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Review: Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers by David Grann

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Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
David Grann
Crown Books for Young Readers
Published November 16, 2021

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About Killers of the Flower Moon

A young reader edition of the New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist about one of history’s most ruthless and shocking crimes, the Reign of Terror against the Osage people.

In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. As the death toll surpassed more than twenty-four Osage, the newly created F.B.I. took up the case, in what became one of the organization’s first major homicide investigations. An undercover team, including one of the only Native American agents in the bureau, infiltrated the region, struggling to adopt the latest modern techniques of detection to bring an end to the deadly crime spree. Together with the Osage they began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

In this youngification of the adult bestseller, critically acclaimed author David Grann revisits the gripping investigation into the shocking crimes against the Osage people. It is a searing indictment of the callousness and prejudice toward Native Americans that allowed the murderers to continue for so long and provides essential information for young readers about a shameful period in U.S. history.

My Review

This book promises to shock readers, and it absolutely delivered on that promise to me. Wow. My jaw dropped several times as I read about the calculated, brazen murders of Osage Tribe members in the 1920s. I don’t remember learning anything about this in my history classes, though the Teapot Dome scandal and Edgar Hoover’s rise to the top of the FBI were events I had a little familiarity with.

One of the things the book does really well is to present the facts about how laws requiring indigenous people to have a court-appointed guardian (white person) managing their wealth directly led to the swindling and murder of the Osage. Shocking and terrible.

This chapter in US history deserves to be much more widely known. I listened to the book as an audiobook and read the whole thing in less than a week. It was so compelling. The whole thing is divided into three parts. The first part centers around Mollie Burkhart. The second follows federal law enforcement officer Tom White, and the third part follows a journalist who begins looking back at the murder cases in the early 2000s.

I’m really glad I read this book. It makes me realize that there are so many parts of American history that I don’t know nearly enough about. This book is a great resource for young readers who, like me, want to learn more about parts of history that we don’t acknowledge nearly enough.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The narrative focuses on Mollie Burkhart, her family, and Osage tribe members. Several prominent people in the book are white, including law enforcement and high-profile people in the town.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions of marriage and divorce.

Spiritual Content
Brief references to Osage spiritual traditions and celebrations. Mollie Burkhart celebrated holidays and feasts with her tribe and also attended the Catholic church and valued her Catholic faith.

Violent Content
Systemic racism. For example, the book chronicles how the Osage people were required to have a “guardian” (read: white person) who was in charge of their bank accounts. This led to rampant financial abuse. The book quotes newspaper articles and historical figures, noting when they’ve used racist terms.

Brief mentions of Mollie’s generation being forced to attend a boarding school where they were required to stop speaking their native language. The book doesn’t use the term residential schools, but I think that’s what it’s talking about.

Several scenes briefly describe a murder scene. They’re never overly gory. Just the facts, stated as briefly as possible.

Drug Content
This happened during prohibition, but several characters drank alcohol anyway. In one chapter, the author describes a woman who arrives drunk at a family dinner and makes a scene.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Tales of Ancient Egypt by Hugo D. Cook and Sona Avedikian

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Tales of Ancient Egypt
Hugo D. Cook
Illustrated by Sona Avedikian
Neon Squid
Published October 1, 2024

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About Tales of Ancient Egypt

Discover amazing true stories and breathtaking myths from ancient Egypt in this book by TikTok Egyptologist Hugo Cook, featuring stunning illustrations from Sona Avedikian.

Everyone knows the story of Tutankhamun, but the ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for more than 3,000 years – which means there are loads more amazing tales to be told! Egyptologist and TikTok star Hugo Cook (aka Hugo the Egyptologist) has scoured ancient texts and translated hieroglyphs to bring readers stories of love, betrayal, and royal scandal featuring pharaohs, priests, gods, and goddesses.

The book combines historical stories, including the time Cleopatra hid in a sack to be smuggled into a palace to meet Julius Caesar, with rip-roaring myths, like the Cinderella story of a peasant girl who married the pharaoh when he found her slipper.

