History

If you love books about the true American spirit, you must read Daniel James Brown's narrative-nonfiction book The Boys in the Boat. The book follows the life of Joe Rantz who was abandoned by his family during The Great Depression. It follows his journey as a teen going to the University of Washington and becoming a member of the 1936 Olympic rowing crew that won the gold medal for America. They were boys from working-class backgrounds who beat the odds and beat the very elite team of Adolf Hitler. The book is immersed in intriguing details of Joe’s life. This can be attributed to the fact that Brown was able to interview Joe in his frail, elderly years. He spent many hours listening to Joe’s daughter tell stories of her father’s experiences. Brown was also able to acquire diaries and photos from the boys on the rowing crew. Joe Rantz was very hard-working and optimistic. My favorite quote showing his optimism was: “The only time you don't find a four-leaf clover is when you stop looking for one.” The book is an irresistible account of teamwork, overcoming pain, trusting in others, endurance, and driving spirit. I chose this book because I like other books that this Author made. What I enjoyed about this book the most is how inspirational it is to the readers. It shows you can accomplish what you set out to do if you work hard at it. There isn’t a part of the book I enjoyed the least. I can relate to Joe Rantz because I work hard to achieve my goals just like he did. This is a good book and I recommend a readthrough.

“The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon” is one of the most interesting books ever written! Bea Uusma Schyffert’s unique scrapbook style presents the story of Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronaut who faithfully piloted the spacecraft as his two teammates became the first men on the moon. Perfectly capturing every thought and detail through pictures, infographics, and prose, “The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon” pulls the reader into the story and lets them see it through Collins’ eyes. It even includes notes written by Collins himself. This is by far the best account of the forgotten hero in the history of astronomy.

“The Zoo on the Mountain” is an inspiring historical tale of The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. This book follows the famous Coloradoan zoo and its owners through the highs and lows of its existence. Starting with Spencer Penrose’s first bear and carrying through the disastrous flood from the mountain above, the impeccably accurate accounts of this book portray the humble mountain zoo in its true light. “The Zoo on the Mountain” is a interesting and mentally moving piece of literature. It’s a zooful of knowledge!

Nazi Saboteurs is a book about this group of boys who try to stop the evil of the nazis. Through this novel they face many difficult situations that they overcome with the support of others. The book includes pictures that assist the reader to grasp a better understanding of the text. Nazi Saboteurs was released in December of 2019 and has two hundred twenty-four pages that tell of hardships, action, and suspense. It is important to not forget the past, even if it was not ethical. This story shows the light in the darkest times. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

With the success of comic book movies in the last decade, it's sometimes hard to forget that these films don't explore all of what the pulpy medium offered. The rise in popularity of comics in a few different "eras" inevitably led to saturation in the medium. When something becomes saturated, creators don't care as much about what they're putting out, since everything sells. This is how a book like The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains can collect quite a few foes that were better left forgotten.

If there's anything this book does well, it's showing how simple and bland the early years of comics were. Perhaps I'm just used to the modern era that's had decades to figure out which superheroes and supervillains work best. Many of the early comic villains are forgettable, indicating a lack of imagination on the part of their creators. Unfortunately, since this book collects a lot of these villains in one place, it is boring to get through. After a few pages of supervillain puns, I got the "joke" this book was trying to make. And it just kept going.

While I understand organizing this book chronologically showed how these regrettable supervillains evolved over the years, I think it might have had more variety if it just stuck to being exclusively alphabetical. After all, it would have kept my attention a little better if I learned about a villain like Lepus before being reminded that M.O.D.O.K. exists. Perhaps my surface-level interest in comic books (especially the classics) is why it took me a while to get through this book. Still, if you want to be a super-fan of this medium, you might already know about Doctor Voodoo, which might make this humorous commentary on him a moot point.

A slightly amusing gimmick that highlights the lack of early comic book creativity, I give The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains 3.0 stars out of 5.

Into Africa, written by Martin Dugard, details the epic adventures of Stanley Livingstone and his trek across Africa to find the source of the Nile River. Livingstone battles disease, unfriendly tribes, and stubborn porters (the people who help carry supplies) in his journey. The brutal, but beautiful march encompasses Africa from it sweltering hot savannahs to it thick rainforests. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure because this book is about the exploration of Africa. I enjoyed this book because it taught me a lot more about Africa and it's people.

"Diary of a Young Girl" is the poignant and haunting diary of Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Anne chronicles her life in hiding in Amsterdam, where her family sought refuge in a secret annex. Through her diary entries, she shares her hopes, dreams, fears, and frustrations, providing an intimate account of the daily struggles and emotional turmoil endured by Jews in hiding. I enjoyed the book; having experience the Covid-19 shutdown, the atrocity that she had to go through put my life into perspective. Sometimes what individuals go through is difficult, but is nothing compared to horrors experienced by others. I recommend everyone to read this book because it fosters a sense of humility in all that read it.

This is a great book to learn more about important female figures in America if you don't have time to read long biographies. The book is organized into decades, with an informative page for each individual. The illustrations are colorful and compliment the writing well. The book discusses significant milestone's in women's history as well as the drawbacks. It draws attention to privilege and the need for even more progress, particularly in the workforce. Try this book if you are interested in feminism and its values!
Grade 12

If you're looking to get educated on LGBTQ+ history, this is a great book to try. I loved hearing about some of the most influential figures of the LGBTQ+ movement and their impact on others. They persevered even through backlash from events like the AIDS epidemic and built a community where everyone is welcome to be themselves. Some parts can get slow to read, but the authors use modern language and humor to appeal to a variety of audiences and make history more entertaining. This book is so empowering, give it a try!

This is a compelling story of the popular World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the serial killer who took advantage of it. Set in the late 1800's, David Burnham and H. H. Holmes receive equal attention in alternating chapters between the fair's fascinating architecture and the growth of a heartless killer. I liked reading about the trials and errors of the fair and technology in the 19th century. Also, Holmes' terrifyingly calm demeanor added suspense to what would happen to his victims. It is a cool turn-of-the-century book, but the shift between monotone construction and graphic murders was an interesting style that isn't for everyone.
Grade 11