Archive for the 'biography' Category

Nonfiction Monday - The Planet Hunter

Published by Tricia on April 28, 2008 in nonfiction, biography, book review and science. 1 Comment

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The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto, written by Elizabeth Rusch and illustrated by Guy Francis, is a nonfiction picture book that introduces readers to Mike Brown, the astronomer whose discoveries led to the reclassification of Pluto.

We first meet Mike as a young boy. He is wearing a homemade space helmet on his head, dancing in mud puddles he created to mimic the way craters are made on the moon. (You can view an excerpt of this page.) We learn that he grew up in Hunstville, Alabama, home of the Marshall Space Flight Center, and that his fascination with astronomy carried him through childhood and into his adult career. He approached the study of the heavens systematically, as described in this excerpt.

Mike remembered how as a kid, he was always losing his sneakers. The only way he could be sure to find them was to start at one end of the house and search room by room.

“That’s the way to find a planet,” he said.

Using an old telescope, Mike began searching the sky, section by section.

Mike and a fellow astronomer made a bet, in which Mike suggested that someone would find a new planet within four years. He set about the task of searching in an effort to make sure that someone was him. The book goes on to describe how Mike searched for objects in the sky. Finally, five days after losing the bet, he found an object he hadn’t seen before. He pointed as many telescopes as he could at the object he named Eris. Ultimately, photos from the Hubble Telescope confirmed he had found something that was bigger than Pluto!

This discovery led astronomers to rethink the definition of a planet. At an international meeting of astronomers, a planet was defined as “a body that circles the sun. It is large enough to be round. And it orbits alone, far from anything else its size.” This redefinition meant that Mike’s discovery was not a planet, and now, neither was Pluto.

This is a terrifically interesting biography that provides scientific information in an accessible way for young readers. In addition to the story of Mike Brown, throughout the book there are interesting facts and informational tidbits “bubbled” into the corners of the pages. The book also contains a pull-out poster of the solar system (newly reconfigured), with information about dwarf planets, the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. Overall, I found this to be an informative and thoroughly engaging book. I highly recommend it.

Book: The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto
Author: Elizabeth Rusch
Illustrator: Guy Francis
Publisher: Rising Moon
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: 4-8
ISBN: 978-0873589260
Source of Book: Review copy received from TEOTF.

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

For those of you interested in learning more about the ideas presented in this book, check out these resources.

Nonfiction Monday - Leonardo Da Vinci

Published by Tricia on March 24, 2008 in nonfiction, biography and book review. 0 Comments

A little over a week ago on Weekend Edition, Sylvia Poggioli reported on a lost mural by Leonardo da Vinci. In one of his notebooks, da Vinci wrote, “On the sixth of June, a Friday, at the stroke of the 13th hour, I began to paint in the palace.” The palace he wrote of was the grand hall of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was here that he was commissioned to paint a mural of the Battle of Anghiari, a mural that has since been lost in time. You can see some of the preparatory drawings da Vinci made at the the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s Web site.

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After listening to the story, High-Tech hunt aims to find missing da Vinci mural, I was immediately reminded of the book Leonardo da Vinci: The Artist, Inventor, Scientist in Three-Dimensional, Movable Pictures by Alice and Martin Provensen. Published in 1984, this pop-up book was one of the favorites in my middle school science class. This beautiful volume contains six double-page spreads with pop-ups, pull-tabs, slide wheels with ribbon pulls and other movable objects.

This biography provides only brief highlights from the life of da Vinci, but accompanied by the Provensens’ panoramic views and paintings that evoke 15th century Florence, there is much here to pique the interest of any reader. Attention is given to da Vinci’s fascination with flight and his attempts (although failed) to build flying machines. Quotes from da Vinci’s notebooks and examples of his sketches can be found on several pages. Readers also learn about his interest in drawing a range of objects from nature, his study of the heavens, and some of his works of art.