Told with great fun and impeccably researched, readers will slip into a tomb at night with a band of mischievous tomb robbers and witness epic battles featuring elephants and ostriches. Interspersed through the stories are pages explaining the history of ancient Egypt on the banks of the Nile, from how pyramids were built to a step-by-step guide to wrapping a mummy.

With a beautiful cloth-textured cover featuring shiny foil, Tales of Ancient Egypt is the perfect gift for kids interested in ancient Egypt.

My Review

My older daughter would have absolutely loved this book when she was in later elementary school. She had a couple of books on mythology and folklore, but we didn’t have anything on ancient Egypt.

Almost all the stories or fact collections are limited to a single spread, which makes this book easy to read even for readers intimidated by its size (the hardcover edition is 9.25″ x 11.25″ and 151 pages). Each spread shows brightly colored illustrations featuring characters with expressive faces. The backmatter includes a glossary and a list of deities. One of the things I wish it also included are some recommendations for further reading.

The book includes both historical accounts and facts as well as mythological tales. Myths are labeled as such to avoid any confusion. I liked the mix of the two as they often added context to one another. For example, the story of Khaemweset includes some factual information as context and then transitions to the myths about him.

This is a book that kids interested in mythology or history will enjoy. The format makes the information easily accessible and entertaining while offering many cool historical tidbits. I can see this being a book that I give for Christmas this year.

Content Notes for Tales of Ancient Egypt

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Stories feature characters from Egyptian mythology, famous ancient Egyptians, and facts about ancient Egyptian life.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to love and romantic partnership.

Spiritual Content
Contains stories of Egyptian mythology and ancient Egypt’s pantheon of gods. Some mythological stories contain characters who perform magic or sorcery.

Violent Content
Stories contain situations of peril and brief references to murder or attempted murder, especially via poison or stabbing. One illustration shows a wincing Cleopatra allowing a snake to bite her hand. No gory descriptions. Brief description of the process of mummification. Someone tells a man to throw murder his children, and he tosses them out a high window. Later, he realizes this was a nightmare. Crocodiles devour an army trying to cross the Nile.

Drug Content
References to drinking beer. Several instances of death by poisoning.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Mine Wars by Steve Watkins

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Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers’ Rights in the West Virginia Coal Fields
Steve Watkins
Bloomsbury
Published May 14, 2024

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About Mine Wars

For fans of Steve Sheinkin and Deb Heiligman, a riveting true story of the West Virginia coal miners who ignited the largest labor uprising in American history.

In May of 1920, in a small town in the mountains of West Virginia, a dozen coal miners took a stand. They were sick of the low pay in the mines. The unsafe conditions. The brutal treatment they endured from mine owners and operators. The scrip they were paid-instead of cash-that could only be used at the company store.

They had tried to unionize, but the mine owners dug in. On that fateful day in May 1920, tensions boiled over and a gunfight erupted-beginning a yearlong standoff between workers and owners.

The miners pleaded, then protested, then went on strike; the owners retaliated with spying, bribery, and threats. Violence escalated on both sides, culminating in the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest labor uprising in United States history.

In this gripping narrative nonfiction book, meet the resolute and spirited people who fought for the rights of coal miners, and discover how the West Virginia Mine Wars paved the way for vital worker protections nationwide. More than a century later, this overlooked story of the labor movement remains urgently relevant.

My Review

It’s a short book, I thought. I’ll be able to read it quickly, I thought. Wrong!

Okay, so it is a short book at just over 200 pages, but this was not a quick read for me, probably in large part because it’s a heavy topic, so I needed to break up my reading into more short sessions rather than read straight through the way I could have done with a milder nonfiction or fiction title.

