How to use this Page

This month on Five First Book Favorites you’ll find books that help kids understand civil rights and fair wages, explore different cultures… or even explore the moon!

For PreK – 1^st (Ages 2-6)

Take Me Out To The Yakyu By Aaron Meshon

The narrator of this delightful book is a boy who loves baseball – in two different countries! He goes to games in the U.S. with his American grandfather (pop pop) and games in Japan with his Japanese grandfather (ji ji). Bold, colorful illustrations show, side-by-side, the trip to each stadium. It’s a wonderful invitation for kids to compare and contrast two different experiences and also reflect on the countries and cultures of their own families.

For Grades 1-3 (Ages 5-8)

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 written by Michelle Markel and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Clara Lemlich immigrated to New York with nothing aside from her family, clothes, and a few words of English. When her parents were unable to find work, she took a job as a garment factory worker – earning a few dollars a month for countless hours bent over a sewing machine. With a blend of vivid watercolors and stitched fabrics, this book tells the story of how Clara led her coworkers on strike to protest their horrendous working conditions. Bosses of the factories paid for Clara to be beaten and arrested repeatedly, but nothing could stop this gritty, five-foot tall woman from securing a better life for millions.

For Grades 2-5 (Ages 6-10)

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca

The moment Apollo 11’s Eagle touched down on the Moon, it became a defining moment for a nation that had lived up to a President’s lofty goal. With stunning illustrations,  this poetic story allows you to join Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin as they prepare for liftoff, follows them at every stage of the mission, and doesn’t let go until they are safely back home. Brian Floca has created a work of art worthy of inspiring young readers to dream beyond what is easy, and strive for what is hard.

For Grades 5+ (Ages 10 and up)

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

Loading 500-pound bombs into a Navy warship is, to say the least, a dangerous job. On July 17^th, 1944, the fears of the untrained men who held this job became reality when an explosion claimed the lives of 320 men, the majority of whom were black. During this time, the Navy, like every other part of the United States Military, was segregated,frequently leaving black men to be treated as second class citizens serving menial roles. This masterfully crafted nonfiction book follows the fifty men who refused to go back to this life-threatening and degrading work, and the court case that followed.

 

For Grades 6+ (Age 11 and up)

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

There are few characters you will ever root for more than Doug Swieteck. On the surface, he is a good for nothing, skinny thug with a reading disability. Just ask his teachers and they’ll tell you. However in the depths of Doug Swieteck, where this book takes place, you find a boy who is trapped – one brother a bully, one a vacant shell of his pre-war self, and an abusive alcoholic for a father who has left a horrific mark on his youngest son. The secrets Doug is holding back from the reader are gut-wrenching, but with the help of a few strangers-turned-friends and a newfound passion for art, this fourteen-year-old will inspire every person lucky enough to pick up his story.

The post Our Five Favorite Books This February appeared first on First Book Blog.

Add a Comment

The Apollo XI moon landing celebrated its 45th anniversary this past Sunday. First Book is celebrating this momentous event with some of our favorite space-inspired books:

 1. Almost Astronauts: Thirteen Women Who Dared to Dream
What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape–any checklist would include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken rule: you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age.

2. Discover Science: Solar System
Solar System is the perfect introduction for young readers to the endlessly fascinating topic of space and the vast, mysterious worlds that make up our solar system. Discover the activity of the flaming prominences of the sun and the bubbling volcanoes of Venus. Examine the apparently lifeless craters on the moon, Saturn’s swirling rings, and giant Jupiter’s great red spot. Marvel at space travelers such as the comet Halle-Bopp, mighty meteorites, and the Spirit and Viking space probes on their missions to Mars. Budding astronomers will be intrigued and enthralled by the strange and diverse worlds that make up our solar system.

3. Out of This World: Poems and Facts about Space
The mysteries of the universe and the science of space exploration are perennially popular subjects, and Out of This World is a wonderful introduction. Amy Sklansky has written evocative poems about planets and stars and rockets and moon landings and satellites. Each poem is supported by additional facts and explanations in the margins. Stacey Schuett brings it all to life with color-soaked skies and beautiful perspectives in her fabulous paintings.

4. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #6: Space: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #8: Midnight on the Moon
How did the universe begin? How hot is the sun? How long does it take to get to the moon? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide: Space, Jack and Annie’s very own guide to the secrets of the universe. Including information on stars, planets, space travel, life on other planets, and much more!

