Book Review: Race Against Time: The Untold Story of Scipio Jones adn the Battle to Save Twelve Innocent Men / Sandra Neil Wallace and Richard Wallace

I found a new hero today, Scipio Jones. This slim volume came to the library recently and it captured my attention. I love to fill my mind with heroes.

In October of 1919 a group of Black sharecroppers met at their church with the intent of staring a union. These men had been farming other's land and were not being given a fair share of the profits. The landowners were angry and formed a mob that shot at the sharecroppers, destroyed their church and burned it to the ground. Many were rounded up for arrest, and twelve of these men were sentenced to death for crimes they didn't commit.

Enter Scipio Africanus Jones. Though he wasn't allowed into law school, he found some lawyers who would let him apprentice with them. He stepped up and fought in court for these men, often using his own money to provide for their defense. 

This man is the definition of a hero - dedicated, persistent, caring, stubborn. 

You can read about this man in Race Against Time found on the shelves of the South Library. 

Book Review: Twenty Five to Life by R. W. W. Greene

Mr. Greene has been a teacher at our school for years, retired, then came back to teach this past year. He donated this book to our collection and I am so glad that he did because I really enjoyed the story.

In Julie's world the age of legal majority is 25 and she is only 23. When she learns that he mother wants to move her out of her childhood home, she decides to step out on her own, even though that will lead to an illegal existence. Even worse, the world has changed - between global warming, and the bombs that various countries lobbed at each other - the air isn't even safe to breath. But she runs anyway, and finds herself in a sketchy world that was beyond her imaginings.

What is the best part of this book? For me it was the characters. Mr. Greene did a great job of creating some very three dimensional characters who, though flawed, were intriging and likeable. People I wanted to meet.

Try this book. You will find it on the shelves of the Nashua South Library (as soon as I get it cataloged.)
 

Book Review: Inge's War: A German Woman's Story of Family, Secrets, and Survival Under Hitler / Svenja O'Donnell

"History is written by the victors" is a quote often attributed to Winston Churchill, but indeed - there is no evidence that he used this phrase. However, it is an important concept to keep in mind when learning what happened in the past. 

Inge's War is a story about a German family during World War 2. Inge's grandaughter wanted to know what her family's role in WWII was and spent hours talking to her grandmother, other relatives, and visiting places where her family walked. What she learned surprised her and gave her a deeper understanding of her family's history.

It is important that we read widely when learning about history because there are as many versions of history as there are people who lived that history. It is easy to look at a few facts and pass judgement on a group of people, but that is accepting a simplistic view of our world and that is rarely helpful.

Check out Inge's War and expand your understanding of what it is like to live in war. Then and Now. There are elemental truths here that are truth, there are specific details here that are also truth.

You can find this book on the shelves of South's library or check out the Online Catalog for Nashua Public Library for more copies.

 

Book Review: The Prey by Tom Isbell

This is one of the books that was offered to incoming Freshman just prior to summer vacation. 

Are you an action/adventure movie watcher? reader? game player? Well this might be a great book to pick up and read.

A quick description: Warring nations launch nuclear bombs at each other creating an event called Omega. The radiation and percussion of these bombs change the world and increasing the fractured politics with different factions dividing themselves from each other. Children and animals are born with birth defects or altered. Lawlessness becomes the norm.  Most devices that are electronic don't work. - This is the story of several teens - boys who are in a facility for "less thans" (and yes that is as terrible as it sounds) and the girls here were assigned to a facility for twins - where an evil doctor carries out horrific experiments on them. (yes there are overtones of Naziism.) How does one move on from those horrible circumstances? Read this book to find out.

Between these pages you will find bravery, leadership, uncertainty, evil, friendship, and even love. 

You can find this book in the hands of 9th graders, on the shelves on Nashua South, or check out the Online Catalog for Nashua Public Library.