Book of the Day: The Extraordinary Mark Twain According to Susy

The Extraordinary Mark Twain by Barbara Kerley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


13 year old Susy Clemens knew Mark Twain just about as well as anybody.  She lived with him after all.  Susy decided that no one had succeeded in writing an acceptable biography of her famous father so she set out to do so herself.  This book is a picture of Susy and life in the Celmens household as she wrote the very personal biography of Mark Twain.  Included are pages and paragraphs from the original journal and quotes by Mark Twain himself. IN the end, “people got what Susy thought they needed: a portrait of the ….extraordinary Mark Twain, according to Susy”
Following the story are a guide to writing and extraordinary biography which would be useful for teaching, and a timeline. Recommended to both adults and children alike.




View all my reviews

Surfer of the Century

Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku by Ellie Crowe


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Surfing is an exciting and mysterious sport, especially to those of us who live in land locked DFW. Duke Kahanamoku was a man who mastered this sport and shared his love of the water with the world. He learned to swim and surf at a young age, was able to hold his breath underwater for minutes at a time, set World Records for swimming in the Olympic Games, and even saved lives with the help of his surf board. Duke traveled all over the world promoting the sport of surfing and his dream was to see a surfing entered into the Olympic Games.


Surfer of the Century gives readers a look into the life of the man who revolutionized the sport. The illustrations are drawn in beautiful water tones that convey the setting of Dukes life and passion. The time line in the back shows all the highlights of his life as well as impact since his death. This is an interesting look at an impressive man.






View all my reviews

Don't Call Him Abe.

Abraham Lincoln has long been a personal hero of mine. He served the country during arguably the most difficult period in American history. He was clever, compassionate, and honest. Over the last several weeks, I've read nearly all of our library's 30 books on President Lincoln to learn more about him. Here are my top 4 favorites, plus an honorable mention.

#1

St. George, Judith. Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln. New York: Philomel, 2008.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 2-4.

Judith St. George is known for her series of books that includes So You Want to be a President?, and I'm really enjoying this series of hers called Turning Point Books. It's about the moment or event that leads a young person down an extraordinary path. For a young Abraham Lincoln, Judith St. George believes that it was his stepmother, Sally, that encouraged his education and independent way of thinking. This story begins with Lincoln's birth and the love he received from his biological mother Nancy and continues until Lincoln left home to pursue his destiny as a young man. Illustrations by Matt Faulkner are down in gouache and help the book seem woodsy and cozy.

#2

Bowler, Sarah. Abraham Lincoln: Our Sixteenth President. Chanhassen, MN: The Child's World, 2002.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 3-6.

This book was almost my number one pick. It has the most information of any book I picked, and the nonfiction reads easily. The best parts are the photographs and the interesting facts set into the margins. For example, did you know that President Lincoln did not liked to be called Abe? His close friends knew that and never called him by that nickname. This book also explains how much the Lincoln family grieved during the Civil War, both over the state of the nation and from personal tragedy.

#3

Harness, Cheryl. Young Abe Lincoln: The Frontier Days, 1809-1837. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 1996.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 1-4.

If you'd like to read stories about President Lincoln's childhood, this is a great book to read first. It also has neat pages of maps and facts, perhaps those are part of the book because National Geographic published it. This book begins with Lincoln's birth and ends with his move to Springfield, Illinois with a license to practice law.

#4

Turner, Ann. Abe Lincoln Remembers. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 1-3.

This is a unique biography. In the words of the author, it is "intended to explore how Lincoln might have thought and felt about the events that shaped him into one of our greatest presidents." Written in poetic narrative, Lincoln speaks about his life in first person, with the last verse ending as Lincoln prepares to visit the theater on April 14, 1865.

Honorable Mention:

David Adler's biography picture books are always good and A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln is no exception. Booklist recommends this book for grades K-3.

Find these books and more about Abraham Lincoln in the Bledsoe library.