Group items tagged

Winter, Jeannette. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2005. "In the Koran, the first thing God said to Muhammad was 'Read.'"* --Alia Muhammad Baker Alia Muhammad Baker is a librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand books within it--will be destroyed forever. In a war-stricken country where civilians--especially women--have little power, this true story about a librarian's struggle to save her community's priceless collection of books reminds us all how, throughout the world, the love of literature and the respect for knowledge know no boundaries."

This guest entry was written by Madeleine F. Green, a Senior Fellow at NAFSA and the International Association of Universities. It was originally published in NAFSA's newish Trends & Insights series of short online article that are "designed to highlight social, economic, political and higher education system trends affecting international higher education." Our thanks to Madeleine and NAFSA for permission to post her fascinating entry here (which is also available as a PDF via this link). Kris Olds Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/globalhighered/global-citizenship-%E2%80%93-what-are-we-talking-about-and-why-does-it-matter#ixzz2DeE6CMmL Inside Higher Ed

Price, Sean. Water Pollution: Saving Our World. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2008. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: Thousands of animals are dying because of water pollution. Read about all the different things that are polluting the waters-causing terrible pollution disasters-in this amazing book. The powerful images clearly show the causes and effects of water pollution, and the easy-to-read text explains how you can help change things for the better.

Jan West Shrock and Aileen Darragh, Give a Goat (Gardiner: Tilbury House Publishers, 2008). Age Level: 6 and up Grade Level: 1 and up Publisher Description: Can reading a picture book in class end up making a difference to a family that lives on a different continent? And what does a goat have to do with it? Some people think philanthropy is only for big foundations with lots of money, but that's only one part of the picture. In this true story, readers will discover what is possible when a class works together on a small, but successful project. Humorous illustrations show the process of identifying a charity and fundraising. Give a Goat is a useful template both for those who work with children and want them to experience the satisfaction of giving to others, and for kids who are looking for ways to make a difference.

Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild. San Diego, CA: Voyager Books, 2002. Age Range: 6 - 9 years Publisher's Description: In the 15th century, when native people first settled on the banks of the river now called the Nashua, it was a fertile and beautiful place. By the 1960s, the river valley had been ravaged by many years of serious pollution , and fish, birds, and other animals were no longer seen in the area. Through the efforts of Marion Stoddart and the Nashua River Watershed Association, laws were passed that resulted in the restoration of this river and the protection of all rivers. The author gets high marks for documenting the negative impact of industry on the environment and for highlighting the difference one determined person can make. However, young readers lacking historical background need more facts and dates than are included here. Cherry uses borders on pages that detail, for example, some of the inventions conceived in the 19th century; inexplicably, most are labeled but only some are dated. Her note and the maps on the endpapers, which include a timeline, also help to place the events in context. The watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are sweeping in their subject matter and adequately convey the physical deterioration of the watershed. However, one picture is misleading; although all the animals depicted live in this habitat, they would not all be seen together. The current concern over the environment will make this a sought-after title, since it is brief enough to read aloud to groups of children. With assistance from informed adult readers, it makes an important contribution to literature on water pollution.

Platt, Richard. Smithsonian: Visual Timeline of Inventions. New York, NY: DK Publishing, 2001. Age Range: 10 and up Publisher's Description: Unlike many similar books on the topic, this volume manages to convey a sense of how the passage of time affects creative design. Inventions are organized into five categories (world events, travel and conquest, agriculture and industry, daily life and health, and measurement and communication) and are presented concurrently in a timeline that starts in 600,000 B.C. and proceeds, with each turn of the page, to the present. This approach allows readers to note coincidences in creativity. Short captions fill in information about the inventions, but for good explanations of their significance or definitions of terms, readers will have to look elsewhere. The full-color photographs are varied and interesting. What's more, this book teaches a sophisticated form of literacy similar to skills students learn when they interact with multimedia resources, reading both text and pictures, and provides a third understanding, that of juxtaposition.

