Swain, Gwenyth. Hope and Tears.

Swain, Gwenyth.   Hope and Tears.   Boyd's Mills/Calkins Creek    115p  $17.95  978-1-59078-765-6     ms/hs       E-BN      Historical fiction/nonfiction

This beautiful book would best be used by a classroom teacher or teacher-librarian who is leading a study of immigration to the US. The author has researched some of the many immigrants who made their way to America through Ellis Island, as well as the people who worked there, and even some contemporary people who have immigration-related stories to share.  From her research, and the wonderful photos she dug up, she has written poems, letters, and even e-mail messages ostensibly "by" the historical figures she discovered.  The concept is perhaps a little "hokey", but the end result is fascinating and thought-provoking.  The book is a creative mix of fact and imagination that will draw kids into the Ellis Island immigration experience of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  However, students may not pick up this book and read it on their own (unless they are personally fascinated with Ellis Island to begin with).  So they may need a teacher or librarian to introduce the book to them, in the context of a unit on immigration.

Or, parents may want to purchase the book after a family visit to Ellis Island or a browse through old family photos of the "old country".

The organization, writing, and choice of photos are all brilliant. This is highly recommended! Don't let it be neglected on a shelf!      This is recommended for middle schools and high schools that study immigration to the United States, and for any public library.    

Immigration, Ellis Island                                        -- Carol Kennedy  

Benoit, Peter. The Nuclear Age.

Benoit, Peter.  The Nuclear Age.    Scholastic/ Childrens Press   64p   $8.95 978-0-531-23062-6   elem/ms   Series: Cornerstones of Freedom (Sch/Childrens)   VG-BNS           

The clarity, organization and topic choices for this guide to nuclear energy combine to make it a book of note.  First, young readers will join older ones in comprehending the subject matter, due to the clarity and simplicity of the author’s writing style.  With his readership in mind, Peter Benoit carefully pens a book that has natural flow and simple sentences combined with more complex ones, and he successfully alters the vocabulary and explanations of a rather involved topic into a very readable nonfiction guide.  Next, Benoit’s organization is seamless.  He moves from the discovery of fission into the birth of the atomic age, continues with a short examination of the Cold War and finishes with a look at fusion, the need to control nuclear weapons and the dangers to humans and their environment.  The photographs are chilling and powerful.  In addition, vocabulary is highlighted in bold type and defined at the end of the book.  Another extra feature that is valuable is a mini-search reference in text for researching topics that would enhance the reader’s comprehension of some of the information provided.  The corresponding list of websites is provided at the end of the book.  Finally, Benoit’s topic choices for inclusion in this guide are spot on.  A child who reads this will close the book with a greater knowledge of nuclear energy, nuclear weapons and nuclear dangers, and that is exactly what one should glean from a book entitled The Nuclear Age.  Benoit ends his book with a map of the world that showcases the major sites of nuclear accidents and detonations, a two-page spread of influential people in the field of nuclear energy and a timeline of major events relating to wars, projects, controls and treaties. 

Note:  $8.95 is the price for the paperback version.  The cost of the hardback book is unavailable.  The series Cornerstones of Freedom offers an examination of monumental events in American history.  Topics include The Emancipation Proclamation, Ellis Island, September 11, and a plethora of others. The text is clear, extras such as a timeline and a list of famous people are helpful, and the photographs are powerful.                                                                   --Martha Squaresky