100 Birds and How they Got Their Names, by Diana Wells, (Non-fiction)
Did you know that the name of the penguin comes from the Latin word pinguis meaning fat? Or that the bird of paradise is named so because it looks like it floats in mid-air without wings or feet? Well, you do now. Facts like these and a lot more can all be found in this book. It is divided into chapters, one for each kind of bird. Each chapter doesn’t only tell the history of the birds’ names, but also some interesting stories about them. And the facts are fascinating. I found this book rather enjoyable and very interesting, and I think you would too.
Ariel K.
Apollo 13, the Junior Novelization, by: William Broyles, Jr., Al Reinert and John Sayles. (Non-Fiction)In 1969, Jim Lovell’s dream was about to come true. He had flown on previous missions to the moon but never got to land on the moon and walk on it himself. Six months before Apollo 13 was scheduled to launch, one of the crew members got a sudden ear infection and was taken off of the crew. This gave Jim the chance he was waiting for, and he was made captain! This crew had been working for about 6-7 months before takeoff to make every maneuver perfect so they would know how to do it in space. The first time Jim went a few years before, he only got to circle around the moon but this time he might be able to walk on the moon. As April 13th approached, everyone in the crew was evaluated by the flight surgeon. The doctor thought that the blood work of a valuable crew member, Ken Mattingsly, showed he was going to come down with the measles. So the first unlucky thing that happened in this mission was losing a key crew member a few days before lift off. The flight launched without a problem and on schedule. Once they got into where there is no gravity one of the five thrust engines went out. The crew didn’t think it was that bad and the control team in Houston allowed them to continue. As they got closer to the moon there was an explosion. The crew of Apollo 13 didn’t know what was going to happen. Jim’s dream was destroyed but it was life or death and more important became worries about his family and his crew. The Apollo 13 crew members weren’t sure if they had enough power or oxygen to return to Earth. They circled the moon to get up speed so they could start going back to Earth. When the control team in Houston was unsure of what to do, they called in the crew member who was left behind. Ken went into the simulator (on Earth) and recreated their situation in the command module of freezing temperatures and very little power to try to get the crew get back to Earth safely. But one of the crew members on Apollo 13 starting getting very ill and the crew members were all scared and tired. Oxygen was running low and they were running out of time. How would they survive? I would have to rate this book 4 ½ stars because in the beginning the book kept my attention but, as it got toward the middle it got very interesting and I couldn’t put it down.By Annie B.
Baseball’s Zaniest Stars, by Howard Liss (non-fiction)
There are many phenomenal baseball players who are well-known for their excellent skills. One of the interesting things about some of these famed players is their quirky habits and behavior both on and off the field. Many people know the story of Babe Ruth’s famous home run call, where he pointed with his bat to the exact location where, a few minutes later, he hit a home run. However, not many know that Casey Stengel was famous for an incident where he went up to the plate to bat, tipped his hat and a bird flew out! This book tells these kinds of stories. For example, Rube Waddell mysteriously missed more than one game because he was chasing a fire truck. This is an old book, written in 1971, so the writing style is a little difficult to read and the book does not contain stories about newer baseball players, but I would give it five stars because it was funny and uncanny.
By Zachary S. Not Without Hope, by Nick SchuylerReviewed by Benjy H.
It all began with a simple deep sea fishing trip with Nick Schuyler and three of his friends. Nick was trying to become a pro football star while two of his other friends were already living that dream. His best friend Will was also with him. Nick’s girlfriend wished him luck and he was out the door, about to set out into the vast, deep, and dark ocean. There was a slight chance of bad weather, but they all thought nothing of it. While they were about to head back to shore at the end of the trip, their ship wouldn’t budge. When they figured out the anchor of the boat was stuck in the bottom of the ocean, they were dumbfounded. Being the inexperienced boaters that they were, they decided to drive away and try to pull out the anchor. That is where the story begins. Their boat capsized, and left them stranded in the middle of the unknown. It now became a harrowing journey of survival, and tragedy.
I would rate this book 5 stars because it kept my interest level high and it was so hard to put the book down. The suspense made me very anxious to keep reading on. It also taught me a few lessons on what to do if you are stranded like Nick was.
