MG – Race Against Death: The Greatest POW Rescue of World War II

Hopkinson, Deborah. Race Against Death: The Greatest POW Rescue of World War II. Scholastic Focus, 2023. 978-1-338-74616-7. $19.99. 320 p. Grades 5-8. 

Author Deborah Hopkinson chronicles the experiences of American prisoners of war in the Philippines during World War II in this engaging narrative nonfiction title. Letters, oral histories, interviews, maps and photographs are utilized to help tell the stories of American and Filipino soldiers and civilians, men, and women, in the days, months, and years following America’s entry into the war. Readers follow the experiences of soldiers, army doctors and nurses, American and Filipino civilians, guerilla fighters, and others, before, during, and after the Battle of Bataan. The forced march of American and Filipino prisoners of war on what became known as the Bataan Death March, as well as their experiences in the prisoner of war camps O’Donnell and Cabanatuan are also recounted. The final portion of the book chronicles a daring rescue operation undertaken by American troops and Filipino guerrilla fighters in early 1945 to rescue all POWs remaining in the Cabanatuan camp. Backmatter includes a bibliography. Suggested web resources are shared through the text.

THOUGHTS: This highly engaging title is a perfect choice for history, World War II and/or narrative nonfiction aficionados. The incorporation of primary source accounts throughout the text gives readers a real sense of the impact of the war on different parts of society. A first purchase for any library serving middle grade readers.

940.54 World War II

MG/YA – A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School (Adapted for Young Readers)

LaNier, Carlotta Walls, and Lisa Frazier Page. A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School (Adapted for Young Readers). Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-48675-7. $17.99. 294 p. Grades 5-10.

A Mighty Long Way is the first person account of Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine–the first nine students to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Walls LaNier grew up in a close-knit community, full of extended family and friends. Her family placed a high value on education, and Carlotta enjoyed school and was a good student. When, following the Supreme Court ruling ordering desegregation of schools, the opportunity arose for Carlotta to attend Little Rock Central High School, noted for its excellent academic programs, Carlotta immediately signed up. Thus, with eight other students, she enrolled in the school in the fall of 1957. The members of the group faced many challenges, including regular verbal and physical abuse from some students. Their family members lost jobs and had to leave town to find employment. In 1960, the Walls’ home was bombed while Carlotta and her family slept inside. Despite these obstacles, Carlotta graduated from Central High in 1960, and went on to earn a college degree, become a realtor, and raise a family.

THOUGHTS: This powerful first-person account deserves a spot on shelves in libraries serving middle and high school students. It would also be an excellent choice for book studies in American history classes.

Biography

Elem. – The Bone Wars:  The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils

Kurtz, Jane. The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils. Illustrated by Alexander Vidal. Beach Lane, 2023. 978-1-534-49364-3. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-3.

The Bone Wars chronicles the saga of paleontological competition between O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope in the days of the Bone Wars. Initially friends, the two became fierce rivals after Marsh pointed out to Cope that he had assembled Elasmosaurus with the head on its tail in a recently published scientific paper. The two began competing for discoveries from that moment forward, even resorting to deception and spying to beat the other team. Jane Kurtz acknowledges in her writing that the race to make the next discovery also resulted in many mistakes, broken relationships with friends and other scientists, and ultimately financial stress. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator, as well as a select bibliography and suggested reading list.  

THOUGHTS: The story of the competition between O.C. Marsh and Edward Cope is one that young dinosaur fans are sure to enjoy, not only because of all the discoveries the scientists made, but also because of the tale of a friendship gone awry.  The illustrations, created by Alexander Vidal, are inspired by paleontologic artwork created in the 1800s.  They work with the text to give the reader a sense of the book’s time period and knowledge at the time.  Recommended for libraries seeking to draw dinosaur fans into biographies or to add variety to their dinosaur collection.  

560.92 Paleontology
Biography

Elem. – Early Animal Encyclopedias (Series NF)

Early Animal Encyclopedias. Abdo Books. 2023. $32.95 each or $197.70 for set of 6. Gr. K-4.

Hinman, Bonnie. Farm Animals. 978-1-09-829042-9.
Hulick, Kathryn. Dinosaurs. 978-1-09-829040-5.
MacMillan, Kathy. Cats. 978-1-0982-9039-9.
Miller, Marie-Therese, PhD. Dogs. 978-1-09-829041-2.
Ventura, Marne. Horses. 978-1-09-829043-6.
—.
Sharks. 978-1-09-829044-3.

The reviewer read the book Cats from the Early Animal Encyclopedia series. This book is a beginner’s guide to cats. Cats is an early reader encyclopedia brimming with cat information. The book is organized alphabetically by breed name and discusses the appearance, behavior, and history of said breed. In addition, a map is included to show from where each breed originated. Filled with information, this book is a cat-lover’s dream.

