Nonfiction

Sis, P. (2007). //The wall. Growing up behind the iron curtain.// New York: Frances Foster Books.


 * Genre:** Non-fiction


 * Ages:** Ages 14 and above


 * Personal Reaction:** //The Wall// is an informational story based on Peter Sis' life when he was growing up in Czechoslovakia. Using illustrations, timelines, and text he describes his life from a young child to an adult. Using black and white illustrations with bright red focal points to represent the Soviet rule, the reader can envision the trials Sis faced. This story also has the look of a picture book, where half the page is illustrated, and a few lines of text are at the bottom. However, as the reader continues throughout this story, captions, diary entries, and timelines show what life was like during this difficult time. Bright, beautiful colors are introduced when Western ideas are making their way into this bleak, dark country. Sis' use of color is an effective way to convey the mood of Sis, as well as the country of Czechoslovakia.

Sis’ first person accounts of what he saw add to the accuracy of the story. However, it is hard to tell the difference between Sis' opinions and facts throughout the story. The illustrations were clearly explained by text. The only confusion is when there were multiple illustrations on the pages, the reader does not know which illustrations to read first. There was not always a clear focus for the reader to begin at. As much as the illustrations added to the story, they also took away from my understanding of the story. I had to read this story several times. Once I read it just reading the text like a picture book. Then I read the book reading all the captions and looking at all the illustrations. The third time I read this book, I put the two readings together. While highly detailed, the organization did take away from initial understanding. After multiple readings, understanding of the story is reinforced by the illustrations. Sis' style did create high interest in the story for the reader. The illustrations are engaging and his use of color reinforces the idea of how bleak the country was. The bright red stands out in almost every page to support the idea that the Soviet Government was supposed to be the focus. Overall, I feel this book was an effective informational text, but readers may have a hard time understanding the format after the initial reading. It will require several readings to gather all the information.


 * Author Facts:** Peter Sis not only writes and illustrates books, but he also creates films. Sis was born in Czechoslovakia in 1949 and experience living under the Communist rule. He has drawn over a 1,000 illustrations for the //New York Times Book Review.//


 * Websites:** http://www.petersis.com/index2.html

Thimmesh, C. (2006). //Team moon. How 4,000 people landed apollo 11 on the// //moon.// New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.


 * Genre:** Non-fiction


 * Ages:** Ages 15 and above


 * Personal Reaction:** //Team Moon// is an informational book about the Apollo 11 journey to the moon. This book tells about how President Kennedy’s dream became a reality. While most readers will recognize the names of Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins, they may not realize how many people were involved in making this mission a successful one. This book is a tribute to the men and women who spent countless hours working on Apollo 11. //Team Moon// includes the difficulties and setbacks these brave men and women experienced along the way. The real photographs from the launch, journey through space, and the moon landing compliment the information. While the text provides detailed information, the photographs show the reader what words cannot say.

This book is an excellent source for readers looking for information about the Apollo 11 journey. The accuracy of the book is ensured by quotes from the astronauts, as well as command central. A long list of resources is also documented at the end of the book to support the authenticity of this book. The pictures are accompanied by detailed captions that allow the reader to easily identify and find new information. The book’s organization is easy for the reader to follow. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in learning about the Apollo 11 adventure.


 * Author Facts:** Catherine Thimmesh is a full time writer. She gets car sick if she is not driving. Catherine was cut from every sports team she tried out for.


 * Websites:** http://www.catherinethimmesh.com/


 * [[image:maus.jpg width="176" height="250" align="left" caption="http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/0394747232/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_2?ie=UTF8&index=2"]]Spiegelman, A. (1973). //Maus: A survivor’s tale.// New York: Pantheon Books. **


 * Genre:** Biography/Nonfiction


 * Ages:** Ages 15 – 19


 * Personal Reaction:** Spiegelman tells the story of his father and mother as they deal with the Nazi treatment of the Jewish people. He begins by explaining how his mother and father met, as well as how they narrowly escaped the Germans several different times. He also tells of how is father saved his family’s possessions to help them through the difficult times. Spiegelman draws the Jewish people as mice, the Polish people as pigs, and the Nazi’s as cats. The reader can easily see that the cats are out to destroy the mice.

This biography is told through a graphic novel format, which helps ease the heaviness of the story, but does not take away from the cruelty that is shown to the Jewish people. I did not care for the side story of Vladek and his second wife Mala. The reader could easily pick up on the tension between the characters, but the conflict was never resolved or explained. I felt this conflict of characters took away from Vladek’s story of surviving the Holocaust.


 * Author Facts:** He was born in Stockholm. His parents wanted him to be a dentist, but Spiegelman loved to draw. He was a creative consultant for Topps Candy for many years.


 * Websites:** http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/spiegelman.html

Satrapi, M. (2003). //Persepolis: The story of a childhood.// New York: Pantheon Books.


 * Genre:** Biography / Nonfiction


 * Ages:** Ages 16 - 18

Satrapi also writes of the events that she either heard about or witnessed. For example, when she was out, a bomb blew up her neighbor’s house. While she hoped they were not home, she knew in reality they were dead. Other tragic events are described from Satrapi’s point of view, which makes the reader thankful we live in a country where we are free.
 * Personal Reaction:** This biography of Marjane Satrapi tells what life was like growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. She uses the graphic novel style, with black and white colors, to show the tragic and unfair events that she witnessed. Satrapi was a very opinionated little girl, and her parents protested the Islamic Revolution. She spoke out against her teachers and questioned authority. She didn’t seem scared to show her opinion.

While this book was very interesting, I was overwhelmed by all the information I was taking in about Iran. I know very little about this country, so even though the graphic novel design made the story easier to read, it was still overwhelming.


 * Author Facts:** She was born in Iran in 1969. She studied illustrations. Satrapi currently lives in Paris.


 * Websites:** http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/satrapi.html