The news and Internet has been flooded with conversation about the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama.  I have found it interesting that so many people are arguing with one another over a prize that is intended to celebrate peace and problem solving.  As I was looking in the biographies, I remembered a book that I recently ordered for our library called, Alfred Nobel:  The Man Behnind the Peace Prize by Kathy-Jo Wargin and Illustrated by Zachary Pullen.  I pulled out the book and read it to remind myself how this prize came to be and what Alfred Nobel intended it to be.

Alfred Nobel was an inventor.  He and his brother used nitroglycerin to create gun powder, blasting caps, and dynamite.  These devices had wonderful potential for doing good in the world, but people used these inventions in times of war and many people died because of them.  How in the world is this connected with peace, you ask?  Well, in this book, the author paints a picture of Alfred Nobel’s life and thoughts and how he came to create an award that celebrates peace.  You’ll need to read the book to find out how that happens.

The illustrations in this book are stunning.  I especially love the cover which shows a close-up of Alfred Nobel’s face with the reflection of a dove in his eye.  I also enjoyed reading through the list of Nobel Peace Prize winners found in the back of the book.  It includes winners from 1901-2008.  It seems like I only pay attention to the winners when they are faces and names that I recognize, but I enjoyed reading through the names and pausing to consider and honor each name and his/her accomplishments.

I hope that you will wonder more about the Nobel Peace Prize now that our president has received it.  I encourage you to stop by the media center and check out this book today.  How will you create peace in our world?

Reviewed By Mr. Plemmons

How would it feel to know that you were responsible for the death of someone you loved? In Gone from these Woods, Daniel Sartain must wrestle with this responsibility when he has a terrible hunting accident with his uncle in the Northeast Georgia woods. Donny Bailey Seagraves writes from the perspective of this 10-year old boy and captures the raw emotion that someone involved in a tragedy of this nature might face. Seagraves writes in such a way that you really feel as if you are wrestling with the same emotions and questions that Daniel faces. Her research is apparent in her writing. As I read this novel, I couldn’t help but think about the conversations that a novel such as this might bring about between a parent and a child reading the book together. Issues of gun safety, animal rights, hunting, suicide, depression, alcoholism, parent/child relationships, and more are all possibilities for discussion between a parent and child. I highly recommend this debut novel by Seagraves and hope that she will write many more.  It will be arriving soon in our media center, and Donny Bailey Seagraves will visit with our 3rd-5th graders on November 3rd!

Reviewed by Mr. Plemmons

Are you afraid of thunder?  Well, fear no more!  Next time we have a big gullywasher, try reading Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco.  In the story, the main character learns that there is no reason to be afraid of storms.  Instead of hiding under the bed while a summer storm rolls in, she and her babushka (grandmother) focus their energy on making a thunder cake.  As they gather the ingredients, they count slowly between the time when they see the lightning and the time when they hear the thunder.  That way, the little girl and her babushka can always tell how far away the storm is and how much time they have to bake the cake.  In the end, the little girl learns that she is much braver than she thought.  And the best part is that Ms. Polacco has included the recipe for thunder cake is included at the end of the book.  I always read Thunder Cake on stormy days, and that next time, you will too!

Reviewed by Ms. Meghan Beshara

Have you ever heard of the “Mercury 13”? Neither had I, until I discovered the book, Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Stone. This book tells the extraordinary story of 13 female aviators who attempted to become the first group of women to enter space during a time when women were thought of as just pretty housewives. The story takes place in the early 1960’s, and although I know things were much different then, I was astounded to read about how these capable pilots faced discrimination just because they were women.

Many people opposed even the idea of training women to be astronauts, so when testing began to see if the “Mercury 13” could endure the challenge of space flight, things were kept top secret. I think you will be as shocked as I was to read about the different tests these 13 women went through to prove females have what it takes to enter space. One test that sent chills up my spine was freezing water injected into the inner ear, causing vertigo. They also had to do things like drink radioactive water and float in an isolation tank for 9 ½ hours! They passed the tests with flying colors, but once word got out, people were outraged. The perspective remained that women belonged at home and not in space.

You’ll have to read the book yourself to find out what happens, but I will tell you that the situation becomes a fight for equal rights and brings out many injustices. I really enjoyed this book because it’s a true story about women daring to dream. This story also revealed to me a valuable lesson about daring to dream and that is: A dream can come true in many different ways, sometimes not the way one envisions it, but almost always, the courage to dream brings forth some sort of inspiration and hope, for ourselves and others. So live your dream and be inspired by this amazing book!

~Reviewed by Ms. Shelley Olin

Review of Apples and Pumpkins by:  Anne Rockwell

Illustrated by:  Lizzy Rockwell

There’s nothing to me that says “Fall” more loudly than a pumpkin.  As soon as I see that big display of pumpkins at my grocery store, I start feeling a little chilly and warm at the same time.  I love the feel and smell of fall.  I love the chilly mornings when I can wear my favorite soft sweaters, and I LOVE to make my 2 favorite pies:  pumpkin and apple.

