Bornstein, Michael, and Debbie Bornstein Holinstat. Survivors Club.

Bornstein, Michael, and Debbie Bornstein Holinstat. Survivors Club. Macmillan/Farrar Strauss    2017  348p  $16.99  Hardback  ISBN 978-0-374-30571-0  ms/hs  History  VG

This well-written book tells the story of Michael Bornstein and his survival of the Holocaust. He decided to write his story when his photograph was discovered on a website declaring that the Holocaust never happened. Michael, who was taken to a concentration camp at the age of four, decided his story must be told. It explains his time before, during, and after his stay in Auschwitz.

This memoir is sure to captivate readers. Horrifying as it is, it tells of Michael's experiences in the concentration camp and his remarkable survival. Readers will be amazed. It is a must-read for those interested in the Holocaust what life was like for millions who endured Hitler’s rule.  It is highly recommended for any middle- or high-school library.

Summary: This memoir tells the story of Michael Bornstein’s survival of the Holocaust due to the love of his family and a well-timed illness.

Holocaust-Memoir                                            --Virginia McGarvey

Freedom Summer Murders.

Mitchell, Don.  Freedom Summer Murders.  Scholastic Press  2014  250p  $18.99  ISBN 978-0-545-47725-3  hs/adult  History  VG-BN

“When historians weigh the sixth decade of the twentieth century in the United States, they will call this murder one of the revealing acts of the decade.  it was a planned, deliberate murder to try to prevent racial change; and it was committed by men who called themselves Christians and thought they were doing right.”  -- William Bradford Huie

It would be very difficult to present a completely unbiased version of the events that took place in Mississippi in the summer of 1964.  To offer an unvarnished presentation of the events, it is not possible to avoid descriptions of racism, violence, and bigotry.  The sensational murders of three young men, all civil-rights workers struggling to get blacks registered to vote, by the Ku Klux Klan, and the resulting cover-up by local authorities, are tragedies.  Don Mitchell’s writing reveals careful research and helps readers to see the victims as people, rather than footnotes in history.  The inclusion of archival photographs and commentary of family members further supports the text’s authenticity.

Having comprehensively chronicled a dark page in American history, Mitchell leaves the reader with a message of hope.  He reminds readers that even if the wheels of justice move slowly, they move inexorably towards truth.

Summary: Mitchell reviews the brutal murders of three men killed by the Ku Klux Klan in June 1964.     

Civil Rights Movement, Racial violence                --Hilary Welliver

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain.

Freedman, Russell.  Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain.  Houghton Mifflin/Clarion     2014  81p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-547-90378-1  ms/hs  History  E-BN

Freedman has another nonfiction winner in Angel Island, the story of the immigration station that held Asian immigrants in the San Francisco Bay from 1910 to 1940.  Numerous images and quotes bring to life the experiences of the half-a-million people who passed through the station.  By 1970 the station had fallen into disrepair until it was saved as a historical site by a park ranger and the local Asian community.       

Summary: This is the story of Angel Island Immigration Station, where Asian immigrants were held in San Francisco Bay from 1910 to 1940.    

Chinese Americans                                     --Stephanie Pennucci

Because They Marched.

Freedman, Russell.  Because They Marched.  Holiday House  2014  83p  $20.00  ISBN 978-0-8234-2921-9  ms/hs  History  E-BN     

Newbery Medalist Russell Freeman has written a vivid account of the march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in March 1965.  Through compelling narrative and liberally illustrated with dozens of well-captioned, archival black-and-white photographs, Freeman chronicles the tensions that segregation in the South intensified in the 1960s.  Events such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s, voting rights march in January 1965, followed by the shooting of an unarmed demonstrator in February, triggered the March demonstration, which got off to a horrific beginning.  Law officers attacked peaceful demonstrators, which attracted widespread outrage and spurred civil-rights demonstrators to complete the march across Alabama at any cost.

Student readers and researchers will find this a carefully researched and useful volume.  Freeman clearly outlines the motivation and risks undertaken in seeking the basic right to vote.  Researchers will also appreciate the brief civil-rights timeline, handy index, source notes and selected bibliography.         

Summary: Freedman provides an account of a pivotal event in the history of civil rights: the march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Civil rights movement, Voting rights                  --Hilary Welliver

Revolutionary Friends

Castrovilla, Selene.  Revolutionary Friends.  Boyd's Mills/Calkins Creek      2013 unp  $16.95  ISBN 978-1-59078-880-6  elem/ms  History  VG-BN

Revolutionary Friends is the story of how the Marquis de Lafayette came to America during the American Revolution and impressed George Washington with his youth and determination to win Washington’s trust and affection.  Readers learn that alliances between important people from different countries can benefit everyone. Lafayette convinced the King of France to supply troops to Washington, and this helped America win the war.
    

This is a well-written book accompanied by beautiful, realistic illustrations that enhance the story line.  Illustrations range from full two-page spreads to small insets, and provide further details and insights into the facts for the readers.  Also included are small scrolls that with further details from primary sources.
    

Also included are timelines of Lafayette and Washington, a bibliography, a list of French phrases, and a list of places to visit.

Summary: Revolutionary Friends is the story of how the Marquis de Lafayette came to America during the American Revolution and helped George Washington in his campaigns.
                 

Biography                                             --Linda McNeil