Danger! Volcanoes by Seymour Simon

Simon, Seymour. 2003. Danger! Volcanoes. New York: Sea Star Books. ISBN 1587171813

Beginning with a definition of a volcano along with definitions of lava, magma, and more, Simon also covers the different types of volcanoes found in the world: dome volcanoes, composite volcanoes, shield volcanoes, etc. Simon discusses both the fiery, destructive power and the creative power of a volcano (Did you know that most of the Earth's surface comes from volcanic eruptions?). The text is directly and simply written, and the pictures are evocative and stunning. My children had me read the book to them once, but then they thumbed through the book over and over, just looking at the amazing photographs of volcanic eruptions, lava flows, and ash clouds. This is a straightforward science text with fascinating pictures that will be sure to please younger children who are interested in the world around them.

AWARDS & REVIEWS:

"Volcanoes begins with two full-page spreads of volcanoes erupting, first with a sky of smoke and then with a sky of fire. There can be no doubt in youngsters' minds that they are reading about something powerful, and Simon describes the damage as well as the positive aspects of these explosions. The photographs are so compelling that it is a shame that they are not identified (although the sources are given). How a volcano changes the weather and how lava comes through that hole in the ground are left unanswered, but this introductory book is meant to whet the appetite, and that it does." --School Library Journal

"Basic information about volcanoes' inner core, shield, dome, and the different types of volcanoes and the serious danger that composites pose are all clearly presented." --Children's Literature

CONNECTIONS:

Other introductory volcano informational texts include Volcanoes by Franklyn Mansfield Branley, Time for Kids: Volcanoes from the TimeKids series, and Volcanoes by Nancy Harris and Lynn Armstrong.

This would be a great companion book to read with the time-honored tradition of building your own volcano using vinegar and baking soda!

For older readers, this piece could be used to briefly introduce the science behind Don Wood's graphic novel Into the Volcano.

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439353793

This non-fiction book tells the story of children and teenagers who grew up in Germany during Hitler's rise to power and throughout World War II. This book is organized chronologically, but also is organized around the experiences of twelve different young people: some of them were members of the Hitler Youth, some were resisters, and some were persecuted Jewish youth. One of the most beautiful things about this book is that it avoids moralizing: the story and experiences are told sparely, using primarily the young people's own words, gleaned from interviews, diaries, and memoirs. This allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about the Hitler Youth organization. While this book is filled with interesting facts about the day to day operation of the Hitler Youth, the book is also a treasure trove of poignant pictures that capture the public face of the Hitler Youth and the private shame of Hitler's anti-Semitic policies. This is an extremely interesting, informative and insightful book about what it was like to grow up "in Hitler's shadow".

AWARDS & REVIEWS:

1996 Newbery Honor Book
1996 Sibert Honor Book

"Bartoletti lets many of the subjects' words, emotions and deeds speak for themselves, bringing them together clearly to tell this story unlike anyone else has." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Nonfiction writing at its best. Essential for WWII collections as well as teaching units on conformity, peer pressure and resistance." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Bartoletti draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there." --Booklist, starred review

CONNECTIONS:

Other books that are appropriate for this age group that could be paired with this non-fiction book include Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and Anne Frank's Diary. The back of the book also has an extensive reference list that a teacher might use to glean further first-hand information about the experiences of WWII.

Students could also conduct their own research on the people interviewed for this book (I found ample material about Helmuth Hubener, Karl Heinz-Schnibbe, etc.) and discuss what the author left out and why (for example, Helmuth Hubener was excommunicated from his church but reinstated posthumously).