Friday, April 03, 2009

Nonfiction is Neat

For some reason, I was in no mood to read lengthy children's nonfiction this week, so my picks were mainly picture books.



Would you think that a book about the state birds would be a genuinely laugh out loud book? It is if the book is United Tweets of America! Through hilarious pictures, quips, and asides, Hudson Talbott informs and engages the child (and adult!) reader in a satisfying and unique way. Some jokes might go over a child's head, but the majority are definitely child-friendly. Highly recommended.



I've always been satisfied with National Geographic's children's books, and How to be an Aztec Warrior was no exception. A few humorous remarks keeps the material light and fresh; grimmer aspects of Aztec life, such as sacrifices, are dealt with in a brief and nonthreatening way.



Pearl
is a quietly appealing "story" of one woman's journey through the Civil War era to the Apollo 11 moon landing. While wars and the Great Depression cast a dark shadow on the story, births and other major family events are cause for much celebration. While the device of using one person's life to illustrate major events is nothing new, the impact of major events on one person's life is well told through this book.



You probably wouldn't use What Presidents Are Made Of for a school report, but it makes for a fun quick read for fans of presidential history. The collage illustrations are the real kicker.

You wouldn't know it from my recent posts, but I am reading fiction! It just takes a little longer to get through them. I'll have fiction posts next week.

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