An accessible and important reminder of how easily the truth can be co-opted.
The Paul Bunyan tall tale gets felled.
In the winter of 1914, a steam locomotive chugs along through Minnesota until an accident halts the journey. The passengers—diverse in skin tone—exit the train and gather around a fire. Soon, stories start flowing to pass the time—tales of larger-than-life strong men Joe Mufferaw, Otto Walta, and George Knox. But these “small fry” are nothing compared to Paul Bunyan, who a timber advertising executive alleges “shaped this land himself.” As the details about Bunyan get more and more outlandish, some listeners cry “malarkey.” Others remain rapt. As the tracks are cleared and the crowds die down, a few passengers confront the executive with the truth: The timber industry’s success comes at the cost of land stolen from Native Nations, and the Bunyan legend was a carefully constructed marketing ploy to justify the razing of trees. The introduction and backmatter delve more deeply into the myth and include multiple contemporary Native perspectives; young people are urged to “acknowledge…those who actually were living on that land,” and a map charts villages, burial mounds, and sacred sites of the Mdewakanton Dakota. Readers will come away ready to question what other falsehoods they’ve been fed about the history of marginalized people. Full-color illustrations effectively use smoke cloud panel borders to delineate the tall tales. A heightened sense of scale makes Bunyan practically leap off the page in grandeur.
An accessible and important reminder of how easily the truth can be co-opted. (bibliography) (Graphic nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9781662665226
Page Count: 48
Publisher: TOON Books/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
A good if limited starting guide.
Author Leavitt presents all the components of doing research into family history with easy-to-follow directions for a successful project.
The volume begins with clear definitions about genealogy and why it is important to study. It moves on to give practical tips on getting started and how to map a family tree. It introduces young readers to the important documents that can assist in gathering family facts and describes the information they provide. It gives solid directions for setting up interviews with family members and how to reach out to those who are far away. This is followed up with strategies for using online resources, including warnings on how to stay safe on social media. The work of tracing ancestors from their countries of origin can be daunting, but Leavitt gives some help in this area as well and explores the role geography can play in family stories. There is good advice for collecting oral histories, and the chapter on exploring “The Way They Were” will appeal to many, as will the concluding chapters on family reunions and keeping in touch. All of this is presented in an encouraging, upbeat tone. Sidebars, charts, illustrations, and photographs add to the accessibility. The major drawback is that it assumes a known biological lineage with heterosexual parentage; there is no mention of the unique issues adopted children and nontraditional families might have in trying to put some of the instructions into practice. A short section addresses the challenges that face African-American descendants of enslaved people.
A good if limited starting guide. (resources, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2320-6
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
A thorough and comprehensive treatment of the subject.
This guide to the various components of researching family history provides helpful hints for young genealogists.
Interest in family research continues across ages, and this volume explores all aspects in great detail. It begins by pointing out that all humankind began in the same place—eastern Africa—and shares what scholars believe about how various groups spread throughout the world. From then on, personal genealogy is approached as a mystery to be solved, a strategy designed to engage its target audience. The recognition that there are many types of families is a critical part of the text. All kinds of threads are explored, from documentary evidence to family stories, with suggestions on how to evaluate them. Each topic is fully described. For example, in addition to addressing how to use census data, the book discusses the origins of the census and the parts that are relevant to family research. The section on DNA is brief but gives scientific perspective. Very little is left to chance, including how to store, preserve, and retrieve the accumulated data. The narrative is inviting and lively in tone, but it doesn’t shy away from potential difficulties. It is richly illustrated in full color with sidebars to provide additional information, though some pages feel too full to digest. Diversity is woven throughout the text, illustrations, sidebars, and graphics.
A thorough and comprehensive treatment of the subject. (glossary, further resources, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 17, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2983-8
Page Count: 160
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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