OUR ELEANOR: A SCRAPBOOK LOOK AT ELEANOR ROOSEVELT’S REMARKABLE LIFE by Candace Fleming

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fleming, Candace.  2005. OUR ELEANOR:  A SCRAPBOOK LOOK AT ELEANOR ROOSEVELT’S REMARKABLE LIFE.  New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers . ISBN 9780689865442

 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

OUR ELEANOR:  A SCRAPBOOK LOOK AT ELEANOR ROOSEVELT’S REMARKABLE LIFE is a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt’s life.   The book begins with her birth to Ana and Elliott Roosevelt in 1884 and ends with her funeral on November10, 1962.  The book covers all of the areas of Eleanor’s life from personal to political. 

 

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

As the title suggests, the book’s layout is like a scrapbook.  There are copies of newspaper articles, letters, and photos throughout the book.  The chapters are not written in the normal fashion but most pages are divided into sections with each section having a heading and information on an aspect of Eleanor’s life.   All the “articles” relate to the title of the chapter.   Fleming did not idolize Eleanor but instead painted a realistic picture of the former first lady.   For example, she included that her daughter Ana said that her mother, Eleanor, was “very unpredictable and inconsistent…inconsistent in her feelings—sweet and lovely one hour and the next very critical, very demanding, and very difficult to be with.”

 

The book includes a time line and an abridged Roosevelt family tree at the beginning of the book.  The book has an index and source notes at the end of the book.  There many copies of newpaper articles, letters and photos.  The photos vary in size and shape which makes the book more visually appealing.  From reading this book, readers will gain a well-rounded perspective on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. 

 

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

A Junior Library Guild Selection

BOOK LINKS:  “…this intimate, unvarnished, and ultimately deeply moving portrait takes a pastiche approach to humanizing a legendary life.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  “An intimate biography of an unhappy child who grew up to become an American icon.”

HORN BOOK MAGAZINE:  “This richly rendered account of the life and accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt is both unabashed tribute and absorbing history.”

A Junior Library Guild selection A Junior Library Guild selection A Junior Library Guild selection

5. CONNECTIONS

*The book can be used to support a lesson about Eleanor Roosevelt.   

 *Other nonfiction books by Candace Fleming:

Fleming, Candace.  THE LINCOLNS:  A SCRAPBOOK LOOK AT ABRAHAM AND MARY.  ISBN 9780375836183

Fleming, Candace.  AMELIA LOST:  THE LIFE AND DISAPPEARANCE OF AMELIA EARHART.  ISBN 9780375841989

Fleming, Candace.  BEN FRANKLIN’S ALMANAC:  BEING A TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE GOOD GENTLEMAN’S LIFE.  ISBN 06898354930761458115

 

HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER’S SHADOW by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.  2005.  HITLER YOUTH:  GROWING UP IN HITLER’S SHADOW.  New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0439353793

 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

HITLER YOUTH:  GROWING UP IN HITLER’S SHADOW gives the reader a glimpse of what it was like to be a Hitler Youth from 1933-1945.  Hitler understood that young people’s drive and energy could be a powerful force in politics.   The book shows how much the youth propelled the Nazi movement and how loyal many were to the cause.   The book also includes accounts of those youth who resisted the Nazi movement.  Many of these resistors paid a high price.  By learning the stories of these young people, readers can acquire knowledge and a greater understanding about the World War II era.   

     

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Bartoletti wrote in the foreword of the book that “this is their story” and the author was successful at letting their voices be heard.  Bartoletti’s use of many primary sources and quotes make this book very personal.   Most pages have at least one quote which not only makes the book more interesting but it also shows that Bartoletti did extensive research for the book.   The bibliography is extensive.  She even did interviews with former Hitler Youth and Jews who grew up during that time period.  There are many primary sources used in the bibliography and these personal accounts sweep the reader into the dark world of the Nazis.  The book has engaging prose and is not like the dry history books of the past.  The book has many photos.     