The Boys of Winter, by Wayne Coffey
Every journey has to start somewhere and The Boys of Winter passionately tells of the journey of one of the greatest moments in 20th century sports. This story describes the lives of the 1980 U.S. Olympic gold medal hockey team, up to, during, and after the historic match against the unbeatable Soviet Union. I saw the book as a great tribute to the recently deceased coach, Herb Brooks. The book talks about Brooks’ striving for victory and his epic effort to accomplish the impossible. A team is nothing without their coach and this miracle on ice could never have been accomplished without a leader and fighter like Brooks. The story keys in on each player’s past, present and future from the time they got on skates, all the way up until Herb Brooks’ funeral in 2003. Each individual’s journey to the semifinal match in Lake Placid is riveting and inspiring. The play by play analysis is breathtaking. This book tops the movie in any and every way, as Wayne Coffey composes a thrilling new chapter into the always great Cinderella story. I rate this book a 4.5 of 5 for its extremely well developed point of view and behind the scenes look at the greatest game in U.S. hockey history.
By Noah M.
Dewey, by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter (nonfiction)
Dewey Readmore Books is the name of Spencer, Iowa's, beloved library cat. On the coldest night of the year in 1988, a freezing, starving, little gray kitten was stuffed into the book drop of the Spencer Library. When the kitten was found and saved by Vicki Myron the next morning, it was obviously ready to give up whatever eight week old way of life it had before this. The kitten, named Dewey by the librarians, seemed to understand how everyone felt, and also how to comfort them to make them feel better. Dewey even understood the feelings of the few people who hated him, and he accepted the fact that people hated him. The only people that Dewey hated were the vet that hurt him so much he screamed (yes, a cat screamed!), and probably the person that stuffed him into the book drop (if a person did). Join Dewey and Vicki in the fun times and the hardships they faced in this emotional story. I got into the story quickly, then it became somewhat boring in the middle, but in the end I couldn't put the book down! I recommend this book to anyone who likes cats, libraries, or adventures.
By Dina B.
Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner Reviewed by Ben R.
Freakonomics is a number of articles by Steven D. Levitt, a 'rogue' and 'unorthodox' economist. He delves into topics and makes connections that are rarely seen normally. For example, his first topic talks about the connection of teachers cheating and sumo wrestlers cheating. Another example is in chapter 4 which talks about how legalizing abortion has cut down on crime. In chapter 1 there is an example of an Israeli day-care center. They were having a few parents late every day. They decided to add a $3 fine for being late thinking that this would make parents afraid of spending and be on time. This backfired, as more parents were later than before the fine was implemented. At first glance, this makes no sense. Why would parents who were coming on time regularly now come late after they have to pay? However, if one takes a look closer, this starts to make sense. Before the fine was implemented, parents would have an emotional feeling of doing something wrong. Emotions are very strong and so fewer parents were late before the fee. After the fee was implemented though, parents could now just pay it off and not feel the emotional responsibility that they did before. I also learned in chapter 4 that the main reason that the crime rate went down drastically in the 1990s was because of the Roe v. Wade case. In this case Norma McCorvey under the pseudonym Jane Roe sued Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade, who was representing the state of Texas. In 1969, Norma found out she was pregnant with her third child. Her friends recommended she get a legal abortion by falsely claiming to have been raped. At this time, you could only get a legal abortion by rape and incest. This failed because the police did not have a report of a rape. She then tried to get an illegal abortion, but when she went to the website that was offering the service, it had been shut down by the police. When she asked friends for advice, they advised her to attorneys Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington. Interestingly, she would give birth before the case ended. The Supreme Court's final decision made it easier for some to get abortions. Because of this, the rate of crime drastically decreased. The crime rate had been going up and up and up since the 1960s. Earlier in the chapter, Levitt gave an example of how in Soviet Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu made an anti-abortion law which made it illegal for anyone to have an abortion. This law was primarily implemented because before the law, Romania was one the most liberal countries about abortion, and for every baby born, four babies were aborted. Because of the implementation of this law, the birth rate nearly doubled. These kids born due to the anti-abortion laws were generally guaranteed to have worse jobs then the kids born before the law was implemented. During the 1990s, many economists and criminologists had theories why all of a sudden the crime rate was nearly the same as 40 years earlier. Many theories popped up such as better police, better economy and countless others, but the real reason was abortions. The criminals didn't go anywhere, they just never were born. The Roe v. Wade case was resolved in the early 1970s which makes sense why the crime rate went down in the 1990s. This is because all the new babies born during the 1970s, because of pro-abortion laws like in Romania, had better lives which made the crime rate go way down. I would rate this book 4.9, an excellent book. The books was very easy to follow and it was very interesting to see things discussed that aren't usually discussed. Also, the book made me very interested in the things they were talking about. For example, when the book started talking about the Roe v. Wade case, I became very interested and started reading about the case. One minor complaint I have though is that at times, the story could drag on. For example in chapter four when he is talking about criminals and abortions, he listed the most popular theories why the crime rate went down in the 1990s. He explained all of them which is fine, but on some of them he wrote a page and it really kind of dragged on because I wanted to get to the punchline - the thing he was trying to tell me. But overall it is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone interested to economics and people who might want to uncover the hidden side of everything.
