Non-fiction Book Reviews BUFFALO HUNT by Russell Freedman Freedman, Russell. 1988. BUFFALO HUNT.  New York: Holiday House. ISBN: 0823407020. In the book BUFFALO HUNT, author Russell Freedman informs readers of the historical importance of buffalos to Native Americans of the Great Plains. The book is a non fiction informational book. BUFFALO HUNT educates readers of the many people, traditions, practices, spirituality and tools used to conduct a successful buffalo hunt. BUFFALO HUNT is divided into five chapters that deal specifically with different elements of the buffalo hunt. The titles and subject matter of the chapters are A Gift From The Great Spirit, Buffalo Magic, The Hunt, From The Brains To The Tail, and With The Buffalo Gone. There is also information about the illustrations and an index at the back of the book. Interestingly, the majority of the illustrations in the book are actually reproductions of drawings and paintings of people who were traveling westward during the period that the book focuses on. The illustrations in the book are quite remarkable. They portray the way of life for Naive Americans in this long ago time period. The illustrations portray the buffalo, buffalo hunts, shelters made from buffalo hides, and clothing that was worn by the Native Americans which were created from the buffalo. All of the illustrations indicate the name of the artist who either painted or drew them. Also, many of the illustrations have captions which further explain the picture. This will be useful when a class browses through the book and even to readers as they read the book. Having actual pictures that relate to what they are reading will help children to better understand the text in the book. The book can be considered a social history because it looks at the past importance of buffalo hunts in the lives of Native Americans. The buffalo was a central part of the Native American culture. In fact, the buffalo was the single most important animal in relation to the survival of the Native American. They used the buffalos for food, clothing, materials for shelter, etc. Native Americans utilized every part of the buffalo to the best of their ability. There was no waste involved where the buffalo was concerned. The book also documents the result of western expansion and the vast white population moving into the territory previously only occupied by the Native Americans. In short, this led to the near extinction of the buffalo so valued to Native Americans and their culture. Freedman's book has two levels of appeal: that of the wonderfully conceived and vividly executed paintings and that of an informative, accessible text. (School Library Journal) In BUFFALO HUNT, Freedman creates a fascinating look at buffalos and their history in relation to Native Americans. The author paid great attention to detail in an effort to accurately portray a very important era of the United States that all children and adults should be aware of. The inclusion of a table of contents, index, illustrations, and captions provide assistance to children as they read the book. This book was of great interest to me because I didn't know all of the specifics that dealt with buffalo hunts. Although, the book is probably too advanced for my second graders to read alone it is definitely a book that I would use in my classroom. It could be read aloud as a chapter per day or even simply we could just browse through the book and discuss important facts and the illustrations. In any event, BUFFALO HUNT will be useful during the study of Native Americans. The book didn't include a reference list or works cited page to verify accuracy of information, but it received positive reviews from several prominent professional reviewing sources. The author also appears to be respected in the field of non fiction books for children, so this leads me to have confidence in selecting this book. BATS by GAIL GIBBONS Gibbons, Gail. 1999. BATS. New York: Holiday House. ISBN: 0823414574. In the non fiction book BATS, author Gail Gibbons introduces readers to the interesting world and lives of bats. This informational book is filled with interesting bat facts that will engage children and encourage further exploration into this animal.  The book would be considered to be a non fiction picture book geared toward elementary age students, most likely grades K-3. The author is very knowledgeable about bats and through her writing introduces children to a variety of topics about bats. Topics include types of bats, how bats fly and land, hibernation, nocturnal, roosts, locations where bats can be found, and echolocation. The book reveals facts in a very user friendly way. BATS begins with simple information and a general look at the animal and then moves to more specific and in depth information about bats.  