Mr. Sam: How Sam Walton Built Walmart and Became America's Richest Man

I've had a few parents asking me to review more non-fiction titles. While these are not my specialty nor my favorite, I am going to try to throw one in here and there. I read this title in Kindle edition (which, regrettably, does not allow me to include page numbers for anything mentioned below), but it is also available in hardcover.

Title: Mr. Sam: How Sam Walton Built Walmart and Became America's Richest Man
Author: Karen Blumenthal
Publisher: Viking Press
Publication Date: July 7, 2011

This is the story of Sam Walton, the man who started the business that makes $800,000 a minute.  But Sam wasn't always wealthy; when he was in grade school, he milked cows and sold magazines door-to-door to help his family survive during the Depression.

Starting off as a recent college graduate working for $75 dollars a week at J.C. Penny, Sam began to understand new things about business, such as the essence of discounting and selling in bulk.

After marrying Helen and serving state-side during WWII, Sam Walton bought a small five-and-dime store in a small town.  Even in the face of adversity, Sam did not ever give up. He would one day own both Walmart and Sam's Club and be known worldwide.

Positive Elements: Throughout the book, readers see Mr. Walton being a leader in various ways, from his high school football team to his family to his business efforts.  Sam wisely listens to others' advice and concerns, including his wife, Helen, and his father-in-law. Helen is presented as a wonderful mother.  Sam Walton teaches his children to be frugal at early ages. Sam hired black workers even when it was not popular in the 1950s and 60s and others mocked him for it. Walton says of money, "It's paper, anyway. It was paper when we started, and it's paper afterward." Helen is quoted as saying, "It isn't what you gather in life; it's what you share that tells the kind of life you lived." Sam keeps his head high in the midst of fighting cancer.

Extra tidbits of information are strewn throughout the book in the form of short stories, such as how the shopping cart came to be and a brief biography of J.C. Penny. Pictures from Sam Walton's personal and corporate life are spread throughout the text. There are also "Our Money" charts that explain different concepts about money from the days of the Depression through today. For example, there is a graph of how money would have been spent on average in a typical family at the end of each chapter to show how spending has changed.

Negative Elements: In the first chapter, the author discusses what is important to Sam Walton.  She states, "Money might not be that meaningful to him, but winning certainly was."  While there is nothing wrong with winning, there is a large emphasis on this theme throughout the book, to the point where parents may wish to discuss how there are sometimes things that are more important.   At one point in order to win, Sam was paying his employees less than minimum wage.

Also, Sam Walton's home life growing up wasn't the best one, with his parents fighting constantly.  This isn't dwelt on within the book, just mentioned.

The word "damned" is included in a quote in the third chapter. "Ass" is used in chapter five. "Heck" is found in chapter six.

There is a quote of a sexual nature about selling women's lingerie in chapter four.

Parents may or may not agree with the political views expressed in the Epilogue when discussing the more recent lawsuits that Walmart has faced or causes to which they have donated money.

~ ~ ~

This book would be great as an addition to an economics course for a middle grade or high school student. In the book's conclusion, young people are encouraged to aspire to their own business pursuits and live frugally and selflessly no matter how much money they may acquire. 

How much do you know about the biggest company in the world and the man behind it?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Tale of Two Castles

The dragon stood on IT's back legs.  "I will return at the nine-o'clock bells tonight.  As soon as His Lordship's guests arrive, remain with him."  IT flapped IT's wings.  "Do not let him out of your sight.  Trust no one.  Keep him safe."
How could a girl keep an ogre safe?
IT circled above me.  "You can shout.  A person half your size can shout.  Act!"

In this new book from Gail Carson Levine (the author of the Newberry-Honor-winning Ella Enchanted), Elodie is on an unpredictable adventure. An assistant to a dragon, a spy in disguise, cupbearer for an ogre?  Only A Tale of Two Castles (from Harper Collins on May 10, 2011) can allow Elodie to do all of those.

