Posts Tagged ‘nonfiction’

History Is So Bugged!

buggedI’ve been around long enough to learn that my history classes in school left out a lot of history. Kings and generals, battles and revolutions certainly shape history, but did you know that tiny bugs played their role as well? Nope?  Neither did I. Or at least I didn’t until I read Sarah Albee’s Bugged: How Insects Changed History (Scholastic 2014).

It is indeed “swarming with facts,” as the cover proclaims.  Not just any facts–it is packed with facts that are shocking and disgusting and gross.  There is mayhem and death and destruction on every page that is guaranteed to make you itch–if you can manage to scratch between peals of laughter. Did you know that bugs were once used as a form of execution? (Read all about it on page 100). You may even discover that your favorite red sports drink or cherry ice cream or pink blush contain dyes made from squashed bugs. (Read about it on page 20.)

Bugs have done dastardly things–devour food crops and spread deadly diseases–that have changed the course of battles and wiped out large numbers of people.  Albee digs to find the traces of bugs behind some of the most dramatic events of history, from ancient times to modern history, and from the Far East to the New World. I just wish my history textbooks in class could have been as much fun to read as this one was.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? Is a meme sponsored by Sheila at Book Journey.  Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Menor Texts gave the meme a kidlit twist.  It’s a great way to reflect on what you’ve read and reviewed the last week and plan what you want to read next.  Join up with us and discover what good books other people are reading.

image

I got some writing done, I canned more tomatoes and pasta sauce.  I battled yellow jackets and baby snakes.  I even read some.  Here are the books that joined me through this week.

I finished…

cup of our lifeThe Cup of Our Life by Joyce Rupp – I’ve been using this book for my morning devotions the past six weeks.  I’ve used it before, but since I’m at a different place in my life, the reflections are still fresh and relevant.  Once again, I am moved by the symbolism of a cup for many things in my life.

staff of serapisStaff of Serapis by Rick Riordan – I found this one while poking around on Amazon looking for something else.  I still have to wait until October for The Blood of Olympus, but this long short story–or is it a short novella–might hold me over until then.  This time Annabeth Chase and Sadie Kane come together to defeat a monster that combines Greek and Egyptian elements.  The question remains, is Riordan just teasing us with these shorts, or is he planning another series joining the Greek demigods and the Egyptian magicians?

I’m currently reading…

les-miserablesLes Miserables by VIctor Hugo – I know this is one reason my reading (in terms of number of books) has slowed down.  I have spent quite a bit of time this week with Gavroche (a Paris street urchin) as he rescued his unknown younger brothers and escaping from prison with Thenadier.  He may be a rascal and the “master of the house,”  but he does have street smarts.  I am now 67% of the way through.  I’m still working to finish it by the end of the year.

code name verityCode Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein – I am almost done–just 25 minutes or so left.  I loved Morven Christie’s narration of Queenie/Julie.  She wrung every drop of emotion out of the character without being overwrought.  Then when Lucy Gaskell started narrating Maddy’s/Kitty Hawk’s part, I was blown away.  Her voice brought Maddy to life in my mind.  I will be sad to finish with this story again.

2014 childrens writers market2014 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market edited by Chuck Sambuchino – I have learned so much from reading the articles and interviews–making the most of conferences, creating compelling characters, taking the plunge into self-publishing, and more.  I am almost through the informational part for writing craft and business and to the list of publishers, agents, editors, magazines.

buggedBugged!  How Insects Changed History by Sarah Albee – I am having too much fun reading this one.  I have to bite my tongue to keep from sharing gross facts about bugs and the diseases they spread at inopportune times.  Even though much of the information is groww, I find myself laughing, too.

Postponed…

How to Write Successful Fundraising Appeals by Mal Warwick – This one is due back at the library today, and I think I’m going to hand it back in unread.  My heart is with writing stories–both fiction and nonfiction–not in copywriting.  If that opportunity presents itself, I know where I can get the book if I want to learn it later.

Coming up…

I am nearly finished with several books.  I’m not sure what I what I will grab off the shelf next.  I will choose another audio book from the ones I downloaded from Sync YA earlier this summer.  I’m looking for something lighter after the intensity of Code Name Verity.  I’ve also been picking up Khaled Hosseini’s And the Mountains Echoed, so it may be next up, too.

Praying in Color by Sybil MacBeth

praying in colorPraying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God is not just a book to read.  Sybil MacBeth invites you to grab some markers or colored pencils or pens or even crayons and a sheet of paper and give expression to your prayers in a new way.

I appreciate how she shares her own spiritual journey in coming to doodle as a form of payer.  I often feel inadequate when I pray.  Sitting in silence didn’t often work for me unless I had a pen and notebook and could write my prayers.  Even though I do write to express myself, sometmes words don’t seem to be enough to still my frantic thoughts.

I dug out and sharpened my color pencils.  I grabbed my notebook.  I began to doodle and pray in color myself.  It is not instantly comfortable for me, but I am finding value in it.  I have to remind myself (and MacBeth emphasizes the point) that artistic talent is not the point.  The point is to hold someone or something in the presence of God.  In some ways, the practice reminds me of the exploring I’ve done with using doodling as a means of taking notes on what I read or hear.  The visualization is a different way of thinking as well as praying.

I found the book easy to read.  The short chapters are focused and sprinkled with many examples–both in anecdotes and in actual icons created by praying in color.  She starts with her journey of using doodles to pray for others.   As the book continues, she shares many other ways to doodle with other ways of praying and entering into Scripture.

Not only do I look forward to what I will learn from this experience, but I am also excited to share it with the teenagers in the Sunday School class I teach.  I hope they find it a way to come before God, too.

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? Is a meme sponsored by Sheila at Book Journey.  Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Menor Texts gave the meme a kidlit twist.  It’s a great way to reflect on what you’ve read and reviewed the last week and plan what you want to read next.  Join up with us and discover what good books other people are reading.

image

Now that school is back in for my daughter, I’m back to trying to balance my reading and my writing…and gardening.  The tomato plants have exploded with ripe, juicy Roma tomatoes that we transform into salsa and pizza sauce and pasta sauce.  Let’s not even talk about the fresh corn, cantaloupe, bell peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers.  We even still have broccoli!  Even so, I managed to finish two books last week and make progress with more.

I finished …

handbook of magazine article writingWriter’s Digest of Magazine Article Writing edited by Michelle Ruberg – Some of the information in this guide repeated what I had read in my previous books in my freelance writing crash course.  Not surprising since the people who wrote the books I read earlier contributed to this book as well.  I appreciated hearing it again (It’s starting to sink in.), and there was enough new information to make it worth while to read.  Following the advice I’ve been reading, I received my first assignment from an editor last week!

praying in colorPraying in Color:  Drawing a New Path to God by Sybil MacBeth – Not only did I finish reading this book, I’ve been exploring praying in color myself.  It is a very different way for me to pray since I have always been more comfortable with writing than drawing, but I am eager to explore more.  I plan to write a more thorough reflection on the book and my explorations later this week.  Meanwhile, I’ve sharpened the colored pencils!

I’m currently reading ….

les-miserablesLes Miserables by Victor Hugo – The story is picking up again and so is my reading.  My favorite part from this week’s reading was when Jean Valjean stopped a pickpocket in his tracks and then gave the thief the purse he was trying to steal.  Then the thief lost the wallet to a young pickpocket, who gave the purse to an old man who had nothing.  My goal is to finish this by the end of the year.  I will need to spend more time with it than I have been.

code name verityCode Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein – The audio is excellent and gets better by the minute.  I’m nearing the end of Queenie’s story, and the narration is heart-wrenching to listen to.  I can’t wait to hear how Maddie’s story is narrated.

2014 childrens writers market2014 Children’s Writer’s & illustrator’s Market edited by Chuck Sambuchino – I knew this was a comprehensive list of publishers, agents, and magazines for the children’s market, but I did not realize how much practical advice and tips it contained as well.  I’m learning so much!

buggedBugged:  How Insects Changed History by Sarah Albee – i don’t know how it happened, but nonfiction today is much better than back in the day when the children’s librarian at my public library had to beg me to read nonfiction.  (I reluctantly tried mythology and biographies, but not much else.)  I always thought I would want to write fiction (and I do), but I would also love to write nonfiction like this.  It’s not only “swarming with facts” (as the cover proclaims), but it’s funny.

Coming up …

how to write successful fundraising appealsHow to Write Successful Fundraising Appeals by Mal Warwick – It’s another book in my crash course (almost all of them from my local library).  The copywriting I am most interested in doing is for not-for-profits.  Having worked for both secular and religious not-for-profits, I know fundraising is a fact of life for them.  I like the idea of using my writing to help causes I support, too.  Since I keep putting off opening this one, I know where I want to spend my time writing.

What are you reading this week?

“The President Has Been Shot!” by James L. Swanson

imageI was not yet born when John F. Kennedy was President, but I grew up hearing my parents and grandparents and their friends talk about the impact his assassination had on them.  Each one could remember the details of when and where they were when they first learned of it.  Every national tragedy of my childhood was compared to that impact, from the assassination attempt on Reagan to the Challenger explosion, was compared to–and found to fall short of–the Kennedy assassination.

James L. Swanson gives an account not only of that November day in Texas, but he also provides the context.  Part I of the book introduces John F. Kennedy.  After a brief survey of his early life, Swanson focuses on the important events in his short Presidency and portrays a little of the Kennedy mystique that enthralled the country.  Part II details the events leading up to and following the assassination, tracing the actions of the Kennedys and of Lee Harvey Oswald.

I did not find this book as compelling as Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, but I think that had more to do with Oswald himself than with the writing. Swanson gives no credibility to any of the conspiracy theories that swirl around the assassination.  (He does list a few books that explore conspiracy theories in the bibliography with the disclaimer that their inclusion “does not mean that I endorse any of them or support any of their theories.”)  So little is known about Oswald’s motivation or even the details of how he planned that it is hard to find him a compelling character.  We simply don’t know what was going on inside his head.

In addition to giving an overview of the historical events and context, “The President Has Been Shot!” is packed with photographs, diagrams, and copies of original documents.  The appendix shares a list of important places connected with the assassination and lists a bibliography for further reading.

The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb

imageIf you think history is dull and dusty and has absolutely no bearing on the events of today, you’re wrong.  Neal Bascomb will show you just how exciting and thrilling history can be–and how its lessons are still relevant today–in The Nazi Hunters.

A large cast of characters come together to track down, capture and and bring the notorious Nazi Adolf Eichmann to trial in Israel.  At the end of World War II, Eichmann went into hiding and eventually fled to Argentina.  Over a decade later, rumors of his new life began to trickle into the ears of Israeli government officials and Nazi hunters, but the trail went cold more than once.

In 1959, Fritz Bauer, a German district attorney, went to Israel to plead with them to pursue Eichmann.  He had no hope of Germany acting against any more former Nazis.  Instead, more and more former Nazis were coming back to power along with a resurgence of neoNazism.  Before committing to break–or at least bend–international law, Israel wanted definite confirmation of Eichmann’s identity.

Once the Mossad confirmed that it was indeed Eichmann living in Argentina, the Israelis assembled a team of super spies to capture, hold, and remove Eichman.  The team had experts in forgery, disguise, mechanics, construction, and more.  Every detail was planned, rehearsed, and backed up with more plans.  If any detail went wrong, all of them could end up in an Argentine prison for years or worse.  Once they were on the ground in Argentina, they were on their own because of the diplomatic problems their whole enterprise would cause.

Do I give anything away if I tell you that Eichmann’s trial in Israel opened the floodgates for survivors of the Nazi camps to tell their stories?  The trial not only brought one of the most notorious Nazi criminals to justice, but it allowed the world to remember.

Which book will survive?

Today is our rescheduled meeting for Survivor Book Club.  If you couldn’t make it, check out the books we presented.  Which book will you read?  Which book will be your favorite?

Hidden by Helen Frost

Two girls are brought together by a carjacking turned kidnapping.  Years later their paths cross again at summer camp.  The alternating voices in this novel in verse will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Emerald Atlas by John Stevens

Three children are taken from their parents and hidden in orphanage after orphanage.  At their last stop, they discover a magical atlas and a dangerous prophecy that says they must save the world from the power of an evil witch and her friends.  The only bad news—this is the first of three books.

City of Orphans by Avi

The streets of New York City in 189 are a tough place to be if you’re a kid like newsie Maks or orphan Willa.  Can they avoid the Plug Ugly gang and free Maks’ sister from jail with the help of only a washed up detective?

