Review: A Place Called America

By Jennifer Thermes

New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023. Informational.

Focusing on the history of the United States of America, Jennifer Thermes tells the story of how humans have always moved to find food, water, and shelter—just like all living creatures do. The make up of the people of the United States only came to be because of different migrations to a land that was already inhabited. Thermes shows how conflict and tragedy allowed different people to change the landscape and boarders of the United States to become the land it is now.

I think the maps in this book are beautiful. They're so intricate and I love to look for every detail. Thermes does an excellent job showing how the boarders of the country changed through several wars, annexations, and treaties. I also love how she handles the parts of the United States' history that can be hard to talk about. She acknowledges the hardships people have gone through without focusing on who's to blame. Overall, this ends as a hopeful plea for respect and coexistence.

Comments

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit

Review: The Frindle Files

Frindle Files By Andrew Clements New York: Random House, 2024. Fiction. 198 pages. In 1996 Andrew Clements wrote a story about a kid who invented the word “frindle” (another word for “pen.”) The Frindle Files is the sequel that takes place many years later. Josh is a student in Mr. N’s class. He and his friends can’t stand the fact that Mr. N makes them all write their homework down on paper with a “blue or black pen” and “neatness counts.” Josh is a computer geek and loves to do all his homework on the computer. In the midst of trying to find a way to make Mr. N accept the students' desire to do homework online, Josh comes across some information about Mr. N that links him to the word “frindle.” Now Josh and his best friend must decide what to do with the information and if they are willing to stand up to Mr. N’s antiquated way of doing homework. Kids who love the original book will highly enjoy this new edition. It is a continuation to the story in that it shows what ha

Five Faves: When Cultures Combine

None of us are just "one thing." All of us have several qualities that make us who we are and we have all had several people, and sometimes several cultures, influence who we've become. For some people, these differences are so significant that it can feel like they come from two different worlds. These books are all about celebrating what it's like to come from multiple cultures and claiming the many facets of what makes you "you!" Two New Years Written by Richard Ho Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2023. Picture Book. This multicultural family gets to celebrate the New Year multiple times. They celebrate Rosh Hashana in the fall and the Lunar New Year in the spring. The similarities and differences are explored in this picture book by showing Rosh Hashana and Lunar New Year's traditions on separate pages sometimes and at other times showing customs from both holidays nestled together. Reflecting the author's cultural an

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog