The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdős, by Deborah Heiligman

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdős

By Deborah Heiligman

Illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Meet Paul Erdős, a boy growing up in Budapest in the early 1900s who loves numbers so much that he considers numbers his best friends. Paul’s mother, who is a math teacher, lets Paul stay home from school so he can spend all day puzzling over prime numbers and other mathematical topics.  Paul does go to high school and eventually travels throughout the world, becoming a renowned mathematician who shares his knowledge with colleagues in such areas as number theory and the probabilistic method. A lousy houseguest who is lacking in daily-living skills such as buttering bread and doing the laundry, Paul is nonetheless a generous individual and a beloved connector of people—a “mathematical matchmaker”. To this day, mathematicians talk about their  “Erdős number”—if you worked with Erdős you have an Erdős number of 1. If you worked with someone who worked with Erdős, you have an Erdős number of 2, etc.

It is a joy to accompany Erdős on his mathematical life journey, and for this we have to thank an author whose enthusiasm and affection for the subject truly shine through. The illustrations are also an important part of this book—allowing it to be read on varying levels. Younger children will appreciate the vivid pictures of Budapest and comical depictions of Paul’s social missteps, while older children will learn mathematical concepts by attending to details that are cleverly camouflaged in the drawings and explained in a note from the illustrator at the back of the volume. This book makes a good read-aloud, and parents who find themselves wanting to learn more about Erdős may wish to consult The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, by Paul Hoffman, also in our collection. 2013


D. Rosen-Perez

The Monkey and the Dove and Four Other True Stories of Animal Friendships, by Jennifer S. Holland

Unlikely Friendships for Kids

The Monkey and the Dove, by Jennifer S. Holland, is based on a best-selling adult book by the same author, Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom.  This book is interesting and appealing, illustrated with carefully selected photos. There are five chapters, describing five inter-species friendships, with beautifully-written narratives, including context, and closure, for each friendship pair. Recommended for animal lovers.

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller, by Joseph Lambert

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller

This is an engaging and moving graphic novel about Annie Sullivan, describing, in flashbacks, her tragical childhood of loss and deprivation, her own partial blindness, and then her acclaimed work as Helen Keller's teacher.

Joseph Lambert created a special cartoon style--wordless, in mostly gray and black, and using simple human forms without visual details--for the period during which Helen, up to about age 8, had no language whatsoever, due to her blindness and deafness. These pages are interwoven with detailed, colorful pages showing what else is happening at the same time (such as conversations between Helen's parents and Annie), that Helen is not aware of.

Those of us familiar with some of the conventional biographies of Helen Keller will recognize these scenes, such as Helen running around her family's breakfast table, helping herself to everyone's plate, grabbing and eating their eggs. A strong pair of arms, which we know must be Annie's arms, are shown restraining Helen, repeatedly, making her sit in a chair, and hold a spoon, which Helen endlessly resists.

There is the well-known scene at a water pump, in which Helen finally understands what Annie has so long been trying to teach her--that the word for "water" represents water. And so Helen acquires language, which transforms her life. After this, their relationship deepens, and becomes a flourishing and life-long friendship and collaboration.

This beautiful book is very highly recommended.   2012.

K. Muhm

Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan's Rescue from War, by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan's Rescue from War

This short narrative reads like a well-written novel, but it's the true story of Tuyet Son Thi Anh, a young girl who endured polio and war, and who was flown out of Saigon in 1975 by Americans, at the end of the Vietnam War.
Tuyet spent most of her early years in a Vietnamese orphange, caring for children younger than she was, and with only vague memories of her mother. After the fall of Saigon, Tuyet and hundreds of other Vietnamese children were airlifted to western countries--and Tuyet found herself in Canada.
Her memories, as told to the author, are fascinating and poignant. Having never seen a bed, a bathtub, or a fork, Tuyet had many adjustments to make. But luckily she was cherished in her new Canadian family, and has been able to survive and thrive.
An author's note at the end of the book tells of now-adult Tuyet's life today.
Highly recommended! 2011.
K. Muhm

America Is Under Attack, by Don Brown

America Is Under Attack

Elementary school children are too young to remember September 11, 2001. Don Brown has written and illustrated a short, beautiful book which straightforwardly and sensitively tells them what happened in New York and Washington that day.

The text gives the chain of events from the points of view of named individuals who survived. The pen and watercolor paintings convey the emotions, always keeping in mind the book's young readers--compassionately, and accurately, but not too overwhelmingly.

