Symphony for the City of the Dead, by M.T. Anderson

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad
M.T. Anderson
2015 by Candlewick
ISBN – 9780763668181
Genre – Biography
Age – High School, Adult
6 stars (on a scale of 5)

Dmitri Shostakovich was an incredible musician by a very early age. By the time Hitler and his soldiers surrounded Leningrad, Shostakovich was writing well known symphonies. The siege went on for an incredible amount of time in which more than one million citizens died. Hitler blocked food and supplies from entering the city. People died in the military, they froze to death, and they starved. The tragedy is unimaginable. M.T. Anderson writes a beautiful and detailed account of Shostakovich throughout his life, but focusing on the time of the siege. He writes about how an entire city faced intense hardship, and how they came out in the end. His focus on Shostakovich allows readers to have a glimpse of the pain that one man experienced, and how his actions affected his city and the world. He used not only his music, but his name to inspire hope around the globe. He faced backlash and criticism, but he never gave up.  This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is by far Anderson’s greatest work (in my opinion.) Books like this are change the genre of nonfiction for the better. It was full of historical information, but his ability to portray personal accounts so well, made me relate to a time and a place that seems so distant. I can’t say enough good about this book. I have chills just thinking about it. Gah!

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, by Don Brown

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans
Don Brown
2015 by HMH Books for Young Readers
ISBN – 9780544157774
Genre – Graphic Novel
Age – Middle School
4.4 Stars

The story of Hurricane Katrina, the massive loss of human lives, pets, property, culture, and faith in our government and leaders is depicted beautifully in this graphic novel. From the simple yet powerful words, to the illustrations that describe a situation more than words ever could, we are taken on a journey that we all hope to never have to take. The illustrations do such a fantastic job of portraying the desperation, horror, and hopelessness that was felt by many. The colors used were very muted and dark. They were almost as dreary and sad as the topic itself. Not only do we get a glimpse at the storm, but the human reaction to the storm, and the very human solutions to aid in survival. It this book doesn’t pull on your feely strings, I’m not sure anything will. Breathtaking.

“The President Has Been Shot!”: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy, by James L. Swanson

“The President Has Been Shot!”: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
James L. Swanson
2013 by Scholastic Press
ISBN – 9780545490078
Genre – Nonfiction
Age – Middle School
3.2 Stars

This nonfiction book describes briefly the early life and presidency on John F. Kennedy. It also talks about Lee Harvey Oswald’s tumultuous life before the assassination of JFK. It goes into great detail about the day of the assassination including the hours after he was pronounced dead in which Johnson was sworn into office on Air Force One.

This is a good account of what may have lead up to JFK’s death, but what I found most interesting was the reactions of Jackie Kennedy. The obvious shock and horror that she felt was proved by how she carried herself in the hours and days following the assassination. overall, I thought the book could have used a bit more…oomph? I listened to the audio book, and I found the narrator dry at best. He seemed to make something so interesting feel very blah. I think this book would have been better to read in book format, as I am sure there must be lots of interesting pictures that would help add to the story, and give a feeling of place and setting. For me the audio book fell a bit flat.

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum, by Candace Fleming

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum
Candace Fleming
2009 by Schwartz & Wade
ISBN – 9780375841972
Genre – Nonfiction
Age – Middle School
3.7 Stars

From working at a grocery store to running the most famous circus in the world, this book describes the life and the making of a legend, P.T. Barnum. We learn not only about the business aspects of Mr. Barnum, but the good, the bad, and the ugly of his personal life as well. Fleming does a good job of noting all that made Barnum such a well known man, but she also took care to talk about those aspects that humanized him. He battled with his own vices, and had to work hard to make his family happy, just like the rest of us, but not all of us have the ability to build opulent homes, with elephants in our gardens. Not all of us can buy all the entertainment in the world, but we can all read about someone who did. The evolution of his growing business is as fascinating as his growing notoriety, and those who performed with him. The pictures were a great way to really visualize the over the top world that Barnum created and lived in. I felt like the story was a bit choppy at times, and it read in a way that did not leave me hooked, but all in all it was an interesting read.

What if you had Animal Hair!?, by Sandra Markle

What if you had Animal Hair!?
Sandra Markle
llustrated by Howard Mcwillian
2014 by Scholastic Paperbacks
ISBN – 9780545630856
Genre – Nonfiction
Age – Early Elementary
5 Stars

Different animals have different kind of hair, and they all serve a purpose. What if you had Animal Hair!? dedicates each page to a different animal, some are well known, and some a bit more obscure. Each page shows a child with similar hair to animals such as porcupines, lions, zebras, and sloths, and more. A couple different fun facts litter each page. Markle and McWillian make a fantastic team in this series. I have already read What if you had Animal Teeth!? to a 3rd grade class, and they loved it! I have just requested that my new library, which has none of these books, buy the whole series. The illustrations are fantastic, they are funny and bold. The facts are informative and interesting for readers of all ages! I can’t wait to learn about animal feet, which is new, and animal ears, which is coming in 2016. This book is proof that children’s nonfiction can be awesome!

They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
Susan Campbell Bartoletti
2010 by HMH Books for Young Readers
ISBN – 9780618440337
Genre – Nonfiction
Age – High School, Middle School
4.2 Stars

I recently learned that the Ku Klux Klan was founded in Tennessee, and since I just moved to Tennessee, I thought it a good idea to learn some history. “They Called themselves the KKK” starts by describing the Civil War and the implications on the social, political, and economical aspects of life in the South. It goes on to talk about the founding and evolution of the group over the last 150 years.

This is a hard history to swallow and it is even still harder to swallow, that some of it is not history. It was interesting and devastating, the pictures added an extra amount of emotion. I really appreciated that at the end of each chapter, there was a personal account of someone who witnessed these horrors. I also appreciated the lack of editing in the primary documents littered throughout the book. Some things may be more difficult to read because of this, but its authenticity is apparent. The saddest part to me about this book is knowing that these behaviors still exist today, so no matter how far we have come, it is not enough. By making ourselves more aware of the history, we can be better equipped to avoid it, hopefully.

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary, by Gail Jarrow

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary
Gail Jarrow
2015 by Calkins Creek
ISBN – 9781620915974
Genre – Nonfiction
Age – High School, Middle School
4 Stars

Typhoid Mary is a legend, unfortunately for her. This book discusses the disease of typhoid fever, how it is spread, what the symptoms are, and particularly large outbreaks in history. It focuses on cases and outbreaks that were contracted by a cook in the 19th century. She was very elusive, she didn’t stay at any job for too long. Somehow, the wealthy families that she worked for seemed to fall ill with the disease. When Mary was finally tracked down, the medical officials were very surprised by what they found. Despite the fact that she was a carrier of typhoid fever, she was not and had never been sick with the disease. I thought this was a great telling of the story. It was interesting, it was mysterious, and it was sad. The pictures really helped paint the picture of the times and the settings. It was especially of interest to me, because I actually had typhoid fever as a young girl!

FDR and the American Crisis, by Albert Marrin

FDR and the American Crisis
Albert Marrin
2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN – 9780385753593
Genre – Nonfiction
Age – High School
4 Stars

This book follows Franklin D. Roosevelt from childhood, through his presidency and WWII, until the end of his life. It does a great job of really documenting not only his life, but the history of America from the early 1900s until after WWII. What I found to be really interesting was the complexity of the man in the office. He was not always a great man, but that doesn’t mean that he was always a bad man. He had his good days and his bad days. He had great issues that he followed through on, that helped to end the great depression. However, he was also a bit wishy washy on some very important issues, including but not limited to equal rights. You may be surprised at what you learn. I also enjoyed the pictures, as many of them really painted the picture of the twelve tumultuous years that FDR was in office.  Overall, it was very interesting and informative!

Hole in My Life, by Jack Gantos

Hole in My Life
Jack Gantos
2002 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN – 9780374399887
Genre – Autobiography
Age – High School
4 Stars

Jack Gantos, author of children’s and young adult books, got into a decent bit of trouble when he was a young adult. He made the mistake of getting on board with a drug smuggling mission, and landed himself in prison. In Hole in My Life, he tells us about his childhood, the events that lead up to his bad decision, the mission, and his time in prison. I like Jack Gantos as a writer even if he is a bit cocky. This book is no different. It is written honestly and bluntly. Just a note, he reads his own audiobook. Although, I love when authors narrate their own books, I felt like this one was lacking in emotion. It made me not feel bad for him at all when he was caught and sentenced. I think I really would have preferred to have read this one myself! Overall, it was a great story about someone who had a rocky start to life, but his dedication and drive helped him to become successful and fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a writer. He proves that you can always turn things around.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the Selma Voting Rights March, by Lynda Blackmon Lowery, Elspeth Leacock, Susan Buckley

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the Selma Voting Rights March
Lynda Blackmon Lowery, Elspeth Leacock, Susan Buckley
Illustrated by Pj Loughran
2015 by Dial Books
ISBN – 9780803741232
Genre – Nonfiction
Age – Middle School
3 Stars

Lynda Blackmon Lowery had been marching for civil rights for sometime before she became the youngest person to march in the Selma Voting Rights March. She been to jail multiple times and was no stranger to mistreatment of African Americans. She shares her memories of the times before and during the march, and how she was involved in the nonviolent Civil Right Movement. Although this book was inspiring, it just wasn’t amazing to me. It was told in such a casual voice, that it seemed to lack passion. While it is hard to not be moved by the events surrounding the march, this book did not evoke the emotions that I expected. I loved the illustrations, as I thought those did a better job of conveying the gravity of the events than the text did. Overall, a bit disappointing, but still a worthwhile text.