W is for Weisz aka Houdini: Books about Immigrant Magician and Escape Artist, Harry Houdini4/12/2017 Erich Weisz was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1874, and moved with his family to Wisconsin when he was a child. Erich changed his name to Harry Houdini when he became a magician at the age of 20 - Harry was similar to his childhood nickname "Ehrie" and "Houdini" was in honor of a famous French Magician named Houdin. More than his ability in magic, Houdini gained fame as an escape-artist, and performed shows all over the country, and even in Europe. His acts included escaping from handcuffs, straightjackets, water-filled tanks and packing crates. Houdini's most famous act was the Chinese Water Torture Cell, in which he escaped after being suspended upside down by his feet in a locked glass cabinet, after managing to hold his breath for more than three minutes to escape.  Children's Books: A Picture Book of Harry Houdini David Adler (Author), Michael Adler (Author), Collins Matt (Illustrator) Publisher: Holiday House (2010) Ages: 4-8 yrs; Grades: 1-3 Review: Amazon Reviews 4.5*  Harry Houdini (Kids Can Read) Elizabeth MacLeod (Author), John Mantha (Illustrator) Publisher: Kids Can Press (2009) Ages: 6-8 yrs; Grades: 1-3 Review: Amazon Reviews 4.5*  Who Was Harry Houdini?
Tui Sutherland (Author), John O'Brien and Nancy Harrison (Illustrators) Publisher: Grosset and Dunlap (2002) Ages: 8-12 yrs; Grades: 3-7 Review: Amazon Reviews 4.5*
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Nikola Tesla was born in current day Croatia in 1856, and came to the United States in 1884. Tesla got interested in inventing electrical devices, thanks to his role model, his mother Djuka Mandic, who invented small household appliances. After studying physics, mathematics in Germany, Austria and Hungary, Tesla came to the United States in 1884 at the age of 28, with little money, and a letter of introduction to inventor Thomas Edison from Charles Batchelor. "I know two great men," wrote Batchelor, "one is you and the other is this young man." Tesla stopped working with Edison shortly after personal differences came in the way. His inventions caught the attention of George Westinghouse, who bought his alternating current patents to help with supplying electricity over long distances. In 1895, Tesla designed one of the first AC hydroelectric power plants in the United States, at Niagara Falls, which provided power to the city of Buffalo, New York. His inventions continue to be used today - e.g. his AC system remains the worldwide standard for power transmission, and his 1891 invention, "Tesla coil," is still used in radio technology.  Children's Books: Electrical Wizard: Candlewick Biographies: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World Elizabeth Rusch (Author); Oliver Dominguez (Illustrator) Publisher: Candlewick (2015) Ages: 8-12 yrs; Grades: 3-7 Review: Amazon Reviews 4.5* Additional Online and Other Sources:
Pedro Martinez was born in the Dominican Republic in 1971. Pedro loved baseball since he was a child, and achieved his dreams of playing in Major League Baseball, making his debut on September 24, 1992 for the Dodgers. As one of the top pitchers in baseball, he pitched for five teams from 1992 to 2009, including the Boston Red Sox. He was a three time winner of the prestigious Cy Young Award, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.  Children's Books: Growing up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made it from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues Matt Tavares (Author, Illustrator) Publisher: Candlewick (2015) Ages: 8-12 yrs; Grades 3-7 Review: Amazon Reviews 5*, Kirkus Review Nadia Comaneci was born in Romania in 1961. At the age of 14, she created history during the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal by scoring the first ever perfect 10.00 in a Gymnastics event. She became a household name all round the world, after getting six additional perfect scores, and three gold medals at the Montreal Games. She defected to the United States in 1989, and became a US citizen in 2001.  Children's Books: Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Stil Karlin Gray (Author); Christine Davenier (Illustrator) Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (2016) Ages: 6-9 yrs; Grades 1-4 Review: Amazon Reviews 4.5*, Kirkus Reviews John Muir was born in Scotland on April 21, 1838, and migrated to the United States in 1849 with his family. John loved nature and was a writer and explorer. He founded the Sierra Club on May 28, 1892 with the goal of protecting the environment. He was instrumental in persuading President Roosevelt during a three-day camping trip to return Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to federal protection as part of Yosemite National Park. He is often considered the father of the National Parks System.  Children's Books: The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir and our National Parks Barb Rosenstock (Author); Mordicai Gerstein (Illustrator) Publisher: Dial Books (2012) Ages: 6-8 yrs; Grades 1-3 Review: Amazon Reviews 4.5*, Kirkus Review  John Muir: America's First Environmentalist Kathryn Lasky (Author); Stan Fellows (Illustrator) Publisher: Candlewick (2014) Ages: 8-12yrs; Grades 3-7 Review: Amazon Reviews 4.5* Additional Online Sources:
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Series Author
Nalini Krishnankutty Series DescriptionStarting with A is for Albert, B is for Blackwell, and C is for Clive, the series highlights the contributions made by immigrants to science, art, medicine, and more - to the founding of our nation, our institutions and our ways of living. This series provides a starting point for parents, educators and librarians to shape personal perspectives, create common narratives, and increase awareness of the tremendous impact that immigrants have had on our country. Archives
April 2017
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