BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER'S SHADOW. New York, NY: Scholastic Nonfiction: an imprint of Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9780439353793.
PLOT SUMMARY
The horrors of World War II, retold with chilling detail through the voices of German young people who served Hitler in his youth organization is the focus of this book. Journals, diaries and interviews of those who served are researched and detailed from a different viewpoint than most books on the subject of World War II. Ten stories are portrayed in chapter form.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Can you imagine turning in your own parents to authorities because they resisted Hitler's ideology? Elizabeth Vetter reported her parents to Hitler youth leaders and they were arrested. Thousands of children were caught up in the notion of obtaining power to exert over others through allegiance to Adolph Hitler. Hitler realized the impact youth could have on his path to power. Those children who participated and survived the war cannot believe how they were caught up in the movement.
Bartoletti uses actual photographs to personalize the stories. Most of the black and white photos show proud children in Nazi uniform. Not only does she utilize pictures of the youth, there are actual photographs of streets and areas depicted in the stories. Students can turn the page and read the captions under the numerous photographs before continuing with the riveting stories.
Some of the stories told are ones not often heard when studying the history of WWII. A mercy death program to improve the Aryan race was authorized in 1939 by Hitler. This program targeted those mentally and physically unstable, living in hospitals and institutions. The program, code named Aktion-T4 has been estimated to have killed as many as 100,000 before protesting by German citizens halted the practice. The White Rose - a group who printed leaflets denouncing Hiter resulted in the student leaders being beheaded (something difficult to comprehend today).
Bartoletti handles a very delicate subject with great diplomacy. She manages to relate the horror of war through the eyes of youth who participated in it without making the subject intolerable. Each of the ten chapters has a different story to tell, which makes the reader want to continue until the end of the book. The epilogue tells what happened to the youth portrayed. A time line of the Hitler Youth and the author's note at the back wants us to make sure this is a story we must repeat to future youth so history can never repeat itself.
PERSONAL OPINION
This book is a must read for both children (older than elementary age) and adults. This book of history is told through the eyes of people reflecting on what they did for their leader Adolph Hitler. It is easy to be an outside viewer and judge their behavior but I wondered what my reaction would have been to the youth program if I were in that situation myself.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
" Grade 5-8–Hitler's plans for the future of Germany relied significantly on its young people, and this excellent history shows how he attempted to carry out his mission with the establishment of the Hitler Youth, or Hitlerjugend, in 1926. With a focus on the years between 1933 and the end of the war in 1945, Bartoletti explains the roles that millions of boys and girls unwittingly played in the horrors of the Third Reich. The book is structured around 12 young individuals and their experiences, which clearly demonstrate how they were victims of leaders who took advantage of their innocence and enthusiasm for evil means. Their stories evolve from patriotic devotion to Hitler and zeal to join, to doubt, confusion, and disillusion."
From Booklist
" What was it like to be a teenager in Germany under Hitler? Bartoletti draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there. Most of the accounts and photos bring close the experiences of those who followed Hitler and fought for the Nazis, revealing why they joined, how Hitler used them, what it was like. Henry Mentelmann, for example, talks about Kristallnacht, when Hitler Youth and Storm Troopers wrecked Jewish homes and stores, and remembers thinking that the victims deserved what they got."
AWARDS
2005 Newbery Honor Book
2006 Sibert Information Book Honor
2005 Parent's Choice Gold Award
Audiofile Earphones Award
CONNECTIONS
After reading this book together as a class (or assign individual chapters to groups to read), ask students to write a journal entry about a day in the life of a Hitler youth.
Research if any survivors from this book are still alive and where they are living.
Students who like this book might like:
Lehmann, Armin D. and Tim Carroll. IN HITLER'S BUNKER: A BOY SOLDIER'S EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE FUHRER'S LAST DAYS. ISBN 9781592285785
Hunt, Irmgard A. ON HITLER'S MOUNTAIN: OVERCOMING THE LEGACY OF A NAZI CHILDHOOD. ISBN 0739458116
Showing posts with label Non Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Non Fiction. Show all posts
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN MOON BEAR
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montgomery, Sy. 2004. SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN MOON BEAR. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618356508.