However, it reveals a critical part of West Virginia history and the history of the labor movement in the US. Like some of the educators and people referenced in a late chapter in the book, I kept wondering how I hadn’t heard about this. Honestly, I can’t even remember learning anything about Mother Jones in school, which seems wild to me thinking about it now. It’s possible that her contributions were mentioned in a line or two and quickly moved past. Hard to say. I don’t think my history curriculum included very many women’s stories or much coverage of the 20th century other than the World Wars. But I digress.

Anyway. So, The Mine Wars. Some of the events described seem almost unfathomable in the calculated cruelty with which the coal mine owners and the men they hired to violently put down unrest among mine workers behaved. The escalation of warfare between the two sides can’t help but be genuinely shocking.

As I read, I kept thinking of a conversation I had with someone not all that long ago in which this person insisted that we don’t need unions in America because corporations will do the right thing for their workers. I had healing fantasies (see Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents) about pushing this book across the table to this anti-union person and asking him to repeat that sentiment to me after reading The Mine Wars. Because, uh, NO. The coal mine owners acted only in their own best interests and almost without exception at the expense of their workers.

The book introduces and follows a wide range of historical figures, from law enforcement officers to hired gunmen to mine workers to union leaders and politicians. It focuses on the coal industry and workers’ fight for equitable pay and reasonable safety measures from the early 1910s to the early 1920s.

The only real complaint I have about the book is that it jumps around in the timeline quite a bit, using statements like, “seven years later,” etc. Sometimes it was hard to tell when things happened. I would have loved to see a timeline of events included in the backmatter of the book. The backmatter does contain, however, a pretty extensive list of resource material, including at least one documentary. I’m excited to check that out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The text primarily features white men, but includes the stories of a few women and people of color.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to assault convictions of people mentioned in the text.

Spiritual Content
One man profiled was a part-time pastor and part-time mine worker. At one point, he spoke of putting down his Bible and taking up his gun.

Violent Content
Several chapters relate scenes involving gunfire. Sometimes, armed combatants attack one another. At other times, aggressors gun down unarmed opponents or civilians, including women and children.

Drug Content
References to alcohol use and drug abuse. One person profiled gets very drunk during a battle. Someone reports that a large number of armed men were drunk during a battle.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: We Are Palestinian by Reem Kassis and Noha Eilouti

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

We Are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition
Reem Kassis
Illustrated by Noha Eilouti
Crocodile Books
Published September 19, 2023

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About We Are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition

A stunning non-fiction children’s book celebrating everything Palestinian!

From culture and food, to music and literature, We Are Palestinian is a celebration of Palestinian heritage. Brought to life by award-winning writer Reem Kassis, every spread is filled with wonderful anecdotes, fascinating facts, and memorable quotes. It is beautifully illustrated by Noha Eilouti, an emerging Palestinian-Canadian illustrator.

Discover ALL about the history of iconic Palestinian symbols like tatreez embroidery, or the inspiration behind Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry. As you turn every page, you’ll find yourself lost in the world of Dabke (the folk dance of Palestine) and amazed by its famous old cities; you’ll try traditional food like knafeh, explore the different religions, and find out much more. Each spread of We Are Palestinian is accessible, richly inspiring, and visually stunning.

Young readers are going to love discovering more about Palestine. This is the perfect book for parents, educators, and caregivers wishing to explore new worlds of culture and custom with children!

My Review

This is such a cool book. Because of what’s happening in that part of the world, Palestine is in the news so much right now. I love that there’s a celebratory, informative book that kids can read so they have a better understanding of who Palestinian people are and what their lives look like.

I remember just reaching the age when I paid more attention to the news and wanting to know more about the places that reporters were talking about. It’s great that we have resources that allow us to celebrate the rich culture and history of Palestinians without asking kids to weigh in on complex political issues.

The book covers a range of topics, from exploring significant cities in the area to cultural symbols like dress, the flag, and national anthem to celebrated artists, writers, athletes, and entertainers. Because I’m Italian and speak the language of the love of food, I also really enjoyed the parts of the book that focus on the different kinds of food that Palestinians eat. Yum! (Side note: the author also wrote a cookbook of Palestinian food. I am definitely going to check it out.)

