One criticism of the movie is that it didn't go into detail about the impact of the bombs when they were dropped on two Japanese cities in August 1945. Hiroshima by John Hersey was a groundbreaking work that revealed to the world in 1946 the devastation and suffering the bombs inflicted. Fallout by Lesley M.M. Blume goes behind the scenes of Hersey's efforts to tell that story despite intense pressure and censorship from the US government. The Bomb: Presidents, Generals and the Secret History of Nuclear War by Fred Kaplan takes us through the use of the first bombs and the nuclear arms race that's followed.
For Fans of Barbie There are a lot of great novels exploring relationships and identity with the same fun vibe as Barbie, but today's post focuses on nonfiction. Despite the comedy of the movie, there were some serious messages about finding your purpose, believing in yourself ("I am Kenough") and empowering girls and women. When Everything Changed: the Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to Today by Gail Collins explores the growth of women's rights and opportunities through 2008, when Hillary Clinton became the first woman to run for president. Amazons, Abolitionists and Activists by Mikki Kendall highlights key figures and events in the fight for women's rights. In Spinster: Making a Life of Own's One, author Kate Bolick considers how she and other women are choosing to remain single, defying the convention that once defied most women. Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time by Tanya Lee Stone focuses on the stories of girls from around the world who found an escape from poverty through education. If you'd like to learn about the toy itself, try Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Made Her by Robin Gerber. It explores how Ruth Handler transformed the toy business and impacted American culture for generations.
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I read a lot of books about World War II, but usually not about specific battles or weapons. So I was surprised to find that I was completely engaged by Spearhead: an American tank gunner, his enemy and a collision of lives in World War II by Adam Makos. This nonfiction book, which the author adapted for young adults, could appeal to a lot of readers: those interested in armaments and weapons, those interested in the lives of soldiers and those interested in the ethical and moral dilemmas of war. The author follows a group of American tank operators and infantry fighting in Europe in 1944-1945, bringing them to life with details of their hometowns and personalities. You follow them into battle, cramped in the bellies of their lumbering tanks or dodging enemy fire while they ride on top. You're with them as they risk their lives, lose fellow soldiers who have become like family, and struggle with taking enemy lives. While the author spends time explaining the different types of tanks and military maneuvers, and paints riveting scenes of combat, the focus remains on the people fighting the war. This focus highlights the human toll of war, which I found especially relevant and heartbreaking in light of the current war in Ukraine. Despite the high-powered ammo and heavily armored tanks, often the weapons used in WWII offered the soldiers little protection. The sheer waste of life that comes with war came through very powerfully. Several chapters follow a young German tank soldier, the view from his side of the front lines, and his meeting with the “enemy” decades later. I have to admit that I finished reading about their reunion with tears in my eyes. If you like to read about the military or World War II, check out this book. It's about 300 pages, and includes pictures from the battlefield and the post-war reunion. Author Ruta Sepetys calls herself a "seeker of lost stories." Her award-winning novels shed light on people and events often overlooked in history. "Through character and story," she writes on her website, "historical statistics become human and suddenly we care for people we’ve never met, we can find their country on a map, and then—the history matters. Through historical fiction we can give voice those who will never have a chance to tell their story. "
Sepetys' passion comes through in well-researched, powerful stories suitable for both teens and adults. Whether set in one of Stalin's Siberian gulags, a New Orleans run by the mob, or a crumbling Cold War dictatorship, her books explore the depths of human cruelty and resilience. She often has multiple characters tell the story so you learn that history has many different perspectives and layers. If you like historical fiction, or even just thrilling stories of surival, check out her books. Between Shades of Gray follows 15-year-old Lina who is sent with her family to a Siberian gulag (prison) when the Soviets invade her native Lithuania. As she struggles in unimaginable conditions - including brutal treatment from guards, meager food rations and extreme weather - she vows to share the story with the world. Sepetys was inspired by the experiences of relatives who were among the millions of people who Stalin deemed enemies of the state and sent to Siberia during his regin of terror (1922-1953). Many never made it home. Salt to the Sea is a story of the largest maritime disaster in history, killing more people than the sinking of the Titanic or Lusitania. It was largely ignored by history, though, overshadowed by so many other stories of World War II. As the Nazi losses were mounting in 1945, thousands of German civilians fled the rampaging Russian army. They flooded two ports in hopes of evacuation, joining countless wounded German soldiers on overcrowded ships. When the Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by Russian torpedoes, it sank within an hour, taking about 9,000 people - mostly women and children -with it. Sepetys tells the story from four points of view, drawing a complex picture of the hatred among nations that led to, and resulted from, that awful war. Out of the Easy takes places in New Orleans in 1950s, where the mob rules and crime thrives along with the rich culture of the city. Josie, 17, dreams of life far from the brothels where her mother has carved out a desperate existence. But as Josie strives for a way out, she becomes