Into the Wild

Into the Wild

Author:  Jon Krakauer

Publisher:  Anchor Books, A Division of Random House (1996, 2015)

215 Pages

Recommended Grade Level:  9^th and up

Into the Wild is the tragic story of Chris McCandless, who after graduating from Emory with honors and a youth filled with successful academic, athletic, and work achievements, gives away the money in his bank account and disappears from society, his whereabouts unknown to his friends and family.  After years of travelling around the West while living on the road, taking trips into the wilderness, working odd jobs to get to his next destination from time to time, and meeting people in his travels; he decides to take an Alaskan trip into the wilderness to “embark on an ‘ultimate adventure’” (p. 51).  He goes into the Alaskan wilderness completely unprepared with little food because he wanted to live off the land.  He ignored continual advice that it was too early in the year for that.  He did not bring the map that would have saved his life, purposely deciding not to bring a map so he could live completely free from society:  “In coming to Alaska, McCandless yearned to wander uncharted country, to find a blank spot on the map.  In 1992, however, there were no more blank spots on the map…But Chris, with his idiosyncratic logic…simply got rid of the map.  In his own mind, if nowhere else, the terra would remain incognita” (p. 174).

Krakauer identifies with McCandless due to Krakauer’s own behavior in his youth, which he also details in this book.  For this reason, Krakauer attempts to explain and rationalize McCandless’s behavior, in places painting him as a sort of hero.  However, while Krakauer includes the criticism from others of McCandless and his reckless behavior, the book seems to defend McCandless and his irresponsible behavior.  Krakauer insists that McCandless was not mentally ill but was undertaking his journey from a moral imperative and that he was a highly ethical individual.  I think based on the description of McCandless’s irresponsible and sometimes illegal behavior, he was suffering from mental health issues and perhaps, mental illness.  Because of his personal connection to the story of McCandless, Krakauer is unable to present an unbiased account of McCandless, his behavior, and the events that ultimately ended in his death. 

I have read this book twice.  Once when it was published in 1996, at the age of 23, and recently, 20 years later, when I reread it for this class.  While both times I read it, I found the story compelling and the book hard to put down, I had a completely different reaction reading it from the perspective of a middle-aged woman than that of a recent college graduate. Reading it as a young adult, I identified with McCandless and while finding his actions reckless and somewhat irrational, and the story very tragic; I saw him as an idealist taking his beliefs to the extreme. Reading it from my current perspective, I find McCandless to be histrionic, reckless, and selfish; in need of guidance, support of family and friends, and most likely mental health care.   

Working in Adult Services in the library, I know this book is often recommended to and read by young adults and high school students.  I think young adults will enjoy this book and find it interesting and compelling.  However, I hope they recognize McCandless for the troubled and reckless young man he was.  McCandless did live by his own ideals and pursue his own dreams and ambitions and there is something to be said for that kind of zeal and dedication.  However, he did this at the expense of his family and those who cared for him, and it ultimately cost him his life. 

I would recommend this as an optional choice for a book club as I feel like there are a lot of issues that would lead to interesting discussions.  In addition, this would be appropriate to include on a list of nonfiction choices for independent reading.  

Related Websites:

This is a website dedicated to Chris McCandless:

http://www.christophermccandless.info/bio.html

Jon Krakauer's website:

http://www.jonkrakauer.com/bios/jon-krakauer

Article from Outside magazine with McCandless slideshow:

https://www.outsideonline.com/1857751/chris-mccandless-back-wild#slide-1

Article detailing acts of admirers of McCandless who have been injured or perished on a pilgrimage to the site of his death in Alaska:

https://www.outsideonline.com/1920626/chris-mccandless-o

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The Nazi Hunters

The Nazi Hunters:  How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi

Author:  Neal Bascomb

Age Range:  12 and up

Grade Level:  7 and up

Lexile Measure:  1000L

Publisher:  Arthur A. Levine Books (2013)

256 Pages

Awards: 

• YALSA Nonfiction Award, 2014
• Sydney Taylor Book Award, 2014
• Rosie Book Selection, School Year 2015-2016 (Indiana)

As a reader new to nonfiction, I have found that the truth is often stranger (and even more interesting) than fiction.  This definitely applies to The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb.   A young adult adaption of Bascomb’s book Hunting Eichmann, this nonfiction narrative reads like an espionage thriller, detailing the precisely planned abduction of Eichmann after finally identifying him and locating him, 15 years after he vanished. A group of Israeli spies sets out to capture Eichmann.  The book identifies each of these men and provides details and brief histories on each of them.  It does get confusing keeping track of who is who since there are so many operatives, and we only get brief snapshots of each of them.

The book opens with Eichmann in WWII and details his atrocities during the holocaust.  The experience of Zeev Sapir, a holocaust survivor who later testifies against Eichmann at trial, is detailed in this section.  The horrifying account of his experiences and the loss of his family in the holocaust brings the terrible consequences of Eichmann’s actions to a personal level.  In fact, many of the spies who eventually captured Eichmann also lost family members in the Holocaust.  Their interactions with Eichmann are tempered by these experiences and being around this man who was responsible for so much death and misery puts terrible emotional strains on them:  “Not one of them had anticipated the soul-hollowing effect of inhabiting the same space as Adolf Eichmann.  They had to feed him, dress him, shave him, and bring him to the toilet…Eichmann was obedient to the point of subservience…It would have been easier had they felt only hatred toward him, but he barely seemed worth the emotion.” (p. 149).  Below is a photo drawn by Peter Malkin, while he was guarding Eichmann.

Bascomb details the actions of the spies, how they captured Eichmann, and transported him back to Israel to stand trial.  The book includes fascinating documents and pictures of tools and other items used in the operation.  Below is the false passport created for Eichmann in the name Zeev Zinchroni to take him back to Israel.

In addition, Bascomb details the trial including testimony of Zeev Sapir who was introduced in the first section of the book through a description of his horrendous experience and loss during the Holocaust.  In addition, the book describes Eichmann’s execution which is a little unsettling.  Here is a photo of the courtroom

I agree with the recommendation of this book for grade 7 and up.  Since this book is about the Holocaust, as well as the hunt, capture, and execution of one of the worst Nazis; some of the subject matter is upsetting.  However, I think it is presented in an appropriate way for a young reader and is not overly graphic. However, I did notice on Amazon that some parents had given it a low rating and said not appropriate for children.  I think this is one of those books that will be fascinating to one child while horrifying and terrible to another.  I would suggest having this as a reading option rather than making it required reading for every child.   

Links:

This YALSA link includes 5 fiction read-alikes for The Nazi Hunters:

http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2014/01/07/spotlight-on-yalsas-nonfiction-award-finalists-fiction-readalikes-for-the-nazi-hunters-by-neal-bascomb/

This YALSA link has an interview with Neal Bascomb:

http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2014/01/21/an-interview-with-2014-nonfiction-award-finalist-neal-bascomb/

This link provides a review with discussion.  They suggest reading with Night by Elie Wiesel.  I agree with this.  I have also reviewed Night on this blog.

http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1261

Titanic Voices from the Disaster

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster

Author:  Deborah Hopkinson

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Copyright Date: March, 2012

Age Range: 8-12 years

Grade Level:  3-7

Length: 

304 Pages

Awards:

•  Sibert Honor Book
• YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
•  ALA Notable Children’s Book
• IRA Teacher’s Choice
• Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year
• Horn Book Fanfare Book
• Cybils Award Finalist

Summary:

Hopkinson provides a good account of the Titanic tragedy through portrayals of passengers and crew members from vastly different backgrounds and socioeconomic class.  These descriptions of the passengers make the disaster come alive and gives the reader a real sense that the lives lost were not just long ago statistics but real people who lost their lives needlessly.  In addition to the profiles of the passengers, Hopkinson provides detailed information about the ship including the construction and engineering.  In addition, it describes the boat (including a diagram) and the activities and amenities provided.  The book is filled with archival photos from both the Titanic and similar ships as well as telegrams and other documents related to the tragedy.  The photo below with quote from crew member Violet Jessop, is indicative of some of the haunting items included in the book:

In addition, the book has sections throughout the text that focus on an issue or question and address it.  These little sections give the reader a break from the main text and provide interesting information in bite-sized portions.  For example, one such section is on why there weren’t enough lifeboats. 

In this short novel, Hopkins does a good job of balancing technical information with the stories of the passengers and crew and in doing so, gives us a picture of not only what occurred but some of the reasons why.  The book is full of documented statements from passengers such as this from Lawrence Beesley regarding how those safe on Lifeboat 13 (which was completely full) reacted to hearing the cries from those in the water:  “We tried to sing to keep all from thinking of them; but there was no heart for singing in the boat at that time” (Hopkinson, p.153).  The book includes much more upsetting circumstances, such as those on an almost entirely empty lifeboat who refused to try to pick up any passengers.  Since Hopkinson has so deftly introduced us to passengers throughout the book, some who will survive and some who won’t, the time after the Titanic has hit the iceberg and begins the process of sinking is even more real for the reader.  The book also discusses the aftermath of the wreckage and what happened to some of the survivors as well as what has happened with the wreckage over the course of time. 