Girls of Summer, by Lois Browne Reviewed by Micah I.
When you think of baseball, what gender do you think about as playing professionally? Do you think of girls playing professional baseball? Guess who did: Philip K. Wrigley, the founder of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The League was only around for World War II and a little bit after that, but it never got any publicity once it shut down, until the movie, A League of Their Own. In Girls of Summer you will learn so much about the League. The League was based in small cities in mid-Western states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. It started in 1943 and ended in 1954. From this book I learned that the AAGPBL started out as softball, a more popular sport for women, and then later became real baseball. The girls in the League had to go to charm school and played ball in skirts. Also I learned that mostly the only successful and popular teams were in smaller cities without MLB teams. This book is special because it's one of the only books about the AAGPBL and you can learn a lot from Girls of Summer. It was also one of the first books I enjoyed reading even though it was for school. I give this book 5 stars because it is such a great insight into girls' baseball. I like it because it is well written and there is a lot of information fit into a good amount of pages. This book teaches you things you never would've learned in your everyday life. That is why I suggest reading Girls of Summer.
A March To Madness, by John Feinstein A March to Madness is a college basketball book about the 1997 season. This book is mostly about the coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference, also known as the ACC. During the NCAA championship game, Feinstein tells us what happened during the ACC season and tells us about the coaches from each school. The schools in the ACC are Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina State, and Virginia. At the beginning he explains the coaches’ personalities and what they do during the off-season. He also details the rivalries there are in the conference and how intense league games get. For example, North Carolina and Duke are HUGE rivals. Every game they play is a war. Also, the book explains how the coaches LOVE the league and they stay there for a long time. Dean Smith coached North Carolina for 36 years and Mike Krzyzewski is still coaching Duke in his 30th year. During the season there is great detail about every game of every ACC team. There is also just as much detail about what happens off the court as on. Feinstein talks about the players’ and coaches’ lives off the court. He talks about the struggles and the stress with the coaches’ wives. For the players, it is hard for them to do all their schoolwork and practice every day. The book points out that it is sad that not many college basketball students graduate, with the exception of Duke players. The book also talks about what happens on the court. Duke and the University of North Carolina are the traditional powerhouses, as shown in 1997, but a lot of other teams are not slouches. For instance, all five starters on the Wake Forest team were juniors and seniors, meaning they were a very tough and experienced team. Another team that stands out is Georgia Tech. They were predicted to finish very high in the conference but fell apart due to their lack of team play. They had only one good player and it showed, as that player took a huge amount of shots and was the team’s only player that scored more than 10 points a game. This book explains the ACC in shockingly good detail and I recommend it to people who want to learn about basketball. I rate this book 5 out of 5 because it raced off to a high tempo start and never looked back. By Lev C.
A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord (Non-fiction)
A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord, is a fabulous book that is both interesting and exciting at the same time. The book is non-fiction and tells the story of different peoples’ experiences on the Titanic, the night it sank, and what happened afterward. Also, it tells the story of about 30 characters and how they got on the rescue ships, or did not. People jumped off the ship, into the water hoping to land in a rescue ship. The tale is very interesting because it talks about how everyone on the ship thought that nothing was happening. Even the captain did not believe the crew until he saw the water which he saw from the post man. The reason that the captain did not believe that it was sinking was that the Titanic was very advanced for its time, and was called the unsinkable ship. I really recommend this book if you want to read an action book that is thrilling.
By Charles S.
The President Has Been Shot, By Rebecca C. Jones (Non-fiction) The President Has Been Shot is a great book that tells stories of all the American presidents who have been shot and what happened to them. I know what you’re thinking. Oh, that book seems boring; it just talks about presidents who got shot. Originally, that is what I thought too. But after about one chapter of reading this book I couldn’t stop. The reason for this is that instead of just saying facts about shot presidents, the author actually tells the stories from the points of view the presidents and the people who shot them. You get to read two different opinions, which makes the book even more interesting than just learning the ideas of the president and his family. For example, in the chapter about Abraham Lincoln the author tells you from Booth’s side of the story why he wanted to kill Lincoln and why he thought it would benefit or not benefit America.
On a scale of 1-5 I would rate this book a four-and-a-half because I learned a lot of good information from this book. The reason I said four-and-a-half instead of five is because I don’t really normally like non-fiction books.
By, Ruthie S. The Ruthless Romans, By Terry Deary Reviewed by Tal P.