tangled in a murder investigation that tests her loyalties. The story explores what makes a family, the burdens of poverty and the gray area between crime and survival. I Must Betray You is the most contemporary of Sepetys' stories, taking place in 1989. The Soviet Union is on the brink of collapse, along with communism throughout Europe. Romania is still within the grip of a brutal dictator when 17-year-old Cristian is forced to become a government informant. He must decide whether to cooperate and turn against his friends and family, or risk his life to fight for a better future. The Fountains of Silence follows Daniel, a wealthy 18-year-old tourist who visits Madrid in 1957, when Spain is ruled by a tyrannical general after a bloody Civil War. Madrid is a beautiful city in a country ruled by fear and repression, but the affluent Daniel is slow to realize how bad things are. When he meets Ana, a hotel maid whose father was killed and mother imprisoned in the resistance, he falls in love. He also is drawn into the dangerous world of secrets she inhabits. Zombie plagues have been the rage in TV, movies and books for years. But setting a Zombie plague during the American Civil War? Now that’s something new. Justina Ireland turns historical fiction on its head with her two-book series Dread Nation. Titled Rise Up and Deathless Divide, the books explore the racial, social and economic impacts of the ‘War Between the States’ and give new meaning to the term Reconstruction, the period of rebuilding and reunifying society after the war’s end. While no book involving zombies can be historically accurate, the stories build on the real people, events and issues of the time to highlight the brutality of slavery and the inequality that remained as the country moved forward – and westward. As the author explains in her notes, she wrote the books to give voice to characters often left out of history. The books focus on Jane and Katherine, two Black teens taken from their homes after the dead begin to rise during the Battle of Gettysburg. Like other children of their race, they are deemed inferior – and therefore expendable – and sent to boarding schools that train them to protect rich whites from the undead. (These boarding schools resembled the facilities that Native Americans were sent to in the 1800s, when the U.S. government stole their land and forced their assimilation) The girls excel in their training, but before they can be assigned to protect society ladies, they uncover a sinister plot to build a “utopia” to replace the Eastern cities falling to the zombie plague. This new community is founded on the principles of Jim Crow, the discriminatory laws that rose to continue the oppression of Blacks after slavery was abolished. This means Blacks have no rights and are assigned the most dangerous jobs and the worst living conditions. Tough-hearted and quick to temper, Jane resolves not just to survive, but to find an escape. Light-skinned and able to pass as White, Katherine plays along with the cruel society in order to help Jane’s plan to secure their freedom. There are tense battles, sorrowful deaths, cruel betrayals, heart-wrenching romances and epic friendships. And that’s just in book one. In the second book, the main characters venture west. Alive but forever changed, one seeks safety and peace while the other pursues vengeance. The books are a unique way to explore the issues of American history including slavery and Reconstruction, the government’s treatment of Native Americans, the cultural clashes that came with waves of immigration, expansion of the western frontier, and the search for the “American dream.” But if you aren’t really interested in the history, the books aren’t slowed down by it. The series provides enough action and adventure for any reader. I am fascinated by World War II, a conflict so huge that it seems to have a million different elements: D-Day, Pearl Harbor, the Holocaust, Japanese internment, Soviet sieges, and so on. No matter how many years have passed, or how many books and movies are made, there always seem to be another story to tell. To Hell and Back: The Last Train from Hiroshima by Charles Pellegrino recounts the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan. Most of us know the basic details, which are often wrapped up in whether the US was right to unleash the nuclear age in an effort to end the war. This book doesn't get bogged down in that debate. Instead it paints - in vivid scientific, physical and emotional detail - the impact on the cities and people devastated by them, that day and in the months and years since. The stories of Japanese survivors are heartbreaking, especially those who fled after the first bombing and sought safety in the city that became the second target. Can you imagine living through one bomb - a bomb that incinerated your family on the spot, flattened entire neighborhoods and left thousands with horrific burns and radiation poisoning - only to endure it again a few days later? For many people, survival was a matter of inches: a person shielded by a wall or tree may have survived while someone standing steps away was vaporized. The author follows a handful of survivors, much as John Hersey did in his 1946 book Hiroshima, as well as other notable participants such as the pilots who dropped the bombs. While Hiroshima is a powerful book, To Hell and Back goes farther and digs deeper. The 2015 edition uses modern language, making it feel less dated than Hersey's book, but it also has the benefit of following up with eyewitnesses who lived into the '90s and 2000s. It was powerful to read how the bombings continued to haunt the survivors, many fighting until old age for a ban on nuclear weapons and an end to war. This book is especially timely given President Obama's recent visit to Hiroshima, the first sitting president to ever visit the city. When he met with survivors and echoed their calls for peace, I pictured the men and women whose suffering and courage I had read about. The book gave me new insight into the use of the atomic bombs and made me rethink what I had learned about a terrible part of history. The book is 400 pages and some of the scientific explanations can get confusing, but it's worth sticking with it for the eyewitness accounts. In the first few weeks of school, I heard many students grumble about their summer reading assignments. More than a few could not bring themselves to pick up a book while hanging with friends on the beach or going on a family vacation. I am the complete opposite, which I guess isn't much of a surprise since I'm a librarian. But even before I had this fancy degree and powerful position, I loved summer reading. It's my chance to plow through a bunch of books without being interrupted by work, my daughter's sports schedule or other obligations. I love nothing more than sitting outside on a beautiful day with a book in my lap. They go with me to the beach, in the car, on my deck... Here are a few of the books I read this past summer, all of which I recommend to you. Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, by Jon Krakauer: Written by one of my favorite nonfiction authors, who's also known for Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this book explores the life of Pat Tillman. Tillman was an NFL superstar when, after the attacks on September 11, 2001, he gave up a million-dollar career and joined the military. When he was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, the government hid the truth from the public and even Tillman's family. I liked this book because it was more than just a story about a soldier (although there was plenty in it for people who like soldier stories). The book really examined what motivated Tillman to leave professional sports to go to war, and revealed how he resisted the government's efforts to use him as a propaganda tool. It was also interesting to read about the government conspiracy to cover up the truth of Tillman's death as well as its often misleading reasons for entering the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the first place. Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital, by Sheri Fink: When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, hospitals were among the hardest hit, trying to save sick and injured patients without electricity, enough medicine or even enough to eat. This book tells what happened at one hospital, where a doctor was accused of intentionally overdosing several patients because she felt they'd be too hard to evacuate or would die in the process. Some people called her and the nurses who worked with her heroes for trying to minimize patients' pain in a terrible situation. Others, including the government, called them murderers and tried to press criminal charges. The book gives a detailed and disturbing picture of what life was like in flooded New Orleans, and makes you think. What would you do in the same situation? What choices would you make? The second half of the book was a little repetitive, but the first half was incredible. Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee: As a huge fan of To Kill a Mockingbird, I was both excited and nervous about reading this long-lost book. Critics immediately complained that favorite characters were turned into racists, others were killed off and the writing wasn't strong. But I found the book to be really interesting, especially in thinking about how bits and pieces of it were revised and developed into the Mockingbird I know and love. Was it great writing? No, Harper Lee needed an editor and this book was released as it was found...no editing at all...so at times she was wordy and made outdated references. But there were flashes of the great writer that Lee could be (again, she needed an editor!). Was Atticus a racist? I don't think so. Anyone who read the whole book would see that he had reasons for fearing outsiders and trying to protect his African American neighbors in his own way. You may not agree with them, but I think you'll agree that the cries that he was a racist were exaggerated. Mockingbird explores being true to yourself and trying to understand others' point of view. Watchman delves into how we forge our own identities, apart from our parents, as we grow from children to adults. Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder: Another nonfiction read, this one follows a Harvard-educated doctor who devoted his life to treating the poorest of the poor in rural Haiti. The subject, Dr. Paul Farmer, was a remarkable and unique man. In some ways, he made me think of Pat Tillman and the Memorial Hospital doctors: could I make the sacrifices and face the challenges that they did? Probably not. Did I feel like a selfish person reading about his work? A little. One of the things the book showed me was that treating disease in poor countries requires much more than medicine. It requires a huge shift in social policies: jobs for the poor, roads to improve transportation, water purification systems, and so on. Anyone interested in international relations, working with charities or medicine would like this book. I read two more books in September, but this post is probably already longer than most students will read so I'll save them for another time. All of these books are available in the HHS library. Come by and check them out. The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini in 2003, is not a new book, but it's one that I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't gotten around to reading until now. Once I started it, though, I couldn't put it down. The book follows Amir, who grew up the privileged son of a successful businessman in the relatively peaceful time before the monarchy was overthrown in 1973. The ethnic and religious discrimination that tears apart the country today was strong even then, but Amir was spared. The servant boy who worked in his home, Hassan, was not. While Hassan and his father were treated like family in Amir's home, they were mistreated in the wider community. This was a challenge for Amir, who grew up with and played daily with Hassan; their friendship was hindered by society's expectations. When the boys are 12, a tragic incident drives a wedge in their relationship and forces Hassan and his father to leave Amir's home. Amir is wracked with guilt for the rest of his life, through his family's escape when the Soviets invade Afghanistan in 1979 and his adulthood in America. Many years later, a family friend still in Afghanistan contacts Amir, now a married man and published author. That phone call forces Amir to return to modern day, war-torn Afghanistan. He must face the devastation of his childhood homeland and, if he has the courage, right the wrong he committed against Hassan. The glimpse into the culture and history of Aghanistan was eye-opening, revealing the history and consequences of deeply rooted differences that still divide the country. The book widened my understanding of and empathy for the generation that grew up after Amir, the children who never knew life without gunfire, bombs and war. It helped me understand that no matter how long are soldiers are in the country trying to rebuild it and keep peace, the fighting and intolerance have been around longer. Those differences are not easily overcome. But even without that historical element, the story of friendship, betrayal, courage and redemption was riveting. Amir is the main character and tells the story, and while he is not always likeable, he is very realistic. He deals with the petty jealousies of a child, the yearning for his father's approval, and the cowardice of not speaking up for himself and his friend Hassan. He struggles with the transition to America and with coming to terms with his past. The story gets its name, The Kite Runner, from the person who outruns all of his competitors to retrieve the last and most valued kite knocked out of the annual kite fighting competition. With strings coated in glass, the contest is painful but the winners granted highest honors. Hassan was Amir's kite runner, willing to do anything for the person he considered more his friend than master. As a child, Amir could not return that loyalty. While the book is often heartbreaking, it ends on a hopeful note. I recommend this to anyone interested in historical fiction and global issues. I also think anyone who likes a good story about friendship, betrayal and redemption will also enjoy it. It's 371 pages and can be a little slow at the beginning, but it's worth sticking with it. All the Light We Cannot See: A glimpse into wwii through the eyes of german boy, french girl2/12/2015 By Cate Marchetti, HHS '16 Ever since I picked it up in the summer of my seventh grade year, The Book Thief has been my uncontested favorite book. I have since read it three or four times, each repetition resulting in a few more dog-eared pages and underlined phrases. For those of you who have never opened this excellent read (or even worse…just saw the movie), it follows a young girl named Liesel and her foster family who shelter a Jew in their basement during World War 2 through the narration of death himself. Morbid, I know. So, I was thrilled to open All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr on Christmas morning. I had heard great things about this book and could not wait to start reading. All the Light We Cannot See is a novel about the Holocaust, but it doesn’t include a single concentration camp or starving prisoner, meaning that if you are worried about the graphic horrors usually found in books of this genre, fear not. This novel alternates between the stories (and viewpoints) of two children who are growing up in the 1940s at the height of the Second World War. The first is a girl named Marie-Laure, who lives with her father in Paris and went blind at a young age. Her father was the keeper of the keys at the Paris Museum of Natural History, so even without her sight Marie-Laure lived in a world of knowledge and discovery as she roamed the museum each day while her father went to work. When the Nazis take over Paris, however, Marie’s father knows that his blind child will not stand a chance, and they quickly escape to the seaside town of Saint Malo to live with her uncle Etienne, who suffers from severe PTSD, and his mother-like housekeeper, Madam Manec. Marie helps bring her Uncle back into the world, and must find her own place in resisting the war. The flip side of the story is told by a young German boy named Werner Pfennig. Growing up in an orphanage with his younger sister Jutta to to care for, Werner never had many opportunities. Other children made fun of him for his bright white hair and oversized ears, but one day when Werner discovers an old transmitter radio locked in an old shed, his life changes completely. The boy quickly realizes he has a natural gift for mathematics and mechanics, and the radio is fixed in no time. Word gets around about the strange looking boy and his brilliant mind, and it is only a matter of time before the Nazi generals themselves are having Werner fix their broken equipment. One such general proves to be a guardian angel and paves the way for Werner’s admission at the Sculpfora, a German academy for soldiers and Nazi youth. In saving Werner from the future of mine working he otherwise would have been forced into, the general open his eyes to a new type of punishment. The boys at the academy are cruel, and the instructors have a heartless, “weed out the weak” policy that results in Werner’s best friend becoming permanently brain dead. He does learn from his physics professor however, and soon becomes a master of radio transmissions and trigonometry. As Werner grows and leaves the school behind, he becomes immersed in the war where it is up to his quick thinking to save lives or end them. By the end of the book, Werner and Marie-Laure’s lives have come together in an amazing, complex way I would probably go crazy even trying to describe. I really enjoyed this book, the writing was so beautiful and unique, and I enjoyed the way the point of view switched off between the two characters. Similar to the Book Thief, the novel is told through the experiences of children, which puts this awful time in a whole new light. I would recommend this book for anyone who read the Book Thief and loved it as I did, or anyone who is interested in learning more about the civilian side of World War Two. Something tells me I will be reading this book again in the near future, because any read that can transport me to another place and time is an A+ in my book (pun fully intended).
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AuthorMrs. McHugh is a librarian and instructional technology specialist. She loves talking books and pop culture with her students at Hanover High School. Archives
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