I learned a lot from reading this book. As you read, the author might use a word like the name of a dish and a parenthetical reference beside it will note where you can read more about that food. I think it would have strengthened the comprehension if the book included a vocabulary section in the back. Sometimes I felt like the definitions within the text were a little vague.

On the whole, though, I think this is a great book and very timely.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 up.

Representation
As you can guess from the title, the book focuses on the life experiences of Palestinians. One section highlights famous Palestinian people from artists to activists to athletes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to clothing worn for weddings.

Spiritual Content
References Islam, Christianity, and Judaism and discusses how and why certain cities are important to members of all three faiths.

Violent Content
Brief reference to warfare in the region and the lives of Palestinians as refugees.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of WE ARE PALESTINIAN in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel, Sammy Savos, and Bethany Strout

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The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival
Estelle Nadel
Illustrated by Sammy Savos
Edited by Bethany Strout
Roaring Brook Press
Published January 23, 2024

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About The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival

A heartrending graphic memoir about a young Jewish girl’s fight for survival in Nazi-occupied Poland, THE GIRL WHO SANG illustrates the power of a brother’s love, the kindness of strangers, and finding hope when facing the unimaginable.

Born to a Jewish family in a small Polish village, Estelle Nadel―then known as Enia Feld―was just seven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. Once a vibrant child with a song for every occasion, Estelle would eventually lose her voice as, over the next five years, she would survive the deaths of their mother, father, their eldest brother and sister, and countless others.

A child at the mercy of her neighbors during a terrifying time in history, THE GIRL WHO SANG is an enthralling first-hand account of Estelle’s fight for survival during World War II. She would weather loss, betrayal, near-execution, and spend two years away from the warmth of the sun―all before the age of eleven. And once the war was over, Estelle would walk barefoot across European borders and find remnants of home in an Austrian displaced persons camp before finally crossing the Atlantic to arrive in New York City―a young woman carrying the unseen scars of war.

Beautifully rendered in bright hues with expressive, emotional characters, debut illustrator Sammy Savos masterfully brings Estelle’s story of survival during the Holocaust to a whole new generation of readers. THE GIRL WHO SANG is perfect for fans of MARCH, MAUS, and ANNE FRANK’S DIARY.

My Review

What a powerful first-hand account of survival during the Nazi occupation of Poland. In the opening pages, we meet Enia’s family and see the quiet life they live in their small town. Then, as the Nazis invade, things change. Her family must hide. Enia feels afraid. She loses so many people, but always, when she needs help, someone steps up to help her.

Some of the scenes in the book are pretty chilling. There’s one brief series of panels that shows, from a distance, soldiers lining people up against a building. In the next image, red smudges the wall of the building, and the people are shown collapsed on the ground. The viewer easily understands they’ve been shot to death.

Thinking about this tiny girl never speaking above a whisper or standing up while she was in hiding can’t help but break your heart. Thinking about her brother, who was only a few years older than she was, risking his life several times a week to look for food is also heartbreaking. I can’t begin to think about how I would process that anxiety– both from being the person going out and the person left behind. The resilience and devotedness of these siblings leaves me in awe.

I also love the decision to tell this story as a graphic memoir. Not only do the illustrations help to anchor the story in its setting, but they carefully lay out the story without needing to graphically describe some of the horrors Estelle and her family endured.

I think readers who were moved by THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ: THE GRAPHIC ADAPTATION or the graphic adaptations mentioned in the book description above will find this story equally moving and important.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Estelle (called Enia in the early pages of the book) and her family are Jewish and Polish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Enia believes her older sister and her sister’s sweetheart will get married.

She describes how her family used public showers in town once per week as part of getting ready for the Sabbath. One image shows a vague representation from a distance of Enia and her mother readying for a shower.