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and the Apollo 11 crew inspired a generation to reach new heights. Now Buzz is  inspiring readers – young and old. Check out his new science fiction book, “Encounter with Tiber” in this week’s Humble Book Bundle. Special thanks to Buzz Aldrin, Humble Bundle and Open Road Media for their support of First Book.

The post Out-of-This-World Books! appeared first on First Book Blog.

Add a Comment

Display Comments Add a Comment

It's the 43rd anniversary of Apollo 11!  

I did a guest post for the IRA blog (International Reading Association) a few months back called "The Timeless Draw of Dinosaurs and Space" with some ruminations about CHRONAL ENGINE and LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN.  One thing I talked about was the fact that children (and young readers) can make scientific contributions and queries in these fields on their own, for example discovering fossils and asteroids.

Along these lines, a few days ago, I came across this great story on the CNN web site about "The 10-year-old who helped Apollo."  It's about Greg Force, a 10 year old boy whose father worked at the tracking station in Guam at the time.  It seems that, at the last minute, as the capsule was returning to earth, a bearing in the station's antenna failed.  Because it would've taken too long to replace the bearing, Greg was enlisted to lubricate it, which only he could do -- the access opening was only two inches wide...Anyway, check out the whole story at the link.

And for a gorgeous picture book account of the moonshot, check out Brian Floca's book: 

   

Add a Comment

1. What album was the second released by The Beatles in the U.K.?

2. What is the second largest planet in the Solar System?

3. Who was the second U.S. President to be assassinated?

4. And, as a follow-up to the previous question, who was the second assassin of a U.S. President? 

5. Who was the second person to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean?

6. Of the World’s continents what is the second largest in area?

7. What was the title of the second film in the James Bond series made by Eon Productions?

8. Mount Everest is the highest but what is the second highest mountain?

9. Queen Victoria has the longest reign in British history but who has the second longest?

10. Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin made the first manned Moon landing, what mission, and what astronauts made the second manned Moon landing?

ANSWERS

1. What album was the second released by The Beatles in the U.K.?

With The Beatles was the second album released by the group.  Like the first (Please Please Me) it was released in 1963, amongst its 14 tracks were Lennon and McCartney’s All My Loving and I Wanna Be Your Man.

Image from Wikipedia

2. What is the second largest planet in the Solar System?

Saturn. Jupiter is the largest of the planets and Saturn is approximately one-third of Jupiter’s mass whereas it is 95 times the mass of Earth.  It is the sixth planet from the Sun and takes approximately 29.5 (Earth) years to orbit the Sun.

Image from Wikipedia

3. Who was the second U.S. President to be assassinated?

James A. Garfield who was not only the second U.S. President to be assassinated, after Abraham Lincoln, he was also the one who had the second shortest tenure in presidential history, after William Henry Harrison.

 

Image from Wikipedia

4. And, as a follow-up to the previous question, who was the second assassin of a U.S. President?

Charles Guiteau. John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln’s assassin, being the first. 

Image from Wikipedia

5. Who was the second person to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean?

Amelia Earhart was the second to achieve this feat, after Charles Lindbergh.  Her time for her flight was 14 hours 56 minutes, which was a record at that time. She had previously become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic albeit as a passenger.

Image from Wikipedia

6. Of the World’s continents what is the second largest in area?

Africa is second in size after Asia.  Africa 11,668,598.7 sq mi (30,221,532 sq km) compared to Asia 17,212,000 sq mi (44,579,000 sq km).

Image from Wikipedia

7. What was the title of the second film in the James Bond series made by Eon Productions?

From Russia with Love, released in 1963, followed its predecessor Dr. No.  It was the also the second to star Sean Connery in the role of 007.

Image via Wikipedia

8. Mount Everest is the highest but what is the second highest mountain?

K2 (other names Mount Godwin Austen, Qogir Feng, Dapsang or Chogori) at 28,251 feet (8,611 metres)is the world’s second highest mountain.  Situated in the Karakoram Range K2 is located on the border of and lies partly in the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang of China and partly in the Kashmir region of Pakistan.

Image from Wikipedia

9. Queen Victoria has the longest reign in British history but who has the second longest?

George III is the second longest reigning monarch in British history having reigned for 59 years 96 days.  Victoria reigned for 63 years 216 days.  If she was still on the throne on 12th May 2011 Elizabeth II would surpass George III and become the second longest reigning British monarch.

Image from Wikipedia

10. Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin made the first manned Moon landing, what mission, and what astronauts made the second manned Moon landing?

