Monday, March 30, 2009

The Four Hills of Life; Ojibwe Wisdom

In this book (that can be shared with children of all ages), Thomas Peacock tells the Ojibwe story about the path all people walk in their life as they move through childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. This can be used as a classroom resource as there are activities at the end of each chapter. The illustrations, including photos and artwork are coordinated by Marlene Wisuri and the book as a whole is a wonderful package.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Winter War: A Novel

Readers of The Darkest Night by William Durbin will appreciate his latest work, The Winter War. This is a fictional account of the war between Russia and Finland in 1939-1940. The main character is a boy named Marko, who despite being a polio victim, volunteers to serve as a messenger on Finland's front lines. A well-crafted story, this brings home the experience of what it is like to have one's homeland invaded and what is the cost of freedom. It could serve as a resource to world history units about the World War II era.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Famous Minnesotans: Past and Present

Here is a fun browsing book for readers interested in the lives of famous people. The book includes biographical sketches of people who were either born in Minnesota, or lived here for a number of years and became famous on a national or international level. Most of the honorees receive a one-page biographical sketch with a photo and highlights noted in a sidebar. Honorees have been chosen from a variety of fields including the arts, business, sports, medicine, and government, among others; and the list includes historical and living persons. Dan Flynn, brother of author Vince Flynn, is the author.

Friday, March 6, 2009

North Country Spring

Spring is -ALMOST- here, and readers can feel the joy in the rhyming story told here. Snow melts, trees fill with sap and a variety of animals begin their Spring activities. Written by Reeve Lindbergh, with illustrations by Minnesotan Liz Sivertson, it could supplement a unit on seasons.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Women's History Tours of the Twin Cities

In recognition of Women's History Month, this slim little book provides biographical sketches of women who have played important roles in Minnesota history, from the early days to current times. Written by Gretchen Kreuter, and a bit uneven in spots, it may still be a resource for History Day projects, or a social studies unit on women in Minnesota.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Jerk, California

Twitch, jerk, freak -- Sam Carrier has been called them all. Because of his Tourette's Syndrome, he is in near constant motion with tics, twitches, and verbal outbursts. So, not surprisingly, high school is pure torment. And home isn't much better with his domineering stepfather reminding him that the only person who was more useless than Sam was his dead father, Jack. But then an unexpected turn of events unearths the truth about his father, and Sam is sent on a trip across country from Minnesota to California to learn the whole story. Winner of the 2009 Schneider Family Award for high school readers, this story was written by Minnesotan Jonathan Friesen, who does an outstanding and sympathetic job of describing the experience of having Tourette's Syndrome.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Skullduggery

Here we go, back to Bloodwater, Minnesota for the second of the Bloodwater Mysteries series. In this story, Roni Delicata and Brian Bain are trying to figure out what happened to local archaeologist Andrew Dart, who they found injured in a cave on Indian Mound. He was found lying atop a skeleton not far from the entrance to the cave. A few days later, someone used dynamite to close the cave entrance. Furthermore, a developer has plans to build condominiums on the site; and he seems to have a special deal going with the city fathers to make this development happen. What happened to Dr. Dart? Is the mound an indian burial ground? Mystery lovers will learn the answers to these and other questions as they enjoy this tale by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue.