Understanding The Catcher in the Rye

 Kallen, Stuart A. Understanding The Catcher in the Rye. Part of the Understanding Great Literature series. 2001. 96p. ISBN 978-1-56006-783-7. Available at 813 KAL on the library shelves.

Writers love to entertain and communicate information to their readers. Sometimes, a writer creates a work that transcends the human experience and becomes a guiding post of a society's literature. J.D. Salinger was such a writer. Born in 1919 in New York City, Salinger was a poor student and was eventually sent to a military academy. After graduating, he tried college but left after a year and traveled to Europe, where he spent time learning German in Vienna. He returned to the United States and re-enrolled in college, meeting Whit Burnett, a professor there. Burnett recognized Salinger's writing talents, and encouraged him to write and submit his work to magazines. 

Salinger sold a few piece, but then was drafted in the U.S. Army during the Second World War. He served in Europe and landed in Normandy on D. Day, Throughout his war experiences he wrote parts of a book about a boy named Holden Caulfield which would eventually become The Catcher in the Rye. 

Released in 1951, the book gained instant fame for its profanity, its depictions of sex, its loose morals, and its deeply flawed main character. Protests and bans further increased sales, to more than 65 million copies. 

The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most analyzed and decorticated books in American literature. Hidden meanings are explored, themes are extrapolated, and characters' motivations parsed. Throughout it all, the book's impact on American society and beyond is explored, and the elements that make it an enduring novel that retains currency in a deeply changed world are discussed. 

Fans of The Catcher in the Rye or those wishing to know more about this seminal American novel will enjoy reading a carefully crafted analysis of one of the most famous novels of the 20th century.

Black Butler, Vol. 21

Toboso, Yana. Black Butler, Vol. 21. 2015. 176p. ISBN 9780316352093. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having discovered in Black Butler, Vol. 20 that the Emerald Witch had brewed a deadly poison, Ciel Phantomhive and his crew find themselves faced with a deadly choice. They must either kill Lady Sullivan, or recruit her and escape the forest so that an elixir can be created to combat the effects of the mustard gas. Ciel offers her the choice, and Lady Sullivan accepts to help them. Phantomhive orders Sebastian to destroy any and all evidence of the gas, but save a sample for further studying, and the devil of a butler is too happy to oblige.

Lady Sullivan's bodyguard, Wolf, however, is actively seeking to free his lady. A secret unit of female special forces is activated, and they fan out in the forest, looking for Lady Sullivan. Wolf joins them. Phantomhive and his crew split in two, hoping to lure away most of the guards with Ciel disguised as Lady Sullivan. The Germans are right on their tail, however, and their only hope lie in locating the train that will take them to safety.

The Germans will not allow Lady Sullivan to escape, however, so they will reveal a secret weapon so deadly only a butler could defeat it ...

The story continues in Black Butler, Vol. 22.

Catcher in the Rye

 Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. 1991. 214p. ISBN 978-0-316-76948-8 . Available at FIC SAL on the library shelves.

Holden Caufield is at his third school during his high school career, and he's once again in danger of failing. When his roommate returns and tells Holden of his date with Jane Gallagher, Holden becomes angry. Jane was his friend when they were both younger, and in his mind he often harkens back to a time when both of them were innocent and played together. He eventually gets in a fight with his roommate, and after losing, decides to leave his school and return to New York City. 

Back in New York City, Holden can't go to the family's apartment so he roams the city for two days, spending his money and trying to recapture his youth. He idolizes his older brother who is a writer, but is saddened by the fact that he sold out and now writes for Hollywood instead. He wants to save his younger sister from the angst and anger he has experienced. Ultimately, Holden wants a society free of hypocrisy and lies, but can't seem to avoid doing the same things he complains. 

One of the most famous literary work of the 20th century, The Catcher in the Rye takes place in the early 1950s. Novel for the time for its use of profanity, references to alcohol, drugs and sex, The Catcher in the Rye remains relevant today for the way it portrays the alienation and angst of youth and mental illness.

Castro: A Beginner's Guide

Connolly, Sean. Castro: A Beginner's Guide. 2002. 85p. ISBN 0-340-84612-7. Available at B CAS on the library shelves.

Born in Cuba in 1926, Fidel Castro joined a successful and wealthy family. Growing up, he became disillusioned with the way the Cuban society was organized. Even in his early teens he tried to organize his father's workers so they could advocate for better work conditions. Castro came of age during the Second World War and found two massive ideological blocks starring at each other. On the one hand were the United States, western democracies, and other capitalist countries, while on the other was the Soviet Union and communist states. Castro found himself straddling both of these blocs in the early 1950s.

