Books About History by Gail Jarrow


	BOOKS ABOUT HISTORY BUY THESE BOOKS AT AMAZON.COM
	Lincoln's Flying Spies: Thaddeus Lowe and the Civil War Balloon Corps Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills Press, 2010, ages 8 to adult ISBN 1-59078-719-9 Junior Library Guild Selection Nonfiction Honor List, VOYA Honor Book, Society of School Librarians International Cream of the Crop, Maine Regional Library System Best Books of the Year, Nebraska Library Commission A Texas Librarians' Choice Kansas State Reading Circle On June 1, 1862, Thaddeus Lowe floated a thousand feet above a fierce Civil War battle raging just outside the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. From the wicker basket dangling under his silk hydrogen-filled balloon, the aeronaut telegraphed a message to Northern generals on the ground: Union troops were finally driving back the Confederate forces. Lowe’s message was transmitted to the War Department in Washington a hundred miles away, where President Abraham Lincoln read his flying spy’s good news with relief. For two years during the Civil War, Lowe and his fellow aeronauts spied on the Confederate army. This is the exciting story of Lowe’s efforts to organize the Balloon Corps and provide valuable intelligence to the Union army, even after the balloons became targets of Confederate shooters and saboteurs. What Reviewers Say: “This well-researched volume introduces American aeronaut and showman Thaddeus Lowe, who convinced President Lincoln that hydrogen-filled balloons, rising high above the countryside, could provide Union generals with useful information... Jarrow provides a solid introduction to an intriguing aspect of Civil War history.” ~ Booklist “The use of surveillance balloons in the Civil War has been chronicled to some extent...but none has covered the subject with as much depth and detail as this engaging story of how the enterprising Lowe, already famous as an aeronaut at the outbreak of the Civil War, convinced President Lincoln of the value of using balloons to spy on the Confederate army.” ~ Kirkus Reviews "As Jarrow points out in this fascinating book, observation balloons had been used in warfare in the past. However, what Thaddeus Lowe was responsible for was the refinement of the technology...By telling the story of Lowe and his efforts at instituting change, Jarrow has combined a compelling story with sound research and writing." ~ Children's Literature Review “This volume presents Civil War history and highlights this extraordinary man. Photographs, drawings, reproductions, and sidebars appear on almost every page.” ~ School Library Journal “Forgotten bits of history often make the most interesting stories, as is the case with this account of the Union Army’s Aeronautics Corps during the Civil War.” ~ Library Media Connection “Lincoln’s Flying Spies is a perfect vehicle to make history come alive to a younger generation. . . . If you buy only one Civil War history book for your favorite youngster this year, this is the one.” ~ Civil War News "Lincoln's Flying Spies falls into one of those 'stuff you didn't know about the Civil War, and is wicked cool' categories that get so often overlooked in traditional retellings of the war...Gail Jarrow has created a real gem with this title." ~ Bookslut.com Robert H. Jackson: New Deal Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Nuremberg Prosecutor Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills Press, 2008/ages 10 to adult ISBN 1-59078-511-9 Best Young-Adult Books of 2008 - Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of the Year - Bank Street College of Education Top 40 YA Non-Fiction Books - Pennsylvania School Librarians Association Cream of the Crop - Maine Regional Library System For four hours on November 21, 1945, the world watched and listened as Justice Robert H. Jackson, on leave from the U.S. Supreme Court, introduced the Allies' case against the high-ranking Nazi leadership at the Nuremberg Trial. For the first time, a country's leaders were being tried for war crimes, in large part the result of Jackson's efforts. This biography about Robert H. Jackson (1892–1954)--the first published in fifty years--tells the fascinating story of an extraordinary man who rose from a childhood in rural western New York to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal inner circle during the Great Depression; to the position of attorney general while the nation prepared for World War II; to the Supreme Court bench when it ruled on such significant cases as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; and to chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trial. Despite his remarkable accomplishments, Jackson never attended college or earned a law degree. Quotations from Jackson's personal letters, unpublished autobiography, and oral history bring to life some of the most momentous events of the twentieth century. Illustrated