David A. Adler 1947-

(Full name David Abraham Adler) American author of picture books, juvenile nonfiction, juvenile biography, riddle books, easy readers, and juvenile and young adult fiction.

The following entry presents an overview of Adler's career through 2004.

INTRODUCTION

With over one hundred and seventy five books published in a nearly thirty year career, Adler's wide-ranging oeuvre extends from his reference-oriented picture books to his mystery series for elementary students to his more mature biographies and Jewish historical materials for intermediate readers, providing him with a literary canon flexible enough to transition between preadolescent and teenaged readers. As the author of over a dozen different series, spanning from picture books to easy readers, Adler's works are intended to primarily offer a gateway into reading and history. Incorporating his own strong interests in baseball, Jewish culture, and history, Adler is skilled at presenting otherwise difficult material in an easily digestible format for young readers. His short novels about the Holocaust have, in particular, garnered him critical appreciation for his astute and sympathetic presentation of such a complex historical event. However, beyond his nonfiction picture books, Adler is perhaps best known for his numerous short mystery series, including the Houdini Club mysteries, the Andy Russell mysteries, the Bones mystery series, and the best-selling Cam Jansen and Young Cam Jansen books.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Born on April 10, 1947, in New York City, Adler was the second eldest of six children born to Sidney G. and Betty Adler. His father was a teacher, and his mother was a social worker; both parents advocated creativity as well as the importance of reading with weekly trips to the library. After high school, Adler enrolled as an economics and education major at Queen's College and later earned a M.A. in marketing from New York University. During this period, he worked a variety of jobs, including cartooning and waiting tables, before beginning a career in advertising. Following his father's example, Adler eventually found himself drawn to teaching, becoming a math teacher in New York, a job he held for nine years. In April 1973 he married Renee Hamada, a psychologist, with whom he has three children. After being besieged by questions from his two-year-old nephew, Adler decided to write down the questions—and his own answers—into a journal. Adler's diary eventually evolved into his first book, A Little at a Time (1976), though he did alter minor details, transforming the narrative into an inquisitive boy's walk to a museum with his indulging grandfather. After Random House accepted A Little at a Time, Adler fell back upon his experience as a math teacher and wrote a series of instructional math books, explaining such concepts as the quinary system in Base Five, roman numerals in Roman Numerals, and dimensional space in 3D, 2D, 1D, all published in 1975. In addition to his instructional math aids, he also released a series of picture books about Jewish culture, including The House on the Roof: A Sukkot Story (1976) and The Children of Chelm (1979). By the time of the birth of his first son, Michael, Adler had reached a stable enough level of writing success that he decided to become a stay-at-home father. Around this time, he began to diversify his writing style, crossing into different genres to include a number of different book formats. He began a series of riddle books in 1983 with The Carsick Zebra and Other Animal Riddles; his first young adult story, Eaton Stanley and the Mind Control Experiment, followed in 1985. By the mid-eighties, Adler began indulging his interest in history, particularly Jewish history, with the award-winning Our Golda: The Story of Golda Meir (1984). Capitalizing on the book's critical and popular acclaim, Adler began a line of biographies targeting intermediate readers with profiles of such historical figures as Martin Luther King, Jr., Lou Gehrig, Thomas Edison, and Gertrude Ederle. A highly productive writer who releases as many as ten books in a single year, Adler's reach soon extended into fiction. Primarily specializing in mysteries aimed at younger readers in the first-through fifth-grades, his most popular series include the Cam Jansen mysteries, the Fourth Floor Twin mysteries, the Andy Russell mysteries, and the My Dog mystery series.

MAJOR WORKS

The author of a prodigious oeuvre, Adler's canon falls primarily under the umbrella of three disparate genres—juvenile mysteries, historical biographies, and novels of Jewish culture. His talent lies in his ability to relate an entire life history or suggest the subtleties of a mystery within the confining space of only fifteen hundred words. Many of his works present nonfiction material to a very young readership—for example, in A Picture Book of Israel (1984) or A Picture Book of George Washington Carver (1999)—addressing subjects that are generally restricted to older audiences. Further, several of his children's books utilize a variety of source materials, such as photographs and interviews, which are not ordinarily used for such young readers. In his historical texts for older children, Adler commonly includes a thorough set of reference tools—chronologies, bibliographies, indexes, and glossaries—to further clarify and expound upon the subject material with the goal of motivating an interest in independent study.

To popular audiences, Adler is best known for his two mystery series, Cam Jansen and Young Cam Jansen. Begun in 1980, the Cam Jansen series charts the adventures of Jennifer "Cam" Jansen (so nicknamed because her photographic memory reminds her family of a camera) and her best friend Eric Sheldon. Together, they solve relatively simple crimes, all presented within the comforting context of Cam and Eric's safe surroundings of home and school and notably lacking any semblance of violence. Whereas the Cam Jansen series is targeted towards developing readers, the Young Cam Jansen line was spun off to appeal to beginning readers between four and eight years of age. While the Cam Jansen books are his longest-running and best-selling series to date, Adler has seven other series of juvenile mysteries oriented towards various age groups, including the Andy Russell mysteries—which can be best described as a male Cam Jansen—and the Bones mysteries, which feature a young boy, Jeffrey Bones, and his dog, solving nagging puzzles from around their neighborhood.

Adler has also created a specialty niche for simplified biographies targeted towards young readers. His biographies are presented in two forms: a more complex series of reference books intended for third- to fifth-graders and picture book biographies specifically designed for six- to eight-year-olds. Often covering the same subjects in both versions—as seen in his biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, and Christopher Columbus—Adler's engaging profiles provide a gateway into the legacies of these historical figures. His picture book biographies, in particular, are an innovation, presenting reference information in a frank and straightforward manner to a previously underrepresented audience. Within this genre of biographical chronicles, Adler also stands out in his choice of subject material, with several of his historical books presenting portrayals of lesser-known and neglected figures—often of a multicultural background—to a broader audience. Among those highlighted in Adler's biographical series are South American revolutionary Simon Bolivar, American swimmer Gertrude Ederle, Shoshone guide Sacagawea, African American abolitionist Sojouner Truth, and Jewish stateswoman Golda Meir. As a Jewish author, Adler has evinced a continuing interest in Hebrew culture, and his early bibliography offers a variety of picture books titles—A Picture Book of Jewish Holidays (1981) and A Picture Book of Israel, for example—that are a reflection of his faith. However, as he grew more comfortable within the picture book format, Adler began exploring more difficult subject material such as the Holocaust. Perhaps his most evocative and compelling writing, these emotional stories often present the true stories of children that both lived and died during that tragic period, while others—among them One Yellow Daffodil: A Hanukkah Story (1995)—use a fictional account to allow a narrative distance between the event and the reader. Using the picture book to present the horrors of the Holocaust—even though the full rawness of that tragedy are gently glossed over out of respect for the youthfulness of his audience—has sparked some mild controversy over the appropriateness of this subject matter for Adler's young audience. Even so, Adler navigates such potentially upsetting roadblocks with his gently-presented yet factual tales of historical children whom echo his readers in both interests and age.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

Given the sheer breadth of material released by Adler on an annual basis, his overall track record among critics has been generally positive, though there has been some frustration among reviewers whom claim that his books lack the proper scope to adequately detail an entire event or life. Nonetheless, his works have often been commended for recognizing that the literary needs of preschoolers are dramatically different than that of elementary school children. Adler's picture books have been recognized for their versatility, though some have accused him of oversimplifying his subject material. The critical reception to Hilde and Eli: Children of the Holocaust (1994) has been representative of the debate surrounding Adler's attempts to express such an emotionally exhaustive and wide-ranging event as the Holocaust within the compact pages of a picture book. Elizabeth S. Watson has called Adler's firsthand account of the lives of eighteen-year-old German Hilde Rosenzweig and nine-year-old Czech Eli Lax "an unforgettable picture of a terrible time," and Hazel Rochman has commented that, "this picture book for older readers will bring home to grade-schoolers what the Holocaust meant to kids like them. Nothing is sensationalized, but the facts are terrifying." However, Elizabeth Devereaux has disagreed with such sentiments, arguing that, "Adler deals out sweet generalizations and few telling particulars thus failing to memorialize Hilde and Eli as anything but representative victims of the Nazis." Others have asserted that the lack of effusive praise for Adler's reference works is less an reflection of critical evaluations of his efforts and more the result of the limited attention provided to reference texts for children.

AWARDS

Throughout his career, Adler has received many awards and accolades, almost too numerous to list. He has won several International Reading Association and Children's Book Council Awards and Notable Book citations from the American Library Association. He has also been awarded a number of American Booksellers Pick of the List citations, Children's Book Council Outstanding Social Studies Book citations, and Child Study Children's Book Committee Book of the Year Awards, among many other honors. Additionally, Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man (1997) was named among the Ten Best Children's Books of 1997 in the New York Times, and The Babe and I (1999) received the same honor in 1999.

PRINCIPAL WORKS

Andy Russell Series

Parachuting Hamsters and Andy Russell [illustrations by Will Hillenbrand] (juvenile fiction) 2000

Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police [illustrations by Leanne Franson] (juvenile fiction) 2001

Biography Series

Our Golda: The Story of Golda Meir [illustrations by Donna Ruff] (juvenile biography) 1984

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Free at Last [illustrations by Robert Casilla] (juvenile biography) 1986

Thomas Jefferson: Father of Our Democracy [illustrations by Jacqueline Garrick] (juvenile biography) 1987

George Washington: Father of Our Country [illustrations by Jacqueline Garrick] (juvenile biography) 1988

Jackie Robinson: He Was the First [illustrations by Robert Casilla] (juvenile biography) 1989

Benjamin Franklin: Printer, Inventor, Statesman [illustrations by Lyle Miller] (juvenile biography) 1992

Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man [illustrations by Terry Widener] (juvenile biography) 1997

America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle [illustrations by Terry Widener] (juvenile biography) 2000

B. Franklin, Printer (juvenile biography) 2001

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [illustrations by Colin Bootman] (juvenile biography) 2001

A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children [illustrations by Bill Farnsworth] (juvenile biography) 2002

Helen Keller [illustrations by John Wallner] (juvenile biography) 2003

Heroes of the Revolution [illustrations by Donald A. Smith] (juvenile biography) 2003

Enemies of Slavery [illustrations by Donald A. Smith] (juvenile biography) 2004

George Washington: An Illustrated Biography (juvenile biography) 2004

Bones Mystery Series

Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery [illustrations by Barbara Johansen Newman] (juvenile fiction) 2004

Bones and the Dog Gone Mystery [illustrations by Barbara Johansen Newman] (juvenile fiction) 2004

Cam Jansen Adventures Series

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Gold Coins [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (juvenile fiction) 1982

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Carnival Prize [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (juvenile fiction) 1984

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Monster Movie [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (juvenile fiction) 1984

Cam Jansen and the Mystery at the Haunted House [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (juvenile fiction) 1992

Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (juvenile fiction) 2000

Cam Jansen and the School Play Mystery [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (juvenile fiction) 2001

Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (juvenile fiction) 2002

Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (juvenile fiction) 2003

The Fourth Floor Twins Series

The Fourth Floor Twins and the Fish Snitch Mystery [illustrations by Irene Trivas] (juvenile fiction) 1985

The Fourth Floor Twins and the Fortune Cookie Chase [illustrations by Irene Trivas] (juvenile fiction) 1985

The Fourth Floor Twins and the Skyscraper Parade [illustrations by Irene Trivas] (juvenile fiction) 1987

The Fourth Floor Twins and the Sand Castle Contest [illustrations by Irene Trivas] (juvenile fiction) 1988

My Dog Mystery Series

My Dog and the Knock Knock Mystery [illustrations by Marsha Winborn] (picture book) 1985

My Dog and the Birthday Mystery [illustrations by Dick Gackenbach] (picture book) 1987

Nonfiction

We Remember the Holocaust (juvenile nonfiction) 1989

Hilde and Eli: Children of the Holocaust [illustrations by Karen Ritz] (juvenile nonfiction) 1994

Child of the Warsaw Ghetto [illustrations by Karen Ritz] (juvenile nonfiction) 1995

Hiding from the Nazis [illustrations by Karen Ritz] (juvenile nonfiction) 1997

Picture Books

The House on the Roof: A Sukkot Story [illustrations by Marilyn Hirsh] (picture book) 1976

A Little at a Time [illustrations by N. M. Bodecker] (picture book) 1976

The Children of Chelm [illustrations by Arthur Friedman] (picture book) 1979

A Picture Book of Jewish Holidays [illustrations by Linda Heller] (picture book) 1981

A Picture Book of Hanukkah [illustrations by Linda Heller] (picture book) 1982

A Picture Book of Passover [illustrations by Linda Heller] (picture book) 1982

Bunny Rabbit Rebus [illustrations by Madelaine Gill Linden] (picture book) 1983

A Picture Book of Israel (picture book) 1984

Happy Hanukkah Rebus [illustrations by Jan Palmer] (picture book) 1989

Happy Thanksgiving Rebus [illustrations by Jan Palmer] (picture book) 1991

Wacky Jacks [illustrations by Heather Harms Maione] (juvenile fiction) 1994

One Yellow Daffodil: A Hanukkah Story [illustrations by Lloyd Bloom] (picture book) 1995

The Babe and I [illustrations by Terry Widener] (picture book) 1999

How Tall, How Short, How Far Away [illustrations by Nancy Tobin] (picture book) 1999

Mama Played Baseball [illustrations by Chris O'Leary] (picture book) 2003

Picture Book Biography Series

A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln [illustrations by John and Alexandra Wallner] (picture book) 1989

A Picture Book of George Washington [illustrations by John and Alexandra Wallner] (picture book) 1989

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. [illustrations by Robert Casilla] (picture book) 1989

A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin [illustrations by John and Alexandra Wallner] (picture book) 1990

A Picture Book of Helen Keller [illustrations by John and Alexandra Wallner] (picture book) 1990

A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson [illustrations by John and Alexandra Wallner] (picture book) 1990

A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt [illustrations by Robert Casilla] (picture book) 1991

A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman [illustrations by Samuel Byrd] (picture book) 1992

A Picture Book of Anne Frank [illustrations by Karen Ritz] (picture book) 1993

A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson [illustrations by Robert Casilla] (picture book) 1994

A Picture Book of Sojourner Truth [illustrations by Gershom Griffith] (picture book) 1994

A Picture Book of Amelia Earhart [illustrations by Jeff Fisher] (picture book) 1998

A Picture Book of George Washington Carver [illustrations by Dan Brown] (picture book) 1999

A Picture Book of Sacagawea [illustrations by Dan Brown] (picture book) 2000

A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower (picture book) 2002

A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe [illustrations by Colin Bootman] (picture book) 2003

A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark [illustrations by Ronald Himler] (picture book) 2003

Riddle Books

The Carsick Zebra and Other Animal Riddles [illustrations by Tomie de Paola] (riddle book) 1983

The Twisted Witch and Other Spooky Riddles [illustrations by Victoria Chess] (riddle book) 1985

Remember Betsy Floss and Other Colonial American Riddles [illustrations by John Wallner] (riddle book) 1987

Wild Pill Hickock and Other Old West Riddles [illustrations by Glen Rounds] (riddle book) 1988

Calculator Riddles [illustrations by Cynthia Fisher] (riddle book) 1995

Young Adult Fiction

Eaton Stanley and the Mind Control Experiment [illustrations by Joan Drescher] (young adult fiction) 1985

The Number on My Grandfather's Arm [photographs by Rose Eichenbaum] (young adult fiction) 1987

Young Cam Jansen Series

Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (easy reader) 2001

Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (easy reader) 2002

Young Cam Jansen and the Zoo Note Mystery [illustrations by Susanna Natti] (easy reader) 2003

AUTHOR COMMENTARY

David A. Adler and Linda Tagliaferro (interview date 8 October 1995)

SOURCE: Adler, David A., and Linda Tagliaferro. "From Nature and Children: A Story of Survival." New York Times (8 October 1995): LI21.

