The best-selling post-apocalyptic authors Mike Kraus and Justin Bell bring a new gripping tale of destruction, survival and humanity like no one else can.

Now, this is a book I approached in a manner similar to which I would approach a movie written by Murali Gopy. You know Gopy is bound to push a pro-right wing message, but would be careful to wrap it in a wrapper that would appeal to the liberals. Here is Obama's speechwriter Ben Rhodes, who is so enamoured of America, but is concerned at the path it is taking currently in the post-Obama era, under Trump. Activity: Students could role-play or write alternative actions for Humpty Dumpty and discuss the potential outcomes. This helps them understand how different actions (causes) can lead to different outcomes (effects). This book clearly describes the world at a crucial pivot point. I appreciated the mix of interviews, more global takes, and personal experiences having lived through much leading up to the world we're currently in. I do not know how much hope there is, but certainly I can see it as a call for action. History tells a story. If we look at the foot prints left behind, we can often walk our way toward a new future with a better outcome. We need to be brave enough to take that walk though.The entire book is him trying hard to prove that "we are still the good guys", despite all the military invasions and covert operations across the world, destroying one socialist democracy after another. At one place in the book, he shamelessly credits America for the rising living standards in China, of all places. "Hundreds of millions were lifted out of poverty, one of the great leaps forward for humanity in recent history. This was made possible by the melding of American capitalism with Chinese governance: the global economy WE had built, the trade economy that WE welcomed China into, the top-down system that enabled massive changes and compulsory work to satiate the consumer demand in the West", he writes quite shamelessly. In another place, he writes "Just as the United States helped create the prosperity that enabled the Party's control". Rhodes won't mention also uncomfortable facts such as how the majority of China's top companies are in the public sector. This book just was excellent. It made me understand so many foreign policy issues and goals of different countries as well as think of the United States’ role. There are other opinions to the conclusions the author comes to, but I think this is definitely worth reading. It certainly is the best book on foreign policy and US relations I have read. http://www.hbook.com/2015/07/choosing-books/horn-book-magazine/profile-of-2015-caldecott-medal-winner-dan-santat/#_ Activity: Initiate a class discussion where students share their fears and brainstorm ways to confront them. This activity promotes critical thinking and helps students understand that overcoming fears is part of personal growth. The After the Fall book presents a tale of resilience, courage, and how a growth mindset helps Humpty overcome his fears. After the Fall activities include:

At the core of this complex, ambitious book is a simple truth: we are living at a historical inflection point. The currents of history are sweeping us all in the wrong direction – toward autocracy, toward technological dystopia, toward collapse – as a direct consequence of the past three decades of American hegemony, but it's not yet too late to reverse course. To do so, Americans invested in the victory of democracy over autocracy must forge solidarity with (and learn from) others struggling against authoritarianism, corruption, and injustice around the world. You can have your students share a goal that they have for themselves and what they do to stay focused on their goal; just as Humpty stayed focused on his climbing. While there may be distractions that can take away from reaching goals, a clear idea and a focused mind will help students reach their goals, just as Humpty did. 4. Sharing a Favorite Place: This observation by the former speechwriter served to echo the sentiment that DC is "Hollywood for ugly people." Like insecure actors who are never sure of where their next (perhaps significant) role may be coming from, Washington politicians (in particular) have to use diplomacy with each other in a bullshit way that masks their true feelings. ~even though it doesn't, really. Wow, looks like I am literally the only one giving this book a bad review. I admit that makes me feel a little bad about doing this, but I can't really change my opinion because others felt differently. Open-Ended Conclusion: The story ends on an open note, allowing readers to infer Humpty Dumpty's future.Thompson, L. A. (2015). Emmanuel’s dream: The true story of Emmanuel Osofu Yeboah. New York: Schwartz & Wade. What do the persona of Nemtsov, Skripal, Navalny, Khashoggi, Snowden, Assange, or even the Dalai Lama have in common? They were all prosecuted, shunned, banished, injured, or even killed with the more or less obvious involvement of the respective government that they were criticizing. Rhodes, himself a victim of relentless right-wing propaganda media and conspiracy theorists in the USA, travels the world and talks to the family members of dissidents (Hungary, Russia) and to anonymous protesters (Hong Kong) who are fighting to be heard. The author tries to put the new and evolving authoritarianism throughout the world into perspective and sheds a critical light on how the USA played a leading role in creating this hostile environment ever since the fall of the Iron Curtain. The arming of Muslim factions in the 90s, the overreaction to 9/11, the dangerous wars it created, the unregulated investment banking crash of 2008, the idleness concerning Syria, social media, Trump; all these issues helped break the Pax Americana, leaving strongmen around the planet with new choices. An excellent read, all stars from me. Emotional Journey: Humpty Dumpty's emotional journey is subtly depicted through the story and illustrations, requiring students to infer his feelings. Values like equality are no longer the business of governments around the world, they have been left to individuals to defend.~ from After the Fall by Ben Rhodes After the Fall is a book about a family in crisis. If you enjoy reading family sagas involving current, edgy dilemmas (such as the novels of Jodi Picoult) I really recommend it.

Meanwhile, in Texas, the effects of the eruption are lessened - but are severe nonetheless, as Brenda Slayton and her other two children flee to her father's nearby ranch, holding out hope for her husband and eldest daughter's eventual return while turning her immediate attention to survival and preparing for what the future holds. The illustrations, worthy of another Caldecott🥇, are essential to — convey part of — the story (and allude to Humpty being a🗽New Yorker: Kings County Hospital (get it? 👑), the Daily News, and more). Trump was not a cause of any of this world-wide horror...but he was another would-be despot and he is still a threat. Symbolism: The story uses symbolism, such as the bird and the paper plane, which allows students to make inferences about the story's underlying themes. I asked Maria [Stepanova, Russian writer / journalist] how she felt things had changed since the 1990s, that time of humiliation and hopefulness. "The nineties were about the future," she said. "Now everything is about the past. But not the actual, historical past." Instead, she said, leaders like Putin, Orban [in Hungary] and Trump invented a past to suit their needs. "There is an enchantment and obsession with the past, but it is a fictional reality that doesn't have anything real."Asked about Biden in a recent interview promoting this book, Rhodes stated that he believes Biden needs to exhibit a fierce stand on protecting our democracy. His book tells us why. Since Biden took office, the [R]s have apparently hardly slept. They're determined to make Biden a one-term (if not a "2-year") President.