Tag Archives: History

Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust

30 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by in History, Non-Fiction, social studies, Uncategorized, Young Adult

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by Heidi Fried

Remembering the past in all its glory and/or depravity is the first step to changing the future. Someone has said that if we do not remember the past, we are doomed to repeat it. Since Heidi Fried lived through the events of the Holocaust, she is able to help us see clearly what happened in the hope that we never repeat that history.

Some people today are so ignorant that they are even saying the Holocaust did not happen. Fried shows the reader clearly that it really happened. The question of why it happened at all is one that can never be answered to anyone’s satisfaction. It is probably best just to acknowledge that it did happen and to do everything in our power to see that it never happens again. That is Fried’s position.

Her book is designed to answer questions she has encountered over her lifetime. At the age of 90 she has reached the step of gerotransendence in her life and thus is able to look back at all that happened to her with a detachment that probably was not possible for her earlier. Her dispassionate responses to the questions are reflective of her age.

Fried explains about how World War II changed her life as a Romanian Jew who was from a good middle class family to being a slave in a labor/extermination camp. At nineteen, she was looking forward to continuing her education at a university, but instead she found herself orphaned with a younger sister to care for and to try to keep both of them alive. Fortunately, both girls were in their late teens and appeared strong enough to work—at least for a while—for the Nazis. Both girls survived and went to live in Sweden.

Fried answers over forty questions for the reader. Some of them are quite personal, such as: Where you raped? How did you handle your periods? Why did you choose Sweden? Others are more philosophical, such as: Why did Hitler hate the Jews?  After all that has happened, do you still believe in God? Could it happen again?

Many authors have produced good works about the Holocaust, but I feel that first person narratives are the best source of true information. Every library should add this book to its collection. Social studies teachers would find this a very valuable source for discussions on the Holocaust. Fried even provides a list of discussion questions. I highly recommend the purchase of this book.

Jump Back, Paul by Sally Derby

08 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Children's Books, History, Non-Fiction

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jump back

This well-researched, excellently written biography of Paul Laurence Dunbar will be one that middle school and high school libraries will definitely want in their collection. Along with Dunbar’s life story, Derby also gives the reader a sampling Dunbar’s poetry.  She tells the reader how to read the dialect poems so that the words sound like actual speech.

The facts about Dunbar’s life are delivered in a chatty style that make the reader feel as if Derby were talking directly to him or her. She even uses the first person pronoun, “I” at times to make the reader think that she has first-hand knowledge of what she is telling him about Dunbar.  Sean Qaulls completes the book with his pen and ink sketches for the book.  I loved the use of pen and ink as the medium for the drawings since the book itself is about a man whose life was using pen and ink. Derby presents us with a chronology of events that affected Dunbar’s life.  She includes extra notes and information about each chapter, a bibliography for those who want to know more about him, and an index for the researcher.

I suppose that Derby could not cover everything about Dunbar’s life, and perhaps some of the facts, such as his alcoholism and drug addiction, might be difficult for younger readers to fully understand.  However, I think she paints his wife, Alice, as more of a villain than she actually is.  Her parents were upwardly-mobile blacks and were very upset that she had married a man with such dark skin. Dunbar’s mother was upset that he had chosen Alice over her and that Alice was very light in color.  I believe that both sides had a great deal to do with their separation, and I think it was especially sad that Alice did not receive any communication from his mother when he became very ill.  Alice had asked a family friend that she be notified if he got worse because she wasn’t on good terms with his mother; however, that friend suddenly died shortly before Dunbar passed away.  None of this changes my opinion about the quality of this book.   I still highly recommend it for upper elementary and high school readers.

Assassin’s Masque by Sarah Zettel

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, Young Adult

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assassin's masque

Just when Peggy Fitzroy thinks that things might be going her way, what with her father turning up and her ex-fiancé finally out of the picture,  a new problem arises in the form of a mysterious woman. This woman seems to be known by her uncle’s mother, and Peggy believes that she could definitely be dangerous.
The Jacobites are coming ever closer to causing a rebellion that would remove George II and his family. Peggy has pledged her loyalty to the royal family, but events occur which make them doubt her allegiance. She begins to mistrust Mr. Tinderflint, the man who got her the position as a spy in the court. Who is really trustworthy, and who is lying about everything, is the point of this novel of the Palace of Spies series.
I recommend its purchase for those who already have the first two books, but this story can stand alone if the others are not available.