Cuba's wealth at the time depended on sugar, and most of the population was poor. Freed from colonial Spain in 1898, Cuba did not achieve full independence but remained limited in its abilities to govern itself from the United States, whose businessmen dominated the Cuban economy. Castro thus found himself in a nation dominated by a dictator, and he pledged to overthrow the government that, in his opinion, was oppressing the Cuban people. Through luck and sheer will, Castro assembled a motley crew and conducted a guerilla war, leading to the departure of the dictator in 1959. Castro soon assumed control of the Cuban state and implemented marxist policies, aligning the country with the Soviet Union. These antagonized the United States, which sought to depose him in coups and assassination attempts, none of which were successful. 

Over the course of the next forty years, the Cuban people benefited from better medical care and universal literacy. Their civil rights were strongly curtailed, however, and they did not have the ability to express political opinions. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left Cuba bereft of a sponsor, and the society had to adapt. Through it all, Castro remained firmly in control, guiding the Cuban nation for better or for worse towards an unknown future.

Unpregnant

Hendriks, Jenni and Ted Caplan. Unpregnant. 2019. 310p. ISBN 9780062876249. Available at FIC HEN on the library shelves.

Veronica Clarke is the ideal student. Every parent would love her as a daughter. She's smart. She's attractive. She will be her high school valedictorian in a few months, and she's already been accepted at Brown University. Veronica is going places! At seventeen, her whole life is in front of her... aside from the positive sign on her pregnancy stick. This revelation throws her life's biggest wrench. Her sister got pregnant her first year of nursing school, and five children later she hasn't completed her degree and is expecting another one. Veronica does not want that future. In a panic, Veronica drops the pregnancy test, and it skitters on the floor out of her bathroom stall, only to be picked up by Bailey Buttler. 

Bailey is the school's rebel. Rumors are she threatened the whole football team with bodily harm. She carries a large knife with her. She does drugs and smokes. No one dares to sit with her in the cafeteria. Bailey is angry, and loves to take it out on others. Worse, Bailey and Veronica used to be best friends until high school, when Veronica realized that Bailey would only hold her back in her social climb. Armed with the pregnancy test, Bailey could literally end Veronica's reputation in a few words.

Instead, Bailey walks away. Veronica needs an out from this pregnancy, so she begins preparing a trip to Albuquerque, the closest clinic to Missouri where an underage girl can obtain an abortion without parental permission. Her plan is simple. Her friends always schedule cram weekend at a lakehouse. This year, instead of going, she will claim that she's spending time with her boyfriend Kevin, and he will drive her to New Mexico 900 miles away. She will then be back home before the weekend is over.

The first part works just fine. Her friends drop her off at a fancy restaurant where she meets Kevin. But when she begins to tell him of her plan, he gets on his knee and asks her to marry him, that he will always support her and their child. Confused, she questions her boyfriend on how he possibly would know. Did Bailey spread this news? Turns out Kevin sabotaged the condom and intentionally caused her pregnancy. Fuming, Veronica abandons Kevin and turns to her only hope, the only other girl who knows her situation, Bailey. It takes some convincing, but Bailey agrees to drive her to Albuquerque on one condition. They will stop by Roswell and Area 51 on the way back. Veronica agrees, and both of them take off.

What follows is a mad capper where Bailey and Veronica find each other again and examine their biggest fears. Over the course of two days, the girls will grow and learn that perhaps they had both undersold the other. Fans of heavy topics wrapped in hilarity (think Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) will appreciate Veronica and Bailey's mad ride down and back!

Shout

Halse Anderson, Laurie. Shout. 2019. 296p. 228 mins. ISBN 9780670012107. Available as an eBook on Overdrive. 

Author of the best-selling book Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson returns with a poetic biography about her life and how the tragedy of her sexual assault and rape to a boy inspired the main character Melinda in Speak. Now more than 20 years old, Speak has affected an entire generation of girls to speak out about the abuse they suffered at the hands of friends, family members, trusted individuals, and people in position of authority. Unfortunately, society itself has not changed quickly enough to address the systematic issues that make girls vulnerable to abuse. 

