WRITTEN IN BONE: BURIED LIVES OF JAMESTOWN AND COLONIAL MARYLAND by Sally M. Walker
THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY) by Barbara Kerley
HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER'S SHADOW by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER’S SHADOW. New York, NY: Scholastic Nonfiction. ISBN 978-0439353793.
PLOT SUMMARY
Susan Bartoletti provides an encompassing tale of the young people living in Nazi Germany in the 1930s – 1940s, highlighting twelve of them. These 12 young adults or children come from various backgrounds, but they have one singular tie drawing them together, Adolf Hitler. While she outlines the rise and fall of the infamous tyrant, Bartoletti focuses on the sentiments and perceptions of the young people serving in the Hitler Youth group, and those fighting to subvert it. The book also touches on the persecution of the Jewish people, and the feelings gripping those who suffer at their hands along with their families. The book portrays the fanatical brain washing techniques by the institution of the “Hitler’s Youth” on the young people in Germany, and their saddening end of their self-sacrificing dogma to fight to the bitter end.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The nonfiction book offers a window into the lives and their surrounding world of chaos during Adolf Hitler’s rise and fall during the infamous World War II. Bartoletti’s writing is powerful and raw, providing a voice to the faces on the pages, as well as those that remain faceless. The seamless flow of teenage voices, whose sentiments are sometimes contradictory to one another or complimentary, provide the reader with an accurate sensation of confusion.
Baroletti titles each chapter with a well-phrased quote closely followed by an explanation. One can hardly pull their gaze away from reading each line, and then finds it even harder to remove it from the mesmerizing pictures adjoining the paragraphs.
The black and white images dominate the pages, and appear to take on a size larger than their measurements. In particular, the images and text describing the horrific Night of Broken Glass causes chills to trickle down the spine. It is the truth and well documented evidence alone that brings this artfully worded text to life.
BOOK EXCERPT(S)
Newberry Honor Book
Robert F. Sibert Award
Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award
“The handsome book design, with black-and-white historical photos on every double-page spread, will draw in readers and help spark deep discussion, which will extend beyond the Holocaust curriculum. The extensive back matter is a part of the gripping narrative.” –Booklist
“The final chapter superbly summarizes the weighty significance of this part of the 20th century and challenges young readers to prevent history from repeating itself. Bartoletti lets many of the subjects' words, emotions, and deeds speak for themselves, bringing them together clearly to tell this story unlike anyone else has.” – School Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
Encourage open discussions with young people on their perceptions of the book, and focusing on particular chapters or characters they found unforgettable or notable. Perhaps they could research more on that particular person or aspect for further activity or personal interest.
Read other books written by Susan Bartoletti:
THE BOY WHO DARED. ISBN 978-0439680134
THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE K.K.K.: THE BIRTH OFAN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUP. ISBN 978-0618440337
WRITTEN IN BONE: BURIED LIVES OF JAMESTOWN AND COLONIAL MARYLAND by Sally M. Walker
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Walker, Sally M. WRITTEN IN BONE: BURIED LIVES OF JAMESTOWN AND COLONIAL MARYLAND. Minneapolis, MN: Carolhoda Books. ISBN: 9780822571353.
PLOT SUMMARY
The lives of the past have always interested us. The branch of archeology was created for that purpose, to unearth the history of the people’s lives from the Egyptians to Native Americans. WRITTEN IN BONE traces the lives of nine colonists in Jamestown, Maryland, discussing the findings of their remains and the discovery of their everyday lives and the deadly end. The evidence is first found in their skeletal remains, and is further discussed by examining the bones, teeth, and items found in or around the body. Sally M. Walker teams up with Dr. Douglas Owsley, a specialist in forensic anthropology and other archeologists and forensic anthropologists to reveal the stories written in the bones. These eight colonists do not possess any written records surrounding their lives and later death, which makes the discovery of their stories that much more interesting. The bones and skulls define the characteristics of their race and their personal lives/livelihood. Walker discusses the remains of African American slaves, infants, farmers, and women, while instructing the reader on how forensics are able to determine age, race, gender, careers, and so forth.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is definitely a one of a kind nonfiction book. The factual tale is written in such a way that the reader is transformed into the world of Colonial Maryland seeing the lives of slaves, young mothers, and young men unfold before their eyes. The sadness of early death, such as infantile remains and those of children grip the reader and present the harshness of early America before electricity. Comparisons made through the visuals and measurements of bones provide an insight into their inherent ties with Europe, Africa, and those native to America. The reader can feel the anticipation of each finding, causing a quick drawing of breath when the remains of a young 16 year old boy is found in a garbage disposal beneath the storage cellar.
