More books lately
Now that CRTs are over, and Spring Break is around the corner, it’s a good time to think about what to do with all that extra time coming up. Here are a few suggestions that I read:
Thoreau at Walden- John Porcellino:
(graphic novel, poetry, easy read) I admit it. I don’t think I ever read Thoreau as a student in middle or high school. I’m pretty sure I thought, “Poetry- how boring.” But, I actually wanted to read this one. This author took the writings of Henry David Thoreau and put them in the format of a cartoon/graphic novel. If you’ve never read Thoreau, this is your ticket into reading one of the best American poets.
The Surrender Tree- Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom- Margarita Engle:
(poetry, non-fiction) This book uses poetry to tell the story of Cuba’s struggle for independence. The main character is Rosa who is a healer who uses natural remedies from wild plants, using hidden caves as hospitals. It is a unique approach to painting the picture of a war-torn country fighting for its independence from Spain.
Before Their Time- The World of Child Labor- David L. Parker:
(non-fiction, pictures, easy read) They say a picture can speak a thousand words. This book would be saying a lot. Each chapter gives a brief background into an area of labor such as mining, agriculture, textiles, garbage picking, etc. and then gives some realistic and sometimes frightening black and white photos of children workers working dangerous and laborious jobs. Did you think that child labor was a thing of the past? Guess again. These photos for the most part are all less than 10 years old.
For Boys Only- The Biggest, Baddest Book Ever- Marc Aronson & H. P. Newquist:
(non-fiction, easy-read, illustrated) Are you that person in a group who knows all kinds of random facts about things? Do you wish you were? This book is a lot of little pieces put together, covering all sorts of things from the most venomous snakes, to the fastest supercars, to how to get out of quicksand, to the only four sports dynasties worth mentioning, to how do IPods work. This is right up my alley as far as books go. This book captured my attention and I kept saying to myself, “OK, I’ll read one more page.” I love all the cool stuff in here! This book may say it is for boys only, but I bet a lot of girls should know this stuff too.
The Trouble Begins at 8: A life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild, West:
(non-fiction, easy-read, illustrated) How did I not know that Mark Twain spent time in Nevada before becoming a writer? This books does a great job of including the interesting parts of Samuel Clemens’ (a.k.a. Mark Twain) life and adventures without getting mired in any boring details. I also didn’t know that he used to be a full-fledged riverboat captain and was involved in a few get-rich-quick schemes. Good thing he never hooked up with Bernie Madoff! Mark Twain’s quick, witty comments are some of the best quips ever. As he once said, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
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