Fact Friday: Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle

Image: Lerner Publishing 

Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing, October, 2024. Review of copy borrowed from public library. 

Fact Friday features Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle. In 2013, veteran science writer, Markle published a book called The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees. In it, she described how the honeybee population was threatened by something called Colony Collapse Disorder. In this update, Ms. Markle describes the work of apiologists, or, bee doctors in their search for a cure of CCD.

The photos are the stars here as they help readers further understand the rather technical prose. The glossary may also be consulted frequently. Ms. Markle details the process of scientific inquiry and highlights the highs and lows. She makes the connection between honeybees and their importance to agriculture and the effect of climate change and use of pesticides on their survival. She might even inspire some middle school students to become apiologists!

In addition to a great glossary, the back matter includes additional sources, making this book a valuable resource for young researchers. Long live the queen!

Fact Friday: Where Have All the Birds Gone? : Nature in Crisis by Rebecca E. Hirsch

Image: Lerner Publishing

Happy Friday! Tomorrow is Earth Day and I hope you will get out and do something in nature tomorrow (and every day). Fact Friday features Where Have All the Birds Gone? : Nature in Crisis by Rebecca E. Hirsch. Did you know that birds have an important function in ecosystems around the world? Sure, they are pretty to look at and birdsong is just delightful to hear, but some, like hummingbirds, pollinate flowers, and others, like owls, keep down rodents. Unfortunately, bird populations are plummeting. According to this book, since 1970, the U.S. and Canada have lost nearly 30% of the bird population. This is due to human development, especially tall buildings and light pollution. House cats that are allowed out of doors prey on birds. Pesticides humans dump on lawns and spray in the air get into the insects that birds consume and poison them. And climate change is also affecting migration patterns.

Read this book to learn how scientists are trying to mitigate this loss. Try to notice the birds that surround you each day and consider what you might be able to do to make the environment less harsh.

Fact Friday: A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman

Image: Lerner Books

A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman. Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. 48p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September 6, 2022. 9781541598706. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman. Thousands of years ago, glaciers carved canyons and valleys in Washington State. Over time, water flowed north from the mountains to the sea. Salmon made their way up its churning waters to spawn and die. The river was given a name, the Elwha, by the Strong People, also known as the Lower Elsha Klallam Tribe. While the tribe relied on the salmon for food, they only trapped what was needed and the life cycle of the salmon were undisturbed for thousands of years.

That symbiosis was disturbed in the late 1700s when white settlers arrived with the attitude that the wilderness was a place to be tamed. They drove out the Strong People, cut down the trees and eventually built two dams, which effectively blocked the salmon population from spawning due to the destruction of its habitat and warming of the water. River banks eroded, wildlife that depended on salmon for food left the area. Once the dams outlived their usefulness, they were no longer used to generate electricity, but they still blocked the river. The Strong People who remained in the area began to campaign for the dismantling of the dams, hoping to restore the salmon. 

Ms. Newman is one of my favorite authors of informational literature. She has a knack for explaining complicated concepts lucidly while keeping things lively and engaging. The spare text is lyrical, subtly underscoring the magnitude of the destruction of this vital ecosystem and its long road to recovery. Side bars provide extra information such as how salmon feed a river or what the inside of a dam looks like. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator and from a tribal member of the Strong People; a timeline; before and after photos; sources and recommendations for further reading. The end pages feature before and after topographical maps. Finally, the cartoonish illustrations are really beautiful featuring earth-tones with heavy black outlining and pops of color. 

A River's Gifts is truly a picture book for all ages - informative and inspirational, appropriate for use from STEM classes to social studies.

Fact Friday: The Negro Leagues: Celebrating Baseball's Unsung Heroes by Matt Doeden

Image: Lerner Publishing

Happy Friday! Fact Friday features The Negro Leagues: Celebrating Baseball's Unsung Heroes by Matt Doeden. This book is part of the Spectacular Sports Series. Clocking in at 64 pages, this work of expository nonfiction provides a broad view of the history of Negro League baseball, but is a nice introduction for those not ready to take on We are the Ship. 