PLOT SUMMARY
The scientific search for a possible new species of bear leads Sy Montgomery and other scientists on a quest around the world. The chance encounter in China of this "Moon Bear" in 1988 was the beginning of research that ended in October of 1999. Detailed description is given to the procedures followed in this scientific study, which includes DNA collection and analysis. The final answer to this scientific study was not what the researches expected to find.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The beginning of the book reads like a Raiders of the Lost Ark movie. A sighting of an unusual bear in a cage in China was intriguing. Sy Montgomery, a female scientist living in New Hampshire heard this story upon their return. Thus begins her journey to the other side of the world. Montgomery does a good job at the beginning and writes a captivating story. After the initial description of the particular bear they were researching, a four page spread giving background on the eight species of bear is helpful. Learning that all bears have the Latin word Ursa (bear) in their name was interesting. This could lead to a discussion of the star formation Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and why they were so named. Beautiful color photographs help move the story along. A large map of the region at the beginning of the story outlines the area they studied. The book is divided into chapters, with headings of the contents. Montgomery asks questions of other scientists, as children might, during the story to explain what they are doing during their research. She also gives interesting regional information about the towns that would interest children. The picture of the fried bug snacks and the description with a picture of the largest leech she'd ever seen is a "gross" effect sure to please students!
The appendices at the back of the book would enable those who are interested in more information on this subject. Where to learn more about bears and how to help them, further reading and facts about bears are listed. I also liked the photos of the author throughout the book. Girls are not traditionally seen as research scientists and the exposure to a woman who encounters danger in her job could be appealing to those children who like adventure.
PERSONAL OPINION
Toward the end of the book one of the chapters is entitled "Cracking the Code". Montgomery gives a detailed explanation of how DNA is analyzed. I can't see students reading this entire chapter. The story loses momentum as we are bogged down in reading pages of scientific findings that is fascinating to scientists but not always as exciting for children. This made the results rather anticlimactic as I'd lost some interest in the story.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"While on an expedition to the Amazon, a fellow scientist told Montgomery about a bear seen years before in Yunnan, China–a bear with tall round ears, a white crescent on its chest, a bushy mane, and a coat as golden as a palomino. Later, a chance meeting with a young Cambodian unearthed a recent photo of a golden bear. From these encounters a scientific expedition to Southeast Asia evolved, seeking to determine if this honey-colored creature was a new species or a previously unseen color variation of Ursus thibetanus. Montgomery's conversational text takes readers to open-air markets and fruit farms in Cambodia, a wildlife breeding center and a zoo in Thailand, and hillside tribal villages in Laos (with a hefty interlude of tropical rain forest investigation), seeking the elusive animal."
From Booklist
"As in Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon (2002), nature writer Montgomery has adapted this from a longer work she wrote for adults. Here she chronicles her travels in war-torn Southeast Asia in search of an elusive golden-furred bear, hoping to nab tufts of its hair for DNA analysis to confirm a species not previously known to science. Though discussions of the region's bloody history have been toned down, Montgomery does frame the adventure with thought-provoking context."
AWARDS
Outstanding work of Non Fiction- New Hampshire Literary Review
One of the top five Non Fiction books of the year by Book magazine
Top Ten Science Book of the Year by Booklist
ALA Editor's Choice
CONNECTIONS
Students could be asked to "design" a bear no one had seen before. Artwork could be part of a bulletin board display with facts about the eight species of bears.
As a class, students could trace the route the scientists used to gather information for the story. The map from the front could be copied onto individual sheets for students to plot.
Students who liked this book might enjoy:
Montgomery, Sy. ENCANTO: PINK DOLPHIN OF THE AMAZON. ISBN 9780618131037
Montgomery, Sy. THE SNAKE SCIENTIST. ISBN 0395871697
Montgomery, Sy. THE TARANTULA SCIENTIST. ISBN 9780618915774
Montgomery, Sy. 2004. SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN MOON BEAR. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618356508.
