For die-hard fans.
Learn about the real and fictional life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder with hands-on activities and historical tidbits.
The first part of this educational companion title focuses on the first eight Little House books, each chapter focusing on a different book. The First Four Years and Wilder’s life after are covered in Part 2. Historical and geographical information, along with miscellany about daily life (cooking, farm work, animal husbandry, clothing, etc.), are presented in bullet points, with more general information in callout boxes, some specifically delineating fact from fiction. Offensive/dated terms found in Wilder’s texts are highlighted. Each segment also includes crafts, games, recipes (lengthy and targeting experienced cooks), and other activities prompting readers to “live like” Laura or Almanzo. Chapter-ending questions, educational and moralistic in tone, often prompt specific answers rather than natural discussion. Whipple applauds Wilder for writing her family’s story “realistically,” including racial prejudices of the time, asserting that she “let readers like you decide what to think.” In her introduction, Whipple acknowledges the “complicated pioneer history,” noting that the way “white settlers treated the American Indians…was often shameful.” Unfortunately, although Whipple encourages readers to reflect on these “uncomfortable” issues and consider also the Osage side of the story, closing her introduction by chipperly quoting the virulently racist Ma’s “All’s well that ends well” sounds a particularly sour note. Unless otherwise noted, characters are assumed white and Christian.
For die-hard fans. (glossary, further reading, and places to visit) (Nonfiction, 7-12).)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64160-166-5
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
IN THE NEWS
An empowering choice.
Shamir and Faulkner take readers on a trip through various moments in U.S. history as they explore the democratic process.
The text begins in 1884, when a young man rides for hours to deliver his local ballot box in the state of Nebraska. The book then jumps in nonlinear fashion from key moment to key moment, explaining its importance: Native Americans were granted citizenship in 1924 (their status as members of sovereign nations goes unmentioned); the emergency number 911 was created in 1968; George Washington was the only presidential candidate ever to run unopposed. The information is divided into general paragraphs that begin with a question and text boxes that supply trivia and provide additional context to the paragraphs. Children’s and teens’ roles are often cited, such as their participation in the civil rights movement and the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18. The information ranges from national elections to local, expanding on what can be done on a national level and what can occur locally. Along the way, Faulkner includes a diverse mixture of citizens. A range of ethnic groups, minorities, and people of various body sizes and abilities are included, making the book visually welcoming to all readers. An early image depicting a blind woman with both guide dog and cane appears to be the only visual misstep. The backmatter includes a timeline and sources for additional reading.
An empowering choice. (Informational picture book. 7-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-3807-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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