Annotated Bibliography

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. 978-0-618-44033-7.
Susan Bartoletti captures the truth behind the K.K.K. in her stunning nonfiction book They Call Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of An American Terrorist Group. Aspects of this organization that are often not spoken of are revealed through interviews with various Klansmen. It provides an accurate account of history focusing on the reconstruction period after the Civil War. The reader is able to interpret events of this time through a collection of photographs that line the pages of this book. Anyone wanting to understand this unthinkable time in history would find this book a knowledgeable source of information.

Collins, Suzanne. (2009). Catching Fire. New York: Scholastic Inc. 978-439-02353-5.
Suzanne Collin’s strikes again with her phenomenal sequel to her first book The Hunger Games. The action in Catching Fire begins immediately after the close of the Hunger Games, which sends Peeta and Katniss home to prepare for their tour of all the districts. However, the Capital is upset that they were mocked when the duo threatened to eat the poisonous berries at the close of the Hunger Games. President Snow captures our attention when he visits Katniss at her home to remind her that she need to convince everyone of her love for Peeta. She doesn’t stop short as they stage their proposal on national television. Now with the rumor of several districts revolting, the Quarter Quell will begin. This is version of the Hunger Games that is celebrated every 25 years. However, the rules are changed to up the ante. The 75th year will be celebrated by having one male and one female drawn from the existing pool of victors in each district. This news sends Peeta and Katniss into the arena for round two. The twists and turns of the plot are constant throughout this book leaving much anticipation for the final book in the trilogy, Mockingjay.

Hamilton, Virginia. (1988). In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World. Barry Moser. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 0-15-238740-4.
Most American, Christian or not, know the Christian version of the creation story. In Virginia Hamilton’s book, In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World readers are introduced to the creations stories from different cultures from around the world. Myths from various cultures, including Eskimo, Chinese, Russian, African, American Indian, Icelandic, and Greek, reveal the typically unknown beliefs of these backgrounds. Each myth focuses on the creation of the Earth and the first man.

Tan, Shaun. (2008). Tales from Outer Suburbia. New York: Scholastic. 978-0-545-05587-1.
Shaun Tan takes your average suburban neighborhood and considers it a bit differently. Between his unique perspective and his colorfully illustrated pictures he provides a surreal experience for his reader. His story is told in a matter of fact tone that makes it seem very normal to have a water buffalo in the corner lot giving unspoken directions to passersby, or to have a foreign exchange alien live in your cabinet. It is equally normal to find an alien in the street or a sea animal from the Indian Ocean laying in your front yard. These are only a few examples of the outrageous adventures that take place in this suburban neighborhood.

Wiles, Deborah. (2010). Countdown. New York: Scholastic Press.
978-0-545-10605-4.
Deborah Wiles recounts history in her historical fiction book Countdown. The reader journeys with Franny as she lives out the tension during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960’s. She shows the reality that people were living with as the daily threat of nuclear warfare loomed in the future. Instead of fire drills at school, Franny and her classmates took part in “duck and cover” drills. Wiles provides a realistic account of this period with Franny’s family being the center of the story. Franny is the middle child who always feels forgotten. Her older sister is involved in “secret stuff the Franny wouldn’t understand” and her younger brother is too young to understand. Franny struggles with the identity in her family and with her friends as she tries to understand what it happening in the world around her. Her novel documents history within its pages with the addition of several inserts including interviews, photographs, advertisements, etc. from the 1960’s. This is the first book of a trilogy.