Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek: First to See Microscopic Life

Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek: First to See Microscopic Life

Written by: Lisa Yount

"This straightforward biography presents the life and achievements of the scientist who helped revolutionize the study of microscopic life. Leeuwenhoek was a fascinating man, however, and his unique path to scientific fame emerges to make this a lively read. He was a cloth merchant early in life, but his natural curiosity led him to make his own microscopes and begin his investigations. He lacked formal scientific training, so his own words about his work are very accessible and often amusing. His experiments also had a very human, personal element, as shown in the disgust he revealed when observing lice multiply on his leg over several days. The black-and-white illustrations include some of Leeuwenhoek's own work."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/redgold/innovators/bio_leeuwenhoek.html
http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Anton_van_Leeuwenhoek

Einstein: Visionary Scientist

Einstein: Visionary Scientist

Written by: John Severance

"Chronicling the life of one of science's greatest minds, this book follows Einstein's life from his birth in Germany through his childhood in Austria to his death at Princeton. In an inviting, easy-to-read format, the text covers not only the scientist's professional career, but also includes a substantial amount of information on his personal life. Einstein is depicted as a brilliant man often frustrated and distracted by the people and events around him.

The well-chosen, black-and-white photographs complement the printed matter, as do the numerous reminiscences and quotes from Einstein's friends and family. Severance does a superb job of relating the historical events of World War II and conveying how strongly they affected Einstein's views and work. While acknowledging that a good background in mathematics and physics is needed to completely understand Einstein's concepts of space-time, the author makes the theories comprehensible and accessible to general readers and offers students a valuable tool for reports. A balanced and thorough look at a visionary and his place in history."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.einstein-website.de/z_kids/biographykids.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ein.html

Inside the Hindenburg

Inside the Hindenburg

Written by: Mireille Majoor
Illustrated by: Ken Marschall

"The giant airship Hindenburg offered passengers both luxury and speed - crossing the ocean in an unheard-of two and a half days. But on May 6, 1937, it crashed to the ground in flames. Now, thanks to breathtakingly realistic paintings by renowned Titanic illustrator Ken Marschall, we can step inside the greatest airship ever built and relive the adventure of its fateful final voyage."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.vidicom-tv.com/tohiburg.htm
http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/the-cause-of-the-hindenburg-crash-12493#12493

Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist

Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist

Written by: Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

"Vincent van Gogh–one of the 19th century’s most brilliant artists will forever be remembered as the Dutchman who cut off his ear. But this incident only underscores the passion that consumed him–a passion that, when he took up painting at age 27, infused his work. Whether painting a portrait, a landscape, or a still life, Van Gogh sought to capture the vibrant spirit of his subject. It didn’t matter that others found his work too unconventional. Van Gogh persevered. And as he moved from the cold climate of Holland to balmy southern France, he pioneered a new technique and style.
In a career spanning only a decade, Van Gogh painted many great works, yet fame eluded him. This lack of recognition increased his self-doubts and bitter disappointments. Today, however, Van Gogh stands as a giant among artists."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.vangoghgallery.com/

Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times

Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times

Written by: Colleen Aagesen & Marcia Blumberg

"This book presents the life and works of Shakespeare. It includes activities to introduce Elizabethan times, including making costumes, making and using a quill pen, and binding a book by hand."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=588&CFID=4339026&CFTOKEN=88480048
http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/shakespeare-for-kids.htm

Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning

Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning

Written by: Laurence Anholt
Illustrated by: Shelia Moxley

"Mary Anning, born in England in 1799, made an astounding discovery at age 12 when she unearthed the first full skeleton of a giant ichthyosaur in the cliffs above her home in Lyme Regis. This incident — in which she was helped by a little dog she rescued from a cemetery — was the beginning of a long career that saw Mary become the world's best-known fossil hunter. Best-selling author Laurence Anholt turns Mary's fascinating life into a perfect read-aloud, while Sheila Moxley's luscious pictures vividly evoke the coastal setting and dramas of Mary's exciting life."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/anning.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=mary-anning-paleontology

Anastasia's Album

Anastasia's Album

Written by: Hugh Brewster

"It would be difficult to find a more engaging portrait of the Romanovs. Black-and-white photographs from family albums are complemented by exquisite contemporary photographs of restored palaces. In addition, there is an articulate text and a generous use of quotes from letters and diaries written by family members or their close friends. The focus is on the youngest daughter and her story. Although a few references are made to historical events and the hardships of the Russian people during the first two decades of the 20th century, the book concentrates on presenting an intimate portrait of the last ruling family of the aristocracy."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/dynasty/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Anastasia_Nikolaevna_of_Russia

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Written by: Judith Kerr

"Nine-year-old Anna was too busy with schoolwork and friends in 1933 to take much notice of Adolf Hitler's rise to power in her native Germany. But when her father is suddenly, unaccountably missing, and her family flees Berlin in secrecy, Anna is forced to learn the skills needed to be a refugee and finds she's much more resilient than she thought."

Product Description

Online Resources:
http://www.remember.org/educate/moretta.html

Nory Ryan's Song

Nory Ryan's Song

Written by: Patricia Riley Giff

"Life is hard for poor Irish potato farmers, but 12-year-old Nory Ryan and her family have always scraped by... until one morning, Nory wakes to the foul, rotting smell of diseased potatoes dying in the fields. And just like that, all their hopes for the harvest--for this year and next--are dashed. Hunger sets in quickly. The beaches are stripped of edible seaweed, the shore is emptied of fish, desperate souls even chew on grass for the nourishment. As her community falls apart, Nory scrambles to find food for her family. Meanwhile, the specter of America lurks, where, the word is, no one is ever hungry, and horses carry milk in huge cans down cobblestone streets.

As Patricia Reilly Giff writes in her note to the reader, the Great Hunger of 1845 to 1852 was a tragic time for the Irish. Enough food to feed double the population was sent out across the sea, while an indifferent government ignored the starving masses. More than one million of the eight million people in Ireland died. Nory Ryan's Song, a fictionalized account based on this terrible era in history, describes the heroic struggles of one girl who refuses to give in to hunger, exhaustion, and hopeless circumstances. Young readers may have heard of the Irish Potato Famine, but they won't truly understand it until they meet Nory."

Amazon Review

Online Resources:
http://suzyred.com/2001nory.html

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Saved Jews During the Holocaust

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Saved Jews During the Holocaust

Written by: Karen Gray Ruelle
Illustrated by: Deborah Durland Desaix

"When the Nazis occupied Paris, no Jew was safe from arrest and deportation. Few Parisians were willing to risk their own lives to help. Yet during that perilous time, many Jews found refuge in an unlikely place--the sprawling complex of the Grand Mosque of Paris. Not just a place of worship but a community center, this hive of activity was an ideal temporary hiding place for escaped prisoners of war and Jews of all ages, especially children. Beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched."

Publishers Review

Web Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Mosque

When Jessie Came Across the Sea

When Jessie Came Across the Sea

Written by: Amy Hess
Illustrated by: P.J. Lynch

"Jessie lives with her grandmother in a poor village in Eastern Europe. When Jessie is chosen by the rabbi to travel to America and leave her grandmother behind, they both feel their hearts will break. Award-winning author Amy Hest brings her touch to the story of immigrant heritage as she follows Jessie across the ocean to a new life--and a new love--in America."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://web.bsu.edu/00smtancock/CyberLessons/jessie/jessie.htm