Monday, April 25, 2011

NONFICTION MONDAY

Welcome to Telling Kids the Truth. I am delighted to be hosting Nonfiction Monday, so, if you'd like to join in, please leave your name, your link, and a description of your post in the comment section below. I'll add links throughout the day, so check back later for a full list.


I will start us off with a review of MERMAID QUEEN written by Shana Corey and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. It is a 2009 title from Scholastic, but it is a recent addition to the children’s biography section at the Middleport Free Library, so I snapped it up.

In this book, I found a lovely colorful biography of an equally colorful woman named Annette Kellerman who swam to fame in the early 1900s. I love stories of women and men who changed history even for a moment. Most of their names fade into the fabric of life, but every once in a while a writer like Shana Corey recognizes the bravery and boldness of the story and polishes it until it shines.

Mermaid Queen shines as it tells the story of a feeble girl who grew up in an Australian household filled with music and dance. To make her legs stronger, Kellerman learned to swim, not the most fashionable sport of the time. But she made it her life, creating the first water ballet. She traveled to England and America dazzling her audiences with high dives and underwater dances, and shocking them with her daring bare-legged bathing suits. Single-handedly, Kellerman altered swimwear fashion from heavy woolen pantaloons to sleeker swim-friendly bodysuits. She was also ahead of her time promoting a healthy diet of fruits and veggies and vigorous exercise for women. She would have fit right in with Jillian on Biggest Loser.

The text is spare yet lively and active, and the design of the pages swoop and swirl. Mermaid Queen can easily be an enjoyable read at bedtime, but can be so much more with the addition of Corey’s author’s notes that detail Kellerman’s struggles and successes. Another title to put on my list of books I wish I had thought of.

Check out these posts:
At Books for Learning discusses The Honey Bee’s Hive: A Thriving City and some other bee picture books.
http://books4learning.blogspot.com/2011/04/picture-books-science-bees.html


Shelf-employed reviews Jean Fritz's book, Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider.
http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2011/04/alexander-hamilton-outsider.html


Rasco from RIF has written about Chris Barton's intriguing new book CAN I SEE YOUR I.D.? True Stories of False Identities. There is a P. S. with a message from Chris about autographed copies of the book.
http://bit.ly/dYEKbn

Prose and kahn can be found at http://proseandkahn.livejournal.com/214969.html.  I read The Far-Out Guide to Icy Dwarf Planets.


Amanda at Patchwork of Books is talking about Into the Unknown by Stewart Ross... an awesome look into exploration for middle grades.
http://apatchworkofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/non-fiction-monday-into-unknown.html


Karen at Literate Lives has a post about a new book, Energy Island, a story about how a community came together to find and use renewable energy sources, can be found at Literate Lives:
http://literatelives.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-energy-island.html


Read about Sugar Changed the World. http://thehappynappybookseller.blogspot.com/2011/04/sugar-changed-world-marc-aronson-marina.html
I always enjoying finding out who we have to thank for things we take for granted, like light weight swimsuit. And Jillian would love Kellerman


Angela Craft at Bookish Blather said -- I'll add in my thanks for hosting today! Sounds like an excellent book, and I think the subject would have gotten along with the subject of my review for the day. At Bookish Blather I review Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming http://bookishblather.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-review-amelia-lost-by.html


The Wild About Nature Writers said -- It's another giveaway at Wild About Nature blog! This week, enter to win your own copy of The Robins in Your Backyard by Nancy Carol Willis.
http://wildaboutnaturewriters.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-robins-in-your.html


maclibrary said... Thanks for hosting. I love The Mermaid Queen. Here's mine, a peak at a new book to be out in May: http://maclibrary.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/nonfiction-monday-when-bob-met-woody/


rlgibson said... For this week between Earth Day and Arbor Day, check out Redwoods at:
http://bookmuse.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/redwoods/    Happy reading!


For National Poetry Month Jennifer has a poetry/nonfiction title
http://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-birds-of-feather-by.html

Jeanne Walker Harvey says True Tales & A Cherry on Top features just such a picture book biography about two English brothers who were innovative photographers and avid birdwatchers. They created the first nature book entirely illustrated with photographs.
http://jeannewalkerharvey.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-belly-of-ox.html


Looks like a wonderful line-up already this morning. Can't wait to check these posts.
Wrapped In Foil has Kurt Cyrus' vibrant picture book The Voyage of Turtle Rex at http://blog.wrappedinfoil.com/2011/04/the-voyage-of-turtle-rex/

A great library non-fiction find - Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship. This is a story about the unusual friendship between a baby hippo and a 130-year-old turtle.
http://childliterature.blogspot.com/2011/04/owen-mzee-true-story-of-remarkable.html


Heidi Grange said...

Geo Librarian reviews National Geographic Kids Everything Sharks at http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-everything-sharks.html.

SimplyScience today has Planting the Wild Garden by Kathryn O. Galbraith. http://simplyscience.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/planting-the-wild-garden/


Nonfiction Book Blast has Prairie Storms by Darcy Pattison, who also wrote the post. http://nonfictionbookblast.wordpress.com/


Lynn Rutan and Cindy Dobrez said... At Bookends we are reviewing Albert Marrin's Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy. Thanks for hosting.

Lori Calabrese said... Mermaid Queen sounds like an interesting book! Thanks for sharing!
At Lori Calabrese Writes!, I review Start it Up: The Complete Teen Business Guide to Turning Your Passions into Pay


Anastasia Suen has Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin': A History of American Musical Instrument Makers by Susan VanHecke at Chapter Book of the Day http://wp.me/p1fHyF-4j  and The Human Body: Lift the Flap and Learn by Pascale Hedelin (Author) and Robert Barborini (Illustrator) at Picture Book of the Day http://wp.me/pWySC-cm






28 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting. The Books4Learning post is on The Honey Bee’s Hive: A Thriving City and some other bee picture books.

    http://books4learning.blogspot.com/2011/04/picture-books-science-bees.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My post today is on Jean Fritz's book, Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider. Thanks!
    http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2011/04/alexander-hamilton-outsider.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for hosting Nonfiction Monday! I have written about Chris Barton's intriguing new book CAN I SEE YOUR I.D.? True Stories of False Identities. There is a P. S. with a message from Chris about autographed copies of the book.

    http://bit.ly/dYEKbn

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi and thanks for hosting. My entry can be found at http://proseandkahn.livejournal.com/214969.html. I read The Far-Out Guide to Icy Dwarf Planets.

    brenda

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for hosting today! Over at my blog, I'm talking about Into the Unknown by Stewart Ross... an awesome look into exploration for middle grades.

    http://apatchworkofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/non-fiction-monday-into-unknown.html

    Amanda
    A Patchwork of Books

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for hosting Nonfiction Monday! My post about a new book, Energy Island, a story about how a community came together to find and use renewable energy sources, can be found at Literate Lives:

    http://literatelives.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-energy-island.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am in with Sugar Changed the World. Thank you for hosting.

    I always enjoying finding out who we have to thank for things we take for granted, like light weight swimsuit. And Jillian would love Kellerman

    http://thehappynappybookseller.blogspot.com/2011/04/sugar-changed-world-marc-aronson-marina.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'll add in my thanks for hosting today! Sounds like an excellent book, and I think the subject would have gotten along with the subject of my review for the day. At Bookish Blather I review Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming http://bookishblather.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-review-amelia-lost-by.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's another giveaway at Wild About Nature blog! This week, enter to win your own copy of The Robins in Your Backyard by Nancy Carol Willis.

    http://wildaboutnaturewriters.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-robins-in-your.html

    Thanks for hosting this week!