Here is an excerpt. It is found on a page where readers pull down a movable section of the page to see a mural fade from view.

Leonardo was invited to paint a mural in the great hall of the grand council of Florence. In order to cover the vast space he constructed an ingenious scaffold that could be raised or lowered to reach any part of the wall.

At last Leonardo began to paint.

He made a design so extraordinary that all Florence came to marvel. Alas! The wall was as porous as a sponge! As the paint sank in, the wonderful picture disappeared before their very eyes.

This is the very mural referred to in the NPR piece. It is easy to understand why the mural faded when listeners learn that da Vinci experimented with techniques used by the ancient Romans. He faced many challenges in using oil on dry plaster, not the least of which was how to dry the painting.

I am not generally a fan of pop-up books, but this one has always held my interest, largely because of the beauty of the illustrations and my general fascination with da Vinci. If you can get your hands on a copy, I recommend it as a nice introduction for readers with a budding interest in the original Renaissance man.

Book: Leonardo da Vinci: The Artist, Inventor, Scientist in Three-Dimensional, Movable Pictures
Author/Illustrators: Alice and Martin Provensen
Publisher: Viking Press
Publication Date: 1984
Pages: 12 pages
Grades: 4-8
ISBN: 067042384X
Source of Book: Personal copy.

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

Nonfiction Monday - On Matters Evolutionary

Published by Tricia on March 10, 2008 in nonfiction, biography, book review and science. 2 Comments

My Foundations of Education class has been studying religion in public education. Before we left for break, we spent time considering the evolution debate. This is a topic near and dear to my heart, and one in which I have a hard time buying the “teach all sides” argument, since my undergraduate degree was in biochemistry, and my masters and Ph.D in science education. That said, I do not believe the theory of evolution and my religious beliefs are mutually incompatible. One is faith, the other science, and I don’t believe my faith, or that of anyone else, belongs in a public school classroom.

For students who struggle with the notion of evolution, how it works, what it means, and other aspects, I like to share books that clearly present the science. I’m also interested in having them understand its historical roots. Here are two books I find to be valuable resources in discussing this topic.

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Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution by Steve Jenkins, explores the history of life on earth and Darwin’s revolutionary theory. It includes a timeline of life on earth in which the history of life is compressed into a 24 hour day so that readers can understand just how old our planet is, and for how long we humans have lived on it. The text begins:

The earth is more than 4 1/2 billion years old. For a long time, life couldn’t exist here. The ground was hot enough to melt rocks. There was not liquid water. Comets and asteroids frequently crashed into the surface, and volcanoes erupted constantly, filling the air with poisonous gases.

From here we learn about the first forms of life (microscopic bacteria) and the organisms that sprang up in their wake. Using his highly skilled cut/torn paper collage technique, we meet early sea life, plants, a T. Rex, other animals which are now extinct, and finally get a look at early man. The next page shows a small ground-level reptile, a larger reptile walking on its hind legs, a large bird on the ground, and lastly, a bird in flight. Beneath this sequence is the question, “Why have so many different forms of life development on earth?” From here, Jenkins launches into an introduction to Darwin and the theory of evolution. The text is packed with information, elucidated in meaningful ways by the illustrations. When describing survival of the fittest, 10 frogs appear on a page in which their strengths and weaknesses are described, and the mechanism by which they pass on their strongest traits is highlighted.

Overall, this is a gorgeous text that provides a strong introduction to the theory of evolution.