The writing is straight-forward and unerring. The book is absolutely informational from beginning with a Table of Contents and a Note to the Reader, to the end with the provision of a Selected Bibliography, Timeline, and Author Acknowledgements.
The author utilizes the real images of the skeletal remains and their actualized counterpart depicting what he or she would have looked like at the time, effectively aids the reader in understanding the importance of each find. The book provides a significant amount of photographs, charts, diagrams, and sidebar information that draw the eye and keep one turning the page. The recreation of Colonial America in the reenacted photographs and the archeological images of unearthing skeletons really tie the past and present together into a unified story of eight lives that may have lived centuries ago, but are still relevant and relatable to people today.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Finalist for the award of Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction
“Walker (Secrets of a Civil War Submarine, 2006 Sibert Award) places dedicated young CSI fans right at the elbows of forensic archeologists studying colonial-era burials in the Chesapeake Bay area. Focusing on nine graves, she explains in precise detail how scientists can draw sometimes-surprising conclusions about what these early settlers ate, where they came from and when, their age and sex, how they lived and died—all from subtle clues in the bones, the teeth, the surrounding dirt and, rarely, the sketchy historical evidence that survives…” Kirkus Review 2009
CONNECTIONS
Encourage children to watch a discovery channel episode with archeology and take notes on interesting facts learned from the episode about the findings or how they found them.
Children/Young Adults should read more of Sally M. Walker’s Nonfiction books, such as:
SECRETS OF A CIVIL WAR SUBMARINE
FROZEN SECRETS: ANTARTICA REVEALED
AND MORE!
Also, check out:
Rubalcaba, Jill; Robert Shaw. 2010. EVERY BONE TELLS A STORY: HOMININ DISCOVERIES, DEDUCTIONS, AND DEBATES. Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1580891646
THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY) by Barbara Kerley
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kerley, Barbara. 2010. THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY). Ill. by Edwin Fotheringham. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780545125086.
PLOT SUMMARY
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The author provides an amusing picture of the personal life of Mark Twain, including all of his idiosyncrasies that are otherwise unknown to the public. The point of view of the biography redefines the personal touch of a daughter’s insight with all the flaws that transpire from the writing of teenage girl, such as misspellings. She places her author notes in quotations to signify epitaphs by her father. The position of the stylized writing on the page, as well as the strategic placement of the separate and smaller journal that opens like a book in center of the pages provides readers with the ability to easily differentiate the author’s voice from Susy’s.
The digitally enhanced illustrations provide a fanciful and Victorian reminiscence that is eccentric. The artistic images are eloquent and pairs well with the text perfectly. Edwin Fotheringham presents an accurate image of Mark Twain in outlandish and foolish situations, such as his riding of the donkey, Kiditchin that appears to buck him off. The quiet scenery that is so realistic to the time, while placing the comical cartoons strategically around the page as to make them “pop” off the canvas.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
2010 CYBILS Nonfiction Picture Book Award
Best Children’s Books 2010 -- Publishers Weekly
Best Books 2010 -- School Library Journal
“Fotheringham’s stylized, digital illustrations are wonderfully freewheeling, sometimes comical, and as eccentric as Susy’s subject. Appended are author’s notes on Samuel and Susy Clemens, tips on writing a biography, a time line, and source notes for quotes.” Booklist
“Kerley dedicates an appended, one-page guide to writing biographies to Susy, a biographer who "applied no sandpaper" to her subject. Line-by-line sources of quotes, a time line, and an author's note on both Papa and Susy are appended. A delightful primer on researching and writing biographies and a joy to peruse.” School Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
Encourage children to write a biography about one of their parents to accurately depict them from a personal perspective. It would be fun to compare these journals in a class or discuss them with their parents.
Other Biographies to Read:
McDonough, Yona Zeldis. 2009. LOUISA: THE LIFE OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT. Ill. by Bethanne Anderson. New York, NY. Henry Holt & Co. ISBN : 978-0805081923
Nelson, S. D. 2010. BLACK ELK’S VISION: A LAKOTA STORY. New York, NY. Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0810983991
No comments:
Post a Comment