Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom

Another great addition to my growing non-fiction repertoire. Of Beetles and Angels is the author's account of his transition from a refugee camp in Sudan as  young boy to eventual Harvard graduate and full-tuition scholarship recipient.  The author's tone flows easily and reads like a letter from a friend.  He remains accessible and engaging despite the tough issues his experience inherently encounters without discounting the struggles or depressing the reader.  Like Mawi, the reader finds ways to remain hopeful through the tougher stuff.  Through the stern reminders, stories, and lectures of his father, the shining example of his older brother, his mother's remembrances of home, and his own determination, Mawi is truly a force to be reckoned with in his Chicago community.  Don't be mistaken - Mawi and his family are not perfect.  They are a great example, though, of the power behind hope, faith, and determination presented in a way that I believe would be interested even to disinterested readers.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson (Young Reader's Edition)

I want to start off by dispelling some myths about this book so that misconceptions do not keep anyone from reading it.  It was a great book, and I highly recommend it.

• Myth #1 - This book is about how the government should fix education or this book is about how the government should fix Afghanistan:
• I remember this title being all over the bookstores about two years ago, but I was hesitant to read it due to my sometimes-aversion to non-fiction.  Also, being a teacher, I am sometimes nervous about books about education because I think I will be too invested in the topic, and I may get defensive or irritated.  Let me tell you right now - This is not a book about what is right and wrong in education.  Thank goodness!  If it was, why would you, a young adult, pick it up?  So read away!  This is not an instructional book on how to have good schools.  phew.
• Similarly, this is not a book on how to fix Afghanistan.  Greg Mortenson is certainly helping Afghanistan and hopes that others will join him, but he is not professing to have the end-all-be-all fix from America.  Thank goodness, again.  If he was trying to say that, I would probably get annoyed.
• Fear not, young readers, this book is not telling you what to do.  Although, I hope you will be inspired by the example it sets.
• Myth #2 - The Young Reader's Edition is babyish.
• Well that's just not true.  It is at a young adult level.  It is readable and engaging for pre-teens and teens without you feeling like it is too easy.  It will stretch you!  That being said, I don't think the regular version is too difficult for any of you, either.  If you are interested in this book, take a look at both editions and choose the one that suits you - either way, you're getting a good read.  That being said, I'm using the Young Reader's Edition for this review

Greg Mortenson starts off trying to climb K2 in honor of his sister.  Opening with this event, the book jumps straight into the true-adventures genre.  He gets lost, nearly dies, is rescued, is taken in by virtual strangers, and make new friends for life within the span of the first few chapters.  Wow!  After this experience, Greg is burdened with a desire to help the village that welcomes him in as a stranger by building them a bridge and school.  It does not go easily at first.  There are set-backs and moments of discouragement both stateside and abroad.  At one point, Greg is even living out of his car to save money.  He is also kidnapped and held hostage in Pakistan!  Provisions and aid come through, though, exactly when they are needed.  Before too long, Greg is building schools and bridges all over Afghanistan and Pakistan.  I like the Young Reader's Edition, in particular, because of all the extras it gives you.  It is kind of like getting a super-loaded special features menu on a DVD.  There is a wealth of full-color and black and white photos; there are interviews with his daughter, Amira; and there is a lot of good information on his charities.  This book breaks down the barrier between "girl books" and "boy books"  and mixes adventure together well with a close look at another culture and what is being done to help that culture.

Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic

Now that I have read Zlata's Diary, I am surprised that I had not read, or even heard of it, sooner.  I am glad to have finally discovered it, though.  I picked it up after reading about it in The Freedom Writer's Diaries and hearing what an impact it had made in the lives of those students.  (They even got to meet Zlata!)  I can see why.