[In the following interview, Adler discusses the inspirations behind One Yellow Daffodil: A Hanukkah Story, his children's work which deals with the legacy of the Holocaust.]

David A. Adler, a writer of children's books, likes to put his feelings on paper. "You can't write well unless you're passionate about the subject," Mr. Adler said.

His latest book, One Yellow Daffodil, the poignant story of a Holocaust survivor, makes his point.

Although Mr. Adler, who lives in Woodmere, has written five other books on the Holocaust, his latest is a departure. "Most of my other books deal with what happened in the past," he said. "One Yellow Daffodil deals with the present as it is affected by the past."

Some of inspiration came from interviews for other books. "Speaking to survivors," he said, "made the Holocaust come alive for me."

Although the main character in the book is fictitious, Mr. Adler explained: "It's fiction based on reality. I'm sure different aspects of the story have happened thousands of times over."

The protagonist, Morris Kaplan, a flower shop owner, is befriended by two children. There are flashbacks to Mr. Kaplan's boyhood in Auschwitz, where his entire family was killed. At one point, the young Kaplan spies a flower that is growing in the death camp and thinks that if the daffodil can survive, he can, too. The story ends on an optimistic note. The children give him the courage to reconnect to his religion and to other human beings.

Why did Mr. Adler feel the need to elaborate on a topic that he has explored before? "Although it's very rare for me," he said, "I just sat down and wrote, and eventually I saw where it was headed. It really is a book that just evolved."

The book touches on many universal themes. "One of the messages here is the need to reach out, not necessarily to Holocaust survivors, but to anybody," he said. "I think this is a book which a child can read and put aside and then read again five years later and still feel something. That's what makes this book stand out. There is always that tug of emotion."

TITLE COMMENTARY

THE CHILDREN OF CHELM (1979)

Jean F. Mercier (review date 1 February 1980)

SOURCE: Mercier, Jean F. Review of The Children of Chelm, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Arthur Friedman. Publishers Weekly 217, no. 4 (1 February 1980): 110.

The four stories in Adler's collection [The Children of Chelm ] indicate why the "wise" men of fictional Chelm in Poland are staple amusements of Jewish folklore. Kneeslappers all, the absurdities here gain extra punch from the author's dry telling and Friedman's evocative, highly professional cartoons. Each tale describes a crisis facing Chelm's Wise Council, such as the day the sagest member, Berel, decides on the way to preserve the town's glorious snowfall, a rare treat. No one must walk on the snow, not even the children. So how will they get home from school? Simple, declares Berel. "We will go to the schoolhouse and carry the little ones home." The shrewd fellows follow through and later, exclaim over footprints despoiling the snow. In Chelm, they still wonder who made them.

A PICTURE BOOK OF JEWISH HOLIDAYS (1981)

Jean F. Mercier (review date 16 October 1981)

SOURCE: Mercier, Jean F. Review of A Picture Book of Jewish Holidays, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Linda Heller. Publishers Weekly 220, no. 6 (16 October 1981): 79.

Heller's pictures in shades of blue and gold personalize and decorate as well as illustrate Adler's outstanding book [A Picture Book of Jewish Holidays ]. Children learn first about the Jewish calendar, shown and explained, and then about the observances of Jewish special occasions throughout the year. The author describes events rooted in ancient days and remembered in homes and the temple by Jews in all parts of the world. Some are times of solemnity like the Sabbath, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah; others are festive, like Sukkot and Simhat Torah and also days set aside to mark tragedies: Tishah Be-Av, the destruction of the first and second Temples, torture and killing of Jewish scholars; Yom Ha-Sho'ah, the Holocaust and Ghetto Remembrance Day. As Adler says, "This is not a book of facts but of feelings."

A PICTURE BOOK OF HANNUKAH (1982)

Jean F. Mercier (review date 23 July 1982)

SOURCE: Mercier, Jean F. Review of A Picture Book of Hanukkah, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Linda Heller. Publishers Weekly 222, no. 4 (23 July 1982): 132.

Adler and Heller add to their acclaimed primers (A Picture Book of Passover, A Picture Book of Jewish Holidays ) with this easily understandable history of the eight-day festival of Hanukkah [A Picture Book of Hannukah ]. Remarkable illustrations in the artist's inimitable manner accentuate the story, with their range of rich colors and detail. The author explains the origin of Hanukkah, 2000 years ago in Judea, when the Maccabees rebelled against the oppressive Greek ruler Antiochus. Under the Jewish leader Judah, the Maccabees won their battle and restored their temple in Jerusalem, destroyed by the Greek army. The victory is still celebrated in a way described in the book's finale.

Ann A. Flowers (review date April 1983)

SOURCE: Flowers, Ann A. Review of A Picture Book of Hanukkah, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Linda Heller. Horn Book Magazine 59, no. 2 (April 1983): 180-81.

[A Picture Book of Hanukkah is a] careful, simple retelling of the story behind the holiday of Hanukkah. The desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem, the battles of the Jewish people to recover it from the evil King Antiochus, the bravery of Judas Maccabaeus and his men, and the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days are pictured by suitably stylized illustrations, stiff and ethnic but handsome and forceful in appearance. The text is nicely balanced and carefully placed within the context of the Bible. Readable and well produced, a much-needed book on the subject for younger readers.

A PICTURE BOOK OF PASSOVER (1982)

Jean F. Mercier (review date 9 April 1982)

SOURCE: Mercier, Jean F. Review of A Picture Book of Passover, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Linda Heller. Publishers Weekly 221, no. 15 (9 April 1982): 51.

Passover is one holiday where children have a special part, and this dramatically illustrated retelling of the Exodus should give them a good understanding of the events commemorated in the four questions traditionally asked by the youngest child at the seder. Adler's beautifully modulated text [in A Picture Book of Passover ] describes the travails of the Israelites in Egypt and the Pharaoh's decree that every newborn Israelite boy should be drowned. He offers an interesting interpretation of how Moses escaped that fate: born prematurely, Moses was hidden by his mother until he was three months old, at which point he was placed in an ark in the bulrushes where Pharaoh's daughter would find him. Heller's stylized illustrations in muted colors have a strength and gravity appropriate to the time-honored tale, conveying a sense of awe and wonder commensurate with the miraculous events described: the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the trek across the desert. The customs and rituals of Passover, including the seder, are explained in a concluding section.

BUNNY RABBIT REBUS (1983)

Jean F. Mercier (review date 18 February 1983)

SOURCE: Mercier, Jean F. Review of Bunny Rabbit Rebus, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Madelaine Gill Linden. Publishers Weekly 223, no. 7 (18 February 1983):129.

Adler's creation [Bunny Rabbit Rebus ] is a front contender for sales as an Easter present, an intriguing game in story form. This is the first children's book that Linden has illustrated, and she should be asked to complement many more with her pretty, quaint, colorful scenes. Narrated in dialogue and rebuses, the tale concerns a hungry rabbit whose mother searches the house in vain for carrots. Mother and bunny then go to borrow from neighbors who have no conventional rabbit food to offer but each slips the boy bunny a little something. That twist leads to a droll climax when the mother discovers the bunny doesn't want the food she sets out for supper. The story is a dandy way to enjoy widening one's powers of observation; some of the puzzles are hard even for grownups to solve without recourse to the glossary and the straight text appended.

OUR GOLDA: THE STORY OF GOLDA MEIR (1984)

Amy L. Cohn (review date June 1984)

SOURCE: Cohn, Amy L. Review of Our Golda: The Story of Golda Meir, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Donna Ruff. Horn Book Magazine 60, no. 3 (June 1984): 346.

Even as a child in Russia Golda Meir recognized and responded to injustice. When her parents and other Jews fasted for an entire day in memory of those who died in a pogrom, five-year-old Golda also refused to eat. This anecdote, typical of many in the book [Our Golda: The Story of Golda Meir ], demonstrates the will and the determination of the Russian child who later emigrated to America and who fought to establish a homeland for her people. Carefully juxtaposing Golda's developing character alongside the history of the Jewish people in the twentieth century, the author shows successfully that the rise of a great world leader, however personal his or her own experience, is due to a particular political or social context or set of circumstances. In the well-organized biography the simple, clear, and fluid writing helps the reader to believe in the girl who worked at the family's dairy business in Milwaukee, in the young married woman living in a Palestine kibbutz, and in the grandmother who became prime minister of Israel.

Erica Bauermeister and Holly Smith (review date 1997)

SOURCE: Bauermeister, Erica, and Holly Smith. Review of Our Golda: The Story of Golda Meir, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Donna Ruff. In Let's Hear It for the Girls:375 Great Books for Readers 2-14, p. 163. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 1997.

Golda Meir was born in 1898, into a hard life and a strong-willed Russian family. In her home there was always talk about the need for a Jewish homeland; too often Jewish people were attacked by soldiers and workers while the police looked on. In 1906, her family moved to the United States. Golda was a bright, determined girl, who at fourteen ran away to Denver to continue her schooling rather than follow her parents' wishes and marry an older man. In 1921, she and her husband of choice moved to Palestine, living for a time on a kibbutz and eventually settling in Jerusalem. There Golda continued her long and heartfelt work for a Jewish homeland, and for peace once Israel was established. A natural-born speaker, Golda's speeches won the respect and admiration of both world leaders and ordinary citizens. In 1969, she became the prime minister of Israel, a position she held for five years. Our Golda informs and entertains without shying away from the difficulties encountered with the birthing of a nation, a process greatly aided by this remarkable, resolute woman.

A PICTURE BOOK OF ISRAEL (1984)

Jean F. Mercier (review date 6 April 1984)

SOURCE: Mercier, Jean F. Review of A Picture Book of Israel, by David A. Adler. Publishers Weekly 225, no. 14 (6 April 1984): 75.

Adler's picture books on Hanukkah, Passover and other Jewish holidays have been praised and widely read by children who will welcome [A Picture Book of Israel, ] this history of the small country, the Holy Land to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Excellent black-and-white photos show sites the author tells about as they were in the time of the Bible and are today. A map helps readers to locate Israel in relation to the Mediterranean Sea and bordering nations. There are striking views of antiquities: King Herod's theater at Caesarea, a synagogue in Capernaum and other buildings that have survived for over 2000 years. Pictures of ancient olive trees, wild-flowers, etc., contrast with the arid Negev Desert and the weird, sculpture-like salt accumulations at the edge of the Dead Sea. The concise text includes information on modern Israeli people, busy cities, agricultural and resort areas.

EATON STANLEY AND THE MIND CONTROL EXPERIMENT (1985)

Jean F. Mercier (review date 22 February 1985)

SOURCE: Mercier, Jean F. Review of Eaton Stanley and the Mind Control Experiment, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Joan Drescher. Publishers Weekly 227, no. 8 (22 February 1985): 157.

The laughs are plentiful in Adler's new novel [Eaton Stanley and the Mind Control Experiment ], a story that leaps from absurdity to intimations of supernatural meddling in the telling of schoolboy Brian Newman. Brian feels that Eaton Stanley, an eccentric classmate with limitless knowledge of esoterica, can lead him into dicey situations. But Brian can't resist cooperating in a plan to dominate the mind of their teacher, Mrs. Bellzack. The plot is based on Eaton's collage figure of a woman who looks like Mrs. Bellzack. He hangs it on the wall in the classroom and adds cutouts: hammers on the head, flames at the feet, etc. Brian shrinks in horror when the teacher suffers a headache and other ills. The prospect of escaping homework through controlling Mrs. Bellzack loses its appeal. In the story's climax, that intended victim proves she's nobody's fool. She has been one step ahead of the plotters all the time. Now Eaton and Brian, hoist by their own petards, face extra assignments when they come down to Earth again.

THE TWISTED WITCH AND OTHER SPOOKY RIDDLES (1985)

Ann A. Flowers (review date January-February 1986)

SOURCE: Flowers, Ann A. Review of The Twisted Witch and Other Spooky Riddles, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Victoria Chess. Horn Book Magazine 62, no. 1 (January-February 1986): 54.