THOUGHTS: This title is a great beginner encyclopedia about cats. Each breed is outlined in the same format, making it easy for readers to find a flow with the information provided. This book is filled with nice photographs and easy-to-read text.

500s-600s Animals

Elem. – Toy Mania! (Series NF)

Hansen, Grace. Toy Mania! Abdo, 2023. $22.95 ea. $137.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades PreK-2. 

Barbie. 978-1-098-26426-0.
Hot Wheels. 978-1-098-26427-7.
Lego. 978-1-098-26428-4.
Play-Doh. 978-1-098-26429-1.
Pokemon. 978-1-098-26430-7.
Potato Head. 978-1-098-26431-4.

It’s likely that many readers have never heard of Barbara Millicent Roberts of Willows, Wisconsin. However, their eyes will light up in recognition once they find out that she is better known by her nickname–Barbie. The history of Barbie is explored in one volume of the Toy Mania! series. This series for younger readers explores the history of some of today’s most popular toys. Readers will learn a brief history of the toy, how it has evolved and changed over the years, and the role of the toy today. Barbie, for example, was developed by a parent who co-owned a toy company and realized there was a market for older looking dolls. Thus Barbie was born in 1959. As the years have passed, Barbie has changed, too. Her fashions have kept up with the times and she’s taken on many careers and hobbies. Each oversized volume features numerous photos showing the evolution of the toy over the decades, and contains a glossary, index, and link to Abdo’s extension activities and resources online.

THOUGHTS: This series would be ideal for young researchers and/or those with an interest in toys. The set spotlights some of the most popular toys of the last 50+ years, thus increasing the likelihood the titles will circulate. Libraries serving younger readers seeking resources on toys and/or popular culture topics should give this series consideration.

688 Toys

Elem. – The First Woman Cherokee Chief Wilma Pearl Mankiller

Buckley, Patricia Morris. The First Woman Cherokee Chief Wilma Pearl Mankiller. Random House, 2023. 978-0-593-56850-7. 48 p. $5.99. Grades 1-3. 

For many years, before European settlers arrived in America, Cherokee men and women equally shared the leadership of their nation. This created balance, which is an important idea in Native cultures. White settlers told Native people that only men should be leaders, and this shifted the balance of power for generations. Wilma Pearl Mankiller believed that the chief should be the person best suited for the job, no matter whether they were a man or a woman. Pearl was born in 1945 in Oklahoma and lived on Cherokee lands. She felt a strong connection to the natural world around her and had a hard time adjusting to her new life when her family moved to the city. After graduating from college, she made a career of helping Native people stand up for their rights. She helped Cherokee families improve their communities by fixing up houses, installing running water, and founding Native American Youth Centers. In 1987, Pearl ran for Cherokee Nation chief. Although some people did not want a female leader, she reminded them how women once had equal responsibilities in running the tribe. She ultimately was elected the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. During her ten years as chief, she welcomed new businesses, oversaw the construction of health clinics and job training centers, and built day care centers and schools.

THOUGHTS: This easy reader biography reminds young readers that anyone can be a leader and inspires them to think about how they can bring positive changes to their own communities. This title will be a solid addition to biography collections, particularly for schools trying to increase their texts on underrepresented populations.

973.04 Native Peoples in United States
Biography

YA – America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History

Aberg-Riger, Ariel. America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History. Balzer + Bray, 2023. 978-0-063-05753-1. 392 p. $24.99. Grades 9-12.

In her Preface, author Ariel Aberg-Riger notes that her relationship with history developed not through memorizing dates, but through images, and specifically the stories behind the people in pictures. America Redux reflects this sensibility, and the subtitle really says it all: visual stories from our dynamic history. The author and illustrator places “movements and events and people from across time in conversation with one another in a way that […] offers some insight into who we are as a country.” Chapters titles are phrases that might be used in a traditional history textbook, e.g. The Good Old Days, Home of the Brave, and Down on the Farm. Brief and highly visual chapters then subvert expectations by connecting these phrases to the experiences of folks who have too often been marginalized, silenced, or even erased from American history. For example, Spreading Democracy focuses on the efforts of Native American, Black, immigrant, and disabled women (not only the “traditional” suffragists) to secure the right to vote. The Home of the Brave centers people living with AIDS who joined forces to fight for more equitable drug trials and expanded access to treatments. The Old Ballgame explores forced segregation in America’s national pastime. Every page includes handwritten text and collage art (created with public domain images using Photoshop and Procreate); striking images complement and expand upon the text. 

THOUGHTS: Like Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, America Redux is not unbiased and may be considered controversial. However, Aberg-Riger fully succeeds in creating a stunning visual depiction of American history and inviting the reader to engage with a potentially new perspective. 

