Cyrus Peirce Middle School 2007 Summer Reading Packet and ...

leading up to, and their participation in, the historic rides of the early 1960s. Dramaticblack-and-white photographs, accompanied by clear, engaging captions, support the text.Each of the seven chapters is preceded by a full-page photograph. Bausum's narrativestyle, fresh, engrossing, and at times heart-stopping, brings the story of the turbulent andoften violent dismantling of segregated travel alive in vivid detail.Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein by: Marfe FergusonWhile the myriad photographs are fascinating, the bigger draw here is the wonderfullysimple explanations of some of Einstein's theories. For example, in clarifying thephysicist's quantum theory of light, Delano says, "Simply put, Einstein showed thatphotons in the light beam knock the electrons out of metal." And, to make the concept ofspacetime easier to understand, she asks readers to contemplate spacetime as atrampoline with a bowling ball resting on it. This visual perception helps to make thetheory understandable for all students. The black-and-white and sepia photographs followEinstein from boyhood to old age and show him in a variety of settings: at theblackboard, delivering a speech, taking the oath of U.S. citizenship, in his Princeton homewith children who survived the Holocaust, and so on. Many have appeared elsewhere.Cartoon illustrations add to the clarity of the very readable text. Personal thoughts andfeelings abound. To make Einstein human to the audience, his mistakes are mentioned, aswell as his celebrity. Complete quote sources are appended. An introduction by EvelynEinstein, the scientist's granddaughter, is included. This entertaining effort displays clarityand intelligence. It has plenty of information for reports and is also a good choice forbrowsing.Hope for the People by: Cesar ChavezThe son of poor Mexican Americans, Cesar Chavez grew up in grinding poverty. In 1962,he set out to do what many before him had tried and failed to do -- organize a tradeunion for farm workers. With courage and determination, he transformed the plight of theworkers into an international cause.Into Thin Air by: Jon KrakauerInto Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up MountEverest. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climberJon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite theexpertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead.Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of thefactors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, IntoThin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountainprogresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of otherEverest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on themountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions.Life is so Good: by George DawsonA 101-year-old retired laborer who enrolled in a literacy class near his Dallas, Tex., homeat the age of 98, George Dawson now reads and writes on a third-grade level. FromDawson's eloquent words, co-writer Glaubman, a Seattle elementary school teacher, hasfashioned two engrossing stories. First is the inspiring saga of how someone who was thegrandson of a slave managed to navigate the brutally segregated small Texas town ofMarshall, where Dawson was born, without losing his integrity or enjoyment of life.Although he worked from an early age and was never able to attend school, Dawsoncredits his strong family, especially his father, for giving him the skills to survive. Hisfather told him to work hard, to do no wrong and always to avoid trouble with whitepeople--advice that was brutally underscored the day he and his father witnessed a whitemob lynching a black neighbor. The other theme running through these recollections is