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.

Krysia

KRYSIA by Krystyna Mihulka with Krystyna Poray Goddu is a memoir telling the story of a young Polish girl during World War II.

Krysia’s peaceful childhood is shattered when German troops invade Poland and her family is forced to leave their home and live in a Soviet work farm. Historical photographs add to the appeal of this remarkable story.

Librarians will find this courageous memoir provides a compelling way to discuss the struggles of families during war. Use this work along with other similar stories in a literature circle focusing on World War II memoirs.

Published by Chicago Review Press on January 1, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Every Falling Star

EVERY FALLING STAR by Sungju Lee and Susan Elizabeth McClelland tells the true story of a twelve year old boy growing up on his own in North Korea after his parents are banished then disappear.

The book begins with background information about North Korea and a prologue introducing the story. The memoir describes how the Sungju Lee’s family was banished and how his parents disappeared. The fast-paced story details his life traveling the country in a gang and how he was ultimately reunited with his family. The epilogue does an excellent job completing the story.

Librarians will find that fans of memoir quickly become immersed in Sungju Lee’s life in North Korea. Develop a literature circle of the many teen memoirs available from around the world.

Watch Sungju Lee introduce the book at https://youtu.be/4jaa2sTelk4.

Published by Harry N. Abrams on September 13, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Honor Girl

HONOR GIRL: A GRAPHIC MEMOIR by Maggie Thrash tells the story of first love at an all-girl summer camp.

Maggie spends her summers at Camp Bellflower in Kentucky. From music to target shooting, she experiences the typical drama of summer friendships. However, the summer she turns 15, Maggie falls for a 19-year-old camp counselor. Camp rumors and melodrama don’t diminish her experience of first love.

Using flashbacks to her time in summer camp, the author skillfully weaves a story of self-discovery and young love. She also reminds readers that it’s impossible to revisit the past. Although the book explores a lesbian relationship, Thrash’s portrayal of teen angst and struggles with sexuality are universal themes.

The colorful drawings will appeal to the young adult audience. Librarians will find HONOR GIRL to be a popular addition to the growing number of quality graphic memoirs for young adults.

Learn more about the author at http://www.maggiethrash.com/.

Published by Candlewick on September 8, 2015.

Book Review: Becoming Maria

BECOMING MARIA: LOVE AND CHAOS IN THE SOUTH BRONX by Sonia Manzano is a touching memoir about a Puerto Rican-American girl growing up in New York City during the 1950s and 1960s.

Many readers will recognize Sonia Manzano as Maria from the children’s television program Sesame Street. This poignant story follows Sonia from her earliest memories through her college experiences. It concludes with her job interview for Sesame Street that made her famous with generations of children.

Manzano provides an authentic look at the daily life of a Latino family living in the Bronx during the 1950s-1960s. Readers experience the racial and social issues of the times through the eyes of a child trying to make sense of the world.

Librarians will enjoy reading this book themselves as well as sharing it with young adults. The fast-paced story will keep readers interested. This book would be a wonderful addition to your WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign.

For amazing photos and primary source documents from her life, visit the author’s website at http://soniamanzano.com/.

Published August 25, 2015 by Scholastic Press.

Book Review: Unlikely Warrior: A Jewish Soldier in Hitler's Army

UNLIKELY WARRIOR: A JEWISH SOLDIER IN HITLER’S ARMY by George Rauch is a fascinating memoir tracing a teen’s experience as a soldier and prisoner-of-war during World War II.

As a young adult in Nazi-occupied Austria, Georg was forced to serve in the German army. Hitler needed able-bodied soldiers to fight his war, so Georg was drafted despite his Jewish ancestry and opposition to the war. As a radio operator in the infantry, Georg was determined to stay alive while facing gunfire, starvation, illness, and often brutal weather conditions.

Organized into three sections, the book explores his life in the trenches, as a prisoner-of-war, and as a refugee heading home. The compelling story moves quickly containing enough action to keep young adults at the edge of their seats. Without getting deep into the social and political aspects of the war, the memoir does a masterful job helping young readers understand the fear and frustrations Georg experienced while being caught between countries and cultures.

The story is told through a combination of the author’s recollections along with the many carefully archived letters he sent to his mother. This use of primary source documents will be particularly appeal to history teachers. Personal photographs, a map and timeline also provide useful information to readers.

Intended for youth ages 12 and up, this first-person account will be popular with students interested in learning more about war from a non-traditional perspective.

Librarians will find this young adult memoir to be an excellent addition to the library collection. Consider working with English and History teachers to build the book into literature circles related to World War II.

Published by Farrar, Stauss & Giroux on February 24, 2015. A publisher ARC was used for the review.

Book Review: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer tells the inspiring story of a young African boy who turned junkyard scraps into a working windmill to generate electricity for his family’s impoverished farm in Malawi.

This Young Readers Edition of Kamkwamba’s well-known adult memoir published in 2009 is likely to spark the scientific interests and imagination of middle-grade students. Readers are gradually drawn into William’s life in his small, rural African village. American children will be amazed at the lack of education and technology available to young William. They will also be moved by his determination and initiative.

While most middle-grade readers aren’t likely to pick up this book on their own, this compelling memoir would be a wonderful opportunity for librarians to collaborate with classroom teachers. Consider using this book as an interdisciplinary, whole-grade reading experience connecting language arts, social studies, and science curriculum.

Readers will enjoy watching the author’s 2009 TED talk at http://goo.gl/ADIHtg.