Using free verses, Halse Anderson explains the experiences that shaped her as a writer, from the psychological impact the Second World War had on her father to the domestic violence and poverty that affected her family. She talks about the walls that she, her sister, and her parents built around themselves to avoid talking about the issues that undermined everything they were doing. Halse Anderson tells poignant family stories and how they influenced who she became. Along the way, she excoriates those in positions of power who ignore abuse, those who tolerate it, and those who encourage it. She describes how our society has failed, and continues to fail to support those victims of abuse, and how things have not changed fast enough to make our society one that is truly free and safe for everyone.

Fans of Speak, and everyone concerned with sexual assaults must absolutely read this very powerful cry for change, or even a revolution in our social mores!

Three Days in January

 Baier, Brett. Three Days in January. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780062569035. Available at 973.92 BAI on the library shelves.

In January 1961, the presidency of the United States changed hands, from the Republican administration of Dwight Eisenhower to that of Democrat John F. Kennedy. The change were more than cosmetic. Kennedy was seen by many as the man who would usher the United States into the modern age, a dynamic young man's presidency for a dynamic administration. Many perceived the Eisenhower era to have been stale and unimaginative, a time where America fell behind the Soviet Union.

Three days before Kennedy taking the oath of office, Eisenhower delivered a farewell address. Much like George Washington, Eisenhower sought to warn the next president and the American public about challenges that needed to be tackled and pitfalls that threatened the survival of the United States. Remembered mainly for its criticism of the military-industrial complex, the address harked back to George Washington's own farewell address, and proposed ways to achieve universal peace.

Though the focus of the book is on the period from January 17 to January 20, the life of Eisenhower and the influences that shaped him are described. Each part of the speech is used to guide the chapters that follow. A man whose life followed an uncharted course, Eisenhower far from governed a steady era, but instead successfully engineered the only period in American history following the Second World War that did not initiate a military conflict. His farewell address was thus a warning as much as a blueprint.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2. 2011. 195p. ISBN 978-1-42154033-7. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Following his debut at the True Cross Academy in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 1, Rin, the son of Satan has now done a few classes, but he has been tuning out most of his lessons. He hasn't met someone as unfriendly as Suguro, a boy who really wants to become an exorcist. Suguro and Rin have nothing in common, except for their goal of slaying Satan. Meanwhile Shiemi is feeling left out. She has no friends, and desperately wants to be independent from Rin, so she sets out to make Izumo her friend. When she's the first one to manifest a demon she can control, Izumo is instantly jealous, starting their friendship on a rocky note.

Following an attack o the school by a ghoul, the first milestone in True Cross Academy's program presents itself when it comes time to participates in the Exwire test. All prospective exorcists are taken to the ancient boys' dorm, where they are locked in by Yukio to ostensibly protect them while he is out hunting. Unfortunately, two other demons break in the building, and the students must work together to come up with a plan to defeat them.

During the confrontation, Yukio discovers that Professor Neuhaus may have an agenda different than Mephistopheles, head of the True Cross Academy, when it concerns Rin ...

The story continues in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3.

The Music of What Happens

Konigsberg, Bill. The Music of What Happens. 2019. 338p. ISBN 9781338215502. Available at FIC KON on the library shelves.

Max is your typical teen. He loves video games, plays football, enjoys cooking, and is popular at school. He's also gay and out, and it is not a problem for anyone in his life. With summer, Max needs a job and would rather not work at the bank with his mother. When he helps a woman struggling with her food truck, he jumps at the opportunity to cook in a truck.

Jordan, although also gay, is the complete opposite of Max. Gay but uncomfortable, a drama queen of the first order, and most often lost in his own wallowing misery, Jordan can't believe that he has to spend the summer running his father's old food truck with his mother instead of spending time with his girl friends looking for the perfect boy. 

Finding themselves working in the truck in hot Mesa, Arizona, Max at first can't believe that Jordan is an employee, let alone the boss. Jordan is impulsive, doesn't know how to cook, and puts his foot in his mouth more often than not. Jordan finds Max aggravating with his sunny disposition and his common sense approach. They soon realize that they need each other, however, and an attraction between the two of them develop as they spend days figuring out how to turn an old food truck into a profit-making machine. 

However, both of them harbor dangerous secrets that could upend their lives. Jordan's mother is literally falling apart, gambling away the little money they have. Max's secret is even darker, as he was raped by a college student during his first sexual encounter and remains traumatized by this experience. Will they be able to move beyond their issues to really bond with each other?

