The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Larson, E. (2003). The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. New York, NY: Vintage Books.

Interest Level: High School upperclassmen to adults of all ages.

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2015)

Audie Award for Fiction (2015)

ALA Alex Award (2015)

Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for Fiction (2015)

Ohioana Book Award for Fiction (2015)

Australian Book Industry Award for Internation Book (2015)

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction (2015)

Idaho Book of the Year Award (2014)

National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (2014)

Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction (2014)

Nominee for Best of the Best (2018)

本屋大賞 Nominee for Translated Fiction (2017)

Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2016)

[For readers who not only enjoy reading about the history of America, engineering feats, and workplace relationships, but also about gruesome serial killer stories.]

State Fair of Oklahoma…mullets, Indian tacos, square mirrors with rockband logos, roach clips. That’s what I can boil it down to. But it was so so fun. Was there a serial killer among us? Maybe. An unsolved murder case from 1981 still haunts me. Two thirteen-year-old girls attended the state fair and were never seen again. I think of it every time I find myself at a carnival, stock show, or fair.

The Devil in the White City is a heavily researched account of all that was taking place in Chicago from 1890 and the birth of the first World’s Fair in the United States to 1895 when serial killer H. H. Holmes was convicted of murder. This book goes into detail about the struggle of securing a city, choosing architects, designing buildings, designing the grounds, and executing the dreams of the most fabulous world’s fair anyone has ever seen inside a carcass-scented city known as a jungle. It’s way more involved than I ever imagined. And I learned about the history of that particular fair. The first Ferris wheel was constructed there. Walt Disney’s dad was a carpenter for the White City, possibly inspiring Walt’s vision for a magic kingdom. The midway was born there. We can thank the 1893 World’s Fair for many everyday things, (elevators, Cracker Jacks, voice recordings). We can also thank it for drawing the wicked to its vicinity. Under many aliases, H.H. Holmes did his dirty deeds. Larson describes Holmes’s calculating, well-planned murders, but how many murders, who knows? He was a ladies’ man and his psychopathic tendencies made him an expert in locating and luring unsuspecting young girls to his murder castle. Yes…a castle. He designed and built a castle just for killing and hiding (or disposing) bodies.

The book bounces back and forth between the events taking place to build The White City (the area where the fair is) and Holmes’s demented doings. There is so much history packed into 429 pages that a second read would probably reveal things you didn’t notice the first time through. Some of the writings about procuring architects and squabbles weren’t that interesting to me, but they are important as you build an understanding of each relationship and how it factors into the success of the fair. And just calling it a “fair” doesn’t seem to do it justice (thinking of fair-to-middlin’ here). I would change it to Magical Grandiose Center for Entertainment. Even if it was temporary and a little shabby. 4 Stars on Goodreads.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Vance, J. (2016). Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. New York, NY: HarperCollins

Interest Level: High school upperclassmen to adults of all ages

Audie Award for Nonfiction (2017), 

Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for Nonfiction (2017), 

Ohioana Book Award for About Ohio or an Ohioan (2017), 

Kirkus Prize Nominee for Nonfiction (2016), 

Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Memoir & Autobiography (2016)

[For the reader of memoirs who likes a sprinkling of politics and hope.]

My family was once called “hillbillies.” I prefer rednecks, thank you very much. We don’t scream and fight…we hold in our emotions and get even through passive aggressive outlets. Our drinking is kept secret and first cousins are off limits! What we do have in common, though, is our devotion to our family and our love of Jesus.

J.D. Vance shares the chaotic and tumultuous journey of his family life growing up in a hillbilly community. His hillbilly roots are in Kentucky while his hillbilly rearing takes place in Ohio. He faced the same struggles that most of us do, but with the added hindrance of substance, physical, and mental abuse, a succession of step-daddies, and little to no guidance on college prep. What did work in his favor was the emphasis on reading that was instilled in him early on. His mom read him books. His Mamaw read him books, and in his youth, he became a reader himself. He researched and explored different ideas and grew a desire for the upward mobility that slowly catapulted him from the dregs of society to the top law school in the nation.

I chose to read this book because my mom had watched and loved the movie. I haven’t seen it yet, but I will watch it someday. I found the book inspiring and wondered what it is about upward mobility that the hillbilly communities shy away from. I think his goal with this book is to make us realize that anything is possible, but also makes you question whose fault it is when you are left behind in school…your own? Or the government’s? 4 stars on Goodreads.

Balloons Over Broadway

Sweet, M., Newborn, R., & Paquette, C. (2011). Balloons over Broadway: The true story of the puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Interest Level: K-3

Reading Level: 5.4

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2012

[A book to read right before Thanksgiving break]

My husband and I used to rotate holidays. Christmas in Oklahoma one year, Christmas in El Paso the next year. Same with Thanksgiving. But when you spend Thanksgiving in Oklahoma, not only do you get to go quail hunting, you also have to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Even if you don’t watch it, it’s on in the background as you’re cooking and washing dishes and taste-testing the dishes.

