Brown vs Board of Education.

Aretha, David.  Brown vs Board of Education.    Morgan Reynolds   2013  128p  $26.05  ISBN 978-1599-35370-8  ms/hs  series: Civil Rights Movement(MR)#8,12        Nonfiction  VG-BNS   

The Supreme Court case of Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka is described in great detail and placed in its historical context in this overview for middle-school students.  We begin with a brief history of race relations, including the importance of Frederick Douglas and the Civil War, and move quickly through the years to mid-20th-century United States, when Linda Brown’s parents decided they wanted their daughter to have a better education than that afforded her by the segregated school she had been attending.  Every nuance of the case is described, including the fact that five cases were actually bundled together in the Brown decision.  The writing is good, and there are plenty of primary-source quotes, source notes, photographs with photo credits, a timeline, an index, a bibliography and lists of web sites to consult. 

The only glaring error appears on page 18, where in line 12 the text reads “nineteenth century” when it should read “twentieth century.”  This howler should be corrected in future editions.     The series is called The Civil Rights Movement, and all the books in the series are edited by David Aretha.  

Summary: The Supreme Court case of Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka is described in great detail and placed in its historical context in this overview for middle-school students.    

Civil Rights-Court Cases                                    --Carol Kennedy

A Time for Martyrs: Life of Malcolm X

Aretha, David.  A Time for Martyrs: Life of Malcolm X.  Morgan Reynolds  2013  144p  $28.95  ISBN 978-159935328-9  ms/hs  series: Civil Rights Leaders  Biography  VG-BN

Many books on Malcolm X present only Malcolm’s extreme viewpoints about the black experience in America and how he believed it should change.  This book goes beyond the rhetoric and looks at the events that impacted him at an early age, including his years in prison, how he was influenced by the people he met there, and the books he read while incarcerated.  The author demonstrates that Malcolm X was constantly a work in progress, willing to change as he matured and became exposed to ideas not always in alignment with his preconceptions.  Numerous primary-source quotes and photographs give today’s readers insight into the turbulent era of the 1950’s and 1960’s.  The author does not shy away from the controversial personality that was Malcolm Little.  Descriptions of his life in the Nation of Islam and his split from the group portray a man of strong beliefs.  This is a must-have book for young readers, to show them that the African-American community was not all of one mind during the civil-rights era in regard to the changes society needed to make.  With Malcolm X espousing tactics that were diametrically opposed to those being presented by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he created quite a commotion among blacks as well as whites.  The last chapter notes his influence on contemporary rap artists as well as on the larger black community. 

This book is part of the series Civil Rights Leaders, which recently has added titles. Each book contains photographs, primary-source materials, a timeline, source notes, lists of resources for further reading and an index.  Each one offers a concise biography that highlights an important figure in the American civil rights movement.

Summary: This biography provides background on the times in which Malcolm X lived as well as facts about this life.  More importantly, readers glimpse the events that helped shape his beliefs, and come away feeling that they know the man behind the image. Grades 6-12.

Malcolm X, Civil Rights Movement                      --Lois McNicol

Into the air: Cargo Planes

Corrigan, Jim.  Into the air: Cargo Planes.  Morgan Reynolds      2014  64p   $27.45  ISBN 978-155935-380-7  ms/hs  series: The Military Experience, In the Air  Nonfiction  VG-BN

Air cargo planes are the giants of the sky.  This book tells their story and shows readers that they are bigger, stronger and faster than all other kinds of airplanes.  First-person narratives, quick fact boxes, and color photos augment the text. Grades 6-12.        

After the crucial necessity of an informative text, the second most important factor in a book for young readers is its visual appeal.  The page layout is diverse and well balanced between text and full-color illustrations and photographs, so that concepts are grouped together.  The flow and balance between the text and visuals are integrated to present a most stimulating book for young and reluctant readers.  The inclusion of a glossary, bibliography, a list of Internet sites, and an index make the books in this series very useful for librarians as well.

The Military Experience, In the Air series contains seven titles. Each covers a specific kind of aircraft, and one book discusses the training necessary to be a pilot.  The books feature crisp color photos, easy-reading, informative text, quick-fact boxes, and first-person narratives.  Gr 6-12.   

Summary:  Air cargo planes are the giants of the sky.  This book tells their story and shows readers that they are bigger, stronger and faster than all other kinds of airplanes.  

Aircraft                                              --Linda McNeil

Classical Civilization: India

Cunningham, Kevin.  Classical Civilization: India.    Morgan Reynolds  2013   112p  28.95 978-159935175-9   ms/hs  series: World History  History  VG-BNS     

This introduction to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and subsequent Indian eras, which puts all of them into the context of world history, is quite comprehensive, with colorful photographs and discussion of literature, archaeology, religion, language and trade.  The ancient cultures and their discoveries in modern times are thoroughly discussed, and many concepts such as monsoon, the caste system, and warring religious groups are introduced and explained.  The language is fairly easy to read for middle-school and high-school students.  The addition of more maps would have been most welcome, as, for example, when areas like the Punjab or Bengal are mentioned, and there is no map to illustrate to students where these areas are.  Even a map of modern-day India would have been helpful for these discussions.

The glossary and extensive list of resources, both print and web-based, is good.

One glaring mistake, however, appears on the verso of the “Contents” page, where a map of ancient India refers to a circled area thus: “Ancient Greece with the Indus River Valley area is highlighted.”  The first four words of that sentence should be deleted in future editions!  They are misleading. 

The series World History includes books on early river civilizations, the Americas before 1492, European colonizations of the Americas and Africa, and Greece and Rome, as well as this book on ancient India.     

Summary: This introduction to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and subsequent Indian eras, which puts them in the context of world history, is comprehensive, with colorful photographs and discussion of literature, archaeology, religion, language and trade.    

Ancient India                                         --Carol Kennedy