Suzanne Slade

Perfect title, charming & enlightening & important, book.

I love the new picture-book biographies. When I was growing up all I recall are the heavier books that we'd use to write school reports. But now there are so many *stories* about people for kids to enjoy and to be inspired by. And the serious bit is reserved for the back matter, so the more casual and younger readers can just appreciate learning about these role models.

I also love that they're not as often about traditionally famous show more (read: mostly white male) people. These new biographical stories are very often about people who deserve to be more famous, who have actually done work that is of more significance and lasting impact. Comstock certainly does deserve that this book was written about her... and so does every family and every schoolchild deserve to read it. show less

This book talks about how racial segregation in sports lead to the creation of the Harlem Globetrotters team, who then not only showed they were good as white players but even better.

The main text of the book reads like the compelling story that is the history of the Globetrotters. Backmatter includes some additional context, and a lengthy timeline covers both front and back inside covers. The main text includes eye-catching illustrations while the inside covers include black-and-white show more photographs.

This is a very interesting read, especially for those youngsters who enjoy sports, history, and the place where the two meet. show less

This biography tells of the life of a girl named Isabella, who later became known as Sojourner Truth. She was born of parents who were slaves and eventually became a slave herself. The book describes what her life was like as a slave and and the pains that she endured. The book tells the reader how Sojourner had many siblings, but how she only knew one, and how her family was torn apart when she and her brother were sold to two different slave owners. I think this gives children something show more that they can empathize with; I feel that a child reading this could imagine what it would be like to be separated from their parents and siblings, giving them an idea of the depravities that slaves were forced to endure, other than the physical brutalities- something that is more easily imaginable and hits closer to home. I'd recommend this book. show less

There are 3 reasons why I like this book. First, it is funny and cute, teaching children information about an important subject while still keeping it light and interesting. Every page has a different sound on it in big writing like, “Plop!” or “Drip! Drip! Drop,” breaking up the text and drawing the reader back in to the fact that the text is about the water cycle. The water drops on each page talk, using text bubbles to have a conversation or say something funny such as, “Hey, show more guys! Look what we made!” or “Orange you cute!” The illustrations are also amusing and unrealistic, depicting the raindrops with sunglasses or triangular trees. Second, the language in this book is vivid and lively and keeps students engaged. Rather than just spewing facts, the language explains the water cycle and really shows instead of telling. The author also uses good verbs to make the writing more interesting. For example, she writes, “hurtles toward Earth” and “gushes out of a faucet.” Third, the text features in this book really help the reader to understand the content. Some pages have fun facts in smaller text so that it is easy for them to distinguish this text feature from the main text. At the end, there is a diagram of a raindrop’s journey with pictures and labels, summarizing the content in a simple and understandable way. There are also “Glossary” and “To Learn More,” giving students the resources they need to comprehend the book. Overall, the big idea of this book is to teach children about the water cycle. show less