To walk into the realm of the bloody Romans you must read this review. The book's history begins in 1000 BC in Rome near the River Tiber, and it ends in AD 265. The book gives a detailed and humorous look at the "Rotten Romans", however I must say I did not enjoy this book. Reasons why I did not enjoy this book were, first of all, there were a lot of detailed, bloody pictures. Next, even though the comic strips were aimed to be funny, they were not. For example, the comic on page 93 was about killing a budgie bird, and killing of dogs. I don't even want to tell you how they did it because it was so traumatic to me. It was just like a gladiator contest with poor animals being the victims. I did like the way the portraits were drawn in the book, but what was drawn was a bit frightening at times.
I would not recommend this book to anyone because of the goriness and "horrible" actions done to and by the Romans. I give this book a 1 out of 5 because i almost gagged at every page.
The Sinai Blunder, by Indar Jit Rikhye (Non-fiction) The Sinai Blunder, written by a former UNEF (United Nations Emergency Force) general named Indar Jit Rikhye, was a very intriguing book. The general writes about his experiences in Gaza City during the Six Day War in early June of 1967 in the Mideast and how his force was caught in the middle of Egyptian and Israeli fire. He states that the Arabs were overconfident in the days leading up to the Six-Day War and how they paid the price for it. I love how the general doesn’t take sides in the ongoing Middle East conflict and the conflicts in the past and he just states what he knows. This a very enjoyable book to read if you are interested in the Middle East’s past and want to hear what this expert has to say. I would rate this book a four and a half out of five for the excellent writing of the general and for his being impartial and simply stating the truth.
By Elliot B.
Wanderings by Chaim Potok Wanderings is a “history of the Jews” from an archaeological perspective by Chaim Potok, but in reality it is the story of civilization, from the time when the Sumerians entered Mesopotamia to the present. However, it focuses in general on the Jews, though there are backtracks that last one hundred pages or more. It has ten “chapters,” though I hesitate to call them such, as they are more like books. The first is a history of Sumer, called "Sumer: The Wandering Mesopotamians," not complete but a fairly accurate diagram of the history. A passage from the Sumerian King List is quoted throughout the book: “Who was king? Who was not king? Xyz and Pdq were king.” This semi-poetic verse is repeated at least one hundred times throughout the book. However, this is probably the shortest section; but it has many things that are continually referred to, such as the aforementioned King List, or the various repeating forms of mythology such as lengthy single combat between gods or people, or the idea of harsh periods compared to easier ones. The patriarchs are introduced. In the Egypt chapter, called "Egypt: The Silent Nile," another constant theme is introduced: the suzerainty treaty, several of which are shown throughout the book: the Mosaic Covenant, given at Sinai through Moshe; the Davidic covenant, given to David through Samuel at Jerusalem; the Assyrian treaty, when Judah surrendered to Assyria; and others. The Exodus takes place, amid many descriptions of Egyptian life itself. In Canaan, the story continues to the Promised Land; in the next chapter, "Babylonia: The New Mesopotamians," the rise and fall of Babylon is recorded. "Greece: War on the Margin of the Map" quickly fades into "Rome: Legions from Rome," which tells of the rise of the Roman Empire, the fall of Jerusalem, and the beginnings of the decline of Rome. The story continues through Islam and Christianity until the final chapter, "Secularism: Messiahs for a Broken World," which deals with later commentators (although it occasionally moves backward in time) and the rise of Shabbatai Zevi and his followers; also of Hasidism, the Baal Shem Tov, etc. Then, in a modern setting, Potok tells of the Zionist movement and its effects, and the rise of Medinat Yisrael. He ends with a metaphoric page describing mending the “broken world,” bringing to life a third Jewish civilization. I really liked this book, as it was very informative and very interesting, but I would not recommend it unless you are prepared to spend a lot of time reading it. It is not an adventure book, and parts can be hard to get through, though most are very interesting. However, most editions look as though they have been designed to trick you: it is an immense book with large pages, but in fact it has thick pages and large print, and has many pictures, so that it is not as large as it appears.
Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches? by Mike O’Connor (Nonfiction)
Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches? The answer to this and many other bird related questions can be found in this book. The book is divided into sections with general topics, such as attracting birds, feeding birds, identifying birds, etc., so you can find the information you need. The questions are from all birders and they are everyday questions as well as question about bird habits that you might have too. Not only are the answers interesting, they are also entertaining and hilarious. Yes, he addressed the problem of squirrels getting to bird feeders, but, of course, he could not solve it (who can?).
Ariel K.