The end of the book also contains profiles of all the people in the book, a timeline, survivor letters, and additional charts and resources. 

Accompanying Websites:

http://deborahhopkinson.com/products/titanic-voice-from-the-disaster-by-deborah-hopkinson : The author’s website provides a number of resources for readers and teachers including listening to interviews online of actual survivors, transcripts of survivors’ testimonies, and places to discuss the Titanic online.  It also provides teaching ideas for classroom activities including these:

http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2012/04/titanic.html.

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/100-years-later-ways-to-teach-about-the-titanic-with-the-times/?_r=0

Witches! The Absolutley True Tale of Disaster in Salem

Witches!  The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem

Author:  Rosalyn Schanzer

Publisher:  National Geographic Society

Copyright Date:  2011

Recommended Grade Range:  6-8

Awards: 

•          Society of Illustrators Gold Medal for Best Illustrated Children’s Book of 2011
•          2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor Award as one of the year’s 5 most distinguished informational books for children.
•          ALA Notable Children’s Book
•          School Library Journal Starred Review and Best Book of the Year
•          NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book
•          A Junior Library Guild Selection for Fall 2011
•          NY Public Library’s 25 Best Nonfiction Titles of 2011
•          A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
•          Fuse #8 List of 100 Magnificent Children’s Books of 2011
•          Kid Lit Frenzy Top 5 Middle Grade Picks of 2011
•          Selected for Inclusion in CA (Communication Arts) Magazine May/June 2012 Annual Illustration Issue

Summary

This nonfiction narrative provides a chilling account of the witch trials in Salem.  The author goes to great length to explain that the Puritans believed in the Natural World and the Invisible World and how their beliefs were rooted in the idea that these worlds were both part of our reality.  In addition, she gives easy to understand explanation of the legal terms and ideas that differentiate the two types of evidence—that coming from the physical world and spectral evidence which is evidence that is from the spiritual world that is only known in the mind of the witness.  These explanations along with her detailed analysis and account of the financial and personal relationships between the accused and accusers give the reader a lot to think about when trying to make sense of the tragedy that occurred in Salem. 

The book provides detailed descriptions of the innocent men and women who were accused, imprisoned and tortured, deprived of all their belongings, and many executed.  For example, one of the accused was minister, George Burroughs who “most everybody liked and respected…with a history of performing heroic deeds for his neighbors”.  We are told that he was called “self-denying, generous, and public spirited” and someone else wrote “he was an intelligent, true-minded man; sincere, humble in spirit, devoted as a minister, and generous as a citizen”.  He “willingly ministered to people of every faith”. (Schanzer, p.63).  Unfortunately, he had a history with the Putnam family and owed them for funeral expenses for his wife that he could not pay because he had not received his salary.  Thomas Putnam’s daughter, Ann, accused him of being a witch and he was eventually hung on spectral evidence.  The book provides all of the political and personal relationships between the victims and accusers and allows the reader to see how these events occurred. 

The book also provides interesting black and white stark illustrations, with an occasional pop of red, which help to exemplify the desperate nature of the situation.  The illustration below shows the confusion and despair of an accused witch as the young women accuse her.

This book will appeal to middle school students because of the subject matter.  However, in reading about the witch trials, they will be exposed to not just the events of the trials themselves, but an exploration of the beliefs of the Puritans and how fear and greed can warp human nature and cause otherwise normal citizens to engage in acts which will horrify the world for centuries to come.

Accompanying websites:

http://www.rosalynschanzer.com/witchesPage.html :  In addition to providing a summary and listing rewards and reviews; this page provides links to a trailer and classroom activities created by a learning consultant.

http://historyofmassachusetts.org/timeline-of-the-salem-witch-trials/ :  Provides detailed timeline of events from beginning to present relating to the Salem witch trials.

https://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/videos/45 :  Short videos describing aspects of the witch trials by the staff of the Salem Witch Museum.

Extension Activities:

• Read along with Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.  Compare and Contrast.
• Have students come up with scenarios in modern life which could turn into a “witch hunt”.
•       Discuss issues of justice.  How can we be sure personal vendettas, greed, or other factors do not influence our justice system?