Zlata's Diary tells her story in a voice that is raw and honest as well as relate-able and engaging.  Zlata is eleven when she starts writing to Mimmy, her diary.  The war in Bosnia had not yet been loosed in Zlata's hometown of Sarajevo when she began writing in 1991.  She is a typical fifth grader worrying about her grades and looking forward to weekend trips to the mountain.  Within a few short months of her first entry, however, war has arrived in Sarajevo.  Neither Zlata nor her beloved city will be the same again.  The reader experiences the war through Zlata's eyes for the next two years until she is a thirteen year old girl, still living in war, missing her childhood, and wise beyond her years.  I think Zlata explains the project best when she writes to Mimmy that, "I wrote to you about the war, about myself and Sarajevo in the war, and the world wants to know about it.  I wrote what I felt, saw and heard, and now people outside of Sarajevo are going to know it." (From the entry marked Thursday, October 14, 1993). 

I appreciated the unique perspective Zlata's Diary offered on the Yugoslav Wars.  The "kids" (read politicians)  to a backseat to the human experience of war as felt and observed by a normal teenage girl in a very abnormal situation.  You don't have to know the politics of 1990s Bosnia to understand Zlata's experiences.  You don't have to understand the particulars of the war to understand her when she says "Of course, I'm 'young,' and politics are conducted by 'grown-ups.'  But I thing we 'young' would do it better.  We certainly wouldn't have chosen war." (From the entry marked Thursday, November 19, 1992).  She doesn't dwell on the ins and outs of the conflict, but questions its existence to begin with. 

Zlata's Diary is not a "girl book" or "boy book."  It is non-fiction with a narrative, story-telling style.  It is very, very real, even for those of us untouched by war.  I can't recommend it enough.

Interested in hearing more about Zlata, beyond just reading her diary?

Check out this site to read a recent interview with Zlata.

She also has a new book that I am interested in reading:  Stolen Voices.

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

I was recommending this book to everyone I came across when I first finished reading it!  In Elijah of Buxton, Elijah is an eleven year old boy who is seen as "fra-gile" and extremely gullible.  He also happens to be the first child to be born free in Buxton, Canada - a town for runaway slaves.  It's kind of a big deal!  When he was born, Fredrick Douglass even came to give a big speech ... until Elijah threw up all over him.  Now its time for him to start growing up.  Elijah may have been born free, but he and his best friend, Cooter, are starting to realize some of the realities slavery.  He even ends up going backwards down the underground railway and ends up a hero!  I'm not going to ruin the surprise for you, but you should definitely try this book.  In addition to being an exciting and well-written story, I loved how the characters speak in their own unique dialect.  You may recognize the author, Christopher Paul Curtis, from some other great books like Bud, not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, and Bucking the Sarge.  If you enjoyed those books, I bet you will enjoy this one, too!

Stats: 
(c) 2007       Publisher:  Scholastic     Number of Pages:  341    
Awards:  Newberry Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Award, Scott O'Dell Award, ALA Notable Book, CLA Book of the Year

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Many of us have read and enjoyed "rags to riches" stories.  These are those tales where characters have it pretty tough to begin with, but end up with the wealth they deserve.  It could be a story like "Cinderella," who starts as a maid and ends up a princess, or it could be like "Spiderman,"  who begins as a teenager frequently picked on and ends up a superhero.  Esperanza, from Munoz' Esperanza Rising, is unlikely to be found in any such story, though.  Instead, she begins by living a rich and privileged life on her families plantation and vineyard in Mexico and, through unfortunate circumstances, ends up living in a compound for Migrant workers in California on the cusp of the Great Depression.  

Now wait a minute before you write this book off.  I know that at this point you may be thinking, "Why would I want to read such a sad story?"  This is why:  Esperanza learns that fortune, riches, and beauty cannot be counted as you hold them in your hand or reside in the land beneath your feet.  Fortunes, riches, and beauty must travel with you and in you.

In addition to having a back-wards fairy tale like story, there is also a good dose of action as Esperanza uses the lessons she has learned to save the lives of her family members and friends.

Though at times you want to feel sorry for Esperanza, I certainly think that she will leave you smiling in the end.

Stats:
(c) 2000    Published by: Scholastic    Number of Pages: 262    Awards: Pura Belpre Award