The Diverse Shelves Book Reviews

  NONFICTION BOOK REVIEW: THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK BIBLIOGRAPHY Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2010. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK: THE BIRTH OF AN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUP. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin PLOT SUMMARY  Bartoletti introduces to the reader the rise of the K.K.K. following the end of the Civil War, and in the beginning of the era known as the Reconstruction Period.. In the midst of the  richly documented information that leads the reader through the timeline of events, Bartoletti interjects many first -person accounts from interviews (known as Slave Narratives ) conducted with former slaves in the 1930s, who described their personal accounts of the terror that arose from the incomprehensible horror of the K.K.K’s atrocities. Bartoletti leads the reader through the roots of the KKK, a white supremacist group, its founding, actions and quotes from its main members and leaders, and the ultimate impact the terrorist group had upon the rest of the count...

  NONFICTION BOOK REVIEW: THE FAMILY ROMANOV BIBLIOGRAPHY Fleming, Candace, 2014. THE FAMILY ROMANOV: MURDER, REBELLING, & THE FALL OF IMPERIAL RUSSIA. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 978035867828 PLOT SUMMARY Candace Fleming constructs a thoroughly detailed account of the final Romanov family, and the events that led to their downfall in pre-soviet Russia. In a the style of a captivating true crime thriller, Fleming leads the reader through the opulent lives of the last Romanov family, starting in 1903 and ending in 1918, and weaves detailed historical fact with an enthralling narrative concerning the intricacies of the relationships and personalities within the Romanov family, and the perspectives of the outside world.  Fleming brings to life each individual family member of the royal family, from historical accounts and their own diaries, by describing their character, personality, and privileged lifestyle, as well as the horrifying poverty of the rest of ...

  NONFICTION BOOK REVIEW: MADAM PRESIDENT  BIBLIOGRAPHY  Thimmesh, Catherine. 2004. MADAM PRESIDENT: THE EXTRAORDINARY, TRUE ( AND EVOLVING) STORY OF WOMEN IN POLITICS. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin PLOT SUMMARY  MADAM PRESIDENT  follows a girl who goes against the norm of other girls her age to say she wants to be president when she grows up. In five different circumstances,  other children and even adults try to persuade the girl that it cannot be done, and that she would be better off doing something else in politics instead. Some of the government options that were introduced to her were: a President’s wife, the ability to vote for a president, a position in congress; a position in a presidential cabinet;  a vice president, or even a foreign government official. All are presented to the young girl as far better alternatives to the position of President for a woman. Showing determination and tenacity, the young girl introduces the reader to a...