergy: Woodstock

Woodstock was a three-day music festival held in the summer of 1969. The counterculture generation event is considered a key moment in rock music and 60s culture.

Read the recently published young adult nonfiction book, then learn more at the website:

WOODSTOCK: 50 YEARS OF PEACE AND MUSIC by Daniel Bukszpan explores the people and groups that made this festival such as memorable event. The highly illustrated book is divided into chapters that explore festival planning, the performers, and the aftermath.

The Museum at Bethel Woods website tells the story of Woodstock. Of particular note is the online photoarchive that includes images and archives of the event.

Bethel Woods Collection Online Archive https://photoarchive.museumatbethelwoods.org

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Synergy: Orangutans

The only great apes of Asia, orangutans are found in the island rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. They are one of the most intelligent primates and are critically endangered.

Read the recently published children's book, then learn more at the website:

UNDAUNTED by Anita Silvey tells the true story of Birutė Mary Galdikas and her quest to save the orangutans. Each of the highly illustrated chapters connects the world-renowned primatologist with her quest to protect orangutans. 

The Orangutan Foundation website contains fascinating facts about orangutans, information about Galdikas and her work, and recommendations for taking action to save the orangutan.

The Orangutan Foundation https://orangutan.org/

ARC courtesy of National Geographic Kids.

Synergy: Moonwalks

The first moonwalk happened fifty years ago. Between 1969 and 1972 a dozen men walked on the moon during NASA Apollo missions.

Read the recently published children's picture book, then learn more at the website:

DARING DOZEN: THE TWELVE WHO WALKED ON THE MOON by Suzanne Slade takes picture book readers chronologically through a dozen Apollo moonwalks. Including both paintings and photographs, the book concludes with background information about each mission.

NASA’s The Apollo Missions website contains information about each mission along with images and videos.

Apollo Missions https://go.nasa.gov/2nedbB6

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Synergy: Biography

From farmers and factory workers to celebrities, biographies tell the stories of people.

Read the recently published children's books, then learn more at the website:

THE BOOK OF KINGS and THE BOOK OF QUEENS are companion reference books from National Geographic that explore the lives of people from around the world. Each thematic chapter includes visionaries, leaders, or scholars who made major contributions. The colorful illustrators and short articles provide a useful introduction to kickstart a deeper exploration of people from all walks of life.

Biography.com explores the lives of thousands of people from around the world. Although the ads can be annoying, the website is well-organized and easy to use. Users can search for individuals or browse by people, nostalgia, celebrity, history and culture, or crime and scandal. Videos are also available.

Biography https://www.biography.com/

ARC courtesy of National Geographic Kids.

Synergy: The Stonewall Uprising

The Stonewall Uprising included a series of protests by the gay community in the summer of 1969 after a police raid in New York City. Many historians consider this event to have sparked the LGBTQ+ movement that continues today.

Read the recently published middle grades children's book, then learn more at the website:

THE STONEWALL RIOTS: COMING OUT IN THE STREETS by Gayle E. Pitman tells the story of the 1969 demonstrations that launched the LGBTQ+ movement.

Visit the Stonewall National Monument National Park Service website to learn about the site of the Stonewall protests. The website contains a history of the events and connections to the people, parks, and places associated with LGBTQ heritage.

Stonewall National Monument https://www.nps.gov/ston

ARC courtesy of Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Synergy: 1919

From the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to race riots, labor protests, and the Communist scare, the year 1919 has become known as a transformative year in American history.

Read the recently published children's book on this topic, then learn more at the website:

1919: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED AMERICA by Martin W. Sander explores six transformative events that have had a lasting impact on American history. This engaging work of nonfiction features photographs, primary source documents, and short narratives.

Wikipedia’s “year” pages provide a useful quick-reference for the key events of each year. In addition each year page contains births, deaths, Nobel prizes, and other useful information to jumpstart an investigation of a particular year such as 1919.

1919 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1919

ARC courtesy of Bloomsbury Children.

Synergy: Tyrannosaurus rex

The Tyrannosaurus rex is a bipedal carnivore with powerful legs and short forelimbs. This popular dinosaur lived during the Cretaceous Period.

Read the recently published children's book, then learn more at the website:

WHEN SUE FOUND SUE by Toni Buzzeo is a picture book telling the story of Sue Hendrickson and how she discovered a T-Rex in South Dakota now housed at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

The Field Museum houses Sue the T. Rex from the picture book. Read a blog entry at their website about the dinosaur’s history at the museum.

The Field Museum Blog https://bit.ly/2DMHmaf

ARC courtesy of Abrams for Young Readers.

Synergy: Native American History & Culture

Native Americans are the indigenous peoples of the United States and represent over 570 federally recognized tribes.

Read the recently published reference book, then learn more at the website:

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY & CULTURE from National Geographic includes stories, timelines, maps, and more. Through full color illustrations and short engaging articles, the book explores seven regions including the Arctic and Subartic, Northeast, Southeast, Plains, Southwest, Great Basin and Plateau, Northwest Coast, and California. 

The National Museum of the American Indian website contains information about the museum as well as many online exhibits and resources. The Native Knowledge 360 section focuses on transforming teaching and learning about Native Americans.

National Museum of the American Indian website  

https://americanindian.si.edu/

ARC courtesy of National Geographic.

Synergy: Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer from the Baroque Period who composed a wide range of music.

Read the recently published children's book, then learn more at the website:

BACH TO THE RESCUE by Tom Angleberger uses colorful illustrations and a humorous approach to tell the story of how Bach composed Goldberg Variations.

Sponsored by Cincinnati Public Radio, Classics for Kids presents short biographies of composers including Bach from throughout history. In addition to background information, the website also includes a short audio clip, links to audio programs, and a lesson plan.

Composers for Kids https://www.classicsforkids.com/composers.html 
Johann Sebastian Bach https://bit.ly/2J4wWEO

ARC courtesy of Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Books + Websites = Lamb's Synergy

SYNERGY is a new column written by Annette Lamb that connects recently published books for youth with engaging Internet resources to encourage reading and exploration.

Web Project Review: LOC By the People

BY THE PEOPLE CAMPAIGNS from the Library of Congress is the starting point for the library’s crowdsourcing projects.

Participants of all ages are encouraged to participate in transcribing historical documents as part of the Library of Congress’ BY THE PEOPLE campaigns. Visitors are invited to transcribe, review, and tag digitized images of manuscripts and typed materials from the library’s collections. The purpose of the project is to improve search, readability, and access to historical documents.

Currently campaigns include documents related to Women’s Suffrage, the American Civil War, Walt Whitman, and Abraham Lincoln.

Librarians will find this authentic citizen action project to be an innovative way to involve youth with primary source documents and history. It’s also a useful way to implement and model service learning concepts.

To learn more, go to https://crowd.loc.gov/campaigns-topics/.

Book: The Nature Craft Book

THE NATURE CRAFT BOOK by Clare Beaton is an arts and crafts book for nature lovers.

Part of the Read, Learn & Create series, this nature book contains fifteen crafts and two recipes. Colorful collage illustrations help users learn about birds, insects, plants, and animals while providing easy-to-follow directions for engaging projects. After an introduction to nature and the format of activities, users explore over a dozen topics. From birds to twigs, children read about the topic. Then, follow directions to create finger puppets, apple chips, leaf prints, and other fun activities.

Librarians will find this book to be popular with children who enjoy nature crafts. Teachers will find useful activities for the classroom. Several of the projects will be new too librarians and worth a look.

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Book: Leaf It to Dot

LEAF IT TO DOT by Randi Zuckerberg is part of a developing reader series.

When Dot, Hal, and Dad go on a scavenger hunt, they find using a tablet useful but also a distraction. This engaging short chapter book provides a timely lesson about the importance of balancing screen time and nature exploration.

Librarians will find this short book to be a great way to talk with youth about enjoying nature. Weave it into the information literacy curriculum when discussing screen time and limiting device use. Children may recognize the characters from the television series.

ARC courtesy of the publisher.

500 Women Scientists

500 WOMEN SCIENTISTS is an online project focusing on women scientists.

This online database contains information and resources about female scientists from around the world. The resource also includes ideas and resources for building leaders. In addition, users can locate female scientists across the globe.

To learn more, go to https://500womenscientists.org/