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Today's Spotlight book for Evergreen was "Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown.
An incredible book for anyone that is a fan of sports, world history, Olympics, crew, even the University of Washington or Pacific NW stories. (Though if you are a Cougar or Duck or any other college alumni, please don't ignore this book because it is about a bunch of Huskies).
This is the true story of the 1936 8-oar crew team that represented the United States at the Berlin Olympics and their quest for gold. They also happened to be the UW crew team at the time and overcame so many odds to even get to the Olympics.
A terrific, true-life story that will make a good gift this holiday season for many readers. It has received comparisons to "Unbroken" and "Seabiscuit" (both by Laura Hillenbrand) and it deserves the comparisons.
On a side note: this is one example where I do NOT recommend the audiobook. Or at least, not to anyone that is from the Northwest. The narrator was not directed in the correct pronunciation of many NW cities and it can be quite annoying and distracting.
Today's Evergreen Staff Spotlight title was a two-for-one:
Next week marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, and many books, movies, documentaries, television specials will be upcoming. I thought I would highlight two titles that do an excellent job of discussing the assassination and all the details necessary to understand what happened.
Both books are adapted versions of the authors' titles published for adults (which I would also recommend). However, these "teen" editions provide plenty of detail and with terrific amounts of archival photographs and illustrative materials.
The President Has Been Shot by James L. Swanson
Kennedy's Last Days by Bill O'Reilly
I started a new feature to all the teachers and staff at school. Every Friday, I will be highlighting a book that I think they would enjoy...whether or not it is a "teen" book.
Today's Spotlight title, just in time to coincide with the release of the movie, was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
One of the most incredible books that I have ever read, this is a book that must be read by people of all ages...middle school, high school, college, adult. You must read this book at some point in your life, preferably as soon as possible.
On a side note, the audiobook is OUTSTANDING!
I have not yet decided whether I will be seeing the movie. It looks wonderful, but I just loved the book SO much, that I fear I might be disappointed for how the movie might differ from the book. But don't let that stop you from going. I'd love to hear how it was.
Happy reading!
On this day in 1964, a 22-year-old boxer named Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston to become the new Heavyweight Champion. It is this fight where Clay predicted that he would "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Liston was an 8-to-1 favorite going into the match, but Clay won by technical knockout in the 7th round.
Many know Ali today for his struggle with Parkinson's disease. He is one of the greatest athlete's of all-time, with many memorable fights, including 1974's Rumble in the Jungle vs George Forman. You might also remember he was bestowed with the honor of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
If you want to read a terrific biography of Ali, my first suggestion is always The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers. Fight sequences are interwoven with Ali's life story and the political issues of the time. Black-and-white photographs are also included. It takes an author as talented and skilled as Myers to cover a legend like Ali.
It almost the end of award season...the Golden Globes, American Music Awards, the Grammys, and now the Oscars, which air on Sunday. Did you watch this year's Grammy Awards? Did you have a favorite performance? We actually recorded the event at the Yusko household (thank God for TiVo) because all those commercials make me a little nuts.
Though the Grammys have aired on television since 1959, it was not until 1989 that Rap Music rated it's own genre/category for awards. On this day in 1989, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (aka Jeff Townes and Will Smith) won the first ever Rap Grammy for "Parents Just Don't Understand."
Truly amazing!
Today marks the anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release from prison. On this day in 1990, Mandela was released after 27 years in prison for "sabatoge and conspiracy." The son of a Thembu chief in South Africa, Mandela began his life-long campaign against white colonial rule while he was a college student. Mandela was dedicated to nonviolence in his attempts to end apartheid in South Africa. He became a leader in the African National Congress and was arrested and imprisoned by South Africa's ruling minority in 1962. During his 27 years in prison, Mandela continued his fight for a democratic and free society, and ultimately was released and elected president of South Africa.
Nelson Mandela is one of my personal heros. There is a quote of his that is one I always come back to and try to live my life according to: "There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."
If you are interested in finding out more about this great man, there are two books that I would recommend. Obviously, "Long Walk to Freedom," his autobiography, is a must read. For middle school/junior high and even high school students, I recommend "Mandela: the rebel who led his nation to freedom" by Ann Kramer. This book, published by National Geographic, is part of their World History Biographies series and is an excellent introduction to Mandela. (The series rates high on my list if you are looking for biographies for junior high students...I highly recommend all of them)!
