VVMBookBlog

Written in prose poetry, this story is told in alternating sections by sisters Sarah and Mattie (Matilda) about their journey away from their home to a boarding school. For many years in our history Native American children were removed from their homes, told to forget about their native language and customs, and then assimilate or take on the language and customs of the white people running the schools.

After their mother dies, Sarah and Mattie’s father says goodbye to his daughters with the hope that the school will help them toward a better life. Some of the staff at the school are very cruel, however, especially when Mattie is accused of theft. The girls always work to be good so as not to shame their father, and to be strong when they are being mistreated. It’s troubling to think how many people in our history were subjected to these schools, and how the Native American culture has suffered by generations of children being forced to forget who they were.

I am always amazed when I read a book written in this prose poetry style how authors are able to deliver such a powerful story packaged in so few words. Others written like this are Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse and Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff. Ask us in the media center for more examples.

The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Siverstein

It is a bit amazing that this is a true (non-fiction) story. This book is definitely a must for readers interested in chemistry and nuclear energy. David is a teenager who actually attempts to build a nuclear reactor in his backyard. His teachers, parents, and even girlfriend have no idea about all of the elements he has obtained to make this possible. Eventually, the EPA has to come in and bury his lab in a radioactive dumpsite.

When other students at school were making fun of “Radioactive Boy,” they had no idea. David is able to obtain information from several organizations in letters he wrote stating he was Professor Hahn. Even though he was not able to spell, which should have shown someone he wasn’t a professor, he was able to retrieve information from a variety of sources. Anyone with a strong interest in science (especially chemistry and physics) should read of David’s adventure. Please be reminded, “Do not try this at home.”