Saturday, September 10, 2016

Two Beautiful Nonfiction Books

How They Became Famous Dancers – Anne Dunkin
Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Nonfiction
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review the opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a wonderful book. My daughter loved dance and at one time was enrolled in eight different dance classes. She could tell me about many of the people who shaped dance in recent years. This book takes us way back to Louis the XIV. This book is the story of twelve dancers who cover the year from the early 1600s to the year 2000. I had not heard of many of these dancers. Their passion for dance was so strong they let nothing stand in their way. In addition to the biographies, at the end of each chapter was a section called “Create a Dance”. This section allows you the reader to create a dance in the style of the dance you had just studied. This is a book I will put on my shelves once I have shared it with my daughter.



Galloping to Freedom: Saving the Adobe Town Appaloosas – Carol J. Walker
Genre: Nonfiction
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.


After reading this book I’ll never look at or think about wild horses in the same way. This is the story of a rescue of Americas wild horses as captured through beautiful photographs of the photographer. The photographer was able to take pictures of these horses in the wild, when they were captured and when they were resettled onto safe sanctuaries. Thanks to her photographs many horse families were kept together. Unfortunately when she checked in on some of the horses she learned that some of the mare had given birth in such crowed corrals that the foals did not survive. This is a story of sadness and hope. The sadness as we see progress taking away the lands of those who had the right to live there, the wild horses. It is also a story of hope as we see several people who cared enough to set aside areas that would be safe sanctuaries. I think one of the saddest things was that they sterilized all of the males. This means in some cases the end of the line of those fine stallions. Sometimes I read books like this and wonder why God put humans over animals if we were going to treat them the way we do.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Just a Drop of Water by Kerry O'Malley Cerra


Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction
Source: I purchased a copy

I have read three stories in the last few days about 9/11 for middle grade students. This story is by far my favorite. Jake and Sam  have been best friends for years. They run cross country together.  They have become friends with the new kid Kirk.  His father works in Washington. When 9/11 happens their friendship will be tested. Shortly after this terrible event, Jake's mother begins to flip out. When Jake and Sam's friend Bobby turns against Sam, Jake takes revenge.The reason is simple, Sam is a Muslim American.  He has never practiced his religion so he knows nothing about it. When his father is questioned and then taken away by the FBI, people begin to think the worst.

This story shows two things. It shows how so many people came together, and it also shows how some people let fear affect them. When prejudice rears its ugly head what lessons will each of the characters learn?

This is a book I will be reading with my students starting next week.  I am so pleased to have had several sites recommend this as a must read book for middle grade classrooms.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Nine, Ten by Nora Raleigh Baskins


 Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction
Source: I purchased a copy

This is the story of four teens from different parts of the country. Amy’s mom has a new job in New York City. They have just moved to California. She doesn’t fit in with the girls there. The girls in her new school  assume that the reason her mom has a job in New York, and she and her dad are in California is because her parents are splitting up.  This causes all kinds of anxiety for her.  Sergio  lives with his grandmother. He hates the father who left him and his mom.  Will is angry because his father died trying to help a man  along the side of the road.  He is more angry because he learns the man was already dead and in his mind his dad died for no reason.  Nadira is a Muslim girl who is proud of the scarf she wears. However, at her new school she is beginning to feel uncomfortable when someone asks her about her scarf.  Even though these kids don’t know each other they all have one thing in common, 9/11.


This is a must read book. You need to read it to see how each of their lives were changed on that day. Another great book to put on my shelves for my students.