Elodie wants to be a mansioner, but the master rejects her as an apprentice.  All alone in a foreign city, what will she do to survive?  This city of Two Castles is full to the rim with strange things, including a form-shifting ogre who changes into a crazy monkey or a mouse or a lion, trained cats that steal and stalk, and someone who keeps stealing and poisoning people.  Can Elodie discover who is in the wrong and who she can trust?

A Tale of Two Castles does an excellent job illustrating that a person's looks or prestige are not what makes them trustworthy, kind, or great.  Character is a matter of the heart.  Elodie also gives great insight into what it means to act a certain way versus to BE a certain way. Elodie also learns that it's not right to be quick to judge and throw blame on others; you must study facts and induce and deduce only from truth and common sense (younger readers may need a definition of the difference between these two words). Greed is troublesome and being a giver is joy-bearing.  The ending comes as a surprise but holds a lot of truth.  You have to stick with those who you know to be true, honorable, and warmhearted even if the less-noble way tries to draw you in. 

There was one negative element, which is why I'm giving this book a four out of five  Elodie's parents send her to Two Castles with instructions to apprentice herself to a weaver.  She decides that she will ignore them and run her own life.  While things end up that she would not have been able to apprentice as a weaver, after all, she still disrespects her parent's advice. Because you know that your twelve-year-olds are not really ready for life's decisions without wise counsel from adults, you might want to bring this up.  I would have preferred that she would have discussed this with her parents rather than just throw their advice to the wind as soon as she sets sail. 

A Tale of Two Castles was a great twist on the traditional princess/castle/dragon stories. It seemed to have a few more deep lessons and a lot of laughter.  When I laughed aloud within the first page, I knew I had a great book. This would be a great family read-aloud.

What will happen to the ogre if the village cats turn him into a mouse?  Can Elodie help him, escape from prison, and save the kingdom at the same time?

Moon Over Manifest

The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby.  I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I knew only from stories.  The one just outside of town with big blue letters: MANIFEST: A TOWN WITH A RICH PAST AND A BRIGHT FUTURE.
...The conductor came into the car. "Manifest, next stop."
...Being a paying customer this time, with a full-fledged ticket, I didn't have to jump off, and I knew that the preacher would be waiting for me.  But as anyone worth his salt knows, it's best to get a look at a place before it gets a look at you...
At the last car, I waited, listen the way I'd been taught--wait till the clack of the train wheels slows to the rhythm of your heartbeat...The ground came quick and hard, but I landed and rolled as the tain lumbered on without a thank-you or goodbye.
As I stood and brushed myself off, there was the sign not five feet in front of me.  It was so weathered there was hardly a chip of blue paint to be found. And it looked to have been shot up so bad most of the words were gone.  All that was left read MANIFEST: A TOWN WITH A PAST.
(Moon Over Manifest 1, 3-4) 
 
Abilene Tucker doesn't really know who she is or where she's going.  Her father, Gideon Tucker, has decided that jumping trains is no place for a young lady and sent her to life with Shady Howard, the pastor of a small town Gideon lived in as a teen.

Once she's in Manifest, Abilene meets many strange people with interesting characteristics.  At first she thinks that she's going to be fine in this new place because every town is made of "universals"-- types of people who you'll always meet in a large group.

But the town of Manifest and it's townspeople aren't one bit universal.  There's some strange things in this town.  There's Hattie Mae--the newspaper lady--and her weekly "whos, whats, whys, whens, and wheres."  There's Sister Redempta, the nun who teaches the town's school and acts as the town midwife.  There's Lettie and Ruthanne, two girls who are friendly to Abilene and accompany her on her adventures to discover who "the Rattler" is and whether he still wants revenge. There's Ivan DeVore, the postmaster, Mr. Cooper, the barber, Velma T, the chemistry teacher, and Mr. Underhill, the undertaker.  But that's just the beginning...

