The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History by Adam Selzer

Were you aware that George Washington was well known for crying like a little girl in public? Or that Ben Franklin used to take so-called “air baths” as an excuse to wander around the house naked? I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember learning these little factoids about our nation’s founding fathers in my history class! The Smart Aleck’s Guide to American History, written by Adam Selzer and staff, presents our country’s history from the earliest American settlers to the election of President Obama in a sassy and sarcastic, yet informative way. This history guide leaves the typical spewing names of battles and dates in the dust.

Reading the Smart Aleck’s Guide felt as if I was talking to a friend—the one loudmouth that says any and everything…kind of obnoxious, but being funny enough that you can overlook that. The basis of the book is factual history, written with a witty twist including oddball footnotes (i.e. “The sailors on the Mayflower called the Pilgrims “glib-glabbety puke stockings”. Yes, the word “puke”, along with most of the swearwords people use today, had been in common use for centuries then.”) and big pictures with snarky captions (under a picture of Civil War soldier donning similar white beards: “Either a 1917 reunion of Civil War soldiers in Washington, D.C., or a Colonel Sanders look-alike contest”.).

Also in the book, small recurring blurbs can be found throughout such as “Stupid Hats of History” (complete with photos, of course) and “Great Myths of History”, debunking many commonly-taught historical falsehoods. At the end of each chapter, there are vocab words, a section titled “Some of the Stuff We Missed” and amusing essay questions such as “What are some good ways to defend yourself against Civil War reenactors who disagree with your interpretation of the war?” or “Who was a bigger jerk, Hitler or Stalin?”.

Teachers beware if assigning this book, as its stated purpose to the reader is to “throw your teachers off-balance for entire class periods” and “identify their lies and half-truths!”. What else could you expect though from a self-proclaimed smart aleck? It’s all part of the theme. In all honestly, I found this book extremely entertaining, offering historical knowledge in a way I’ve never experienced before…sarcastic, witty, sometimes rude, but chockfull of genuine information. For any kid (or adult) who doesn’t respond to the typical teaching format of history or for any reluctant readers, this book could be a fantastic opportunity for them to be engaged while learning a ton of our country’s history (and getting major laughs out of it too).  

Freshman Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense, by Corinne Mucha

“Who you are as a freshman defines who you are…FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!” Or so says Annie’s older brother on the night before her freshman year of high school. Freshman Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense, by Corinne Mucha, tells the story of Annie as she navigates her way through her first year of high school. Though her brother’s tip is slightly melodramatic, Annie still worries about how high school will be and whether she can find her place.

The graphic novel follows Annie through her 9^th grade escapades, including awkward ice-breakers on the first day of school, making new friends, trying out for the field hockey team, auditioning for the school play, joining a band, and going to the spring dance. Annie, though, at times, wanting nothing more than freshman year to pass quickly, has one heck of an introduction to high school life.

Annie’s story is a relatable and humorous tale about a girl just trying to figure out high school, friendships, relationships, and extracurriculars. The illustrations in the novel are simple yet entertaining and effective, while the text adds detail and humor to Annie’s story. Mucha’s graphic novel, designated by ALA as a Great Graphic Novel for 2012, is perfect for those about to enter freshman year as well as anyone who wants to be entertained by someone else’s freshman dilemmas. This might be a perfect addition to a syllabus within the first few weeks of freshman year and definitely lends itself to being highly recommendable. 

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

High School relationships last forever. Well, at least it seems as if they will in the moment, but when the inevitable break up comes, things begin to take on a new clarity. In Daniel Handler’s Why We Broke Up, Min packs up a box full of relationship mementos, writes a long letter, and tells Ed exactly why they broke up—item by item. Going through the box, Min tells the story of a relationship that seems to blossom out of the blue and why it came to its heartbreaking demise.

Min, a “different,” don’t call her artsy, movie buff falls in love with the basketball superstar of her high school, Ed, co-captain of the team, not captain. The letter tells of their first meeting at the birthday party of Min’s best friend, Al, their first date seeing an old movie and chasing a woman who may of possibly been the star of that movie, as well as the first time they have sex, and even the last day they spent as a couple. As the items get piled into the box, so too do the reasons why they fell in love and why they eventually broke up. Each item has a story behind it and you’ll find yourself wondering how it fits into the larger picture of why they broke up. Stolen sugar, a box of matches, and a toy truck don’t necessarily have break-up written all over them.

Why We Broke Up, a 2012 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, is a fantastic ode to high school relationships and how quickly they can become intense and then how quickly they can turn sour. The somewhat stream-of-consciousness style in certain parts of the novel allow for a unique vulnerability of Min’s character and really lets the reader feel the heartbreak underlying this cathartic release. While not being too graphic, there is some talk about sex that would not be appropriate for younger readers; my recommended age group for this novel is somewhere around 11^th-12^th grade. Overall, it was a great read with relatable and likable characters. I found myself rooting for them to make it through despite knowing that this is why they broke up.

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Ginny went on the trip of her life last summer, only to have it end abruptly and unfinished. You see, her favorite aunt, Aunt Peg, recently passed away, but not before setting up an adventure for Ginny around Europe that would be the ultimate coming-of-age.

In the prequel, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, (which boasts the ALA award for Best Books for Young Adults in 2006, along with many other noteworthy accomplishments) Ginny followed the directions of letters 1-12, finding love, adventure, danger, and most importantly, herself. Before she was able to end her trip properly, with the 13th letter, her backpack containing all of the envelopes was stolen from her and she had to return to her American life with her saga uncompleted.

The Last Little Blue Envelope, by Maureen Johnson, picks up with a mysterious stranger emailing Ginny that he has found the backpack and letters. He invites her to meet up with him so he can be sure the letters are given back to the proper owner.

With this, Ginny drops all of her responsibilities, including a college admittance essay with a fast approaching deadline, to fly back to London, and continue the adventure of her life. The last letter leads her to travels in Paris (France), Ghent (Belgium), and Dublin (Ireland) with some stops along the way. It also brings with it deceit, jealousy, criminal behavior, kissing, drinking, and many many stops for petrol and chips. It causes her to rethink who she is, her love life, her values, and her future.

This novel would appeal to a wide range of young women, from the preteen age to mid-twenties and beyond. With references to popular culture such as Hogwarts and historical landmarks such as Christ Church Cathedral, it has funny and educational moments. It is a good novel for those looking for adventure with the comfort of romance and a bit of mystery thrown in.

It does a very nice job handling the grief Ginny has about the death of her aunt and the mixture of emotions surrounding her first romantic relationship. While I am sure there are males who would enjoy Ginny's wit and intelligence, it does seem a bit female-oriented with the exploration of romantic relationships and young woman / coming-of-age troubles. This novel may not be perfectly suited for use in classroom because of this, but it is definitely entertaining. I would recommend it to any girl I know who was looking for a read both challenging and interesting enough to not be the ordinary "fluff" for young girls.

"Level Up" by Gene Luen Yang

Being a "typical" guy, what's the first thing that drew me to this novel? Video games. Period. It wasn't until I got this book in the mail that I found a much deeper reason why I'd enjoy this book: Gene Luen Yang, a huge advocate for the use of comics in education. After reading Yang's award-winning American Born Chinese, the literary geek in me began to salivate. Yang strikes similar chords of cultural and personal identity in yet another gripping graphic novel. I was able to tear through Level Up in about an hour one evening. It's incredibly engaging and easy to read.

In what's turning out to be Yang's style, Level Up is a linear tale about Dennis Ouyang, a young Asian-American trying to find his place in the world. After Dennis is introduced to an old Pac-Man cabinet as a child, he immediate begins petitioning his seemingly traditionalist father to support his new hobby. His father imagines a very different future for Dennis, working hard to instill him with a strong work ethic...until his father passes away.

After his father's death, Dennis is thrown tumultuously into a winding spiral of self-realization. The memory of his father haunts his choices and his future, threatening to derail Dennis's life and happiness. He battles between what his father wants of him and his own definition of happiness. He's tempted and taunted by love and pressure throughout the graphic novel, as well. Should he submit that his father was right and take the path that leads to his destiny? Or should he ignore his father's "ghosts" and carve his own path--one that his father essentially condemned?

What ends up transpiring is a lesson on how we learn from our mistakes, one constantly emulated in modern culture--most notably, in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. Yang dutifully navigates the rising action of the story in such a way that forces the reader to question the nature of how we learn. Is it best to "protect" the path in such a way that we can't make mistakes? Or is it better to let ourselves stumble from time to time? The tenuous relationship between Dennis and his father highlight that very argument. With age comes wisdom, but we may forget that wisdom can't be just "handed down". It must be earned.

Any teacher looking to bring "Level Up" into the classroom should work with students to keep them objective and open-minded. Through the course of the novel, it's incredibly easy to misinterpret a message that it's acceptable to spend all your time playing video games. Although there are professional gamers out there, the more pertinent message is one of hardwork and dedication, regardless of your interests. Parents may have a slight issue with the potential misreading, but it'll help if the focus of any discussion is more about Dennis's choice of his path to happiness. If students can acknowledge that this graphic novel is not an advertisement for professional video gamers, there is a very powerful discussion to be had: Does Dennis disrespect his father as the novel comes to a close? Teachers of all walks of life should be fascinated to hear that graphic novels can help immigrant readers.

While "Level Up" is a very powerful graphic novel, it doesn't quite live up to the complexity and depth of "American Born Chinese". Of the two, the latter would be better in the classroom, with the former acting as a good companion book. Overall, "Level Up" is highly recommended. It will not disappoint.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Pictures and words. 

Both tell a story, sometimes together, sometimes they work separately. Like lightning, pictures are striking and mesmerizing. More subtle, like the feeling of wonder, words lure you in and fill you with their knowledge and meaning.

Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick,weaves together pictures and texts to tell the story of two young kids, fifty years apart. The story of Rose, set in the 1920s, is told through pictures and drawings. The story of Ben, set in the 1970s, is through text. It is fascinating to see how, for example, a drawing from Rose's story that shows a thunderstorm, will connect to the text about Ben's life, as he also gets caught out in a storm. The two stories have strong echoes of each other, but tell individual stories as well. 

See, both Ben and Rose are deaf. Ben lost his hearing in the thunderstorm and Rose cannot be sure just when exactly she lost hers. Both are lonely. Rose is kept hidden from the world because of the dangers it could hold for a young deaf girl, and Ben because he just lost his mother. Because Ben is so recently deaf, he does not know sign language or lip reading, unlike Rose, who was educated in those skills. Both Rose and Ben run away; Ben to find his father and Rose to see her brother and both Rose and Ben end up in the same museum, just fifty years apart. Ben encounters many people who try to help him navigate through New York and the museum, eventually hoping to find his father. Rose just wants to live, and uses the museum as an escape from her life as a captive in her own house.

Brian Selznick created a fascinating story. The video linked above shows just how passionate he was about this book, and it really showed through on the pages. At first, I was a little put off by the drawings, but I really found myself enjoying them; they are beautifully done, the drawings are so detailed and they tell the story just as well, if not better, than the text did. This style of writing would be perfect to lure in reluctant readers; it has both pictures and words, which appeal to many young adults. I found it to be a very quick read, but students probably would not, which they may not enjoy (Wonderstruck is very intimidating at 608 pages). I also really enjoyed that it was not another adventure by some random kids; these kids had real issues and problems to overcome. It may appeal to those students who feel that they do not fit in; both Rose and Ben were singled out because of their deafness, but both overcame their isolation to make great friends and relationships that stand the test of time. It would also be appealing to both boys and girls. It is a story about adventure and mystery, but not so much so that the girls won't read it and it is not very romantic and "mushy" so it would shut out the boys.

Simeon's Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till by Simeon Wright with Herb Boyd

Most everyone has heard the story of Emmett Till, the black boy who was brutally beaten and murdered in 1955 for simply whistling at a white woman. There have been many document- aries, books, and investigations into what happened to Emmett (known to his family as Bobo). Since the first report (see pages 6- 9, warning: page 9 is graphic) of this horrific incident, the public has been riveted and, due to failures in journalism, fed lies about the story.

Journalists of the time, and even ones up to the present, chose to interview people who were not actual witnesses, the criminals themselves, or just leech off of what had already been falsely reported. After much deliberation, and almost 55 years, Simeon Wright, the cousin of Emmett, decided his story needed to be told.

Simeon's family was hosting Emmett during his visit to the South from his home of Chicago. He witnessed the offending whistle, which was meant as a joke but turned out to be a fatal mistake, and kidnapping of his cousin by his murderers. In his novel, Simeon's Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till, Simeon tells what really happened and seeks to set the record straight once and for all. His book received acclaim from many critics, on both large and small scales.

This novel is a great pick for young readers and a captivating introduction to nonfiction reading. It reads like narrative for the majority of the book, allowing young readers to become familiar with the voice, before switching to a more typical nonfiction style. This switch is gradual and not disruptive to the flow of the novel.

This story brings the memory of Emmett Till back to the forefront of the audience's mind and reminds us of what a travesty it was. Even though African Americans had been free and legally had "equal rights as whites," it will be surprising to many young readers that they were not treated even remotely as equals. Emmett Till's murder set in motion the wheels of progress which eventually granted actual equality to African Americans (as opposed to just being on paper as it was prior to his murder). The injustice of the following court case inspired Rosa Parks to refuse to surrender her bus seat to a white woman.

The fact that this case was influential and historically significant is indisputable. Young readers will be drawn in by the easy-to-read style and unintentionally learn a lot about life in the mid 1900's for black and white people. I was originally reluctant, as I am a die-hard fiction reader and will generally not touch anything non-fiction, but was won over by Wright's style, relaxed voice, and riveting story. This book may not be appropriate for all young readers, as it is a tragically sad and at times graphic and difficult to read, but is definitely recommended to any readers who are mature enough to do so. It would be a wonderful way for a classroom to begin a discussion and historical lesson on the Civil Rights Movement.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

As if high school wasn't bad enough for most of us, imagine having a mother who can read your thoughts, a brother who talks to ghosts and being the kid who, by touching seemingly harmless objects, is attacked by the object's memories.

If you are Clarity "Clare" Fern, this is normal.

"Clarity" by Kim Harrington is about Clare's struggles to fit-in in school, despite her talents. Clare is a sixteen year old student in the small town of Eastport. Her mother and her father, though he is absent and hasn't been heard from for many years, both have strong psychic genes, which the passed on to their children. Her mother is able to read people's thoughts and her brother, Perry, is able to summon spirits.

After a murder occurs at one of the town's hotels for the first time in many, many years, the mayor's son asks a favor of Clare. He wants Clare to use her powers to help solve the murder. Clare's only hesitation with this is that the mayor's son, Justin, is Clare's ex-boyfriend, who was the only one who ever saw her without judging her for her power and then betrayed her. Plus, she discovers that the new detective has been assigned the case, and Clare gets to work with his cute, young son, Gabriel, who aims to be a detective someday, and really dislikes psychics.Clare attempts to use her gift to help the police and Justin's father, but she is keeping a secret from everyone. Her brother was with the victim before she died, and though he swears she was alive when he left, Clare is doubtful. But when the police begin suspecting him, she will do anything in her power to save her brother with the help of Justin and Gabriel, but not without catching the attention of both boys.

"Clarity" is good, quick literature for students to enjoy and it will especially draw in female, reluctant readers because they will definitely be able to relate with Clare's feelings, especially when dealing with boy problems, annoying classmates, the pressure of college looming, and the feeling that no one understands her, especially when dealing with her mother and peers.

At first, I thought I was going to have a hard time reading this novel; the language was very simple and the plot seemed straightforward. However, I became enthralled by the mysteries the author created and the many twists that were implemented. I finished the book in one sitting and was upset when it was over! This book would be perfect for young girls, late middle school through high school, for the reasons that I thought I would not like it; simple language and not much in the way of misunderstanding. There is romance, love triangles and mystery and suspense, all packed into 242 pages.

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

What happens when the person you love the most happens to be the person who hurts you the most? Do you let them go, or do you endure the abuse because "he is the only person that loves you"? 


Unfortunately, this is a question Alex repeatedly asks herself throughout the novel Bitter End. Since her mother's mysterious and tragic death, as a child, Alex has felt separated and unloved by everyone around her. Now, even as a teenager, Alex still faces the same loneliness from her family and feels as if she's a nobody. When she describes her friends, Bethany and Zack, she defines them as determined and sanguine.  Do you want to know how Alex describes herself as? One word, invisible. Unlike Bethany and Zack, everyone around her seems not to notice her. However, when the new student, Cole, transfers to Alex's high school, she becomes the center of his attention. He tells Alex that he loves her, something that nobody else had ever told her...


When Alex meets, she immediately crushes on him, but because he is handsome, popular, and on the basketball team, she believes he, like everyone in her family seems to act, will act as if she's invisible. However, Cole instantly shows interest in Alex by visiting her at work or by admiring her poems. His friendliness touches Alex because she had never felt appreciated from anyone except from her two best friends, Bethany and Zack. When Cole becomes her boyfriend, all is blissful and perfect until Cole becomes jealous of Alex's relationship with Zack. At first, it seems cute that Cole gets a little envious, but as the days go by, Cole becomes more possessively hostile of Alex. It soon becomes out of hand when Cole hits Alex. Instead of breaking up with Cole, Alex blames herself for his anger and becomes a victim of an abusive relationship. This abusive relationship takes a toll on Alex's life in the way that she forgets and fails her best friends multiple times, her work performance falls, and her family relationships become more strained than usual. It comes to a point that Alex has to choose over the "love" of her abusive boyfriend or truly living and accepting a life without Cole. What will she choose?

2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, Bitter End,  by Jennifer Brown, is a must read for middle and high school students because it shows that no one should be subjected to harmful treatment, whether from a boyfriend/girlfriend, a family member, or a friend. Through Alex's high school character, students will be able to relate to her "invisible" character that only wanted to be loved. Readers will see that they have always been cared for, even when it seemed like the people around them didn't notice them, they have always been loved and cared for no matter what, like Alex. Even if students cannot relate to the "loneliness" Alex felt, they will still be able to comprehend that when another classmate or a family member feels or acts like Alex acted, they should show their love and support because feeling cared for will help the abused person get through their situation. Likewise, students will also be able to witness the physical and emotional violence that Cole controlled Alex with and understand the stages that an abused person goes through. As saddening as this novel is, it is also eye opening. Through its horrific details of the treatment Alex endured, students can understand that love is blind during times of abuse, but that they must never blame themselves and let him or her go. They will also comprehend that the world does not end if they do not stay in those abusive relationships (if they ever encounter one). The insights that Alex thinks throughout the novel teaches students not to believe that they will be embarrassed, laughed at, or turned away from when they ask for help because your family, friends, and even co-workers are there to always lend a hand. 