Books whose events really happened
100 Birds and How they Got Their Names, by Diana Wells, (Non-fiction)
Did you know that the name of the penguin comes from the Latin word pinguis meaning fat? Or that the bird of paradise is named so because it looks like it floats in mid-air without wings or feet? Well, you do now. Facts like these and a lot more can all be found in this book. It is divided into chapters, one for each kind of bird. Each chapter doesn’t only tell the history of the birds’ names, but also some interesting stories about them. And the facts are fascinating. I found this book rather enjoyable and very interesting, and I think you would too.Ariel K.
Apollo 13, the Junior Novelization, by: William Broyles, Jr., Al Reinert and John Sayles. (Non-Fiction)In 1969, Jim Lovell’s dream was about to come true. He had flown on previous missions to the moon but never got to land on the moon and walk on it himself. Six months before Apollo 13 was scheduled to launch, one of the crew members got a sudden ear infection and was taken off of the crew. This gave Jim the chance he was waiting for, and he was made captain! This crew had been working for about 6-7 months before takeoff to make every maneuver perfect so they would know how to do it in space. The first time Jim went a few years before, he only got to circle around the moon but this time he might be able to walk on the moon. As April 13th approached, everyone in the crew was evaluated by the flight surgeon. The doctor thought that the blood work of a valuable crew member, Ken Mattingsly, showed he was going to come down with the measles. So the first unlucky thing that happened in this mission was losing a key crew member a few days before lift off. The flight launched without a problem and on schedule. Once they got into where there is no gravity one of the five thrust engines went out. The crew didn’t think it was that bad and the control team in Houston allowed them to continue. As they got closer to the moon there was an explosion. The crew of Apollo 13 didn’t know what was going to happen. Jim’s dream was destroyed but it was life or death and more important became worries about his family and his crew. The Apollo 13 crew members weren’t sure if they had enough power or oxygen to return to Earth. They circled the moon to get up speed so they could start going back to Earth. When the control team in Houston was unsure of what to do, they called in the crew member who was left behind. Ken went into the simulator (on Earth) and recreated their situation in the command module of freezing temperatures and very little power to try to get the crew get back to Earth safely. But one of the crew members on Apollo 13 starting getting very ill and the crew members were all scared and tired. Oxygen was running low and they were running out of time. How would they survive? I would have to rate this book 4 ½ stars because in the beginning the book kept my attention but, as it got toward the middle it got very interesting and I couldn’t put it down.By Annie B.
Baseball’s Zaniest Stars, by Howard Liss (non-fiction)
There are many phenomenal baseball players who are well-known for their excellent skills. One of the interesting things about some of these famed players is their quirky habits and behavior both on and off the field. Many people know the story of Babe Ruth’s famous home run call, where he pointed with his bat to the exact location where, a few minutes later, he hit a home run. However, not many know that Casey Stengel was famous for an incident where he went up to the plate to bat, tipped his hat and a bird flew out! This book tells these kinds of stories. For example, Rube Waddell mysteriously missed more than one game because he was chasing a fire truck.
This is an old book, written in 1971, so the writing style is a little difficult to read and the book does not contain stories about newer baseball players, but I would give it five stars because it was funny and uncanny.
By Zachary S.
Not Without Hope, by Nick SchuylerReviewed by Benjy H.
It all began with a simple deep sea fishing trip with Nick Schuyler and three of his friends. Nick was trying to become a pro football star while two of his other friends were already living that dream. His best friend Will was also with him. Nick’s girlfriend wished him luck and he was out the door, about to set out into the vast, deep, and dark ocean. There was a slight chance of bad weather, but they all thought nothing of it. While they were about to head back to shore at the end of the trip, their ship wouldn’t budge. When they figured out the anchor of the boat was stuck in the bottom of the ocean, they were dumbfounded. Being the inexperienced boaters that they were, they decided to drive away and try to pull out the anchor. That is where the story begins. Their boat capsized, and left them stranded in the middle of the unknown. It now became a harrowing journey of survival, and tragedy.
I would rate this book 5 stars because it kept my interest level high and it was so hard to put the book down. The suspense made me very anxious to keep reading on. It also taught me a few lessons on what to do if you are stranded like Nick was.