    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for hosting. I love The Mermaid Queen. Hhere's mine, a peak at a new book to be out in May: http://maclibrary.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/nonfiction-monday-when-bob-met-woody/

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for hosting. For this week between Earth Day and Arbor Day, check out Redwoods at:
    http://bookmuse.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/redwoods/
    Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  13. For National Poetry Month I have a poetry/nonfiction title

    http://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-birds-of-feather-by.html

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for hosting today, Peggy. Yes, I so agree with what you wrote about The Mermaid Queen: "I love stories of women and men who changed history even for a moment. Most of their names fade into the fabric of life, but every once in a while a writer ... recognizes the bravery and boldness of the story and polishes it until it shines"

    True Tales & A Cherry on Top features just such a picture book biography about two English brothers who were innovative photographers and avid birdwatchers. They created the first nature book entirely illustrated with photographs.


    http://jeannewalkerharvey.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-belly-of-ox.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. Looks like a wonderful line-up already this morning. Can't wait to check these posts.

    Wrapped In Foil has Kurt Cyrus' vibrant picture book The Voyage of Turtle Rex at http://blog.wrappedinfoil.com/2011/04/the-voyage-of-turtle-rex/

    The Mermaid Queen was a Cybils finalist last year. I really enjoyed it, too.

    Thanks for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  16. A great library non-fiction find - Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship. This is a story about the unusual friendship between a baby hippo and a 130-year-old turtle.

    http://childliterature.blogspot.com/2011/04/owen-mzee-true-story-of-remarkable.html

    ReplyDelete
  17. Geo Librarian reviews National Geographic Kids Everything Sharks at http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-everything-sharks.html.

    Thanks for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you for hosting. SimplyScience today has Planting the Wild Garden by Kathryn O. Galbraith. http://simplyscience.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/planting-the-wild-garden/

    ReplyDelete
  19. Nonfiction Book Blast has Prairie Storms by Darcy Pattison, who also wrote the post. http://nonfictionbookblast.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  20. At Bookends we are reviewing Albert Marrin's Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy. Thanks for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Mermaid Queen sounds like an interesting book! Thanks for sharing!

    At Lori Calabrese Writes!, I review Start it Up: The Complete Teen Business Guide to Turning Your Passions into Pay

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for hosting today! I have Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin': A History of American Musical Instrument Makers by Susan VanHecke at Chapter Book of the Day http://wp.me/p1fHyF-4j and The Human Body: Lift the Flap and Learn by Pascale Hedelin (Author) and Robert Barborini (Illustrator) at Picture Book of the Day http://wp.me/pWySC-cm

    ReplyDelete
  23. I loved the Mermaid Queen, such a fun picture book biography!

    I have another picture book bio for non fiction Monday, it is The Watcher, about Jean Goodall, http://booksdogsandfrogs.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/the-watcher-jean-goodalls-life-with-the-chimps/

    Thanks for hosting,
    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you for sharing about the Mermaid Queen - I can't wait to find this. I love how you describe it swooping and swirling!

    Today I've shared about Sibert winner Kakapo Rescue:

    http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/kakapo-rescue-saving-worlds-strangest.html

    thanks for hosting!
    Mary Ann

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for hosting, Peggy, and I love your review of Mermaid Queen! Somehow I missed that one when it came out, so I'll have to go back and look for it. Please see my review of I Am Tama, Lucky Cat at http://lauriethompson.com/2011/04/25/review-tama-lucky-cat/. Not nonfiction in the strictest sense of the word (it's told from the cat's point of view!), but it is a picture-book retelling of a popular Japanese legend that is very accessible to kids, so I think it's worth including.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks for hosting.
    "The Day-glo Brothers: the true story of Bob and Joe Switzer's bright ideas and brand-new colors" written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Tony Persiani is today's selection at http://janetsquires.blogspot.com/.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thanks for hosting! I have a late entry with 3 books about the Revolutionary War:

    http://www.jenrothschild.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-revolutionary-war.html

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is really an interesting article. Thank you for sahring.

    ReplyDelete