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, Young Adult

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Peggy Fitzroy continues her spy game for the court of King George II as a lady-in-waiting. She finds that the man who was betrothed to her, and who tried to rape her, has returned. She tries to find out who are the real dangers to the royal family and to herself. Her uncle is still trying to run her life – even though he had kicked her out of his home and a strange man, named Johnny Leroy becomes an unexpected part of her life. This second novel of The Palace of Spies is a stand alone, but it will make the reader want to go back and read The Palace of Spies, the first book of the series.
I think teens who are interested in strong female characters, and who like spy stories will enjoy this series.
dangerous deceptions

The Boy Who Became Buffalo Bill: Growing up Bill Cody in Bleeding Kansas by Andrew Warren

15 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by in History, Young Adult

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bill cody

This is a well-written biography of William Cody and of the history of the Kansas Territory.  It reads like a novel – full of action and suspense.  Younger readers who have little knowledge of the events leading up to the statehood of Kansas will learn about the bloody fights that occurred while Kansas struggled to decide if it would be free or slave. Cody’s part in those events is not whitewashed, and some may be upset because the author clearly shows him taking part in things that we would consider criminal today.

John Brown and his followers are introduced, but only enough to pique the interest of the reader to look for more information about him. The reader will also learn a great deal about the Pony Express.  At fourteen, Cody was the youngest rider on this circuit, and faced many dangers in doing his job. The short-lived Pony Express had a great impact on our history and on the life of Bill Cody.

The writer presents Cody as a very real person with a family that he loved and cared for. The latter years of his life and the Wild West Show for which he is most famous is discussed. The show itself had been criticized because he included Sitting Bull in it. Cody believed that the battle with Custer took place only because Sitting Bull’s tribe was trying to defend its families, and so he ignored the people who felt he should leave Sitting Bull out of the show. He was a gentleman who remained true to his beliefs and tried to leave the world a better place. Because of that, there are museums in several states which are dedicated to William Cody.

The text is well-researched and includes pictures, maps and additional notes to further help the reader. I definitely recommend this for upper elementary through high school readers.

Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A, Nielson

01 Friday May 2015

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Young Adult

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mark of the thief

This book is a clever combination of mythology, history and fantasy. This is the first of the stories of Nic, a slave boy working in the mines of Rome.  He is approached one day and commanded to go into an area of the mine where other miners have disappeared.  His task is to retrieve the bulla that used to belong to Julius Caesar.  A bulla is an amulet given to a baby boy when he is born.  It is dedicated to a particular god and shows the protection of that god until the boy becomes a man.  Then he puts aside the bulla, a mark of putting aside his childhood, and takes his place as a Roman citizen.

This particular bulla has magical powers which Nic can enhance because he, too, has magical powers.  He did not know about these powers until he comes in contact with the bulla.  Nic finds that the reason the other miners had not returned was that the treasure of Caesar was being guarded by a griffin. Nic calls the griffin Caela, since she is from the skies. She helps him escape because she recognizes his magical powers.

How Nic manages to thwart a powerful senator, how he survives the gladiator fight, and what he learns about the power struggles in Rome are the main themes of the story.  Even though the story does have a satisfactory conclusion, the promise of more exciting tales lies at the end of the book.

I was a little upset at the anachronism with the mention of “blasting” in the mines at the first of the book.  Blasting as a form of mining could not have occurred until after the 9th century when the Chinese developed gunpowder. The Romans sometimes used fire in mining as a way of making the rocks crack, but that is not the same thing as blasting.

I do recommend this for middle school readers.  It may get them to want to learn more about Roman mythology and/or history.

My Name is Truth: the life of Sojourner Truth by Ann Turner

10 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by in Children's Books, History, Non-Fiction, Picture Books

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my name is truth

Finding non-fiction for young readers is sometimes challenging.  Finding good biographies about women is also a challenge. This book meets those challenges in an exceptional way. Sojourner Truth’s belief in God shines through clearly without being “preachy.” Her strength of character is obvious, but she is also shown as having fears and sometimes doubts about herself.  She is a very real woman.

Ann Turner tells the story of Sojourner Truth to younger readers using Truth’s own words.  James Ransome has done a fantastic job with the illustrations. Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree. She was one of at least 10 children born to her parents.  Her mother instilled in her a love for God and a good knowledge of right and wrong.

Her last owner was very cruel and worked Isabella like a draft horse because she was tall and strong. New York was set to abolish slavery in 1827 and her owner had told her that she would go free a year before that happened, but she was injured and her owner refused to let her go, so she escaped with her baby Sophia.

She had to leave her three other children with her former owner because she could not take all four of them on her flight to freedom.  When she found out that Mr. Dumont, her former owner has sold her son, Peter, she went to court and won his release. (This was the first case of its kind in the U.S.).

She took the name Sojourner Truth many years later and became a strong voice in the abolitionist movement and with William Lloyd Garrison to free all slaves.  I think the book will appeal to children of all ages; however, is specifically designed for grades 1-3. I would highly recommend its purchase for any elementary library.

Curses and Smoke by Vicky Alvear Shecter

09 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Young Adult

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Curses and Smoke Any lover of historical fictional or a fan of love stories will want to read this book. Shecter, author of Cleopatra’s Moon, has once again given the reader of historical fictional a fascinating look into the past.

She has thoroughly researched the events of the eruption of Vesuvius, the lives of the people living in and around Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the Roman society as a whole.  She has included a wonderful set of notes at the end of the story so the reader may be able to see the sources of her story and of her characters.

The two main characters, Tag and Lucia are from two very different social strata.  Their lives are intertwined because Tag’s father is the physician for Lucia’s father and for the gladiators at his school. Lucia, is supposed to marry a much older man, but she wants to understand the causes of the natural mysteries she has begun to notice, and she definitely does not want to marry an old man.  Lucia has been taught to read, but she remains the property of her father and will later be the property of her husband; therefore, her wishes are of no importance. The love between Tag and Lucia develops as Vesuvius sends out more and more warnings about the coming eruption.  But, the people of Pompeii have never experienced an eruption, and they ignore the coming doom of the town.

The reader will come away with a realistic view of life and love during the first century.  Pompeii itself is a treasure of the past, but Shecter has put together other pertinent information that will expand the knowledge of the reader about Roman and its people’s. The book is suitable for grades six through twelve although adults will also enjoy it. I can easily recommend its purchase.

At Home in Her Tomb by Christine Liu-Perkins

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Archeology, Children's Books, History

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China

Lui-Perkins has provided the young reader with a captivating book about archeology and Chinese burials of important people. The tomb of Lady Dai and other treasures of Mawangdui have amazed the archeologists who first uncovered them and those who still study the contents of Lady Dai’s tomb.

The most fascinating thing was that her body was so remarkably preserved.  Her skin and internal organs had not decayed; therefore, the doctors were even able to perform an autopsy on her.  i.e. The contents of her stomach indicated that she had been eating melon shortly before she died. Not only was the body in good condition for a 2,000 year-old-corpse, the tomb contained books and other written information that many had supposed to be destroyed by the Han dynasty. One of the later emperors of the Han dynasty had burned all the books on military, political and health that he could locate because he felt threatened by their contents.  To find these in Lady Dai’s tomb and so well-preserved was a miracle.

The text is nicely illustrated with color photographs and drawings.  The author has included a timeline, a glossary, a source list, a bibliography, and an index for the reader. Most pages have sidebars of information that help the reader understand more about China two thousand years ago.  The books will be useful to anyone who is interested in China or who is interested in archeology in general.  I highly recommend its purchase for the middle school through high school libraries.

Into the Unknown by Stewart Ross

24 Thursday Apr 2014

Posted by in Children's Books, Children's Non-fiction

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Scan0036

I love to read historical books, both fiction and non fiction. This one is a delightful work of non-fiction designed for the elementary reader, but greatly appreciated by this adult. It is also a Boston-Globe-Horn Book Honor winner. This book first came out in 2011 as a hardback, but has recently been released as a paperback. Ross has given the reader a glimpse into the sort of lives that early explorers lived as they made discoveries that would change the world.

Ross introduces some explorers and explorations that I did not know about, such as Pytheas the Greek and the Treasure Fleet of Emporer Zheng He of China. Every chapter, even those about well-known explorers, has something in it that is not well-known.  These details make the book all the more fascinating.

For example, until I read this book, I did not know that the Chinese built their fleet inland and floated them out to the sea in man-made canals. I had never heard of Pytheas the Greek and his exploration of the North Atlantic. I also learned that the father and son team of Auguste and Jacques Piccard both soared into the stratosphere in a hydrogen balloon and descended into the deepest part of the Mariana Trench in a bathyscaphe (a feat the has never, yet, been repeated).

The illustrator, Steven Biesty, did an amazing job with the illustrations. Although all illustrations are drawings, they are so detailed that they come alive on the page. I was fascinated about how the explorers could tell by using the sun whether they were traveling north or south and how Viking knar boats were built so that they could twist in a storm. Biesty’s illustrations allowed me to visualize what they had seen.

The chapters are arranged in chronological order, which makes it easy for readers to find information about a particular time period. Ross also includes an excellent index, a glossary for unfamiliar terms, a list of sources and acknowledgement of direct use of information. These items make the book a good source for teaching research to young students.

Each chapter has at least one foldout page. This makes the book more interesting, but it could be a deal-breaker for those libraries with a small budget. (I would most certainly enforce the foldouts with hinge tape before allowing it to circulate.) However, the low cost of the paperback version at $9.99 is almost unbelievable for today’s market and would allow for replacement.

If at all possible, this book should be added to your collection. I do not often highly recommend books, especially paperbacks; but I highly recommend this book for elementary and middle school readers.