This book brings my 2 favorite kinds of pies together.  The people in the book are wearing cozy sweaters, and there are the colors of fall leaves all through the book.  Everything fun that happens in fall is in this book.  The family drives to a country farm to pick apples and pumpkins.  My favorite page is the little girl picking the best pumpkin, the only one that’s waiting just for her.  My next favorite page is the dark page with a glowing funny face that they carved into that perfect pumpkin.  Ooh, I can just smell the seeds roasting in the oven!  On the last 2 pages, there are a lot of great ideas for Fall Trick or Treat costumes.

Whether you’re just learning to really read books on your own, you have a little sister or brother you like to read to, or you have someone who just loves to cuddle up and read to you, this is a super picture book to take home or back to your classroom to get you ready for the sights and smells of my favorite season.  It’s right around the corner.  So, what are you waiting for?  Go check out a book about Fall!

Reviewed by:  Kelly Hocking (“Ms. Kelly”)

Finding Buck McHenry

by Alfred Slote A Harper Trophy book, copyright 1991

This book has it all — mystery, history, drama, engaging characters and a heart-warming plot. It all begins when eleven year old baseball player and baseball card enthusiast Jason Ross gets cut from his Little League team. A school custodian, Mack Henry, was watching the practice game where Jason didn’t beat out the throw to first base. When Jason returns the bases to the school, Mr. Henry shows him how he could have beat out that throw. Then Jason takes the initiative, although bitterly disappointed, to recruit other “rejects” for the new expansion team for the league.

The new team is being formed because TV sports broadcast star has moved to town with his eleven year old daughter Kim, and he wants to have a team where she can play. It turns out Mr. Henry’s grandson Aaron has moved to town also and just happens to have a great arm. Jason recruits exactly two other players for the new team, and they are Kim and Aaron. He also finds out that Mr. Henry used to play for the old Negro Leagues and learns about a world he never knew existed. Mr. Henry agrees to be their coach and their team is on the way.

Jason seeks more knowledge about the Negro Leagues. He learns about the greats of days gone by who never got a chance to play in the majors. He sees an old Negro League baseball card and becomes convinced that Mr. Henry is the great Buck McHenry, one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived. Mystery and history merge effectively in this page turner of a book. The friendship of these three children is one of the important elements of this book. Kim is now living with her father after his recent divorce in a huge, empty house. Aaron has suffered a tremendous loss in his life and has lost all his joy in living.

Can these 3 kids and a school custodian put together a competitive team in the Little League? Can Kim compete with the boys? Can Aaron find his way back into the world? Can Jason solve the mystery of the great Buck McHenry? This book gives children a chance to learn more about friendship, baseball and fairness while reading a great book. This is a great book for boys and girls to enjoy. Finding Buck McHenry also makes a great family read-aloud. When my own son was in elementary school, I read it aloud to his class. I highly recommend this for Barrow Buddies!

~Reviewed by Jan Mullins~

Naming Liberty
Written by Jane Yolen with paintings by Jim Burke

Have you ever wondered how the Statue of Liberty was made or how it came to be in the New York harbor? Well this lovely picture book will tell you all about it along with the story of a young girl from Russia named Gitl who is coming to America with her family to find freedom.

One of the things I really like about this book is that it tells you two stories at the same time. The left hand pages tell the story of Gitl’s family as they make their way across Europe to get on a boat for America. The family goes through many difficult times, but they are determined o find a better life in American.The right hand pages tell the story of Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the French artist who designed the Statue of Liberty. Each page has paintings by Jim Burke that blend the two stories together beautifully.

There are some great facts about the Statue of Liberty that I never knew! How tall it is, how long it took to make it, how it was made and much, much more. Did you know that there is a connection between the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower in Paris? You’ll have to read the book to find out what it is. And you’ll be delighted to learn what Gitl’s American name is once she comes to America. Check out this book soon, I think you’ll really enjoy reading it.

~Reviewed Mrs. Molly Efland

Al Capone Does My Shirts

by Gennifer Choldenko
This book is about a kid named Moose Flanagan and what happens to him when his family moves to Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Moose knows that his family is moving to Alcatraz so that his sister, Natalie, can be closer to the Esther P. Marinoff School, which has an excellent reputation for kids like Natalie. But it’s hard to remember all that when his dad is hardly ever home anymore (he works two jobs for the prison) and Moose has to take on extra responsibilities with the care of his older sister since they no longer have family close by. It’s weird living so close to serious criminals like Scarface Al and Machine Gun Kelly and acting like this is all perfectly normal. Then Moose catches the attention of the warden (and not in a good way), in spite of trying to do the right thing. In the end, Moose discovers that it’s best to just come clean and that there’s nothing wrong with having Natalie for a sister.

I loved this book from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Moose is such a great guy, you just want to meet him in person and throw the ball around with him a little. The way he and the other kids on Alcatraz balance life on the island and school on the mainland, you’d think it was the most normal thing in the world. But I’ve been to Alcatraz Island, and it’s creepy! I can’t blame Moose for being a little freaked out a first. But my favorite thing about the whole book is how funny it is! You wouldn’t think a book about a prison and a family with so many problems would be funny, but it is. And in the end, it’s surprising where hope finally comes from. After reading this book, my only regret is that I wish Al Capone had done MY shirts.

Reviewed by Ms. Meghan Beshara