Mara RockliffRecensioni

So this famous French dude called Buffon started badmouthing American flora and fauna in print, and Thomas Jefferson wasn't having it! He used his lifelong passion for numbers to disprove Buffon's assertions (although Buffon actually died before admitting he was wrong) in Notes on the State of Virginia.

Back matter includes a Jefferson quote and more information about his "mania for math" some of "Jefferson's numbers" (answering the questions raised in the book, e.g. How far was an hour's walk? How hot was it in Philadelphia in July 4, 1776?), primary sources, and selected secondary sources.½

"Addie never wanted to be ordinary." She danced onstage, rode an early bicycle ("the boneshaker"), sailed to America, married a magician and became part of the act onstage. When her husband Alexander died of a heart attack, Addie continued their magic show herself, even performing the dangerous bullet-catching trick.

Adelaide Hermann (1853-1932) wrote an unpublished manuscript, Sixty-Five Years of Magic, which she gave to a niece, and which was rediscovered by Margaret Steele, another stage magician, who published it in 2012.

The large trim size of the book and the pencil illustrations, digitally colored, combine to make a large, inviting "stage," with paper-doll-like figures framing or pointing readers' attention to the main action.

Exciting!

Secrets of the bullet-catching trick, revealed: https://mararockliff.com/bullet

A simply-told exploration of relative sizes.

A little bit scientific method, a little bit international diplomacy in the early days of the US. A story about how Franklin essentially proves the placebo effect, told in a lively fashion that I believe Franklin would approve of.

While the American Revolution was happening in what would be the United States, Benjamin Franklin went to France to ask the king and queen for help fighting England. While there, he observed Dr. Mesmer, and used the scientific method to figure out what was really happening - hypnosis, or the placebo effect?

Optical illusion endpapers, beautiful ribbony text, a variety of fonts, and gorgeous illustrations add up to something sumptuous yet not overwhelming. Back matter includes more information on the scientific method, Ben Franklin, and Franz Mesmer.

I got this book Juana Martinez Neal's illustrations, totally not realizing that it was a picture book biography of Lane Bryant and how her fashions came to be! While these illustrations aren't my favorite of Juana's, I still find myself drawn to this book because of this statement

"Any work that helps another human being has dignity. The only real success comes from filling a human need."

It is very inspiring that this guided Lane's business model...and her life model. I hope we see more of that!

Great story about Georgia Gilmore - someone not taught in school, but someone, like you and me, who did a little to make a difference.

This is the second picture book for kids I have read that tells the true story of Georgia Gilmore, whose sales of baked goods helped nourish the famous Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott. (The other is called Pies from Nowhere by Dee Romito.) The boycott began on December 1, 1955 after Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus. (Technically, Parks did not sit in the white section at all; she sat in the front row of the “colored” section and refused to give up her seat to a white when the bus got crowded.)

Georgia already had been avoiding buses for two months before Rosa was arrested on account of the way she had been treated by drivers. Thus Georgia was eager to help with the boycott, and the best way she knew was to take advantage of her skills as a cook. She began selling dinners, including her famous crispy chicken sandwiches, as well as cakes and pies, to generate money to help fund the movement. Then she organized a group of like-minded women to help. The women had to keep their activities a secret though, or they would lose their jobs. Therefore, Georgia recounted, when asked, the women said that the food “came from nowhere.”

Georgia’s employer did find out about her activities, however, after she joined more than 80 people testifying in Martin Luther King’s defense in a trial over the boycott. [City officials obtained injunctions against the boycott in February 1956, and indicted over 80 boycott leaders under a 1921 law prohibiting conspiracies that interfered with lawful business. King was tried and convicted on the charge and ordered to pay $500 or serve 386 days in jail in the case State of Alabama v. M. L. King, Jr.] Georgia was fired.

Somehow she had to support her six children, whom she was raising on her own. Dr. King advised her to improve the kitchen in her home and start her own business. He even gave her money for pots and pans. Word got around, and even whites came to Georgia’s for the food. Dr. King often came there and brought other civil rights leaders for important meetings. Guests at her home included Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy.

The resistance lasted 381 days and involved an improvised car pool system with 300 cars and dozens of pickup and drop-off locations for African Americans boycotting the buses. Much of the funding came from the Club from Nowhere, which raised so much money it purchased not only gas for the cars to use, but even some station wagons to add to the pool!

On November 13, 1956, U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws requiring segregated seating on public buses, and on Dec. 20, 1956, King called for the end of the boycott. In a wonderful conclusion, the author writes:

“Now, some folks in Montgomery said they had never tasted anything like Georgia’s chicken. Some declared there could be nothing more delicious than her pie. But that night, they tasted justice. And nothing else Georgia cooked up would ever taste so sweet.”

Back matter includes a note on what happened after the boycott, and a long list of sources.

Acrylic illustrations by R. Gregory Christie employ bright colors, serving as a reflection through art of the bold and uplifting events of that heady time when progress was made in civil rights.

Evaluation: This book for readers aged four and up is another welcome addition to materials that bring to light the way ordinary people can find ways to help fight injustice, and can make a big difference in the end.

This is a fun story about Ben Franklin, creating a hypothesis, scientific method, and what a placebo effect is. I would give this book to 3rd through 6th graders. I could see this book being used in the classroom to help explain why the scientific method is important. This was a great and fun book to read!

