Website Review: NYC's Fifth Avenue: Then & Now

NEW YORK CITY’S FIFTH AVENUE: THEN & NOW is an interactive website allowing users to compare 1911 photographs with 2015 Google Street View images.

Created as part of the NYPL Labs project, this website presents users with a street view photo from 1911 along with the Google Street view of the same location. Users can virtually walk up and down Fifth Avenue comparing the cityscapes.

Librarians will find this to be a fascinating way to introduce primary source activities related to “then and now”. Ask students to look for details such as transportation, fashion, street vendors, and more.

To visit the website, go to http://publicdomain.nypl.org/fifth-avenue/.

Book Review: Towers Falling

TOWERS FALLING by Jewell Parker Rhodes tells the powerful story of a young girl learning about the history of 9/11.

Set in New York City, Deja is a homeless child enrolled in a new school. Along with her new friends Ben and Sabeen, the fifth-grader learns about the history of the 9/11 attacks as part of the school’s curriculum. As she dives into an exploration of this historical event, Deja soon discovers a personal connection she never imagined.

This thought-provoking story explores a wide range of important historical and socio-political connections to this event that occurred before the birth of today’s elementary children. Rhodes skillfully teaches children about the historical event within a story about friendship and family.

Librarians will find this to be an important addition to their library collection. Consider purchasing a class set and working with teachers to weave the novel into the curriculum.

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

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Hachette Books on July 12, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: The Roaring Twenties

THE ROARING TWENTIES is an interactive exploration of the historical soundscape of New York City through primary source documents.

This engaging multimedia project immerses users in the sounds of New York City in the 1920s through three themes: sound, space, and time.

The Introduction discusses the the time period and the primary source materials used as the basis for the website. These include the text of noise complaints, news reel footage, maps, and other historical materials.

The Sound section features sources of city noise including traffic, transportation, building operation, homes, streets, harbor/river, collection deliveries, and miscellaneous. Each category includes specific text and video examples of noises and complaints.

The Space section provides a clickable map of New York City. Users can explore primary source documents and watch video footage related to city noise.

The Time section contains a clickable timeline that can be used to explore noise complaints, videos, news, and other information.

The Info section provides access to background information about the three themes along with links to additional resources.
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Librarians will find this website to be an fascinating way for youth to immerse themselves in this time period while learning about the usefulness of primary sources in research. Partner with both English and History teachers to immerse young adults in this time period.

To visit the website, go to http://vectorsdev.usc.edu/NYCsound/777b.html.

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.

Book Review: Lost in NYC: Subway Adventure

LOST IN NYC: A SUBWAY ADVENTURE written by Nagja Spiegelman and illustrated by Sergio García Sánchez combines an exciting urban adventure with a fascinating informational reading experience for young learners.

A TOON Graphics book, the story features a school field trip that goes awry for a member of the class when he gets lost in the subway on his way to the Empire State Building in New York City.

This beautifully illustrated book features subway maps, collages with historical photos, subway symbols, and visually stunning graphic story elements.

Spiegelman’s carefully researched children’s book contains both a realistic fiction element along with carefully researched information about the history and geography of New York City and it’s unique subway system.

Available in both English and Spanish versions, this is a must-have book for elementary libraries. Both urban dwellers and those longing to visit the city will find the authentic story and background information appealing.

This outstanding graphic work is excellent for both visual and verbal literacy activities. It’s likely to be on lots of “best of 2015” lists this year.

Download an outstanding teacher’s guide to go with the book at http://goo.gl/AKedTQ.

Published by Toon Books on April 7, 2015. ARC courtesy of Edelweiss.