Graphic Novel
973 American History

YA – Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe

Sheinkin, Steve. Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe . Roaring Brook Press, 2023. 978-1-250-26572-2. 235 p. $19.99. Grades 8-12.

Rudi Vrba and Gerta Sidonová were just schoolmates in Slovokia when Hitler’s forces drove into Poland in 1939 and officially began World War II. As Jewish teens, Rudi, Gerta, and their families were subject to the extreme, escalating antisemitism in Europe. Both teens lives’ took different paths as they were forced to flee their homes. While Gerta and her family went into hiding in Hungary, Rudi’s attempted escape led him first the Nováky prison camp, then to the Majdanek concentration camp, and then into Auschwitz-Birkenau where every single day continued to be a fight to survive against the organized genocide taking place. While imprisoned at Auschwitz, Rudi realized he must attempt escape to tell the world about the camp. Against all odds, Rudi, along with Alfred Wetzler, managed to escape Auschwitz-Birkenau. They went on a harrowing journey through the southern part of Poland into Slovokia where they gave vital testimony about the secret horrors and mass murder taking place at Auschwitz. This testimony fueled an imperative BBC report on the genocide. This report helped to increase political pressure against Hungary’s corroboration with the Nazis; as a result, Hungary stopped sending transports of Jewish people to the concentration camps, saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

THOUGHTS: Many of the details in this book are hard to read, but it is a necessary and important piece of history never to be forgotten. Steven Sheinkin writes this book in a way that does not shy away from the horrible Nazi atrocities of WWII. This narrative nonfiction includes graphic details about death, torture, and mass murder during the Holocaust in concentration camps. Sheinkin shifts seamlessly between Rudi and Gerta’s individual stories while also including vital context about the war, locations, and antisemitism. Impossible Escape would make a strong companion to students reading Elie Wiesel’s Night because Sheinkin’s text includes context about antisemitism and the Holocaust for young adult readers while also recounting a powerful, personal story of survival through memoir. Sheinkin also places emphasis on both the systematic, planned nature of the genocide and on both cruelty and kindness within humans. Sheinkin builds this book through careful research and eyewitness testimony. Rather than disrupting the narrative, Sheinkin includes detailed source notes and a comprehensive bibliography at the end of the book. The epilogue, which covers the topic of Rudi testifying against a Holocaust denier in post-war Canada, is also a powerful and important read.

940.53 World War II

Elem. – Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement

Russell-Brown, Katheryn. Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement. Viking, Illustrated by Kim Holt. 2023. 978-0-593-40354-9. unpaged. $18.99. Grades 3-5.

This biography compilation tells the story of thirteen women who were the backbone of The Civil Rights Movement. It includes a short introduction to what the movement stood for along with thirteen short biographies of women who were instrumental in the movement. We’ve all heard of Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, but this picture book includes women such as Bernice Jognson Reagon, Gloria Richardson, and Jo Ann Robinson along with other lesser known Civil Rights figures. Includes quotes from many of the women featured as well as sources for each woman.

THOUGHTS: This is a great starting point for students interested in The Civil Rights Movement.  The illustrations are clear and bright and the information is provided in a way that makes it accessible for many.

323 Civil and Political Rights
Picture Book 

YA – Hanged! Mary Surratt & The Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln

Miller, Sarah. Hanged! Mary Surratt & The Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Random House, 2022. 978-9-593-19156-0. 333 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

While the name John Wilkes Booth is infamous in American history, the name Mary Surratt is less well known today. Yet in 1865, they were equally famous, their names appearing in the paper with others, all connected to the same crime–the plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. Mary Surratt was a widow and devout Catholic who owned and ran a boarding house in Washington, D.C. It was in this boarding house the conspirators involved in the plots to assassinate President Lincoln and other government officials regularly met. Surratt’s son, John Surratt, was a friend of John Wilkes Booth and an active member of the conspiracy. But was Mary? The government certainly thought so. In the days following the assassination, she was arrested and, despite the fact that she was a civilian, put on trial in front of a military tribunal. Newspaper coverage of the time was harsh, often prejudicial to the accused (and sexist in their descriptions of Mary). Despite sometimes wildly conflicting witness statements, Mary Surratt was found guilty of conspiracy, sentenced to death, and executed. Questions have lingered ever since about Mary’s guilt or innocence. Author Sarah Miller (The Border Murders) examines Mary Surratt’s life and story in Hanged! Mary Surratt & The Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Numerous primary source documents (newspaper articles, letters, trial transcripts, photos) are incorporated throughout the text.

THOUGHTS: This title is an example of nonfiction at its best. Readers quickly will find themselves immersed in Mary’s story, on the scene in the boarding house as she is arrested and later, listening to witnesses at the military tribunal. Will appeal to readers of biography, true crime, history, or those with an interest in the Civil War era. An excellent choice for those researching the assassination of President Lincoln and the related conspiracy. 

973.7 Civil War          Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD