ONE DEAD SPY by Nathan Hale

Book one in the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series of graphic novels. This one tells the story of the American Revolutionary spy, Nathan Hale, as well as other stories of the American Revolution.

This was great!! The graphic novel format and the set up between Hale and his executioners who listen as he tells his stories made this so much fun to read. This is a kid-friendly book, with asides from other characters that give a break every now and then to the historic pieces and clarify things readers might not know. I learned things from reading this - and I had fun doing it! Includes actual quotes from historic figures (includes some language). Notes at the end indicate where the author took artistic license or when history is not 100% sure what happened.

This summer I was at a teacher meeting, and I had packed another book in this series in my bag in case there was down time. Instead of down time, I saw a student sitting in a chair while his mom was helping with things for the teachers. I offered him the book and he jumped right in. He returned it to me once school started and said he loved it and read it twice. This is a series I am putting into the library as soon as possible!

5 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 2.6 with a target audience of middle grade readers.

Other books in the series:
       

WORST OF FRIENDS by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain

A delightful look at the history between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams - best friends who became bitter enemies when their beliefs about how the country should be run fractured their relationship. (Adams was elected President while Jefferson was elected Vice President - they were in different political parties and had completely different ideas for our nation.) This is written as a story rather than a series a facts which made it enjoyable, readable and easy to follow. This would make a great read-aloud in the classroom and I am looking forward to sharing it with teachers and students.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 5.2

PICTURE BOOKS: Rosa's Bus by Jo S. Kittinger AND America the Beautiful: Together We Stand

This story, about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, focuses on the bus itself while still telling the whole story. It shares the history of bus issues before Rosa's famous choice not to give up her seat, showing how her action (by inaction) was the final straw in a long-brewing issue in the civil rights movement. The book also shares what happened to the bus after its famous moment in time.

5 out of 5 stars - excellent! A new perspective on a familiar story.
AR reading level of 4.6

Lovely pictures to go with the words of "America the Beautiful," with quotes from American presidents. The book jacket doubles as a poster of our country's presidents in order from George to Barack.

4 out of 5 stars

Both of these books were in our Scholastic book fair this spring and both were ones I couldn't wait to share with our history teachers. These would be lovely additions to a classroom or school library for units on Presidents Day or Black History month or other historic celebrations of our nation and our history

THURSDAY: Don't Know Much about History

I originally picked this up last fall when I found out I was going to be teaching history. I wanted a resource that would give me a quick background for whatever I was going to cover. This book was perfect! No matter what topic we were covering, or what questions my students asked, I could look the topic up in this book and get just enough information to fill in the gaps. I learned new things about Teddy Roosevelt and about the Civil War - things I don't remember from high school or college. Between my classes with my students, and the things I learned from this book, I found history interesting. If you read the reviews on Amazon, it is a mixed bag. Some question Davis' research and "gaps" in his information. If you want a serious commentary on an era of history, there are better options. But if you are just looking for a quick overview and a starting point or a nice resource for the home library, this could be a good choice for you. It is "meaty" at almost 700 pages, but easy to read.