Wes Moore Wes Moore and a Mirror for America

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
New York : Spiegel & Grau Trade Paperbacks, 2011, c2010.
Spiegel & Grau trade pbk. ed.
xiv, 250 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.



     "Two years after I returned from Oxford, I was still thinking about the story...."

So writes Wes Moore in the introduction to his fine book.  The story he was still thinking about was the arrest and conviction for murder of a young man from his home town of Baltimore, MD. What made this crime story compelling, was that the man sentenced to life in prison as an accessory to an armed robbery ending in murder not only was from his hometown, but was about his age, and had the exact same name as the author - Wes Moore.

The details of the case eventually led him to contact the prisoner, and so began a correspondence and series of interviews which led the author to write this book exploring why his life has been so successful and the other Wes Moore's so tragic, even though they both had many similar experiences of hardship and life on the street.

Thankfully, Moore offers no pat answers, but instead presents an unflinching view of how susceptible young African American males are to the social forces and the draw of antisocial and criminal behavior - especially given the tough circumstances that exist for the urban poor - unemployment, disappearing funding for education, lack of present adult role models, and pervasive crime and drug trafficking.  Moore never excuses the violent or destructive acts of people, but he is careful to note that the difference between success and tragic failure for young men like himself is often a combination of timing, luck, and the intervention of concerned adults. The author was fortunate to have a Mom who sent him first to a private school, and then to a military school before his life spun out of control  This was possible only because of the great sacrifices his family was able to make. 

This dual autobiography/biography was given to the UHS library by a student who recommended it to me.  It is definitely a story that is bound to appeal to many young people - especially in that it is hopeful without being preachy and yet filled with details of the rough life of the urban streets that appeals to so many young readers.

The book includes an appendix of resources for youth.

Catherine? Great! History? Wicked!

Catherine the Great: empress of Russia by Zu Vincent
New York : Franklin Watts, c2009.
128 p. : ill., maps ; 19 cm.

Recently, a coworker was telling me about a book he was reading, a new, thorough biography of Catherine the Great.  He was telling me that he was really enjoying it, and was finding her to be an amazing and interesting historical figure.  This was just the excuse I was looking for to read one of the "Wicked History" biographies. 

Our library has over a dozen of these "Wicked History" books and they offer a compelling and unintimidating entry into the world of biography and history for  young people and reluctant readers, too. I, of course, chose the entry in the series on Catherine the Great.

I found this book to be refreshingly interesting.  It is short; not only just 128 pages, but 128 small pages at that.  Like other books in the series, this one has nice graphics and is designed to appeal to young readers.  In spite of its visual appeal, it is substantive in its information and provides sidebars and timelines that are useful for review.  I would definitely recommend this book.

Scary Like an X-Ray

Stitches: a Memoir by David Small
New York : W.W. Norton, 2010, c2009.
329 p. : chiefly ill. ; 23 cm.

This autobiographical graphic novel was a finalist for the National Book Award and the critical praise it received is well-deserved.  If you are curious about the book, David Small's website for the book offers a excellent glimpse into what makes his graphic novel such a satisfying read.

Small is able to convey both the humanity of his subjects and also the really scary cruelty (and craziness) of the adults that peopled his young life.  Set in Detroit and south east Indiana in the 50s-60s, Small presents a rarely viewed glimpse into the world of the functioning/dysfunctional Midwestern middle/lower middle class family.  His book opens appropriately with a nod to the X-ray profession that his father practiced, and his book is like an X-ray of the time and place where he grew up.

For anyone looking for a subtle, yet powerful, graphic novel that is completely appropriate for classroom use, this memoir is a sure bet.  

Big Fish Story

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
New York : Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995, c1952.
1st Scribner Paperback Fiction ed.
127 p. ; 21 cm.

Was it really 1978 when I last read this short novel?  The great thing is that I remember liking the book as a 10th grader, and yet still enjoyed it quite a lot these many years later.

There is much to admire in this stripped down fable of human dignity confronting age and the forces of nature.  Hemingway writes with an intimate familiarity of the the sea and the travails of deep sea fishing.  He writes with compassion for the poor who struggle to make a living off of their labors, for the aged who are pushed aside by failure and infirmity, for the young who respect the wisdom of the aged, and for nature that gives and takes from humanity.

It's really an amazing accomplishment how much texture and depth Hemingway is able to bring to an almost embarrassingly simple narrative: old fisherman who has run out of luck lands the fish of his life, loses it to sharks and enters the realm of legend by bringing back evidence of his catch.

This novel continues to see moderate circulation in our library.  I think it offers an accessible way into the work of Hemingway for young people, whereas his more adult novels like Farewell to Arms can feel like alien territory to a young reader.

Hot Read from a Cold War

East German Authorities Guard Control Point At Potsdamer Platz, 1961

From the National Archives (Special Media Archives Services Division, College Park, MD)

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré 
New York: Pocket Books, [2001], c1963.
x, 212 p. ; 21 cm.

I recently saw the critically praised  movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and decided that I had to read a book by John Le Carré.  I've wanted to read Le Carré for a while.  I really enjoyed another film based on his more recent work - The Constant Gardner - and interviews I'd seen of him on Democracy Now! 

I wasn't disappointed in the Spy Who Came in From the Cold, but - like the confusing plot of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - you have to give the novel a lot of attention.  The plot is a twisting confusion of agents, double-agents, intrigue and lethal spycraft.   

What brings this novel above the level of a simple spy thriller is its crisp writing and its philosophical musings on the ethical motives and justifications raised by covert actions.  Le Carré offers no easy answers, but invites his readers - once they have figured out just what happened and have caught their breaths - to wrestle with the moral dilemmas raised in the novel.