Montrew Dunham

Neil Armstrong was interested in flying long before his landing on the moon. As a second grader he read about plane books that were meant for sixth graders, but he could read them perfectly. Neil had very caring parents who helped him and encouraged him to learn more about flying.They even let him take flight school at a young age! Neil did very well in school, and was recommended by his teachers to Purdue University which had a very strong aeronautical education. He joined the Navy and show more served in the Korean war before graduating Purdue. He joined NASA after leaving Purdue and was sent on of the first Gemini missions. After, he was selected to be the Apollo 11 lunar module capitan. He is supposed to be the first man on the moon! The flight went perfectly, Neil and Buzz were the first humans on the moon! After, they got many ceremonies and celebrations because of their accomplishments.

I really liked this book because of how it described Neil’s life, short, but important pieces of his story. I liked how this was written in the 1990’s because the author got to write about a recent accomplishment instead of a modern day author having to write about it today. It wasn’t dull and boring as some other biographies I’ve read, it’s light and fast-paced. It talks about Neil’s major accomplishments during his life, not him growing up. The author describes Neil’s determination to go to flight school by working many hours on the weekends. The book also shows Neil easily getting along with his friends. I rate this book a 4 ½ out of 5. show less

This book is very classic and uses practical language to bring to life the story of Abner Doubleday as a young boy. It is reminiscent of the Laura Ingalls Wilders’ books about her own childhood. The characters are well created; their personalities shine through their actions. Each of them is very distinct, showing virtue and passion for what they do. The plot is not particularly suspenseful or complicated, but is rather a simple story of the adventures that occurred in Abner’s everyday show more life as a child. This book is best suited for readers aged 8 to 12. The language used and the events incorporated into the plot best fit their reading comprehension level. I think that reading this book would greatly benefit them by allowing them to have a glimpse into life in the 19th century and into the origins of baseball. Young readers could learn greatly from Abner’s passion for what he did, which successfully shines through in this book.

To read our full review (complete with the kids' opinions!) go to The Reading Tub®. show less

This book is about a young African-American girl name Mahalia Jackson. Mahalia's mother dies at a very young age. Mahalia then becomes entirely devoted to taking care of her father. Mahalia is a very creative girl. She makes a mattress out of cotton sacks with corn husks and moss for filling. Mahalia faces many racial differences and learns to live with and overcome segregation. The book depicts her young life and follows some of her adult life upto when she is first recognized as a gospel show more singer. The remainder of the book talks of her encounter with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and her fight for Civil Rights for the African-American people.
I enjoyed this book because once again it starts out with an obstacle that is overcome.
This book can be used to talk about famous people in Black history, draw a picture of Mahalia Jackson, and have the children bring something they invented for show and tell. show less

Whenever Thurgood Marshall got into trouble at school, the principal would make him sit in the basement and read the US Constitution. By the time he was twelve, he had most of it memorized, and his interest in law had begun to take seed. In 1967, he was appointed to the US Supreme Court--the first African American to serve in that position.