Young Adult (YA) - Non-Fiction

Thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan was looking forward to the annual Confederate Memorial Parade in Atlanta, Georgia, in April 1913. On her way to the celebration, she stopped by the National Pencil Company where she worked to pick up her pay check. Unfortunately, she never left the building; her brutally murdered body was found early the next morning. So begins the strange tale where justice seems to ignore truth and follow the opinion of the mob.

During the course of Mary Phagan’s murder investigation, a likely suspect, an African-American odd jobs man, is passed over for a more sensational suspect, the Jewish superintendent of the factory, Leo Frank. The subsequent trial, conviction, and lynching of Leo Frank have been hotly debated topics. Not only did the trial bring about the re-emergence of the Ku Klux Klan in the South, but it also led to the creation of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League.

Although this account of the Leo Frank trial is certainly biased in favor of Frank, author Elaine Marie Alphin does an excellent job of culling primary sources and posing titillating questions about the inaccuracies that occurred during Frank’s trial. Students today may find it shocking that some of the rights they take for granted, such as the right to a fair trial by a jury of their peers, were not always implemented. Alphin’s addition of copies of newspapers and photos bring this story alive for today’s readers.

Kimberly Kennelly

The introduction of this adaptation of Flannery’s 2005 book states his text is “our best effort…to outline the history of climate change, how it will unfold over the next century, and what people like us can do about it.” And that’s exactly what the book delivers. Told in simple, journalistic language that bypasses science-speak for clarity, We are the Weather Makers compiles current knowledge of the origins and effects of climate change and how we know what we know. Much of the book focuses on the facts of the changing atmosphere and the negative effects this might cause, but it also offers current solutions for minimizing human impact on the environment. Each chapter also ends with a “Call to Action” suggesting a small change that readers can make to help the environment.

The book may be too advanced for younger readers, and teenagers are more likely to read Flannery’s original book. Future environmentalists and scientists will, of course, find much to love here, but the book may be too science-heavy for the casual reader. Still, this comprehensive look at climate change is sure to inspire readers to be more conscious of their actions and take enough pride in the complex workings of Earth to bring change that will preserve our home planet.

Fran Merlie

With droll humor that will make your shoulders shake with laughter and the occasional bad joke that makes you shake your head, Arthur Slade mixes the imaginary with non-fiction. He writes the vital statistics and imagines the personalities of historical and literary villains. As if writing for a teen magazine he includes Age, Loves, Hates, Fashion Rating, Personality Type, and Romantic Status. In the tongue-in-cheek collection, Slade profiles fifteen evil-doers: the Wicked Witch of the West, Attila the Hun, the Wolf (as in Big Bad), Billy the Kid, the Headless Horseman, Morgan le Fay, Qin Hui, Shakespearian Villains, the Invisible Man, Emperor Nero, the Queen from Snow White, Scarface Capone, Scrooge, the Phantom of the Opera, and Mephistopheles. For the literary characters, Slade gives information about the authors as well as other novels and films inspired by the villains. For the historical bad guys, Slade describes their backgrounds, heinous acts and their deaths.

I enjoyed Villainology. It’s not only good for laughs, it’s incredibly informative. I was laughing, and then I realized I was actually learning something. This seems like the kind of book that is written to spark an interest in teens who don’t have much of an interest in literature or history. I think Slade’s writing will do the trick. With these profiles he piques readers’ curiosity, and he throws readers a bone to wet their appetite so they will go to the library to check out The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells or go hunting for history books on Attila the Hun. In addition, I would recommend Villainology to creative writers and creative writing teachers. Taking a character in literature or history and imagining what they were like and how they would tell their story would be a great writing exercise. To those adults who are afraid that Slade glamorizes villains and violence—not to worry. If anything, Slade shows that mean, evil people always get their come-uppance. And they are, like, so not cool.

Derek Mah’s illustrations are dramatic and beautifully (or should I say terrifyingly?) detailed. The beginning of each chapter features a portrait of a villain in all their evil glory.

Marie Soriano