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iceangel32's review against another edition
2.0
I just expected more. Not a bad book and it made me want to learn more about the Tuskegee airmen. However I just wanted more. (2/20/16)
Re-read 5/28/17 one day read
Re-read 5/28/17 one day read
bickie's review against another edition
3.0
16-year-old Connor Bianchini's family life revolves primarily around the Italian family restaurant, Mama Lucia's, started by his paternal grandparents. When widow Mama Lucia dies, she leaves Connor's dad a note explaining that the man he always thought was his father was not; rather, he was an American pilot she met before marrying Nonno. With the clues on an engraved gold ring and the pilot's wings of the mystery father, Connor and his dad find out more about this missing heritage. As the grandson of Irish and Italian immigrants, Connor has never felt he owned any white guilt, but now, with an American (was his family on the Mayflower?) in the mix, he is wondering. As is somewhat obvious given the dedication, Connor's grandfather turns out to have been a Tuskegee Airman, part of the African American group of pioneers who proved that black men were smart and skilled enough to fly for the US military.
While the poetry is not particularly elegant compared to many other successful verse novels, the format makes this story more accessible to less enthusiastic or less capable readers who are nonetheless old enough to ponder the themes of identity and the difficult yet heroic history of the Tuskegee Airmen. Best for ages 10-16.
While the poetry is not particularly elegant compared to many other successful verse novels, the format makes this story more accessible to less enthusiastic or less capable readers who are nonetheless old enough to ponder the themes of identity and the difficult yet heroic history of the Tuskegee Airmen. Best for ages 10-16.
carstensena's review against another edition
3.0
Loved reading about Connor and his father, their surprise discovery, and the way they researched it at the local college library.
Unfortunately, the appeal of the book sort of stopped dead at Part Seven, when it became a history lesson. I think it was ingenious to give those poems titles that lead the reader through the father's recovery. But it was essentially a history lesson.
Still, very touching idea that the father's recovery from his stroke took the same determination he inherited from his own brave father. And having just finished Between the World and Me, I loved the final paragraph expressing Connor's new awareness, and belief that "there's a...blackness that has more to do with how you see than how you're seen."
Unfortunately, the appeal of the book sort of stopped dead at Part Seven, when it became a history lesson. I think it was ingenious to give those poems titles that lead the reader through the father's recovery. But it was essentially a history lesson.
Still, very touching idea that the father's recovery from his stroke took the same determination he inherited from his own brave father. And having just finished Between the World and Me, I loved the final paragraph expressing Connor's new awareness, and belief that "there's a...blackness that has more to do with how you see than how you're seen."
hijinx_abound's review against another edition
3.0
What if you are not who you thought you were? How do family secrets impact us as adults especially related to ethnicity?
I would love to read a more in depth book related to this topic. This book was good and would be wonderful for the younger audience that it is designed for.
I would love to read a more in depth book related to this topic. This book was good and would be wonderful for the younger audience that it is designed for.
kjsoost's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
m_marling's review against another edition
3.0
Told in a series of free verse poems, this was a quick read. It was labeled “teen” at the library, but is probably most appropriate for middle grade. Mostly informative about the Tuskegee Airmen, there’s also an understory about family, identity, and who we consider a hero. Some books in verse are better because of the form—I didn’t feel like that was the case here. The form allowed for switching between the narrator’s story and his discoveries about the Tuskegee Airmen, but this isn’t the sort of book where I would use one of the poems as a stand alone piece of work as I might with other verse novels.
erinlynn1989's review against another edition
4.0
FTC Disclosure: I received an advance galley of this book for review consideration. This did not sway my thoughts on the books in any way.
Initial Thoughts: Oh boy! If I ever get my own classroom, I'm teaching this book.
This review can also be found on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
American Ace is the first book that I've read by National Book Award Finalist, Marilyn Nelson, and I'm pretty sure that it won't be my last. I didn't know what to expect when this book showed up on my doorstep, but what I got was a book that I know will stick with me for the rest of my life because it's full of life and history.
Told in a poetic-like prose, American Ace tells the story of a teenager named Connor Bianchini. Connor has grown up believing that he's half Italian-American and half Irish-America. He's very close to his father's side of the family, and they all help run the family-owned Italian restaurant. Connor's world changes after his grandmother passes away. He notices changes in his father, and he doesn't think that it's just grief. He soon finds out that his grandfather, the man who raised his father, is not a blood relative. His father was adopted, and he now has clues - a class ring and a pair of pilot's wings - to help figure out their new genetic identity.
