February 1, 2016 Booklist 35 www.booklistonline.com
print or experimenting with different shapes
and materials for a wooden boat—lack
detailed directions or guidelines. With accessible language and eye-catching, photo-filled
layouts, this is a great pick for reluctant readers. Resource lists, a glossary, and a detailed
index make this very well suited to elemen-tary- and middle-school research projects.
—Francisca Goldsmith
Elizabeth Started All the Trouble.
By Doreen Rappaport. Illus. by Matt
Faulkner.
Feb. 2016. 40p. Disney/Hyperion, $17.99
(9780786851423). 323.3. Gr. 3–6.
Though Elizabeth Cady Stanton is the
titular character, this book provides a comprehensive primer on the struggle for female
suffrage and equal political representation in
the U.S. from the colonial period through
the Nineteenth Amendment. The story begins with Abigail Adams encouraging her
husband to consider what independence
meant for women, and it chronicles other
landmark events, such as Stanton and Lucretia Mott being barred from the antislavery
meetings, the Seneca Falls declaration, and
Amelia Bloomer sporting pants in public
places. Yet the most compelling stories are
the everyday anecdotes, such as Susan B. Anthony minding Stanton’s children while she
penned speeches, Lucy Stone omitting the
word obey from her wedding vows, and the
first students at Mount Holyoke crowding
around a table full of laboratory equipment.
Faulkner’s illustrations capture the spirit of
each character and of the movement itself,
and primary source quotes from the likes of
Sojourner Truth and Alice Paul drive home
the importance of the events described.
—Erin Anderson
The Final Four: The Pursuit of College
Basketball Glory.
By Matt Doeden.
Mar. 2016. 64p. illus. Lerner/Millbrook, lib. ed., $33.32
(9781467787802). 796.323. Gr. 5–8.
Arriving just in time for March Madness is
this fresh look at the NCAA men’s division
I college basketball tournament and, in par-
ticular, the Final Four championship games.
The book opens with a quick historical
overview, from an interesting account of the
sport’s first intercollegiate game in 1895 to
an action photo taken during a 2015 semifi-
nal match-up between Duke and Michigan
State. Next, Doeden recaps the greatest Fi-
nal Four games of all time, followed by the
most memorable moments in Final Four
history. Finally, he discusses recent changes
and hypothetical future developments in
intercollegiate athletics. The book’s wide
format allows the text and photos to ap-
pear side by side. The older photos are in
black-and-white, while later pictures are in
color. With vivid, play-by-play descriptions
of pivotal games and final points, basketball
fans will find plenty to enjoy here. Drawing
on his years in sports journalism, Doeden
writes colorful accounts of the action,
while filling in background on important
players, past and present. An informative,
enjoyable addition to the sports shelves.
—Carolyn Phelan
Henry David Thoreau for Kids: His Life
and Ideas, with 21 Activities.
By Corinne Hosfeld Smith.
Feb. 2016. 144p. illus. Chicago Review, $16.95
(9781613731468). 818.309. Gr. 5–8.
Henry David Thoreau is best known for
meditating on the simple life at Walden
Pond and for his stance on civil disobedience. These existential topics do not, at first
glance, seem well suited to young readers,
but Smith, a tour guide at Thoreau Farm, in
Concord, Massachusetts, manages to make
them completely accessible though activities
that honor Thoreau’s most basic tenets. Each
chapter starts with biographical information centered on one broad theme (Thoreau’s
early childhood, his time in nature, his ideas
about social causes, etc.). These narratives
are followed with a wide array of suggested
activities designed to put many of Thoreau’s
most important values into practice. Readers are encouraged to participate in a variety
of exercises, such as studying grains of sand,
volunteering with local charities, and making recipes from the nineteenth century. All
of the activities encourage kids to unplug
and disconnect from the buzz of modern life
and express a fundamental belief that no one
is too young to begin to appreciate the ideals
of Thoreau. —Erin Anderson
It’s Getting Hot in Here: The Past,
the Present, and the Future of Global
Warming.
By Bridget Heos.
Feb. 2016. 224p. illus. HMH, $17.99 (9780544303478).
363.738. Gr. 4–8.
The undeniable fact of climate change is
the timely topic of this book, which explains
the historical, social, and scientific realities
of global warming. The narrative begins with
the formation of the universe and the earth
though periods of climate change before humans, then discusses civilization’s insatiable
need for fossil fuels since the Agricultural
and Industrial Revolutions. Heos offers
straightforward explanations and directly addresses arguments commonly made by those
who deny global warming. Full-color photographs from all corners of the globe depict
many places already feeling the effects of rising sea levels and changing weather patterns.
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the
book is the “Be the Change” section at the
end of each chapter, which encourages readers to make changes in their own lifestyles
to slow the rate of environmental degradation, reinforcing the notion that human
actions have a direct effect on the climate.
Engaging and relevant, this book urges readers to think about the implications of their
actions beyond their own communities.
—Erin Anderson
Bee-hold
9781459809604 • $19.95 hc
NONFICTION
FOR AGES 8-12
FREE FOR ALL TO ATTEND
9781459808348 • $9.95 pb
WWW.ORCAFOOTPRINTS.COM
“A call to action, encouraging
kids to plant flower gardens,
support local farms, and raise
awareness of the mysterious
plight of disappearing bees.”
“A victory that will
resonate with readers.”
—Kirkus Reviews
FICTION FOR AGES 9-12
