We Are the Ship

       Nelson, K. (2008).  We are the ship  NY:  Hyperion. We Are the Ship discusses the lives of a group of men that loved baseball more than anything. They had to endure pain, injuries, low pay, and discrimination in order to play ball in fields under terrible conditions. Nelson does a phenomenal job sharing untold or even forgotten stories that depict the lives of black men during the 1920s that paved the way for other African American men to be be able to play in the major leagues. The book is organized by innings instead of chapters and is accompanied by inspiring quotes. Some of the stories may be heartbreaking, but they are very powerful. What makes this book unique is the breathtaking paintings that wonderfully support Nelson's purpose for writing this book. The paintings captivate the reader and forces him to live the pain and suffering these men endured. 

The Watsons go to Birmingham -1963

Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963. NY: Delacorte. The Watsons are an African American family that live in Michigan and have three children: Byron, Kenny, and Joetta or Joey. They were having behavior problems with Byron, their sixth grader. They decide to visit Grandma Sans in Alabama hoping she would help them straighten up Byron. Kenny and Byron underestimate Grandma Sans but soon learn she is tough, very tough. Things begin to change. Byron’s behavior starts to improve, but Kenny is the one causing trouble now. He refuses to follow instructions and almost drowns. Luckily, and believe it or not, Byron saves his life. Another tragic accident occurs in a church nearby; a bomb exploded and caused great damage. Kenny rushed to the scene and saw a shoe he believed belonged to Joey trapped under concrete. As he pulled, he felt like Wool Pooh, a scary made up character, was pulling on the shoe. Therefore, Kenny felt fear and ran back home. The family believed Joey had been a victim, but she was not there when it occurred. Not “saving” Joey and not understanding how Whites could have attacked the church took a toll on him and went into some sort of depression. Byron, tries to console him and teaches him that magic exists in your family’s love for you and not behind the couch where Kenny would go to seek magic for healing of his heart. One of the themes that is very difficult to discuss during these times of protests is racial discrimination and violence. Unfortunately, this book takes place during a time where Alabama is still under the curse of segregation and racial discrimination. We see how all this impacts Kenny since he is the narrator. Even though this is a fictional story, it does incorporate historical events such as the bombing of the church and the influence of the Civil Rights movement.  

Out of My Mind

Draper, S. (2010). Out of my mind. NY: Atheneum. Melody is a young girl with an amazing heart and great potential. The only thing stopping her is her inability to speak, move, or even take herself to the bathroom. She is aware of her mental capabilities (even though others do not see her as an intelligent being) and is determined to show others that she is more than her cerebral palsy. Her teacher and  classmates are extremely surprised when Melody makes the team for a trivia competition and moves on to the national competition in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, the team leaves without her. They do come around and apologize to her. Sharon Draper exposes the reader to the challenges a young person with cerebral palsy may face. She changes the reader's opinion of people who have disabilities. They make look different on the outside, but in the inside we are all the same. Melody came to realize that she worries about the same things other girls her age worry about: how she looks, will a boy ever be attracted to her, etc. Draper may somewhat reshape the reader's believe that physical appearance matters. A person's true worth is in his heart and mind and not on the exterior. This would be an excellent book for third through fifth grade students to read as a class. It gives excellent opportunities for discussion and may positively influence a child to focus on the interior and welcoming diversity in their lives. 

The Nest

          Oppel, K. (2015). Nest.  NY: Simon & Schuster. Steve and his family are unable to fully enjoy having a new baby at home because of the worry his condition brings. A strange creature, a large wasp, that communicates with Steve through his dreams, offers him a solution: to build him a perfect baby, and take his broken Theo. Steve agrees, but soon regrets saying yes. In order to save Theo's life, Steve has to destroy the queen. With the help of Mr. Nobody and a very sharp knife, Steve is able to save Theo's life. The plot takes an unexpected turn when the reader realizes the wasps are not there to help, but to cause harm. Oppel exposes the reader to the worry and anxiety an illness brings to a family. What makes the situation worse is that a baby is the one suffering. It shows how as humans, we long to be perfect and how imperfection scares us. Imperfect doesn't mean bad, but through Steve, we learned that accepting our family member with their imperfections, is better than having no family member at all. Besides, perfection does not exist, and we are all broken some way or another. 

How They Croaked

Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous. NY: Walker. Everyone knows that nothing in life is guaranteed except for death. No one can escape it nor cheat it. Maybe it can be cheated a couple of times, but eventually you have to face it. This book discusses what no other children’s author has discussed before. At least not as this detailed. It educates the reader about the death of famous people that we all know about, but never knew exactly how they died. These people include King Tut, Pocahontas, George Washington, Charles Darwin, and many others. At the end of each narration of the victim’s death, the author provides additional information that pertains to the particular text. Georgia Bragg also ensured she provided the reader with important facts as well as gross, but cool, facts that make your stomach turn and your eyes squint! 

Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel’s revenge. NY: Bloomsbury. A young girl lived in a Villa that was surrounded by a gigantic wall. Indeed the Villa was beautiful, but Rapunzel felt in her heart that she did not belong there. She decided to look over the wall and found a land that was dry and withered. Her mother had magical powers and controlled the growth of plants. When her mother found out that Rapunzel had learned the truth about her real mother, she imprisoned her in a huge, hollow tree. After several years, her hair grew and became her personal weapon. She lived a series of adventures when she met a boy named Jack and both go on a mission to free her real mother. Rapunzel defeats the evil Mother Gothel and the land begins to regain life. And like any fairy tale, Rapunzel and Jack fell in love. Shannon and Dean Hale did a phenomenal job by revamping the typical story of Rapunzel and making her an action hero. The girl was tough and fearless! They also incorporated other stories such as Jack and the Giant Beanstalk making it very interesting and entertaining. Upper elementary and middle school students that like action filled comic books may enjoy Rapunzel’s Revenge. Girls might also get excited about knowing that a female is one of the ones responsible for saving the world! 

Hitler Youth

Bartoletti, S. (2005). Hitler Youth. NY: Scholastic. The Hitler Youth was a very informational book. The Hitler Youth was a group of male and female teenagers who were manipulated into believing that supporting Hitler was the patriotic thing to do for the better of Germany. Throughout the war, they were responsible for getting in fights with any other groups who did not agree with them, spreading propaganda friendly to Hitler, and later on even fighting to the death to defend Berlin. Although, most Hitler youth stayed loyal to Hitler, there were many heroes and heroines who realized Hitler was an evil man and they worked by spreading anti-Hitler leaflets throughout the war. In the end, many Hitler Youth grew up and realized later in life the atrocities they were linked to and spent their lives giving back to society. I believe one of the major strengths in Hitler Youth are the illustrations. The illustrations show the reader the human side of the holocaust and all the suffering. Furthermore, the illustrations are black and white and almost bring the reader back in time to the present situation. The intended audience seems to be geared more for high school. The book is about the Hitler Youth who were mainly recruited into the Hitler Youth from the ages of 15-17 years old. So, it makes sense that the intended audience would be to educate kids of the same age. Also, many of the details in the book are a little too graphic for children of a younger age. The most outstanding theme in Hitler Youth was how Hitler was able to initially manipulate the entire nation into getting him into power by using the Hitler Youth to campaign and spread propaganda for him. Then later on, once he attained full control over the government, keeping his power through torture, fear, and murder.