Continuing the read of Sibert medals. This was an autobiographic children's picture book of someone I had not heard of. The art was serviceable but wiContinuing the read of Sibert medals. This was an autobiographic children's picture book of someone I had not heard of. The art was serviceable but with some quite nice pages. The writing was quite readable. We see some of Billy Mill's entire life. We also get a glimpse of the wider world of the time. A pretty good afterword as well including reference that the olympic clip of him winning the 10,000 meters was easily findable (and worth watching)....more
Continuing read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This isn't Maus. But it is a story worth knowing and remembering. The story is just a little weak, perhaContinuing read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This isn't Maus. But it is a story worth knowing and remembering. The story is just a little weak, perhaps because as dark as this is, the story is kept just a little bit light. And the art makes this story a bit less menacing than it ought to be. The story actually worked better once the war ended. But there is some pretty good after material. 3.5 of 5...more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This is yet another Bletchley Park book. This one is a basically a retelling from books and written bContinuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This is yet another Bletchley Park book. This one is a basically a retelling from books and written by some of the young women who worked their and stayed secret for years upon years. This does a better job than most of telling the whole story of the flow of secrets. A quick read and by making it about specific people, more approachable. Sure, this isn't the whole story. But worth reading....more
Continuing my read of Sibert awards - this is the first one I've read as it was awarded. This is a picture book, so pointed at the younger range of thContinuing my read of Sibert awards - this is the first one I've read as it was awarded. This is a picture book, so pointed at the younger range of the awards. The art is not in a style I particularly like and at the beginning of the book it is somewhat overwhelming. But it works for this book. It captures movement and energy. Roberto Clemente is a name I've known but I'm pretty sure it was because him dying the way he did. This book does a really nice job of telling who he was and what impact he had and left me wanting to know more of his story....more
Continuing my read Sibert Winners and Honors. This is current science in picture book form. Readable and approachable. Perhaps a little bit gross. ButContinuing my read Sibert Winners and Honors. This is current science in picture book form. Readable and approachable. Perhaps a little bit gross. But also kind of beautiful. This is the kind of quality I expect from this artist. With a pretty good afterword though a bit short. This is maybe a little clunky on the subject of ecosystems. And may not have enough details for say a middle school science project. But a really good read. More like this would be better....more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. And I'm just about done - there are just a few left that aren't at my closest two libraries.
This oneContinuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. And I'm just about done - there are just a few left that aren't at my closest two libraries.
This one was essentially a memoir, though written by someone else. This is one youngster's story of surviving. And it is the survivor's who's stories are more likely to be told. This is told in a fairly straightforward manner - and we don't really see the slaughter. Instead we see the slower version, of working to near-death and starvation. Certainly a story worth telling and told well, but basically an ordinary story....more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. I'm not a fan of spiders. And certainly not big spiders. But this book was pretty cool. It was also kContinuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. I'm not a fan of spiders. And certainly not big spiders. But this book was pretty cool. It was also kind of awkward to read - it was physically big with landscape orientation and relatively floppy. Lots of photos. Lots of details. But readable. And by focusing on one scientist, very relatable. But still spiders. 3.5 of 5...more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This is basically one researcher and artist's description of doing science in Antarctica. Great text Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This is basically one researcher and artist's description of doing science in Antarctica. Great text and art. Just the right level of detail. I feel I was there to some degree. And have some idea on what her penguins are like and what doing science there is about. Definitely makes me want to read more by this author....more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This seemed well researched and written. And the illustrations were good and informative. But also thContinuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This seemed well researched and written. And the illustrations were good and informative. But also this book felt long and boring. It did try to touch on lots of different aspects - from the origins of the Hunley and its sinking of a ship, to searching and discovery, recovery and dna. Perhaps a bit deeper than it could easily go in this format. Definitely not a bad book, just not one that I enjoyed....more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This one is on Jackson Pollock and in particular one of his paintings, Number 1 1950 (Lavender Mist).Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This one is on Jackson Pollock and in particular one of his paintings, Number 1 1950 (Lavender Mist). It is a compelling story. And to me the painting itself looks like very pretty floor tile. Good writing and art that communicates the style without it being the exact same style. I would have liked to have seen more reproductions of the art. But readable and not a bad intro....more
Continuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. And as a bonus this was also a Newbery nominee. A tough book. There were definitely a share of WWII SContinuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. And as a bonus this was also a Newbery nominee. A tough book. There were definitely a share of WWII Sibert related books, most connected to the Nazis in some manner. The idea of this book was a good one. I wish it had stuck to focusing on Hitler Youth. By touching on the larger story of the war, it weakened its aim. Some of this I read nowhere else, much of it I had read elsewhere and recently. It seems much of the power of the Nazis was built on its mandatory youth movement, more than I realized or remembered....more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This is my second book I've read on Marian Anderson. And this covered similar ground in similar ways,Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This is my second book I've read on Marian Anderson. And this covered similar ground in similar ways, with perhaps a bit more photographic record. And yet this hit just as hard, perhaps harder. How hard people of color had to work. How fast our history is lost....more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This was a bit of a tough read. Part of that, perhaps most of it, was the subject matter. The book waContinuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This was a bit of a tough read. Part of that, perhaps most of it, was the subject matter. The book was all text and it was clear and readable. But it was a slow slog without being able to blame that on the details. As expected this was a story worth telling and remembering. The conclusion took a try at making the case that Hitler's brand of fanaticism (crazyness) was still out in the world. This book touched on horrors but to some degree to didn't dwell on them. Still this was a dark book. 3.5 of 5...more
Continuing my read of Sibert award winners and honors. Another book on the Brooklyn Bridge. This one is a children's picture book. It has a good balanContinuing my read of Sibert award winners and honors. Another book on the Brooklyn Bridge. This one is a children's picture book. It has a good balance of words and pictures. I've read more detailed books on the subject and this one captures the important pieces of those details without getting lost in them. I never appreciated the Brooklyn Bridge when I lived in NJ and went over it every so often. But some subjects are worth returning to over and over. And the Brooklyn Bridge is one of them....more
Continuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. This was a fairly straightforward short biography. It was all text with a small insert with artwork aContinuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. This was a fairly straightforward short biography. It was all text with a small insert with artwork and photographs. This covered basically the artist's entire life and just a little of what happened to his work after his death. This was a fairly unhappy book. And as all text it just didn't sing. It was fine but it read slowly. ...more
Continuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. This is a short picture book biography of Sequoyah. There isn't much to it. Some of the writing is acContinuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. This is a short picture book biography of Sequoyah. There isn't much to it. Some of the writing is actually about the author hearing about the subject. Much of the book is taken up with a translation of the book into Cherokee using Sequoyah's syllabary. There was a bit about his life but not much. But it was a brilliant achievement. And well worth remembering. 3.5 of 5...more
Continuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. But also trying to finish my popsugar for the year - this one - this satisfied "A book written by an Continuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. But also trying to finish my popsugar for the year - this one - this satisfied "A book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person". This was one of the longer Sibert books - it was all text. And it does not seem to be banned. I did not find this especially compelling. I probably would prefer this in graphic novel form. The story is told pretty matter-of-factly - kid was dumb, kid paid the price, price could have been higher. The interview in the back was pretty good. And the message that sometimes some people get over their earlier mistakes. 3.5 of 5...more
Continuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. This was story worth reading. But at some point you end up with a book which is lists of dead and dyiContinuing my read of Sibert winners and honors. This was story worth reading. But at some point you end up with a book which is lists of dead and dying. This book doesn't quite hit that point. But it never really turned Ireland into a place, and its people into people. 3.5 of 5...more
Continuing my read of Sibert winners and Honors. This book was exhausting. It eventually got to a more readable point. But it was exhausting. I mean aContinuing my read of Sibert winners and Honors. This book was exhausting. It eventually got to a more readable point. But it was exhausting. I mean and educational. I'm always amazed at the history that just doesn't get mentioned. The photos, the details, there really was a lot here. But telling this story from anecdote didn't work all that well. And then of course the conclusion. All the wires are now buried in cities. Just not the two that I lived in as an adult (Portland, OR or Atlanta, GA - both of which are prone to ice storms). Obviously there has been a lot of change, and I am glad I read this. But it certainly wasn't enjoyable....more
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. Beautiful. Moving. Informative. With a terrific afterword which made the book (and the art) feel justContinuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. Beautiful. Moving. Informative. With a terrific afterword which made the book (and the art) feel just a little bit more personal. Certainly one of those people and stories that should never be forgotten and yet not one I was familiar with. I wanted just a little bit from this book. It is hard to fill that with a picture book. 4.5 of 5...more
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