Jean Laffite

The Pirate Who Saved America

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by Booktalking

Abrams Books for Young Readers

(pub. 4.1.2012) 48 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Susan Goldman Rubin

     and Illustrator:  Jeff Himmelman

C haracter: Jean Lafitte - the pirate

O verview from the jacket flap: 

      "Jean Lafitte's life was an action-packed adventure, and he even helped to change the course of American history! As a young boy, raised in a Jewish household, Jean longed to be a pirate. With the help of his pirating brothers and uncle, he became a privateer at a young age. Soon, the only life he knew was one of the high seas - full of glory, riches, disaster and revenge... His most remarkable role came when he helped General Andrew Jackson fight the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. With Jean's help, and that of his fellow privateers, Jackson beat back the British - effectively making Laffite the pirate who saved America!"

        

T antalizing taste: 

   "Even though pirating was a common business in those days, their Grandma Zora strongly disapproved. She raised Jean and his older brothers and sisters after the death of their mother. Grandma Zora told stories, too. Hers were about the family's suffering in Spain and how they had to practice their Jewish faith in secret. Like many others, they had fled to the New World and had settled in Port-au-Prince in Saint-Domingue (later named Haiti)...
    Grandma Zora, however, wanted the boys to be well educated and use writing to help others. She sent them to good schools.  So Alexander [Jean's older brother] had to secretly teach the boys about pirating." 

          

and something more: As I've often mentioned, I love learning about the origins of a story or what inspired an author to write that particular book. The idea for the book, Jean Laffite - The Pirate Who Saved America, was kindly given to Susan Goldman Rubin by another children's book author, June Sobel. (Just another reason I feel so lucky to be involved in the kidlit world -- I'm so often impressed by the generosity, kindness and encouragement kidlit writers, illustrators and bloggers give to each other.)  Susan explains in a recent article on Nonfiction Book Blast that she and June Sobel "were both signing books at a book fair once, but to put it more accurately, she was signing hundreds of copies of Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC, and I signed only two copies of my holocaust themed book. June kindly stopped by to say hello and gave me a gift: did I know that there was a Jewish pirate named Jean Laffite? No, I said. June told me that she had not included him in her book but I was free to take the subject and run with it."  And run she did -- straight home to research him, and a book was born.  Thanks June, for sharing your idea!  

         Of course, I had to check out June's pirate book also, and here's the beginning of Shiver Me Letters: "'R' roared the captain. 'R's not enough. We need other letters to make us tough. Let's sail far away to find ABC's. Bring me back D's, E's, F's, and some G's.'"  Arrrr!  Swashbuckling fun!

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Mrs. Harkness and the Panda

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by Capstone Connect

Alfred A. Knopf (Random House Children's Books)

(pub. 3.13.2012)  40 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Alicia Potter

     and Illustrator:  Melissa Sweet

C haracter:  Ruth Harkness

O verview from the publisher: 

     In 1934, Ruth Harkness had never seen a panda bear. Not many people in the world had.
     But soon the young Mrs. Harkness would inherit an expedition from her explorer husband: the hunt for a panda. She knew that bringing back a panda would be hard. Impossible, even. But she intended to try.
     So she went to China, where she found a guide, built traps, gathered supplies, and had explorers' clothes made—unheard of for a woman in those days.  Then she set out up the Yangtze River and into the wilderness.  What she discovered would awe America: an adorable baby panda she named Su Lin, which means "a little bit of something very cute."
      With breathtaking illustrations from Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet, this little-known true story shares the tale of an adventurous woman who was bold and brave—and the unforgettable journey that helped shape American attitudes toward wildlife.

T antalizing taste: 

       "Mrs. Harkness wanted to go with him. But women were considered too dainty for exploring. Still, she hoped to join Mr. Harkness at the end of the expedition. An adventure together!
       Many months passed. Then, on a winter afternoon, Mrs. Harkness received terrible news. Her husband had died in China. Mrs. Harkness was very sad. She had loved him so.
       That love inspired her to carry on with his work.
       Mrs. Harkness would go to China.  She would find the panda."

and something more:   I liked that the Author's Note in Mrs. Harkness and the Panda discussed the "question [of] whether it was right to take a baby panda from the wild. Our attitudes about animal conservation and zoos, as well as our knowledge of pandas' behavior, are much different than they were in the 1930s. Back then, before the advent of television and widespread commercial air travel, zoos were the primary way for people, including scientists to learn about and appreciate animals - particularly rare or unusual species.
       But even today, many conservationists admire Harkness's contribution to zoology. In bringing Su Lin to America, Harkness introduced the world to a tubby, bamboo-chomping ambassador. After Su Lin, the race to kill pandas for sport eventually lost much of its appeal. Instead, people rooted for their survival."  
      The concept of Su Lin as an "ambassador" for his species reminds me of my experience with my nonfiction picture book, Astro the Steller Sea Lion.  As I wrote in a piece for Children's Literature Network:  "At a book talk last year, I had the opportunity to introduce the incredible children’s book author and environmentalist, T.A. Barron, and share my book with him. He said it’s as if Astro is 'an ambassador for his species now.'  And that’s truly what he seems to be.  People have learned not only about Astro, but also about Steller sea lions, an endangered species, and the need to protect their habitat and limit commercial fishing."  And that makes me very pleased -- the idea of Astro the Ambassador.     

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Here Come the Girl Scouts!

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by Shelf-employed

Scholastic Press

(pub. 1.1.2012)  40 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Shana Corey

     and Illustrator:  Hadley Hooper

C haracter: Juliette Gordon Low

O verview from the jacket flap: 

      "Juliette Gordon Low - Daisy to her friends and family - was not like most girls of the Victoria era.

       Prim and proper? BOSH!

       Dainty and delicate? HOW BORING!

       Daisy loved the outdoors, and she yearned for adventure! Born into a family of pathfinders and pioneers, she too wanted to make a difference in the world - and nothing would stop her.

       Combining her ancestors' passion for service with her own adventurous spirits and her belief that girls could do anything, she founded the Girl Scouts..."

        

T antalizing taste: 

   "Daisy wanted more than adventure. She wanted to be useful, to make a difference in the world. But what could SHE do?

     Then one day, Daisy discovered a group in England called the Boy Scouts. It had begun as a way for boys to help serve their country. And the Boy Scouts spent lots of time outdoors - running and camping and swimming and fishing There was even a sister group called the Girl Guides. The more Daisy learned, the more excited she grew.

     Why, the girls in America should have something like this! Daisy thought.

          

and something more: When I was growing up, I was in a group similar to the Girl Scouts --Blue Birds and then Camp Fire Girls. I remember the thrill of earning a "bead" to sew onto my vest after I accomplished one of the skills or projects.  Until I just looked at the Camp Fire USA site, I had forgotten the slogan of WoHeLo (work, health and love). I also remember wishing we had those yummy cookies (especially Thin Mints) to sell for fundraising, as the Girl Scouts did, instead of mixed nuts. Definitely a tougher sell!

"Many of the greatest movements for the good of people, and those which have influenced the world most, have been the work of one person."  And Juliette Gordon Low certainly influenced a world of girls.

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Those Rebels John & Tom

Nonfiction Monday Round-up is *here*

today at True Tales & A Cherry On Top!

Check out this week's terrific reviews

of children's nonfiction books listed below.

Thanks for visiting Nonfiction Monday!

And here's the book featured on
True Tales & A Cherry On Top ...


Those Rebels, John & Tom

Scholastic Press

(pub. 1.1.2012)  48 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Barbara Kerley

     and Illustrator:  Edwin Fotheringham

C haracter: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

O verview from the jacket flap: 

"JOHN ADAMS & THOMAS JEFFERSON
WERE VERY DIFFERENT.

John was short and stout.
TOM was tall and lean
JOHN was argumentative and blunt.
TOM was soft-spoken and polite.
JOHN sometimes got along with almost no one.
TOM got along with just about everyone.

But these two very different gentlemen did have two things in common: They both cared deeply about the American colonies, and neither cared much for the British tyrant, King George.

With their signature wit, impeccable research, and inventive presentation style, award winners Barbara Kerley and Edwin Fotheringham masterfully blend biography and history to create a brilliant portrait of two American heroes who bravely set aside their differences to join forces in the fight for our country's freedom."

T antalizing taste: 

      "The delegates now turned to TOM and his mighty pen to justify why Americans were taking up arms. He lunged, parried, and skewered the policies of King George and his government.
      TOM might be silent in Congress, JOHN realized, but he wasn't afraid to answer King George with his pen."

and something more:   Last spring, I had the pleasure of seeing a pre-publication edition of this terrific book, Those Rebels, John & Tom, at a Highlights Foundation narrative nonfiction workshop co-taught by Barbara Kerley last spring.  It's great to see the published version!
        I thought this was a touching description of Thomas Jefferson and John Adam's friendship, as set forth in the Author's Note:
         "They also reflected on the long passage of years and looked together toward the future. 'I think with you that it is a good world on the whole,' Tom wrote. 'I steer my bark with Hope in the head, leaving Fear astern.'
          'I admire your Navigation and should like to sail with you,' John replied. And though old age had robbed him of his strength, he assured Tom, 'While I breathe I shall be your friend.'"

This week's Nonfiction Monday Round-up
is *here* at True Tales & A Cherry On Top!

Reviewers .. please use Mr. Linky below to post a link to your review -- name of your blog and the featured book, and then add a comment, too.
Thanks for joining the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up!

And readers ... just click on the blog names below the book covers to read the terrific reviews ...

proseandkahn

SimplyScience

Bookends

A Curious Thing

Books with Janet Squires

Ms. Yingling Reads

Apples With Many Seeds

Wrapped in Foil

Jean Little Library

Booktalking

Gathering Books

Shelf-employed

Great Kid Books

Playing by the book

NC Teacher Stuff

Laura Purdie Salas -
writing the world for kids

RovingFiddlehead Kidlit

     

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Split! Splat!

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by Ms. Yingling Reads

Scholastic Press

(pub. 3.1.2012) 32 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Amy Gibson

     and Illustrator:  Steve Bjorkman

C haracters: Spring rain and friends

O verview from the jacket flap: 

      "When one little girl and her dog venture out on a rainy spring day, friends from the neighborhood join her, and what results is squishy, sloshy, muddy-day fun.

      A celebration of nature and friendship, Split! Splat! is every child's answer to 'Rain, Rain, Go Away!'"

T antalizing taste: 

"I sing a little mud song,

a puddle song,

a muddle song,

a no-shoes, toes-ooze,

slip-slap-and-thud song.

Splish

    sploosh,

squash

    squoosh,

oochy sploochy woochy woosh!"

and something more:  I was very excited in March to receive Split! Splat!, this new book by my writer friend, Amy Gibson. I decided I would wait to publish my post until it was true springtime in honor of the spring rain in her book. And somehow it's already May!  So it's high time for me to share my excitement about this book.  It's an absolute delight to read this book out loud with Amy's wonderful rain-and-squashing-about-in-the-mud onomatopoeia -- "splish sploosh, squash squoosh" and "oochy sploochy woochy woosh."

Amy's wonderful poem reminds me of this spring poem I memorized in grade school ... true spring delights ... to dance with the daffodils ... or to frolic in the rain with Split! Splat!

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils. 

   --- William Wordsworth

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Brothers At Bat

The True Story of 

An Amazing All-Brothers Baseball Team

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by The Swimmer Writer

Clarion Books

(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

(pub. 4.3.2012) 40 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Audrey Vernick

     and Illustrator:  Steven Salerno

C haracters: The Acerra brothers 

O verview from the jacket flap: 

       "12 Brothers

         1 Baseball

         The Acerra family had sixteen children. Twelve of them were boys, and they all played baseball.

         It was the 1930s, and many families had lots of kids. But only one had enough to field a baseball team ... with three on the bench!

         The Acerras loved the game, but more important, they cared for and supported one another and stayed together as a team. Nothing life threw their way could stop them.

         This is their amazing story." 

T antalizing taste: 

        "In 1997, the Baseball Hall of Fame held a special ceremony to honor them ... After such a thrilling day, you could picture them driving off into the sunset, happily ever after.

        But their bus broke down.

        They could have sat on the curb, grumbling in the summer heat. But someone found a bat and a ball, and as three generations of Acerras waited for a new bus, they played ball.

        That ball soared from grandfather to granddaughter, from father to son.

        From brother to brother."         

and something more: I'm enamored by this wonderful new picture book biography, Brothers at Bat, by Audrey Vernick with "period illustrations" by Steven Salerno. Reading it reminded me of warm summer evenings watching baseball games with my dad. We would pull the TV out into the backyard and stretch out on lounge chairs. I also went to oodles of my brother's baseball games who pitched through high school and college.
        I like that although the text explains that "the [Acerra] sisters didn't play [because back] then, most people thought sports were just for boys," the illustration shows a sister pitching a mean fastball with a ball of yarn to another sister, poised at a dustpan/home plate, ready to swing her broom in hand.  And the Author's note ends with a quote, from a daughter of one of the players, saying, "We were all raised to be team players, no matter what situation we were in - at work, at play, at war, in relationships - you carry that spirit with you. And it's part of you. That spirit was inspired in everyone who knew the Acerra brothers."  And now that circle of influence (or should I say "diamond" of influence) has expanded to us, the lucky readers.  It's a grand slam!

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