Bodyguards!: from Gladiators to the Secret Service

Bodyguards!: from Gladiators to the Secret Service

by Ed Butts

Publisher: Annick Press, Toronto (2012)

Format: Paperback, 128 p.

Ages: Middle Grades (4-8; 9-13 years)

Geographical Setting: Global

Time Period: Ancient to present

Summary:

A history of the evolution of bodyguards from ancient times to today describing how they trained, what they ate, how they fought, and who they protected. Brief biographies are given of some of the greatest guards from each era.  Many kings and emperors even employed female guards over male believing they were more trustworthy. One chapter is dedicated specially to guards for those who were dangerous and wanted, like those from the underworld, mafia, or drug cartels. Another is dedicated to those who either failed or betrayed those they were supposed to protect.  The last chapter walks the reader through the life of today's bodyguard who would be in assignment protecting a child and then goes into a description of their rulebook, various weapons and reinforcements used. Throughout the book are break out boxes and "case files" full of intriguing historical facts and trivia. The book ends with a detailed glossary of terms used by bodyguards and a timeline of their evolution.

This is a great read for anyone interested in military history or history in general. The illustrations are more along the lines of those found in comics or graphic novels.

Butts, pg. 62

Butts, p. 31

         These 'case files' are just a few examples of how and when bodyguards either saved or failed to protect their charges or betrayed them.

The other two examples are breakout boxes of historical trivia.

Butts, pg. 42

Butts, pg. 86

Butts, pg. 14   

Alexander the Great being protected by one
of his bodyguards (Butts, pg. 13).

Minos (female bodyguards of the King of Dahomey) fight off European colonizers at the end of the 18th century (Butts, pg. 32).

Jujusuffragettes (those who knew the martial arts) protected
protesting women from attacks and arrests (Butts, pg. 104)

The Schutzstaffel (Shield Squadron) were Hitler's
personal bodyguards from 1933-1945 (Butts, pg. 37).

Prime Minister Gandhi's personal bodyguards betrayed and killed her in 1984 (Butts, pg. 63).

Aisha, Ghadaffi's favorite bodyguard,
from his female unit, was killed in an
assassination attempt (Butts, pg. 107).

Emperor Qin's tomb found in 1974 with over
eight thousand terra cotta soldiers (Butts, pg. 29).

These are full page examples of Butts use of graphic illustrations to portray bodyguards at different times in history.

Diagram showing the alterations made to the official
 limousine used by the US Presidents (Butts, pg. 96). 

Nonfiction Read-a-Likes:

It was very difficult to find nonfiction books about bodyguards or other security professionals for middle and high school students.  The two below are for adults, but can be read by high schoolers.

• Mercenary Mum: My Journey from Young Mother to Baghdad Bodyguard by Neryl Joyce.  Follow a single young mother who leaves her job at a local retail store to a soldier in the  Australian army’s Close Personal Protection Unit.   (Grades 9-12)

• Beyond the Bodyguard: Proven Tactics and Dynamic Strategies for Protective Practices Success by Gavriel Schneider. Endorsed by experts, this book will show readers what life is like as a bodyguard and other security professionals. (Grades 9-12).

Fiction Read-a-Likes:

Young Samurai and Bodyguard Series by Chris Bradford.  Written by the 'method-writing' technique coined by the author.  In order to authenticate the books, Bradford trained in several Japanese martial techniques and then as a professional bodyguard. (Grades 7-12)

Lesson Plans:

Bodyguards! can be used by teachers in history class when studying about ancient civilization or America's Wild West or when discussing the US presidents and other global leaders who were assassinated.

• Lincoln's Missing Bodyguard

• Bodyguard Series by Chris Bradford

Works Cited:

Butts, Ed. (2012). Bodyguards!: from Gladiators to the Secret Service. New York, Annick Press.

I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib

I Was Their American Dream   by Malaka Gharib

Publisher: Clarkson Potter Publishers, NY (2019); Paperback, 160 p.

Ages: Upper Grades (7-12)           Lexile: 490

Geographical Setting: California, New York, Washington, DC, and Egypt

Time Period: 1980s to early 2000s

Awards:

• Loan Star Favorites (2019)

• School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Books (2019)

• Arab American Book Award (2020)

Summary:

Comparing/contrasting both sides of her family. (Chap. 2)

If you grew up in America in the 1990s before the internet became a necessity, you can relate to the author.  If your parents were immigrants, you’d relate even more.  If your immigrant parents were from different cultures, countries, and religion, you might relate even more.  How did these two people from completely different worlds meet and eventually marry? This is the story of Malaka, who’s mother is a Filipino Catholic and father an Egyptian Muslim.