Spiritual Content
Enia celebrates Shabbat and Passover with her family. She also learns to prepare food according to Jewish rules so that the food is kosher.

Violent Content
Soldiers ransack Enia’s house, looking for valuables.

There’s one brief series of panels that shows, from a distance, soldiers lining people up against a building. In the next image, red smudges the wall of the building, and the people are shown collapsed on the ground. The viewer easily understands they’ve been shot to death. Enia is told that her mother was beaten by soldiers and likely shot to death the next morning. She’s told that other family members were shot as well and later learns they were killed in a gas chamber.

At one point, Enia witnesses soldiers beating her brother and begs for them to stop. The panels show simplified images that hint at the violence without being gratuitous.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE GIRL WHO SANG in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Sail Me Away Home by Ann Clare LeZotte

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Sail Me Away Home (Show Me a Sign #3)
Ann Clare LeZotte
Scholastic Press
Published on November 7, 2023

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About Sail Me Away Home

This gripping, stand-alone story, set in the world of the award-winning SHOW ME A SIGN and SET ME FREE, shines a light on the origins of formal deaf education and celebrates the fullness of the Deaf experience.

As a young teacher on Martha’s Vineyard, Mary Lambert feels restless and adrift. So when a league of missionaries invites her to travel abroad, she knows it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Paris is home to a pioneering deaf school where she could meet its visionary instructors, Jean Massieu and Laurent Clerc—and even bring back their methods to help advance formal deaf education in America!

But the endeavor comes at a cost: The missionaries’ plan to “save” deaf children is questionable at best—and requires Mary’s support. What’s more, the missionaries’ work threatens the Wampanoag and other native peoples’ freedom and safety. Is pursuing Mary’s own goals worth the price of betraying her friends and her own values?

So begins a feverish and fraught adventure, filled with cunning characters, chance encounters, and new friendships. Together with SHOW ME A SIGN and SET ME FREE, this stunning stand-alone story completes an unforgettable trilogy that will enrich your understanding of the deaf experience and forever alter your perspective on ability and disability.

My Review

I loved revisiting Mary and her family in their island community. In this book, it’s not a terrible crisis that pulls her away from home, but a growing awareness of how some people are marginalized or excluded. In part, this happens as she teaches school for her community, and the local leaders only agree to keep her on as a teacher if she refuses to allow Irish children into the classroom. Mary balks at this and finds a way around this ruling, but she feels stifled and angry at the cruelty of it.

In some ways, this is a gentler story than the previous two in the series. It still reveals to readers some of the prejudices the Deaf faced in the early 1800s. This time, we’re introduced to the development of a formal sign language and a formal school for the Deaf.

I liked getting to see those historical moments brought to life through a character as vibrant and creative as Mary is. I also loved that the whole story reads as if it were Mary’s journal. The chapters aren’t written as journal entries, but the tone felt like that to me. It feels as if she’s speaking directly to the reader, the way someone might write in a diary or journal.

On the whole, I think this is a great series and I’ve really enjoyed reading it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Mary is Deaf and speaks only in signs. Other characters are Deaf and speaking or Wampanoag tribe members.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Mary travels with some pretty judgy missionaries. They turn their noses up at other Christian churches and shun anyone they deem not holy enough. They also manipulate and pressure others or flat-out try to control them. There is some discussion about the harm this high-pressure mission work can cause to the communities it infiltrates by forcing indigenous people to convert. Mary also worries about the construction of a school near an indigenous village. She worries the children will be forced to give up their culture or not allowed to return home.

Violent Content
Someone attempts to kidnap Mary. A few members of Mary’s community say harsh, judgmental things to her. Mary faces some ableist and prejudiced treatment from her traveling companions. She tries to write some of it off as well-meaning ignorance, but some of it is deeply hurtful and harmful.

Drug Content
Someone brings Mary a breakfast tray containing a glass of champagne.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything but help support this blog. I received a free copy of SAIL ME AWAY HOME in exchange for my honest review.