 

The book is organized in chronological order. The chapters of the book have a catchy title followed by a more descriptive subtitle.  The chapter titles engage a reader’s curiosity while the subtitles help students who are trying to find information about a particular event in history.  The bibliography includes a symbol by books that children might find interesting.  The back of the book also includes many other resources including a timeline, quote sources, and an index.    The dark times that the book is about is mirrored by absence of any color inside the book besides black and grey.  The book is a gem that should be in all children’s library collections.     

 

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Newbery Honor Book

Robert E. Sibert Honor Book

BOOK LINKS:  “An epilogue describes what happened to the teens profiled, and a time line, source notes, bibliography, and more round out this gripping book.”

A Junior Library Guild selection A Junior Library Guild selection A Junior Library Guild selection

5. CONNECTIONS

* Reading sections from HITLER YOUTH:  GROWING UP IN HITLER’S SHADOW by Susan Campbell Bartoletti will be a great way to enhance a lesson on the Nazi’s and Germany.   The students can then think about what they would have done if they lived in Germany during that time period. 

 *Other nonfiction books by Susan Campbell Bartoletti:

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.  BLACK POTATOES:  THE STORY OF THE GREAT IRISH FAMINE, 1845-1850.  ISBN 0618002715

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.  GROWING UP IN COAL COUNTRY.  ISBN 0395778476

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.  THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE K.K.K.:  THE BIRTH OF AN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUP.  ISBN: 9780618440337

 

 

 

Newbery Honor Books ; 2006

Sibert Honor Books ; 2006

 

BIGGEST, STRONGEST, FASTEST by Steve Jenkins

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 1995. BIGGEST, STRONGEST, FASTEST.  New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395697018

 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

BIGGEST, STRONGEST, FASTEST is a nonfiction book about the “record holders of the animal world.”  The book covers fourteen different animal record holders from the African elephant, “the biggest land animal” to the Etruscan shrew, “the world’s smallest mammal.” 

 

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This delightful book will capture both the attention of fact lovers and art lovers.  For each animal, Jenkins describes what record that animal holds in one simple sentence.  He then has a section of the page that explains the record in more detail which sometimes gives comparisons that children can relate to.     An example of this is when Jenkins writes that “others, like the blue whale, are bigger than a house.”  Next to the section that explains the record in more detail, he includes a small picture showing the record compared to something the child would be familiar enough to tell the size, strength etc.  For example, he includes a picture of a man next to a giraffe so children can see how tall a giraffe really is!    Even though there are not many words in the book, there is a lot of information in this book!  Jenkins was very careful to be succinct and make every word count so that children do not get overwhelmed with the number of words.  

 

The back of the book has a chart which is useful for reference.  The chart lists the name of each animal with the following information for each animal:  record, size, diet and range.  The chart in the back of the book is in alphabetical order but the book does not discuss the animals in alphabetical order which might have been helpful for reference.  Jenkins included a bibliography in the front of the book that lists his sources that he used for the book.  Most of the illustrations in the book span two pages with a few illustrations that span one or three pages.   The blue whale and the sun jellyfish are intentionally over three pages to emphasize their size because they are the biggest and longest animals respectively.  The illustrations are not photos like most nonfiction books about animals.  Jenkins chose to use paper collage to make the illustrations for the book instead of photos.   The collage makes the animals seem to have different textures.  The backgrounds are not all the same and have different textures.   The book is truly a work of art! 

 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

HORN BOOK MAGAZINE:  “A book that will stimulate thought and discussion about animals, art, and comparisons. “

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Large, clear print; fascinating facts; and beautiful, detailed, cut-paper collages make this an excellent title a delight.” 

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*After reading the book, students can classify the students in their class.  (tallest, shortest, fastest, etc.)   

 *Other nonfiction books by Steve Jenkins:0761458115

Jenkins, Steve.  PREHISTORIC ACTUAL SIZE.  ISBN 0618535780

Jenkins, Steve.  ACTUAL SIZE.  ISBN 0618375945

Jenkins, Steve.  THE BEETLE BOOK.  ISBN 0547680848

Jenkins, Steve.  JUST A SECOND.  ISBN 0618708960

Jenkins, Steve.  NEVER SMILE AT A MONKEY: AND 17 OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER.  ISBN 06189