Through her drawings, Malaka illustrates what it was like to grow up with two vastly different cultures and religions, while also trying to fit in at a school full of other cultures, religions, and immigrants’ children.  Not only does she have to navigate the social life of a teenager, she deals with her parents’ extended families after they divorce.  Growing up, she spends every summer in Egypt with her father’s family learning Arabic, Islam, and other social etiquettes and culture. The rest of the year, she’s with her mother's family learning Tagalog, Catholicism, and the Filipino culture in California.

All throughout high school, in Malaka's eyes, the problem was that she didn’t look Egyptian or Filipino.  She did her best to ‘be white’.  When she later went to college, she realized she didn’t know anything about ‘being white’.

At the heart of it, this is a story about an American millennial growing up with immigrant parents and a reminder of their search for the ‘American Dream’ and a better life than what they left behind. Malaka fills this book with both Arabic and Filipino words she used, recipes for favorite (and not so favorite) foods, and what she calls 'Fun Pages'.

(Note: The graphic novel did not have page numbers, so I cited the chapter which the page was taken from.)

Why mom didn't want to migrate to the US. (Chap. 1)

The process dad took to migrate to the US. (Chap. 1)

Comparing her family to the typical one showed on TV. (Chap. 2)

How Malaka combined the religions. (Chap. 2)

Microaggressions Malaka deals with. (Chap. 6)

She finally decides to be herself. (Chap.6)

Nonfiction Read-a-Likes (Coming of Age, First generation Immigrants):

• Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob.  In this graphic novel, Jacob’s  tries to answer the innocent questions of her half- Jewish, half-Indian son.  However, after the 2016 election those questions become more complicated.  Discussions about love, race, sex, and religion.  (Grades 9-12)

• American Like Me edited by America Ferrera. An anthology of 31 of today’s famous people who grew up between cultures.  They are well-known actors, comedians, athletes, politicians, artists, and writers, but they  are also immigrants, children or grandchildren of immigrants, or indigenous people.  At one time all struggled to establish a sense of self, find belonging, and feel seen. (Grades 9-12)

• The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor by Sonia Sotomayor.  The story of the first Hispanic and third woman on the Supreme Court, proving that the ‘American Dream’ can come true.  Sotomayor describes what it was like to grow up in New York City with both her Puerto Rican parents and extended family and wanting to fit in. (Grades 4-8)

Realistic Fiction Read-a-Likes (Coming of Age, First generation Immigrants):

• All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney. Why does Allie feel alone and lost?  Because she’s keeping a ‘secret’? But is it really? She’s  just never openly told anyone she’s Muslim and people don’t automatically assume it, because she ‘doesn’t look like one’.  What will happen when she starts ‘looking like one’? (Grades 9-12). Side Note:  You can read more about All-American Muslim Girl in my blog post from April 2020.

• A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi.  It’s a year after 9/11 and hijab-wearing Shirin is tired of being stereotyped wherever she goes. She’s tired of the demeaning comments and stares, but most of all the  physical violence.  She escapes her reality through music and breakdancing.  Then she meets Ocean, who really wants to get to know her.  Can she let her guard down knowing they come from completely different worlds? (Grades 9-12)

• Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan.  As a Pakistani- American middle schooler, shy and quiet Amina just wants to fit in with everyone at school while also staying true to her family’s culture.  Can she do both? Or will she have to hide her true self? More importantly, can she stay quiet after her musjid is vandalized? (Grades 4-8)

I Was Their American Dream would be great to use in any middle or high school class teaching culture and geography, social studies or in an ELA class. Lessons can be found at TeachingBooks.  Lesson plans on modern Philippines and modern Egypt can be found on the Lesson Planet website. Listen to her interview with David Green on NPR.

Information on Modern Egypt:

• Egypt by Clarissa Aykryod. Part of the Modern Middle East Nations and their Strategic Place in the World Series, this book delves into the geography, society, economy, and politics of the country.

• Daily Life in Ancient and Modern Cairo by Joan Barghusen. Part of the Cities through Time Series, this book compares daily life in every aspect with ancient times to today.

• Authentic Egyptian Cooking by Nehal Leheta.

Information on Modern Philippines:

• The Philippines by Tammy Mildenstein. Part of the Modern World Nations Series, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s geography, history, government, economy, society and culture with full color maps and illustrations.

• The Filipino-American Kitchen: Traditional Recipes, Contemporary Flavors by Jennifer Aranas and others.

Foods Mentioned now LOVED by Malaka:

Works Cited:

Gharib, Malaka. (2019). I Was Their American Dream. New York, Clarkson Potter Publishers.