I loved how Ms. Nelson approached identity in American Ace. Following Connor's journey is an interesting ride, and it's one that readers will remember for a long time to come. It's full of questions, but it's also full of answers. Not only will readers find out about Connor and his father's journey to discover who they are, but they will learn a great deal about history, particularly the Tuskegee Airmen.
The most important part of the book is how Connor feels. To him, it doesn't matter that things in his life are changing. He embraces the change and wants to learn as much as he can. I loved that. I'm sure that we all want to know who we are and where we come from, and Connor takes it upon himself to find that out for his father. In the end, he finds out a lot about a whole group of people, instead of the one person who gave him his DNA.
Themes included in this book are family, racial identity, and personal identity. There are moments that show you just how strong the bond of a family is, and there are moments in the book that show you how just one new piece of information can change your whole outlook on life.
American Ace isn't a book I would have picked up on my own, and I'm very grateful that Penguin sent it to me. I enjoyed the historical aspects, and I also enjoyed Connor's story. I would recommend American Ace to middle grade and YA readers. I would also recommend this title to teachers and school librarians. I think it would be a great book for kids to read to learn about WWII and the Tuskegee Airmen.
Initial Thoughts: Oh boy! If I ever get my own classroom, I'm teaching this book.
This review can also be found on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
American Ace is the first book that I've read by National Book Award Finalist, Marilyn Nelson, and I'm pretty sure that it won't be my last. I didn't know what to expect when this book showed up on my doorstep, but what I got was a book that I know will stick with me for the rest of my life because it's full of life and history.
Told in a poetic-like prose, American Ace tells the story of a teenager named Connor Bianchini. Connor has grown up believing that he's half Italian-American and half Irish-America. He's very close to his father's side of the family, and they all help run the family-owned Italian restaurant. Connor's world changes after his grandmother passes away. He notices changes in his father, and he doesn't think that it's just grief. He soon finds out that his grandfather, the man who raised his father, is not a blood relative. His father was adopted, and he now has clues - a class ring and a pair of pilot's wings - to help figure out their new genetic identity.
I loved how Ms. Nelson approached identity in American Ace. Following Connor's journey is an interesting ride, and it's one that readers will remember for a long time to come. It's full of questions, but it's also full of answers. Not only will readers find out about Connor and his father's journey to discover who they are, but they will learn a great deal about history, particularly the Tuskegee Airmen.
The most important part of the book is how Connor feels. To him, it doesn't matter that things in his life are changing. He embraces the change and wants to learn as much as he can. I loved that. I'm sure that we all want to know who we are and where we come from, and Connor takes it upon himself to find that out for his father. In the end, he finds out a lot about a whole group of people, instead of the one person who gave him his DNA.
Themes included in this book are family, racial identity, and personal identity. There are moments that show you just how strong the bond of a family is, and there are moments in the book that show you how just one new piece of information can change your whole outlook on life.
American Ace isn't a book I would have picked up on my own, and I'm very grateful that Penguin sent it to me. I enjoyed the historical aspects, and I also enjoyed Connor's story. I would recommend American Ace to middle grade and YA readers. I would also recommend this title to teachers and school librarians. I think it would be a great book for kids to read to learn about WWII and the Tuskegee Airmen.
abigailbat's review against another edition
2.0
Okay, once I got to the end and read the author's note about why she structured the book the way she did, I was a little more on board. I think the book reads like it's two books. The first part is Connor's dad discovering that his heritage is different than he thought and the family exploring that and coming to grips with it. The second part is Connor's research about the Tuskegee Airmen.
I found the second part to be vastly more engaging and interesting than the first part and I really super wish the entire book had been narrative nonfiction about the Tuskegee Airmen. OR historical fiction from the point of view of a Tuskegee Airman (and yeah, I don't for one second think that having a 20-something narrator would be a deterrent to teen readers).
Arrrggh. And I really wanted to love this one.
I found the second part to be vastly more engaging and interesting than the first part and I really super wish the entire book had been narrative nonfiction about the Tuskegee Airmen. OR historical fiction from the point of view of a Tuskegee Airman (and yeah, I don't for one second think that having a 20-something narrator would be a deterrent to teen readers).
Arrrggh. And I really wanted to love this one.