Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin

I was a little hesitant when I found out we would be listening to an audio recording about some guy from the history books. I thought, “here we go again – another dry story listing facts from the life of some boring dead white guy.” I was partly right – the story is about a white guy – but on the other points I was very wrong. And boy, was I glad to be mistaken!

My owner checked out the mp3 recording of Steve Sheinkin's biography Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War in its full, unabridged format from our local library. As I listened and learned from the book, I realized it was filling a gap in my education: throughout my schooling, my history teachers all wrapped up the year with a fleeting mention of a war in Vietnam that was somehow controversial. Sheinkin managed to bridge that gap exquisitely with a carefully crafted history, told as a compelling story. School Library Journal praises Sheinkin for his storytelling as well as his accuracy: “In Sheinkin’s careful hands, Ellsberg and others, including Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and Robert McNamara, are fully realized characters with strengths, flaws, and motivations that grow more clear as the story unfolds” (Kopple 2016). His writing is clear and easy to follow without being dry; he peppers the telling of the story of the Vietnam war with beautifully detailed anecdotes to develop a connection to the people in the story. I hesitate to call them “characters,” as the term implies that they are fictitious, although Sheinkin manages to paint them as vividly as any storybook character. Kirkus Reviews raves that “[a]s always, Sheinkin knows how to put the “story” in history with lively, detailed prose rooted in a tremendous amount of research, fully documented” (Kirkus Reviews 2015).

The recording for this book is done superbly, with just short of eight hours of crisp, clear narration by professional narrator Ray Porter. While only one narrator was used, Porter effectively created a unique voice for each person in the book by modifying his tone, accent, and pitch of speech. I was most impressed by his Lyndon Johnson impersonation – as a native Texan, I could tell he did his homework in replicating an accurate Texas accent. The narrator clearly delineated each section by reading the chapter titles with appropriate pauses. There was very little extra information at the beginning and end of the recording: the only data of note was bibliographic and recording information read aloud at the conclusion of the book. However, the physical book contains extensive documentation, including a bibliography, source notes, and an index (Kirkus Reviews 2015).

Sheinkin's writing style, coupled with Porter's knack for pacing and voices, kept me on the edge of my seat as a listener. The story begins with a cut to a scene of men of questionable motives breaking into a building in search of something. This setup is a clever way to hook the audience and provide a bit of foreshadowing about what might happen as the story unfolds. He then proceeds with the telling of how the Vietnam War came into existence, with Ellsberg's experiences interwoven. While there is some dialogue, it is factually accurate rather than something Sheinkin invented to further the story. Winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, Sheinkin has crafted a story that is both riveting and eye-opening.

One of the features I most appreciated about this book was the way Sheinkin weaves in open-ended questions. He asks questions of morality (should Ellsberg have taken the Pentagon Papers from the office?) and tactfully leaves the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. These questions serve as perfect conversation points for small group or class discussions. Furthermore, the book finishes with an epilogue about the more recent news of Edward Snowden and his leaks, including Ellsberg's take on these events. This too offers a perfect jumping-off point for discussions about ethics, morality, and the truth, and opens the door for research into other modern-day whistleblowers. In an era of alternative facts, Sheinkin cuts straight to the heart of truth. I give this book two paws up!

Wags & Woofs,

Charlie Brown

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References:

Kirkus Review. 2015. “Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War.” Kirkus Review, posted June 23, 2015. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/steve-sheinkin/most-dangerous-sheinkin/.

Kopple, Jody. 2016. “Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War.” School Library Journal 62, no. 12: 75.

Sheinkin, Steve. 2015. Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN: 978-1-59643-952-8

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins

When Mom told me we were going to review a book called The Beetle Book, I was so excited! Beetles make wonderful snacks, and they're great fun to chase around the yard! However, this story goes way beyond snack foods – and it's a good thing, too. It would be an awfully short book otherwise. Steve Jenkins instead provides readers with beautiful illustrations, fascinating details, and an in-depth look at the critters underfoot.

I was immediately taken by the illustrations in this book. And I am in good company: School Library Journal also praises, “[a]s usual, Jenkins’s illustrations are as intriguing as his text” (Dawes 2012). Jenkins uses cut- and torn-paper collages to craft each beetle, giving special attention to colors and shapes and choosing beautiful and exotic beetles to feature. There is also ample negative space in each spread, as Jenkins chose to place the beetles on a white background. The effect really makes each one pop and keeps the focus on the beetles. When an illustration is not true to size, Jenkins provides a lineup of life-sized silhouettes of all the beetles on the page for comparison and perspective.

Jenkins took great care in organizing the information in a manner that's easy for kids to follow, with each two-page spread labeled with its subject in bold in the top left corner. With each turn of the page, Jenkins covers a new topic about being a beetle: anatomy, defenses, life cycle, and camouflage, to name just a few. A table of contents or index might have been a helpful feature for finding specific information, but Jenkins does include a listing of the common name, scientific name, and country/continent where each beetle is found in the endpapers, organized by the page on which each beetle is found. For a survey book, this is sufficient, as it whets the reader's appetite to learn more and then provides enough information to serve as a jumping-off point for researching any beetle in the book. Critics rave, “Jenkins’ splendid array of beetles will surely produce at least one budding coleopterist” (Kirkus Review 2012).

There are a plethora of activities that could pair The Beetle Book. One approach could be to study Jenkins's torn- and cut-paper art style, having children experiment with creating their own art using these methods. With so many different beetles of all sizes and shapes, this book naturally lends itself to helping curious minds choose a beetle to find out more about through other reference books, online resources, or even a trip to the insect exhibit at the local zoo or natural history museum. Another activity children may enjoy is comparing The Beetle Book to a handful of Jenkins's other survey books available, such as Egg: Nature's Perfect Package or Creature Features. Because Jenkins is a master at the informational survey book, these titles could serve as models for classes to create their own survey book on a class unit of study.

“A richly varied and visually riveting introduction to beetles, both familiar and strange,” The Beetle Book is sure to instill curiosity and wonder in its readers (Phelan 2012). Be sure to share this delightful book with all the pups in your life. I give it two paws up!

Wags & Woofs,

Charlie Brown

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References:

Dawes, Erika Thulin. 2012. “The Beetle Book.” The Classroom Bookshelf: An SLJ Blog. Posted on March 25, 2012. http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2012/03/the-beetle-book/.

Jenkins, Steve. 2012. The Beetle Book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN:978-0-547-68084-2

Kirkus Review. 2012. “The Beetle Book.” Kirkus Review. Posted February 5, 2012. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/steve-jenkins/beetle-book/.

Phelan, Carolyn. 2012. “The Beetle Book.” Booklist 108, no. 5: 44.

What To Do About Alice? By Barbara Kerley

The next book I have up for review can best be described as a lovely surprise. Barbara Kerley's biography What To Do About Alice? is a colorful peek into the life of Alice Roosevelt. Published in full, vibrant color and in a slightly-larger-than-usual size, this book lends itself naturally to be read aloud. I thought I was in store for a watered-down retelling of Alice Roosevelt's life aimed at younger children. Instead, I was surprised to find a smart, sophisticated book that is both lighthearted and informative - and appropriate for a variety of ages.

Like any good picture book, the illustrations say just as much as the text does. Each of Edwin Fotheringham's illustrations fills the page, with the text squeezed in wherever there is a patch of solid color to serve as background. Historically accurate and cartoon-like without becoming caricatures, “Fotheringham’s digital illustrations perfectly evoke the retro styles of an earlier age, depicting a confident Alice sailing through life and tackling every challenge with delight and aplomb” (Kirkus Review 2008). The bright colors and swirling lines give a feeling of movement to every page, further emphasizing the whirlwind of a woman that was Alice Roosevelt. There are several moments when the illustrations highlight a tongue-in-cheek phrase in the text, such as the illustration of Alice delightedly "sledding" down the White House stairs on trays with her siblings while the text remarks that Alice “watched her younger brothers and sister so her stepmother could get some rest.”

Kerley is careful to ensure that her work is historically accurate. At the end of the book she includes a thorough author's note as well as a list of works cited. While there are very few direct conversations, all dialogue is achieved through quotes from Alice and Teddy Roosevelt, and the sources for these quotes are cited at the end of the book. Kerley also includes a word of thanks to Carol Felsenthal for fact-checking the text and illustrations (Felsenthal is the author of the biography Princess Alice: The Life and Times of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, so she would be well-versed in the life and times of Alice Roosevelt).

As I began reading Kerley's biography, I was struck by her choices in style: she combines playful variations in text size and font to give emphasis when needed, sometimes letting the words cascade down the page in a stairstep shape, a convention one may expect in a whimsical children's book. However, she also uses a fairly advanced vocabulary, interjecting words such as “gamboled,” “voraciously,” and “gallivanting” that one may not expect in a whimsical children's book. Such word choices will challenge younger listeners during read aloud and at the same time make the story less “babyish” to older or less proficient readers who are hesitant to pick up a picture book. Kerley's judicious use of advanced vocabulary is doled out in careful proportions – there are just the right amount of “big words” thrown in to expand a student's vocabulary without running the risk of being too difficult to read or too pedantic.

Where Barbara Kerley's expertise really shines is in selecting which anecdotes about Alice to include in her biography. Kerley chooses lively, funny, and memorable antics from Alice Roosevelt's life to share with her audience, and these stories enchant the reader. School Library Monthly contributor Gary Zingher agrees that “[c]hildren will be tickled to meet such a buoyant personality as Alice and should respond to the book’s breezy, tongue-in-cheek style” (Zingher 2011). As a Sibert Honor Book, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, Irma Black Award Honor Book, ALA Notable Book, and recipient of the Parents Choice Award, What To Do About Alice? has proven time and time again to delight and entrance young readers.

These glimpses into Alice's fierce independence and free spirit provide wonderful opportunities to bring the book to life in the library or classroom. For example, students could sample the crusty French bread and hot tea that Alice enjoyed in the story, learn to dance the turkey trot, as Alice was wont to do, or design and build their own town cars like the one Alice zipped around Washington in (much to her father's chagrin). This biography would also be a great book to showcase along with biographies about other women who weren't afraid to be themselves and stand up for women's rights, such as Bonnie Christensen's The Daring Nellie Bly, Linda Arms White's I Could Do That! Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote, and Emily Arnold McCully's Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor (Cooper 2008). For even more ideas, the author includes her own curriculum connections on her website at http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/For_Teachers.html.

If you are on the hunt for a fun, rollicking story that appeals to a wide range of ages, What to do About Alice might be the book for you. I give it two paws up!

Wags and Woofs,

Charlie Brown

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References:

Cooper, Ilene. 2008. “What to Do about Alice?” Book Links 17, no. 4: 7.

Kerley, Barbara. What To Do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove her Father Teddy Crazy! Ill. By Edwin Fotheringham. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0-439-92231-9

Kirkus Review. 2008. “What To Do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove her Father Teddy Crazy!” Kirkus Review. Posted May 20, 2010. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/barbara-kerley/what-to-do-about-alice/.

Zingher, Gary. 2011. “Bubbling with humor: A picture book biography about Alice Roosevelt.” School Library Monthly 28, no. 2: 44-45.