Rosenthal, Amy Krouse, and Tom Lichtenheld. Duck! Rabbit! San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2009. Age Range: 4 - 8 years Publisher's Description: Two unseen characters debate the identity of the creature at the center of this clever book-is it a duck or a rabbit? Readers will join in the discussion, because the creature could, in fact, be either. Just as each of the debaters begins to see the other's perspective, the duck/rabbit runs away and they see an anteater. Or is it a brachiosaurus? Text and illustrations are intimately wedded in this fun, interactive read-aloud. The bold lines and bright colors in Lichtenheld's illustrations are a visually pleasing match for the bantering text. With a strong, well-executed concept, this book provides an excellent starting point for discussing how points of view can differ and still be right.

Macaulay, David. Black and White. New York, NY: Sandpiper, 2005. Age Range: 4 - 8 years old Publisher's Description: At first glance, this is a collection of four unrelated stories, each occupying a quarter of every two-page spread, and each a slight enough tale to seem barely worth a book--a boy on a train, parents in a funny mood, a convict's escape and a late commuter train. The magic of Black and White comes not from each story, however, but from the mysterious interactions between them that creates a fifth story. Several motifs linking the tales are immediately apparent, such as trains--real and toy--and newspapers. A second or third reading reveals suggestions of the title theme: Holstein cows, prison uniform stripes. Eventually, the stories begin to merge into a surrealistic tale spanning several levels of reality, e.g.: Are characters in one story traveling on the toy train in another? Answers are never provided--this is not a mystery or puzzle book. Instead, Black and White challenges the reader to use text and pictures in unexpected ways. Although the novelty will wear off quickly for adults, no other writer for adults or children explores this unusual territory the way Macaulay does.

Larson, Jennifer S. Who's Buying? Who's Selling?: Understanding Consumers and Producers. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 2010. Age Range: 6 and up Publisher's Description: This book offers easy-to-read introductions to the world of economics. Addressing readers as "you," Larson asks questions such as, "Did you ever get money for your birthday?" and "How do you decide what to do with your money?" (Do I Need It?). The everyday-life examples will demonstrate to children that they can play a vital role in the economic world. Clear, age-appropriate language explains new concepts well: "When someone works at a paid job, he or she earns money. This money is called income." Simple paragraphs of two to four short sentences appear in large colored fonts against bright backgrounds that change color with every page. Each title includes an activity such as making a spend-or-save list to help decide what to do with birthday money. The books' layout is interesting and fresh, and each page features a large, well-chosen photograph with a boxed caption. A caption in What Is Money, Anyway? states that "People trade goods at swap meets," which may confuse readers who only know swap meets as a place to buy merchandise. Margaret Hall's "Earning, Saving, Spending" series (Heinemann, 2008) covers similar topics of money, banks, allowance, credit cards, and checks, but is for first through third graders. Report writers will value her longer paragraphs with detailed coverage including history and global issues. Larson's books will help ease younger readers into the world of economics.

Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, Fatty Legs: a True Story (Ontario: Annick Press, 2010). Age Level: 9 and up Publisher Description: Eight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has set her sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic. Faced with unceasing pressure, her father finally agrees to let her make the five-day journey to attend school, but he warns Margaret of the terrors of residential schools. At school Margaret soon encounters the Raven, a black-cloaked nun with a hooked nose and bony fingers that resemble claws. She immediately dislikes the strong-willed young Margaret. Intending to humiliate her, the heartless Raven gives gray stockings to all the girls -- all except Margaret, who gets red ones. In an instant Margaret is the laughingstock of the entire school. In the face of such cruelty, Margaret refuses to be intimidated and bravely gets rid of the stockings. Although a sympathetic nun stands up for Margaret, in the end it is this brave young girl who gives the Raven a lesson in the power of human dignity.

Greg Mortenson, Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea (New York: Penguin Group, 2009). Age Level: 6-8 Publisher Description: Greg Mortenson stumbled, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build them a school. The remarkable story of his promise kept is now perfect for reading aloud. Told in the voice of Korphe's children, this story illuminates the humanity and culture of a relevant and distant part of the world in gorgeous collage, while sharing a riveting example of how one person can change thousands of lives.