THOMAS JEFFERSON'S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE: A Picture Book Review and Giveaway

Beth Anderson is no stranger to my blog. Her outstanding nonfiction biographies find little-known stories within a historical character's well-known life. Thomas Jefferson's Battle for Science: Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose! (Calkins Creek, 2024) is her latest contribution to her other great curriculum resources for grades 2-5. The engaging illustrations by Jeremy Holmes amplify the text and pull readers of all ages into the book.

REVIEW

The book opens with illustrations of the animals, plants, and geographical formations that Jefferson studied. The text reads, "Young Thomas Jefferson measured his world." He collected fossils and bones. "The power and majesty of nature called him to question, experiment, and explore." He was quite certain it was all peaceful and measurable until he read Count Georges-Luis Lecleric De Buffon's encyclopedia of the natural world.

The battle began.

Buffon declared that the new world was swampy, cold, and lacked magnificent animals like lions and elephants. He wrote that bears were smaller and wolves were puny. Jefferson read,

"Suddenly science wasn't certain or peaceful."

The War of Independence erupted and Jefferson focused on his role as the Virginia representative to Congress. But inside of him, his own battle raged. He asked questions about Buffon's "facts." Most of all, he wanted to know how the French naturalist could write about America without ever traveling here! He compiled evidence to disprove Buffon's conclusions and wrote his own book--Notes on the State of Virginia! (His only full-length book published in his lifetime.)

He packed his bags and went to France to present his arguments and evidence to Buffon. After months of waiting to hear from Buffon, they agreed to meet in person. Now, the battle began in earnest!

Without including spoilers, I'll just say that Thomas Jefferson's Battle for Science lets the reader see how despite setbacks, Jefferson fought his battle for truth and facts. 

In the end,

IN TIME, new truths overshadowed Buffon's biased ideas. The land that Thomas loved wasn't a terrible, unhealthy place. It wasn't better or worse than the Old World. JUST MEASURABLY DIFFERENT.

 

BACK MATTER

The Author's Notes, Timeline, and Bibliography are all worth reading. I loved the endpapers that Jeremy Holmes created from footprints of animals that Jefferson observed. 

The discussion guide can be found here.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

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GIVEAWAY

If you are interested in winning this book, please leave me a comment by April 25. U.S. addresses only. Teachers, home school educators, and librarians get two chances. Beth is happy to provide a virtual Q&A if an educator wins. If you share this on social media or sign-up to follow my blog you'll get an extra chance too. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU ARE NEW TO MY BLOG!

Daisy and the Missing Mona Lisa: A Middle Grade Review by Guest Blogger, Lily Matarazzo and a Giveaway

 

REVIEW

In Daisy and the Missing Mona Lisa, by J.T. Allen, Daisy’s newest misadventure begins with an invitation from Felix, her aunt’s friend and a former spy, to visit his chateau in the Loire. During her stay, our heroine explores the historic town of Chinon in the daytime, dives into a Proust novel at night, encounters a ghost and two ginormous pigs, and helps Felix organize his massive art collection. Upon her departure after two weeks, Daisy receives a copy of the Mona Lisa from Felix, as thanks for helping him. But this Mona isn’t just any copy, it’s one of two flawless forgeries created to confuse the Nazis during their search for the real one in World War II. 

Daisy returns with the painting to her aunt’s apartment in Paris, to find that her friend Lucia Sarir, now a teen model, is in France to audition for the spring runway shows. Lucia is eager to “meet” Daisy’s Mona, and thinks it might be the real thing. When Felix suddenly dies, his family is after her, convinced she stole the painting that turns out to be worth a fortune, real or not. Daisy, followed by her loyal sidekicks, makes her way around her chaotic world full of scheming adults in a search for the truth.

J.T. Allen presents an engaging mystery about a fearless young woman with a lively personality that any girl would love to call her friend. The author has done a wonderful job of telling this story from a first-person point of view. Daisy’s narration and her conversations with others are spot-on to convey how a girl her age actually speaks and thinks. She tells her story as if she’s speaking to a friend, making her a more relatable character, and her adventures seem more real and entertaining. 

I did my best to appear skeptical. I know I’m twelve and supposed to be all jaded and everything, but this sounded like a fairy princess castle set in a magic forest with every other fairy tale thing going for it. And Chinon – the town where Joan of Arc actually met King Charles the Whatever and told him, “..give me an army.” And the king looked at this golden-haired teenager and said,” Awesome, go for it.” When does that ever happen anymore?” (Page 8) 

Learning about and exploring new places in a foreign country alongside Daisy with her vivid, humorous descriptions, is just one of the things I enjoyed about this book.  There is a helpful glossary of French words and phrases in the back of the book, because the French language is sprinkled throughout the story, reminding readers of the setting. The interactions of the characters were often entertaining and they helped to move the story forward. Daisy is older than she was in her last book, and I noticed that her maturity is reflected in her own interactions with others and the words she uses, being clever and even sarcastic, without ever being rude. 

Daisy and the Missing Mona Lisa might officially be middle-grade fiction, but I feel that the story would also be enjoyed by older children and adults, too. 

I am 15 years old and in tenth grade. I have six younger siblings, and when I'm not playing with them or homeschooling, I enjoy reading, drawing, practicing piano, and talking about stories with my friends.

GIVEAWAY

Lily graciously agreed to pass along her copy of the book. To win it, please leave a comment with your email address (if you are new to my blog) by January 11.  If you share this on social media, I'll enter your name twice--just let me know where you shared it. 

Congratulations to Theresa Milstein who will be able to share TAKE BACK THE BLOCK with her Massachusetts students.

Look for more great Middle-Grade Books on Greg Pattridge's excellent blog, ALWAYS IN THE MIDDLE.

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc - An Audiobook Review and Giveaway

Congratulations to Jo Lynn Worden who won Sandra Warren's book, Obsessed By A Promise.

If you want to read a masterful portrayal of deep POV from multiple perspectives (as well as from the perspective of objects) then I recommend that you get hold of a copy of Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc. Not only will you have a great mentor text for deep POV, but you'll also experience multiple types of poetic forms from the medieval period. Plus, you'll discover what life was like for Joan of Arc. 

Kudos to author, David Elliott. I can't imagine the research needed to write this short book in beautiful, classical poetry. 

REVIEW

Joan's story is told through herself, her mother, father, different witnesses at her Trial of Condemnation and testimony from the posthumous Trial of Nullification. But that is far from all. Charles VII also has a voice--one that is filled with his embarrassment over a young maid who said he needed her to rescue France from the English. 

Joan was a diligent, virtuous daughter, who could spin and mend better than any other woman in her village. But she was bored by these common, household tasks that bound her. In her fierce loyalty to her king, Charles VII, she believed that she could help him win the Hundred Year War. Around the age of thirteen she reported that she started receiving visions from saints and angels. They were her guides as she left home on her passionate journey to save her country. The archangel Michael has a voice of his own in the narrative. 

The author personifies both objects which Joan encountered as well as concepts. For example, here are parts of the poem from the voice of Joan's needle which she used as a young woman:

In the circle of women, is where I am found. Stitching and hemming and mending. I've been handled by many both maiden and crone...No one could touch her, the girl they called Joan. Ferocious, focus, strong-willed. She was a warrior,  the linen her foe. I was her weapon, her sword in her hand.

Other objects had voices. A pitchfork used by a farmer turned soldier, ("Why did he take me away from the farm?");  a 700-year-old sword she requested be brought to her ("How did she find me? Why did she take me from my rest?"); the alms she gave to the poor ("I felt precious in her hand"); the cattle she cared for ("Why did she see angels?"); her hair ("Cut off to her ears because it was too alluring to men"); the arrow that missed its target; the crossbow that found her thigh; her red dress she always wore and the tunic that replaced it; her virginity, and lust. Dramatically repeated was the somber voice of Fire: burning, soaring, and ready to devour. 

Because of the graphic and intimate portrayal of Joan's life and death, I recommend this for mature teens and adults. It would be a remarkable gift for someone who fits that category of readers.

Outside of Nikki Grimes' books, I rarely listen to a book and recommend that the audio version is the best way to "read" the novel. But in this case, I can't say enough about the dramatization that the three narrators, Saskia Maarleveld, Celeste Ciulla, and Luis Moreno provide. Their voices give a rich depth to the characters and objects that populated Joan of Arc's last years. Here is an audio snippet. 

GIVEAWAY

To enter, please leave a comment by December 12 with your email address if you are new to my blog. This is another giveaway courtesy of Recorded Books. Continental Unites States only.