Tony Sarg progressed from making his childhood chores easier with ropes and pulleys to creating popular marionettes out of wood, cloth, and strings. After moving from London to New York City, he and his marionettes performed on Broadway where he was discovered by R.H. Macy. Mr. Macy hired Tony to make puppets for a window display in his store at Christmastime. People loved his creation! When Macy’s decided to have a parade for his employees to celebrate their holiday traditions, Tony was hired to help and it was so successful, they decided to have one every Thanksgiving. Eventually, the live animals in the parade needed to be replaced. Tony was hired to come up with some kind of suitable substitute. That’s when he merged an Indonesian rod puppet with balloons that had the strength of blimp material. Now he had big balloons on sticks carried by several people. His next dilemma was how to make them be higher in the air so that everyone could see them. He combined what he had with what he knew about marionettes, and the balloons of today’s parades were born.

Brilliant colors and entertaining artwork make a paper parade in our hands. The descriptions of Tony’s creations, and how they happened, are explained so simply that they hold our interest throughout the book, keeping us wondering what happened next?

Balloons Over Broadway on Goodreads

 

Good masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a medieval village

Schlitz, L. A., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a medieval village. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Interest Level: 3-6

Reading Level: 5.6

Newbery Medal, 2008

[A drama teacher could use this book as a script in his class.]

When I was in school, our music department performed musicals. We did Oklahoma! Bye Bye Birdie, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We had a strong music teacher with a background in drama, and to me, our plays were successful. And a lot of fun!

Laura Amy Schlitz wrote the book Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! for her students to perform. She wrote parts for everyone. The monologues teach us what it was like for the children of the village. We learn about their chores and their jobs and their mischief. Situated in between the scripts are background stories related to the characters. We’re taught the three-field system and the sport of falconry and some of the rules and laws of the day.

The pictures are engaging works of art. I explored the drawing of the English Manor, which is the setting for this performance, for several minutes, trying to find all the characters. There was only one that was left out. If I were to perform one of these, I would choose Maud from “The Glassblower’s Daughters.” It is an ingenious script for two players. They are both talking about Piers, their father’s apprentice, but one would marry him. Maud would not.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! on Goodreads

Rosa

Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt.

Interest Level: 3-6

Reading Level: 5.2

Caldecott Winner, 2006

Coretta Scott King Winner for Illustration, 2006

 

[A great book to read during Black History Month]

Have you ever started a day with so much promise and happiness, only to have an event ruin it all? Thankfully, what ruined Rosa’s day became a pivotal moment in black history.

Rosa Parks was a respected seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama. She was married and her mother lived with them, but she left them behind every day to do her work in the alterations department at the store. On Thursday, she was released from work early, since her mother hadn’t been feeling well. She got on the bus all happy, thinking about the dinner she was going to prepare when she got home. She paid for her bus fare, but because she was black, she had to go to the back of the bus. Since the back section, reserved for black people, was full, she sat near the middle where blacks or whites could sit. She chose a place there, next to a man by the window, and settled in with her packages. As she was reflecting on her good day, the bus driver started yelling at the blacks in that section to move! While two men across from her did, and the man she was sitting next to, she chose not to! She refused to because not only was that section for blacks and whites, the whole bus was for everybody! She was not going to back down simply because she knew that separate was not equal! And then she was arrested. Everyone was shocked that Rosa Parks, the respected seamstress was arrested. Rosa was one of the first to take a stand after the Supreme Court declared that separate was NOT equal. The black people were still not being treated with respect though. They banded together and in a nonviolent movement, refused to ride any more buses. They walked instead. Finally, a year after Rosa’s arrest, the Supreme Court said, again, segregation is illegal. Even on buses.

Beautiful paintings and collage in this book bring to light the struggle Rosa had suffered. She never got to make that meatloaf for her family that day, but her refusal to move is a benchmark in our nation’s timeline of events that support a greater good. We are grateful for her quiet strength it took to stand up for what is right.

Rosa on Goodreads

How they croaked: the awful ends of the awfully famous

Bragg, G., & O’Malley, K. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous. New York: Walker & Company.

Interest Level: 5-8

Reading Level: 7.0

[This book would give interesting side details in history classes.]

In school, history was never my strongest subject. In fact, my lowest grade ever on my report card was in World History. I couldn’t keep dates and people in my brain long enough to ace the test. But the grisly details from our required reading, All Quiet on the Western Front? THAT I remember.

How They Croaked entertains and informs. There are 19 famous people who met gruesome deaths with descriptions in TMI detail. From King Tut to Albert Einstein, we learn about their history and contributions to society. Then we’re given the gory details about their deaths. We’re taught popular thought of the time too, such as they thought thinking came from your heart, not your brain; your brain was just stuff between your ears. So 5 or 6 pages are devoted to the famous person’s death. Following that are two more pages with additional, related information.

Accompanying each story are clever little drawings. Some are quite silly, and some are informative. They break up the book nicely and are not to be ignored.

I’ll probably never play Für Elise again without thinking of forty cups of grayish brown puslike gunk flowing out of Beethoven’s belly.

How They Croaked on Goodreads

It’s So Amazing!: A Book About eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families

Harris, R. H., & Emberley, M. (1999). It’s so amazing!: A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Interest Level: 3-6 (and adults!)

Reading Level: 5.8

[Even though this book is for elementary students, middle school students would learn a tremendous amount about reproduction.]

I try to talk to my kids about sex. Then I get yelled at. Mom no! Stop! Sometimes I do it just to get them riled up. But sometimes I have something important to say. But they still yell at me.

This book puts it all out there, right on the cover: A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families. We journey through the book with a bird and a bee. The bee’s behavior is pretty typical of most kids: disgusted by the topic. The bird is interested and amazed! The journey begins at with a comparison of female parts and male parts. We’re taken on a trip with an egg, beginning in the ovary, and another leg of the trip with the sperm. There’s a historical marker we pull over at where there’s a lengthy discussion on sex, and we take a detour through a conversation about different kinds of love. The bird and bee guide us through pregnancy and finally childbirth.

My own children found the pictures shocking. There is quite a bit of detail to some of them: tubes and pubes and parts everywhere. And some of the pictures are unrealistic: eggs and sperm with happy faces and their own dialogue. It is geared towards children, afterall, so if you’re looking for a more authentic approach you might want other books for support. I mean, if birds and bees can speak to each other, why can’t we have happy cells?

It would be wise to do a preview read before presenting this book to kids. If reading it together, be prepared to either read about abortions, or skip it, since it’s a sensitive subject. There are other topics too that some parents may want to put on hold before presenting to kids. I feel like much of it is too mature for a young audience, but every family is different with different experiences. After I encouraged my daughters to read it, (with protests), I left it alone on the coffee table. A couple hours later it wasn’t there. It had made its way from one bedroom to the other so they could explore the book privately. By the time it was due back to the library, I was pretty sure I could refer to the book next time I force “The Talk” on them.

It’s So Amazing on Goodreads

Magic Windows

Garza, C. L., Rohmer, H., & Schecter, D. (1999). Magic windows. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.

Interest Level: 3-6

Reading Level: 5.0

Pura Belpre Illustrator Award, 2000

[Look to this book for inspiration if you are an art teacher.]

I know I’m not very arts and craftsy. Unless you count dinner as arts and crafts. I do have an appreciation for many forms of art and fine arts, but to actually create…eh. I even took this quiz to prove how un arts and craftsy I am: (you can take it too by clicking on the link)

Left-Brain or Right Brain?

I am jealous of people that have the kind of talent Carmen Lomas Garza has. Her perfect work comes from practice, I’m sure, but she makes it seem easy.

Written by Kingsville, Texas native Carmen Lomas Garza, Magic Windows shows us how Carmen creates her papel picado, or, cut-paper art. The book is a work of art itself with colorful paintings detailing how she creates the pictures. We see her very first piece, which shows cactus with intricate detail. She explains to us how she uses parts of the cactus to hold the paper together. Another masterpiece depicts her grandfather out in the garden. Another piece, two skeletons dancing, was created to celebrate Día de los Muertos. A very inexpensive way to pass time, papel picado can become mesmerizing, amazing pictures. And if you have the patience, might even be a stress-reliever if you’re over coloring mandalas.

Magic Windows on Goodreads

Nic Bishop Frogs

Bishop, N. (2008). Nic Bishop frogs. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Interest Level: K-3

Reading Level: 4.7

2008  Boston Globe – Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book

2009  Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List

[Science classes could make good use of this book when studying amphibians.]

What do you call an illegally parked frog? Toad!

Nic bishop’s book on Frogs is full of information and brilliant photography. Did you know there are no frogs on Antarctica?  And we all have little plastic poison dart frogs in the toy box, but why not the Mossy frog? Or the frog from the Amazon that looks like a leaf? Nic Bishop teaches us about all kinds of frogs, including the glass frog, with a photo that shows its insides. I didn’t know that glass frogs even existed! You can actually see it’s heart beating! Nic Bishop even trained a frog to jump up and catch a caterpillar and has the beautiful snapshot to prove it. Because of this book, I now know the difference between a frog and a toad. Showcasing his talent for capturing impeccably timed photographs, Nic bishop has put together a fascinating book.

Nic Bishop Frogs on Goodreads