In my family En mi familia

Ages 6^-10. Without the cut-paper accent images but otherwise in the same format as her first book, Family Pictures/Cuadros de familia (1990), Lomas Garza uses her narrative paintings to relate her memories of growing up in Kingsville, Texas, near the Mexican border, and to reflect her pride in her Mexican American heritage. The artist portrays everyday events as well as special moments of family history in crisply colorful, vibrantly peopled paintings and provides brief, bilingual background stories for each of the 13 paintings. Another sparkling family album that lovingly shares the artist's memories of the Hispanic cultural experience as lived in the Southwest. --Annie Ayres

(Intermediate, Older) An interview with a Latino gang member while the author was researching Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories (Little) inspired her to produce this second book. Atkin again begins with an introduction, then allows her subjects (male and female; white, Asian, Latino, and African-American; ages twelve to twenty-two) to describe their lives in their own words. Through the stories in Part I, "Walking In: Why Kids Join Gangs," she capably fulfills her intent to challenge society's preconceptions of gang members; Part II, "Leaving the Life: How Kids Can Get Out of Gangs," conveys a positive but realistic message. Stories by two adults working in intervention programs provide additional perspective on gangs. With the numerous black-and-white photographs, Atkin succeeds in being respectful and truthful rather than sensational. Like the stories, the pictures candidly reveal who these kids really are: teenagers and young adults who experienced adult responsibilities and dangers at far too early an age. A list of intervention programs is included. Bibliography and glossary. jennifer brabander Franklyn M. Branley What Makes a Magnet? (Picture Book) Illustrated by True Kelley. What happens if you go fishing with a magnet? Branley's nicely constructed demonstration of magnetism begins by inviting the reader to set up an experiment with a box filled with miscellaneous objects plus a magnet dangled by a string. The experimenting moves on to magnetizing a sewing needle and then making it into a compass to demonstrate the earth's magnetic pull. Explanations of the earth's iron content and the magnetic attraction of opposite poles, examples of the ways the compass is used, and an account of the ancient discovery of magnetite (lodestone) expand the lesson. Kelley's happy line drawings incorporate a humorous mouse to add safety warnings and goofy side comments. The clear diagrams and lucid explanations are both informative and engaging. Readers are left with the intriguing proposition that scientists don't fully understand how iron becomes magnetized, leaving room for future scientific discovery. m.a.b. Joanna Cole The Magic School Bus inside a Beehive (Picture Book) Illustrated by Bruce Degen. Of course the predictable happens when insect studies lead Ms. Frizzle and her class to visit a beekeeper and his honeybee hives. "Before we knew it, the bus looked like a little beehive, and we looked like real bees!" Well, not exactly, but the gossamer wings and yellow-and-black striped shorts above the high top sneakers evince Bruce Degen's usual costuming flair. The children's reluctant entry into the hive and their interactions with the bees are amusing and informative, and the customary panoply of science reports, labeled diagrams, and classroom banter fill the adventure with plenty of science. Cole and Degen continue their collaboration with gusto and intelligence to create a fine introduction to social insects and honeybees in particular. They round out the lesson with a disclaimer, listing the fantasy elements of the book that can't happen in real life. The closing view of Ms. Frizzle and Bob the beekeeper at tea with the queen bee is a delicious finale. m.a.b. Lynn Curlee, Author-Illustrator Ships of the Air g (Intermediate) A clear and simple account of the rise and, more or less, demise of lighter-than-air craft - balloons and dirigibles - relates their interesting history from the experiments of the Montgolfier brothers of France in 1783 through Graf Zeppelin's airships and their use in World War I up to the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. The merits of airships were never equal to their technical problems, and they were overtaken by the rapidly evolving heavier-than-air airplane. The most elegant aspect of this book is the series of flat, clear, detailed illustrations in which the lighter-than-air machines delicately float through dreamy skies, sometimes with surprising juxtapositions such as a child with a kite or the Sphinx and Pyramids at Giza. a.a.f. Tara Darling and Kathy Darling, Author-Photographers How to Babysit an Orangutan (Picture Book) Most of the babies at Camp Leakey, an "orangutan orphanage" in the middle of a Borneo rain forest, have lost their mothers to skirmishes with animal smugglers. Like human babies, the orangutans require protective care for several years before they can survive forest life on their own. Drawing on their own experiences caring for these appealing apes and preparing them for adult life in the wild, the Darlings introduce some of the animals and explain many aspects of their behavior. Excellent photographs (albeit in a cluttered, distracting design) paired with simple text cover many aspects of this special form of child care. "When I do my wash, Tom always begs for a bar [of soap].. He thinks of it as food, soaping his arm and sucking the lather off with great slurps of delight." Though the authors speak of the orangutans with great fondness, they never lose sight of the fact that these are wild animals in the temporary care of humans. Little is told about the actual structure and operation of Camp Leakey, and its noted scientist-director, Birute Galdikas, is described only as the camp's chief baby-sitter. A brief foreword by one of the founders of the Orangutan Foundation International promises that readers will learn how they can be involved in the "foster parent" program, but the only information that appears is a plea for funds on the back jacket flap. However, readers will be readily taken with the distinctive personalities of the animals and may heed the clarion call to care for endangered wildlife and their diminishing habitat. A final page of orangutan facts includes an inset map of Borneo. m.a.b. Sid Fleischman The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life (Intermediate, Older) Illustrated with photographs. One expects a book by Sid Fleischman to be funny; but, underlying the humor, there is a sense of someone who takes his craft very seriously indeed, transforming setbacks into comic situations and seeing possible triumphs where others with lesser gifts see only disasters. Perhaps this optimism is what makes his books so popular and what makes his biography so accessible and invigorating. Beginning with the confession that he wanted to be a magician, not a writer, he traces his metamorphosis - performing in numerous backwater venues in the Depression years, a stint in the U.S. Navy during World War II, a brief career as a newspaper man, ventures into writing movie scripts and detective stories, and finally success as a celebrated author for children. Interwoven into that vivid tapestry are glimpses of his family - parents, grandparents, wife, and children - plus details of life in the thirties and forties, many of which he incorporated into his books. In retrospect, therefore, it becomes apparent that most of his life was a training ground for his ultimate profession. This realization becomes the informing theme for his autobiography, culminating in a dozen tips for aspiring authors that are both practical and revealing. Subheadings for each chapter, apparently drawn from comments by young readers, add another dimension as in this description of Mr. Mysterious & Company as "the second best book I ever read." There is no doubt that this autobiography is a choice example of the art for Sid Fleischman's admirers. m.m.b. Brenda Z. Guiberson Into the Sea (Younger) Illustrated by Alix Berenzy. From tiny hatchling, "not much bigger than a bottle cap," to three-hundred-pound adult, a female sea turtle travels far and long in a handsome account of the land/ocean life cycle of this impressive survivor. Brief narrative and gouache and pencil illustrations highlight aspects of the twenty-year journey to adulthood, creating a realistic view of the ocean habitat and inhabitants as well as the laborious return to land for the culminating egg laying that initiates the cycle once again. Well-chosen details convey the vulnerability of the young animal and the threats posed by animals and humans even as the turtle grows in size and swimming strength. Riding on a floating raft of sargassum weed, hiding beneath a ledge "in a warm, tropical sea full of brilliant colors and creatures with big mouths," and two months of "eating her way through a rich, wavy garden of sea grass" indicate the impressive variety of ocean terrain she experiences. With finely detailed illustrations that convey an unsentimental poignancy as well as information, the simple story effectively engages the reader while explaining the turtle's life and growth and the interconnections of the ocean world. The final page pictures the seven sea turtle species and discusses the history of human activity that has greatly diminished the sea turtle population. m.a.b. Hanneke Ippisch Sky: A True Story of Resistance During World War II (Older) Hanneke Ippisch was fourteen when Holland was occupied by the Germans in May 1940, and over the next few years she saw her life change dramatically. She can't participate in scouting or study Shakespeare, since these are British; food becomes scarce; she is subject to a curfew; and she observes the way Jews are being treated in Holland, including an incident in which a classmate is taken away in the night by German soldiers. In 1943, Ippisch joins the Dutch resistance movement; unknown to her, Ippisch's minister father is already an active member. Most of her early assignments involve transporting Jews to safe hiding places, and at the age of nineteen, while she is working as a courier for the leader of Holland's resistance, she is arrested and imprisoned. She endures lice and rats and roaches in a dungeonlike cell but never discloses to her captors the extent of her underground activities. An especially thought-provoking chapter explores the reversal of ethics she experiences - is it permissible to murder someone because he is German, because it is "killing for the good cause"? The chapters are brief - sometimes just a page - and to the point, creating a brisk and unsentimental story of adventure, intrigue, and courage. Numerous black-and-white photographs of surprisingly good quality document aspects of Ippisch's life, including pictures of the tiny letters written on pieces of toilet paper that she hid in her laundry that allowed her to communicate with her family. Further notes, a well-chosen list of books for further reading, and an index add to the book's utility. Readers will find themselves caught up in the author's story, rooting for her survival and for the survival of Holland's Jews. ellen fader Carmen Lomas Garza, Author-Illustrator In My Family/En mi familia (Younger) Many Mexican-American traditions, beliefs, and customs are reflected in the portraits created in words and pictures of one family's life in Kingsville, Texas, a town near the Mexican border. Stylized paintings in bold color and deep texture fill the right-hand pages of each warmly toned double-page spread. Carefully framed details of the painting appear on the opposite page to decorate and balance the text, which is presented in both English and Spanish. The artist provides glimpses of her background, her childhood, and her family through snapshots of daily and special activities and stories: cleaning nopalitos, edible cactus pads, with her grandfather; decorating Easter eggs with her mother and siblings; lighting candles in front of an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The style and color of the illustrations and careful placement of the bilingual text augment the sympathetic tone and gentle insight of this album-like book. Questions asked of the artist by children round out this handsome companion to Family Pictures/Cuadros de familia (Children's Book Press). m.b.s. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent Children Save the Rain Forest (Intermediate) Illustrated with photographs by Dan L. Perlman. Lush with plants and animals, the tropical rain forest is undoubtedly the most complex and also the most romanticized habitat region on earth. Patent frankly expresses her own awe in experiencing the richness of life in Costa Rica's Bosque Eterno de los Niños, known in English as the International Children's Rain Forest. This slim introduction maintains the scientific objectivity of her many fine books while conveying special urgency in its ecological message. Two strands of discussion explain the interdependence of plants and animals in the forest and the children's financial contributions that give this forest its name. Fine color photographs provide informative examples as Patent describes the amazing numbers and variety of species occupying the forest layers. While most of these occupants are exotic to us, we are reminded that many of our familiar house plants come to us from the rain forest. There are thoughtful explanations of why so little is known about rain forest life, why forests are being rapidly destroyed, and how their destruction has global impact. Readers are given practical suggestions for joining the efforts of children from Sweden, England, Costa Rica, and Lewiston, Maine, in supporting research, forest patrols, and other conservation activities. The blend of science and human issues is compelling. Glossary and index. m.a.b. Andrea D. Pinkney Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy (Picture Book) Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. The author and illustrator team up for another picture book biography, once again choosing an extraordinary black American who has not been widely written about for children. The introductory verse ("Folks been telling' the tale / since way back when. / They been talkin' bout that Pickett boy. / Growed up to be a rodeo-ridin' man"), next to a 1908 photo of Pickett, sets the tone for the folksy turns of phrase woven throughout the narrative. The story begins with Pickett's father, who was born into slavery on a wagon train journey from South Carolina to Texas. Freed after the Civil War, he and his wife raise crops on a small plot of land, but their second of thirteen children, Bill, is drawn immediately to the cowboys driving cattle. Young Bill goes to work as a cowhand all over Texas until he is discovered by the rodeo for his unique bulldogging style - holding down a cow by biting its lower lip - which brings him fame on the circuit. Pinkney points out that while "many rodeo owners believed black cowboys should ride with their own kind.the newspapers didn't seem to care if Bill was black or white - Bill's bulldogging was news!" Pinkney provides the historical background of pioneering farmers and ranchers of the late nineteenth century but focuses on one boy's dream of becoming a real American cowboy. The afterword tells more about the rodeo and about the settling of Texas during Reconstruction that included many newly freed blacks. Acknowledgments on the copyright page indicate extensive research. The swirling strokes of Brian Pinkney's hand-colored scratchboards capture the young boy's enthusiasm and the excitement of the rodeo. l.a. Janet Wilson The Ingenious Mr. Peale: Painter, Patriot, and Man of Science (Intermediate, Older) Illustrated with reproductions. Charles Willson Peale was a true representative of the eighteenth century in the wide range of his interests, his insatiable curiosity, and his ability to succeed in diverse disciplines. Blessed with an agile intellect and inexhaustible energy, he was the consummate autodidact, skilled in a number of fields including saddlery, watch repair, and the making of false teeth. Like his fellow American artists Robert Fulton and Samuel F. B. Morse, he was an inventor as well as a painter - and American culture would be the poorer without his paintings of luminaries such as Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson as well as the family groups that evoke the style of the era. Thanks to his efforts, the first scientifically organized museum of natural history was founded. He was also a patriot, having enlisted in the Philadelphia Association, a volunteer militia, in the early stages of the American Revolution. After the war, he embarked on a brief career as a politician, but fortunately art and science were more to his liking. And this is only a sampling of the accomplishments of the multifaceted personality whom Janet Wilson, former staff writer for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, describes with élan and obvious fascination in her lively biography. With admirable skill, she has organized, summarized, and evaluated enough material in a relatively short space to make her case for his importance without overstating it. A readable and enjoyable study. Bibliography and index. m.m.b. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.