I found this fascinating. First of all I had never heard of Pellagra and had no idea it was an epidemic in the early 1900s. It was really interesting to follow the investigation into the disease, how it was caused, and how it could be cured. It was interspersed with vignettes about real people and lots of photographs. With the emphasis on nonfiction in Common Core I could see this being used. My only complaint is that because the investigation itself too so long, the book also seemed to be long. Because the investigation seemed to go back and forth, the book seemed to go back and forth. With teacher direction kids would be able to work through it but I am not sure if students will pick it up and read it through on their own.
I have read some of The Series of Unfortunate Events and like Lemony Snicket's style of writing. I have not read any of the other All the Wrong Question books but believe this is a companion to them and not really a sequel. I enjoyed the book quite a bit. I was always a fan of Encyclopedia Brown and mini mysteries so that coupled with the quirkiness of Lemony Snicket made this a winner for me.
This was another nonfiction book. This tells the story of Julius Rosenwald whose generosity helped fund thousands of schools for African American children and changed their educational possibilities. I found the book very informative and inspirational. As I said with Red Madness I can see this one being used for nonfiction instruction with teacher guidance. Unless a student has an interest in African American history or is really encouraged to read it I don't see it being read by students that much which would be a shame.
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