Apollo 12 with Pete Conrad & Alan Bean.  Between 1969 and 1972 Apollo’s 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 landed on the Moon each carrying a two man crew meaning that 12 Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon’s surface.  In July 1969 Neil Armstrong of Apollo 11 became the first man to walk on the Moon and in December 1972 Eugene Cernan of Apollo 17 was the ‘last man on the Moon’.  An on-board explosion meant that Apollo 13 had to abandon a Moon landing while trying to make repairs that would allow them to return to Earth.

 

Image from Wikipedia

Add a Comment

1. What album was the second released by The Beatles in the U.K.?

2. What is the second largest planet in the Solar System?

3. Who was the second U.S. President to be assassinated?

4. And, as a follow-up to the previous question, who was the second assassin of a U.S. President? 

5. Who was the second person to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean?

6. Of the World’s continents what is the second largest in area?

7. What was the title of the second film in the James Bond series made by Eon Productions?

8. Mount Everest is the highest but what is the second highest mountain?

9. Queen Victoria has the longest reign in British history but who has the second longest?

10. Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin made the first manned Moon landing, what mission, and what astronauts made the second manned Moon landing?

ANSWERS

1. What album was the second released by The Beatles in the U.K.?

With The Beatles was the second album released by the group.  Like the first (Please Please Me) it was released in 1963, amongst its 14 tracks were Lennon and McCartney’s All My Loving and I Wanna Be Your Man.

Image from Wikipedia

2. What is the second largest planet in the Solar System?

Saturn. Jupiter is the largest of the planets and Saturn is approximately one-third of Jupiter’s mass whereas it is 95 times the mass of Earth.  It is the sixth planet from the Sun and takes approximately 29.5 (Earth) years to orbit the Sun.

Image from Wikipedia

3. Who was the second U.S. President to be assassinated?

James A. Garfield who was not only the second U.S. President to be assassinated, after Abraham Lincoln, he was also the one who had the second shortest tenure in presidential history, after William Henry Harrison.

 

Image from Wikipedia

4. And, as a follow-up to the previous question, who was the second assassin of a U.S. President?

Charles Guiteau. John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln’s assassin, being the first. 

Image from Wikipedia

5. Who was the second person to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean?

Amelia Earhart was the second to achieve this feat, after Charles Lindbergh.  Her time for her flight was 14 hours 56 minutes, which was a record at that time. She had previously become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic albeit as a passenger.

Image from Wikipedia

6. Of the World’s continents what is the second largest in area?

Africa is second in size after Asia.  Africa 11,668,598.7 sq mi (30,221,532 sq km) compared to Asia 17,212,000 sq mi (44,579,000 sq km).

Image from Wikipedia

7. What was the title of the second film in the James Bond series made by Eon Productions?

From Russia with Love, released in 1963, followed its predecessor Dr. No.  It was the also the second to star Sean Connery in the role of 007.

Image via Wikipedia

8. Mount Everest is the highest but what is the second highest mountain?

K2 (other names Mount Godwin Austen, Qogir Feng, Dapsang or Chogori) at 28,251 feet (8,611 metres)is the world’s second highest mountain.  Situated in the Karakoram Range K2 is located on the border of and lies partly in the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang of China and partly in the Kashmir region of Pakistan.

Image from Wikipedia

9. Queen Victoria has the longest reign in British history but who has the second longest?

George III is the second longest reigning monarch in British history having reigned for 59 years 96 days.  Victoria reigned for 63 years 216 days.  If she was still on the throne on 12th May 2011 Elizabeth II would surpass George III and become the second longest reigning British monarch.

Image from Wikipedia

10. Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin made the first manned Moon landing, what mission, and what astronauts made the second manned Moon landing?

Apollo 12 with Pete Conrad & Alan Bean.  Between 1969 and 1972 Apollo’s 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 landed on the Moon each carrying a two man crew meaning that 12 Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon’s surface.  In July 1969 Neil Armstrong of Apollo 11 became the first man to walk on the Moon and in December 1972 Eugene Cernan of Apollo 17 was the ‘last man on the Moon’.  An on-board explosion meant that Apollo 13 had to abandon a Moon landing while trying to make repairs that would allow them to return to Earth.

 

Image from Wikipedia

Add a Comment

Below: Photo of  brooch.

