Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Above the Rim How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball

Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball
by Jen Bryan, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
Abrams Books for Young Readers (October 6, 2020)
Nonfiction * Autobiography * Basketball
Audience: Ages 7 to 11
IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads: The story of Elgin Baylor, basketball icon and civil rights advocate, from an all-star team

Hall-of-famer Elgin Baylor was one of basketball’s all-time-greatest players—an innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. One of the first professional African-American players, he inspired others on and off the court. But when traveling for away games, many hotels and restaurants turned Elgin away because he was black. One night, Elgin had enough and staged a one-man protest that captured the attention of the press, the public, and the NBA.

Above the Rim is a poetic, exquisitely illustrated telling of the life of an underrecognized athlete and a celebration of standing up for what is right.

Quick thoughts about the book:
Okay, I have a confession to make. I have only watched one full length professional basketball game and it was a WNBA game and I can’t tell you who the L.A. Sparks played that day. When I would take my nephew to his basketball games at the “Y”, I would compare it to a bunch of puppy dogs falling all over each other as they chased a ball. I still don’t understand why people watch basketball. A bunch of people run down the court bouncing and passing a ball and they score. Then back up the court to do the same thing.

For all of my lack of interest in basketball, I was drawn to the cover of Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Frank Morrison. It just calls to you to pick it up and read it.

Since I already confessed my lack of knowledge of basketball, I know you won’t be surprised that I knew nothing about Elgin Baylor. However, by the end of the book, my admiration for Baylor, his sport and his civil rights advocacy grew exponentially.

In a recent Facebook post, I mentioned that I know picture books can take years to come out, but sometimes the timing seems planned. Just a few days before I read Above the Rim, the NBA and WNBA led a protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake by refusing to play. Several NBA teams have offered up their venues as safe socially distance places for voting in November. The NBA is also partnering with Yale researchers to create an effective, rapid test for COVID-19.

I am not surprised that Elgin Baylor protested how he was treated compared to his white teammates. Bryant does a masterful job of placing Baylor into the timeline of the 1950’s and 1960’s Civil Rights Movement with images and references of Rosa Parks, the Little Rock 9, and the Woolworth lunch counter sit-in. Bryant’s poetic writing brings refrains that act as a chorus to a song. All of this is paired with Morrison’s dynamic paintings.

The end pages include an author’s note, recommendations for further reading, a timeline of important events. This is one picture book biography that you won’t want to miss.

Elgin Baylor - Most Underrated Player in NBA History

Check out Jen Bryant’s webpage about Above the Rim, here. For more information about illustrator, Frank Morrison, click here.

Above the Rim is available for preorder here.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: The Great Chicago Fire (History Comics)

The Great Chicago Fire: Rising From the Ashes (History Comics)
by Kate Hannigan, Illustrated by Alexandra Graudins
First Second (June 30, 2020)
Nonfiction * History * Comics
Audience: Ages 9 to 12
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
With History Comics you can travel back in time to the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, the deserts of the American southwest, the riot at the Stonewall Inn, and beyond! In this new nonfiction graphic novel series from First Second, the past comes alive!

In this volume, a deadly blaze engulfs Chicago for two terrifying days! A brother, a sister, and a helpless puupy must race through the city to stay one step ahead of the devilish inferno. But can they reunite with their lost family before it’s too late? With History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire, you'll learn how a city rose up from one of the worst catastrophes in American history, and how this disaster forever changed how homes, buildings, and communities are constructed.

Quicks thoughts on the book:
Ahh! Where is the line between historical fiction and nonfiction? Or Informational fiction and Nonfiction? These are questions that pop, especially when reading graphic or illustrated books. And kept nagging me as I was reading The Great Chicago Fire (History Comics) by Kate Hannigan and illustrated by Alex Graudin.

I have been a big fan of First Second’s Science Comics and was excited to see that there would be a series of history comics being released. As I read through the story, I learned a lot about the facts that led up to the Chicago Fire of 1871 and the evolvement of Chicago into a thriving city as change came to the city. Hannigan doesn’t shy away from acknowledging and pointing out the bias towards the immigrant communities, particularly the Irish during this period of time. Hannigan, also, explores multiple possibilities for how the fire began that October evening. Like many people I assumed that Mrs. O’Leary and her cow had started the fire that fatal night, only to learn that she was cleared of this accusation in 1997.

Though the addition of Franny and her brother, JP, and a very small pup named Lucky provides the book with a narrator for the events of the night and following days, I had to assume that they were fictional. I am excited to share this new graphic novel with students and think there can be many conversations about how Hannigan clearly identifies factual information while also using fictional elements. This is an especially important skill for children to develop when reading informational texts.