PLOT SUMMARY
The scientific search for a possible new species of bear leads Sy Montgomery and other scientists on a quest around the world. The chance encounter in China of this "Moon Bear" in 1988 was the beginning of research that ended in October of 1999. Detailed description is given to the procedures followed in this scientific study, which includes DNA collection and analysis. The final answer to this scientific study was not what the researches expected to find.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The beginning of the book reads like a Raiders of the Lost Ark movie. A sighting of an unusual bear in a cage in China was intriguing. Sy Montgomery, a female scientist living in New Hampshire heard this story upon their return. Thus begins her journey to the other side of the world. Montgomery does a good job at the beginning and writes a captivating story. After the initial description of the particular bear they were researching, a four page spread giving background on the eight species of bear is helpful. Learning that all bears have the Latin word Ursa (bear) in their name was interesting. This could lead to a discussion of the star formation Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and why they were so named. Beautiful color photographs help move the story along. A large map of the region at the beginning of the story outlines the area they studied. The book is divided into chapters, with headings of the contents. Montgomery asks questions of other scientists, as children might, during the story to explain what they are doing during their research. She also gives interesting regional information about the towns that would interest children. The picture of the fried bug snacks and the description with a picture of the largest leech she'd ever seen is a "gross" effect sure to please students!
The appendices at the back of the book would enable those who are interested in more information on this subject. Where to learn more about bears and how to help them, further reading and facts about bears are listed. I also liked the photos of the author throughout the book. Girls are not traditionally seen as research scientists and the exposure to a woman who encounters danger in her job could be appealing to those children who like adventure.
PERSONAL OPINION
Toward the end of the book one of the chapters is entitled "Cracking the Code". Montgomery gives a detailed explanation of how DNA is analyzed. I can't see students reading this entire chapter. The story loses momentum as we are bogged down in reading pages of scientific findings that is fascinating to scientists but not always as exciting for children. This made the results rather anticlimactic as I'd lost some interest in the story.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"While on an expedition to the Amazon, a fellow scientist told Montgomery about a bear seen years before in Yunnan, China–a bear with tall round ears, a white crescent on its chest, a bushy mane, and a coat as golden as a palomino. Later, a chance meeting with a young Cambodian unearthed a recent photo of a golden bear. From these encounters a scientific expedition to Southeast Asia evolved, seeking to determine if this honey-colored creature was a new species or a previously unseen color variation of Ursus thibetanus. Montgomery's conversational text takes readers to open-air markets and fruit farms in Cambodia, a wildlife breeding center and a zoo in Thailand, and hillside tribal villages in Laos (with a hefty interlude of tropical rain forest investigation), seeking the elusive animal."
From Booklist
"As in Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon (2002), nature writer Montgomery has adapted this from a longer work she wrote for adults. Here she chronicles her travels in war-torn Southeast Asia in search of an elusive golden-furred bear, hoping to nab tufts of its hair for DNA analysis to confirm a species not previously known to science. Though discussions of the region's bloody history have been toned down, Montgomery does frame the adventure with thought-provoking context."
AWARDS
Outstanding work of Non Fiction- New Hampshire Literary Review
One of the top five Non Fiction books of the year by Book magazine
Top Ten Science Book of the Year by Booklist
ALA Editor's Choice
CONNECTIONS
Students could be asked to "design" a bear no one had seen before. Artwork could be part of a bulletin board display with facts about the eight species of bears.
As a class, students could trace the route the scientists used to gather information for the story. The map from the front could be copied onto individual sheets for students to plot.
Students who liked this book might enjoy:
Montgomery, Sy. ENCANTO: PINK DOLPHIN OF THE AMAZON. ISBN 9780618131037
Montgomery, Sy. THE SNAKE SCIENTIST. ISBN 0395871697
Montgomery, Sy. THE TARANTULA SCIENTIST. ISBN 9780618915774
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
ANIMAL FACT/ ANIMAL FABLE
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simon, Seymour. 1979. ANIMAL FACT/ ANIMAL FABLE. Illus. by Diane de Groat. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 9780517537947.
PLOT SUMMARY
Seymour Simon examines popular myths about animals and determines whether they are true or not. The format of the book is a guessing game. A myth is listed with a humorous cartoon depicting the description of the myth. The reader must turn the page to learn if the myth is fact or fable.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Everyone loves to play games. Seymour Simon is a former science teacher and it is obvious he's learned to incorporate games into teachable moments. There are twenty animal myths examined in this book. Simon begins each fact or fable quiz with the myth printed at the bottom of the page and a humorous cartoon of the myth above the statement. Students could determine as a group or by themselves the answer before they turn the page. The following page uses bold lettering to begin with "FACT" or "FABLE", followed by the explanation. Simon keeps his explanations very simple so that children of a younger age could understand it. Even though this book was written in 1979, the answers are timeless. Children of all ages love to read and learn about animals. You can open the book anywhere and begin reading. I can see students reading this again and again until they get all the answers correct!