Riddle books, and especially spooky riddle books, are always welcome. Children adore them; they are short and easy to read; and a child can happily bore his family and friends to death repeating them. These riddles contain that certain element of macabre humor—"What is covered with brown fur and flies? / A dead werewolf"—that so pleases the intended audience. Some of them are also clever—"Why do dragons sleep during the day? / So they can fight knights." The riddle on each page [of The Twisted Witch and Other Spooky Riddles ] is complemented by one of Victoria Chess's charming pencil drawings showing warty witches, morose skeletons, leering vampires, and delightful monsters. "How does a monster count to twenty-eight? / On his fingers." A choice collection.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: FREE AT LAST (1986)

Diane Roback (review date 26 September 1986)

SOURCE: Roback, Diane. Review of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Free at Last, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla. Publishers Weekly 230, no. 13 (26 September 1986): 88.

Although Martin Luther King, Jr. was only 39 when he met an assassin's bullet, he left behind more than unfulfilled dreams. In this moving, well-paced illustrated biography, [Martin Luther King, Jr.: Free at Last, ] Adler highlights the career of the civil rights activist and Southern Baptist minister. There is the Atlanta boyhood laced with prejudice and Jim Crow restrictions (which Adler seems to imply were national laws, when they were only issued in the South), lunch counter sit-ins, the bus boycott in Montgomery, Freedom Rides throughout the South and the famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. The author shows how and why blacks took issue with the status quo of discrimination. As King said, "There comes a time when people get tired of being kicked about." Casilla's black-and-white stylized illustrations add to the book's somber, dignified tone.

Margaret A. Bush (review date March-April 1987)

SOURCE: Bush, Margaret A. Review of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Free at Last, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla. Horn Book Magazine 63, no. 2 (March-April 1987): 219.

[Martin Luther King, Jr.: Free at Last is a] short, chronological account of the life and major activities of this Civil Rights leader. King's youth, the influence of Gandhi, King's marriage and entry into the ministry, the Montgomery bus boycotts, angry actions taken against him by blacks and whites, the forming of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the lunch counter protests, Freedom Rides, marches and rallies, and, finally, King's move to Chicago and his assassination are recounted in a simple text which adds light explanation to the historical record—"There were no Jim Crow laws up North, but there was poverty." Preceded by a chronology of the major dates in King's life, the text is divided into four chapters and illustrated very fully with black-and-white paintings. Since the treatment is essentially realistic and enormous photographic documentation is available, the decision to use artistic illustration, which signals fiction to many children, seems to make the subject less immediate and real than it might have been. On the other hand, the artistic renderings also allow for dramatic thrust through design and emotional overtones. The book is pleasing in appearance, and the didactic thrust of explaining background issues and the value of King's beliefs and actions is well modulated. Sadly, there is little biographical material on this man of dreams and nonviolence in print, so this competent sketch will be useful.

MY DOG AND THE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY (1987)

Ilene Cooper (review date 1 June 1987)

SOURCE: Cooper, Ilene. Review of My Dog and the Birthday Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Dick Gackenbach. Booklist 83, no. 19 (1 June 1987): 1527.

Gr. 1-2—The third in the series, this story [My Dog and the Birthday Mystery ] again features Jenny, the young detective, and the canine she has named My Dog. Jenny likes to think that it's My Dog who solves the mysteries, but the animal can't figure this one out. On Jenny's birthday, her friend Ken comes by with a puzzling story—his bike has been stolen but the chain is there and the lock is still closed. It sounds unbelievable to Jenny, but she soon discovers that the bike story is only a ploy to get her to a surprise birthday party that her friends are throwing for her. This is the best of the series so far; the mystery is bright and bolstered by bits of humor. There are also plenty of attractive line-and-three-color drawings to break up the text. Easy vocabulary makes this somewhat long story a good choice for eager readers.

THE NUMBER ON MY GRANDFATHER'S ARM (1987)

Diane Roback (review date 30 October 1987)

SOURCE: Roback, Diane. Review of The Number on My Grandfather's Arm, by David A. Adler, photographs by Rose Eichenbaum. Publishers Weekly 232, no. 18 (30 October 1987): 71.

A young girl [in The Number on My Grandfather's Arm ] repeats for readers what her grandfather has told her about the Holocaust: of Hitler's propaganda about Jews and the extermination plans, her grandfather's own experiences in Auschwitz, and of the loss of his siblings and friends. Adler attends to family emotions about the overwhelming nature of the Holocaust legacy as well: the grandfather admonishes his daughter, 'It's time you told her.…"The child understands, and then helps her grandfather overcome his preference for long-sleeved shirts, even in hot weather: "You shouldn't be ashamed to let people see your number," she explains. "You didn't do anything wrong." The photographer is the child of survivors, the young girl is her daughter and the grandfather (not actually related) is also a survivor. This succeeds as an attempt to bring essential family and historical information to young readers, with just enough details to be truthful but not so many as to be terrifying. Ages 5-9.

Helen H. Shelton (review date February 1988)

SOURCE: Shelton, Helen H. Review of The Number on My Grandfather's Arm, by David A. Adler, photographs by Rose Eichenbaum. Childhood Education 64, no. 3 (February 1988): 172.

When a loving child first glimpses the number tattooed on her Jewish grandfather's arm [in The Number on My Grandfather's Arm ], he tells her the story of the holocaust, starkly and simply. Three of the dozen integrated photographs are historical; the others show the love between the two protagonists and the varied reactions of the little girl as the narrative progresses. This is an outstanding book without a false note. Ages 6-8.

THE FOURTH FLOOR TWINS AND THE SAND CASTLE CONTEST (1988)

Phillis Wilson (review date 15 November 1988)

SOURCE: Wilson, Phillis. Review of The Fourth Floor Twins and the Sand Castle Contest, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Irene Trivas. Booklist 85, no. 6 (15 November 1988): 569.

Gr. 3-5—Twins Donna and Diane Shelton, along with their friends Kevin and Gary Young (also twins), are at the beach for a sand-building contest [in The Fourth Floor Twins and the Sand Castle Contest ]. The winners' photograph will be in the Morning News, and eager Gary and Diane are well provisioned with shovels, a bucket, sticks, and a water sprayer. Wealthy Mrs. Rogers, who owns the newspaper and whose dog Chester wears a diamond-studded collar, will judge the sculptures. While Gary and Diane create a sand hippo, Donna and Kevin tackle a dognapping case when Chester and his megabucks collar disappear; a suspicious trail of hamburger meat finally leads to the culprit. The grateful Mrs. Rogers announces that "Brave Twins Catch Thief" will caption a photo of all four children—and Chester—even though Gary and Diane don't win the contest. A pleasant read (sixth in the series), though it lacks the pizzazz of Skyscraper Parade. Illustrated with 15 black-and-white drawings.

GEORGE WASHINGTON: FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY (1988)

Phillis Wilson (review date 1 December 1988)

SOURCE: Wilson, Phillis. Review of George Washington: Father of Our Country, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Jacqueline Garrick. Booklist 85, no. 7 (1 December 1988): 641.

Gr. 3-5—Adler has covered the essentials of Washington's life [in George Washington: Father of Our Country ]: childhood and schooling, work as a surveyor, service in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, leadership of the Constitutional Convention, and the presidency. His marriage and life as a Virginia planter are interwoven. The text is simple and direct, though the assessment that "he had not been a brilliant military leader" is not in accord with other historians' viewpoints. There are no cherry trees or other sentimental stories, but neither is there a spirited sense of the man truly known as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Garrick's black-and-white drawings effectively break up the text, but their tone, too, is somewhat stilted. Nevertheless, librarians looking for material at this level will find Adler's account serviceable.

WILD PILL HICKOK AND OTHER OLD WEST RIDDLES (1988)

Mary M. Burns (review date January-February 1989)

SOURCE: Burns, Mary M. Review of Wild Pill Hickock and Other Old West Riddles, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Glen Rounds. Horn Book Magazine 65, no. 1 (January-February 1989): 63.

Those devoted to the art of paronomasia will welcome this newly minted collection of wacky riddles with a Western motif [Wild Pill Hickok and Other Old West Riddles ]. Some are clever variants of familiar themes: "Why did the tanner cross the road? / To get to the other hide." Others are specifically tailored to the locale: "Is bronco busting steady work? / Off and on." All are sure to elicit admiration from sympathetic punsters and groans from those who eschew such irreverent use of language. Glen Rounds's energetic, rough-hewn line drawings, one per riddle, are admirably suited to the genre, for they both underscore and extend the wit inherent in the text. A fine choice for riddle addicts, the book could also be effective when used with reluctant readers who have a well-honed sense of humor.

JACKIE ROBINSON: HE WAS THE FIRST (1989)

Kimberly Olson Fakih (review date 12 May 1989)

SOURCE: Fakih, Kimberly Olson. Review of Jackie Robinson: He Was the First, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla. Publishers Weekly 235, no. 19 (12 May 1989): 292-93.

In simple, fluid language, Adler writes of the sports hero who paved the way for other minorities by being one of the best athletes of this century [in Jackie Robinson: He Was the First ]. Jackie Robinson wasn't offered fat scholarships or mind-boggling salaries for his sports skills. He simply outplayed and outhit and outran his teammates and became the first black to play major league baseball. Adler emphasizes Robinson's life in sports, mentioning his marriage and children only briefly. The illustrations are serviceable, and help move the action along, but most children will read this because it is so approachable, certain to pique further interest. A list of important dates is included, as is an index. Ages 8-10.

A PICTURE BOOK OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (1989)

Diane Roback (review date 24 November 1989)

SOURCE: Roback, Diane. Review of A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr., by David A. Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla. Publishers Weekly 236, no. 20 (24 November 1989): 71.

As with Adler's previous books in this series, the picture-book format serves as a highly effective, empathetic way to introduce the life and legacy of important Americans to young children. Here [in A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. ] the highlights of King's life are presented with an emphasis on his childhood and family. Children will immediately relate to his painful early experiences of racism and understand the genesis of his lifelong struggle for racial equality. The book portrays the hatred King endured, the horror of his assassination and the intense power of his message. A single-page list of important dates closes the book. Its most striking aspect is Casilla's evocative watercolor paintings, which expand the text while celebrating the man. Ages 4-9.

WE REMEMBER THE HOLOCAUST (1989)

Diane Roback (review date 24 November 1989)

SOURCE: Roback, Diane. Review of We Remember the Holocaust, by David A. Adler. Publishers Weekly 236, no. 20 (24 November 1989): 73.

In [We Remember the Holocaust, ] Adler's second book on the Holocaust (The Number on My Grandfather's Arm ), he presents the results of masterful interviewing and research. Some individual paragraphs contain three or more stories, each of which stuns the imagination. Interspersing historical facts with the words of survivors, quick lines drop like bombs: "I felt like the walking dead." "I saw boys after castration." "Many Jews … committed suicide." Through the chilling personal stories, history becomes real. Within his chronological treatment Adler presents many facts, some little known—like the one-day revolt at Auschwitz when a crematorium was blown up. The small details have the most impact: former prisoners who never shower, only bathe, 40 years latter; the only clothing available in one DP camp was the Hitler Youth uniform. Adler might have been more focused if he'd included fewer, fuller events, but his attempts to encompass the whole scene give readers a broad scope of genuine feeling. One family seeing the Nazi threat says, "We are leaving tonight, and we are leaving everything behind, our house, our business, everything." Another, "We interpreted everything for good … we thought [ghetto walls] were for defense." The book's black-and-white photographs, of events and of the people quoted, add a strongly emotional dimension to this moving chronicle. Ages 10-up.

Phyllis G. Sidorsky (review date winter 1990)

SOURCE: Sidorsky, Phyllis G. Review of We Remember the Holocaust, by David A. Adler. Childhood Education 66, no. 5 (winter 1990): 336.

In describing the events that preceded the Holocaust and in documenting the horrors of this evil period, the author [of We Remember the Holocaust ] has incorporated firsthand experiences of survivors. These personal accounts serve to underscore the nightmarish quality of this inhuman time. Many black-and-white photographs are included in the book, several of which may be terrifying to young children. The book provides a chronology, bibliography, glossary and an excellent list for additional reading. Ages 10-14.

Elizabeth S. Watson (review date March-April 1990)

SOURCE: Watson, Elizabeth S. Review of We Remember the Holocaust, by David A. Adler. Horn Book Magazine 66, no. 2 (March-April 1990): 217.

The author presents a collage of memories woven together by a spare narrative describing the horrendous cruelties faced by Jews in Germany and other European countries before and during Nazi rule. Throughout [We Remember the Holocaust ], the reader is acutely aware of how difficult it is for the victims to recall and recount their experiences; many of the events are reported in understated terms, almost as if the person could barely speak of them. Humiliation, violence, and depravation were common; particularly difficult to read are the many instances of children being beaten, often by former friends. The statements vary, but along with the plethora of vintage photographs showing the contributors they form an unforgettable picture of a terrible time. A very clear and helpful chronology is appended in addition to a glossary and suggested readings. Bibliography and index.

A PICTURE BOOK OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1990)

Ethel R. Twichell (review date May-June 1990)

SOURCE: Twichell, Ethel R. Review of A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin, by David A. Adler, illustrated by John and Alexandra Wallner. Horn Book Magazine 66, no. 3 (May-June 1990): 355.

[A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin, ] an addition to Adler's previous books on well-known Americans, is equally attractive in its informative text and in the cheerful, lively illustrations. Franklin's ups and downs in business, his numerous inventions, and the more important happenings in his later career as statesman are described clearly for primary grades. A list of important dates in Franklin's life is appended.

Nancy L. Hadaway, Sylvia M. Vardell, and Terrell A. Young (review date February-March 2002)

SOURCE: Hadaway, Nancy L., Sylvia M. Vardell, and Terrell A. Young. Review of A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin, by David A. Adler, illustrated by John and Alexandra Wallner. Book Links 11, no. 4 (February-March 2002): 59.

Preschool-Gr. 6—In simple, straightforward, and informative text, Adler introduces young children to the life and accomplishments of the famous inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin [in A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin ]. Other famous Americans in the Picture Book Biography series include Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, Jr. These books are quite appropriate for helping older ESL students learn basic information about American history.

