Robin S. DoakRecensioni

00011773

970.01

The main idea of this biography is to tell about the life of Mark Zuckerberg and his creation of the social media platform Facebook. The book is broken down into five chapters discuss his early life, the creation of Facebook, and the Facebook community. The book contains great visuals for readers to make connections.

A YA book on the life of Stonewall Jackson, not heavy on details, but perfect for when you want to dip your toe into a subject and if you find it interesting, you can move on to more detailed books from the adult section.

Nice pictures, including the grave that was made for his arm which was amputated after being shot by his own men.

The book, “Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge,” is a biography of Kate Middleton life. From younger age to now. From who she was to who she became. This book really goes into detail and portrays that detail as very organized and fun; with different fonts and pictures. Kate is the wife of Prince George of the United Kingdom. This book gives a timeline of Kate’s life before she met the Prince, how she met the Prince, and her life with the Prince. I think this book really shows that true love does exist and it is not all about royalty and money.

This book was a good informative book about citizenship because it presented information in a kid friendly matter. Also, it presents factual information, meaning there are no presented facts that are fictional.
Summary: What this book is about is summed up in the title of the book. It's about U.S. citizenship. It outlines other 'super citizens', such as Benjamin Franklin, and discusses what makes up a super citizen.
Use: US Government/History, Multicultural Education (understanding who we are).
Media: Photographs

An excellent introduction to and overview of Galileo's life and work. This book is heftier than it looks at first blush, and is beautifully illustrated. And Doak is skilled at blending history with science, and humanizes Galileo with her use of anecdotes and quotes.

I have loved the story of his older daughter, Virginia (later Sister Maria Celeste), since reading Dava Sobel's "Galileo's Daughter," and this book includes wonderful information about her relationship with her father -- the fact, for instance, that biological sisters were not supposed to be placed in the same convent together, but that Galileo pulled some strings so that Virginia and her sister Livia would be allowed to be together. And Doak includes this beautiful quote from a letter Virginia wrote after Galileo was freed from prison and allowed to live out the rest of his life under house arrest:

"There are two pigeons in the dovecote waiting for you to come and eat them; there are beans in the garden waiting for you to pick them. ...When you were in Rome, I said to myself: 'If he were only at Siena!' Now that you are at Siena [where Galileo was staying with a sympathetic archbishop] I say: 'If only he were at home! But God's will be done."

But this book's main focus is, of course, how Galileo pretty much invented the idea that science ought to be about testing, experimenting, and observing, rather than obediently accepting logical ideas that have been passed down by (admittedly brilliant) thinkers.

An outstanding book for intelligent readers of all ages.

Page 20: "To help support his new community. . . soon began raiding . . . caravans." Page 22: At Badr "Muhammad's victory was seen . . . as a sign from God that Muslim raids were just and right." No mention of sending message to all kings in the area, asking for peace. Source is Hitti.

Grades 3-6

This solid biography covers Clinton's childhood, early career, life as the First Lady, as Senator of New York, and her just-ended term as Secretary of State. Also covered is her bid for the 2008 presidency, and the possibility that she will run again in 2016. Information is presented objectively and in an engaging voice. Abundant full-color photos with captions show Clinton in her various roles and nicely complement the text. A timeline details her travels during 2012 as Secretary of State, and backmatter includes statistics, glossary, index, and further reading. A great choice for reports or for students who wish to learn more about this energetic politician.

This is an excellent biography to teach about activism and specifically, the United Farm Workers movement. This book is full of photographs, sidebars, maps, timelines, as well as engaging stories throughout the text to add to the biography of her life and her cause.
Dolores Huerta's tenacity makes her a great leader for students to learn about. I think its crucial that students learn about this movement in addition to the Civil Rights movement in order to draw conclusions about the time period and the struggle for justice. I also feel that I would be more likely to choose this biography over one about Cesar Chavez (there are significant mentions of his contributions in this book) because she just as important as Chavez but is less known, likely because she is a woman.
The most disheartening part of this book is the end, when there are quotes from Huerta in her old age commenting on how today many migrant workers face many of the same disparaging conditions that they faced 50 years earlier. Yet, even in this realization she maintains her optimistic tone, her faith in people and the belief that we can overcome injustice. In this vain, this is a very strong message to send to students today- that many inequalities exist, and that the fight for rights is not a thing of the past.

There were a few powerful quotes that I wanted to point out:
The first is from Dolores remembering something her mother on page 40, "When you see something that needs to be done, especially someone who needs help, you have to help them. And don't expect any compensation or rewards for what you've done because what you're doing is a reward in itself."

and the second is from Lori, Dolores' daughter, recounting a similar comment made by her mother on page 67: "Giving kids clothes and food is one thing you know, but its much more important to teach them that other people besides themselves are important, and that the best thing they can do with their lives is to use them in the service of other people."

The theme of sacrifice underlines the story of Dolores Huerta, and makes this a very powerful book for readers of any age.

"Voices from Colonial America: California 1542-1850" is an excellent expository book packed with primary sources. The historical periods covered span from the mid-1500's to the beginning of the Gold Rush and statehood. In the chapters "Life at the Missions" , "Presidios and Pueblos" and "Life in Mexican California", author Robin Doak makes an extremely complicated society (with its patronage system and interrelated groups) make sense. The book includes historical maps and images, timelines, and resources. Although the text is clearly written and would not be overwhelming for a fourth grader, on page 50, one of the historic letters from the head of the San Diego mission includes a comment about rape: "Very many of them [the soldiers] deserve to be hanged on account of the continuous outrages which they are committing in seizing and raping the [Indian] women". Teachers will need to decide whether this sensitive material would be too disturbing for their students.

reviewed

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