Amelia Lost!

Title: Amelia Lost--The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
Author: Candace Fleming
Publication Date: February 2011
ISBN 13: 978-0375841989

A new look at the life and disappearance of the preeminent female flier, Amelia Earhart.  With chapters that alternate between her life and childhood, and gripping chapters that tell of her loss at sea, Fleming succeeds in creating a page-turning book that is at once compelling and informational.  The multitude of photographs, original notes from journal pages, and sidebar information explaining instruments, inventions, and Amelia's relationships, makes this book even more interesting and easy to digest. 

The life of Amelia Earhart has become so shrouded in myth and legend that Fleming's realistic look at her faults and downfall really bring home the loss that was her disappearance by humanizing her in a way I've never experienced (this is admittedly the first A.E. biography I've read).  A must-read book for everyone!

The Pluto Files

Title: The Pluto Files
Producer: PBS NOVA
DVD Release Date: June 2010

Dr. Neal deGrasse Tyson hosts this entertaining film documenting the history of Pluto and the controversy that occurred when it was demoted from planet to dwarf planet in 2006.  For many years, the tiny celestial being known as Pluto was regarded as the ninth planet in the Solar System. However, when scientists found Eris, a larger body orbiting the sun from further away, scientists across the world started to question whether Pluto miniature size could really count it as a planet.  Combining science, history, popular culture, and humor, this film is informative and accessible for tweens.  An ALA Best Film, it is recommended to any library serving youth or adults.

Ask A Dinosaur

Title: Ask a Dinosaur and It Will Answer You
Author: DK Publishing
Publication Date: March 2011
ISBN 13: 978-0756672294

Ask a Dinosaur and It Will Answer You is a clever new book by DK publishers that answers a myriad questions about dinosaurs.  With graphic and segmented style typical of DK books, this one is sure to inform the most voracious fans with new and exciting information.  The format of this book, like other DK books, lends itself easily to exploration and investigation, and the tidbits it provides place dinosaurs in context and lead inquisitive minds to explore other epochs.

Shipwrecked: the True Adventures of a Japanese Boy

Title: Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy
Author: Rhoda Blumberg
Publication Date: January 2003
ISBN 13: 978-0756914417

I decided to read this book because the cover image intrigued me after the terrible tsunami that hit Japan this March.  And even though the book didn't have anything to do with that kind of natural disaster, I still learned a lot about Japan and Japanese customs and traditions.

This biography details the life of Manjiro, a young boy who is shipwrecked on a deserted island off of the coast of Japan in 1841.  He and his friends become the first Japanese people to set foot on American soil and he eventually earns many honors and privileges through his attitude and ability to learn.
In the 1840s Japan was an isolated empire.  There were strict rules preventing Japanese people from exposure to any foreign idea.  The isolationist policies in place required that any Japanese person who came in contact with anyone from another nation should be executed rather than corrupt other Japanese people.  The Japanese people were kept completely ignorant to life in the rest of the world.  There was also a very strict caste system in place which prevented people from rising in station.  Those that were born fisherman had to remain fisherman without any hope of moving up.

That Manjiro was not executed after returning to Japan 12 years after being rescued by an American whaling ship, and that he was elevated from lowly fisherman to noble samurai, testifies to his resilience and intelligence.  His first hand knowledge of American advancements and of customs from around the world made him an invaluable consultant to the king and, ultimately, contributed to the end of Japan's isolation.

The Story of Sarah Edmonds--A Civil War Hero

Title: Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds A Civil War Hero

Author: Marissa Moss

Publication Date: March 2011

ISBN 13: 978-0810997356

This illustrated biography of Civil War hero Sarah Edmonds, the first and only woman to be recognized by the United States government as a veteran of the war, tells an amazing and important story of freedom.  Sarah Edmonds chose to live her life as a man in order to avoid an unseemly marraige.  Freed from the constraints imposed on women at the time, she chose to enlist in the Union army under the assumed identity of Frank Thompson where she held a number of important positions including nurse, spy, soldier, and even assistant to an important General and Postmaster.  Keeping her true identity secret to the end, Sarah Edmonds served her country well!

Being Me: A Kid's Guide to Boosting Confidence and Self-Esteem

Title: Being Me a Kid's Guide to Boosting Confidence and Self-Esteem

Author: Wendy L. Moss, PhD

Publication Date: November 2010

ISBN 13: 978-1433808838

Being Me is a great book for helping kids boost their own self-esteem.  With basic definitions of confidence, self-esteem, and assertive communication, this book has the potential to help tweens change their lives.  The language is very accessible, and the inclusion of personal stories makes the examples and advice offered in this book seem realistically possible.  For example, a shy child might take hope from Melissa's story about striking up a conversation with a stranger in the line for a school lunch.  Every chapter includes questions for reflection and personal introspection.  Very well-done! 

The Great Depression

 Title: The Great Depression: An Interactive History Adventure
Author: Michael Burgan
Publication Date: January 2011
ISBN 13: 978-1429662765

3 story paths, 43 choices and 22 endings make this book a fun way to learn about the Great Depression.  Part of the "You Choose" series of non-fiction books, the approach offered by this book is  popular amongst tweens.  The stories read quickly and provide descriptions of government programs, and events of cultural significance, like the Civilian Conservation Corps and the shanty camps of veterans in the Bonus Army.  This series is probably not appropriate for the more serious student, but for those students who are reluctant to read, this series is definitely worth collecting by public and school libraries.

Shake Rattle & Turn That Noise Down!

Title: Shake Rattle & Turn That Noise Down--How Elvis Shook Up Music, Me and Mom
Author: Mark Alan Stamaty
Publication Date: January 2010
ISBN 13: 978-0375846854

A very quick and funny read.  This memoir reveals one boys' love of rock and roll music and how that love helped him succeed as a cartoonist, helped him outperform his fears, and helped him to meet the President Bill Clinton.

Told in a graphic novel format, this book chronicles the true story of a boy who uses his love of Elvis, and rock & roll music, to help him overcome fear and shyness.  His interest in Elvis music also helps to propel him from local fame to national celebration.  A very entertaining book, that not only reveals Elvis' role along a continuum of transformational figures in the history of rock, but also delivers the information in a dynamic and current manner.  An excellent choice for any library serving tweens or teens!  An ALA Notable Book.

Nujood Ali--International Hero of Women's Rights

Title: I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
Author: Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui
Publication Date: March 2010
ISBN 13: 978-0307589675

In this true story told by the main character, we learn about Nujood a ten-year-old Yemeni girl who is married off as a child only to suffer rape and abuse at the hands of her husband who is in his 30s.  In a culture where women are subservient to the point of invisibility, Nujood shows the greatest courage by escaping her deplorable situation and running to the nearest court of law.  There she tells her story, determined to seek the asylum of divorce, and is assisted by many powerful Yemeni and international human rights advocates.  She bucks patriarchal dominance and is granted freedom from an abusive marriage.  More than that, she becomes the voice of Yemeni girls, many of whom must suffer the same wrongdoing.

The contents of this book are serious.  It reveals a true picture of an impoverished Yemeni family.  While the principle tenets of Yemeni culture are portrayed as matters of fact, so is the abuse that becomes inherent to it when poverty levels become so extreme.  This book could prompt important classroom discussion for teachers of 7th or 8th grade.  Because of the stories of rape and abuse, it might not be appropriate to younger tweens.  Still, this book is powerful and is told using language that tweens could relate to.