Death of a Dreamer by Alison Behnke - ADVISABLE

Behnke, Alison Marie Death of a Dreamer: the assassination of John Lennon, 112 p. Twenty First Century (Lerner), 2013.  $32.  Content: G (while there is some depiction of infidelity, and of the murder, nothing is graphic).  

Behnke does an excellent job of detailing Lennon’s rise to fame with the Beatles and his subsequent career after the band’s end, and then detailing the life of the man who became Lennon’s assassin, on through the aftermath of Lennon’s death.  While there is not enough material here to use it as a single biographical source, the material is compelling and would work well in an active non-fiction collection.  

MS, HS – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Lives of the Scientists by Kathleen Krull - OPTIONAL

Krull, Kathleen Lives of the Scientists: Experiments, Explosions (and what the neighbors thought), 95 p. Harcourt (Houghton), 2013.  $21.  Content: G. 

From the ancient to the modern, Krull and Hewitt look at the lives of 20 acclaimed scientists – and a bit about how their neighbors felt about them.  The biographies are very short – not enough to support a report on any one scientist.  However, the book could be used in a classroom project, with small groups of students looking at each entry.  

EL – OPTIONAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher.

The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson - ESSENTIAL

Leyson, Leon The Boy on the Wooden Box, 240 p. Atheneum (Simon), 2013.  $17.  Violence: PG (mentions of many deaths, nothing graphic).  

Leib Lejzon was a little boy in Poland when Hitler came to power and started his master plan for cleansing Europe and all of the world.  From life in the shrinking ghettos of Krakow, through the terror under Amon Goeth in the Plaszow concentration camp, Leyson details the steps that brought him under Oskar Schindler’s watchful eye and the terrible conditions and emotional agony under which he survived.  Nothing in inappropriate for teens – in fact, I am not sure he goes far enough in the details.  

MS, HS – ESSENTIAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher.

It Jes' Happened by Don Tate -- ADVISABLE

Tate, Don and R. Gregory Christie It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw 32 pgs. Lee & Low Books Inc. 2012. $17.95.

A biography of self-taught artist Bill Traylor. As a former slave, then sharecropper, husband, and father, Traylor saw a lot in his lifetime. Without knowing it, he saved up all his experiences and emotions inside until one day, when he was alone and eighty-five, he sat down and poured everything out in a series of drawings and paintings. Although he saw little to no fame in his own lifetime, and eventually lost heart, his work has recently been rediscovered and finally appreciated.

This is a nice reminder that artists must live life in order to have a creative well to pull from, and an inspiration for those who begin to draw either late in life or without formal training. The text-heavy pages make this one more suitable for older students, perhaps ones who are themselves budding artists. While the illustrations mimic Traylor's style, and his artwork is described several times, the book itself contains only one piece of his work, a small painting on the very last page.

EL, MS -- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by: Caryn

Becoming Ben Franklin by Russell Freedman - ESSENTIAL

Freedman, Russell Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-Maker’s Son Helped Light the Flame of Liberty, 82p.  Holiday House, 2013. $24.95.  NON-FICTION.  Content: G.  

Russell Freedman turns his deft hand to the life of America’s premiere inventor and consummate statesman.  It is a thorough, but accessible look at the man and his genius, with plenty of historical illustrations.  There is plenty of information here of a well-researched report.  I’m interested to see how the LExile on this book falls out for whether it is teachable at the appropriate level.  

MS – ESSENTIAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher

A Marked Man: The Assassination of Malcolm X by Doeden - ESSENTIAL

Doeden. Matt A Marked Man: The Assassination of Malcolm X, 82 p. Twenty-First Century (Lerner), 2013.  $25.00.  Content: PG (the assassination and it does mention that Malcolm’s grandmother was raped by a white man).  

From Malcolm’s beginnings and the events that shaped, through the assassination and on to the aftermath – including a discussion of how the men who were charged with the crime may not have been the perpetrators.  Any student who combined this with Malcolm’s autobiography would have a wealth of material for a research project.  

MS, HS – ESSENTIAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad by David Adler - ESSENTIAL

Adler, David A. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, 129 p. Holiday House, 2013.  $19.  

Adler turns his remarkable talent to chronicalling the life of Harriet Tubman.  You can tell that Adler has done extensive research and he has written a book that is detailed and interesting, but still at a level that is appropriate for students.  While most students will probably not read the book from cover to cover, it is a valuable research source for the Civil War, the Underground Railroad or just the history of this very brave woman.  

MS – ESSENTIAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Marvin Makes Music by Marvin Hamlisch - ADVISABLE

Hamlisch, Marvin  Marvin Makes Music Illustrated by Jim Madsen  Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012. $17.99  PICTURE BOOK  Content: G.  

Marvin loves the piano and he loves music.  He likes the music that he makes up in his head best, so he has a hard time when he is supposed to practice his lessons because he doesn’t like to play “old music”.  He also has a hard time performing in front of other people.  His parents think that he is good enough at the piano that they want him to audition at a special musical school, but he is nervous.  They arrive to the audition early enough that Marvin and his father go to the roof to take a deep breath and look at the city.  They get locked on the rooftop and by the time someone helps them get down they are late for the audition.  Although he is flustered, Marvin imagines that he is on the roof with his father when he plays for the judges, plays his piece great and is accepted into the music school.  The illustrations are great and this book is telling a story from the real composer, Marvin Hamlisch’s life which makes it even more interesting.  

I think this is a great book for inspiring kids to keep practicing their instruments even though the songs they may have to practice aren’t always what they want to play.  It also discusses what Marvin did about his stage fright, which also could help kids talk about ways to overcome their fear of performing in front of others.  

EL (K-3) (4-6)-ADVISABLE. 

A Splash of Red by Jen Bryant - ESSENTIAL

Bryant, Jen A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin, PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. $17.99. Content: G. 

This biography picture book focuses on the artist, Horace Pippin.  Horace grew up in a dedicated family and he loved to draw.  Eventually, he also began to love painting.  As a teenager, he quit school and started picking up odd jobs to help support his family. Horace’s shoulder was injured when he fought in World War I and he was unable to create art for a time.  He was eventually able to find a way to draw and paint utilizing his left hand to control his right and produced around 140 works of art.  

I enjoyed learning about an artist I had never heard of before.  Pippin’s story was intriguing, hopeful, and inspiring.  The illustrations were unique and pleasing to look at. Many of them included quotes from Pippin, which added a lot to the artwork.  

EL- ESSENTIAL. Reviewed by: Shay, School Librarian

Adele by Matt Doeden-ADVISABLE

Doeden, Matt, Adele: Soul Music’s Magical Voice. Twenty-First Century Books, 2013. Pgs. 111. INFORMATION.

When she was 19 years old, Adele released her first single, “Hometown Glory.” Two years, two albums, and a lot of heartbreak later, she swept the 54^th Grammy Awards, winning all six categories for which she was nominated. At one point, a terrible throate condition had many fans worried that she would never sing again, but she did. How did she get to the Grammy Awards?  How did she become a singer? How did she overcome her throat issue? This book answers these questions and more.

An entertaining biography for Adele fans. The layout is well-done and easy to follow. The use of varying sources of primary sources and interesting facts is useful and informative. Readers who need to read a biography or who are interested in reading about Adele will enjoy reading this book. Included are a timeline, a bibliography, discography, source notes, and further reading suggestions, and an index. EL (4-6), MS, HS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library