Be sure to explore the Moving Windmills project at http://www.movingwindmills.org/.

Published by Dial Books for Young Readers, Penguin Young Readers Group. ARC provided by publisher.

Book Review: El Deafo

Three of the best children’s books of 2014 are autobiographical including THE SCRAPS BOOK and BROWN GIRL DREAMING. EL DEAFO is at the top of my list. Feature all three in your library and encourage youth to write their own stories.

EL DEAFO by Cece Bell is a powerful graphic memoir focusing on the frustration of growing up with a hearing impairment. While Cece’s story highlights the embarrassment and loneliness of deafness experienced by many children, the universal themes of friendship and acceptance are at the core of this unforgettable story.

The author’s warm and honest approach to storytelling contribute to it’s appeal. Cece’s “listener for all” alter-ego El Deafo is wonderfully drawn in sequences placed in green bubbles to separate them from reality.

Besides the exceptional storyline, what makes EL DEAFO so magnificent is the graphic memoir format. Many students who might overlook the traditional autobiographical format will embrace the simple, well-drawn, visually-rich approach.

Librarians who grew up in the 60s-70s will enjoy her spot-on references to everything from Batman and John-Boy to Hostess Cherry Pies and sleep-overs. You may even be moved to sing Yellow Submarine.

Having experienced hearing loss as an adult due to an illness, I can empathize with Cece’s frustrations. Like Cece, my problem isn’t with volume, it’s clarity of sound. Her book does an outstanding job educating readers about how to interact with a person with hearing loss. These small informative details make this much more than your typical graphic memoir.

To learn more about Geisel honor book winner Cece Bell, go to her website at https://cecebell.wordpress.com/.

Book Review: The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life

THE SCRAPS BOOK: NOTES FROM A COLORFUL LIFE by Lois Ehlert is a charming picture-book and a perfect way to introduce the concept of autobiography to young children.

In her beautiful book, the beloved author-illustrator opens her studio and archives allowing readers to learn how she creates her popular picture books. Combining historical photographs, scans of book plans and drafts, along with artwork from her books, Ehlert uses a visually stunning approach to describe her life and creative process.

THE SCRAPS BOOK would be a wonderful way to introduce the concept of autobiography to young children. Begin by sharing and discussing her picture books. Then, read her autobiography pointing out familiar images from her work. Talk with children about the creative process and Ehlert as an author-illustrator.

Although Color Zoo was a Caldecott Honor Book, she hasn’t won the ultimate Caldecott medal. Could this be her year?

To extend the experience, what a video interview with Lois Ehlert from Reading Rockets at http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/ehlert.

Book Review: Brown Girl Dreaming

BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson has been named the 2014 National Book Award winner for young people’s literature.

Written in verse, this inspiring memoir traces Woodson’s life as an African American child growing up during the turbulent 1960s and 70s. From her experiences with the Civil Rights Movement to her religious upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness, readers get a glimpse into the life of an ordinary child that will grow up to be an extraordinary voice for a generation.

Through short powerful poems, readers become immersed in Woodson’s world. Many children will empathize with her struggles with reading and writing.

BROWN GIRL DREAMING would be a wonderful addition to a literature circle exploring the lives of well-known authors. It would also be an excellent shared experience for a class exploring the genre of autobiography, biography, and memoir.

This three-time Newbery Honor author has written some extra-ordinary books for young people. Use this memoir to jumpstart an exploration of all her works such as LOCOMOTION, FEATHERS, and AFTER TUPAC AND D FOSTER.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/. Her website contains a useful research guide providing helpful hints for conducting inquiries related to the topics associated with her books.

Publisher ARC used for review

Book Review: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

UNBROKEN: AN OLYMPIAN’S JOURNEY FROM AIRMAN TO CASTAWAY TO CAPTIVE by Laura Hillenbrand is part of trend toward young adult adaptations of popular adult works. Based on the award-winning novel, UNBROKEN: A WORLD WAR II STORY OF SURVIVAL, RESILIENCE, AND REDEMPTION, the book traces the real-world experiences of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who becomes a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II.

Both the original nonfiction narrative and the adaptation chronicle Zamperini’s life by highlighting key events including his time as a high school runner, Olympian, bombardier, crash survivor, and prisoner. The use of a series of short, focused narratives keeps the reader engaged. More than one hundred photographs from the time period along with personal photos from the Zamperini family collection immerse readers in the story.

Although the adaptation lacks some of the depth of the original, it maintains the emotion of this breathtaking odyssey. While some of the beauty of Hillenbrand’s writing style is lost in the book’s attempt at brevity, the feelings of desperation, suffering, and hope still ring true. Background information woven through narrative help young readers understanding the context of story.

While many high school history teachers focus on the European Theatre, this book provides a wonderful opportunity for educators to explore the war in the Pacific Theatre. Consider offering both the adult version and the adaptation as options for student readers.

Teens enjoy making connections between books and movies. The movie version of the book titled UNBROKEN rated PG-13 opens December 25, 2014. To learn more about the movie, go to http://www.unbrokenfilm.com/. The movie website encourages visitors to add their own stories of resilient heroes. Learn more at http://www.iamunbroken.com/.

To learn more about the author, go to http://laurahillenbrandbooks.com/.
An interactive map shows Louie’s Journey, go to http://laurahillenbrandbooks.com/interactive-map/

Although Zamperini died recently, his memory will live on through all three versions of his story: the original book, the adaptation, and the feature film.

Publisher ARC used for review

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