There's also Miss Sadie, the Hungarian Woman, whom everyone calls a diviner, and her intriguing stories about Jinx and Ned and times past.  Her stories begin to pull the present together into a clearer picture, and over time, just might answer some of Abilene's questions concerning her origins. 

Released on October 12, 2010 by Delacorte Press (a division of Random House), Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool is the 2011 winner of the well-known Newberry Award.  The book is excellently written, with alternating chapters between the Manifest of 1918 and the Manifest of 1936.  Interspersed between the chapters are excerpts from Hattie Mae's newspaper column which add a bit of authenticity to the story.

The biggest literary flaw with this book is its pace. As an adult, I enjoyed the pace of the book, but the first couple of chapters might be hard for a child to get into. Other than that, I found its literary quality to be worth the Newberry title.  Vanderpool includes some great expressions that made me laugh and think all at once. 

Pros about Moon Over Manifest:
--The author does an excellent job of switching between narratives throughout the book, never making the reader feel that the transition is "out of place."
--There are several pieces of the conclusion that come as a surprise to the reader, but none of the surprises stray from the plot.
--The author included a post-script about what was historical and what was fiction.  She based the story loosely on her family's history.
--The author's tale can appeal to many teen and adult readers as well.
--The storyline contains several layers of suspense and challenges readers to look beyond the words on the page into the character's personalities, struggles, hopes, and fears just like readers have to look beyond a person's outer appearance to appreciate them.
--The characters have depth.

Despite all of these wonderful literary elements that make this book scholastic, there are several elements that have a tendency to make it not "safe" or family friendly.  While all parents may not agree with my conclusion, I still wish to provide those who do with my reasons.  If Moon Over Manifest was made into a movie, it would have to be rated PG-13 because of spiritual, alcohol, and violence content. 

Cons about Moon Over Manifest:
--Miss Sadie is a diviner.  In the beginning of the books, she "talks to the spirits" and says that she is going to "build a bridge between the living and the dead."  However, by the end of the book, readers learn that Miss Sadie is only a diviner because no one would talk to a poor Hungarian woman that they perceived to be a diviner.  They came to her as if she was such, and she went along with it to have her place in society; she "puts on a show and dresses the part."  Abilene realizes that the "divining" that she gives them is "really the truth she observes and knows about them... And mostly she watches, she waits, and she loves... She bears the story of Manifest." However, as the divining has no explanation for the majority of the text, parents may wish to remove this from their child's reading list or discuss what divining is and how that fits in with their own religious beliefs. 
--Shady Howard, the fill-in pastor in the town, is just that--a bit shady.  He owns a bar.  The church meets in the bar, but no alcohol is served on Sundays.  Abilene lives in the room above the bar--no place for a child.  Shady is also involved in making Moonshine during Prohibition--sometimes this is presented as wrong since it's against the law and sometimes it is presented as okay because it helps the town's economy.  The town's sheriff requires that Shady give him two bottles of moonshine a week if Shady wants him to not tell the government about his illegal activity. 
--There is a murder in the 1918 section of the book, for which one of the main characters (who is a child) is supposedly responsible.  Truth does come out, and the real murderer is punished, but younger children may find this distressing.

Despite the fact that I could give Moon Over Manifest a five out of five stars for literary quality, I'm giving Moon Over Manifest a three out of five stars because of some of the questionable content for the age group. This is not a book that I plan on handing over to the children in my life because of the PG13 content. However, whether you as a parent choose to have your children read Moon Over Manifest as summer reading, discuss it as a family read-aloud, or be aware of it's contents when your child reads it for school sometime, I hope that this review helps you and your children make wise choices that are safe but scholastic.

The Dragon of Cripple Creek--Review and GIVEAWAY!

Released on April 1, 2011 by Amulet Books,  The Dragon of Cripple Creek by Troy Howell is one of the best middle grades novels I've read in a long time!  While written for ages 9-12, this book would also be a perfect family read-aloud. Troy Howell is the cover illustrator for the bestselling Redwall series by Brian Jacques.  The Dragon of Cripple Creek is his debut novel and is available in both hardcover and Kindle editions.