At the end of the book, back matter includes an author’s note, timeline, fast facts, places to visit and bibliography & resources.

And during this time of #stayhomestaysafe, consider supporting your local indie bookstores .

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

#NF10for10: Celebrating Immigrants

What is #nf10for10

In 2010, Mandy Robek and Cathy Mere hosted the first picture book event. In 2013, Julie Balen suggested a nonfiction picture book event that worked the same. Participants choose 10 nonfiction picture books to share.

What: 10 nonfiction picture books you can't live without.
Hashtag: #nf10for10
Hosts: @mandyrobek (Enjoy and Embrace Learning), @jacbalen (Connecting to Learn), @cathymere (Reflect & Refine)
Who: Anyone interested --- educators, media specialists, librarians, parents, and book lovers.
When: Monday, February 10th
Where: All posts for 2020 will be linked here at Reflect & Refine

If you ever want to identify gaps in your reading or gaps in the publishing field, try selecting a topic and see if you can pull together ten nonfiction picture books. For this year’s #NF10for10, I spent a lot of time trying to narrow down the focus. I found a bunch of gaps. I am still not finding enough biographies on women of color and though there are a number of true stories about immigrants and fictionalized stories on refugees, we need true stories about refugees and more diversity in the books celebrating immigrants and their contributions.

Here are 10 books that I selected. They are not in any particular order.

Soldier for Equality: José de la Luz Sáenz and the Great War by Duncan Tonatiuh (Harry N. Abrams) - In the past couple of years, we are getting more stories around World War I. I am cheating on this one because de la Luz Sáenz was actually a first generation Mexican American. However, I felt his story was important to include and to understand the work he did to help create the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which is the oldest Latino civil rights organization.

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson, Illustrated by Rebecca Huang (Sterling) - I am thrilled that the stories of women who often never received any recognition for their work while they were alive are finally coming out. We need more of them. The hard work, perseverance, and dedication of woman like Wu Chien Shiung are inspiring and need to be told.

Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung, Illustrated by Chris Sasaki (Schwartz & Wade) - Tyrus Wong was a Chinese immigrant who dreamed of becoming an artist. Wong’s work is best known for the backgrounds of the Disney movie, Bambi.

Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet by Elizabeth Rusch, Illustrated by Teresa Martainez (Charlesbridge) - Mario Molina was a curious little boy who became a scientist and through research identified how CFCs were causing a “hole in the sky”.

Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle, Illustrated by Rafael Laopez (Atheneum Books) - A young girl flees a revolution in Venezuela to come to the United States during the Civil War. Music brought her comfort and she shared that with others.

Hedy Lamarr's Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Katy Wu (Sterling) - Growing up, I had heard of Hedy Lamarr as an actress though I was not really familiar with her work. Never did I imagine that she had another side to her and that one of her inventions helped create a groundbreaking communications system.

Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, June Jo Lee, Illustrated by Man One (Readers to Eaters) - Food trucks have been around for a long-time, as has cultural street food. Choi’s unique spin takes food trucks to new levels.

Growing Up Pedro: How the Martínez Brothers Made It from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues by Matt Tavares (Candlewick Press) - It is hard enough to rise up to the level of professional baseball player and harder still when the odds seem insurmountable. Tavares captures it all in his story of Pedro Martinez.

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (Neal Porter Books) - Morales shares her story of coming to the United States with a young son and her dreams. What readers get is a love story about strength, passion, and books.

First Generation: 36 Trailblazing Immigrants and Refugees Who Make America Great by Sandra Neil Wallace, Rich Wallace, Illustrated by Agata Nowicka (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) - This one might be cheating a bit since it is really a bit more than a picture book and shares about 36 immigrants but I had to include it.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Mary's Monster

Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
by Lita Judge
Roaring Brook Press (January 30, 2018)
Nonfiction * Biography * Literary
Audience: Young Adult
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads: 
A young adult biography of Frankenstein's profound young author, Mary Shelley, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of its publication, told through free verse and 300+ full-bleed illustrations.

Mary Shelley first began penning Frankenstein as part of a dare to write a ghost story, but the seeds of that story were planted long before that night. Mary, just nineteen years old at the time, had been living on her own for three years and had already lost a baby days after birth. She was deeply in love with famed poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, a mad man who both enthralled and terrified her, and her relationship with him was rife with scandal and ridicule. But rather than let it crush her, Mary fueled her grief, pain, and passion into a book that the world has still not forgotten 200 years later.

Dark, intense, and beautiful, this free-verse novel with over 300 pages of gorgeous black-and-white watercolor illustrations is a unique and unforgettable depiction of one of the greatest authors of all time. 

