Monthly Archives: June 2018

Globalization: Why We Care About Faraway Events

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Globalization: Why We Care About Faraway Events
by Carla Mooney (Author) and Samuel Carbaugh (Illustrator)

Booktalk: For centuries, people from different societies and cultures have made contact with each other and exchanged goods and ideas. Globalization is not a new thing, but in recent years, advances in transportation and technology have made it easier than ever to connect with people everywhere, whether they are sitting next to you on a bus, waiting for you at home, or sitting on a different bus halfway around the globe. Jet airplanes and great ocean ships carry people and goods everywhere in the world. Cell phones, computers, the Internet, and social media allow people to communicate instantly, no matter where they are. Through globalization, the world is becoming more interconnected and interdependent. Is globalization a good thing? Does globalization benefit all world citizens, rich and poor? Or does it only benefit a few, while harming others?

Snippet: Globalization is not new–it has happened throughout history. Globalization occurred when people traveled from one nation to another and exchanged goods, ideas, and culture. More than 2,000 years ago, Alexander the Great was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. As he conquered new lands, his armies spread ancient Greek culture to many places in southwestern Asia, northern Africa, and southern Europe.

During the Middle Ages, the famous Silk Road stretched across Central Asia and connected China and Europe. The trading route passed the northern borders of China, India, and Persia (now Iran) to Eastern Europe, near modern-day Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea. Merchants traveled in large caravans along the route.

Nonfiction Monday

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Copyright © 2018 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Who Invented the Airplane?

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Who Invented the Airplane?: Wright Brothers Vs. Whitehead
by Karen Kenney (Author)

Booktalk: Do you know who invented the airplane? Most Americans believe it was Wilbur and Orville Wright. But what if that’s not true? What if a German immigrant named Gustave Whitehead beat the Wrights to the punch, flying a plane he designed several years before Wilbur and Orville took their famous flight?

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2018 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

 

The 12 Most Influential Athletes of All Time

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The 12 Most Influential Athletes of All Time
by Jeanne Marie Ford (Author)

Booktalk: Inspirational stories of the world’s most amazing athletes, from Muhammad Ali to Michael Phelps.

Snippet:
9. Mia Hamm Kicks Soccer into the Spotlight
Soccer superstar Mariel “Mia” Hamm was born in 1972. Her father was an Air Force pilot, and she and her five siblings moved often. When Hamm was two, her family was living in Italy. She saw some kids playing soccer and joined them. Her love for soccer had begun.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2018 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Rosa’s Animals

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Rosa’s Animals: The Story of Rosa Bonheur and Her Painting Menagerie
by Maryann Macdonald (Author)

Booktalk: Painter and sculptor Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) led a highly nontraditional life, especially for a woman in the nineteenth century. She kept lions as pets, was awarded the Legion of Honor by Empress Eugénie, and befriended “Buffalo Bill” Cody. She became a painter at a time when women were often only reluctantly educated as artists.

Snippet: When Rosa was only two years old, her father, Raymond, an artist, wrote in a letter: “Rosa is a dear little thing, and I must tell you that she already has a taste for the arts.” She scrawled ducks and chickens in the dirt with a stick. She cut out animal shapes with her scissors.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2018 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Super Cats: True Stories of Felines That Made History

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Today at Wrapped in Foil we’re featuring Super Cats: True Stories of Felines That Made History by Elizabeth Macleod.

super cats

In this middle grade title, Elizabeth MacLeod delves into the history of cats, including how cats were treated as gods in ancient Egypt. Next she explores cultures that considered cats to be bad luck versus cultures that considered cats to be good luck. She suggests that superstitions against cats in Europe from the 1300s to 1700s may have made the Black Death plague much worse because removing cats allowed mice and rat populations to explode. (The Black death is carried by rodent fleas.)

In addition to being popular pets, cats can be much more. The author reveals some true stories of cat heroism, such as a cat famous for tracking down fish smugglers, two cats that detected electronic bugs in a Dutch embassy in Russia, and therapy cats that save lives. She also has some stories about how cats inspired their owners, from sparks from his cat motivating Nikola Tesla to study electricity, to composers stimulated to write cat-themed music.

Intermixed with the stories are interesting facts about cats, for example how far they can leap or tidbits about different breeds. The back matter includes a timeline of famous cat lives, suggestions for places to visit, and sources for more information.

Super Felines is a “purrfect” choice for young cat owners and others who would like to learn more about these amazing animals. Cuddle up with a copy today!

And, be sure to visit Wrapped in Foil for a complete review and activity suggestions.

Coco Chanel

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Coco Chanel: Pearls, Perfume, and the Little Black Dress
by Susan Goldman Rubin (Author)

Booktalk: Beginning with the difficult years Chanel spent in an orphanage, this middle grade biography traces Coco’s development as a designer and demonstrates how her determination to be independent helped her gain worldwide recognition in an era when women were expected to marry. It includes her most memorable firsts for the fashion industry: the little black dress, the quilted purse with gold chain, and the perfume Chanel No. 5.

Snippet: She was a controversial celebrity, an innovator with an eye for fashion that made her enormously successful. At the same time, many regarded Chanel as an opportunist, a tyrant, a chronic liar, and a snob. Some even suspected her of being a Nazi sympathizer during World War II. Still, women everywhere were in awe of the Chanel brand and the products that bore her distinctive label. Coco designed clothes that she wore herself, and she was her own best model. Her friend surrealist artist Salvador Dali said,

All her life, all she did was change men’s clothes into women’s.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2018 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.