Told from the alternating perspectives of Max and Jordan, their relationship is realistically portrayed and feature intense feelings, misunderstanding, and the confusion that arise out of first love. Fans of realistic fiction and of LGBTQ+ literature will appreciate the efforts that both Jordan and Max end up investing in trying to make the food truck, and themselves, work!

The Book of the Bagpipe

Cheape, Hugh. The Book of the Bagpipe. 2000. 77p. ISBN 0-8092-9680-2. Available at 788.4 CHE on the library shelves.

For many, bagpipes are synonymous with reverent music and Scotland. Though the origins of the bagpipe is unknown, historical records and illustrations suggest that ancient Egyptians possessed winded pipe instruments similar to bagpipes. Other examples from ancient Greece and Rome indicate that they were played at least since antiquity. 

In Scotland, the bagpipe most likely spread from continental Europe with a musical renaissance that followed the clash of civilizations between the Crusaders and Islam in the 11th and 12th century. By the 13th century, there is clear evidence that the bagpipe was already used by minstrels and in royal courts. By the 15th century, various styles of bagpipes had evolved, and the piper had acquired an important social role as the spreader of information.

The rise of the industrial revolution and changes in social mores spelled the end of the local piper, but the rise of an industrialized military force paradoxically increased the need for bagpipe while standardizing both the instrument and the music. Remaining a Scottish emblem, the bagpipe continues to fascinate and delight music lovers everywhere.

Billy the Kid

 Green, Carl R. and William R. Sanford. Billy the Kid. Part of the Outlaws and Lawmen of the Wild West series. 2009. 48p. ISBN 0-7660-3173-X. Available at B BIL on the library shelves.

The Wild West of the 1880s was populated by bandits and villains, ready to make a quick dollar or spill a man's blood for a perceived insult. One of the most prominent criminals of the time was known as Billy the Kid for his good youthful looks. Henry Atrim was fifteen when he first joined a group of outlaws. Over the next six years, the man who became known as Billy the Kid lived a fast life, rustling cattle, stealing horses, and participating in shout-outs.

Arrested several times and sentenced to hang for murder, Billy managed to escape his jailers and kept on running. He was eventually found in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, where he was shot dead at age 21 by Sheriff Pat Garrett. Despite his violent past, Billy the Kid's reputation grew as western dime novels became popular, turning him into a hero of sorts. Today, the truth about Billy the Kid remains clouded by movies that romanticize his life and accomplishments.

My Hero Academia, Vol. 4

Horikoshi, Kohei. My Hero Academia, Vol. 4. 2016. 192p. ISBN 978-1-4215-8511-6. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

The world's best high school superhero sports festival that began in My Hero Academia, Vol. 3 continues in this volume, with everyone granted the chance to demonstrate their skills and find a sponsor and a mentor. With the preliminary round now complete, students of class 1-A are poised to oust the competition and determine who among them is the best.

Vilains lurk in the shadows, however, observing every move made during the festival and every quirk displayed. As their evil plans come close to fruition, the heroes remain unaware of the role they will play!

The Paper Girl of Paris

 Taylor, Jordyn. The Paper Girl of Paris. 2020. 368p. ISBN 978-0-0629-3662-2. Available at FIC TAY on the library shelves. 

Alice is sixteen, and her grandmother Chloe recently died, leaving her an apartment in Paris her family didn't know existed. Alice was very close to her grandmother, and spent a lot of time with her, but every time the topic of her youth came up, her grandmother would stir the course of the conversation elsewhere. Now Alice is left to unravel a family history she didn't know existed. Arriving in Paris, Alice and her parents visit the apartment, and realize it is a time piece. No one has been here in nearly 80 years, and the place is filled with memories, including pictures of Alice's grandmother and what can only be her sister, Adalyn. Discovering a journal written by Adalyn during the war, Alice begins to investigate her secretive family and learn more before deciding whether to sell the apartment. The discovery of a 1942 picture of Adalyn with German officers shocks Alice. Her grand-aunt was a collaborator!

In May 1940, Adalyn is sixteen, and she should have the world in front of her. The daughter of a university professor and of a socialite, Adalyn and her younger sister Chloe live a life of privilege in Paris. For years, however, the clamors of war have been growing, and back in September 1939 Adolf Hitler unleashed war on the continent, and now the German war machine is hitting France and the country is in disarray. Soon finding herself in occupied territory, Adalyn vows to resist the German invader but also resolves to keep her hot-tempered younger sister safe by not involving her in her schemes. After she meets a like-minded group of teens, Adalyn joins the Resistance and plans even more daring acts of opposition and sabotage. As a socialite, Adalyn is welcomed in the ranks of German officers, and she plays the part to obtain vital information on troop movements and weapons deliveries. The more she compromises with the Germans to accomplish her objectives, however, the greater the frictions between herself and Chloe and the more in danger she finds herself.

As Alice spends time in Paris dealing with her mother's depression and searching for more information on her family, she meets Paul, a lovely French boy who helps her in her research, and who seems to like her as much as she likes him. Her family's past continues to haunt her, however, and Alice desires answers to what happened to Adalyn and Chloe and why the family broke apart. Her quest may unravel that mystery, but it could also break up her own family and bring to light sordid collaboration. It is, however, a risk Alice needs to take to fully understand her grandmother.

Fans of historical fiction will appreciate this story. Alice is a conflicted teen, and she is driven by realistic emotions and desires. Adalyn is likewise relatable in the decisions she makes. This novel is perfect for a different teen perspective on the Second World War, one not at the front but rather of resistance in occupied territories.

She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman

 Dunbar, Erica Armstrong. She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman. 2019. 157p. ISBN 978-1-982139-59-9. Available at B TUB on the library shelves.

Born into slavery in Maryland, Araminta Ross, who later took the name of Harriet Tubman, lived a hard life. Her mother's slave master had willed her and her family to be free upon reaching 45 years old, but his death and subsequent move meant that his descendants chose to ignore his request. As a result, the family continued to toil away. Atypical of most slave arrangements at the time, Araminta's mother and father managed to stay together, though some of their children were sold as they became of age.

Sent in the master's house at a young age, Araminta was not very good at housekeeping. Transferred to the field, her short stature soon developed muscles that belied her height. Despite the hard work, Araminta loved being outdoors in nature, a love that would serve her well when she finally escaped and arrived in Philadelphia, a free state. 

Araminta took on her grandmother's name, Harriet, and, despite her fears, she returned time and again to the Eastern Shore in Maryland to rescue and free family members, friends, and perfect strangers. She made contacts with leaders of the abolitionist movement, and raised much needed funds for her endeavors. Her personal life continued to be very hard, however, as she had to support not only herself but her older parents as well as many member of her freed family. Nevertheless, Harriet continued to rescue people from the South.

With the start of the Civil War, Harriet sought to get involved again. Able to gain the trust of former slaves and understanding southern mentalities, she was recruited and sent as a spy in South Carolina. First used as a cleaning lady at camp, she soon displayed her leadership skills and conducted several raids against the Confederacy. Despite the price on her head, she continued to serve as a nurse, spy, and camp lady for years, before poor health forced her to return home.

In the later stages of her life, Harriet continued to advocate for African Americans. She founded a home for old people, held the government accountable to provide military benefits for herself and for African-Americans who served in the armed forces, and joined the women's suffrage movement. 

Harriet Tubman had a disproportionate impact on the history of the United States. She stood for courage in the face of oppression, and never relented despite the threats to herself and her family. A true American icon, Harriet Tubman continues to be an inspiration for the oppressed and the poor.

All These Monsters

 Tintera, Amy. All These Monsters. Book 1 of the Monsters series. 2020. 464p. ISBN 9780358012405. Available at FIC TIN on the library shelves.

In the recent past, a breed of underground monsters called scrabs have emerged throughout the world. Three variants of them exist in Asia, Europe, and North America. Squat and armor plated, scrabs are hard to kill. They dig holes and emerge in populated centers, trying to kill, maim, and destroy as much as possible. Most of the scrabs in North America have been killed, but Europe remains plagued with them.

Greyson, a millionaire teen famous for being rich, has decided to assemble mercenary teams and send them to Europe to fight the scrab problem, now that the United States has pulled its military back to the country, and people are flocking to the trials.

At seventeen, Clara does not like school. She's too focused on surviving her abusive father and her always-in-denial mother, so when the chance presents itself Clara escapes her stifling Dallas life and travels to Atlanta on no money, with the hope of making the team. She's not the best fighter, or the most dedicated, but she's driven and she makes the cut and is assigned to Team 7, the only team of teens from the United States.

Scrabs are deadly, however, and soon members of the team are killed in battles. Clara falls for Julian, the 19-year-old in charge of Team 7, while the rest of the team tries to figure out how to work together. As they continue to fight monsters, however, Clara realizes that a conspiracy is afoot to smuggle European scrabs back to the United States. Scrabs may be violent, but they may not be the worst enemies ...

Fans of dystopian fiction and those who liked Reboot will appreciate Tintera's new series.

The Wild Lands

 Greci, Paul. The Wild Lands. 2019. 384p. 603 mins.  ISBN 978-1-25018358-3.Available as an audiobook on Overdrive. 

Alaska in the 2100s has been scorched by climate change. The land got warmer, and it grew increasingly difficult and expensive to transport food and goods to provide for its residents. As a result, the United States government announced it would abandon the state. Most of the population joined convoys heading south to the mainland or north to the Arctic, where they could be picked up by ships. Some, however, chose to stay behind and survive off the meager resourced the land provided.

Travis' family is one of those who stayed. At first there were still wild salmon and game, but two large wildfires in a row killed off most of the land and its animals. Fairbanks, where they were living, was ravaged, leaving behind only a layer of ash inches deep. As the situation grew dire, people stop helping each other and began looking only for their survival. When the salmon didn't return, and with winter coming soon, it was time to leave. Travis, his younger sister Jessica, and their parents, packed most of the food they had, and they began walking north, following the mass exodus that had happened a few years earlier.

Dangers lurk everywhere, however. From armed men looking to seize food and rape women, to a land plagued with earthquakes, raging rivers, and impassable terrain, the family must struggle through it all. But when Travis' father is shot and his mother presumed dead, Jessica is all that he has left. Changing plans following his mother's recommendation, Travis and Jessica return to their ruined home in Fairbanks to gather more supplies and head south instead. There, they discover that four young armed girls have found their buried food, and they're in no mood to share. Travis manages to convince them he means no harm, just in time to confront a group of men who kill two of the girls.

Faced to flee, Travis, Jessica, Max and Tam head south, towards Anchorage and what, they hope, will be a return to civilization. But challenges remain as they trek through hundred of miles of ruined Alaska wilderness.

Fans of survival stories will appreciate this fast-paced story, even if it sometimes veer into the melodramatic. Those who have read Hatchet will enjoy Travis' survival instincts and the extent to which he goes to protect his sister. Other books to pick up on this theme include The Perfect Storm, Into the Wild, and Lost in the Pacific, 1942. All are incredibly true stories of survival. For more survival fiction, take a look at Ice Dogs.

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy

Hale, Nathan. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy. Book 1 of the Hazardous Tales series. 2012. 128p. ISBN 9781419703966. Available at 973.38 on the library shelves.

Spies have always been an essential part of war. Spies study enemy formations and emplacement, report on the movement of troops, and transport secret information. In the Revolutionary War, American spies shadowed the British and reported their every move to General George Washington. Nathan Hale, of Connecticut, served in the Continental Army. Following the invasion of Long Island by the British army and its march on New York city, American forces withdrew to Manhattan.

General Washington asked Hale to go behind enemy lines to find out where the enemy would attack, Hale readily agreed. Unfortunately, he was observed landing back on Long Island, and it wasn't long before he was arrested as a spy and sentenced to hang. When asked for his last words, Hale said that he was only sad he had but one life to give for his country.

Told in a graphic novel, Hale's life and involvement in the Revolutionary War is presented, and his impact on history is described. Fans of history will enjoy the details the author/illustrator use to vividly describe the Revolutionary War.

Dr. Seuss

 Levine, Stuart P. Dr. Seuss. Part of the Importance Of series. 2001. 112p. ISBN 978-1-56006-748-9. Available at  813 LEV on the library shelves.

Growing up, Theodor Giesel loved to draw funny pictures and play with words. His childhood home was filled with books, and his mother strongly encouraged him to read. His father, who first worked in the family brewery, transitioned to running the public park system in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was in charge of the zoo. Young Theodore thus spent a lot of time reading books and watching zoo animals.

He completed a degree at Dartmouth, then went to Oxford to do a doctorate but left to pursue his artistic inclinations, first as an illustrator for magazines, then for advertisement, before he released a children's book in 1937 called And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. Completely different than most young reader primers, Dr. Seuss' first book featured rhymes and strange illustrations that fostered a love of reading. This new approach would change the world of beginner books.

Giesel worked in propaganda for the U.S. Army during the Second World War, and returned to writing children's books, creating such beloved gems as How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat. An obsolete child, as he liked to call himself, Dr. Seuss never truly grew up, and retained an attachment to what children enjoyed reading. After more than 60 books, movies, and theme parks, Dr. Seuss's creations remain beloved by millions, proving that children can become excellent readers.