Display Comments Add a Comment

NASA’s Apollo 11, which was crewed by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, was launched on its four day journey to the Moon from Pad 39A at Cape Kennedy by a Saturn V launch vehicle on 16th July 1969.  On arrival in lunar orbit Collins remained in the command module Columbia whilst Armstrong and Aldrin transferred to the lunar module Eagle and descended to the surface of the Moon where they landed at 20:17:39 GMT on 20th July (see NASA’s Apollo 11 Timeline).  Armstrong and Aldrin both walked on the surface of the Moon while Collins remained in lunar orbit.

Another five Apollo missions, namely 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 successfully followed Apollo 11 to the Moon with two astronauts on the lunar surface on each occasion meaning that during the entire Apollo programme 12 men walked on the Moon.

James Lovell and Fred Haise should have walked on the Moon during Apollo 13 but their lunar landing was aborted after a malfunction.  As Lovell had previously been in lunar orbit on Apollo 8 he is the only person to have been to the Moon twice without landing on it.

Image via Wikipedia

Add a Comment

NASA’s Apollo 11, which was crewed by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, was launched on its four day journey to the Moon from Pad 39A at Cape Kennedy by a Saturn V launch vehicle on 16th July 1969.  On arrival in lunar orbit Collins remained in the command module Columbia whilst Armstrong and Aldrin transferred to the lunar module Eagle and descended to the surface of the Moon where they landed at 20:17:39 GMT on 20th July (see NASA’s Apollo 11 Timeline).  Armstrong and Aldrin both walked on the surface of the Moon while Collins remained in lunar orbit.

Another five Apollo missions, namely 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 successfully followed Apollo 11 to the Moon with two astronauts on the lunar surface on each occasion meaning that during the entire Apollo programme 12 men walked on the Moon.

James Lovell and Fred Haise should have walked on the Moon during Apollo 13 but their lunar landing was aborted after a malfunction.  As Lovell had previously been in lunar orbit on Apollo 8 he is the only person to have been to the Moon twice without landing on it.

Image via Wikipedia

Add a Comment

In this scintillating narrative, acclaimed foodie Mort Rosenblum delves into the complex world of chocolate. From mole poblano — chili-laced gift of the gods, to the contemporary French chocolatiers who produce the palets d'or, bite-sized, gold-flecked bricks of dark chocolate — to the vast empires of Hershey, Godiva, and Valrhona, Rosenblum follows the chocolate trail the world over. He visits cacao plantations, meets with growers, buyers, makers, and tasters, and investigates the dark side of the chocolate trade as well as the enduring appeal of its product.

Yes, our kind is everywhere... I'm a foodie, too. I watch the Food Network like it's porn. Seriously, have you seen Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, watched their nimble fingers, their deft touch as they make the stuff that dreams are made of? Delicious food, subtly prepared, engages all the senses, just like good sex. And like sex, most of us have a particular twist, a certain something that sets us over the edge. My particular kink is chocolate.... smooth, silky, sweet, or slightly bitter. I can take a nibble and slowly let it dissolve on my tongue, and the rush of flavor — flower petal/sugar/dark woods/midnight — overwhelms me.

And I'm not alone either; check out Milt Rosenblum's odyssey with my beloved. But before you do, I want to let you in on the fact that Chocolate is no mere confection. Rosenblum does offer an engaging travelogue featuring the voluptuous substance as the centerpiece.

But it's also a character study of of the people who absolutely live for the perfect cacao high. There's Chloe Doutre-Roussel, the chocolate doyenne, who by force of will, expert knowledge, and her own Gallic brand of sexiness, was able to convince the Brits to augment that waxy brick of theirs with glorious French confiserie. They couldn't resist her blandishments, despite years of proffering that insult as a treat to an unknowing populace.

Then there's Claudio da Principe, whose obsession with growing the best bean and to create a fair trade chocolate finca led him to a South American pilgrimage; an odyssey of intrigue, duplicity and greed worthy of Herzog and Aguirre the Wrath of God. Shot through this confection of a book is also a fascinating micro history of how the Old World "conquered" the "New" World.

Early in the book, which is for me one of the most potent descriptions, Rosenblum pays homage in Oaxaca at the altar of Estela Luna. He lovingly describes her comida casera and her personal domain where she holds court as chef, priestess, and historian, conjuring up mole exquisito and making the point that Mexico was not conquered after all.

And there is the redoubtable Mr. Rosenblum himself, intrepid explorer, traveling the globe for that ultimate high. Ah, such sacrifice in the pursuit of knowledge...

Display Comments Add a Comment