The Camping Trip that Changed America

In honor of our National Parks



Rosenstock, Barb. The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks. Illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012.

John Muir was well ahead of his time. It was 1903. Muir, an avid hiker and outdoorsman, already recognized the threat that growing land development was to the extraordinary landscapes he explored in the American west. He also recognized that President Theodore Roosevelt was something of an outdoors man as well, so he invited the President to join him on a camping trip to one of his favorite places. Just as Muir had hoped, Roosevelt was overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of the towering sequoias, majestic mountains, and massive glaciers he observed. Traveling on horseback and camping in the wilderness, the two men bonded over their love of the natural world and their recognition of the need to preserve the most spectacular parts of the nation's geographic heritage. Roosevelt's creation of the National Park system was the result. 

Illustrator Gerstein, who also illustrated The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, portrays the two very different characters - the rambunctious Roosevelt and the studious and steadfast Muir - amid the cathedral-like splendor of the land that would become Yosemite National Park.  

  

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

In Remembrance of Courage and Hope 



Gerstein, Mordicai. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2003.

On the morning of August 7, 1974, before the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City actually opened, New Yorkers walking on the streets below the towers witnessed an amazing sight. With his balancing pole in hand, French high-wire artist Philippe Petit stepped on to a tightrope that he and a few friends had stretched between the towers the night before. A quarter mile above the busy streets of a New York morning, Philippe walked, danced, and even lay down on the wire, as a gathering crowd of astonished New Yorkers looked up. After almost an hour, he stepped off the wire into the waiting hands of the New York City police who arrested him and brought him into court. The judge, after scolding him for endangering himself and others, ordered him to perform his feats for children in the city parks. He was happy to comply.  

Gerstein's Caldecott Medal-winning illustrations convey the courage as well as the playfulness and sheer beauty of this amazing act of human artistry and skill. They, too, are part of the legacy of those once imposing towers. 

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir

A poetic description of a life in two languages. 



Engle, Margarita. Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2015.

Margarita Engle is the daughter of a Cuban mother and an American father. Born before the Cuban revolution, she grew up mostly in California, but spent her summers with her grandparents in Cuba. There, she learned to love the land, the language, and its people. In free verse that is both detailed and evocative, she speaks of the "otherness" she recognizes in each place. She calls the first half of her book "Magical Travels." Then the Cuban revolution changes everything. She can no longer travel to Cuba; even letters back and forth between the families become difficult. Her Cuban-American family is caught in a web of suspicion, especially after the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

For young readers, it is both a history lesson and an evocation of a life bifurcated by immigration, lost contact with family, and dual languages. It is also an example of the power of language to enable readers to feel as well as understand the experiences of others, and a timely reminder of how world events intrude upon the everyday lives of ordinary people.  

Engle notes at the end of the book that as she was writing it, she was hoping for normalization of relations between the two countries. "That prayer has been answered," she writes. Well, maybe.   

Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei

Sis, Peter. Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei. New York: Farrar, Straus Giroux, 1996. 

Sis's many children's books range from the whimsical to the profound. The Starry Messenger is the story of a young boy fascinated by the world around him, spending hours watching the sun, the moon, and the stars. It is also the story of a man who stands up to the authorities who are threatened by his findings, even at the cost of his freedom. Though many people believed his revelation that the earth travels around the sun and not the other way around, others were threatened by this new idea, especially the leaders of the Catholic Church, a powerful force in 16th century Italy. But Galileo remained faithful to the truth as he saw it, and spent the last years of his life under house arrest for his "heretical" beliefs. 

Sis brings his own vivid imagination and delight in the natural world to the illustrations in this book, which at first glance appear almost childlike, even as they convey a profound sense of wonder and a wealth of information. 

I had the pleasure of meeting him at an ALA conference years ago, and he signed my copy of his book in his own inimitable way. 

Ballpark: The Story of America's Baseball Fields

It's Still Baseball Season 



Curlee, Lynn. Ballpark: The Story of America's Baseball Fields. New York: Atheneum, 2005. 

As Curlee's exquisite drawings illustrate many of the baseball parks that live in the legends of the game, he also discusses how changes in the location and design of these parks reflect changes in the social structure of the country. Early parks such as Ebbets Field in Brooklyn and Wrigley Field on the north side of Chicago were wedged into city neighborhoods and became part of that neighborhood's identity. They were accessible by subway, bus, and foot. As populations moved out of the cities and into the suburbs, so did ballparks like the Astrodome in Houston, surrounded by vast parking lots and accessible only by car. Then in the 1990s came a new trend, a reversal back to the city and back to the style of the older parks,with the addition of modern facilities. Baltimore's Camden Yards is a prime example. Viewing the game through the physical structures in which it is played offers a different perspective on the ways in which baseball both reflects and influences our cultural experience. 