A PICTURE BOOK OF ANNE FRANK (1993)

Diane Roback and Richard Donahue (review date 5 April 1993)

SOURCE: Roback, Diane, and Richard Donahue. Review of A Picture Book of Anne Frank, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Karen Ritz. Publishers Weekly 240, no. 14 (5 April 1993): 76.

This most recent addition to the Picture Book Biography series [A Picture Book of Anne Frank ] balances candor with discretion in its presentation of heroine Anne Frank. Adler traces the intersection of Anne's brief life with the forces of Nazism, chronicling the girl's earliest years in Germany as well as her time spent in the now-famous Amsterdam attic and the months following arrest and deportation. He refuses to apply the standard encomiums about his subject's courage and genius, with the result that Anne Frank emerges all the more poignantly. Like Adler, Ritz conveys more than familiar icons: she has executed black-and-white drawings closely based on the well-known extant photographs of Anne and her family and friends, and set these into watercolors of, for example, 1930s Germany or Anne packing her diary. Even her picture of shaven-headed, hollow-eyed Anne and Margot huddled together at Bergen-Belsen avoids cliche and condescension. "Some people find it difficult to understand [the Holocaust]," Adler concludes with grace. "But when they read Anne's diary, it all becomes real. Then they know one of the victims. They know Anne Frank." Ages 4-8.

HILDE AND ELI: CHILDREN OF THE HOLOCAUST (1994)

Hazel Rochman (review date 15 September 1994)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of Hilde and Eli: Children of the Holocaust, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Karen Ritz. Booklist 91, no. 2 (15 September 1994): 126.

Gr. 3-5—Through the biographies of two Jewish children, this picture book for older readers will bring home to grade-schoolers what the Holocaust meant to kids like them. Nothing is sensationalized, but the facts are terrifying. The history is told from the point of view of children who were there, and no false comfort is offered. Hilde Rosenzweig lived happily with her family in Frankfurt, Germany, until Hitler came to power, and her life was restricted by vicious anti-Semitism. Eli Lax never met Hilde: he lived in Czechoslovakia in a mountain village. Then World War II broke out, and the Nazis came. "They planned to kill every Jew in Europe." The SS murdered Hilde in a freight train filled with poisonous gas. Eli died in the gas chambers in Auschwitz. The text is quiet, the particulars inexorable, drawn from Adler's interviews with the surviving relatives. The illustrations are powerfully realistic, contrasting the light-filled happiness of the pre-Nazi times with the gray-toned and sepia scenes of the roundups and camps. One unforgettable picture shows Eli in bed, rigid with terror, hearing his cousins scream as they are taken away in the night. In fact, the pictures are almost overwhelming at times, taking up much of every page. Leitner's autobiographical The Big Lie (1992) is just as stark and uncompromising, but the restrained occasional charcoal illustrations allow for some distance. Despite the format, Hilde and Eli is not for very young children. It will be an important resource in the middle grades, especially in curriculum units where kids can talk about it together with an adult.

Elizabeth Devereaux and Diane Roback (review date 14 November 1994)

SOURCE: Devereaux, Elizabeth, and Diane Roback. Review of Hilde and Eli: Children of the Holocaust, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Karen Ritz. Publishers Weekly 241, no. 46 (14 November 1994): 68.

Adler and Ritz follow up their A Picture Book of Anne Frank by briefly describing two other young victims of the Holocaust, 18-year-old Hilde Rosenzweig and nine-year-old Eli Lax [in Hilde and Eli: Children of the Holocaust ]. Neither has a particular claim on public memory—Hilde's brother escaped from Germany to England in 1940, while three of Eli's sisters survived various concentration camps; these siblings told Hilde's and Eli's stories to Adler. Unfortunately, Adler deals out sweet generalizations and few telling particulars ("Eli had no real toys, but he was a happy child who was always smiling"), thus failing to memorialize Hilde and Eli as anything but representative victims of the Nazis. Ritz's paintings seem modeled on photographs, but they, too, have a generic quality. It should be noted that a basic awareness of the Holocaust is presumed this story is only for those with a previously developed interest in the subject. Ages 6-9.

WACKY JACKS (1994)

Lauren Peterson (review date 15 November 1994)

SOURCE: Peterson, Lauren. Review of Wacky Jacks, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Heather Harms Maione. Booklist 91, no. 6 (15 November 1994): 600.

Gr. 1-3—One of the most prolific writers around, Adler keeps churning out his popular early-grade mysteries with amazing speed. In this second chapter book adventure for the Houdini Club [Wacky Jacks ], Herman "Houdini" Foster, an aspiring magician, is called upon to solve the mysterious disappearance of Alfred, the classroom's pet hamster. Sufficient clues are given to support the conclusion, and veteran mystery readers may even be able to discern the thief's identity before Houdini reveals it in the dramatic finale. But the real appeal of the book lies in the magic trick Houdini performs in the opening scene. Children will be at least as anxious to find out how it's done as they will be to learn who made off with Alfred. They won't be disappointed. Step-by-step instructions from Bob Friedhoffer, the magician who created the trick, are given at the end of the book.

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ONE YELLOW DAFFODIL: A HANUKKAH STORY (1995)

Shannon Maughan (review date 18 September 1995)

SOURCE: Maughan, Shannon. Review of One Yellow Daffodil: A Hanukkah Story, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. Publishers Weekly 242, no. 38 (18 September 1995): 92.

In this solemn picture book [One Yellow Daffodil: A Hanukkah Story ], two kind children help their neighbor, a Holocaust survivor, to recall some of his happy Hanukkah memories from childhood. Running the local flower shop is a pleasant but solitary life for Mr. Kaplan. Since he has no family and spends much time alone, he welcomes young Ilana and Jonathan's visits to his store. Adler's text uses detail to help establish a sad tone, though the story is tempered with glimmers of hope. This subject matter could serve as a jumping off point for further family discussions about the Holocaust or the festival of Hanukkah, but the juxtaposition of the happy holiday and the horrors of war are an odd pair here. Bloom's dark and gloomy acrylics, however, have a much heavier feel than the story, and are brightened only by the glowing, delicate flower arrangements in Mr. Kaplan's shop. Ages 6-10.

HIDING FROM THE NAZIS (1997)

Jenny M. Brown and Diane Roback (review date 20 October 1997)

SOURCE: Brown, Jenny M., and Diane Roback. Review of Hiding from the Nazis, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Karen Ritz. Publishers Weekly 244, no. 43 (20 October 1997): 76.

In their fourth book about the Holocaust [Hiding from the Nazis ], Adler and Ritz (Child of the Warsaw Ghetto ) again funnel a vast, horrific subject through the true experiences of one Jewish child. This story belongs to Lore Baer, whose German parents fled to Holland just prior to WWII. After the invasion of Holland, four-year-old Lore was sent by herself into hiding, living for two years on a Christian family's farm. She and her protectors grew to love one another, so much so that when the war ended Lore had difficulty reuniting with her own family. Although the perspective lurches from historical to personal, and the text lacks the sensitivity of Shulamith Levey Oppenheim's similarly themed The Lily Cupboard, readers will gain an understanding of both the events and their impact on children. Ritz's murky, sometimes clunky watercolors have noticeably less inspiration this time around. Her factual, news-reel-style depictions, while recording the story's events, unfortunately do not capture the emotional fallout. Ages 6-9.

LOU GEHRIG: THE LUCKIEST MAN (1997)

Elizabeth Devereaux and Diane Roback (review date 24 February 1997)

SOURCE: Devereaux, Elizabeth, and Diane Roback. Review of Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener. Publishers Weekly 244, no. 8 (24 February 1997): 91.

In memorable paintings—a view of a baseball diamond from behind a swinging batter's shoulder; Lou Gehrig as seen from a "nosebleed seat" in Yankee Stadium—newcomer Widener inventively manipulates perspective and scale [in Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man ]. His stylized acrylics, in which the players have nearly the bulk and grace of Henry Moore statutes, vividly recreate the look and feel of major league baseball in the '20s and '30s—right down to the changes made to the New York Yankees' uniform throughout the 14 years during which Gehrig played 2130 consecutive games. Curiously, the artist never, except in the cover art, portrays his subject (or anyone else) with open eyes, which makes Gehrig seem somehow distant. But Adler (author of the Cam Jansen novels) brings his subject into clear focus as he concisely tracks the legendary first baseman's childhood and career, tragically shortened by the disease that now bears his name. The story's emotional highlight clarifies the book's subtitle: addressing a cheering crowd of fans in Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, the ailing ballplayer announced, "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." A gracious tribute to a stalwart, modest and tirelessly optimistic man. Ages 5-9.

THE BABE AND I (1999)

Jennifer M. Brown and Diane Roback (review date 10 May 1999)

SOURCE: Brown, Jennifer M., and Diane Roback. Review of The Babe and I, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener. Publishers Weekly 246, no. 19 (10 May 1999): 67.

In the Bronx in 1932, a boy out walking with his friend discovers that his ostensibly employed father is actually selling apples on the street [in The Babe and I ]. Shocked, the boy numbly follows the friend, a "newsie," to work and ends up learning a great strategy for selling papers: go to Yankee Stadium and shout the latest about Babe Ruth. Adler, previously paired with Widener for Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man, creates an empathic but unsentimental portrait of life during the Depression. He conveys the father's humiliation and pride, but the boy's satisfaction in his own job and the family's general happiness keep their lot from seeming pitiful. After selling a paper to the Babe himself, the boy feels new kinship with him: "He and I were a team.… His home runs helped me sell newspapers." But baseball isn't really what drives the book—more importantly, "I knew Dad and I were also a team. We were both working to get our family through hard times." Widener's acrylics have a striking presence: their massy forms and jaunty, exaggerated perspectives achieve a look that's both nostalgic and edgy Adler and Widener score big-their book reads like a labor of love. Ages 5-9.

Grace Oliff (review date September 2003)

SOURCE: Oliff, Grace. Review of The Babe and I, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener. School Library Journal 49, no. 9 (September 2003): 83.

Gr. 2-4—After his father loses his job during the Great Depression, a young boy becomes a newsie to contribute to the family's income [in The Babe and I ]. With the help of a friend, he realizes that hawking the latest news about Babe Ruth sells papers. When the Babe himself buys one, the boy recognizes that teamwork is needed to get through hard times. Adler's unsentimental and realistic dialogue packs an emotional punch, while Widener's stylized illustrations provide nostalgic atmosphere.

AMERICA'S CHAMPION SWIMMER: GERTRUDE EDERLE (2000)

Ilene Cooper (review date 15 March 2000)

SOURCE: Cooper, Ilene. Review of America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener. Booklist 96, no. 14 (15 March 2000): 1374.

Gr. 2-4—Adler and Widener, who previously combined their talents in books about Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, turn to the distaff side of athletics for their latest subject [America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle ]. In simple, direct prose, Adler introduces Gertrude Ederle, known as Trudy to her friends, and describes her evolution as a swimmer. After Trudy almost drowned as a child, her father taught her to dog-paddle. As she grew older, she found that swimming was her talent, and beginning at age 15, she was winning competitions and breaking records. In 1925 she decided to swim the English Channel. A near miss made her even more determined to try a second time, and in a text that is sure and always interesting, Adler captures the drama of that exhausting, exhilarating record-breaking swim. Widener's durable, strongly physical deep-hued artwork displays the right muscle for the biography. The two-page spread showing Ederle eating a chicken leg while crossing the channel will make kids smile, and the picture of her triumphant emergence from the water captures both the effort and the energy that went into the extraordinary swim. An author's note is appended.

Jean Gaffney (review date June 2000)

SOURCE: Gaffney, Jean. Review of America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener. School Library Journal 46, no. 6 (June 2000): 128.

K-Gr. 4—This picture-book biography [America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle ] covers the life of Gertrude Ederle, highlighting her world-record breaking, long-distance swims. In 1926, women were thought to be the weaker sex, but this indomitable young athlete broke the men's record by two hours when she swam the English Channel. Fascinating tid-bits about her 21-mile swim will entice readers: "She floated on her back and ate chicken and drank beef broth." For her victory, she was rewarded with a ticker-tape parade and a letter from President Coolidge calling her "America's Best Girl." More information about her life is appended. In the acrylic paintings, characters with large bodies and small heads, suggesting Depression-era art, are set on impressionistic backgrounds. The pictures of the swirling, rough water add fluidity and motion, and the perspectives that show the small figure of the swimmer in the vast sea capture the immensity of Ederle's endeavor. Attractive formatting and large type make this story of achievement as effective and as inspiring to read aloud as this team's Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man (1997) and The Babe and I (1999, both Gulliver).

Denise Grady (review date 18 June 2000)

SOURCE: Grady, Denise. "A Mighty Big Splash." New York Times Book Review (18 June 2000): 25.

In August 1926, fighting rain, high winds and 20-foot waves, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. Ederle, just 19, already held three Olympic medals and had set 29 American and world records. Her time for the channel, 14 hours 31 minutes, beat the men's record by nearly two hours and remained the women's record for 35 years.

David A. Adler's America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle (ages 5 to 9), illustrated with richly colored acrylic paintings by Terry Widener, captures the highlights of Ederle's life in evocative images and telling details that will appeal to children. Widener's stylized, muscular figures, reminiscent of the American Scene art of Ederle's era, gain charm with each reading, even though he paints Ederle with thunder thighs and dainty shoulders that are surely the reverse of a swimmer's proportions.

In a method not described in any Red Cross manual, Ederle's father taught her to swim when she was 7 or 8 by tossing her into a river with a rope about her waist and ordering her to paddle. Within a few years she was winning medals. At the finish of her storm-tossed channel swim, thousands of people gathered on the coast in Kingsdown, England, to guide her ashore with flares and bonfires.

What power Ederle had; what a joy it must have been to see her in the water. This book, though engaging, does not quite bring her to life. The prose falls flat, or veers off into the language of a juvenile feminist tract. Ederle's own voice is missing. Adler looks at her from a distance, as if she were a historic figure, even though she is still alive, and in January, at 93, was well enough to be interviewed by a reporter.

Older children will appreciate the details included in the author's notes at the end of the book: Ederle might have crossed the channel four hours faster had the weather been clear, and she lost much of her hearing after her swim. Her determination served her well seven years later when she fell, injuring her spine, and was not expected to walk again. She recovered after spending more than four years in a cast, and went on to become a dress designer and a swimming teacher for deaf children.

Richard M. Kerper (review date November 2001)

SOURCE: Kerper, Richard M. Review of America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener. Language Arts 79, no. 2 (November 2001): 173.

In 1906, women were excluded from venues seen as the domain of men. But Gertrude Ederle would not grow up to be excluded. After nearly drowning as a child, Trudy learned to swim by copying the strokes of other children. Quickly, her water skills exceeded theirs, so she took lessons at a local swimming club. At fifteen, she won her first major race. But Trudy was not satisfied with swimming in pools. The next year she became the first woman to attempt the swim from lower Manhattan to Sandy Hook, NJ, a distance of seventeen miles. And, she did it in just over seven hours, beating the men's record. Trudy went on to win three Olympic medals and set twenty-nine U.S. and World records. One more goal remained though—swimming the English Channel. History shows that Trudy achieved this goal, like so many others.

Adler captures the drama of her Channel attempts [in America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle ], using quotations taken from periodicals of the period to personalize the experience. Unlike many of Adler's earlier picture book biographies, this one provides a detailed author's note informing the reader about Ederle's later life, but most importantly providing information about the sources used in writing the text. Widener's illustrations add to the tension of the narrative, presenting a full-figured woman who, according to the mayor of New York, helped "American women … [add] to the glory of our nation."

CAM JANSEN AND THE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY (2000)

Carolyn Phelan (review date 1 November 2000)

SOURCE: Phelan, Carolyn. Review of Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Booklist 97, no. 5 (1 November 2000): 536.

Gr. 2-4—In this beginning chapter book, the twentieth in the Cam Jansen series [Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery ], Cam throws a surprise birthday party for her parents. An even bigger surprise comes when her grandparents call from the airport to ask for help in recovering their luggage and parcels, which a man has just stolen. Police and parents bumble about, well meaning but ineffective, but Cam's photographic memory provides a clue that leads to the thief's arrest. Though the plot relies on coincidence (Cam's dad happens to park next to the van where the thief has stashed the stolen goods), series fans will enjoy seeing their heroine triumph once again. Susanna Natti's cheerful ink drawings appear throughout the book. For larger collections.

Wendy S. Carroll (review date January 2001)

SOURCE: Carroll, Wendy S. Review of Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. School Library Journal 47, no. 1 (January 2001): 91.

Gr. 1-3—The girl with the photographic memory has planned a surprise 40th birthday party for her parents (whose birth dates are close together) at their own house [in Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery ]. They arrive home after an outing and their guests barely have a chance to greet them when Mrs. Jansen's parents call to say that they have been robbed at the airport. Cam, her friend Eric, and her parents all go to help them. Granny and Gramps explain that a taxi driver stole their suitcases and two presents. The police are called to investigate, but Cam remembers seeing a van in the parking lot filled with luggage. Why would someone going on a trip leave luggage there, she wonders? She takes her father back to their car and they wait for the driver of the van, who returns with another load of suitcases. His game is up. This is an exciting mystery book with great black-and-white illustrations. Another surefire adventure.

PARACHUTING HAMSTERS AND ANDY RUSSELL (2000)

Lynda Ritterman (review date October 2000)

SOURCE: Ritterman, Lynda. Review of Parachuting Hamsters and Andy Russell, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. School Library Journal 46, no. 10 (October 2000): 110.

Gr. 2-4—Andy and his friend Tamika are spending the weekend at the girl's aunt's luxurious apartment building in the city [in Parachuting Hamsters and Andy Russell ]. They arrive just in time to catch some hamsters dropping through the air in silk-handkerchief parachutes from an upper-story apartment, and Andy is determined to find out who has mistreated the animals. When Aunt Mandy includes a younger neighbor in their outings to a museum, a ballet, and a restaurant, he does his best to get Andy into trouble of all sorts, and he deduces that Jason is responsible for the hamster incident. Readers will identify with Andy's fears about unfamiliar situations and adults who expect more decorum than the child's parents, but they will also recognize childless Aunt Mandy's growing awareness of her young guests' needs and behavior. Easy enough for beginning chapter-book readers, but with a thoroughly engaging plot, this fourth entry in the series is great fare for individual or group reading.

Todd Morning (review date 1 November 2000)

SOURCE: Morning, Todd. Review of Parachuting Hamsters and Andy Russell, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Booklist 97, no. 5 (1 November 2000): 536-37.

Gr. 2-4—The title [Parachuting Hamsters and Andy Russell ] is sure to cause some cringing, especially among adults, but there's no need to worry: the hamsters land unharmed. In this, the fourth installment of the series, Andy joins his friend Tamika on a trip to visit her aunt and uncle in the big city. Andy encounters the parachuting hamsters early in the story. They come drifting down from near the top of Aunt Mandy's apartment building. Andy sets out to discover who dropped the hamsters, but, in the interim, he must endure Aunt Mandy's efforts to broaden the horizons of her charges with trips to fancy restaurants, the art museum, and the ballet. Jason, a kid who lives in Aunt Mandy's building, comes along for the day, and it doesn't take long for Andy and Tamika to figure out his connection to the hamsters. Despite Jason, Andy discovers that he enjoys the urban scene, just as the chapter book crowd will discover that this lively "mystery" is an entertaining addition to the series.

A PICTURE BOOK OF SACAGAWEA (2000)

Shawn Brommer (review date June 2000)

SOURCE: Brommer, Shawn. Review of A Picture Book of Sacagawea, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Dan Brown. School Library Journal 46, no. 6 (June 2000): 128.

Gr. 2-5—In this brief biography [A Picture Book of Sacagawea ], Adler describes how Sacagawea was kidnapped at the age of 10 or 11 by an enemy tribe, was sold as a second wife to a rough white trader and trapper who served as an interpreter on the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific, and assisted the expedition through her quick thinking and ability to communicate with other tribes. Unfortunately, none of the horror of her situation—being captured, her family murdered, her forced marriage—comes through in the straightforward text. Brown's illustrations are often at odds with the historical setting. The art is pure Hollywood, particularly the reunion between Sacajawea and her brother, with the young woman fully made up with lipstick and eye makeup. Faces are static, figures are awkwardly posed, and action scenes lack movement. Young readers may be interested in learning about the remarkable woman who graces the new dollar coin, but this story doesn't do her justice.

Linda Perkins (review date 1-15 June 2000)

SOURCE: Perkins, Linda. Review of A Picture Book of Sacagawea, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Dan Brown. Booklist 96, nos. 19-20 (1-15 June 2000): 1899.

Gr. 1-4—From the first simple sentences citing her birth and tribal background to the very last, noting the new dollar coin with her image, this Picture Book biography [A Picture Book of Sacagawea ] covers the important known facts about Sacagawea. As is characteristic of this series, the narrative is clear, direct, and never fictionalized. A few dangerous moments are chronicled, but the factual tone is more like an encyclopedia article. The soft watercolor art is more successful in depicting landscapes than human figures; e.g., Sacagawea's facial features appear more European than Native American. A list of important dates, an author's note, and a selected bibliography are appended but there is no pronunciation guide and no map. Brief but competent history for primary social-studies units, this is also recommended for older students with low reading skills.

ANDY RUSSELL, NOT WANTED BY THE POLICE (2001)

Kirkus Reviews (review date 15 September 2001)

SOURCE: Review of Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Leanne Franson. Kirkus Reviews 69, no. 18 (15 September 2001): 1352.

Andy's next-door neighbors, the Perlmans, ask Andy and Tamika to watch their house for them while they're in South America [in Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police ]. Everything seems fine until one day some strange things begin to happen. Lights mysteriously turn on and off, and some odd trash shows up in the trashcan. But what kind of thief eats Oat Bran Toasties and wears purple stockings? Andy and Tamika decide to begin investigating the strange occurrences after a search by the police turns up empty-handed and Andy's parents dismiss the events as the product of overactive imaginations. In addition to dealing with the strange events next door, Andy finds himself facing some big changes in his life. His mother is set to give birth to a new baby any day and Andy's older sister has been acting oddly around him for sometime. While hardly great literature, this easy mystery is enhanced with simple line drawings and has a comfort level that will have young readers flying through it to find out exactly what is going on next door.

Debbie Feulner (review date January 2002)

SOURCE: Feulner, Debbie. Review of Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Leanne Franson. School Library Journal 48, no. 1 (January 2002): 89.

Gr. 2-4—While his neighbors the Perlmans are on a research and sightseeing vacation [in Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police ], Andy watches their house. Helping the young detective is Tamika Anderson, who lived with them while her parents were recovering from an accident, but is now staying with the Russells. The children find trash in their neighbors' garbage can and signs that someone is in the house. The police investigate but determine there has been no break-in. Over the next few days, the friends' suspicions are aroused again. When they see a package delivered next door, they decide to call the Perlmans' phone number. They learn that the couple is letting an artist stay in their home. As simple as that, the mystery is solved. As implausible as the plot may be, beginning chapterbook readers and fans of Andy Russell may enjoy this tidy case.

Helen Rosenburg (review date 1-15 January 2002)

SOURCE: Rosenburg, Helen. Review of Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Leanne Franson. Booklist 98, nos. 9-10 (1-15 January 2002): 855.

Gr. 3-5—In this the fifth volume in the Andy Russell series [Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police ], Andy once again must use his intuition and smarts, this time to solve a mystery next door. Andy and his friend Tamika are watching an absent neighbor's house when they spot signs of an intruder: there's unusual garbage in the trash can and Andy sees a light at the house late at night. The problem is that things seem perfectly normal when Andy tries to show his evidence to his family and the police. Since nobody will believe him, Andy sets out to uncover the truth with his own detective work. Friendly black-and-white drawings, humorous text, and a cast of likable characters will entice young readers, who will relate to Andy's predicament.

B. FRANKLIN, PRINTER (2001)

Elizabeth Bush (review date February 2002)

SOURCE: Bush, Elizabeth. Review of B. Franklin, Printer, by David A. Adler. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 55, no. 6 (February 2002): 198.

Lives of the nation's founders are the reliable staples of the biography shelves, and all too often they're about as bland as bleached rice. Adler, though, packs enough kick and punch into his account of the Revolutionary statesman [B. Franklin, Printer ] to convince readers that the fellow in the wire rims and fur hat is someone worth knowing. The standard information is all here: the printing business, the electrical experiments, the international negotiations, the initially reluctant—then fervent—advocacy for independence, all the items the history teacher expects a student to know. So, though, is the information a kid might actually want to know: Franklin the runaway, Franklin the earthy humorist (sly innuendo concerning melted pants buttons should elicit some guffaws), Franklin the gamester (ambitious kids can try to find the error in the jacket reproduction of his sixteen by sixteen magic square), Franklin the ladies' man ("One evening they played chess while Madame Brillon soaked in a covered bathtub"). Chapters are brief and digestible, chapter source notes are chatty and illuminating, and clear inset reproductions of period newspapers are nothing short of fascinating. Overwrought Frenchmen may have dubbed Franklin "Apostle of Liberty," but Adler might just convince hard-sell middle-schoolers to call him a pretty cool guy.

Andrew Medlar (review date February 2002)

SOURCE: Medlar, Andrew. Review of B. Franklin, Printer, by David A. Adler. School Library Journal 48, no. 2 (February 2002): 138.

Gr. 4-8—It is appropriate that a man who loved reading and established the first subscription library in America should be the subject of such a stellar book [B. Franklin, Printer ]. From printer (his favorite title) to husband and father to scientist to military general to diplomat, "Le Grand Franklin" is hereby presented in all of his wise glory as well as in his humble pride. His incredible life flies by in a flurry of accomplishment, with readers hardly noticing the years passing, or that they are learning an interesting and important part of history. The many black-and-white reproductions, some from the man's own hand, complement the typeface, which was used in productions from Franklin's Philadelphia press. The source notes put most series biographies to shame. With its chronologies, map, index, diverse bibliography, and helpful Web sites, this is a solid research tool. Franklin's maxims and passages from his Pennsylvania Gazette are generously spread throughout the text, and readers will develop an appreciation for who this person was in his own time and what he means to the United States in our day. Adler doesn't miss a beat in his first biography for this age level, which is perhaps the best so far of a man who, he suggests, may have been "our greatest American."

Christine Duthie, Nancy L. Hadaway, Julie M. Jensen, and Richard M. Kerper (review date September 2002)

SOURCE: Duthie, Christine, Nancy L. Hadaway, Julie M. Jensen, and Richard M. Kerper. Review of B. Franklin, Printer, by David A. Adler. Language Arts 80, no. 1 (September 2002): 72.

[In B. Franklin, Printer, ] Adler begins with a title from Franklin's self-chosen epitaph, endpapers depicting his inventions, and a typeface with ornamentations from his press. He continues with numerous quotes that reflect 18th-century writing conventions as well as maps, engravings, drawings, paintings, period publications, and letters. The book closes with chronologies, detailed source notes, Web sites, a bibliography, and an index. Adler introduces young readers to Franklin the printer, author, inventor, scientist, and statesman and leaves them in awe of Franklin's sweeping and brilliant accomplishments. Deep and broad, spirited and scholarly, both Franklin and his biography are memorable and worthy: "If you would not be forgotten / As soon as you are dead and rotten / Either write things worth reading, / Or do things worth the writing" (p. 102).

CAM JANSEN AND THE SCHOOL PLAY MYSTERY (2001)

Hazel Rochman (review date August 2001)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of Cam Jansen and the School Play Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Booklist 97, no. 22 (August 2001): 2118.

Gr. 2-4—The latest Cam Jansen mystery [Cam Jansen and the School Play Mystery ] is not for newcomers to the popular mystery series. Told mostly in dialogue, the story is more complicated than usual, with Cam's friends on stage acting in a historical play about Honest Abe Lincoln while she's investigating the real-life theft of the theater admission money. Of course, Cam Jansen fans will be familiar with the characters and will love the puzzle as, once again, Cam applies her photographic memory to solving the crime. The clues and the red herrings are in the story for amateur sleuths to work on with Cam. See the article on "Mysteries for Children" [BKL My 15 01] for more about this series' appeal for young readers.

Holly Belli (review date January 2002)

SOURCE: Belli, Holly. Review of Cam Jansen and the School Play Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. School Library Journal 48, no. 1 (January 2002): 89.

Gr. 1-3—Cam Jansen is at it again [in Cam Jansen and the School Play Mystery ], this time solving the puzzle of who stole the ticket money at the school play. When two of her classmates are assigned to collect money and put it in a taped box, Cam joins them and watches the people filing in, paying for tickets, and getting to their seats. When the three friends finish the job and open the box, only a few dollars are inside, despite a packed house. The teacher calls the police, and Cam begins clicking her way through the scenes in her photographic memory until she figures out who committed the crime and how. Adler spoon-feeds readers the solution as the young detective figures it out, taking away the fun of learning to read for information. No clues exist in the text that would allow children to say, "I got it!" while they read. Other parts of the story seem incomplete as well, such as the scene in which the thief is made to watch the end of the play, which is about "Honest Abe Lincoln." The scene consists of two characters greeting each other with a "Hello" onstage. The teacher then says to the thief, "I hope you watched that. You can learn a lesson from Honest Abe Lincoln." Well, perhaps, but not from that pointless bit of dialogue. Of course, Cam has a following and children will probably want to read this book, but there are better mysteries out there.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (2001)

Eunice Weech (review date June 2001)

SOURCE: Weech, Eunice. Review of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by David A. Adler, illustrated by Colin Bootman. School Library Journal 47, no. 6 (June 2001): 133.

K-Gr. 3—[Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a] succinct introduction to the civil rights leader's life. Adler presents short, moving vignettes about the people and events that influenced the child and man: young King's sorrow when his white friends were no longer allowed to play with him because of his color, his father's refusal to purchase shoes when he was told to wait in the back of the store, and King's involvement as an adult in boycotts and freedom marches. Adler demonstrates that a good writer can tell an interesting and emotionally powerful story using simple vocabulary and short sentences. Bootman's full- and double-page realistic paintings help to fill in the details for the author's spare but well-chosen words. A good companion to Frances Ruffin's easy-reader Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington.

Carolyn Phelan (review date July 2001)

SOURCE: Phelan, Carolyn. Review of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by David A. Adler, illustrated by Colin Bootman. Booklist 97, no. 21 (July 2001): 2022.

Gr. 1-3—From the Holiday House Reader series, this volume [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ] briefly introduces Martin Luther King, Jr. as a civil rights leader. Adler points out not only King's childhood experiences with racism but also the values his parents taught him: self-respect, dignity in the face of injustice, and the power of ideas and words. This brief biography chronicles the main events of King's life and goes on to include his death and his legacy as "a powerful man of peace." Even in the small format of a beginning reader, Bootman's painterly illustrations convey the book's serious tone through the often grave expressions of the characters and the generally dark palette of colors. The book ends with a chronology and a bibliography. Since there's nothing childish about the approach of the text or the look of the illustrations, this book would be appropriate and appealing to somewhat older children who are reading below grade level.

YOUNG CAM JANSEN AND THE LIBRARY MYSTERY (2001)

Hazel Rochman (review date 1 May 2001)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Booklist 97, no. 17 (1 May 2001): 1612.

Gr. K-2—In the seventh Viking Easy-to-Read story about Cam Jansen [Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery ], Cam once again uses her photographic memory to solve a mystery in daily life. It's a scenario many kids will recognize. Dad's lost the shopping list. Did he leave it in the library where he and Cam and her friend were reading mysteries and checking out books? Did he drop it as they came to the supermarket? The scenes of the library and the store are bright and busy, and readers will catch the excitement of playing detective by looking closely at the details in their own daily lives. They will also see that mystery stories are fun.

Judy Freeman (review date November-December 2001)

SOURCE: Freeman, Judy. Review of Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Instructor 111, no. 4 (November-December 2001): 14-15.

As a companion series to Nate the Great, introduce your mystery fans to the amazing Cam Jansen [in Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery ], whose "camera-like" memory helps her see clues others never notice. At the library with her dad and her friend Eric, Cam shows off her amazing recall by reciting word-for-word passages from one of her favorite books. A stop at the supermarket gives her a reason to track down a more mundane collection of words: Dad can't figure out where he left his shopping list. At the end of the book is a memory game that includes a list of questions to check readers' observation skills.

CAM JANSEN AND THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL MYSTERY (2002)

Hazel Rochman (review date 1 December 2002)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Booklist 99, no. 7 (1 December 2002): 671.

K-Gr. 2—On the first day of school, the police come into the classroom and arrest Cam's teacher for leaving the scene of an accident. But as always in Adler's lively, easy-to-read, chapter-book mysteries, Cam uses her photographic memory to find important clues and save the day. The twenty-second book in the popular series [Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery ], this is one of the best, from the opening scene on the school bus stuck in traffic to Cam's clever discovery of a dry-cleaning ticket that leads her to the criminal. With the informal storytelling and the immediacy of the scenarios, this is sure to draw beginning readers to the pleasure of mystery stories with a protagonist close to home.

Lisa Smith (review date January 2003)

SOURCE: Smith, Lisa. Review of Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. School Library Journal 49, no. 1 (January 2003): 93.

Gr. 2-4—[Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery is a] disappointing addition to the series. On the way to the first day of fifth grade, Cam and Eric's school bus is stopped in a traffic tie-up caused by a car crash a few blocks away from school. Later, their teacher is taken away by the police, accused of leaving the scene of the accident. Using her photographic memory, Cam is able to establish that Ms. Benson was not driving her car at the time of the accident. Her memory also points toward the clue that identifies the thief, who was driving. Neither of the "clues" provided by Cam could have been overlooked by even the densest police inquiry. It also strains credulity that the officers would confront a teacher in front of her class and that the principal would then leave the children unattended while she arranged for a sub.

A HERO AND THE HOLOCAUST: THE STORY OF JANUSZ KORCZAK AND HIS CHILDREN (2002)

Kirkus Reviews (review date 15 September 2002)

SOURCE: Review of A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth. Kirkus Reviews 70, no. 18 (15 September 2002): 1382.

[A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children is a] biography of the Polish doctor and children's author who became director of a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw, in which capacity he comforted hundreds of children during the Holocaust. Korczak, himself Jewish (born Henryk Goldzsmit), took up his pen name as a child to appeal to a Gentile audience; as an adult, he dispensed homely advice over the radio, still downplaying his Jewish identity. In his capacity as director of the orphanage, he offered resistance to the Nazis and succor to the children. Korczak emerges as a virtual saint who, as the children were forced into the ghetto, led them in a parade so they would not be frightened. Farnsworth (Great Stone Face,) delivers somber and atmospheric watercolors, painting a genial yet dignified Korczak. (Although, frustratingly, he declines to illustrate the green flag of Korczak's character King Matt, mentioned in the text twice, which the children carried on the way to the ghetto and then to the trains to give them heart.) Adler (A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower ) does a creditable job of placing Korczak in history, describing simply the looming anti-Semitism of pre-war Poland and leading Korczak, children, and reader into the Warsaw Ghetto together. However, this work must be read or taught in concert with others on the same subject. The author sidesteps the actual nature of the concentration camp to which Korczak and his children were taken, writing only that the "train took [the Jews] to Treblinka.… There were signs for trains to other cities. But for Jews, there were no trains out of Treblinka. Janusz Korczak died there with his children." Introducing the horrors of the Holocaust to young children is no easy feat, but surely treating them honestly is better than such disingenuousness. Reading in isolation, children will wonder what is heroic about a man who calmly led children he loved to these mysterious deaths. Worthy, but needs supplementation.

Hazel Rochman (review date 1 December 2002)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth. Booklist 99, no. 7 (1 December 2002): 658.

Gr. 3-5—In a quiet, brief account of the Polish Jewish orphanage-director Janusz Korczak, who cared for hundreds of children in the Warsaw ghetto and then went with them to his death in Treblinka, [A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children, ] this picture-book biography introduces the hero's personal story, putting it within the context of the fate of children in the Holocaust. Moving quotes from Korczak's diary are part of the text, and throughout Adler is careful to distinguish fact from surmise. The narrative, however, is just an outline, so the book's grade-school audience will need to talk with adults about the history of Nazism, the ghettos, transports, camps, and gas chambers. Adler does provide a brief afterward and a useful bibliography. The illustrations, oil paintings on linen in sepia tones, are unforgettable. They evoke the famous documentary photos of the time—starving children huddled on the sidewalk; a boy forced to march with both arms raised—as well as the brave elderly caregiver who stayed with the children through it all.

Cyndi Giorgis and Nancy J. Johnson (review date March 2003)

SOURCE: Giorgis, Cyndi, and Nancy J. Johnson. Review of A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth. Reading Teacher 56, no. 6 (March 2003): 585.

David Adler's picture-book biography A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children introduces readers to the beloved director of a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw, Poland, during the darkest days of the Nazi occupation. Affectionately called "Old Doctor" by the children, Korczak was also a noted author, radio personality, teacher, and doctor whose most important responsibility was to love and protect his orphans. When they were forced to leave the Warsaw ghetto for Treblinka, "Old Doctor" told the children not to fear, he would remain with them always. Lined up two by two, 192 children "sang a marching song as they walked two miles to the train station," calmed by Korczak's presence. Bill Farnsworth's haunting illustrations, rendered in oil paint on linen, complement this moving story of the remarkable courage and kindness of a man who once wrote, "I never wish anyone ill. I cannot. I don't know how it is done."

Martha Link (review date March 2003)

SOURCE: Link, Martha. Review of A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth. School Library Journal 49, no. 3 (March 2003): 212.

Gr. 1-3—Adler tells the story of the Jewish author, doctor, and orphanage director [in A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children ]. Throughout the book, Adler gives hints of the trouble brewing in Poland in the 1930s, without really making clear who the Nazis were or why they were seizing property and burning books. However, the main focus of the narrative is Korczak's relationship with the children he cared for. He is depicted as a kindly "Old Doctor" who allowed the children to draw on his bald head. He is unable, however, to protect them or himself from the invasion of Warsaw. The deportation of Korczak and the children, first to the Ghetto, and later to Treblinka, is described but not explained. Why have the children been sent here? Why is no one able to help them? Youngsters who have not studied the Holocaust may be confused and startled by the stark sentences about the camp: "But for Jews, there were no trains out of Treblinka. Janusz Korczak died there with his children." Farnsworth's paintings, beautifully realistic oils on linen, depict a dark world dominated by shades of gray and brown. Splashes of green and red—a bottle here, a scarf there—bring a sense of hope into the art that is not found in the text. The subject matter seems better suited to a longer book for older students than a means of introducing a horrific time in history to young children. This book would be useful as a supplement to other Holocaust materials, but on its own it is an additional purchase.

A PICTURE BOOK OF DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER (2002)

Kirkus Reviews (review date 15 August 2002)

SOURCE: Review of A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower, by David A. Adler. Kirkus Reviews 70, no. 16 (15 August 2002): 1214.

The zeal to extend interest in the "Greatest Generation" to young children brings the 34th US president to picture book readers. Adler's (Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery, etc.) straightforward, though largely undistinguished, text [A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower ] opens with Eisenhower's triumphal 1945 return from Europe, then backtracks to fill in the details of the general's life from his birth in Denison, Texas, and youth in Abilene, Kansas, to his education at West Point and his early military career. The second world war gets six pages, Eisenhower's presidency, three. Handsome archival photographs provide the illustrations, and indeed constitute the high point. Quotations from primary source materials appear throughout, giving young readers a direct glimpse into history, but are regrettably unsourced both within the text and in the back matter (which includes a timeline and author's notes). This offering's greatest weakness, however, lies in the necessary brevity of coverage of a time and events that may not be familiar to primary grade readers. Terms such as the Allied forces and segregation are introduced without explanation, and the celebratory "Taxes went down and incomes went up" will likely mean little to the designated audience. Still, as an accompaniment to an introduction to the events of WWII and the 1950s, it will be useful. (Picture book/biography. 7-9)

Barbara Buckley (review date October 2002)

SOURCE: Buckley, Barbara. Review of A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower, by David A. Adler. School Library Journal 48, no. 10 (October 2002): 136.

Gr. 1-3—Rather than beginning with Eisenhower's birth, Adler opens [A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower ] with a description of the June 19, 1945, parade in New York City at which the general was given a medal naming him "the victorious Commander in Chief of Allied Armies in defense of human liberty." The book adequately explores his youth and family life, acceptance to West Point, and marriage. There is little about the president's army career. Throughout, Adler praises Eisenhower's accomplishments; thus, the book lacks balance. However, for the most part, his story is well told and interesting. Many of the black-and-white photographs have been used in other biographies, but they have been well chosen, and their placement and size do much to flesh out the book.

Carolyn Phelan (review date 15 October 2002)

SOURCE: Phelan, Carolyn. Review of A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower, by David A. Adler. Booklist 99, no. 4 (15 October 2002): 408.

Gr. 1-3—In this appealing volume from the Picture Book Biography series, [A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower, ] Adler presents the life of Dwight David Eisenhower. Beginning with a triumphant 1945 parade in New York City, the narrative shifts to overviews of his Kansas childhood, love of sports, West Point career, marriage, family life, service in WWI, leadership in WWII, accomplishments as president, and his death. Good black-and-white photos appear throughout the book. Appendixes include a chronology, author's notes, a selected source bibliography, and a list of pertinent Web sites. A clear, straightforward introduction to Eisenhower.

Cyndi Giorgis, and Nancy J. Johnson (review date March 2003)

SOURCE: Giorgis, Cyndi, and Nancy J. Johnson. Review of A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower, by David A. Adler. Reading Teacher 56, no. 6 (March 2003): 585.

David A. Adler thoughtfully depicts another well-respected former president of the United States in A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower. Eisenhower spent most of his boyhood in Kansas where he excelled in athletics and gained a love of history. Later "Ike" was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He served in World War I and was put in charge of U.S. forces in Europe during World War II. "Eisenhower was tough. He sometimes lost his temper. But he was also warm, honest, and sensible." These traits made him immensely popular, and though he was encouraged to run for the presidency, Ike chose to become president of New York's Columbia University and resisted politics. In 1952, he decided to "abide by the decisions of [his] party" and made a successful bid for the White House. Black-and-white photographs of Eisenhower as well as a chronology of his life and some further information enhance this biography of the 34th president of the United States.

YOUNG CAM JANSEN AND THE DOUBLE BEACH MYSTERY (2002)

Kirkus Reviews (review date 15 April 2002)

SOURCE: Review of Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Kirkus Reviews 70, no. 8 (15 April 2002): 560.

Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to solve two mini-mysteries that take place on a trip to the beach with her mother, her aunt, and her friend, Eric. [Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery ] is Cam's eighth mystery in Adler's successful easy-reader series (Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery, 2001, etc.), which features the main character from his longer Cam Jansen stories. In this summertime beach adventure, Cam, Eric, and Aunt Molly stroll down the beach to look for shells, leaving Cam's mother under her red beach umbrella. Cam's group briefly loses track of Cam's mother (mystery number 1) as the tide rises and the configuration of colorful beach umbrellas changes. Cam's mother briefly loses track of her papers for work (mystery number 2), which were covered by blowing sand. Cam solves both puzzles by reviewing prior situations, a device that offers a repetitive structure for new readers to practice the same descriptive words. The mysteries are rather lame, but the plot hangs together and the controlled vocabulary and familiar, appealing character address the considerable market for new readers who can feel successful reading through a whole series of similarly leveled and structured stories. The final page offers an easy memory game with questions based on the story's first illustration. Natti's watercolor-and-ink illustrations add colorful interest, although Cam often looks a little too young for the intended audience. (Easy reader. 5-8)

Hazel Rochman (review date 1 May 2002)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Booklist 98, no. 17 (1 May 2002): 1461.

Gr. K-2—From the library to the pizza shop, the Young Cam Jansen mysteries in the Viking Easy-to-Read series are set in places many beginning readers know well. This eighth title in the series [Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery ] takes place at the beach, where once again Cam uses her photographic memory and her deductive reasoning to solve a mystery. Why can't Cam and her friend Eric find their way back to Mom's red umbrella on the beach? What has changed? And why have Mom's papers disappeared even though she put a rock on them to keep them from blowing away? With bright, active pictures on every page, there are plenty of visual clues. The story will make new readers look closely at the detail and think about the action and about being lost and found; it's just scary enough to keep kids on edge.

Kay Bowes (review date June 2002)

SOURCE: Bowes, Kay. Review of Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. School Library Journal 48, no. 6 (June 2002): 80.

K-Gr. 2—When Cam, her friend Eric, and her Aunt Molly take a walk on the beach [in Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery ], Cam thinks she will be able to find their way back to her mother, but the umbrellas she used to mark their spot seem to have moved. In five short chapters, children discover the case at hand and have the opportunity to solve it through deductive reasoning. The colorful page just before the first chapter previews the scene, affording readers the same view that the young investigator has. Beginning readers will love the colorful illustrations that are so integral to the mystery, as well as the humor innate to the series. Team up Cam Jansen with Marjorie Sharmat's "Nate the Great" for fun mysteries for novice readers.

CAM JANSEN AND THE TENNIS TROPHY MYSTERY (2003)

Hazel Rochman (review date 1 November 2003)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Booklist 100, no. 5 (1 November 2003): 499.

K-Gr. 2—In the twenty-third chapter book starring Cam Jansen [Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery ], the young sleuth with a photographic memory, the action once again takes place at school, and the adult characters are as interesting as the kids. The tough gym teacher, Mr. Day, is missing a silver trophy he won in the staff tennis tournament. Who took the trophy from the locked display case in his newly painted office? As Cam and her friend Eric pass notes in homeroom and work on math problems, their warm teacher Ms. Benson helps them talk about the mystery, though once again, it's Cam's amazing memory ("click!") that fills in the crucial clues. The dialogue is lively, especially when mean Mr. Day barks orders ("Why are you talking? Why aren't you jumping? Don't you know the rules in this gym?"), and the clever detective work will hook new readers.

Sue Sherif (review date March 2004)

SOURCE: Sherif, Sue. Review of Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. School Library Journal 50, no. 3 (March 2004): 152.

Gr. 2-4—Cam once again uses her photographic memory and sleuthing skills in this 23rd installment in a popular series [Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery ]. The plot is slight. Although a missing tennis trophy from a match between two faculty members is not apt to be of high interest to beginning chapter-book readers, the fact that the chief suspect is a teacher may garner some interest. Children's greatest curiosity may be reserved for the fact that neither the text nor the black-and-white drawings give a clue as to which competitor triumphs in the rematch.

HELEN KELLER (2003)

Hazel Rochman (review date July 2003)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of Helen Keller, by David A. Adler, illustrated by John Wallner. Booklist 99, no. 21 (July 2003): 1899.

Gr. 1-2—The author and illustrator who created A Picture Book of Helen Keller (1992) tell Keller's dramatic story again in this moving biography in the Holiday House Reader series [Helen Keller ]. The simply written account begins with the illness that made Keller deaf and blind at the age of two and then moves on to the hope that came from Anne Sullivan, who taught Keller "to talk and hear with her hands," read Braille, and speak. The elemental narrative is truly inspiring because it is told without rhetoric or direct message, and Wallner's lively, colorful pictures show the brave child and her bond with her amazing mentor, who helped Keller reach out to people all over the world.

Peg Glisson (review date November 2003)

SOURCE: Glisson, Peg. Review of Helen Keller, by David A. Adler, illustrated by John Wallner. School Library Journal 49, no. 11 (November 2003): 120.

Gr. 1-3—Adler has adapted the information in A Picture Book of Helen Keller (Holiday, 1990) into this offering for beginning readers [Helen Keller ]. Youngsters will gain a sense of Keller's frustration as a child, her determination as a student, and her hard work for human rights as an adult. Wallner's softly colored line-and-watercolor illustrations fill in some of the details of Keller's life, especially during her childhood. The clear, large font and attractive, well-placed pictures help newly independent readers make their way through the chapters. A listing of important dates and a bibliography round out the presentation. However, Picture Book correctly lists 1924 as the date Keller began her work with the American Foundation for the Blind; this title lists the date as 1900. Nonetheless, it is an attractive and accessible introduction to this famous figure.

HEROES OF THE REVOLUTION (2003)

Shauna Yusko (review date November 2003)

SOURCE: Yusko, Shauna. Review of Heroes of the Revolution, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Donald A. Smith. School Library Journal 49, no. 11 (November 2003): 120.

Gr. 1-4—Whether spying on the British or rescuing fallen soldiers on the battlefield, the 12 men and women in this collection [Heroes of the Revolution ] stand out as heroic figures. Each spread includes a brief, anecdotal text and a stylized painting of the individual in action. Entries are alphabetical, include birth and death dates, and contain details only about the person's contribution to the war. For example, George Washington's biography discusses his role as the commander of the Continental army. Other figures include Ethan Allen, Crispus Attucks, Lydia Darragh, Nathan Hale, Mary "Molly Pitcher" Hays, Thomas Jefferson, John Paul Jones, Thomas Paine, Paul Revere, Haym Salomon, and Deborah Sampson. A chronology and author's notes provide additional information. Teachers looking to introduce the war to children and students looking for ideas for reports will find this title an engaging place to start.

MaryLouise Burger (review date 2004)

SOURCE: Burger, MaryLouise. Review of Heroes of the Revolution, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Donald A. Smith. Childhood Education 80, no. 5 (2004): 275.

The 12 heroes of the American Revolution, both well known and little known, described in this book [Heroes of the Revolution ] include women and minorities. The facts are briefly and simply stated, offering just enough of a glimpse that children might be inspired to look further into the life of each hero. A teacher could use this book as a stimulating introduction to research. The author's notes and a time line of important dates and facts are helpful. A good bibliography completes the book. Ages 8-11.

MAMA PLAYED BASEBALL (2003)

Diane Roback, Jennifer M. Brown, and Jason Britton (review date 3 February 2003)

SOURCE: Roback, Diane, Jennifer M. Brown, and Jason Britton. Review of Mama Played Baseball, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Chris O'Leary. Publishers Weekly 250, no. 5 (3 February 2003): 76.

Adler (The Babe and I ; Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man ) heads back to the ballpark for [Mama Played Baseball, ] this tale of a girl whose mother makes it into a women's pro baseball league during WWII. "While Dad's away, I need to work," Mama tells Amy, who wonders, " What kind of job is that ?" In fact, Mama needs Amy's help to practice for the tryouts (they play catch). Adler includes such period details as mentions of war news and The Jack Benny Show on the radio, but unlike the subjects of his picture book biographies, the characters here never take on much dimension. An evening with Amy and her grandparents gathered around the Sunday dinner table seems designed only to demonstrate her grandfather's memory loss ("You told Amy last night about the war and your medal," his wife says. "Well, I did fight and I did win a medal," Grandpa replies). Scenes of Mama trying out and bringing home her uniform (a fetching pink number) liven up the proceedings, and readers unfamiliar with the start of the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League (explained in an endnote) may well find this story satisfying, especially when Amy's soldier father comes home at the end. The high point here is the work of debut artist O'Leary, whose sinewy artistic style recalls Depression-era murals. The physicality of his oil paintings, rendered in subtle earth tones, energize the action on the baseball diamond and are equally effective in conveying warmly lit interior scenes. Ages 5-8.

Kirkus Reviews (review date 15 February 2003)

SOURCE: Review of Mama Played Baseball, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Chris O'Leary. Kirkus Reviews 71, no. 4 (15 February 2003): 298.

Oil paintings filled with motion and muted colors reminiscent of painter Thomas Benton Hart take the reader back to the time of WWII in [Mama Played Baseball, ] this low-key story about a girl whose mother plays baseball. Amy's mother tries out successfully for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and fortunately plays for their hometown team. At first, narrator Amy isn't impressed. What kind of job is baseball, a game, compared to her father's peacetime job of delivering milk? But her father is away in the army, the family needs the income, and as she watches her mother play, Amy gains in enthusiasm. Despite this change in Amy, the choppy writing lacks emotional impact and explains feelings with phrases like "We were so happy," rather than conveying them through action and dialogue. It's surprising that the child of an athlete good enough to play pro ball initially cares so little for the sport. Amy also doesn't seem to mind it that her mother is away a lot or that her father is presumably in some danger. The artwork, which out-shines the text, enhances the emotions described in an impressive debut by O'Leary. Readers looking for more effective picture books about women in baseball should try Dirt on Their Skirts: The Story of the Young Women Who Won the World Championship, by Doreen Rappaport and Lyndall Callan (2000), or Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings, by Deborah Hopkinson. (Picture book 5-9)

Elizabeth Bush (review date April 2003)

SOURCE: Bush, Elizabeth. Review of Mama Played Baseball, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Chris O'Leary. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 56, no. 8 (April 2003): 302.

There's a war on, Daddy's been called into the service, and Mama must get a job to keep the family going [in Mama Played Baseball ]. Her strongest skill is fielding a ball, and after enlisting her young daughter (the narrator) at practice, Mama's off to tryouts for the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League. She makes the team, and all through the season Grandma, Grandpa, and daughter cheer at the home games and wait out the road trips. One day Mama dons her uniform and heads off to the train station with her little girl in tow for a surprise: "'Are you taking me to a faraway game?' Mama didn't answer. She just smiled." No, they are there to meet Dad, home from the war: "Mama touched his cheek and said, 'You look so handsome in your uniform.' Dad smiled and said, 'And you look so pretty in yours.'" Adler offers an engaging premise, but there's more family sentiment here than contextual details concerning the women's league and the war that effectively spawned and nurtured it. Although O'Leary supplies some inviting depictions of leggy Mama stretching for a catch and loping athletically through the depot to greet her husband, a few too many spreads focusing on somber neighborhood streets and quiet family gatherings will probably leave viewers clamoring for less posing and more action. An author's note briefly comments on the League, but listeners must puzzle out references to The Jack Benny Show and Grandpa's old war medals on their own.

Steven Engelfried (review date April 2003)

SOURCE: Engelfried, Steven. Review of Mama Played Baseball, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Chris O'Leary. School Library Journal 49, no. 4 (April 2003): 114.

K-Gr. 3—While Amy's father is fighting in World WarII[in Mama Played Baseball ], her mother gets an unusual job to make ends meet: she becomes a professional baseball player. Though at first the girl wonders, "What kind of job is that?" she enthusiastically roots for Mama during games and helps her practice when she can. Amy narrates the story in direct and simple sentences, focusing on the events that affect her and her family. Adler provides basic historical background in an author's note, but appropriately sticks to the child's perspective in this heartfelt narrative. Full-page oil paintings evoke the time and place. Figures and faces stand out nicely against the comfortable olive and brown tones in the background. Broad neighborhood and crowd scenes alternate with closer views of individuals. After a successful season, Mama dresses for a game but takes her daughter to the bus station instead of the stadium where they meet Dad, his uniform as impressive as Mama's. Amy's surprise for her father turns out to be her own drawings of Mama playing baseball. The revelation is not especially dramatic, but it fits just right with the warm mood of the story. The final painting focuses on the three family members enjoying the peace of home.

A PICTURE BOOK OF HARRIET BEECHER STOWE (2003)

Kirkus Reviews (review date 1 March 2003)

SOURCE: Review of A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Colin Bootman. Kirkus Reviews 71, no. 5 (1 March 2003): 378.

