Biography or Autobigraphy
Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of his Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jun.14, 2014, under Biography or Autobigraphy, Spiritual, Student Reviews
Review by Bronson H.
Who would like this book? 6th graders and up would like this book if they are interested in God and the afterlife.
The goods on this book: Todd Burpo is a pastor of a church in Nebraska and is Colton’s dad. When Colton was age 3 or 4, he got sick and almost died but his heart never stopped beating. He recovered and started talking about heaven. Colton told the details of heaven very slowly over years. Colton’s dad wrote the book “Heaven is for Real” when Colton was 12 years old. I thought the book was awesome because it mentioned Bible verses while Colton was telling the story. I also loved the book because Colton gave good details of what Jesus looked like and who Colton met in heaven.
The details: 163 pages; 2010 Review by Bronson H.
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on May.26, 2014, under Biography or Autobigraphy, Student Reviews
Review by Mazzy N.
Who would like this book? Coming soon….
The goods on this book: Peg Kehret once faced the challenges of polio and it changed her life. It happened in school; she didn’t know what went wrong. Later she found out she had polio. Traveling from hospital to hospital and room to room, Peg is scared. Will she ever walk again? With the help of doctors and nurses she may be able to. She meets new friends, learns new things, and discovers how much she should be grateful for. Follow Peg in her adventures in, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio. I think this book was really good and it was scary but exciting to see what happened to Peg on her journey.
The details: 179 pages; 1996 (2000c)
No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.16, 2014, under Biography or Autobigraphy, Coretta Scott King, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone interested in Harlem or the history of Blacks during the Civil Rights Movement and beyond.
The goods on this book: This book is significant both for the historical events that it includes and for the format in which it is presented. The author meticulously researched the life of her great uncle, Lewis Michaux, through conducting interviews, digging into family archives, and combing through library records. Nelson focused on how Michaux, in 1939, responded to the racist comments of a white banker by starting a bookstore in Harlem with five books and $100. This bookstore, the National Memorial African Bookstore, became the center of intellectual life in Harlem for decades, frequented by leaders such as Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. Instead of presenting these events in a nonfiction format, the author presents the story as a documentary, giving a series of first-hand narratives by Michaux and a broad range of other voices. This technique, along with the striking illustrations by R. Gregory Christie, paints a vivid picture of Michaux, his bookstore, and Harlem from the 1930s through the 1970s. It’s a fascinating presentation of historical events and biography in a fictional format.
The details: 188 pages; 2012
Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.16, 2014, under Biography or Autobigraphy, Multicultural Fiction, Non-fiction, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? People who like the books of Walter Dean Myers or are interested in what it would have been like to grow up in Harlem in the 1940s and 50s.
The goods on this book: Walter Dean Myers tells his personal story from his youngest days until he enters the service at the age of seventeen. His family situation was complex, and he was raised by relatives whom he called “Mom” and “Dad.” A bright and active boy, Walter struggled to find his way in Harlem. A gifted athlete and never shy about getting into fights, Walter had another side that he had to hide. He couldn’t let his reputation be ruined by being seen as a bookworm or a writer, so he pursued these passions in secret. His early experiences were also multiracial, so he faced severe disappointment when he encountered racism. His problems came to a head during his high school years, and these years were also when literature became his lifeline. His discussion of how specific books affected his thinking is captivating. The events of his life makes this book worth reading, and the style in which he writes makes this reading especially meaningful.
The details: 214 pages; 2002 Review by Samrarian
Claudette Colvin: Twice toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.28, 2012, under Battle of the Books 2012-2013, Biography or Autobigraphy, Bullying, Coretta Scott King, Newbery, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone with an interest in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, especially the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks, definitely needs to read this book. It would also be great for anyone looking for the life story of a courageous teenager who stood up for her beliefs.
Why? Do you think that one person – one teenager – can’t make a difference? Read this book and think again. Claudette Colvin grew up in the segregated South in the 1950s. Raised by her great aunt and uncle in a poor area of Montgomery, Alabama, she was intelligent and proud. She hated the unjust treatment that the people of her color suffered, and she could not figure out why the adults put up with it. The bus system of Montgomery was especially unfair; when she was 15 (in 1955), she had reached her limit. She refused to give up her seat to a white woman and was arrested and taken to jail. Nine months later, Rosa Parks did the same action and sparked the bus boycott that eventually ended segregation on the buses. Claudette also played a crucial role in this ending: the landmark court case, Browder v. Gayle, that made segregation illegal got much of its punch from the courageous testimony of Claudette and three other women. Before this book, her role in these events had been unrecognized. Phillip Hoose waited a long time for Claudette to be ready to share her story. She finally did, and he masterfully combined her moving narrative with historical background presented through text, photos, and documents. This book won the 2009 National Book Award and was a 2010 Newbery Honor Book, underlining its value and significance. It’s a powerful 150 pages!
