Upcoming Mini Review: Jars of Hope

This nonfiction picture book shares the story of Irena Sendler, who saved over two thousand children from Poland in World War II. Not only did she save them, but she kept records of their real names and their parents so they could be reunited after the war.

The Good:
Beautiful artwork and beautiful story make this book fantastic
It shows how one person can make a huge difference, very inspiring
The moment with the dog was charming.
The dark moments are handled well.
HOPE comes off the pages, even in the darkest moments.
Contains: Afterword, Author's Note, Glossary, and Source Notes

The Bad:
Nothing. It's a beautiful read.

Here's a two page spread:

My Thoughts:
I had never heard of this woman before, but now I want to know more and I'm thankful for this book.

Final Thoughts: A beautiful inspiring story that tugs at the heartstrings and makes me want to read more about this fascinating woman. Grab it for your library and classroom and share it!

Book Releases August 1st

Review: Code Name Pauline

 When Pearl Witherington was 29, she parachuted into France, joining the Resistance. She surprised many operatives as being one of 40 females in the Resistance. In time, the men grew to respect her.

For the next year, Agent Pauline (her code name) helped organize the Resistance, worked as a courier, and worked to make sure the guerrilla warriors had what they needed to sabotage the Germans.

After two years and many close calls, Pearl left France and continued to work bringing the Resistance members and their actions into the public eye.

My Thoughts: It took me a little bit to get into the book, but it's a very impressive account from a real spy. I'm a sucker for spy novels, so it's really neat to read from someone's perspective and I loved hearing the first hand account of the conditions, the danger, and the networks. I would have loved more details on the actual missions themselves and some more background information. I kept confusing people and while there is a section on key figures, it's in the back of the book and I didn't notice it until the end. I loved the aftermath of the war and how Pearl worked to have people recognized for the role. Pearl's a great role mode and a real hero.

Cover Thoughts: Good
Source: Sent for Review.

Flygirl

Ida Mae Jones dreams of flying. Her father taught her how to fly and soon, she loves it. When her father dies, she keeps on dreaming. When the war hits, her brother enlists leaving her to stay home. She's going stir crazy staying home saving and rationing for the war. Ida Mae wants to make a difference. She thinks it could be her time when she hears about the WASP program (Women's Airforce Service Pilots). She doctors up her father's license to pretend it's hers and dresses in her best clothes. Ida Mae is terrified...because she's black. She knows that although it's a women's program, she's likely to be turned away. Her skin tone is light enough for her to pass as white, so she bites the bullet. Once she arrives at the training camp in Sweetwater Texas, she's scared to death of flunking out of the program, her secret of her skin tone will come out, or that she'll lose her new sense of freedom. Ida Mae relishes in the program. She forms new friendships while she serves her country, but deep down there's still tension in who she is and who she wants to become. Can she overcome all the odds to fly as a WASP?

I really loved this book. It's a topic that fascinated me when I learned about it during a college class: Introduction to Women's Studies. At the time, I wondered why this topic wasn't covered more in the high school class rooms/text books. It's such an inspiring program.
This book deal discusses the value of friendship, bonding in times of stress, the strength of friendship, racial and gender issues, and the deep ties of family. It was a quick engaging wonderful read.

It's been talked about quite a bit, both at the YA YA YAs (where you can read their review and also an interview with the author) and at the Librarian By Day blog.

Two other excellent books on the WASP program are Skies Over Sweetwater (fiction) and Yankee Doodle Gals (nonfiction).