Official Book Trailer:

The Making of Mary's Monster:

Thoughts on the book:
As I wind-up Women's History Month and transition to National Poetry Month in April, I am celebrating with Lita Judge's Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and how Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein. I have been a huge fan of Lita's picture books and was excited to find out about her latest book, which is so very different from anything that she has done before. 

When I first learned that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was essentially a teenager, I was amazed. Not only did she write a powerful book as a teenager but a young woman during a time period when women had very little choice. I wonder what Shelley would think if she knew that 200 years later her novel continues to be read and taught in classes all over the country.  

Judge reaches back into history to bring Mary Shelley to present day readers. Through the reading of Shelley's journal, and the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the poetry of Lord Byron, along with a biography on Mary Wollstonecraft, Judge crafted an intimate look at Shelley's life. 

I loved that Judge choose to write this book as a collection of free verse poems accompanied by 300 pages of illustrations. 

Thank you Lita for such a beautiful book to celebrate the life and work of Mary Shelley. 

Additional Resources:
Mary's Monster Timeline - Definitely check out this post by Lita, here
The History Chicks: Mini Podcast - Mary Shelley
Interview with Lita Judge on The Mary Sue, here

And for an illustrated version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I recommend Gris Grimmly's Frankenstein. 

A couple of years ago, I got to see the taped version of the National Theatre's (London) Adaptation of Frankenstein. I am hoping that some day they will release the video for more people to see. It was amazing. 

About the author: 
Lita Judge is the author and illustrator of several award-winning picture books including How Big Were Dinosaurs?, Bird Talk, Born in the Wild, Flight School, and Red Sled. After a summer spent reading Mary Shelley's handwritten journals, Lita embarked on a five-year journey to tell the story of this courageous teenager. She lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Website | Twitter

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

NF 10 for 10 post - My Favorite Cat Books

Thank you Cathy Mere and Mindy Robek for beginning and continuing to host the Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10. It is of course one of my favorite posts of the year. Last year, I posted my 10 favorite picture book biographies about 10 women who "nevertheless persisted". You can read it here. 

What:  10 nonfiction picture books you can't live without.

Hashtag:  #nf10for10

Hosts:  @mandyrobek (Enjoy and Embrace Learning), @jacbalen (Connecting to Learn), @cathymere (Reflect & Refine)

Where:  All posts will be linked on the 2018 #nf10for10 page of our Picture Book 10 for 10 Google Community Site.  

Here is the link to the full post from Cathy for more information.
____________________________________

My nonfiction 10 for 10 picture book post has been inspired by my two fur babies, Holmes & Watson. Here are some of my favorite nonfiction titles about all kinds of cats (in no particular order):

The Great Leopard Rescue: Saving the Amur Leopards by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press, 2016) - A book about leopards by Sandra Markle. How can this be anything but fabulous?! 

Moto and Me: My year as a Wildcat's Foster Mom by Suzi Eszterhas (Owlkids Books, 2017) - Well, I haven't ever fostered a wild cat but I did foster 5 kittens last year. Does that count? 

Abayomi The Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub by Darcy Pattison; Illustrated by Kitty Harvill  (Mims House, 2014) - Another rescue story about a Brazilian Puma. 

Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa's Fastest Cats by Sy Montgomery; Photographs by Nic Bishop (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014) - I love the Scientists in the Field series, and I love Sy Montgomery's work. So much so that she made the list twice. Absolutely love this book.

Cat Tales: True Stories of Kindness and Companionship with Kittens by Aline Alexander Newman, Mieshelle Nagelschneider (Foreword) (National Geographic, 2017) - If you ever think that cats don't bond with their owners, you may want to read this. It will certainly change your mind. 

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006) - A friend whose son has been diagnosed with Autism shared this book with me. She said her son really related to this book and the comparisons it made between cats and the traits of individuals on the autism spectrum. 

A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz; Illustrated by Cátia Chien (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014) - I love this book and was so excited to be on the Schneider Family Book Award jury when this book won a Schneider Award. 

Dogs and Cats by Steve Jenkins (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2007) - This book may be called Dogs and Cats but I think it should be called Cats and Dogs. I love how the book can be flipped over to read about cats and dogs. 

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia by Sy Montgomery; Photographs by Nic Bishop (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2009) - As I mentioned earlier, Sy Montgomery made the list twice. 

Bookstore Cats by Brandon Schultz (Glitterati, 2017) - How can a book lover and a cat lover not love a book about cats who live in bookstores? This one features real life cats who have taken up residence in bookstores and tells their stories.

In August, I will share my favorite fiction books about cats.