The details: 150 pp. 2009 Review by Samrarian
Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder by Tony Hawk
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Apr.15, 2012, under Biography or Autobigraphy, Non-fiction, Sports, Student Reviews
Review by Moises G.
Who would like this book? People who like Tony Hawk and want to learn stuff about his life, family friends, and how it would feel like to be a professional skateboarder and to be on ESPN, and how he made his company birdhouse, and how he became the world’s most famous skateboarder.
Why? I think the book Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder is pretty good book because it tells you the age he started at (12) and it tells you about his parents, his tournaments, demos, contests, and everything about his family. He has 3 sons, I think, and his wife. One of his son’s names is Riley. So, I think this book is OK.
The details: 155 pp. 2002 Review by Moises G.
The Circuit: Stories From the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jemenez
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.12, 2012, under Battle of the Books 2011-2012, Biography or Autobigraphy, Multicultural Fiction, Student Reviews
Review by Mason B.
Who would like this book? OBOB 2011-2012 readers; It’s an historical fiction book about an illegal immigrant and his circuit in the United States.
Why? Panchito and his brother Roberto illegally cross the border to the United States in hope of a better life. But this collection of stories is much different from what they hoped to find; instead, they find misfortune for Panchito’s family. Either losing prized possessions, a best friend, or moving — but always saying it may get better. Will Panchito’s life as a worker, student, and kid get any better? Read The Circuit: Stories From the Life of a Migrant Child to find out.
The details: 134 pp. 1997 Review by Mason B.
The Circuit: Stories From the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jimenez
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Dec.15, 2011, under Battle of the Books 2011-2012, Biography or Autobigraphy, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? People who are interested in discovering how a boy who has had so much sadness and depression in his life can still create happiness out of it.
Why? The Circuit is about a boy whose family illegally immigrates to California from Mexico in hopes of finding good paying jobs and a better life. What they find is not what they expected. This story describes their life from the view point of the boy Panchito. Follow him in this heart breaking story as he struggles through poverty, and loss. Will his hard life finally pay off?
The details: 166 pp. 1997 Review by Zoe B.
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jimenez
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.20, 2011, under Battle of the Books 2011-2012, Biography or Autobigraphy, Multicultural Fiction, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone (grades 6 and up) interested in what it would have been like for a young boy in a poor Mexican family working on farms in California in the 1950s.
Why? Panchito is a young boy in Mexico when his father (Papa) decides to move his family to California to pursue the American dream. Their experience as farm workers, following the crops, comes alive through the first-person narration of Panchito. He tells a series of stories filled with heart-breaking difficulties and moving, meaningful moments in his life as a growing boy. Panchito tells of his efforts to help his family and to “prove” himself, his desire to excel in school, and of his disappointment when he has to miss school. These experiences come alive with his simple descriptions of particular people and events that held special significance for him. The stories follow a loose chronology but are more of a series of vignettes rather than a full autobiography. They give a stirring portrait of the immigrant experience that will spark much discussion. Be prepared for a difficult ending.
This book is a 2011-2012 Battle of the Books selection.
The details: 116 p. 1997 Review by Samrarian
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.28, 2010, under Battle of the Books 2010-2011, Biography or Autobigraphy, Sam's Reviews, Thriller
Who would like this book? Anyone who is interested in the intense drama surrounding Lincoln’s assassination or who just wants a good thriller.
Why? Swanson’s short version of the story of John Wilkes Booth is a gripping thriller that conveys the emotional impact of the tragic events of April 1865. Washington D.C. has erupted with great celebrations over the news of the end of the Civil War, and Lincoln’s speech is cheered. Swanson paints this opening scene and then focuses on the reaction from Booth, an ardent supporter of the South and slavery. Booth threatened Lincoln, telling his friend and co-conspirator that this speech would be Lincoln’s last. Booth, a dashing and dynamic actor, would spare no drama as he planned his attack on Lincoln and others in the administration. Swanson’s descriptive details of the attack and Booth’s 12 days on the run makes this biography into a suspenseful thriller. It’s a fantastic book for learning about Booth, Lincoln, and the country at the end of the Civil War. It’s such a riveting story, that even readers who do not usually like history will want to give it a try. The text is enriched by ample black-and-white illustrations — photographs, newspaper articles, and broadsides. By the way, as far as I know I am not related to Sam Arnold, one of Booth’s accomplices.
This book is a 2011 Battle of the Books selection.
The details: 194 p. 2009 Review by Samrarian
