Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret is the true story of Peg Schulze (Kehret), and her experience with polio at age 12. She was in 7th grade in Austin, Minnesota when her leg began twitching uncontrollably. As she left her chorus class, her legs buckled and Peg fell in the hall. When she got home from school that day, she was exhausted and had a high fever. This was the beginning of a long battle with polio, a disease that paralyzes people and causes strong and uncontrollable and excruciating muscle spasms. Through this painful and terrifying experience, Peg fought hard for recovery.

This book was AWESOME!! I was vaccinated against polio as a child, like all children are today, so I never feared this disease. I never really knew what the disease did until I read this book. I have had many 6th graders recommend this book to me, and now I see why - it is honest and triumphant. I will certainly be passing on the recommendation to new readers!

This video shows Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine, and discusses some of the effects of the disease.

Knockout! A Photobiography of Boxer Joe Louis by George Sullivan

Knockout! A Photobiography of Boxer Joe Louis by George Sullivan describes the life of boxing legend Joe Louis Barrow (Joe Louis). Joe Louis was an incredibly important person to all people in the United States during the 30s and early 40s. He stood for equality to black people fighting for civil rights, and he stood for "America" in the fight against Nazi Germany during World War II. His 11 year, 8 month record for holding the heavyweight title of the world has never been broken!

This was a really interesting book. I didn't know anything about Joe Louis until I read it. It was interesting to learn how influential and important he was to people during the 30s and 40s. He was so much more than just a sports figure.

The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr by Judith St. George

The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr by Judith St. George describes the lives of two powerful men in US history, and the events that lead up to their duel. Both men had similar stories - they were orphaned at an early age, they were both very smart and personable, both studied law, both entered the army during the Revolutionary War, both entered politics and lived in New York City and Philadelphia, and both grew to know and dislike one another. So, at dawn, on July 11, 1804, they met in Weehawken, New Jersey, to duel. When the duel was over, one man was dead and the other had to go into hiding (dueling was illegal).

This was a GREAT book! I had never heard of this duel! I didn't know that Aaron Burr was the vice president under Thomas Jefferson! This book was more like an action/adventure story than a page out of history. This is they way I like to learn about our country - through people's stories.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose is about the Montgomery, Alabama fight for desegregation on city buses. Claudette Colvin was 15 in 1955 when she refused to get out of her bus seat for a white passenger. She was dragged off the bus by police and arrested. Later, she was convicted of breaking segregation laws, disturbing the peace, and assaulting a police officer. The NAACP got involved and tried to help her, but all that resulted was a reversal on the first two charges - leaving assaulting a police officer on her permanent record. Later that year, another black teen refused to give up her seat on the bus. Her story was covered up so quickly, most people have never heard of Mary Louise Smith. Finally, 9 months after Claudette made her stand against segregation, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. This mild-mannered 42 year old was a better fit than Claudette or Mary Louise for the "face" of descrimination, so the NAACP launched the bus boycott that lasted over a year. Claudette ended up being able to help her cause in the end, however, by suing the state of Alabama, along with Mary Louise and two other women who had been terrorized on public busses. They won their case and eventually the Supreme Court ruled that all busses must be integrated in Alabama.

This was a really interesting story. I had never heard of Claudette Colvin before reading this book. I didn't realize that anyone had come before Rosa Parks in fighting the unfairness of the bus procedures. Claudette's story is sad - because she was seen as emotional and rebellious, her stand on the bus couldn't be used to start the bus boycott they were planning. Claudette's life really took a turn for the worse in the years following her refusal to give up her seat. She was discriminated against by her own peers at school! This was an eye-opening nonfiction book for me.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer: The Search for John Wilkes Booth by James L. Swanson

Chasing Lincoln's Killer: The Search for John Wilkes Booth by James L. Swanson is exactly what the title implies - the events leading up to and followed the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. It follows John Wilkes Booth and several of his accomplices and acquaintances through the planning process of the murder. It follows Lincoln and his family as they make plans to see American Cousin at Ford's Theater on April 14th, (Good Friday) 1865. It also follows the aftermath of the shooting. The rest of the book is about the manhunt to chase down Booth and the rest of the people involved, as well as Booth's escape.

This is one of the most engaging nonfiction books I've ever read. I literally couldn't put it down. I didn't know most of the background information and history behind Lincoln's death, so I really learned a lot. It was full of adventure!