In the years following the Civil War, some baseball teams were integrated, but with the rise of Jim Crow, Black players were forced out and formed their own teams, often barnstorming their way around the country in search of teams to play. Eventually, teams became tied to cities and rivalries grew, such as the one between the Kansas City Monarchs and the Homestead Grays. The text is accompanied by many period photos of players both posed and in action.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler

Image: Lerner Publishers

AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler. 272 p. Carolrhoda Books/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2021. 9781541599116. (Review of arc courtesy of Wunderkind PR.)

Happy Monday! I hope you all had an amazing weekend. Mine was very productive, but also emotionally draining as I am continuing to declutter my house. My husband saved EVERYTHING! I also caught up on grading and sent progress reports. Yay! Boo didn't get his usual very long walks, but they were long enough. 

Now it's Monday.  Ah, don't you just love the smell of a crisp autumn morning? That's what is was here in northern NJ earlier. Did you notice the rising waxing gibbous moon last night? Don't you love it when math features prominently in a novel? I do even though I'm math phobic. Middle Grade Monday features AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler. 

It's hard enough moving to a new school at any age, but moving during middle and high school can be particularly brutal. Moving because your parents want a "fresh start" after the death of your younger brother doesn't exactly help the grief process, especially when your dad has become distant and your mom obsessively decorates. Add to that the fact that the town you moved to, the seventh grade you are about to join, are survivors of a school shooting as third graders. In fact, your new room is the former room of one of the dead students.

Twelve-year-old Lucy Rothman navigates life without Theo while she observes and listens to her classmates shared trauma. She's not sure how to respond and turns to her beloved math as comfort. This is one thing she understands and does well, but then her friendly math teacher adds an extra-credit question to her first test and now, Lucy's not so sure math is predictable and comforting.

While the grief Lucy and her classmates feel is palpable, life does go on, sometimes in surprising ways. This is Ms. Isler's debut novel and she authentically portrays middle school dynamics (friendship drama and crushes) as well as life after the unthinkable (PTSD and coping). Sadly, school violence is a timely topic. This book is an important, age-appropriate exploration of all the feelings tweens might encounter and work through.

Lucy is thoughtful and relatable. I just loved her careful observations of her new circumstances. Give this book to students who enjoy intense exploration of emotion. It's a difficult book to read, but also a difficult book to put down. 

Fact Friday: Unspeakable: the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

Unspeakable: the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. 32 p. Lerner Publishing Group, February, 2021. 9781541581203. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features Unspeakable: the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. This year (May 31 - June 1) marks the hundredth anniversary of a sad, significant and shameful event in American history that, before last summer, many were probably unaware. Ms. Weatherford begins her blank verse with the words, "Once upon a time" and she uses the repetition effectively to instruct readers about the thriving Black community neighborhood in segregated Tulsa, Oklahoma one hundred years ago. Greenwood, also known as the "Black Wall Street" was home to two movie theaters, several Black newspapers and many Black professionals such as doctors and lawyers. 

While this community enjoyed their prosperity, many in the white community resented it. When a white female elevator operator accused a young Black man of assault, it did not take long for racial tension to erupt in violence. A white mob headed to the jail with the intention of lynching the suspect, but was confronted by Black men intending to protect him. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of two Black men and ten whites. The next day, mobs of white men invaded Greenwood intent on burning the neighborhood to the ground. Three hundred Black residents were killed and more than eight thousand were left homeless as police stood by and did nothing to protect them. The incident was labeled a "race riot" and no investigation was done until seventy-five years later.

Floyd Cooper's erasure illustrations celebrate the thriving community, then somberly stun. Readers learn in the illustrator's note in the back matter that Mr. Cooper has a personal connection to Tulsa - his grandfather escaped the massacre. Ms. Weatherford provides more information in her author's note. Back matter includes black and white photos from the time. 

Unspeakable is a must-read, must-discuss book for anyone, adult or young adult wishing to deeply understand American history warts and all. It's a book that will prompt uncomfortable questions and necessary, but uncomfortable conversations in classrooms and around dinner tables. Lerner has provided a helpful twelve-page teaching guide on their website.

ETA: I had the opportunity to tune into a webinar hosted by Frugal Book Store featuring an interview of and reading by the author. 

Fact Friday: Follow Those Zebras: Solving a Migration Mystery by Sandra Markle

Happy Friday! Happy Lunar New Year as well! We made it to Friday and our February break! I hope you have big reading plans for break! I have daily book talks scheduled to post, so be sure to check here next week for some ideas of what to read next.

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

Follow Those Zebras: Solving a Migration Mystery by Sandra Markle. 40 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, April, 2020. 9781541538375. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features Follow Those Zebras: Solving a Migration Mystery by Sandra Markle. Many animals migrate for a variety of reasons. What causes animals, in this case a herd of plains zebras in Namibia and Botswana near the Chobe River, to leave their home and just vanish? Scientist Robin Naidoo and a team of scientists fitted some of the zebras with GPS trackers to find out. They were shocked to discover that the herd travels a record 155 mile to Botswana's Nxai Pan National Park. This distance is record breaking. But why?

Read this fascinating book to find out. The narrative is well-organized and engaging. Each page features one or more full-color pictures of the herd, individual zebras and the scientists at work as well as maps and helpful sidebars. The book is beautifully designed. Useful back matter provides a glossary and points budding conservationists to other sources for further reading. Follow Those Zebras is a sturdy addition to Ms. Markle's Science Discovery series. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Odd Bods: the world's unusual animals by Julie Murphy

Happy Wednesday! We had a dusting of snow here in northern NJ. Not enough to shovel, but just enough to add a spring to my step. 

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

Odd Bods: the world's unusual animals by Julie Murphy. 32 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, March 2, 2021. 9781541585027.

Waiting on Wednesday features Odd Bods: the world's unusual animals by Julie Murphy. This informational book seems just right for readers who are fact hounds. The publisher's note: "the animal kingdom is filled of critters with unique features. Learn about the incredible adaptations that help these creatures—and their odd bods—survive and thrive all around the globe!" My ten-year-old self would've loved this and books like these! Heck, my mumble-year-old self loves them! And Lerner Publishing is my go-to source for quality nonfiction. Their books are beautifully designed, high-interest and appealing. 

Odd Bods releases on March 2.

Fact Friday: The Great Bear Rescue: Saving the Gobi Bears by Sandra Markle

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

The Great Bear Rescue: Saving the Gobi Bears by Sandra Markle. 40 p. Sandra Markle's Science Discovery Series. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2020. 9781541581258. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Happy Friday! We made it! It's a beautiful morning with a crescent moon rising in a clear, star-filled sky. Enjoy the day.

Fact Friday features The Great Bear Rescue: Saving the Gobi Bears by Sandra Markle. I have never associated bear habitats with deserts. Have you? Acclaimed science writer, Sandra Markle, introduces us to the endangered species, Gobi bears, in this beautifully designed book filled with lots of full-color photos of the bears as well as of the conservation scientists attempting to save them. It is estimated that there are only forty bears left in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. While climate change is impacting their chances for survival, illegal gold mining in the region is also having an impact. "Ninja miners" sneak into the desert and dig deep holes in their search for gold. Bears and other wildlife can tumble into those holes and the water that collects there is poisonous. 

Ms. Markle's eloquent text endears and educates. There are interviews with the scientists, helpful maps and useful back matter. The volume concludes with a reminder to readers to also not forget the polar bear. This book is part of a series called Sandra Markle's Science Discoveries. Any new book by Ms. Markle is an automatic purchase for me and should be for anyone who curates a school, public or classroom library collection. Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Planet Ocean: Why we all need a healthy ocean by Patricia Newman

Image: Lerner Publishing

Happy Wednesday! Wasn't the moon glorious last night? The brightness made the constellation, Orion a bit hard to see, though.

Waiting on Wednesday features Planet Ocean: Why we all need a healthy ocean by Patricia Newman with photographs by Annie Crawley. These names ought to be familiar to my eighth graders as the pair's Plastic Ahoy! was our mentor text last year during their seventh grade library cycle class last year. I am a huge fan of Ms. Newman's award-winning informational texts. Her committment to conservation is contagious and I have learned so much from her.

From the publisher: "A little more than 70 percent of Planet Earth is ocean. So wouldn’t a better name for our global home be Planet Ocean?

You may be surprised at just how closely YOU are connected to the ocean. Regardless of where you live, every breath you take and every drop of water you drink links you to the ocean. And because of this connection, the ocean’s health affects all of us.

Dive in with author Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley—visit the Coral Triangle near Indonesia, the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest, and the Arctic Ocean at the top of the world. Find out about problems including climate change, ocean acidification, and plastic pollution, and meet inspiring local people who are leading the way to reverse the ways in which humans have harmed the ocean.

Planet Ocean shows us how to stop thinking of ourselves as existing separate from the ocean and how to start taking better care of this precious resource."

Planet Ocean will be available March 2. In the meanwhile, check out Eavesdropping on Elephants, Zoo Scientists to the Rescue and Sea Otter Heroes.

Fact Friday: Monstrous by Carlyn Beccia

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science behind Your Favorite Monsters by Carlyn Beccia. Carolrhoda Books/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2019. 9781512449167. (Review of free e-book courtesy of Junior Library Guild.)

Fact Friday features Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science behind Your Favorite Monsters by Carlyn Beccia. Now, you might not immediately consider that a book about various mythological creatures would be informational. Nay, there is science behind the myths! Ms. Beccia highlights creature such as the Kraken, Big Foot, Frankenstein, werewolves and Godzilla in this informative encyclopedia of the macabre. This is quite a dark, yet humorous examination of the mythological creatures that scare us most. 

Fact Friday: Tracking Pythons: the quest to catch an invasive predator and save an ecosystem by Kate Messner.

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

Tracking Pythons: the quest to catch an invasive predator and save an ecosystem by Kate Messner. 64 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, March, 2020. (Review of digital copy provided free through Junior Library Guild.)

Fact Friday features Tracking Pythons: the quest to catch an invasive predator and save an ecosystem by Kate Messner. Burmese pythons are not native to south Florida but they are imported as pets. It seems when interest wanes or the snakes become too big, owners release them into the wild where they breed. That's the theory behind the explosion of this apex predator that eats everything in sight. Ms. Messner explains the work of a group of scientists at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida as they attempt to track, capture and study these snakes. 

The book is beautifully designed and brimming with clear, full-color photos. Readers really get up close and personal with the scientists as well as the snakes. The work is absolutely fascinating! Plentiful back matter include an author's note, a timeline, a list of invasive species, a glossary, source notes, a bibliography, a list of books and websites for further reading/ research and an index. 

Click on this link to listen to the author talk about the book and read from the introduction. This is a great addition to any nonfiction collection and it fits perfectly into my seventh grade narrative nonfiction unit that is built around scientists and their work in the field. I can't wait to add the book to my cart! 

Fact Friday: All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing by Chris Barton

Image: Lerner Publishing

All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing by Chris Barton. Illustrated by Nicole Xu. 40 p. Carolrhoda Books/ Lerner Publishing Group, February, 2020. 9781541526693. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing by Chris Barton and illustrated by Nicole Xu. Last Sunday, April 19 marked the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Shortly after 9AM, a truck loaded with explosive material was detonated  killing 168 people, injuring countless more and effectively destroying the building. Improbably, an elm tree survived the blast though it was badly damaged. 

What Chris Barton does in this picture book for everyone is focus not on the bomber or why it occurred, but on what people affected by the blast did to heal and restore hope. They cared for each other and they cared for that elm tree. When the tree seeded, they gathered the seeds and cared for the seedlings. They gifted some of the seedlings and saved some. A memorial to the victims was opened in April of 2000 and many seedlings of what was dubbed, "The Survivor Tree" are growing and thriving on the site. 

Barton's spare language and effective use of repetition instructs and reassures. Nicole Xu's muted illustrations are equally spare yet beautiful. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator, survivor interviews and a bibliography. All of a Sudden and Forever is the book you need - an important addition to any library collection.

Picture Book Review: All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing by Chris Barton

Image: Lerner Publishing

All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing by Chris Barton. Illustrated by Nicole Xu. unpgd. Carolrhoda Books/ Lerner Publishing, February 4, 2020. 9781541526693. (Review of finished book courtesy of publisher @ SLJ Leadership Summit.)

I am at a bit of a loss about how to review this profound, beautiful and necessary book. April 19, 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, well past the age of the target audience of this book. Unfortunately, in those twenty-five years, there have been many mass shootings and thus, the need to explain these tragedies to young people. Barton channels Mr. Rogers, explaining the events of that fateful day and its aftermath simply and sparely. The dark and somber illustrations add gravity without overwhelming. 

There are no gory details; just a focus on recovery, healing and hope. The tree that survived the blast is a powerful symbol of resiliency. The practice of gathering seedlings to nurture, plant and pass on to those who have experienced trauma is just beautiful. 

Author and illustrator notes follow the text and include photos of the tree immediately after the bombing and after recovery. Mini-biographies of twelve people affected directly or indirectly follows and a list of recommended reading and three websites end the back matter. 

All of a Sudden and Forever ought to be in every library - on hand for the right time to share with young readers who need help confronting tragedy. 

Fact Friday: Nature's Ninjas: animals with spectacular skills by Rebecca L. Johnson

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

Nature's Ninjas: animals with spectacular skills by Rebecca L. Johnson. 64 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, October, 2019. 9781541542419. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features Nature's Ninjas: animals with spectacular skills by Rebecca L. Johnson. After explaining what ninja were and their various skills, the author highlights each skill and pairs it with an animal who exhibits said skill, starting with toeholds and the incredible gecko. Each animal is introduced with a full-page, full-color action photo on the left and the comparison to a ninja skill or weapon on the right. Then the page-turn gives a bit of information about the animal followed by "The Science Behind the Story," along with at least two captioned photos, many including scientists who study the animal. 

My only quibble was about two photos, one of a cuttlefish imitating a hermit crab and the other of the spinnerets of a spider that were a bit blurry compared to all the others. Back matter includes thumbnail photos of the scientists; an author's note, in which she encourages readers to view the videos she lists; a helpful glossary; source notes; selected bibliography and books and videos in a "more to explore" section. Terrific addition. The cover alone should generate a ton of interest. 

Fact Friday: The NBA Playoffs: in pursuit of basketball glory by Matt Doeden

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

The NBA Playoffs: in pursuit of basketball glory by Matt Doeden. 64 p. Spectacular Sports Series. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, January, 2019. 9781541541535. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features The NBA Playoffs: in pursuit of basketball glory by Matt Doeden. The word fan is short for fanatic and if you're a fanatic, you learn everything there is to know about the game, including its history. Seventy years of the NBA is crammed into this slim volume, making it sort of a highlight reel of the dynasties and rivalries of the NBA. Packed full of photos, fans of the game should not miss this entry into the Spectacular Sports series.