Bitter End is a novel that should be allowed to teach at, preferably, high school level, even though students in middle school do start dating, but because of such an early age, I don't consider middle school too potent of an age for that type of abuse. Students in high school are more likely to understand Alex because high school is the age where students find themselves seeking belonging, even in relationships that can produce abusive consequences. Likewise, this book explores, not only the effect on the victim, but the effect it has on the people around the abused person. The relatable feelings of belonging, struggles, effects, as well as the complexity of Alex's character, are circumstances that high school students endure in some way, and that is why this novel by Jennifer Brown is perfect fit for young adults.  

  

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends Of The Awfully Famous

WARNING: Before opening this book, be aware the tales included inside are not for the weak of heart, or stomach. They will include scorching temperatures, sizeable swellings, and bouts with the shivers leaving you begging for air to breath. Your head may be cut off, your body stabbed repeatedly by peers or you may take your own life. Can you handle it? Do you think you have what it takes to get through the entire book?

Since day one, there has always been one solid constant throughout time: people die.

Death is unavoidable, nobody can escape it. Some may believe they can do this, that or the other thing to prolong the period of time before resting in their final slumbering place and others feel when your number is called, it’s time to go, no matter your age.

Georgia Bragg, author of “How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous”, puts a twist on the lives of the people we’ve read about since beginning school. She achieves this through telling of the days before each person selected for her book kicked the bucket, the medical procedures endured by the soon-to-be-dead and what actually killed them.

Bragg has found a way to weave history – be it American History, World History or the way medicine and medical procedures were practiced when these people died – into the comical text. While waiting for the blood spilling moment or the gory execution to take place, you also read and learn a little about the situations these people were in which, in many cases, may have - or did lead – these awfully famous men and women to their deaths.

This book, in no way, is any of the books we read in grade school. It is morbidly educational, darkly entertaining and, with a grip like the Grim Reaper herself, forces you to keep turning the page to read more of the final days of all parties involved.

Beside the stories of death, murder and assassination, at the end of each chapter she includes a page or two dedicated to key words, key phrases, how the story just read influences the way life is today and other tid-bits of information relating to the person the chapter was dedicated to.

So, you may be asking how the deaths of people long ago relate, in any way, to you and you should read this book? How kind of you to inquire, dear reader. Let me ask you a few questions.

Do you know why the calendar we use today is called the Gregorian Calendar? If not, you will. If you care none what the calendar is called and have a larger taste for the grotesque, you will find out a dehydrated human eyeball shrinks away to almost nothing, but when it is rehydrated it will expand almost to its original size. After reading this book, you’ll know what famous dead person doctors today can thank for this information.

Interested yet?

Do you know why the procedure to extract a baby from the belly of its mother is called a C-Section? Do you know that the three letter word for 16-across in the Sunday crossword puzzle with the clue, “this caused the death of Cleopatra” is not “asp” and she died in a completely different way than what most accredit her death to? How many of you know about leeching or bloodletting? You will after reading this book.

Anything?

I’ll assume you’ve all been to parties with great food and drink. Who hosed this party? You know what? It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because in no way, did it even come close to the party Henry VIII threw. You’ll find out why.

Do you like Disney movies? You can learn who John Smith WASN’T when you read about Pocahontas and the ordeal she went through.

But maybe big parties and Disney movies aren’t your cup of tea. Maybe you used to watch ER or are in love with Dr. McDreamy of Grey’s Anatomy. If so, you’ll learn what the secretion of crystallized uric acid is more commonly called. Maybe you like to read as much literature as you can about the same person, place or thing; Jesus Christ being the numero uno topic to have a book based on. Do you know who the 2nd most popular person is to have a book written about them? Go ahead; take a “small” guess.

Though this book is very descriptive – maybe a tad too descriptive for grade school aged children to read – it is full of information of the people involved, their stories and their deaths.

It’s funny, this History business. History is a recorded timetable of the people and events related to the period. Something you would think never changes. But it always changes. Every day.

So, do you think you have what it takes to get through the entire book?

Only History can tell.