Read about real life! Travel to the North Pole, find out what's actaully in those fast food burgers, meet thirteen year old girls from around the world, or learn about an opera performed in a concentration camp in this month's non-fiction books.

The North Pole Was Here by Andrew Revkin

Revkin is an environmental reporter for the New York Times, and this book is his beautifully photographed account of a recent scientific expedition to the North Pole. The purpose of the expedition was to take temperature measurements that will increase understanding of global warming. This turns out not to be a job for the faint of heart - the measuring tools can only be accessed by diving into 28 degree water through a hole in the ice. While describing the scientific mission, the author weaves in the history of arctic exploration, the controversy over who actually was the first person to travel to the North Pole, the concept of the magnetic pole, earth's magnetic fields, and the many current competing claims on the arctic. The reader begins to understand how governments, industries (particularly oil), species such as the polar bear, and the many native people of the north have both common and mutually exclusive interests in this harsh and amazing environment. Articles from the New York Times are interspersed along with charts, maps, and helpful suggestions for further reading. Revkin's clear, reasoned conclusions are particularly strong. Yes, warming and cooling cycles are part of the history of our planet, and it's hard to tell exactly how much of the current warming cycle can be attributed to industrialization and pollution, but with the stakes so high, why would we not do everything we can to decrease global warming?

Chew On This, Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food by Eric Schlosser

I never got around to reading Schlosser's Fast Food Nation because I'd been warned that it would change the way I eat forever - and though I probably only eat fast food fries a couple of times a year, I wasn't ready to give them up entirely. Chew on This is a very readable version of Fast Food Nation aimed at teens. It begins with an intriguing history of the hamburger and fast food restaurants. The chapters on where the raw materials come from for fast foods - potatoes, chicken, beef, and flavor additives - are thought-provoking without being totally horrifying, and the profiles of those involved in family farming and the local food movement are full of interesting contrasts to the fast food industry. The book concludes with the impact of teen obesity and what individuals can do to make more healthy eating choices. It's gently persuasive and readers of this book will inevitably become more thoughtful consumers.

Girl, 13 A Global Snapshot of Generation E by Starla Griffin

The author of Girl, 13 interviewed thirteen year old girls from countries all around the world to create this multicultural portrait of a generation. Each girl responded to the same "quick facts" set of questions about family, sports, books, food and chores. Particularly interesting in this section are answers to the question "What comes to mind when you think of the United States, France, China, and Kenya?" Many of the girls associated the United States with landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty. Some of the girls featured have written essays on such topics as "About Me," "My Best Day," "School Days," or "If I Could Be" which provide a broader look at the specifics of their lives. There's a map, flag, and currency as well as quick facts about each country featured. In many cases the author flew to meet the subject of the profile and writes about that experience. There are photos of all the girls, and in many cases their family, friends, homes, and pets. At the back of the book are pages for thirteen year old girls to create their own entry and submit it to a web site. The book design is attractive, encouraging readers to sample short chunks of the book or to dive in more deeply. I'm hoping there will be a Boy 13 version as well.

The Cat With the Yellow Star, Coming of Age in Terezin by Susan Rubin and Ela Weissberger

It wasn't an extermination camp like Auschwitz, but life in the concentration camp Terezin was dismal and brutal for co-author Ela Weissberger, who was imprisoned there along with many other children during World War II. Another excellent book about Terezin, I Never Saw Another Butterfly. Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944 by Hana Volakova is the moving account of an art teacher who taught many of the Terezin children how to draw, paint, and write about their experiences. Ela participated in the art lessons, but the real outlet for her was provided by the composer of the opera Brundibar, who was held at Terezin and who was allowed to stage a performance of the opera inside the camp. Ela was given the role of the cat and the joy and purpose of rehearsing, along with the powerful message of successful resistance that formed the theme of the opera gave her strength in the midst of horrendous circumstances. The Cat With The Yellow Star recounts Ela's life before, during, and after her time in the concentration camp and is a wonderful, well-told story with excellent pictures and photos. Consider also reading Brundibar by Maurice Sendak, which tells the story of the opera along with Sendak's excellent artwork.

Chris Gustafson is the library teacher at Whitman Middle School. Do you have a question for Chris? Email her at cgustafson@seatleschools.org.