In Defense of Liberty

Living History 

Freedman, Russell. In Defense of Liberty: the Story of America's Bill of Rights.  New York: Holiday House, 2003.

Freedman opens his discussion of the Bill of Rights by listing a few questions that spark heated debates in 21st century America. Can school children be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance? Can a rap group be prosecuted for using "obscene" lyrics. He then goes back in time to discuss the reasons that the framers of the Constitution believed they needed to add amendments that specifically stated the rights of citizens. In each succeeding chapter, he examines one of the amendments, discussing the various interpretations of that amendment over time, and describing a few of the cases that have been brought before the courts and decided on the basis of that amendment. His clear and compelling discussions remind us that these ten amendments to our Constitution, written more than 200 years ago, remain vital to our democracy today. This book offers the best civics lesson I've ever had.  

The Long March

A Tale of Two Cultures

Fitzpatrick, Marie-Louise. The Long March: The Choctaw's Gift to Irish Famine Relief. Illustrated by the author. Choctaw editing and foreword by Gary WhiteDeer. Hillsboro, Oregon: Beyond Words Publishing, Inc., 1998.

This book tells two intertwining stories. Tom, an elder member of the Choctaw nation, recalls a time in 1847, when he was a 14-year old youth and all the members of his tribe were called together to hear the latest news of their people. Among the stories told at that gathering was the story of a great famine in a far-away land called Ireland. The young Tom, who was called Choona in his youth, was perplexed. What did a famine in an unknown land have to do with the Choctaw nation? 

Then his great-grandmother rose within the meeting to retell the story of "The Long March," when the Choctaw peoples were forcibly removed from their homelands in the southeastern United States and made to march to "Indian Territory," now part of the state of Oklahoma. For many, it was a death march. Choona had been only vaguely aware of that story from his tribe's distant and misty past. His great-grandmother thought it necessary for each generation to know that story and to see its connection to the stories of other displaced persons. As she saw it, "their story is our story."

The Choctaw nation collected $170, more than $6,000 in today's currency, and sent it to an Irish famine relief agency. 

Marie-Louise Fitzgerald, the writer and illustrator of this book, traveled from her native Ireland to Oklahoma to work with Gary WhiteDeer, a Choctaw, to research the story for this book. According to information on the book's jacket, the project was supported by CAIT, Celts and American Indians Together, a bi-national organization that raises money for World Famine Relief. CAIT is headquartered at Iona College in New Rochelle New York.  

Note: I tried to research CAIT on the Internet, but was unable to find any current information. 

http://www.worldcat.org/title/long-march-the-choctaws-gift-to-irish-famine-relief/oclc/812206335&referer=brief_results

William Butler Yeats

In recognition of Bloomsday, June 16

Allison, Jonathan, ed. William Butler Yeats. Series title: Poetry for Young People. Illustrated by Glenn Harrington. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2002. 

The Irish poet William Butler Yeats remains one of the most admired and often quoted poets of the last century. In his introduction to each poem, editor Allison recalls the mystical traditions of Ireland and also explains the historical context in which the poem was written. Illustrator Harrington's paintings help readers to envision the haunting beauty of Ireland, so deftly evoked by the poet's words. 

http://www.worldcat.org/title/poetry-for-young-people-william-butler-yeats/oclc/329858974&referer=brief_results


  

The Flag with Fifty-Six Stars

In honor of Flag Day

Rubin, Susan Goldman. The Flag with Fifty-Six Stars: A Gift from the Survivors of Mauthausen. Illustrations by Bill Farnsworth. New York: Holiday House, 2005.

Having heard, on their jury-rigged radios, of the advancing American army, and having watched their German captors flee, the prisoners in the Austrian concentration camp Mauthausen decided to welcome their liberators with an American flag made from whatever scraps of material they had at hand. Not knowing the number of stars to put on the flag, they guessed 56. When the Americans arrived, the prisoners gave the astonished commander a gift of the flag. Together, the prisoners and soldiers raised the flag over the camp. That flag now resides in the Simon Wiesenthal Museum in Los Angeles.  

http://www.worldcat.org/title/flag-with-fifty-six-stars-a-fift-from-the-survivors-of-mauthausen/oclc/962196233&referer=brief_results

Fannie Never Flinched

To Celebrate Workers on May Day

Farrell, Mary Cronk. Fannie Never Flinched: One Woman's Courage in the Struggle for American Labor Union Rights. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2016.

Author Farrell has added a forgotten name to the list of champions of the rights of workers. Fannie Sellins was a widowed mother of four when she went to work in a garment factory in St. Louis at the turn of the 20^th century. Along with her co-workers, mostly immigrants, she endured difficult and dangerous working environments, including foul air, locked doorways, low wages, and long hours, conditions not unlike those that exist today in sweatshops around the world. In 1902, Fannie and her colleagues started a local chapter of the United Garment Workers of America. They organized several strikes, experiencing both success and failure in their struggle for better working conditions. When Fannie was elected president of her local union, she began traveling to other cities and towns supporting other workers, including the coal miners of Pennsylvania. Fannie knew she was a target of the owners and moneyed interests of the coal industry, but, despite the violence of their labor disputes, she “never flinched.” In August, 1919, leading a strike near Pittsburg PA, she was shot. Her killers were brought to trial, but were exonerated, their actions described as “justifiable homicide,” despite witnesses’ accounts to the contrary. Today, a statue of Fannie Sellins stands in Arnold PA, commemorating her courageous struggle on behalf of American workers.

        

Photos from the time, newspaper clippings, a timeline of important events in labor history, a glossary, and a long list of references at the end of this book not only illustrate the fascinating story of Fannie Sellins, they also provide an excellent example of the level of research that goes into a book such as this. Though written for children, it is a story we can all learn from. 

http://www.worldcat.org/title/fannie-never-flinched-one-womans-courage-in-the-struggle-for-american-labor-union-rights/oclc/927241441&referer=brief_results

Two in Honor of Earth Day

Next Stop Neptune



Jenkins, Alvin. Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

Author Jenkins is an astronomer and physicist. Illustrator Jenkins is his artist son. Together they have created a display of the solar system that explains many facts even as it presents the known universe in all its wondrous mystery. Each page features an illustration of a planet, moon, comet or asteroid, along with insets that provide pertinent facts and figures. Readers can peruse one page to find the answers to specific questions - for example, how far is the earth from the sun. Or they can extrapolate from the given information to ask their own questions - such as how much would you weigh on the moon. 

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95




Hoose, Philip. Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2012.

B95 is a bird, a most extraordinary bird.  A rufa red knot, it flies each year from Tierra Del Fuego, at the southern end of the globe, all the way north to the Canadian Arctic - and back! That's roughly 9,000 miles twice a year. It is called a "moonbird" because in its lifetime it can fly the distance to the moon and back. Unfortunately, the breeding grounds for this bird are being depleted by both human development and climate change. As of 2014, rufa red knots were placed on the endangered species list, so their populations are being monitored. Whether or not they can be saved is another question. 

     In addition to beautiful photographs, each page of this book offers scientific information about the bird, its remarkable body structure, and its habitats. The book also profiles the work of some of the scientists and environmentalists working to save the species. Finally, an appendix, "What You Can Do," suggests activities and organizations for young people interested in birding and in the problems of dwindling habitat that so many wildlife species face. 

Poetry for Young People

In honor of both National Poetry Month and my grandmother's birthday.

Allison, Jonathan, ed. William Butler Yeats. Series title: Poetry for Young People. Illustrated by Glenn Harrington. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., 2002.

The beauty of Ireland and the haunting mysticism of 26 of Yeats’s poems are joined together in this lovely collection. Editor Allison offers a brief introduction to each poem, setting the work in its geographical as well as spiritual place within the body of the poet’s works. It is fascinating to read that the pastoral “Lake Isle of Innisfree” was inspired by the poet’s reflections on his visits to rural County Sligo while standing on a busy London street. Each of the poems is enhanced by illustrator Harrington’s captivating paintings. Unfamiliar words are briefly and subtly described, furthering understanding without obstructing the power of either words or pictures. 

http://www.worldcat.org/title/william-butler-yeats/oclc/51871406&referer=brief_results

Game Changer

A basketball story from the early days, on this day of the national championship game.

Coy, John. Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game. Illustrated by Randy DuBurke. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 2015.  

It was a matchup of teams from the Duke Medical School, a white team, and the North Carolina College of Negroes, organized by their coach, John McLendon, an African American. In the days of the Jim Crow south, it was a dangerous move, which is why it had to be held in secret, early on a Sunday morning. The players were hesitant at first, but soon the black team broke into their fast-break style, something new to the Duke players. The black team won, 88-44. Then they played another game, “shirts and skins,” with players from both schools on each team, an illegal action in those days when the KKK was active in the Carolinas. Basketball aficionados now consider it a landmark game because the white teams began to adopt the faster game played by the black teams. John McLendon is now in the Basketball Hall of Fame.   

http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_bks&q=Game+Changer%3A+John+McLendon+and+the+Secret+Game&fq=dt%3Abks