Synergy: California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush (1848-1855) began when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill. The news of gold brought more than 300,000 people seeking their fortune. While some “forty-niners” found gold, others were more successful in selling supplies and goods to miners.

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

GOLD RUSH GIRL by Avi tells the story of a young girl’s adventures on the high seas and the gold fields of 1848 California. Set during the Gold Rush, this middle grade novel successfully weaves in elements of historical events in San Francisco during this period.

THE GOLD RUSH ERA, 1848-1865 from Calisphere: University of California contains six digital exhibitions related to the time period. Topics include murder and mayhem, disasters, everyday life and people, environmental impact, the growth of cities, and diversity in the changing state.

To visit the digital collection, go to https://bit.ly/2R0UeiF.

ARC courtesy of Candlewick Press.

Book Review: Paper Wishes

PAPER WISHES by Lois Sepahban tells the heartbreaking story of a family sent to a Japanese-American relocation camp during World War II.

Ten-year-old Manami and her dog lead a happy life in Washington until her family is uprooted and imprisoned in a California camp called Manzanar far from home. Manami is deeply affected by her missing dog and refuses to speak. The love of her family and a compassionate teacher keep hope alive.

The author’s moving story and simple, vivid descriptions of camp life bring this tragic piece of American history alive for middle grade readers.

Librarians will find this work of historical fiction to be an excellent addition to their growing collection focusing on World War II Japanese internment camps. An author’s note provides background information about this tragic chapter of American history.

The short length of the book will make it popular among intermediate readers looking for a “skinny book” to read.

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

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan on January 5, 2015. ARC courtesy of publisher.

Book Review: I Don't Know How the Story Ends

I DON’T KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS by J.B. Cheaney is an engaging work middle grade historical fiction.

After her father enlists in World War I, Isobel along with her mother and younger sister go to stay with Izzy’s aunt in Hollywood. Hoping to impress a famous film-maker, Izzy’s cousin Ranger talks Izzy and her sister into helping him make a movie using a “borrowed” camera. However when a letter arrives from Izzy’s father, they reconsider the ending of their film and must face the real-world of war.

The movie-making theme may attract some readers who might otherwise avoid historical fiction. Librarians will find that youth are attracted to the movie-making theme. Show early Hollywood movies available at Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/moviesandfilms. Create a bulletin board showing early film makers and images from their movies. Then, set up your own video production maker station. Be sure to use editing features that turn the film black and white.

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

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky on October 6, 2015. ARC from the publisher.

Book Review: Sisters

Raina Telgemeier is known for her popular graphic novels and memoir for youth. Like its companion SMILE, SISTERS by Raina Telgemeier weaves together a humorous, relatable story. In this case, the plot unfolds during a family road trip from California to Colorado. Having grown up in a family who took car vacations in a Volkswagon Beetle, I could relate to the experience of traveling with siblings.

Telgemeier’s use of present-day narrative combined with flashbacks keeps the reader constantly engaged in this quick read. The illustrations are clean and easy to follow, while the dialog is realistic and light.

SISTERS is perfect for the target audience and is likely to encourage even reluctant readers to look for Telgemeier” earlier works.

I had the opportunity to see Raina Telgemeier do a Reader’s Theater excerpt from this book at ALA in Las Vegas. It was hilarious! I highly recommend both the book and the author!

To learn more about Raina Telgemeier, go to http://goraina.com/

Publisher ARC used for review