The Boys of Winter, by Wayne Coffey
Every journey has to start somewhere and The Boys of Winter passionately tells of the journey of one of the greatest moments in 20th century sports. This story describes the lives of the 1980 U.S. Olympic gold medal hockey team, up to, during, and after the historic match against the unbeatable Soviet Union. I saw the book as a great tribute to the recently deceased coach, Herb Brooks. The book talks about Brooks’ striving for victory and his epic effort to accomplish the impossible. A team is nothing without their coach and this miracle on ice could never have been accomplished without a leader and fighter like Brooks. The story keys in on each player’s past, present and future from the time they got on skates, all the way up until Herb Brooks’ funeral in 2003. Each individual’s journey to the semifinal match in Lake Placid is riveting and inspiring. The play by play analysis is breathtaking. This book tops the movie in any and every way, as Wayne Coffey composes a thrilling new chapter into the always great Cinderella story. I rate this book a 4.5 of 5 for its extremely well developed point of view and behind the scenes look at the greatest game in U.S. hockey history.By Noah M.
Dewey, by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter (nonfiction)
Dewey Readmore Books is the name of Spencer, Iowa's, beloved library cat. On the coldest night of the year in 1988, a freezing, starving, little gray kitten was stuffed into the book drop of the Spencer Library. When the kitten was found and saved by Vicki Myron the next morning, it was obviously ready to give up whatever eight week old way of life it had before this. The kitten, named Dewey by the librarians, seemed to understand how everyone felt, and also how to comfort them to make them feel better. Dewey even understood the feelings of the few people who hated him, and he accepted the fact that people hated him. The only people that Dewey hated were the vet that hurt him so much he screamed (yes, a cat screamed!), and probably the person that stuffed him into the book drop (if a person did). Join Dewey and Vicki in the fun times and the hardships they faced in this emotional story. I got into the story quickly, then it became somewhat boring in the middle, but in the end I couldn't put the book down! I recommend this book to anyone who likes cats, libraries, or adventures.
By Dina B.
Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
Reviewed by Ben R.
Freakonomics is a number of articles by Steven D. Levitt, a 'rogue' and 'unorthodox' economist. He delves into topics and makes connections that are rarely seen normally. For example, his first topic talks about the connection of teachers cheating and sumo wrestlers cheating. Another example is in chapter 4 which talks about how legalizing abortion has cut down on crime. In chapter 1 there is an example of an Israeli day-care center. They were having a few parents late every day. They decided to add a $3 fine for being late thinking that this would make parents afraid of spending and be on time. This backfired, as more parents were later than before the fine was implemented. At first glance, this makes no sense. Why would parents who were coming on time regularly now come late after they have to pay? However, if one takes a look closer, this starts to make sense. Before the fine was implemented, parents would have an emotional feeling of doing something wrong. Emotions are very strong and so fewer parents were late before the fee. After the fee was implemented though, parents could now just pay it off and not feel the emotional responsibility that they did before. I also learned in chapter 4 that the main reason that the crime rate went down drastically in the 1990s was because of the Roe v. Wade case. In this case Norma McCorvey under the pseudonym Jane Roe sued Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade, who was representing the state of Texas. In 1969, Norma found out she was pregnant with her third child. Her friends recommended she get a legal abortion by falsely claiming to have been raped. At this time, you could only get a legal abortion by rape and incest. This failed because the police did not have a report of a rape. She then tried to get an illegal abortion, but when she went to the website that was offering the service, it had been shut down by the police. When she asked friends for advice, they advised her to attorneys Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington. Interestingly, she would give birth before the case ended. The Supreme Court's final decision made it easier for some to get abortions. Because of this, the rate of crime drastically decreased. The crime rate had been going up and up and up since the 1960s. Earlier in the chapter, Levitt gave an example of how in Soviet Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu made an anti-abortion law which made it illegal for anyone to have an abortion. This law was primarily implemented because before the law, Romania was one the most liberal countries about abortion, and for every baby born, four babies were aborted. Because of the implementation of this law, the birth rate nearly doubled. These kids born due to the anti-abortion laws were generally guaranteed to have worse jobs then the kids born before the law was implemented. During the 1990s, many economists and criminologists had theories why all of a sudden the crime rate was nearly the same as 40 years earlier. Many theories popped up such as better police, better economy and countless others, but the real reason was abortions. The criminals didn't go anywhere, they just never were born. The Roe v. Wade case was resolved in the early 1970s which makes sense why the crime rate went down in the 1990s. This is because all the new babies born during the 1970s, because of pro-abortion laws like in Romania, had better lives which made the crime rate go way down.
I would rate this book 4.9, an excellent book. The books was very easy to follow and it was very interesting to see things discussed that aren't usually discussed. Also, the book made me very interested in the things they were talking about. For example, when the book started talking about the Roe v. Wade case, I became very interested and started reading about the case. One minor complaint I have though is that at times, the story could drag on. For example in chapter four when he is talking about criminals and abortions, he listed the most popular theories why the crime rate went down in the 1990s. He explained all of them which is fine, but on some of them he wrote a page and it really kind of dragged on because I wanted to get to the punchline - the thing he was trying to tell me. But overall it is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone interested to economics and people who might want to uncover the hidden side of everything.