with 100 photographs. What Reviewers Say: "Jarrow's engrossing biography should bring Robert H. Jackson some well-deserved attention...Excellent as a biography, this work also provides inside information about the Supreme Court and an interesting look at the Nuremberg Trial... Myriad period photographs with informative captions round out this excellent offering. An outstanding addition to most collections." ~Kirkus (starred review) "The Nuremberg history and Jackson's stand against Japanese American internment during World War II will fascinate readers, many of whom will see parallels to contemporary questions about the balance between citizens' rights and national security." ~Booklist " Clear writing, well-placed black-and-white photographs, and extensive research combine to illuminate Jackson's extraordinary life... The author's treatment of the trials is perhaps the most interesting portion of the book and will be especially useful to social-studies teachers looking for supplemental information for World War II and Holocaust curricula. An impressively detailed and fascinating treatment of a little-known yet important figure in American history." ~School Library Journal "This engaging biography describes the path of Robert H. Jackson from country boy to Supreme Court Justice. The text clearly conveys the historic events, political ideologies, and constitutional laws of his lifetime in addition to relating his impact on issues facing our country today...An extensive list of resources completes this well-researched volume." ~Horn Book "Captivatingly written biography of a great orator, lawyer, and Supreme Court Justice. Information also included about the Supreme Court, the Nuremberg Trial, and WW II. Outstanding archival photos, primary sources, timeline, and extensive section For More Information. A great addition to support the curriculum on this era in US history about a relatively little known figure." ~Pennsylvania School Librarians Association "Though not well known, Jackson certainly deserves greater fame; this engrossing biography provides a look at his fascinating life, and a glimpse of the inner workings of the Supreme Court, and the Nuremberg Trail that followed World War II, an area that receives insufficient coverage in children’s literature." ~Maine Regional Library System The Printer’s Trial: The Case of John Peter Zenger and the Fight for a Free Press Calkins Creek/Boyd Mills Press, 2006/grades 5 & up ISBN 1-59078-432-4 Best Books for Young Readers, Natural History Magazine Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library Young Adult Top Forty List, Pennsylvania School Librarians Association Cream of the Crop, Maine Regional Library System Books of Note, TriState Young Adult Review Committee The foundation for America’s freedom of the press was laid on an August day in 1735 in colonial New York. In a hot, crowded courtroom, a jury found newspaper printer John Peter Zenger innocent of the charge of seditious libel against the British royal governor. Through a combination of narrative and quotes from primary sources, The Printer’s Trial tells the dramatic story of Zenger’s arrest, imprisonment, and trial. What Reviewers Say: "Jarrow's method matches the sophistication of her topic... But don't be fooled by all the primary documents into thinking the book is dry and scholarly. They record political shenanigans so outrageous that even Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert would sputter and gasp." ~Natural History Magazine "History buffs may enjoy this lively account of an early challenge to freedom of the press....Appealing for both reluctant readers and readers with specialized interest in the subject." ~VOYA “A fascinating new account of the career of John Peter Zenger... The layout of this 100-page book is inviting.” ~Ingram Library Services “Jarrow clearly organizes and discusses the events leading up to the Zenger trial, its influence on political publishing and discourse in the colonies before the Revolution, and its long-lasting effect on freedom of the press.” ~Booklist “With clear affection for the topic, Jarrow presents an engaging narrative of the trial that established the precedent of freedom of the press in the colonies prior to the American Revolution...Readers will be rewarded with an inspiring introduction to one of America’s dearest values. An excellent supplement to history units.” ~School Library Journal "The author's style of writing is easy-to-follow, very clear, and therefore, hooks the reader quickly." ~Library Media Connection Great Structures in History: A Medieval Castle KidHaven Press, 2005/grades 3-5 ISBN 0-7377-2070-0 Thick stone walls, massive towers, moats, and drawbridges made medieval castles impressive strongholds. The thousands of castles built during the tenth through fifteenth century played an important role in medieval society.
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