> Books to read:
> The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler by James Cross Giblin.
> Winner of the Robert Sibert Award for Informational Books,  2003.
> Clarion Books, 2002.

> James Cross Giblin created this biography of Adolf Hitler to answer
> the questions he and others have wondered about.  How could anyone
> devise and implement such a cruel plan of genocide?  How could so many
> people be convinced to follow Hitler into WWII?  Why did it take so
> long to put an end to his tragic actions?

> Giblin puts together a clear picture of how Hitler quickly rose to
> power and won the loyalty of the German people by persuasively
> proclaiming the ideals and values of the Nazi party.  Hitler's efforts
> to end his country's devastating post-WWI economic depression, and his
> mission to restore Germany to its past position of strength and
> prosperity, are the unifying themes of Giblin's story.

> Giblin draws his text from interviews, diaries, biographies and
> autobiographies of those who knew and worked with Hitler.    We learn
> intimate details known only to insiders which add great interest and
> connect the reader directly to the action.  Giblin excerpted Hitler's
> autobiography, Mein Kampf, to shed light on his troubled personality
> as well as his early social and political views.

> The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler includes an impressive selection of
> photographs from the National Archives and the Library of Congress
> which bring the text to life.

> At the end of the book, Giblin offers an additional question:  Could
> another Adolf Hitler rise to power?  Could the Neo-Nazi hate groups of
> today by a way for Hitler's dangerous scheme to live on?  The author
> warns us against repeating the mistakes of the past and challenges us
> to stand strong against so great an evil.

> Good Brother, Bad Brother:  The Story of Edwin Booth & John Wilkes
> Booth by James Cross Giblin
> Houghton  Mifflin, 2005.

> This is the story of two of America's finest actors of the 19th
> century, the Booth brothers.  One brother was passionate about the
> Confederacy, the other loyal to the Union and a supporter of Abraham
> Lincoln.  The story could stand alone as a historical account of the
> remarkable acting careers of the members of the Booth family set in
> the time of the Civil War.   But as circumstances of the war develop,
> one brother turns out to be "good" and the other "bad".  John Wilkes
> Booth grows increasingly irrational as the Confederacy wanes.  He
> starts as a spy and a blockade runner and then plots to kidnap
> President Lincoln in exchange for Confederate prisoners of war.  When
> the South surrenders, John is in such despair that he conspires to
> assassinate the Union's top government officials, including Abraham
> Lincoln.  Sadly, Booth becomes the first man to kill a president.
> The remainder of the book chronicles the devastating impact of John's
> actions on the Booth family and on the United States.

> The story is told with a great number of primary sources, especially
> letters, and includes a wealth of photos and engravings which offer
> the reader vivid images of the persons and events in the lives of the
> Booth brothers.

> While few people today know very much about the "good" brother, Edwin
> Booth, he is considered a great actor and an important contributor to
> the American theatre.   Giblin's book is a good reminder that the
> "story behind the story" is often what allows the readers to relate
> and connect with the larger than life events of history.

> The two James Cross Giblin books that I've read and written about are
> both biographies of significant historical persons.  Both are fine
> examples of the Sibert Informational Book Award definition -- "written
> and illustrated to present, organize and interpret documentable
> factual material for children."

> While the books have some obvious differences having to do with the
> historical time period and geographic location, Giblin brings his
> subjects to life in both books through his skillful incorporation of a
> wide variety of primary sources - letters, diaries, interviews,
> newspaper accounts, photos, and maps.   Through these sources, the
> people who knew our subjects best share intimate details of their
> lives.   No hint of sensationalizing or unnecessary embellishment is
> evident.  Giblin's bibliographies and source lists are comprehensive
> and quite interesting reading on their own.

> Giblin's chapter titles make us curious and provide an outline of the
> events.

> At the end of both books, Giblin offers us something to think about on
> our own.  Are the characterizations of "good" and "bad" always
> completely accurate and always completely deserved?  Could Hitler's
> dangerous hate-filled plan for the world be fulfilled even yet?

> Giblin's solid research and engaging writing make him an important
> contributor to nonfiction for young adults.

> Additional selection list resources:
> In addition to the selection resources that we discussed last week
> (SLJ, Booklist, Publisher's Weekly), there are a number of great
> review lists on the web.   I often check out Teen Ink, a magazine and
> website written by teens for teens. (www.teenink.com/Reviews)  Teen
> Ink reviewers consider nonfiction books about "heroes, pride &
> prejudice, articles about the environment, racism, sexism, health,
> travel, jobs, money, cars, pets, school, friends, family, parts, life
> and so much more."

> Boston Public Library's Teen Lounge webpage reads: "Don't
> automatically assume that stories are the only books to read for
> fun."  (www.bpl.org/teens/index.htm)  Booklists for teens are here
> with reviews by teens and library staff.  Both fiction and nonfiction
> appear within themes such as health, multi-cultural, biography and
> history.

> Kay Vandergrift's Young Adult Literature Page is filled with list
> after list of books, including nonfiction. (www.scils.rutgers.edu/
> ~KVander/YoungAdult/index.html)   Dr. Vandergrift asserts that
> "information books and materials are important as a means of learning
> about self through the lives of others and about the world we live
> in."

> I also consider the best books awards lists from ALA/YALSA, Best Books
> for Senior High Readers and Best Books for Young Adult Readers.

> With the web, it's easier than ever to find fresh lists of books that
> will keep students reading the best in nonfiction.

> Additional Titles and Authors:
> This question was hardest for me.  While I have been a librarian for
> quite some time, all of my past experience has been in reference.
> This is just my second year working at the high school level. Using
> these lists, I have happily discovered many new authors who are
> producing excellent works of nonfiction for youth.  To be honest, most
> of the top 100 nonfiction books as well as the ALA Best Books for
> Young Adults were new to me.

> I might suggest Eagle Blue by Michael D'Orso.  This inspiring story of
> the Fort Yukon Eagles, a championship high school basketball team in
> Arctic Alaska, is a worthy addition.  Because of the quality of this
> work, I will take a look at other books by D'Orso.  As I  am still
> becoming familiar with the list, I don't yet know if it will be  "top
> 100" quality or not, but time will tell.