While Jenkins’ book provides a brief introduction to Darwin, The Tree of Life: A Book Depicting the Life of Charles Darwin: Naturalist, Geologist & Thinker by Peter Sís provides a more intimate look at the man. Who was Charles Darwin? We know him today as a naturalist, geologist, and the father of modern evolutionary biology. But did you know that Charles Darwin was a man who always regretted not learning how to draw? Even though he did not fancy himself an artist, he took “dense and vivid” written notes of all he observed. From these notes, Peter Sís has created a book of intricately drawn pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations that depict Darwin’s life as he developed his theories about the origins of life and natural selection. In what may be one of the best nonfiction introductions EVER, this book begins:

Charles Darwin opens his eyes for the first time! He has no idea that he will (a) start a revolution when he grows up, (b) sail around the world on a five-year voyage, (c) spend many years studying nature, and (d) write a book that will change the world. Luckily, he is unaware that (e) not everyone will see things his way, and that (f) he himself will have doubts about revealing his grand conclusions. This is his story.

If that introduction doesn’t grab you, then nothing will. From here readers will find tidbits from Darwin’s extensive and legendary voyage on the Beagle, notes on Galapagos tortoises, bloodsucking benchuca bugs, Toxodon skeletons, and much more. Perhaps even more interesting is the way the text is set up. Beneath each 3/4 page illustration the text is divided into sections on public life, private life, and secret life. There is much to love about this biography, and much more to learn.

I highly recommend both of these books, particularly for middle school teachers tackling the topic of evolution.

Book: Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution
Author: Steve Jenkins
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 40 pages
Grades: 4-8
ISBN-10: 0618164766
ISBN-13: 978-0618164769
Source of Book: Personal copy.

Book: The Tree of Life: A Book Depicting the Life of Charles Darwin: Naturalist, Geologist & Thinker
Author: Peter Sís
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 44 pages
Grades: 4-8
ISBN-10: 0374456283
ISBN-13: 978-0374456283
Source of Book: Personal copy.

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

Nonfiction Monday - The Philosopher and the Traveler: Two Books by Russell Freedman

Published by Tricia on March 3, 2008 in nonfiction, biography, book review and social studies. 1 Comment

When I was preparing for my trip to China last year, I read everything I could get my hands on. Two books I particularly enjoyed were by one of my favorite authors of nonfiction, Russell Freedman.

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Confucius: The Golden Rule is a painstakingly researched biography that led the author to the Chinese city of Qufu, formerly the state of Lu, where Confucius was born, spent much of his life, and died. In this fascinating work, Freedman presents biographical information about Confucius, along with a bit of Chinese history. Drawing heavily on The Analects of Confucius, readers gain remarkable insight into a man for whom “little is known for certain about the actual events of his life.” While he is known for what we call today his philosophy, it is his teaching that inspired me. Here is an excerpt.

He took his students from every background, welcoming barefoot peasant boys into his circle along with the sons of princes, hoping to shape them into statesman. His revolutionary stand would earn him a saint’s reputation among future generations of Chinese teachers. “I never denied my teaching to anyone who sought it,” he said, “even if he came to me on foot with nothing more to offer as tuition than a package of dried meat.”

He had just one requirement: A student had to demonstrate a passion for learning. “I teach only those who burst with enthusiasm. I guide only those who are struggling to learn themselves. If I explain one corner of a subject, I expect the student to discover the other three for himself, and if he doesn’t, I don’t continue the lesson.”

Accompanied by the magnificent paintings of Frédéric Clément, readers can immerse themselves in a bit of Chinese history while learning about one of the greatest thinkers of all time.

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Since I’d been hearing stories about Marco Polo since I was a child, I thought a book about him and his (alleged?) travels to China would make for interesting reading. The Adventures of Marco Polo did not disappoint. It begins:

As Marco Polo lay dying, friends and relatives gathered anxiously by his bedside and begged him to confess. They pleaded with him to tall the truth, to renounce his exaggerations and lies, so he might meet his maker with a clear conscience.

He was known in some circles as “the man of a million lies.” And all because of a book in which he told fantastic tales about his travels and adventures.

In an age when the Earth was said to be flat, Marco claimed that he had visited a distant and unknown land so far away, so difficult to reach, that no European had been there before and come back to tell the tale.