Amelia Lost:  The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

I thought I knew a lot about my favorite flyer, but I learned much about her life and the search for her after her plane disappeared.  I loved the photographs!

We’ve Got a Job by Cynthia Levinson

imageI didn’t live through the Civil Rights Movement, but I have been reading quite a lot about it in the last few years.  Even so I was surprised by what I learned from Cynthia Levinson’s We’ve Got a Job:  The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March (Scholastic 2012).

I had read and studied Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” but I didn’t realize that the entire movement was at such a pivotal crossroads in 1963.

I knew that the violent images of police turning fire hoses and dogs on to the protesters jolted a nation, but I did not realize that the majority of protesters were teenagers were children.

Levinson tells the stories of four children who came to the Civil Rights Movement and the Birmingham Children’s March in different ways.  Audrey Hendricks was one of the youngest marchers at nine years old, but she had grown up in a family involved with organizing and taking a stand for equality.  Washington Booker III grew up without the privileges of Audrey’s family, and frequently found trouble.  James W. Stewart, the son of a doctor, was a strong student, but still chafed under the restrictions caused by segregation.  Arnetta Streeter worked with the Peace Ponies, a social and savings club at school, to bring justice through peaceful protests.

Throughout the stories of these children and teens, we learn the history of segregation in Birmingham and the history of the struggle to gain equality and destroy the system of segregation.  Once again, I am stunned by the hatred felt by those who supported segregation and impressed with the courage of those who worked to e

Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

imageI have been fascinated with Amelia Earhart for as long as I can remember.  I have wanted to read Candace Fleming’s new biography of the pilot ever since I first heard of it.  I was thrilled when I learned that Amelia Lost:  The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart was included on the Young Hoosier Award list for the coming year.  Now that I’ve read it, I will be pushing it on everyone.

I like how the chapters alternate between the search for the Amelia and her navigator Fred Noonan and the events of her life.  The suspense builds even though we know the story ends in tragedy.  In addition to the search by the Coast Guard cutter the Itasca and later the US Navy, several civilians picked up possible transmissions from the downed pilot over their shortwave radios.  None of it was enough to find them.

Fleming presents the captivating image that Amelia and her publisher/publicist and husband George Putman showed the world, but she also digs behind the image to reveal the woman behind it.  Yes, Amelia was brave and funny, but she was also stubborn and cavalier.  She didn’t always make the best choices, and some of those choices may have led to her disappearance.

Here I am with Amelia and her plane at the Smithsonian.

Here I am with Amelia and her plane at the Smithsonian.

If you want to learn even more about Earhart, Fleming provides a list of helpful resources in the back of the book.  In addition to archives and books written by Earhart herself, there are books and collections from her husband and family.  Much information is available online, too, and she gives those web addresses.

Even so, Amelia Earhart inspired–and continues to inspire–generations of women to dare to dream big dreams.  If you want to hear for yourself how warm and funny and inspiring she could be, check out her own book, For the Fun of It.  Since no one has taken the hint and given it to me for Christmas, I’m just going to have to buy it for myself.

Candy Bomber by Michael O. Tunnell

imageI remembered learning about the Berlin Airlift in history classes, but I had never heard of the Candy Bomber.  Michael O. Tunnell captures the excitement and hope created by the simple act of dropping parachutes attached to packets of candy for the children of Berlin.  Even more than that, Tunnell reveals and shares the person behind it all:  Lt. Gail Halvorsen, otherwise known as the Candy Bomber or Uncle Wiggly Wings.

Candy Bomber:  The Story of the Berlin Airlift’s “Chocoate Pilot” gives enough historical context for the Berlin Airlift to make sense, but not so much that the story bogs down.  Instead, the heart of the story is on the relationships between Lt. Halvorsen and the children of Berlin.

It all started when Lt. Halvorsen met a group of children on the other side of a barbed wire fence surrounding the airfield.  When he saw their gratitude for the two sticks of gum he gave them (they even took turns smelling the wrapper), he promised to drop a packet of candy for them when he flew over Berlin again.  They would recognize him because he would wiggle the wings of his plane.

From this simple act of generosity, an entire movement grew that soon involved more than just the Air Force.  Groups and individuals from across the United States and other countries joined together to provide candy–and hope–for the children of Berlin.

Why can’t all history be written like this?

1 2 3 4 6