Children love to read books that are funny. The cartoon drawings by Diane de Groat are so outrageous, kids can't help but laugh when they read the myth page. The drawings de Groat uses on the answer pages are totally different. They are actual representations of the animal, many depicted in their natural habitat. The answer page is washed with color and the text is printed on top of the illustration. The large print is easy to read and does not detract from the painting.
PERSONAL OPINION
I enjoyed reading this book myself. I too played it as a guessing game. There are many non-fiction books about animals that get bogged down in the detail. The simple explanations make it easy for any age to read and understand. I can see a child reading this book and sharing it with others to see if they got the answers right.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly
"The best kind of book, one that entertains while it educates."
CONNECTIONS
Students could take one of the twenty animals from the book and find five facts not listed in the book about the animal.
The teacher could prepare a Fact and Fable game. One separate note cards write the word FACT and FABLE. Take the myths from this book and write them on individual note cards. Put them in a pile face down. Students would draw a card and determine if it was a fact or fable and place it in the correct pile. Another student or the teacher could use the book to tell them if they were right or wrong.
The class could brainstorm other animal myths and research them as a class to determine if they were fact or fable.
Students who liked this book might like:
Bryant, Mark. THE CAT NAME COMPANION: FACTS AND FABLES TO HELP YOU NAME YOUR FELINE. ISBN 9780806516714
Meltzer, Milton. HOLD YOUR HORSES! A FEEDBAG FULL OF FACT AND FABLE.
ISBN 9780060244774
Miller, Karen and Sergio Ruzzier. MONSTERS AND WATER BEASTS: CREATURES OF FACT OR FICTION? ISBN 9780805079029
Simon, Seymour. 1979. ANIMAL FACT/ ANIMAL FABLE. Illus. by Diane de Groat. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 9780517537947.
PLOT SUMMARY
Seymour Simon examines popular myths about animals and determines whether they are true or not. The format of the book is a guessing game. A myth is listed with a humorous cartoon depicting the description of the myth. The reader must turn the page to learn if the myth is fact or fable.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Everyone loves to play games. Seymour Simon is a former science teacher and it is obvious he's learned to incorporate games into teachable moments. There are twenty animal myths examined in this book. Simon begins each fact or fable quiz with the myth printed at the bottom of the page and a humorous cartoon of the myth above the statement. Students could determine as a group or by themselves the answer before they turn the page. The following page uses bold lettering to begin with "FACT" or "FABLE", followed by the explanation. Simon keeps his explanations very simple so that children of a younger age could understand it. Even though this book was written in 1979, the answers are timeless. Children of all ages love to read and learn about animals. You can open the book anywhere and begin reading. I can see students reading this again and again until they get all the answers correct!
Children love to read books that are funny. The cartoon drawings by Diane de Groat are so outrageous, kids can't help but laugh when they read the myth page. The drawings de Groat uses on the answer pages are totally different. They are actual representations of the animal, many depicted in their natural habitat. The answer page is washed with color and the text is printed on top of the illustration. The large print is easy to read and does not detract from the painting.
PERSONAL OPINION
I enjoyed reading this book myself. I too played it as a guessing game. There are many non-fiction books about animals that get bogged down in the detail. The simple explanations make it easy for any age to read and understand. I can see a child reading this book and sharing it with others to see if they got the answers right.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly
"The best kind of book, one that entertains while it educates."
CONNECTIONS
Students could take one of the twenty animals from the book and find five facts not listed in the book about the animal.
The teacher could prepare a Fact and Fable game. One separate note cards write the word FACT and FABLE. Take the myths from this book and write them on individual note cards. Put them in a pile face down. Students would draw a card and determine if it was a fact or fable and place it in the correct pile. Another student or the teacher could use the book to tell them if they were right or wrong.
The class could brainstorm other animal myths and research them as a class to determine if they were fact or fable.
Students who liked this book might like:
Bryant, Mark. THE CAT NAME COMPANION: FACTS AND FABLES TO HELP YOU NAME YOUR FELINE. ISBN 9780806516714
Meltzer, Milton. HOLD YOUR HORSES! A FEEDBAG FULL OF FACT AND FABLE.
ISBN 9780060244774
Miller, Karen and Sergio Ruzzier. MONSTERS AND WATER BEASTS: CREATURES OF FACT OR FICTION? ISBN 9780805079029
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