[A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe, ] Adler's latest in his Picture Book Biography series (A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, 2003, etc.) documents the events that affected Harriet throughout her life and brought her to fame as an author. Born in 1811, Harriet was always a voracious reader, and discovered her penchant for writing in early adolescence. But the experiences that led her to become "the little lady who made this big war," did not come until her family moved from the free state of Connecticut to Ohio. With Kentucky right across the river, she viewed steamboats of slaves on their way to be sold in the Deep South, the posters advertising rewards for the return of runaways, and the slaves themselves, at work in the fields and mistreated by their owners. But it was not until 1851, at the age of 40, that Harriet began writing the weekly installments for an antislavery newspaper that would become her most famous work. Millions of readers learned of the horrors of slavery through Harriet's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. She inflamed Americans who had not previously held an opinion on slavery, and many argue that she helped elect Abraham Lincoln. Adler focuses mainly on the events leading up to Uncle Tom. It is the perfect beginning for young readers doing a first project, or for school children who are getting acquainted with this period in American history. Author's notes, a list of important dates, and a list of resources help students find more information. Bootman's (Don't Say Ain't, etc.) watercolor paintings fit the mood and time period of her day. His color palette reflects the seriousness of the topic, while at the same time showing readers the details of life in the 1800s. (Nonfiction. 6-10)

Gina Powell (review date May 2003)

SOURCE: Powell, Gina. Review of A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Colin Bootman. School Library Journal 49, no. 5 (May 2003): 133.

Gr. 2-4—This biography [A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe ] offers easily accessible information supported by realistic, evocative oil paintings. The text begins with Stowe's early years and her love for reading. When her father became president of Lane Theological Seminary and the family moved from Connecticut to Cincinnati in 1832, she began to witness the horrors of slavery, which left a deep impression on her. Bootman's illustrations depict a youthful Stowe in a billowing dress and bonnet, absorbed in reading; slaves working the land; the mature writer with President Lincoln; and full spreads of scenes that would have been familiar to Stowe. The narrative will engage readers while imparting facts about the woman and the period in which she lived. However, quotes within the text are not documented.

Hazel Rochman (review date 1-15 June 2003)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Colin Bootman. Booklist 99, nos. 19-20 (1-15 June 2003): 1800.

Gr. 2-4—The famous abolitionist whose best-selling novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, stirred people to hate slavery and fight the Civil War is the latest subject of Adler's Picture Book Biographies series. Some of the history and the book discussion [in A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe ] will be beyond the target audience, including the final note that Tom is certainly not a role model and that "some consider the book racist." But Bootman's stirring, realistic oil paintings, including portraits of Stowe's family and of Abraham Lincoln as well as a double-page spread of slave women at work on a plantation, bring Stowe's life and the historical period up close. The combination of Stowe's personal story with a quiet account of the injustice she witnessed will introduce young readers to the facts about the woman who made a difference.

A PICTURE BOOK OF LEWIS AND CLARK (2003)

Carolyn Phelan (review date 15 February 2003)

SOURCE: Phelan, Carolyn. Review of A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Ronald Himler. Booklist 99, no. 12 (15 February 2003): 1066.

Gr. 2-4—From the Picture Book Biography series, this well-illustrated book [A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark ] introduces Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their most celebrated joint venture. Sandwiched between biographical information on the leaders before and after the journey, a longer section on the expedition shows significant moments as the Corps of Discovery made its way across the continent and back. A short book about a large subject must necessarily leave many things out, but Adler does a creditable job of presenting basic information about the Lewis and Clark Expedition as well as the two men who led it. Brightening every double-page spread, Himler's impressionistic paintings include quiet portraits of the men as well as dramatic scenes from their adventures.

Heather E. Miller (review date March 2003)

SOURCE: Miller, Heather E. Review of A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Ronald Himler. School Library Journal 49, no. 3 (March 2003): 212.

K-Gr. 2—The story of the Corps of Discovery has recently recaptured American interest, and Adler's version of the historical expedition [A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark ] captures the spirit of adventure for a young audience. The most important facts and dates of the expedition are related in a casual, interest-grabbing style. The watercolor paintings span two-page spreads and convey the grandeur and scope of the unexplored West. The text is well placed within the illustrations. Similar to Steven Kroll's Lewis and Clark: Explorers of the American West (Holiday, 1994), this book is on an even easier reading level. A worthy addition to the series, it will be used for reports as well as for general interest.

Kirkus Reviews (review date 15 March 2003)

SOURCE: Review of A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Ronald Himler. Kirkus Reviews 71, no. 6 (15 March 2003): 458.

Adler (A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe, etc.) marks the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition with this informative biography for young readers [A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark ]. He traces the two-year journey from beginning to end and brings the narrative to life with excerpts from letters and journal entries. Occasionally, Adler interjects, placing events in context and pointing out their significance. For example, he writes that when the "Corps of Discovery" reached the Pacific Ocean in the winter of 1805, they took a vote to decide where to set up camp. "Among those who voted," he explains, "were Clark's slave, York, and Sacagawea, long before blacks and women voted in United States elections." His explanation surrounding the circumstances of Lewis's death, three years after journey's end, allows room for interpretation. Backmatter contains an author's note, time line, bibliography, and suggested Web sites. The opening map, unfortunately, creates confusion in an otherwise exemplary effort. All land east of the Mississippi is labeled "United States," individual states are not identified, and North America's entire eastern border is obscured. The land west of the river to the Rocky Mountains is ringed in purple, but not labeled as the former Louisiana Territory. In addition, 12 states are marked, not the 15 that eventually occupied the land. An explanation is provided later ("When the mission was planned, the land just west of the Mississippi River belonged to France. By the time it began, it belonged to the United States"), but it does little to bring the fuzzy geography into focus. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-8)

Meredith Kiger (review date winter 2003-2004)

SOURCE: Kiger, Meredith. Review of A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Ronald Himler. Childhood Education 80, no. 2 (winter 2003-2004): 90.

The author [of A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark ] celebrates the upcoming bicentennial of the heroic explorations of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who were chosen by Thomas Jefferson to explore the recently acquired territory of the Louisiana Purchase. This well-researched story chronicles Lewis and Clark's dangerous expedition, beginning in St. Louis in 1804, across the western United States to the Pacific Ocean, which they reached 18 arduous months later. Romanticized watercolor illustrations help bring this amazing story of wild animals, Native Americans, and breathtaking natural beauty alive for young readers. Ages 6-8.

YOUNG CAM JANSEN AND THE ZOO NOTE MYSTERY (2003)

Stephanie Zvirin (review date 1 May 2003)

SOURCE: Zvirin, Stephanie. Review of Young Cam Jansen and the Zoo Note Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. Booklist 99, no. 17 (1 May 2003): 1530.

K-Gr. 2—When Eric loses his permission slip to go on the class field trip to the zoo, his friend Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to help him find where he left the note [in Young Cam Jansen and the Zoo Note Mystery ]. As always in this lively Viking Easy-to-Read mystery series, the clues are there for the children who pay close attention to the story and to the clear, bright, detailed ink-and-watercolor pictures. In fact, most kids will solve the puzzle early on, and they may enjoy feeling a bit superior while Cam and Eric pursue false leads. A memory game rounds things out: children are invited to look very closely at a picture, then turn the page and answer questions about what they remember. What better way to engage beginning readers in the fun of paying attention to the words and pictures in a book.

Anne Knickerbocker (review date July 2003)

SOURCE: Knickerbocker, Anne. Review of Young Cam Jansen and the Zoo Note Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. School Library Journal 49, no. 7 (July 2003): 86.

Gr. 1-2—[Young Cam Jansen and the Zoo Note Mystery is a]nother appealing installment in a series of easy-to-read mysteries. Cam is helping her friend Eric find his permission note for their class field trip. After searching his pockets, the school hallway, and the bus, the young detective finally locates the note and Eric is allowed to go to the zoo. Short sentences, simple language, and plenty of white space make the story accessible. Featuring bright colors and interesting details, the appealing cartoon illustrations set the scene and provide picture clues for the text. The short chapters and well-placed moments of suspense will keep children turning pages. Some astute readers may even solve the mystery before Cam does, making the book even more attractive.

BONES AND THE BIG YELLOW MYSTERY (2004)

Kirkus Reviews (review date 15 August 2004)

SOURCE: Review of Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Kirkus Reviews 72, no. 16 (15 August 2004): 801.

Adler, author of the Cam Jansen series, introduces a new easy-reader mystery series with this story about a junior detective named Jeffrey Bones [Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery ]. While shopping at the mall with his grandfather, Jeffrey helps his school-bus driver locate his missing bus. Jeffrey also finds a friendly dog in a pet store and his grandfather decides to buy the dog—named Curly. The volume's design includes a short line length and plenty of white space surrounding the mid-level, first-person text, which is divided into short chapters. Illustrations on almost every page follow freckle-faced Jeffrey and his cheerful grandpa, who wears a polka-dot shirt and checked pants. The story isn't particularly humorous, and the mini-mystery is slight, but Jeffrey, Grandpa, and Curly are now established as a team, ready to solve more mysteries. Bones and the Dog Gone Mystery is the second in the series. (Easy reader 5-7)

Gillian Engberg (review date 15 October 2004)

SOURCE: Engberg, Gillian. Review of Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Booklist 101, no. 4 (15 October 2004): 409.

PreS-Gr. 2—In this debut title in a proposed series, [Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery, ] Adler adds a new character to his lineup of elementary-school detectives. Young sleuth Jeffrey Bones is at the mall with his grandfather when he encounters the driver of his school bus, who has misplaced his vehicle. Detective Bones immediately begins sorting out the clues and quickly solves the mystery. In the meantime, his grandfather has a surprise of his own; he has adopted a dog that Bones had fallen for earlier in the day. Adler writes an appealing, breezy, sometimes slapstick story in short, accessible sentences and with plenty of lively dialogue to help guide beginning readers. Newman's expressive acrylics reinforce the meaning in the words while extending the sense of silliness in scenes of Bones and a crowd of friendly characters, all clad in garish, cheerfully patterned outfits. A solid offering in the Viking Easy-To-Read series.

ENEMIES OF SLAVERY (2004)

Hazel Rochman (review date 1 October 2004)

SOURCE: Rochman, Hazel. Review of Enemies of Slavery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Donald A. Smith. Booklist 101, no. 3 (1 October 2004): 325.

Gr. 3-6—From President Lincoln and Frederick Douglass to Sojourner Truth and Denmark Vesey, the 14 profiles in this picture book for older children [Enemies of Slavery ] are not chronological biographies, but one-page accounts that focus on the subjects' roles in fighting slavery. Opposite each page of clear text is a dramatic, full-page portrait of the hero, either alone or in a scene of action and confrontation. The not so famous are here, too, including Elijah Lovejoy, who was killed by a mob for publishing an antislavery newspaper. Each profile begins with a stirring quote, and at the back are a useful selective bibliography and source notes for direct quotes. Unfortunately, some references are to general collections of quotations, which won't help kids who want to learn more about an individual, but the illustrated vignettes of heroic runaways, rebels, and abolitionists still provide a compelling introduction to the history.

GEORGE WASHINGTON: AN ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY (2004)

Kirkus Reviews (review date 15 September 2004)

SOURCE: Review of George Washington: An Illustrated Biography, by David A. Adler. Kirkus Reviews 72, no. 18 (15 September 2004): 909.

George Washington was a "silent man of action" involved in the French and Indian War, the Continental Congress, the American Revolution, and the Constitutional Convention. This straightforward account of Washington's life and times [George Washington: An Illustrated Biography ] provides a good introduction to the causes of the break with England as well as the character of the man. Notably, primary sources are allowed to speak for themselves at times and readers are able to make their own conclusions, supported and guided by a clear text. Washington's letters, for example, demonstrate how his opinion on slavery gradually changed over time. Letters, maps, engravings, drawings, and portraits, all carefully attributed to their sources, enliven the text. Though carefully documented, with lists of famous quotations, battles, generals, and cabinet members, 50 pages of such supporting material overload the volume, and still there's little to guide young readers and their teachers to the wealth of good resources available. An attractive volume nonetheless—and a useful research tool for young biography fans.

John Peters (review date 15 September 2004)

SOURCE: Peters, John. Review of George Washington: An Illustrated Biography, by David A. Adler. Booklist 101, no. 2 (15 September 2004): 235.

Gr. 5-7—Adler follows up his well-received B. Franklin, Printer (2001) with an equally perceptive study of another iconic figure [George Washington: An Illustrated Biography ]. Distilling major scholarship from the previous two centuries, he does nothing to tarnish Washington's reputation. Yes, he owned slaves, had a fiery temper, and exhibited such stingy ways that he sometimes drove his steward to tears, but he was also a canny, courageous, natural leader who learned from his mistakes, struggled with self-doubt, and held views toward slavery that were, for the time, moderate. Adler enhances his profile with a coherent, if distant, account of the Revolutionary War, small illustrations of many of the people and places he mentions, generous extracts from period letters or news accounts (in an evocatively battered looking typeface), capsule biographies of Washington's generals and cabinet members, and, finally, discursive endnotes and meaty resource lists. Marrin's George Washington and the Founding of a Nation (2001) features more rousing accounts of battles, but this offers clear views of Washington's public and private lives as well as sharp insights into his character and his times.

FURTHER READING

Biography

McElmeel, Sharron L. "David A. Adler." In 100 Most Popular Children's Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies, pp. 1-7. Englewood, Co.: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1999.

Biographical and bibliographical sketch of Adler's life and career.

Criticism

Broughton, Mary Ariail. "Adler, David." In The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, edited by Bernice E. Cullinan and Diane G. Person, pp. 6-8. New York, N.Y.: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2001.

Critical overview of Adler's career.

DiGiorgi, Cyndi, and Nancy J. Johnson. "Leaders." Reading Teacher 56, no. 6 (March 2003): 585.

Assesses several children's works focusing on leaders, including Adler's A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower and A Hero and the Holocaust.

Review of Heroes of the Revolution, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Donald A. Smith. Kirkus Reviews 71, no. 19 (1 October 2003): 1219.

Evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of Heroes of the Revolution.

Knickerbocker, Anne. Review of Bones and the Cupcake Mystery, by David A. Adler, illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. School Library Journal 51, no. 6 (June 2005): 102-03.

Applauds Adler's "fine characterizations and evident sense of humor" in Bones and the Cupcake Mystery.

Additional coverage of Adler's life and career is contained in the following sources published by Thomson Gale: Contemporary Authors, Vols. 57-60; Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, Vols. 7, 23, 88; Literature Resource Center; Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults, Eds. 1, 2; and Something about the Author, Vols. 14, 70, 106, 151.