PDF - Christian Library Journal

MIDDLE SCHOOL
NONFICTION
another “Forgotten Founding Father” of the
United States of America, remembered only by
historians. As it is, few school children could
say why Hamilton was placed there or what had
been his various roles in the infancy of our
country. Alexander Hamilton: America’s Bold
Lion by John Rosenburg redresses this oversight
in a respectful, yet honest account of his life.
Born out of wedlock, Hamilton had only his
quick intelligence and forceful personality to
commend him in a world which was concerned
primarily with family connections and wealth.
He put these to immediate use and, by the age of
twenty-one, found himself aide-de-camp to
General George Washington and privy to the
momentous events of the American Revolution.
After independence was won, Hamilton was
called upon to serve as Secretary of the Treasury
under Washington, where he had great influence
on the forming and defining of the new entity
called the United States. His life cut short in a
duel at forty-one, Hamilton never attained high
elected office, but did profoundly influence the
direction the country took with his tireless
writing, best illustrated by his contributions to
The Federalist Papers.
Rosenburg’s biography of Alexander Hamilton
is a good, serviceable introduction to the man
for the middle school reader or researcher. The
text is somewhat dry, but it is perfectly adequate
for transmitting the facts of Hamilton’s life if not
the spirit. The author does this honestly, with a
warmness for his subject that does not gloss
over his frailties, such as his affair with Maria
Reynolds, or gush with admiration. In addition,
the work is well indexed, and a very helpful
bibliography and list of important dates in
Hamilton’s life can be found at the end. The
researcher also will appreciate the author’s own
list of sources and acknowledgments in which
he ranks the helpfulness of the titles in his
bibliography.
Pamela A. Todd, Librarian/English Teacher, Chalcedon Christian
School, Cumming, Georgia
Masada, written and illustrated by Neil
Waldman. LCCN 97032912. New York:
Morrow Junior Books, Morrow, 1998.
ISBN 0688144810, HBB, $16.00.
933. Masada Site (Israel); Jews--History--Rebellion,
66-73; Excavations (Archaeology)--Israel--Masada
Site. 64 p. Middle school.
Masada was a fortress built deep into the rock
and high upon a cliff to protect Nebuchadnezzer.
It was his finest fortress, and few dared to
overcome it. However, when Nero tried to
anhialate the Jews, he had some difficulty with
the zealots. An historical narrative written about
the famous fortress Masada, this book delves
into the Jewish zealots’ valiant efforts to defeat
Rome.
Although this appears to be a children’s book
(with pencil drawings, short content, and large
pages), the style, vocabulary, and content is
high-school to college level. Adults will be
fascinated by some of the history including the
psychotic King Nebuchadnezzer, who built it,
the Jewish Zealots who defended it with their
very lives, the determined Romans who
attempted to destroy it, and the modern
archaeologists who have dug up its treasures.
Mary Jo Cassner, Teacher, Norfolk, Nebraska
Martyrs to madness : the victims of the
Holocaust, by Ted Gottfried; illustrations
by Stephen Alcorn. (The Holocaust.)
LCCN 99057587. Brookfield, Ct.:
Twenty-First Century Books, The
Millbrook Press, 2000. ISBN 0761317155,
HBB, $29.90.
940.53’18. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945); World
War, 1939-1945--Atrocities; Germany--History--1933-
1945; Antisemitism--Europe. 126 p. Middle school
(High school).
Ted Gottfried has done an outstanding job of
relating the horrors of the Holocaust for the YA
audience. His easy to follow narrative leads the
reader from the early days of the Nazi party’s
assension to power through the atrocities of the
“Final Solution.” Gottfried’s chronicle is firstrate.
He unflinchingly relates the facts without
dwelling unnecessarily on the gruesome details.
There are separate chapters on each of the
groups that Hitler persecuted. His brief
afterword is a solemn warning that if we do not
learn from the past and if we believe we are
superior to others, we could find ourselves
where the Germans, both aggressors and
victims, found themselves in WWII.
