Dr. Seuss, by Laura Hamilton Waxman, as reviewed by Fegan

What better follow-up to yesterday's yummy link than a new Seuss biography from Lerner Publishing?



The first thing that intrigued me was the cover photo: usually biographies of Dr. Seuss feature pictures of him in his later years, with the white bushy hair. This one gives a slightly younger Seuss surrounded by a few of his many characters. Since there are so many Seuss biographies out there (but never enough come March), it's nice to see one that immediately starts off a little different.

The illustrations throughout the book are the second thing that caught my eye. I loved all the period photos interspersed with Geisel's artwork. The text matches up nicely, giving little bits of history (i.e. the Great Depression, Prohibition, etc.) in context with the events of Geisel's life. Parts are a bit whitewashed, such as the problems Geisel had in college, but I suppose appropriately so for the age group - I would put this around 2nd or 3rd grade.

This book is part of the History Maker series from Lerner, which features dozens of other historical figures. Nicely bound and attractive as well as well-written, we recommend the whole series for libraries or personal interest. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Nonfiction Monday and Gift Suggestions

Today we will feature some of our favorite biographies. The first is actually a series, all by author Mike Venezia:



These are sooooooo great for reluctant readers - and, we will admit, we love reading the cartoons ourselves! Comprised of short but informative bits of text interspersed with photographs and cartoons, Venezia keeps each of these biographies lively and interesting. Often biographies of "old dead people" just plain look dry and dusty, because any portraits of the subjects are....dry and dusty. You definitely can't say that about these! Several adult patrons have discovered the series and scraf them off the new shelves as they come in. Don't miss the back pages, where Venezia explains how one of his distant relatives was either related to the subject of that particular book, or almost accomplished the same feats! So far he done artists, musicians, and presidents.



In this hilarious autobiography, Scieszka covers the female readers with his humor, the male readers with the hijinks (making money off your baby brother and blowing things up), and the adults with memories of Catholic schools and family car trips. Each chapter is a story all by itself, making this a great book for read-alouds, the coffee tabvle, or one to just stick in your purse for doctor's office waits (just be prepared for strange looks when you start giggling and shouting "ohmygosh, pagan babies! How could I forget about the pagan babies?!")



We were so happy to see Kathryn Lasky turning her hand to biographies a few years ago (she did a couple, this one and one on Eratosthenes, in the 90's, but has done more in recent years). They have the same rich writing as her historical fiction and fantasy books, making her subjects come to life.




This is part of another series we have really enjoyed. It is always good to see young people getting involved in important causes and using their boundless energy to do something to change things (before they get jaded and cynical like us old folks!) In this particular title, Mr. Kachepa started off as a victim, and is now an advocate for human trafficking victims. Many kids and teens (as well as many adults) will be shocked to discover slavery is still a problem in many parts of the world, including the United States. While this book does not gloss over terrible living conditions, it does not give so much detail as to be inappropriate for anyone around 5th grade and up. The focus is on how the young men in Kachepa's situation were helped, and how he is now helping other victims. A very inspiring book, as are the others in the series. Give these to the thinkers and doers on your list who may need to be encouraged that they are never too young to make a difference.



"A long time ago there lived a thre-year-old author.
Me.
I was the best grocery-list writer in the world and a huge help to my mother. When I wrote a word I knew exactly what it said.
And the fun part was that I could turn each list upside down and the words said the same thing."

This is an "oldie", but still in print, and perfect for the budding author on your list. We found it just as adorable as her picture books (Hooway for Wodney Wat, Score One for the Sloths, etc.) It is so full of one-liners and giggles, you will find yourself wanting to read it out loud to another grown-up before you package it up for its recipient. In fact, you may just want to buy two copies, so you can keep one for yourself!




The "For Kids" series combines interesting biographical information with tons of activities to try. These would be excellent either for home schoolers, or for a child who has a special interest in a subject area (in this case, art). The series also includes books about archaeology, the civil war, Harry Houdini, and the solar system, among others.

Nonfiction Monday - geography and biography, reviewed by Yoda

I am definitely memory-challenged. I meet new people and read new books every day, and I forget names and titles about three seconds after I hear them. I use my status as the oldest as an excuse, but it is a little frustrating at times, so I was especially interested in the "Adventures in Memory" series from Millbrook Press (division of Lerner).



Lerner was kind enough to send us the above title to review. While learning the original 13 colonies might not directly help me with kids' names, studies have shown any work with mnemonics can help in other areas. According to the AMA, exercising your brain can make it stronger at any age, so there is hope for me yet!

This edition had a nice mix of mnemonic devices, from anagrams to songs to silly stories. It also gave tips on adapting some to make them easier for you to remember them personally. In some places it had a little too much information - for example, while I would certainly recommend reading Anansi stories if you were doing a unit on Africa in school, it really doesn't relate if I'm trying to memorize basic facts about the continent. I'm also not sure that word scrambles are a helpful mnemonic device, especially when the scrambled word is so unrelated, you would have a hard time remembering that one, too. Finally, they missed some simple tricks that I learned back in school a million years ago - i.e., LONGitude lines go the LONG way down, lATitude lines show how fAT the earth is. I'm not sure I would remember the banana and watermelon thing.

Then again, everyone's brain is different, so what doesn't work for one reader or student may be just the ticket for another. While it's not their best offering, it may be handy to have around the classroom.

Also received from Lerner:



We definitely do not discuss politics at work, but there is no denying the public's interest in the First Family at any given time, and it has been encouraging to see more books offered about the Presidents' wives over the last few terms. This one had more information than some others I've seen about Michelle Obama's childhood, which children may find more interesting - what types of toys she played with, what her chores were, etc.

Typical of most children's biographies, there is only one paragraph in the whole book with any negative information, summing up her "proud of her country" gaff and other tidbits reported throughout the campaign. This is, as I said, typical of children's books, and not necessarily a complaint. Overall it was very readable, both entertaining and informative. A good addition to any library.

To order either book, click on the cover above. If you order through the link, we receive a very small percentage, which is used to purchase more books or materials for our public library.