Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity. New York: Hyperion, 2012. Print. Genre: YA historical fiction Summary: World War II historical fiction of the most gripping kind! Either the protagonist, Julie (AKA “Verity”) spills her guts about her spying exploits or her Gestapo torturers will…well, spill her guts for her! Critique: This book is an epistolary thriller (thought… Continue reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

When the Beat was Born by Laban Carrick Hill

Hill, Laban Carrick. When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop. Illus. Theodore Taylor III. New York: Roaring Book, 2013. Print. Genre: Picture book Summary: Clive Campbell falls in love with music and dance parties while growing up in Jamaica. He moves to New York where he eventually becomes… Continue reading When the Beat was Born by Laban Carrick Hill

The Elephant Scientist by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson

O’Connell, Caitlin and Donna M. Jackson. The Elephant Scientist. New York: Houghton Miffling Books for Children, 2011. Print. Genre: Nonfiction (photo) picture book Summary: This is a true story. Caitlin grows up with a love for science. She studies bugs, but then gets a chance to study elephants in Africa. One day, no joke, her… Continue reading The Elephant Scientist by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson

The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation

Hennessy, Jonathan. The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation. Illus. Aaron McConnell. New York: William Morrow, 2013. Print. Genre: Nonfiction Graphic Novel Summary: Hennessy and McConnell use the innovative and fast-moving format of the graphic novel mode to tell the story behind the Gettysburg Address, what prompted it, what it changed, and why it mattered to… Continue reading The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation

The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming

Fleming, Candace. The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia. Schwartz & Wade, 2014. Print. Genre: YA nonfiction Summary: When two young, royal people meet, fall in love, and marry, what else but a Happily Ever After could possibly await them? Well, in the case of Nikolai and Alexandra Romanov, its anything… Continue reading The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming