Librarian Reivew: Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics by Marilee Peters

Summary:

Patient Zero is a history of the field of epidemiology, or the study of diseases in a population. It takes the reader through seven different epidemics in history and details the disease, the scientists tracking and attempting to cure the disease, and gives the reader an introduction to a possible patient zero—the first person to get the disease. The seven epidemics include, the plague, cholera, yellow fever, typhoid, Spanish influenza, ebola, and AIDS.

Review:

First, let me start off by saying that the information in this book is very interesting. Peters does an impressive job introducing us to each of these epidemics and giving the reader facts about causes and potential causes for the epidemics. She highlights the scientist who begin tracking diseases in new ways and how their contributions helped expand the field of epidemiology. I found each of the histories interesting, and she humanizes the book by giving the reader examples of who patient zero might have been.

While the topic and the information was very interesting, I found the format of the book terribly distracting. You would be reading about the disease, and then in the middle of a sentence when you turn the page, you find yourself at an information side bar. The side bar is related, and yes interesting, but when you finish reading it you have to go back and re-read what you had been reading so you can continue when you left off. I found the placements of these to be poorly designed.

My other criticism of the book is that all of the illustrations are very cartoony. Since this is a book about science, it would have been nice if they had included actual pictures. For example, pictures of the scientists if available, pictures of the viruses under a microscope, etc. It would have made the book more credible and more useful in a classroom.

Overall:

Despite its flaws I found this book fascinating. I felt it engaged the reader and gave them a lot of good information about the field of epidemiology. I highly recommend this book to students who like science and are interested in medicine, or who just like history. The book had plenty of facts and they are presented in a way that isn’t dry or boring.

Cautions for Sensitive Readers:

Violence: None

Sex: None though this book does cover the AIDS epidemic.

Drugs: None though this book does cover the AIDS epidemic.

Language: None

 

Click here to place a hold on this book.

Librarian Reivew: The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Summary:
Like the title suggests this nonfiction book covers the history of Russia during the reign of Nicholas II and the fall of the tsar and his family. It compares the lives of the Romanov family against the plight of the ordinary Russian citizen and peasant. It is a tale of extravagance and destitution, a world of plenty versus the desperation of the masses, a story of war and rebellion. This is the story of the last tsar or Russia, his family, and his people.

Review:
The mythology of the Romanov family has led to a version of events that make everything appear through rose tinted glasses. So many stories have been told of the family and their fall. The story romanticized in movies like the animated film Anastasia; the truth often buried beneath the legend. Fleming sweeps all that aside and presents the family and the truth behind the fall of the tsar.

With numerous historical sources, an extensive bibliography and numerous notes, the author clearly did her research. The book covers the reign of Nicholas II the last tsar of Russia, from its beginning to his death in 1918 and beyond. She paints a picture of the family that is realistic, touching, and sometimes disturbing. Fleming lets the reader witness the decisions and grave errors that would lead to the tsar’s fall. She introduces the journals of peasants and laborers and places them next to the journals of the tsar and his family. She parallels the lives of the people and the elite, and show how poor decisions led to tragedy. Most importantly of all, she humanizes the tsar and his family. She shows their dedication, their failures, and their love for each other.

This book is well written and entertaining. Fleming has the rare ability to make history come alive for the reader. While the reader can recognize the errors that led to the rebellion, they can still admire the dedication the family had to each other, and how Nicholas and Alexandra cared for their children. Yes, it does seem like they were blind to the plight of the ordinary Russian citizen, but their love for their family humanizes them. I loved the excerpts from the various journals and how she compared the lives of the citizens to the royal family’s. This is an interested and engaging history of the last tsar of Russia.

Audiobook Review:
The audiobook is narrated primarily by Kimberly Farr who does an excellent job narrating this book. In some of the journals we hear other narrators reading the parts to distinguish the journals from the rest of the book. I liked how this was done and it changed things up a bit and kept you interested. The unabridged audiobook is 9 hours and 23 minutes long. I would recommend this as an excellent way to experience this book, but pick up a copy of the print version too so you can see some of the photographs included in the book.

Overall:
I am not usually a fan of nonfiction and often have a hard time sitting down and reading it. This work was exceptional and kept me interested throughout. I loved how she paralleled the stories of the common worker against that of the family’s elite lifestyle. This work is engaging and interesting—perfect for history lovers or those who just want to know more about the Romanov family.

Cautions for Sensitive Readers
Sex: None
Drugs: None
Language: None
Violence: Yes. This is a true history and the story of a violent overthrow of one family’s imperial dynasty. There is violence in this book, but it reflects the actual events.

Click here to place a hold on the book.
Click here to place a hold on the audiobook.
Click here to check out the ebook from Overdrive.

Teen Book Review: Unbroken: An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive by Laura Hillenbrand*

This book, written by Laura Hillenbrand, was the most in depth, terrifyingly real, book I have ever read. This book follows, Louis Zamperini, also known as 'Loui,' after his plane crashed in the ocean, due to failed engines. He and two other men, Phil and Mac, are forced to live on two small yellow rafts. With sharks, storms, Japanese war planes shooting at them and death, they finally are picked up on the 47th day of living on the ocean. They are taken by some Japanese men, who hold them as prisoner for over two years. With sickening details, this book gave me every emotion known to mankind. I would only recommend this to people who don’t mind crying or feeling sick in a book. But overall amazing book.
(Reviewed by Gingerbread637, 13, Western Middle School)


*This review refers to the Young Adult Adaptation published 11/14/14 by Delacorte Press.


Click here to reserve a copy.

Novel Notes and Teen News: Your Source for Teen Book Information and Other Teen News 12/18/09

Just an FYI: Novel Notes will return after the holidays. We wish all our teen patrons Seasons Greetings, and hope they enjoy this issue. Please feel free to comment or suggest improvements to Novel Notes, we are always looking to make this blog better.

Tell us what you are reading! What are your favorite books, and what would you recommend to others looking for a good book. Please feel free to send us your review or comment on ours. We want to hear from you!

From Page to Screen: Movie/Book Tie-ins

Sherlock Holmes movie has hit theaters with an interesting take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective. Check out the original books at the library and for more information about the movie; check this article by School Library Journal:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6711448.html?nid=4302&source=link&rid=17263441

More and more teen books are being made into movies. Check out the Trailer for the movie Beastly due out in theaters in July 2010. The movie is based on the book Beastly by Alex Flinn. It is a modern retelling of the story of “Beauty and Beast” from the viewpoint of the Beast. Find it at the library and read it before it comes to theaters!

http://beastlythemovie.com/

The movie version of the adult book, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, is due to be released in theaters January 15th, and the theaters are targeting Twilight fans, hoping to gain big numbers at the box office. The movie is said to have toned down some of the more disturbing aspects of the book. You can find out more in the following news articles from the movie’s webpage, the LA Times, MTV, and New York Times

http://www.lovelybones.com/
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-bones16-2009dec16,0,5231289.story
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1628055/story.jhtml
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/movies/11lovelybones.html

News Sites for Tweens

Looking for news that is geared toward you, for kids, by kids? Check out this website: TweenTribune.com. You have to register to get the full articles, but registration is simple and free. Choose a username, password, if your teacher is registered you can select your school, if not just check the box, choose a security question and off you go—you now have access to news geared towards teens and tweens. Here is the link:

http://tweentribune.com/

Awards for Saving the Environment in Your Community

Action for Nature, a non-profit organization seeks to award kids ages 8-16 for their efforts in saving the environment. For more information, read School Library Journal’s article at:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6711450.html?nid=4302&source=link&rid=17263441

What are Teens at Other Libraries Reading for Fun?

Check out this School Library Journal Article to find out what teens in other libraries are reading for fun:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6711512.html

Looking for Some of the Best Books of 2009?

Here are some books that School Library Journal believes should be on the list of best books in 2009. These books represent all grade levels and interest levels. See which ones you have read, and find others you might like!

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6708210.html

Looking for Some Good Nonfiction?

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) has created a new book award for non-fiction. This is the first year and the first finalists listed by the book award committee. For more information check out this School Library Journal article or visit the YALSA webpage.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6711664.html
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/nonfiction/nonfiction.cfm

Teens! Think You Know How to Avoid Scammers, Identity Theft, and Protect Your Online Privacy

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has designed and online mall called “You Are Here” to help kids protect themselves from online scammers and advertisers who target kids. Check out “You Are Here.”

http://www.ftc.gov/YouAreHere/

For more information about this website you can go to the FTC Press Release:

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/youarehere.shtm