Don Brown keeps his focus on the individuals portrayed, while minimizing mention of larger questions about the perpetrators of the attack.

I recommend America Is Under Attack as a well-written and age-appropritate introduction to the topic.

Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Cullerton Johnson. Illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler

Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace

Did you know that one person can change the world? Wangari, a young girl growing up in Kenya, did! She learned from her mother that the mugumo tree was home to many creatures and supplied food to many people and animals. When she returned to Kenya after studying biology in college in the United States, she saw that foreign companies were cutting down trees so they could develop coffee plantations. With fewer and fewer trees to hold the soil in place, the land was being destroyed. Wangari began a campaign to encourage women to plant trees. Eventually thirty million trees were planted! Learn how Wangari's persistence taught people all over the world to protect the environment. She showed the power women can have when they work together. This true story is brightly illustrated with stylized drawings that make you want to visit Kenya. An inspiring biography for readers of all ages.

2010

C. Buchanan

Eat Your Math Homework: Recipes for Hungry Minds, by Ann McCallum. Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez.

Eat Your Math Homework

Don't be fooled by the picture-book format of this fun--and beautifully illustrated--cookbook. It's definitely for older elementary-aged children. The recipes are all about various math (NOT arithmetic) concepts, such as Fibonacci Snack Sticks, Tessellating Two-Color Brownies, and Probability Trail Mix.

The layout is superb, especially considering all that is carefully included. Recipes are clearly given and humorously illustrated, and the math ideas are well defined and explained. A few small sidebars present concept explanations with stumper-type questions (solutions are at the end of the book). Math terms are in bold font, which is effective. And, there is a glossary and an index at the end. 2011.

Yummy!

K. Muhm

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. Photos by William Muñoz

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance

In 2007, over fifty terribly abused and neglected dogs were discovered in a kennel where NFL quarterback Michael Vick and his partners kept them for dogfighting. This is the story of the rescue and rehabilitation of most of them, and specifically of one young dog, Audie, a pit bull.

Audie's story of suffering, and of love and hope, is told through straightforward, sensitive language, and superb photos. He finds a smart, loving family who earns his trust. Saving Audie is a beautiful story of redemption and joy. 2011.

K. Muhm

Silk & Venom: Searching for a Dangerous Spider, by Kathryn Lasky. Photos by Christopher G. Knight.

Gorgeous photos by Christopher G. Knight invite readers to look--really look, up close--at the poisonous spider, the Loxosceles, also known as the Recluse. Scientist Greta Binford is curious, devoted, imaginative and brave in her quest to understand all about this intriguing, and very dangerous, spider. The book follows Greta's life and career, and her worldwide travels and adventures, offering a solid female non-traditional role model. 2011.

K. Muhm

The Firehouse Light, by Janet Nolan. Illustrated by Marie Lafrance

A short history of how firefighting has changed over the last century is wrapped in the true story of a hand-blown, four-watt light bulb which was installed in a firehouse in northern California in 1901, which has not burned out yet! The illustrations are reminiscent of American Primitive, fitting in well with the text. Lovely! 2010.

K. Muhm

All You Can Be: Dream It, Draw It, Become It! By Curtis Granderson

Written by the Yankee centerfielder, Curtis Granderson, this motivational book urges young readers to set goals for themselves as a means to succeed in life. Have fun, choose the right friends, play with passion, be a leader, value family, be yourself, listen and learn, think positive and never be satisfied are the values Curtis recommends. The first person, very readable text which describes Curtis' childhood experiences, is accompanied by photos of the author as a young boy. Appealing drawings by fourth grade youngsters illustrate what they want to be when they grow up. Readers will enjoy the colorful details and great variety in the children's work. This book will appeal to baseball fans, budding artists, youngsters looking for role models, and parents who want to transmit the values that Curtis is so passionate about. 2009
C. Buchanan

The Story of Salt, by Mark Kurlansky

It's a rock. It has been traded for gold. We need it to live, and so do most animals. It is one of the reasons that food tastes so good to us. Have you guessed what it is? It is salt. The author has transformed his adult book Salt into an entertaining and highly informative non-fiction book for children. What may seem at first to be a mundane subject becomes a fascinating story. The clever illustrations and interesting maps reveal the long and important role that salt has played in human history. After reading this book, never again will you "pass the salt" without a new appreciation for it; the book could be the basis for a terrific science/history discussion. A timeline is included at the back of the book; unfortunately, it only extends to 1924. 2006.

M. Cooney