Each page contains just enough information to keep children's attention and interest. Illustrations play a major role in the book. In fact, each page contains a large illustration. The illustrations are vivid and colorful. The author paid great attention to detail to create pictures that would complement the text of the book. For example, descriptions of the parts of a bat's anatomy are supported by labeled illustrations to add a visual element to the learning process. Several of the other illustrations were created in this manner or have captions under them to build knowledge. Children will be excited to learn interesting facts such as, ("Some bats can fly as fast as 15 miles an hour and as high as 10,000 feet.") Another important aspect of the book is that it makes comparisons with other animals that children might be more familiar with. ("Bats wings are different from the wings of insects or birds. A bat's wing has long arm bones with very long finger bones.") This will help them have a frame of reference as they are reading and learning about bats. The author also does an excellent job of revealing the falsity of many myths surrounding bats. ("Bats have played an important part in stories. Many people have thought bats were evil spirits. Others have thought they were friends of ghosts and witches. Because many unkind things have been said about bats, some people still think they are scary. Actually, bats are shy and gentle animals.") This information was revealed toward the beginning of the story and really sets the tone for the book. It encourages children to forget all of the scary and false information they have heard in the past and prepare themselves to learn about the extraordinary and true lives of bats. Readers will become aware that the true story of bats is actually more interesting and entertaining than the silly stories that are often told to them as young children. The author is very knowledgeable about bats and the information provided in the book is accurate, but the book didn't include any sources of where the author obtained the information. However, the book received many positive reviews from several well known professional sources. Positive reviews include the following: A clever format and succinctly written text distinguish this offering by a prolific author. The text is clearly written and well organized. (School Library Journal) The book BATS is an excellent example of a non fiction book that can easily be integrated into school curriculum. The book is easy to understand and supported by detailed illustrations. Children will reach for this book again and again. Adults will enjoy the simple, yet informative format of the book. Gail Gibbons is an author who is well known and respected by teachers. When beginning a new thematic unit or course of study I often attempt to locate a non fiction book written by Gibbons because her style of writing makes it easy to introduce new animals, insects, plants, objects, etc. to young children. I own a few copies of her other books and plan to add this book to my collection. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793 by Jim Murphy Murphy, Jim. 2003. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0395776082. In the informational book AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793, author Jim Murphy creates an in depth look at the death and horror brought on by a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. The author took great measures to ensure that the book was historically accurate and at the same time interesting for children. The book lends itself to discussion among children and adults. The book is divided into eleven chapters that each tell of the disturbing tale of the yellow fever epidemic as it unfolds across the city. Tiles of the chapters include No One Noticed, All Was Not Right, Church Bells Tolling, Confusion, Distress, and Utter Desolation, It Was Our Duty, The Prince of Bleeders, By Twelve Only, This Unmerciful Enemy, A Delicate Situation, Improvements and Public Gratitude, and A Modern- Day Time Bomb. The author included a table of contents, index, sources consulted in writing the book, information about the illustrations, and special acknowledgements. These will aid children as they read the book and help them locate specific topics within the story. The illustrations in the story really complemented the written text. Murphy included illustrations that showed what the city was like in 1793. Many of them were created by the talented artists of the time. The illustrations will allow readers to imagine what life was like for the people suffering this terrible epidemic by looking at the pictures. Many of the illustrations are included with captions that explain the subject matter at hand. In addition, the author included illustrations about other plagues at different times in various parts of the world, such as a cholera epidemic in France. This encourages readers to compare the different epidemics and learn more about each one. Interestingly, there are also reproductions of newspaper articles on various pages that add a different interest to the book. Some of the captions included with the illustrations reveal very interesting information that many children aren't aware of, such as the fact that many barbers often performed the bleeding method commonly used by doctors at the time. People unable to afford a doctor would often go to their barber and have him perform the bleeding method on them to cure ailments. The book would be considered a social history because it focuses on a historical era and the people who lived in it. The book includes excerpts from journal entries, letters, articles, etc. These provide a firsthand look at the fear, illness, death, and destruction that occurred in Philadelphia in 1793. Unfortunately, the story of the citizens living in Philadelphia in 1793 was very grim.  Once the epidemic started it spread quickly across the city. Medical science at the time was very primitive. Actually, doctors weren't really sure what to do to end the sickness and dying brought on by yellow fever. There was an abundance of preventative methods that seem outlandish in today's world. (" The doctors recommended that strong-smelling substances, such as vinegar, be sprinkled on handkerchiefs and held to the nose to ward off the fever, and that gunpowder be burned to purify the air.") There was no method that was completely effective and the death count continued to rise. Soon, people began to leave the city to occupy areas considered to be free from the fever. Government officials, bankers, wealthy persons, and even many doctors evacuated the Philadelphia. The following months were filled with agony for those that remained in the city. Many people volunteered themselves heroically to try and take care of the ill. Several brave doctors remained in town providing their services to citizens. What is not known to many people is that African Americans played a major role in the care of the ill. The prevailing attitude was that they were immune to the yellow fever and could safely care for the ill, although many of them did get sick with the fever. The book is one that is of great importance. It allows children to learn more about that past and realize how much progress has been made since 1793. The book is recommended for grades five and up, but teachers of younger students could incorporate parts of the book into units about germs and disease. Simply browsing through the book and examining the illustrations is very interesting. The author spent a great deal of effort to create a well researched and accurate book. The well documented sources that the author used in writing the book will also give interested children other sources of information about the yellow fever epidemic. Adults and children can feel confident in the quality of the book because it was chosen as a Newberry Honor Book. Adults will be as fascinated with the book as children are. This is a book that should be on all library shelves. AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA by Seymour Simon Simon, Seymour. 1993. AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA. New York: Hyperion. ISBN: 1562824686. In the book AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA, author Seymour Simon introduces the season as it is seen across America. The book also focuses on the animals, insects, fruits, trees and other objects familiar to the season of autumn. Children will enjoy AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA because it allows them to compare different parts of America and what it is like in that particular location when autumn occurs. AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA is filled with interesting facts and details that will keep readers engaged. Topics included in the book include information about the earth's axis, the equinox, types of trees, why leaves change color, migratory birds, and many other facts that will cause children to become excited about the season. The book begins by giving general information about the seasons and why they change. Then it focuses on autumn for the remainder of the book. The book could be considered a photo essay because photographs play a major role in the format of the book. There is a photograph that accompanies each topic discussed in the book. The photographs are bright and detailed and perfectly capture the season at its best. They perfectly complement the text and make the book come alive. The photographs also play a major role in that they provide a visual for children to examine as they are reading. This makes the reading experience of the book more meaningful and enjoyable. The book is filled with information. In fact, some might say that the book is too wordy for young children. But, teachers and librarians of younger students could always browse through the book with a class and read interesting details and discuss the pictures or simply just read aloud the book to them focusing on a new page each day. Whether the student reads the book themselves or simply looks at the pictures and listens to an adult read they will fall in love with the photographs and subject matter of the book. Autumn is such a magical time and many students have never experienced trees covered in rich orange and yellow leaves as they are in the East. This book allows them to do just that without leaving their library or classroom. What is special about the book is that it exposes children to different geographical locations across America. It might even inspire future travel as an adult. The book doesn't contain an index, table of contents, or glossary which might be useful to children as they read the book and look for specific topics. Also, the author doesn't include references for the sources he consulted in writing the book. The book appears to be accurate, but it is always nice to have sources to confirm information. However, Seymour Simon is a well known writer and the winner of several prestigious awards for science writing. This leads me to have confidence in the author and the accuracy of his work. Seymour Simon truly created a beautiful and informative book in AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA. It will be useful to many teachers and librarians that teach thematic units about seasons. I plan to look for it when I begin my autumn unit in October. My students will love the photographs just as I did. References Gleason, George. 1988. Review of BUFFALO HUNT, by Russell Freedman. School Library Journal 35 (October): 167. Wehner, Karey. 2000. Review of BATS, by Gail Gibbons. School Library Journal 46 (January): 120.