Rebecca Rowell

This is a rigorously researched, documented, and wonderfully presented text. Although its title clearly states it is concerned with Ellis Island, for such a well-compiled text, one might hope to see any acknowledgement of Asian immigration and the less than hospitable Angel Island experience - no such luck. Other than that, there is not so much to dislike about Rowell's text. We read about a patrician American lawyer, handpicked by the Great Reformer Teddy Roosevelt, himself also from the show more lofty patrician caste; Williams, having never met the President, seemed qualified to bring about the kind of reform Roosevelt sought to bring to American government in general, and Williams did not disappoint. From insisting on well-manicured grounds and landscaping to ridding the ranks of the employed whose worst, most reliable habits were rooted in corruption, Williams brought about the kind of change The Big Stick Reformer could be proud of. Once his work was done, Williams returned to the life of someone descended from the originally important families of American history. Called upon a second time to serve his country, Williams decided to act on his most disappointing of impulses, sadly common to too many upper-crust Americans in their thinking about certain classes and ethnic groups. Rowell does an outstanding job making sure the read is well-acquainted with Williams' insidious efforts to allow only those deemed "fit" for entry to American shores. An excellent book which merits the time well-spent reading its text and browsing its images. show less

This biography of Charles Lindbergh is damning in its aggressive neutrality. As an adult reading between the lines, the author appears to feel Lindbergh, who was considered in his own time to be an anti-semitic NAZI sympathizer, was kind of dirtbag. In my experience, discussion of Lindbergh is generally limited to his Sprit of Saint Louis flight, and/or the kidnapping of his son, avoiding the awkwardness of his appalling politics and tyrannical personality. This book, merely by providing a show more rote and at times ambiguous recitation of the facts of Lindbergh's second act, takes that awkwardness head on. Sort of.

My favorite quote: "Regardless of his political beliefs and speeches, or how his behavior affected his wife and children, there is no denying Lindbergh's influence on aviation." My grandfather, a highly successful lobbyist who had to ingratiate himself to people for a living, was a master at making vague statements that at first pass sounded a lot like compliments, and this sentence fits that bill. He would have approved.

Part of the Extraordinary Lives series, this biography is appropriate for students aged 8 through 13, and includes a table of contents, a timeline, an essential facts section, additional resources, a glossary, source notes, and an index.

Because it paints a relatively complete picture, this is a solid YA Lindbergh biography for any collection. However, as a nonfiction book in general, the text itself was less than compelling. show less

My 9th and 10th grade students just finished learning about Malala Yousafzai, so I was curious to read this book and see how it compared to the National Geographic article my students read in class and the documentary "He Named Me Malala". I thought it was interesting that the author started the book with the most famous (and most attention-grabbing) part of Malala's life story--when she was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban for refusing to stop attending school. The book then goes show more on to give a bit of the history of Pakistan, which might have been more helpful as an introduction or foreword. That being said, I learned a lot from this book. I thought it was particularly fascinating that even though women still struggle to have equal rights in Pakistan, the country made history by electing a female Prime Minister in 1988: the Muslim world's first female leader. The book then goes on to explain Islam and the Taliban; Malala isn't mentioned again until Chapter 5. While slightly disorganized, I felt as though the research that went into this book was quite extensive. Before I read this book, I thought I had a pretty clear understanding of Malala's life, but I was surprised to learn several new facts and details. I especially liked the timeline, which was featured in the back of the book. I wish I had known about this book sooner. I definitely could have used it in my ESL class in our "Fight for Education" unit. show less

Malala is an education activist from Pakistan. From a young age Malala spoke out publicly about the discrimination girls faced in regards to their education. Growing up, there were several times when the local Taliban banned girls from attending school. Standing up for what she believed in, Malala continued to advocate for girls right to education. When she was just 15 years old members of the Taliban shot Malala in the head on her way home from school. They wished to silence anyone who show more fought against them, but they failed. Malala survived the attack, and word of what happened spread globally. People from all over the world came together to help Malala in her fight for equal educational rights. Malala has since written books, become the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and continues to be an activist for education. show less