Girls of Summer, by Lois Browne
Reviewed by Micah I.
When you think of baseball, what gender do you think about as playing
professionally? Do you think of girls playing professional baseball? Guess who
did: Philip K. Wrigley, the founder of the All American Girls Professional Baseball
League (AAGPBL). The League was only around for World War II and a little bit
after that, but it never got any publicity once it shut down, until the movie, A
League of Their Own.
In Girls of Summer you will learn so much about the League. The League
was based in small cities in mid-Western states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. It started in 1943 and ended in 1954. From this book I learned that the AAGPBL started out as softball, a more popular sport for women, and then later became real baseball. The girls in the League had to go to charm school and played ball in skirts. Also I learned that
mostly the only successful and popular teams were in smaller cities without MLB
teams.
This book is special because it's one of the only books about the AAGPBL
and you can learn a lot from Girls of Summer. It was also one of the first books I
enjoyed reading even though it was for school. I give this book 5 stars because it
is such a great insight into girls' baseball. I like it because it is well written and
there is a lot of information fit into a good amount of pages. This book teaches
you things you never would've learned in your everyday life. That is why I
suggest reading Girls of Summer.
A March To Madness, by John Feinstein
A March to Madness is a college basketball book about the 1997 season. This book is mostly about the coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference, also known as the ACC. During the NCAA championship game, Feinstein tells us what happened during the ACC season and tells us about the coaches from each school. The schools in the ACC are Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina State, and Virginia. At the beginning he explains the coaches’ personalities and what they do during the off-season. He also details the rivalries there are in the conference and how intense league games get. For example, North Carolina and Duke are HUGE rivals. Every game they play is a war. Also, the book explains how the coaches LOVE the league and they stay there for a long time. Dean Smith coached North Carolina for 36 years and Mike Krzyzewski is still coaching Duke in his 30th year. During the season there is great detail about every game of every ACC team. There is also just as much detail about what happens off the court as on. Feinstein talks about the players’ and coaches’ lives off the court. He talks about the struggles and the stress with the coaches’ wives. For the players, it is hard for them to do all their schoolwork and practice every day. The book points out that it is sad that not many college basketball students graduate, with the exception of Duke players. The book also talks about what happens on the court. Duke and the University of North Carolina are the traditional powerhouses, as shown in 1997, but a lot of other teams are not slouches. For instance, all five starters on the Wake Forest team were juniors and seniors, meaning they were a very tough and experienced team. Another team that stands out is Georgia Tech. They were predicted to finish very high in the conference but fell apart due to their lack of team play. They had only one good player and it showed, as that player took a huge amount of shots and was the team’s only player that scored more than 10 points a game. This book explains the ACC in shockingly good detail and I recommend it to people who want to learn about basketball. I rate this book 5 out of 5 because it raced off to a high tempo start and never looked back.
By Lev C.
A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord (Non-fiction)
A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord, is a fabulous book that is both interesting and exciting at the same time. The book is non-fiction and tells the story of different peoples’ experiences on the Titanic, the night it sank, and what happened afterward. Also, it tells the story of about 30 characters and how they got on the rescue ships, or did not. People jumped off the ship, into the water hoping to land in a rescue ship. The tale is very interesting because it talks about how everyone on the ship thought that nothing was happening. Even the captain did not believe the crew until he saw the water which he saw from the post man. The reason that the captain did not believe that it was sinking was that the Titanic was very advanced for its time, and was called the unsinkable ship. I really recommend this book if you want to read an action book that is thrilling.
By Charles S.
The President Has Been Shot, By Rebecca C. Jones (Non-fiction)
The President Has Been Shot is a great book that tells stories of all the American presidents who have been shot and what happened to them. I know what you’re thinking. Oh, that book seems boring; it just talks about presidents who got shot. Originally, that is what I thought too. But after about one chapter of reading this book I couldn’t stop. The reason for this is that instead of just saying facts about shot presidents, the author actually tells the stories from the points of view the presidents and the people who shot them. You get to read two different opinions, which makes the book even more interesting than just learning the ideas of the president and his family. For example, in the chapter about Abraham Lincoln the author tells you from Booth’s side of the story why he wanted to kill Lincoln and why he thought it would benefit or not benefit America.
On a scale of 1-5 I would rate this book a four-and-a-half because I learned a lot of good information from this book. The reason I said four-and-a-half instead of five is because I don’t really normally like non-fiction books.
By, Ruthie S.
