In 1827, a music student cut a lock of hair as a memento from the head of recently deceased Ludwig van Beethoven. In 1994, two Americans bought the hair for about $7,300 and had scientists subject it to forensic tests. This slim volume introduces Beethoven’s life, with an emphasis on his poor health and emotional problems, interspersing chapters about the hair’s journey from Vienna to Arizona and the scientific analysis. Although the lock’s history intersects with Denmark’s remarkable evacuation of Jews in World War II, the specifics of its journey are unknown, which leaches some of the excitement from the episode. One must also wonder how many child readers will be captivated by the revelation that Beethoven’s hair had extremely high levels of lead, much as the authors strain to build to a dramatic climax. Beethoven fans and music students may be intrigued, but overall the audience for this mildly interesting story will be limited. Black-and-white archival illustrations and photographs add little to the appeal. (authors’ note, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-57091-714-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2009
A book with a mission—its purpose, in some people's minds, could not be more timely nor more necessary. Like former Secretary of Education Bennett's Book of Virtues (1993) for adults, this is a collection of short stories, poems, fables, and excerpts organized into ten chapters: Self-Discipline, Compassion, Responsibility, Friendship, Work, Courage, Perseverance, Honesty, Loyalty, and Faith. Each begins with a brief essay; these are sharp and to the point. Most of the entries, from a wide variety of cultures and eras, have a sentence or two of nonprovincial context to make the link to the featured virtue. The selections are compelling and appropriate, by contributors ranging from the well known to the obscure. This is not a book to hand to children to read through by themselves, but for sharing in short spans with a thoughtful adult. Along with other readings, from the concurrent to the adverse, it could serve as a basis for an ongoing series of discussions among families or in classrooms. The virtues espoused, assumed to be objective categories rooted in common sense and in universal moral imperatives, are as perennial as the grass, and even if they have become buzzwords in today's political climate, the book is not just for the ethically challenged. (Anthology. 11-13)
Pub Date: May 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-382-24923-2
Page Count: 384
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1995
Two inexperienced kayakers are trapped in the Alaskan wilderness by a freak of nature in a patchy but vivid survival adventure. Cody and her cousin, Derek, sneak out for a weekend of camping while their mothers are away in Juneau; when the Hubbard Glacier “surges,” blocking outflow from the Russell Fjord, a rapidly rising water level catches them by surprise, washing away Cody’s kayak and nearly all of their supplies. After an unsuccessful attempt to paddle back to their starting point leaves them wet, hungry, exhausted, and, in Cody’s case, snow blind, a mysterious, masked woodsman brings food before luring Derek away. Cody follows, attempting to save Derek from danger, only to learn that he’s gone along willingly with a reclusive ex-guide (and his wife) whose face was ravaged by frostbite on Denali; they feed the children and lead them to a point from which they can kayak to safety. The “abducting” of Derek (planned so Cody would follow) is never explained satisfactorily, and a heavily foreshadowed run-in with bears remains a tease. Still, the action is rapid and mostly realistic; Shahan describes the natural beauty, as well as the mud, mosquitoes, and other miseries her young people encounter, with authority. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-385-32303-4
Page Count: 151
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1998
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