Extraordinary traveler or liar? The bulk of Freedman’s book draws heavily on Polo’s own accounts of his travels to describe this fantastic journey. However, Freedman never lets us forget for one moment that many doubt the veracity of these claims. Near the end of the book is a section entitled Did Marco Polo Go to China?, where Freedman helps readers understand the scholarly debate that still wages on this subject. This is followed by an extensive author’s note, where Freedman discusses the original manuscript, translations of the book, and attempts to dispel some myths. The text is illustrated in the style of an illuminated manuscript, with images representing either the European or eastern culture being described. This is a fascinating biography that will leave readers with much to think about long after the cover is closed.

I recommend both of these books as extraordinarily well-researched and thoroughly engrossing biographies.

Book: Confucius: The Golden Rule
Author: Russell Freedman
Illustrator: Frédéric Clément
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 48 pages
Grades: 4-8
ISBN-10: 0439139570
ISBN-13: 978-0439139571
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased from local independent bookstore.

Book: The Adventures of Marco Polo
Author: Russell Freedman
Illustrator: Bagram Ibatoulline
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 64 pages
Grades: 4-8
ISBN-10: 043952394X
ISBN-13: 978-0439523943
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased from local independent bookstore.

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

Nonfiction Monday - I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer

Published by Tricia on January 28, 2008 in nonfiction, biography, African American and book review. 2 Comments

I am always on the lookout for strong biographies to add to my teaching collection. I stumbled across I, Matthew Henson shortly after the new year and after reading just a few pages, knew I had to have it. Here’s how it begins.

I did not walk forty miles
from the nation’s capital
to Baltimore’s busy harbor to eye
ships from a dock. Though just thirteen
I yearned for a taste of the adventures
that I had heard old sailors speak of,
to explore the seven seas
and somehow find my calling.

I did not start as a cabin boy, climb
the ranks to able-bodied seaman,
sail five continents, and learn
trades and foreign tongues to be shunned
by white crews who thought blacks
were not seaworthy. I did not chart
this course to drift in humdrum jobs
ashore. My dreams had sails.

And what dreams they were. In language that is lyrical and poetic, accompanied by vibrant pastels, readers learn how Henson serendipitously met Robert Peary while working as a clerk. Once he signed on with Peary, his life was never the same. In haunting words and images, we are taken north again and again with Henson. The images are stark and help us to understand how arduous these trips were. Henson made this trip seven times between 1891 and 1909. A trip like this would be difficult today, with all our advanced technologies. Knowing this makes the feat accomplished by Henson that much more extraordinary.

In his time with Peary, Henson sailed to Greenland, where he befriended the native peoples, learned the Inuit language, learned to hunt and track on ice, and honed many more skills that would help him eventually reach the North Pole. On April 6, 1909, six men reached the North Pole. One was black, one was white, and fur were native. The text ends here, but the Author’s Note explains that when the explorers returned, they were greeted with controversy. Dr. Frederick Cook, who sailed on an earlier expedition with Henson and Peary, claimed he reached the Pole in 1908. But this was not the only difficulty Henson faced. America was not willing to accept an African American hero in 1909.

It took years for Henson to achieve the recognition he deserved. In 1944 he was finally awarded duplicate of the Congressional silver medal given to Peary. In 1988 he was moved to Arlington National Cemetery, where he is buried beside Peary.

This book works on many levels, not only because of the beauty of the writing, but also the strength of the illustrations. I can’t say enough about how lovely this book is. I highly recommend it.

Book: I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Eric Velasquez
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 32
Grades: K-5
ISBN-10: 0802796885
ISBN-13: 978-0802796882
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased at a local independent bookstore

To learn more about the author, be sure to visit The Brown Bookshelf. As part of their 28 Days Later project, Carole Boston Weatherford will be featured on February 20th. And if you didn’t know it, Weatherford’s book Birmingham, 1963 was just awarded the 2008 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award.

This review was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out the round-up of posts.