The fine illustrations by Stephen Alcorn
introduce each chapter and are supplemented by
photographs, which are a nice addition but not
for younger, more squeamish readers. The book
also contains a chronology, glossary, chapter
notes, index, and a list of other books to read and
Internet sites to visit if the reader would like
more information.
The Christian reader should be advised that the
topic is not appropriate for younger children and
that even for some older children this book may
be somewhat frightening and/or graphic both in
terms of violence and some sexuality (example:
castrations, rapes). Also, while Gottfried makes
no judgments about the homosexual lifestyle,
there is a chapter devoted to Hitler’s persecution
of homosexuals. Parents will perhaps want to
read this with their older children to discuss the
many issues that are covered and exchange
views on what a Christian’s response to such
horrors should be.
Teresa O’Donley, Library Media Teacher, Scotts Valley, California
Nazi Germany : the face of tyranny, by
Ted Gottfried; illustrations by Stephen
Alcorn. (The Holocaust.) LCCN
99057589. Brookfield, Ct.: Twenty-First
Century Books, The Millbrook Press,
2000. ISBN 0761317147, HBB, $29.90.
940.53’18. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945); National
socialism; Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945; Antisemitism--
Europe. 128 p. Middle school (High school).
“How can such a monstrous crime as the
Holocaust occur? It begins when people start
thinking of themselves as ‘us’ and of others as
‘them.’ But there is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’ There is
only ‘we.’”
Nazi Germany: The Face of Tyranny describes
the beginning, middle, and end of a systemic
attempt to rid Germany and other European
states of the Jewish population. Author Ted
Gottfried introduces a young Adolph Hitler who
soon becomes the leader of the Nazi party and
then the leader of Germany. Through Hitler’s
command the “The Final Solution” was
undertaken. Two thirds of European Jews were
massacred.
With well footnoted chapters, the author traces
the evolution of the Nazi movement,
summarizes key events leading up to and
through World War II, and describes the final
attempts to round up and murder millions of
Jews and other estranged groups such as
Gypsies, Polish citizens, mentally and
physically ill people, and homosexual
individuals.
Toward the end of the book, the author tells the
fate of the more infamous Nazis discussed in the
book. He lists the major events chronologically
and supplies source notes. He provides a
glossary of German terms and others and gives
additional resources for reading, including
Internet sites.
The illustrations by Stephen Alcorn are bold
black and white ink drawings accented with
beige. The pictures reflect the bleak nature of
the information within the pages. Several black
and white photographs of Jews, Nazi soldiers,
and children in a concentration camp lend
additional sobriety to the reading.
Homosexuality is mentioned several times. In
recounting of the murder of a Nazi, Ernest
Rohm, the author tells that two men who shared
the same bed were dragged from their bed and
shot.
Joanne M. Haffly, Homeschool Parent/Writer, Gig Harbor,
Washington
A special fate : Chiune Sugihara : hero of
the Holocaust, by Alison Leslie Gold.
LCCN 99024298. New York: Scholastic,
2000. ISBN 0590395254, HBB, $15.95.
940.53’18’092. Sugihara, Chiune, 1900-1986;
Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust--Biography;
Diplomats--Japan--Biography; Jews--Persecution--
Lithuania--Kaunas; World War, 1939-1945--Jews--
Rescue--Lithuania--Kaunas. 176 p. Middle school
(Elementary).
It is a time of terror and fear as World War II
rages around the globe, and for one man, Chiune
Sugihara, a diplomat from Japan, it is a time to
determine destiny.
Sugihara began life simply enough, willingly
following his family’s traditions and values, but
now he is a man and must choose for himself
either to become a doctor as his father wishes, or
to follow his own dream and become a teacher.
Chiune’s decision will lead him down a far
different path than he could ever have imagined
and will give him the power to choose life or
death for thousands of WWII refugee Jews.
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