They Called Themselves the KKK

They Called Themselves the KKK: the Birth of an American Terrorist Group
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 172 pgs.
Young Adult Nonfiction / Advanced Children
Hardcover: $19.00

Annotation: The Ku Klux Klan began life with 6 men, but grew into an unweildy, racial hate group dedicated to terror and vigilante violence.

Summary: After the Civil War, the South was a hotbed of chaos. Freed slaves, economic disruption and general uncertainty led to great fear and indignity on the part of the white population. As part of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Reconstruction Act, blacks were given freedom and the opportunity to own land, worship together and go to school. This didn't sit well with many people in the South. In a small, Tennesse town 6 white men congregated, with the words, "Boys, let us get up a club." And from that the nefarious Ku Klux Klan was born. Some people believe it began with only mischievous intentions but other scholars emphatically claim it had evil designs from the very beginning. The small club grew, at one point citing nearly half a million members and including high ranking officials from nearly every Southern county. The organization was built on secret handshakes, sworn oaths and ghostly costumes. Their activites ranged from terrorizing the black community to trying them in vigilate courts involving violent whippings, rape, lynching and all manner of despicable acts. The Klan's fear and hatred sought to keep the black community from voting, holding land or in any way acting "uppity" and their persecution extended to any white man who espoused racial equality. After a time, the federal government finally intervened, holding trials and issuing fines, but the sheer amount of malevolence went largely unpunished. The South continued to experience racial inequality for more than a century after the Emanicapation Proclamation ended and each despicable act is a blot on a nation founded on freedom for all men.

Evaluation: With clear prose and methodical development, Bartoletti exposes the true nature of the Ku Klux Klan. She augments the exposition with time appropriate cartoons and sketches that appeared in the local papers and journals of the era. Personal accounts from both the Klan members and their victims appear with frequency and pictures of former slaves help personalize the narrative. Told with cool precision, the book still captures the horror of the Klan's deeds. Figures for the price of slaves, wages and land are given in their original form, but are then extrapolated to the present day's dollar worth to give modern perspective. A timeline of major events at the back of the book offers a succint overview and this large, informative book is a must have for any youth library. This book succeeds in educating youth so that they might understand their country's unfortuante past and help become part of the ongoing fight against racial inequality, hate crimes and the evil that still exists in the hearts of ignorant men.

Significance: The terrible regin of the Ku Klux Klan is a blight on American history, but its sordid past is an important point of study. It is necesary that we remember the atrocities of the past so that we might learn to never repeat them. Illuminating the deeds of evil men helps stamp out ignorance and brings a small amount of justice to the people they terrorized. While it would be nice to think the Klan's influence is dead, the book cites 932 hate groups still in existence as of 2009.

Personal Choice: It's like books about Nazi Germany. The subject matter is gruesome, but there is a compelling need to learn about what incites people to turn into pure evil. I knew little more than rumor about the KKK and was both hesitant and intriqued to gain a more solid understanding of this racist hate group.

Awards: Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist, 2011 / ALA Notable Children's Book, 2011 / Horn Book Fanfare Selection, 2011 / CCBC Choices, 2011 / Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2011 / Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2010 / School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2010 / A Washington Post Best Book of the Year, 2010 / Booklinks Lasting Connections Selection, 2010

Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life

Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life
by Catherine Reef
Clarion, 2009. 183 pgs.
Reading Level: Young Adult  / Older Children
Hardcover: $20.00

Annotation: Obsessed with war, bullfights and big game hunting, Hemingway's lifestyle fueled his writing.

Summary: Born at the turn of the twentieth century, Ernest Hemingway grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. Son of a doctor father and a stylish mother, he was raised in a religous, gentile environment. Growing up, his father was quick to teach him to love the outdoors and he learned to fish, boat and camp at an early age. Hemingway's affinity for the outdoor lifestyle was a prevailing trait throughout his life and he later traveled the world in search of new, exciting adventures on land and on sea. With a penchant for writing Hemingway found his first employement as a cub reporter, but soon left to join in the excitement of war, becoming a Red Cross ambulance driver in Italy. War suited Hemingway and he was to use his war experiences, then and later, as the basis of many award winning novels and short stories. He came to be known for a new kind of writing. His brief sentence structure, that tried to elluminate the essence of a thing while leaving much of the detail implied, was later dubbed "stream of consciousness". While he experienced both success and failure as a writer, he won the hearts of both the critics and the public and managed to garner a Pulitzer and a Nobel prize for literature. The writer was a blustery, creative type who thrived on the violence of the bullring in Spain, deep sea fishing in the Florida keys and big game hunting in Africa. He fell in and out of love with four different wives and had three children total. A hard drinker, Hemingway was prone to mood swings and tempermental outbursts, especially towards the end of his life. Living around the world in places like Paris, Spain, Key West, Cuba and Sun Valley, Idaho, Hemingway experienced life like few people and throughout his tempetuous career was obsessed with truth, courage and death.

Evaluation: Reef pens an interesting, clear biography of Hemingway's extraordinary life. The book is well researched, with just enough anecdote to make it a robust, lively portrait. All the pertinent details are included, from birth till death and the book is large, with large print and peppered with photographs that nicely augment the text. Not only does the life sketch include all of Hemingway's publications, but Reef manages to connect each of Hemingway's experiences to his writing, which allows the reader to understand the basis for Hemingway's work. The book serves a reading level that addresses either advanced children's readers or young adults, so the title has excellent crossover appeal. Ernest Hemingway: a Writer's Life is a solid exposition and I enjoyed getting to more about Hemingway's legendary personlity.

Significance: Hemingway won both a Pulitzer prize and the Nobel prize for literature for his short novel, "The Old Man and the Sea". A master of clean, spare writing--sometimes referred to as "stream of consciousness"--Hemingway's influence on modern literature was immense and a study of twentieth century writers must include this infamous personality.

Personal Choice: I have a fondness for Hemingway and was excited to learn more about his life. I loved "A Sun Also Rises", "A Moveable Feast", "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and immensely enjoyed "In Love and War" - the story of Hemingway and his nurse friend, Kurowsky.

Awards: Golden Kite Honor Recipient, 2010 / YALSA: Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee, 2010