The Ruthless Romans, By Terry Deary
Reviewed by Tal P.
To walk into the realm of the bloody Romans you must read this review. The book's history begins in 1000 BC in Rome near the River Tiber, and it ends in AD 265. The book gives a detailed and humorous look at the "Rotten Romans", however I must say I did not enjoy this book. Reasons why I did not enjoy this book were, first of all, there were a lot of detailed, bloody pictures. Next, even though the comic strips were aimed to be funny, they were not. For example, the comic on page 93 was about killing a budgie bird, and killing of dogs. I don't even want to tell you how they did it because it was so traumatic to me. It was just like a gladiator contest with poor animals being the victims. I did like the way the portraits were drawn in the book, but what was drawn was a bit frightening at times.
I would not recommend this book to anyone because of the goriness and "horrible" actions done to and by the Romans. I give this book a 1 out of 5 because i almost gagged at every page.
The Sinai Blunder, by Indar Jit Rikhye (Non-fiction)
The Sinai Blunder, written by a former UNEF (United Nations Emergency Force) general named Indar Jit Rikhye, was a very intriguing book. The general writes about his experiences in Gaza City during the Six Day War in early June of 1967 in the Mideast and how his force was caught in the middle of Egyptian and Israeli fire. He states that the Arabs were overconfident in the days leading up to the Six-Day War and how they paid the price for it. I love how the general doesn’t take sides in the ongoing Middle East conflict and the conflicts in the past and he just states what he knows. This a very enjoyable book to read if you are interested in the Middle East’s past and want to hear what this expert has to say. I would rate this book a four and a half out of five for the excellent writing of the general and for his being impartial and simply stating the truth.
By Elliot B.
Wanderings by Chaim Potok
Wanderings is a “history of the Jews” from an archaeological perspective by Chaim Potok, but in reality it is the story of civilization, from the time when the Sumerians entered Mesopotamia to the present. However, it focuses in general on the Jews, though there are backtracks that last one hundred pages or more. It has ten “chapters,” though I hesitate to call them such, as they are more like books. The first is a history of Sumer, called "Sumer: The Wandering Mesopotamians," not complete but a fairly accurate diagram of the history. A passage from the Sumerian King List is quoted throughout the book: “Who was king? Who was not king? Xyz and Pdq were king.” This semi-poetic verse is repeated at least one hundred times throughout the book. However, this is probably the shortest section; but it has many things that are continually referred to, such as the aforementioned King List, or the various repeating forms of mythology such as lengthy single combat between gods or people, or the idea of harsh periods compared to easier ones. The patriarchs are introduced. In the Egypt chapter, called "Egypt: The Silent Nile," another constant theme is introduced: the suzerainty treaty, several of which are shown throughout the book: the Mosaic Covenant, given at Sinai through Moshe; the Davidic covenant, given to David through Samuel at Jerusalem; the Assyrian treaty, when Judah surrendered to Assyria; and others. The Exodus takes place, amid many descriptions of Egyptian life itself. In Canaan, the story continues to the Promised Land; in the next chapter, "Babylonia: The New Mesopotamians," the rise and fall of Babylon is recorded. "Greece: War on the Margin of the Map" quickly fades into "Rome: Legions from Rome," which tells of the rise of the Roman Empire, the fall of Jerusalem, and the beginnings of the decline of Rome. The story continues through Islam and Christianity until the final chapter, "Secularism: Messiahs for a Broken World," which deals with later commentators (although it occasionally moves backward in time) and the rise of Shabbatai Zevi and his followers; also of Hasidism, the Baal Shem Tov, etc. Then, in a modern setting, Potok tells of the Zionist movement and its effects, and the rise of Medinat Yisrael. He ends with a metaphoric page describing mending the “broken world,” bringing to life a third Jewish civilization. I really liked this book, as it was very informative and very interesting, but I would not recommend it unless you are prepared to spend a lot of time reading it. It is not an adventure book, and parts can be hard to get through, though most are very interesting. However, most editions look as though they have been designed to trick you: it is an immense book with large pages, but in fact it has thick pages and large print, and has many pictures, so that it is not as large as it appears.
Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches? by Mike O’Connor (Nonfiction)
Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches? The answer to this and many other bird related questions can be found in this book. The book is divided into sections with general topics, such as attracting birds, feeding birds, identifying birds, etc., so you can find the information you need. The questions are from all birders and they are everyday questions as well as question about bird habits that you might have too. Not only are the answers interesting, they are also entertaining and hilarious. Yes, he addressed the problem of squirrels getting to bird feeders, but, of course, he could not solve it (who can?).
Ariel K.