Lena Himmelstein lived with her grandparents, who taught her to read, write, and sew. She followed her older sister to America and found a job sewing; "she worked hard and learned fast." She studied English and fashion, and married David Bryant, though he died not long after she had a baby. Lena got her own sewing machine and figured out a way to help others through her work, as her grandfather had said: she designed an elegant, comfortable gown for a pregnant woman. She opened her own business, but signing her name at the bank, she mixed up the English letters in her name and wrote "Lane" instead of "Lena."

Mara Rockliff and Juana Martinez-Neal are a dream team! The hand-textured paper that makes up the background for Martinez-Neal's pencil, pastel, acrylic, linocut, and fabric illustrations lends an old-fashioned feel.

Back matter: Author's note, selected sources

"Any work that helps another human being has dignity. The only real success comes from filling a human need."½

neighborhood shabbat story

The story of the 1916 road trip around America that Nell Richardson and Alice Burke took to spread the message, VOTES FOR WOMEN!

This is a fun introduction to the women's suffragist movement and a nice depiction of two women on a mission (one where they do not drive off a cliff at the end). Also depicts the challenges of early road trips in America when there were few good roads, maps, or gas stations. Written for the K-2 crowd.

I borrowed this book via Hoopla and didn't realize it was an audio version. The enunciation was very clear and there are background sounds to help set the stage. I'll have to look for a hard copy of this book the next time I'm at the library or bookstore because I adore the cover image and want to see scene depictions.

Very interesting biography, definitely for older children. The story was great and well-paced. The information was pulled from different sources and the author's note does clarify more details and gives extra context for those interested.

Honestly, I thought it was a great book for those with children interested in history. This is also a good book to show the struggles of discrimination against women in the past (even though it still exists today) and how through not giving up, you can prevail. That being said, it could also just be a book about not giving up in general and staying true to who you are despite not exactly fitting in.

4/5 Cute story, great illustrations. Loved it for little history lovers and even not so little ones.

Goodreads Review:
An inspiring picture-book biography about the woman whose cooking helped feed and fund the Montgomery bus boycott of 1956, from an award-winning illustrator.

Georgia Gilmore was cooking when she heard the news Mrs. Rosa Parks had been arrested--pulled off a city bus and thrown in jail all because she wouldn't let a white man take her seat. To protest, the radio urged everyone to stay off city buses for one day: December 5, 1955. Throughout the boycott--at Holt Street Baptist Church meetings led by a young minister named Martin Luther King, Jr.--and throughout the struggle for justice, Georgia served up her mouth-watering fried chicken, her spicy collard greens, and her sweet potato pie, eventually selling them to raise money to help the cause.

Here is the vibrant true story of a hidden figure of the civil rights movement, told in flavorful language by a picture-book master, and stunningly illustrated by a Caldecott Honor recipient and seven-time Coretta Scott King award-winning artist.

Building a more peaceful world.

Really nice combination of showy typography and biography -- quite a straightforward and simply told bio of Adelaide Herrmann, but the book is anything but ordinary inside, as well.

This was a good book to read and I thought it was interesting. It talked about how Benjamin Franklin went to Paris during the American Revolution to ask for help with the war and while he was there, he helped the king of France discover whether someone truly had magical powers or not. He used the scientific method and blindfolds to help discover that people were imagining they were feeling better, not that it was a magical power by Dr. Mesmer. I think this would be a good book for upper primary students because there are some French words in the text and words that may be harder to understand, such as hypothesize. This would be a good book to share before discussing the scientific method and using it in a classroom.

This was a cute book to read but I did not like it when the boy tried dieting to get in shape, never diet it is bad for you.
In the book, the older brother ends up breaking his foot and ends up doing nothing over the summer except sit on the couch, eat junk food, and play video games. When it comes time for the boy to get in shape for soccer tryouts he struggles and tries to diet to get back into shape. His sister decides to help him out and points out that along with eating healthy he also needed to exercise. She gets him eating a well-rounded diet that ends up helping him then she ends up working out with him to help him get in shape for his soccer tryouts. The day for soccer tryouts comes around and the boy ends up making the team thanks to his sister's help.½

The watercolor illustrations create a heartwarming story of a baker who helps win the war! Set during the American Revolution, this lighthearted and humorous story is a great way to hook your students at the beginning of a unit. Based on the life of Christopher Ludwick.

Apples and bananas and potatoes are all well and good, but "Why not give something new a try?" wondered Frieda Caplan. She earned a reputation for trying anything, and convincing others to try new things too: mushrooms, blood oranges, kiwifruit, jicama, Asian pears, sugar snap peas, black radishes, cherimoya, seedless watermelon, kiwano (horned melon), habanero peppers, dragonfruit, mangosteen, lychee, and more. In a nod to picky eaters, the text concedes, "Of course, even Frieda didn't like everything [illustration of durian]. But she was always willing to try." Frieda's daughters joined her family business, which is still running today.

Back matter includes a biography of "produce pioneer" Frieda and a note on sources.

A delicious picture book bio that might even inspire readers to try new foods!½

"Beatrice Shilling wasn't quite like other children. She preferred tools to sweets": a double-page spread shows Beatrice outside a hardware store with a shiny new tool in hand, while other children look in the window of a candy shop. As Beatrice was born in 1909 in England, it was an uphill battle to become an engineer, but Beatrice had help and support along the way - often from other women. Still, she faced discrimination in school, during her job hunt, and at work, where she truly could fix anything - including Spitfires and Hurricanes during WWII.

See also: Rosie Revere, Engineer and The Most Magnificent Thing