Nonfiction

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

Posted on Friday, April 23, 2010 by Melissa in Nonfiction, Three Star Rating

This exciting account of President Lincoln's assassination and the 12-day search for his killer reads like a historical thriller. The dialogue all comes from original sources, which adds a chill to the already disturbing conspiracy! The book takes the reader on a journey, almost hour by hour, following the brutal murder scene at Ford’s Theatre. While the President lay dying, John Wilkes Booth’s accomplices attempted to assassinate Secretary of State William H. Seward, and Booth had to convince or trick friends and strangers into helping him escape. The text is accompanied by abundant period photos of the key players in the conspiracy and historical documents. This is the young adult version of Swanson’s bestselling Manhunt.

*Note that the Waupaca Area Public Library will be hosting a traveling Lincoln Exhibit August 16-September 24 and is one of only 25 sites nationwide to host this traveling exhibit! Stay tuned for more details about events including a Lincoln impersonator!

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The Abs Diet: The Six Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life by David Zinczenko

Posted on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 by Melissa in Brandon's books, Nonfiction

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

The Abs Diet is a diet which is highly popularized by Mens’ Health magazine, a magazine with a target age group ranging from older teens to old men. I, being a member of that target group as well as a reader, have certainly heard of the Abs Diet.

The Abs Diet is merely mentioned in Mens’ Health magazine, but brought to the spotlight in Zinczenko’s book. The founder, and success story himself, Zinczenko helps to reiterate the points of the diet. Of course, the main reason many men go on diets is to lose weight, but the Abs Diet has several other added benefits. In addition to losing weight, the Abs Diet can help you gain muscle, eliminate back pain and injuries, as well as gain a longer life.

The main way that the Abs Diet differs from every other weight loss plans is that it doesn’t require you to count carbs, calories, fat grams or points; in fact, it encourages you to eat more, in the form of six healthy meals and snacks spaced evenly throughout the day and centered around twelve main power foods. It also encourages a workout plan involving lifting weights and cardiovascular activity.

I found the book to be very extensive and, although not a very weighty tome, completely thorough. Zinczenko includes many examples of success stories as well as delicious recipes incorporating the power foods, and a well balanced training program for just about everyone. I find the book to be a helpful and enjoyable aid on my way to a leaner, fitter me.

--Brandon

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Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Posted on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 by Melissa in Lydia's books, Nonfiction

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Lydia!

“‘I begin with the young,’ said Hitler. ‘We older ones are used up…But my magnificent youngsters! Are there finer ones anywhere in the world? Look at all these men and boys! What material! With them I can make a new world.’”

In 1926 Hitler founded the “Hitler Youth,” an organization that on the surface resembled the boy scouts, but which he would later use to manipulate the youth of Germany into carrying out the terrible crimes of the Nazi party. “Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow” tells the story of not only the organization itself, but of the German children and teenagers living in Germany under the Nazi party—both those who supported their Führer and those who stood against him and suffered the consequences.

Melita Maschmann had been forbidden by her parents to join the BDM, the girl’s branch of the Hitler Youth. However, convinced that Hitler was doing great things for Germany, she snuck out to attend the weekly meetings contrary to her parents’ wishes.

Helmuth Hübener was sixteen when he began illegally listening to foreign radio stations. When he realized the lies the German people were being fed by the Nazis, he, along with two of this friends, began printing anti-Nazi leaflets and passing on the foreign news, a crime punishable by death.

Stories of the Jewish and occupied experiences under the Nazi regime fill the pages young adult literature, from “The Diary of Anne Frank” to “Number the Stars.” But what about the German experience? What were the German youth doing during the Nazi Regime, and why didn’t they try and stop it? “Hitler Youth” recalls the true stories and events surrounding the youth of Germany and the opinions they formed.

--Lydia

P.S. from Melissa. If you're looking for fiction about the same subject, try The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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So, You Wanna Be a Comic Book Artist? by Amara D. Amara

Posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 by Melissa in Brandon's books, Nonfiction

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Like most kids, my choice of career path, (when i was younger), bounced around more than a small child hyped up on Pixy-Stix. At one time or another in my life I wanted to be a firefighter, a policeman, an actor, and of course, a comic book artist. Oftentimes, I’d bike on over to the local library to research my “dream job.” It was at one of these times that I discovered the book; So, You Wanna Be A Comic Book Artist? To an aspiring artist, it became a miniature bible.

So, You Wanna Be A Comic Book Artist? goes through several comprehensive chapters detailing the steps it would take to become a comic book artist. The book starts with the basics, such as creating a studio (or just a space to draw in), or tips for illustrations and character creation, then progresses to more intricate facets of writing and illustrating comic books. The later chapters of the book detail self-production of comics (known as zines), submitting your work to publishers, and information about where the industry of comic book artistry is headed.

Although I no longer aspire to become a comic book artist, I do recommend this book to any aspiring artist. It was easy to read with many inserted articles, such as artist profiles of amateurs as well as professionals, tips from the pros, and general fun facts about comic books and their authors.

--Brandon

Piano for Dummies by Blake Neely

Posted on Friday, May 22, 2009 by Melissa in Jeremy's books, Nonfiction

A guest review from Teen Room staff Jeremy!

Piano for Dummies by Blake Neely is an incredible guide to both the basics and more advanced styles of piano. Blake Neely takes the reader through an enormous range of amazing descriptions, witty comments, and wonderful ways to remember chords and key positions. The book also includes a list of scales that also includes pictures showing where the fingers should go on the keyboard. The back of the book even includes an index of some of the more well known piano players including Billy Joel and Elton John.

I am currently using this book to try to teach myself how to play piano, and to be honest it’s going fairly well. I’m progressing at a slow rate, but that’s due to a need to do homework and play my guitars rather than learn piano. I plan on dedicating a lot more time to piano this summer, and with this book as my guide I should become fairly proficient.

--Jeremy