If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you will know that I am a huge sports fan. Some of my favorite books are biographies of famous sports legends, or collections of heroic sports stories (think Rick Reilly).
Today I thought I would honor the 40th anniversary of the nomination of Satchel Paige to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. On February 9, 1971, pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige became the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. In August of that year, Paige, a pitching legend known for his fastball, showmanship and the longevity of his playing career, which spanned five decades, was inducted. Baseball legend Joe DiMaggio once called Paige "the best and fastest pitcher I've ever faced."
There are many Negro League players with incredible talent and the life stories to match. This graphic novel, "Satchel Paige: striking out Jim Crow," follows Paige from game to game as he travels through the segregated South. The powerful graphics and prose definitely do justice to this sports legend!
Our 7th graders have finished their study of the Revolutionary War, so I thought that I would highlight several books that fit nicely with this unit.
"Chains" and "Forge," both by Laurie Halse Anderson, tell the stories of Isabel and Curzon. Both teens are slaves in New York at the time of the Revolution, and both want nothing more than their freedom.
"Chains" is Isabel's story. The story of a young girl who was promised freedom, but sold to new owners instead. Isabel, determined to become free by whatever means necessary, meets fellow slave Curzon and decides to spy for whichever side will grant her freedom.
"Forge" shifts perspective to Curzon (sort of sequel, sort of a companion novel), and finds the newly escaped young man caught up with Washington's army for the winter at Valley Forge. Curzon cannot leave or let his true identity be known, for fear that he will be punished and sent back.
If you want to learn more about real slaves that spied for the British, you should make sure to check out "Liberty or Death: The Surprising Story of Runaway Slaves who Sided with the British During the American Revolution" by Margaret Whitman Blair. This is a truly fascinating look at American history and an inspiring story of a little known group of freedom fighters.
Continuing our spotlight on Black History Month, today's post is about the murder of Emmett Till. This landmark case is not often found in textbooks, but more and more books are being published. Two of the best are:
Title: Simeon's Story: an eyewitness account of the kidnapping of Emmett Till
Author: Wright
Genre: Non-fiction, Biography, Crimes
Pages: 176
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!
I have read many books about the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black boy from Chicago whose body was battered beyond recognition and dumped in the Tallahatchie River while visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi, in 1955. Till's crime? He supposedly whistled at a white woman. This crime was often overlooked by the history books because Till was African American. Though his murderers were never brought to justice, the crime has received much attention in recent years.
This account of the tragedy is told by the boy's cousin, Simeon Wright, who was with Emmett on the fateful day and was sleeping in the same room when white men came to take him away in the middle of the night. Simeon's story is a page-turner and should be included in American History curriculums.
Though it looks like a picture book, A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson is definitely intended for older readers. This book is a collection of 15 sonnets that tell the story surrounding the murder of Emmett. The "wreath" is the collection of poems, the last line of one of the sonnets becomes the first line of the next, and the final sonnet contains one line from each of the preceding 14 poems. Very moving, and a perfect companion book to Simeon's Story.
Today's entry is:
Title: Claudette Colvin: Twice toward justice
Author: Hoose
Genre: Biography
Pages: 160
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!
This is a MUST READ book about an important young woman, that is unfortunately often neglected in the history books. On March 2, 1955, Claudette Colvin, a teenager fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Instead of being celebrated as Rosa Parks would be nine months later, fifteen-year-old Claudette found herself shunned by her classmates and dismissed by community leaders. Undaunted, a year later she dared to challenge segregation again as a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery and swept away the legal underpinnings of the Jim Crow South.
Hoose has written a well-researched and engaging biography of Ms. Colvin, based in no small part on interviews with her. It won the 2009 National Book Award, was a Newbery Honor winner, a YALSA Excellence in Non-Fiction finalist, and a Sibert Medal Honor book...just to name the "big" ones. Definitely time well spent getting to know this amazing young woman!
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An incredible book for anyone that is a fan of sports, world history, Olympics, crew, even the University of Washington or Pacific NW stories. (Though if you are a Cougar or Duck or any other college alumni, please don't ignore this book because it is about a bunch of Huskies).
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