Fact Friday: The Great Shark Rescue: saving the whale sharks by Sandra Markle

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

The Great Shark Rescue:saving the whale sharks by Sandra Markle. 48 p.Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, October, 2019. 9781541510418. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features The Great Shark Rescue: saving the whale sharks by Sandra Markle. Did you know that whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean? Yes, whales are larger, but whales are mammals. There isn't a lot known about the secretive whale shark though. Scientists are using new technologies to track these endangered creatures who are threatened by climate change, fishing nets and poaching. This new entry in the Science Discovery series is beautifully designed and brims with full-color photos and charts to illustrated Markle's cogent storytelling. The volume ends with a page devoted to Great White Sharks, which were labeled as vulnerable in 2017. Back matter includes an author's note; timeline; source notes; glossary; and three books and four websites for further reading.

If you love animals, science, or learning about conservation efforts, The Great Shark Rescue is the book for you. This series really is a first-purchase for any school or public library.

Fact Friday: Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker

Image: Lerner 

Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2019. 9781541542402. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker. Mothers, regardless of species learn how to be mothers from their mothers. What happens when a baby is rejected by her mother? Keepers at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, stepped in nineteen years ago to raise Nadiri when her Lowland Gorilla mama refused to care for her. Now that Nadiri was about to become a mother, zookeepers worried that she would also reject her infant and devised a care routine that would encourage Nadiri to bond with her infant. Look at that face on the cover. How could one not? 

Meeker relates the story conversationally, in short chapters filled with full-color photos, charts and text-boxes. Back matter consists of an Author's Note, Acknowledgments, Glossary, and a More About Gorillas section that lists two pages of books, websites and videos for curious readers. The bright pops of color throughout, such as purple lines framing the many pictures, red caption boxes and green backgrounds and accenting marks enliven the presentation. 

Growing Up Gorilla is an excellent addition to any STEM collection. Hand it to your animal lovers. It just might inspire the next generation of zoologists. 

Fact Friday: More Than a Game: race, gender and politics in sports by Matt Doeden

Image: Lerner

More Than a Game: race, gender and politics in sports by Matt Doeden. 64 p. Lerner Publishing, September, 2020. 9781541540941. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher/ SLJ Leadership Conference.)

Fact Friday features More Than a Game: race gender and politics in sports by Matt Doeden. Colin Kaepernick is not the first athlete to make a political statement on the playing field, nor will he be the last. 

Doeden focuses heavily on racism and racial discrimination in this intriguing overview. He provides important historical context which underscores the resilience and bravery these athletes such as boxers, Jack Johnson and Muhammed Ali. Johnson dared to become the first Black heavyweight champion and Ali dared to defy the draft during the Vietnam War resulting in his heavyweight title being stripped. Tommie Smith and John Carlos' Olympic medals were revoked when they raised their fists in a Black Power salute on the winner's podium in 1968. 

The narrative is informative and the plentiful, well-captioned photographs are engaging. If you are a fan of sports history, this brief overview of athletes who fought to make a difference and a statement is for you. Doeden provides plenty of resources for further reading in the back matter. More Than a Game is a worthy addition to any library collection.

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For review:
I am attending SLJ Leadership Summit in Baltimore this weekend. Lerner Publisher has a table and we were able to choose one free book from a large selection of titles. 
I chose:

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

More Than a Game: Race, Gender and Politics in Sports by Matt Doeden. 64 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2019. 9781541540941. 

Publisher synopsis: Sports has never been only about what takes place on the playing field. Author and sports fan Matt Doeden explores past and current controversies including black boxer Jack Johnson’s fight with the “Great White Hope” Tommy Burns, Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier, Muhammad Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, Colin Kaepernick’s protests, #MeToo and the US gymnastics team, and much more. Doeden weaves in information about Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter, and other essential background young readers will need. This book is sure to engage everyone interested in sports, history, and civil rights.

They also had a stack of copies of Queer. Much as I was tempted to grab that one, I chose to buy that title as an unlimited access e-book to allow my students to ability to explore without the potential embarrassment of checking out the book or carrying it. I am very excited about the title.

Purchased: Nothing!

If you leave a comment, I will definitely stop by and try to comment back - unless commenters have to sign onto Discus or Wordpress or FB or anything that makes commenting difficult and gives my data to miners. But, I will definitely check your stack!