Dare to Disappoint: Growing up in Turkey

Dare to Disappoint: Growing up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, NY (2015); Paperback, 190 p.

Ages: Upper Grades (9-12)           Lexile: 570

Geographical Setting: Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey

Time Period: 1980s and 1990s

Awards:

• Amelia Bloomer Lists - Young Adult Nonfiction (2017)

• Middle East Book Award - Youth Literature (2016)

• YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens (2017)

Summary:

In this erratic, quirky, and laugh out loud graphic memoir the author narrates her formidable years in Turkey.  Both parents are teachers and want something better for Ozge and her older sister.  But her father won’t listen to what she wants.   While trying to listen to her own voice, and those of her parents and teachers, Ozge has to balance the religious and militaristic tensions of Turkey and frictions between the outgoing secular government with the incoming conservative one. She describes how she tried to listen to all the voices to please everyone, while it gets harder and harder to silence her own voice.  What will she end up doing?  Will she follow her inner voice?

Ozge’s graphic novel is set very differently from others. The first thing the reader will notice is the absence of panel borders;  the drawings seem to float on bright white pages. But it still captures the eye because of its various layouts.  The illustrations are cartoonish in a frivolous way which merged into elements of a collage.  Ozge rarely uses color, except for her bright blond hair and some other instances she wants to stand out.  She uses a small quick-witted bird to make puns or explain something in depth.

Through her constant failures and persistence to learn from her mistakes, both Ozge and the readers will discover what she wants to do with her life.  Due to the content of the memoir (a life alternating attempted rape (dealt very subtlety) and some political violence), this is a great book for middle and high schoolers.  While Ozge reflects on her personal life, she also depicts the larger issues that transformed her world, like the governmental elections, the subsequent political and economic turmoil, and the school system.

Ozge snuck into her sister's class and
her mother taking her home. (p. 10)

School Stencil showing the importance of
Kemal Ataturk and how he must be shown. (p. 40)

Class survey showing the students' mothers' occupations.
At this young age, Ozge was impressed with 'artist'. (p. 16)

Buying Corn Flakes off the black market
and keeping it a secret.  Only one TV
channel with very few children program.
(p. 60)

By the time she graduated from college,
Ozge decided what she needed to do. (p. 189) 

Nonfiction Read-a-Likes (Coming of Age, Turmoil, and Graphic Novel):

• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.  The author depicts her early years in Iran at the start of the Islamic Revolution until her parents send her to Europe.  Volume II is about the author’s years in Europe and her return to Iran.   (Grades 9-12)

• I Remember Beirut by Zeina Abirached. Growing up in war torn Lebanon during the 1980s and ‘90s, the author depicts her life in black and white illustrations.  (Grades 9-12)

• The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984 by Riad Sattouf. In his own unique style of illustrating, the author describes his early years of traveling back and forth from France, Libya, and Syria following his father’s whims and dreams. (Grades 9-12)

• Marzi by Marzena Sowa.  Through the humorous illustrations, the author describes her life in 1980’s Poland towards the end of Communist rule. (Grades 9-12)

Nonfiction Read-a-Likes (Coming of Age, Turmoil, and Female Protagonist):

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodsen. A memoir in verse about growing up in the South during the 1960s,  dealing with racism, divorce, religion, sickness, and death. (Grades 6-8)

• I am Malala: How One Girl Stood up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai. The Pakistani girl who fought for her and other girls’ education against the Taliban resulting in getting shot in the face.  She later went on to become the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. (Grades 6-8)

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. An eye-opening autobiography about the racial prejudice in America during the 1930s and '40s. (Grades 9-12)

• Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-Li Jiang.  The author depicts a direct and crippling portrait of the violent political movement that ruined many lives, including hers, as well as the profound effect on her family. (Grades 7-9)

For more Information:

• Digital Media Interview with Ozge Samanci

• WTTW's Chicago Tonight's Interview with Ozge Samanci

• Ozge Samanci's Website

Lesson Plans Materials:

This would be great to use in a Culture, Political Science, or Comparative Governments class in high school or college.  Students can compare and contrast their (or their parents’) lives growing up in the 1980’s and 1990’s in America and Turkey.  This book can also be compared and contrasted with the read a likes mentioned above.  It was difficult to find actual lesson plans, but those for Persepolis can be adapted and adjusted.  Below are two activities I did find for Dare to Disappoint.

• Crosswords and Word Searches

• English Plot Diagram and Project

Works Cited:

Samanci, Ozge. (2015). Dare to Disappoint: Growing up in Turkey. New York, Farrar Straus Giroux.