Katlin Graham's passion for gold has caused her to look for gold things all her life.  She even has gold fillings in her cavities. And Kat is always curious.
But Kat is also hurting.  Things haven't been easy since her mom fell and ended up brain dead in the Home and her dad lost his job.  The hunt for her dad's new job to pay the bills sends Kat's family into the rowdy, historical town of Cripple Creek, Colorado.  While on the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine tour, Kat wanders off the trail to explore a closed-off tunnel, and after an accidental fall, she discovers a unbelievable secret.  Deep down beneath the mine lives a dragon named Ye--the last dragon on earth.
While in the mine, Kat steals a gold nugget from Ye, proving Ye's declaration that "greed is what is wrong with the world."  Later, when Kat is back in her world, she accidently lets the gold nugget roll out of her pocket for all to see.  A media-frenzy begins, until the town is swarming with gold seekers. Kat is horrified.
Kat knows that she must ask her brother, Dillon, to help her return the gold and save her dragon friend.  Can they make it to Ye in time or will the gold-hungry townspeople kill him first?

Besides having an excellent storyline that mixes the Wild West with Medieval dragons, The Dragon of Cripple Creek contains believable characters with names that make you chuckle like "Rex Havick."  Literary allusions also spot the text, including works of literature such as Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Tolstoy's War and Peace, and Yeat's "The Folly of Being Comforted." 


Another wonderful thing about this book is that while it ends positively, it doesn't end sappily.  In fact, there's a bit of sadness at the end.  But it's a good sort of sadness that reveals truth about life to children without being depressing.  I was impressed by the author's way of wrapping up ends yet still leaving questions in order to challenge young readers to think about their world, the effects of a greedy heart, and the meaning of friendship and sacrificial love.


There are a few negative elements, however. A few times throughout the book, Kat gambles with dice several times, and (although he warns her), Kat's father doesn't stop her when he finds out she is cheating other children out of their pocket change.  When the dragon comes out of the cave at the end of the book, one of the terrified townsmen gasps, "What in hell's kennel" while another man starts praying the Lord's Prayer. In a moment of frustration, the dad says that his family has "been to Hades and back."  Parents may wish to discuss these elements of the story with their preteens.

But because, overall, The Dragon of Cripple Creek was such a great book....

The Twenty-Six Letter Imagination is holding a giveaway!

The Dragon of Cripple Creek

by Troy Howell

Released on April 1, 2011

From Amulet Books

Giveaway Rules:

1. You must be (or become) a follower to enter.

2. You must comment below to receive one (1) entry.
3. The giveaway will close on Saturday, May 21st, 2011 at 5 pm. EST.

4.. Winner will be randomly chosen.

5. Winner will be announced on the blog and will have one week to provide a mailing address before the book is given away to a different winner.

 6. Residents of the U.S. only, please. 
 

In order to receive extra entries, you may consider the following...

* You may receive one (1) extra entry for posting a link to this giveaway on Twitter using the hashtag #26letterdragon or tagging @26lettersblog

* You may receive one (1) extra entry for "liking" "The Twenty-Six Letter Imagination: A Children's Book Blog" on Facebook.

* You may receive one (1) addition entry for posting a link to this blog on Facebook and mentioning this link in your comment.

* You may receive (5) extra entries by posting about this giveaway on your own blog and providing me the link to your blog entry in your comment below.

Hello!

Welcome to The Twenty-Six Letter Imagination! As a children's book lover and a writer for children, I hope that you and your child will find many enjoyable books to discover together through my blog. I plan to cover fiction and nonfiction: new releases, old reprints, and classics. Along the way, I plan on have some giveaways. My focus will be children's books ages 2-12, but I may include some board books, teen books, or books that the whole family can enjoy together from time to time. Come and join the fun of exploring what the twenty-six letters can do to your imagination!