is an overview of African American history in baseball. Founded by Rube Foster, the Negro National League was created in response to professional baseball leagues unwritten rule that African Americans weren't allowed on their teams. It tells the stories of countless amazing players who faced discrimination, discouragement, and dissapointment to do what they loved most: play baseball.
This book was extremely informative. I knew basically nothing about Negro League baseball (or even baseball history). I loved how the narrator made it feel like he was recounting history as he recalled it - it personalized the story so much more. I felt really proud of myself for recognizing some of the big name players, until Nelson mentioned that there were so many more amazing players who remain virtually unknown, because they never made it to professional leagues. What a huge loss it is to think of how many great players we missed out on, simply because they had a different color skin. The illustrations were gorgeous - big, bold, and seemingly life-sized. This book definitely deserved the recognition and awards it's received.
RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: ****
continues the story of upper class New York society. The newly married Schoonmakers travel with friends (and enemies) to Florida to escape the cold. The Holland sisters are among them, Elizabeth just returned to society after her harrowing-but-hidden experiences, and Diana getting over her broken heart. Intrigues and jealousies and drama abound in this continuation of the Luxe series.
tells the story of Ruby Bridges' experiences being the first black girl to integrate her school back in 1960. Her own reminiscences along with those of her teacher, family, and psychologist combine with photographs to bring this story to life. When Ruby first goes to school, escorted by U.S. Marshals, she is the only child in her class. Nearly all of the white students have been withdrawn by their angry parents. But, that doesn't stop her white teacher from loving and teaching Ruby.
tells the story of Mrs. Graham, a mysterious woman who comes to live at Wildfell Hall. Her entrance into the quiet neighborhood inspires interest and gossip. When Gilbert Markham falls in love with his supposedly widowed neighbor, she decides to share her story with him. Her marriage to a dissolute, unfaithful, and cruel husband is chronicled in her diary and leads to the drastic measures she took to escape from him.
is the delightful story of Ellie, a girl with a passion for growing. She deals with teenage trauma, school, a misunderstanding father, and the trials of growing a prize-winning giant pumpkin all at once. Definitely enough for one girl to handle. Ellie faces pumpkin thieves, frost, hail storms, and the horrible last-year's-winner with wit and courage. But, will she win?
is a beautiful retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Rose and her eleven sisters (with eleven unique flower names) are wearing their dancing slippers out each night, much to the mystification and anger of the king and the people. When Galen, a recently returned soldier turned gardener learns of the princesses' problem, he decides to find a way to help. With the assistance of some magical objects, he learns just where the princesses are going and why. But, he discovers, it is much more difficult than he thought to break the enchantment.
is a story about Marjan, a young crippled girl who becomes entangled in intrigues in the Sultan's palace when Shahrazad needs another story. Each night Shahrazad tells the Sultan part of a story and each morning, he lets her live to finish the tale. Her situation becomes precarious when she begins to run short on stories. Marjan, a storyteller herself, brings a new story to Shahrazad, but they discover she only knows a part of it. They must embark on the dangerous task of unraveling the rest of the story.
tells the story of how Ted and Kat's cousin, Salim, manages to disappear on the London Eye (a sort of ferris wheel) without a trace. Ted and Kat, who never have gotten along, put aside their differences to see if they can find out what happened to him, before it might be too late.
is a story about Hope (who managed to change her name from Tulip) and her Aunt Addie who are making the move to a small town in Wisconsin after their diner had to close in New York. Hope, who is trying to live up to her name, is a waitress at the diner that her aunt now manages. Hope is skeptical that she will be able to make friends and fit in, but she is drawn in when the owner of the diner, G.T. Stoop, who has been diagnosed with Leukemia, decides to run for mayor against the old corrupt incumbant. She is impressed with G.T. and his desire to serve the community, as well as his love for life. Hope also manages to balance her crazy mother and a new love interest on her already full plate.
is the story of three best girl friends, spending nearly two years together. D Foster shows up one day in Neeka and her best friend's neighborhood, looking for friends. They three become inseparable, but D leads a very different life than the other two. D, living with her foster mother, has freedoms the other two girls envy - freedom to ride the bus by herself and roam around alone. But, the two girls begin to learn more about the kind of life D has as they bond over rapper Tupac Shakur's lyrics. Then, just as suddenly as she came, D is gone.
is a story about a girl trying to understand her unexpected new role as Chalice to a demesne with a new and very different Master. Second in power only to this Master, Chalice tries to understand her new role and the power and difficulties it presents, while getting to know the Master. The Master, newly brought back from being a fire priest, is finding it difficult to return to his normal human life. When the overlord threatens the uneasy peace they are trying to settle, Chalice does all she can to settle the land and the people, but will it be enough?
is the story of Stanley Yelnats and his unfortunate streak of bad luck. Sent to Camp Green Lake, after he was incorrectly charged with stealing a pair of shoes, Stanley makes friends with a motley group of other delinquents. Stanley's story is tied up in a few other plots, including that of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.
is a story about three little kittens who have the audacity to survive a harrowing trip across a busy highway. The hardened highway cats aren't much interested in them, since they are so small and helpless, but Shredder begins to see something extraordinary about them. Particularly when they miraculously help the other cats to protect their homes from being demolished.
is a book written almost entirely of letters. When Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a man she never met, asking about a book he owns, she never expected where that correspondence might lead. She is introduced, by letters, to various members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, formed during the German occupation of the island Guernsey. Juliet, who was on the look out for ideas for a new book, thinks she just might have found the perfect subject.
chronicles 12-year-old Jane's string of adventures over one summer. While she doesn't quite reach her quota of one hundred in that one summer, she discovers a lot about herself, her mother, and life in general.
is a beautiful collection of wisdom and humor from Randy Paush's last lecture. Professors are often asked to give what was called a "last lecture," to share their thoughts about life and what they would want to be their last words. Randy, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and with only a few months of health remaining, finds new meaning and purpose behind his last lecture.
