Collins, Michael. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story. 1994 Revised Edition. 162pp. Lexile 1170.
Collins, the astronaut who piloted the command module while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first walk on the moon, describes his path to Apollo 11 and the remarkable mission itself. The book opens with the day of the moon landing, then goes back to show how Collins ended up as part of the moon landing team, following a career as an Air Force test pilot and his work as an astronaut on the Gemini 10 flight and at Mission Control for Apollo 8. This well-written account looks at the technology of space launches as well as the work of an astronaut. Collins conveys the suspense of the Apollo 11 flight, the amazing experience of circling past the dark side of the moon alone, and a genuine enthusiasm for space exploration. A great read.
Speech tie-in: At the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website, students can read and listen to President Kennedy's speech, "Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs, May 25, 1961," (Kennedy Speech) in which he proposed "that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth." Students can read it in conjunction with Collins's story or as a history-changing Presidential speech.
Marrin, Albert. Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl. 2009. 128pp. Lexile 1040.
Pair this fine volume with the novels, The Grapes of Wrath or Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust. It has all the features of excellent historical nonfiction: strong, readable narrative; great historic photographs, reproduced well; maps and charts; interesting sidebars; and rich extras such as a timeline, glossary, bibliography plus suggested reading for teens, and index. Marrin takes a broad approach, explaining the ecology of the Great Plains, how the Indians used the land, and the effect of settlers and farming. He weaves in quotes from those who lived through the Dust Bowl, including young people. After discussing how the federal government approached the problem, Marrin finishes up by considering similar current and future problems.
Reading Std #4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including technical, connotative, and figurative meanings; analyze role of specific word choices. Have students consider the “Words to Know” section in terms of the different strands of the book including historical, ecological, agricultural, social, and political. Have them choose one of those strands and find vocabulary that relates to it. For example, the glossary defines “mortgage” but other financial terms, such as “foreclosure” and “default” are also discussed in the text but don't appear in the glossary.
Perl, Lila. Mummies, Tombs and Treasure: Secrets of Ancient Egypt. 1987. Available in paperback. 120pp. Lexile 1090.
This exemplary nonfiction title gives a fine overview of mummies in Ancient Egypt with details on why and how mummies were created, including information about religion, mythology, and the pharaohs. Perl is especially good at drawing readers into the smooth narrative with questions and intriguing details, such as the use of human hair for artificial eyebrows on some mummies. She covers mummified animals and tomb robbers, among many fascinating topics. Diagrams and maps clarify points as do excellent black-and-white drawings. The photographs, while sometimes less than perfect, show mummies, artwork, and artifacts. Supplement the photographs with a more recent book with color photos such as Shelley Tanaka’s 2005 Mummies: The Newest, Coolest and Creepiest.
Reading Std #9 for grades 6-8: Compare/contrast texts on similar themes or topics. Although an excellent and still useful book, the Perl volume was published in 1987 and so lacks more recent information. Have students do research in areas such as use of technology to study mummies and other artifacts; discoveries of Egyptian mummies since 1987 such as the 2010 unearthing of 57 tombs; political issues about ownership and control of antiquities; and the like.
Stokes, John A., with Lois Wolfe and Herman J. Viola. Students on Strike: Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Brown, and Me. 2008. 128pp. Lexile 1030.
In this powerful true story, black teenagers in 1951 Prince Edward County, Virginia, took a courageous stance on civil rights that led to extraordinarily unfair consequences. John Stokes, who was one of those teenagers, uses a low-key, personal voice to tell of his role in a strike against the county schools. The students initiated the strike because the all-black high school was so inferior to the all-white one; they weren’t asking for integration, they were asking for better schools. But the NAACP would only get involved to fight for integration, a goal to which the students reluctantly agreed. It was a hard choice because they had a sense of how they’d be mistreated at an integrated school; the students also had great respect for the teachers at the all-black school. The strike led to a lawsuit that was part of Brown v. Board of Education (which combined several lawsuits). Shockingly, Prince Edward County reacted to the legal mandate for school integration by shutting down the public schools for five years and giving white students vouchers for private schools. Although some black students moved out of the county for school, many more lost their chance for an education during those years, leading some to question whether the strike had been a good idea. A painful yet in some ways inspiring piece of American history. Bibliography and suggested resources.
Reading Std #6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. Since this is a memoir, the author has a personal stake in the story. Have students look for specifics that show Stokes’ viewpoint. Does his personal role add to the emotional impact?
