M. T. Anderson tells the life story of composer Dmitri Shostakovich, the Russian Revolution, and life under siege during World War II. As the people of Leningrad were starving because of the German siege around the city, Shostakovich described the events through music by writing his Symphony No. 7. It would be later be smuggled to the United States and Europe on microfilm. After I read this award winning book, I listened to a recording of the symphony. I felt I had a bigger appreciation for it after knowing the backstory. Teens who like reading about history, music, or about World War II will enjoy it. There are many photos throughout the book not only of Shostakovich but of Russian/Soviet history that provides a historical perspective.
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Run is the first book in the second autobiographical trilogy about John Lewis' life during the civil rights movement. In this book, he finds himself at odds with the direction the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee is heading. He finds himself moving away from the SNCC and looking toward politics. This graphic novel covers an area of American history that is often skipped in history class. Even with the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the fight for civil rights continued. Those who enjoyed his other graphic novels, will love this one as well. In alternating chapters, Scott Kelly discusses his year at the International Space Station and his life leading up to the mission. In the chapters about his mission, he describes the space station, adapting to weightlessness, maintaining equipment, going on spacewalks, the hardships of being away from his family, and the friendships with the other astronauts on the station. It was interesting to hear about what life is like on the station and some of the issues they had to deal with that we here on Earth take for granted. After reading this, I found a virtual tour of the space station. In the other chapters, Scott Kelly tells of his childhood, his education, becoming an engineer, military pilot, test pilot, and finally being accepted into the NASA program. He struggled in school and it wasn't until he read Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff before he discovered what he wanted to do. He goes into the training he went through before becoming a pilot and then for each space mission. He even goes into his personal life: marriage, becoming a father to two daughters, his divorce, relationship with his parents and twin brother, and being up in space when his sister-in-law, Representative Gabby Giffords was shot in Tucson, Arizona. I listen to this memoir and it was read by Scott Kelly. I enjoyed hearing his voice and tone throughout. It was neat to hear about all of the friendships he developed with astronauts and cosmonauts from all over the world. Those who are interested in the space program will find this a fascinating read. This graphic novel tells the story of George Takei's childhood during World War II when he and his family were taken to internment camps because of his Japanese heritage. It describes the tough and unbelievable decisions his parents were forced to make such as her mother having to renounce her citizenship - one that she was born with. Takei describes a dark part of American history. When I was in school, history books never mentioned how the US Government treated Japanese Americans along the West Coast. I'm glad that more books are being published about this and that sites of these camps, such as Tule Lake where the Takeis were taken, are now national monuments. I strongly recommend this graphic novel to teens and adults. In 1933, William E. Dodd, a professor at the University of Chicago, was named ambassador to Germany. He takes his wife, son, and daughter to Germany. He accepted the position in hopes that it would give him time to write a series of books about the history of the Old South - a dream of his. Little did he know the the political unrest that would befall on Germany. This was a fascinating book. Larson's writing makes it read like a novel including drama with Dodd's daughter, Martha, and her relationships with Nazi officers and a Russian spy; suspense, as Germany's political climate turns dangerous with the attacks on Jews and the approaching war. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about history, especially World War II. This memoir tells the story of how Jodee Blanco's life changed after writing her memoir about being bullied in school. She describes how her former classmates who once bullied her reacted to it. The response to her book from teenagers all over the country led her to develop an anti-bullying program for students, teachers, and parents. She talks about how doing these programs affected her. It was an interesting biography--not as powerful as her previous book, Please Stop Laughing at Me--: One Woman's Inspirational Story, but well worth the time. I recommend this book to all those who have read her first book and want to learn more about her life afterwards. Catcher David Ross spins three stories into one: his professional baseball career, his very last season before retiring, and the final game of the 2016 World Series. He discusses the many role models he has had from coaches to teammates throughout his career, the lessons he has learned about leadership and being a respected ballplayer, and the 2016 Chicago Cubs team that finally brought a World Series championship after a 103 drought. As a Cubs fan and David Ross fan, I thought this was a fun read. I especially enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at Game 7. Overall, this was a fascinating memoir. Jodee Blanco tells about her middle school and high school years when she was brutally bullied. Going to different schools did not help. Her parents even had her go to a psychiatrist. Blanco's honesty about what happened makes reading this so powerful and at times even emotional. In February, 2019, Jodee Blanco came to IC Catholic Prep and spoke to students, faculty, and families. Her presentations were just as powerful as this book. Students, teachers, and parents are strongly recommended to read this book! |
AuthorMr. Andrusyk is a school librarian at IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst, Illinois. Past Book RecommendationsClick here to view a listing of Mr. Andrusyk's list of favorite authors, series, fiction, and nonfiction. Archives
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