Booklist Online: Book Reviews from the American Library Association

Lynn: There have been many outstanding books about the Dust Bowl but Marrin’s Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl (Penguin/Dutton, 2009) is a book that belongs in every public and school library in this country. Even in this year of extraordinary nonfiction, Marrin’s new book stands out with its exemplary [...]

Cindy: Ladies and gentlemen, Children Of All Ages, with delightful derring-do and glitzy grammatical garnishing, Cindy Dobrez and Lynn Rutan, in conjunction with the superior cyberspectacular known as www.Ringling.com are proud to present the following fabulous book review! (this website will Barnumize your email or text!) Where to start in describing the wealth of interesting [...]

Lynn: If you are a regular reader of this blog you have heard us say over and over what a tremendous year it is for nonfiction. Sorry to sing the refrain again but, wow, what a year for nonfiction! Here is another remarkable nonfiction book that MUST be added to collections everywhere. This is Mother [...]

Cindy: It’s no small feat to take the events of the Holocaust, Anne Frank’s life and diary, and Wiesenthal’s lifelong work as a Nazi War Crime hunter and present them in 40 pages in a form accessible to elementary students. In the capable hands of Rubin, though, The Anne Frank Case (Holiday House, 2009) does [...]

Lynn: One of the best things about reading is learning cool facts to share. Secret Subway (National Geographic, May 2009) is packed with interesting facts and fascinating stories that will enthrall readers - teens and adults. How can you not love a book that shares the story of how the first subway was [...]

Lynn: When Smithsonian scientist Dr. Douglas Owsley asked Sally Walker if she would be interested in writing a children’s book about the colonial settlers of the Chesapeake, she jumped at the idea. The result is a completely fascinating book that introduces and explains the processes of forensic anthropology while also painting a vivid picture [...]

Lynn: When most of us describe Abraham Lincoln, “techie” is not one of the terms that comes to mind. Now, thanks to Thomas and Roger Allen’s absorbing book, I realize that in today’s parlance, Lincoln was an early adapter! Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War (National Geographic, 2009) begins with the startling observation that [...]