We got whomped by winter weather this week, and had a small crowd, but the books were right on target!
These books were selected by my coworker.
Snowballs
Lois Ehlert
ISBN: 0152000747
Ehlert's signature blend of collage and found items in a wintry installment focused on snowmen and the fun of building them, and the curious supplies and random objects that can make up their expressions and ornaments. Busy and folksy.
Penguin and Pinecone, a friendship story
Salina Yoon
ISBN: 9780802728432
Ok, the anthropomorphized pinecone (who never talks or moves) and the resulting "friends" the pine trees... a little odd. But it's still a cute story of helping things (or people) get to where they belong, and of cultivating friendships even over time and space, and in thinking of others in a loving way. Even if the other is a pinecone. Sweet but strange.
Blizzard
John Rocco
ISBN: 9781423178651
Rocco's hometown was swamped by a blizzard when he was a child, so he created this picture book as a memoir and a record of that event. The illustrations are only a BIT dated, but the story of adventure and boredom (and parental worry) is pretty timeless, even if the setting and protagonist are solidly stereotypical mid-century americana. Dramatic and funny.
Showing posts with label autobiography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autobiography. Show all posts
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Juv Nonfiction: Book, My Autobiography "transcribed" by John Agard, illustrated by Neil Packer
Book: My Autobiography
John Agard, illustrated (b&w) by Neil Packer
ISBN: 9780763672362
Read March 7, 2016
Cute conceit of a thin book covering the history of the recorded word in print from the perspective of a book, looking back at the transformations of the past and present.
Lots of short chapters break up the history of the development of the written word. We begin with oral storytelling and cave paintings, then move through the earliest surviving examples of physically-recorded information from several cultures. Then we're into the developments of types of materials: rock walls to clay tablets to papyrus to parchment to paper pulp (a Chinese invention, which I did not know) and finally to modern e-books. Then we look at styles of writing: cuneiform, hieroglyphics, the Phoenician, then Greek, then Latin alphabets (this section was sadly lacking in Eastern information), along with the writing process: wedge-shaped stylus to quills (with discussion of the various bird species and what their quills were considered good for) to the first block printing and then movable type and then again e-books with hyperlinks.
The "voice" of Book is wry and self-deprecatory and winking, passing information along as if it is just the coolest history in the world (which I personally agree with) and making even ancient history like the switch from papyrus to parchment seem relevant (caused, fyi, by a squabble over intellectual property (papyrus) which was barred from export out to a rival country).
The language is rich and varied and the presentation is quite adult - I had to check the CIP to see that it really was a juvenile nonfiction. There are pull-out and pop quotes from authors and poets and influential people highlighted in almost every chapter that are relevant to the section, or are generally thought-provoking. This would be an excellent "trial" biography for a young voracious nonfiction or micro-history reader - I can easily see them successfully reading through this and feeling empowered to move on to the very similar adult nonfiction or biographies.
A fun, quick, information-packed read, with a great narrative flow and a lovely narrative voice, with just enough black and white illustration and pop quotes to break up the many many many small chapters.
John Agard, illustrated (b&w) by Neil Packer
ISBN: 9780763672362
Read March 7, 2016
Cute conceit of a thin book covering the history of the recorded word in print from the perspective of a book, looking back at the transformations of the past and present.
Lots of short chapters break up the history of the development of the written word. We begin with oral storytelling and cave paintings, then move through the earliest surviving examples of physically-recorded information from several cultures. Then we're into the developments of types of materials: rock walls to clay tablets to papyrus to parchment to paper pulp (a Chinese invention, which I did not know) and finally to modern e-books. Then we look at styles of writing: cuneiform, hieroglyphics, the Phoenician, then Greek, then Latin alphabets (this section was sadly lacking in Eastern information), along with the writing process: wedge-shaped stylus to quills (with discussion of the various bird species and what their quills were considered good for) to the first block printing and then movable type and then again e-books with hyperlinks.
The "voice" of Book is wry and self-deprecatory and winking, passing information along as if it is just the coolest history in the world (which I personally agree with) and making even ancient history like the switch from papyrus to parchment seem relevant (caused, fyi, by a squabble over intellectual property (papyrus) which was barred from export out to a rival country).
The language is rich and varied and the presentation is quite adult - I had to check the CIP to see that it really was a juvenile nonfiction. There are pull-out and pop quotes from authors and poets and influential people highlighted in almost every chapter that are relevant to the section, or are generally thought-provoking. This would be an excellent "trial" biography for a young voracious nonfiction or micro-history reader - I can easily see them successfully reading through this and feeling empowered to move on to the very similar adult nonfiction or biographies.
A fun, quick, information-packed read, with a great narrative flow and a lovely narrative voice, with just enough black and white illustration and pop quotes to break up the many many many small chapters.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Biography: You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), by Felicia Day
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
Felicia Day
ISBN: 9781476785653
Read August 10, 2015
Missed the hold-til notice on this one, and got it at the library a day early. Whoops!
Felicia is one of the pillars of the geek community. She's clever, self-deprecating, snarky, funny, and deeply honest, even about herself and her failings. All of this makes for a great memoir.
I especially enjoyed reading about her upbringing, which matched my own in a lot of ways. She perfectly describes the strangeness of college and socialization after being isolated and having to fly solo for so long as a child. I also was touched by her honesty about her depression and her self-medicating with WoW while trying to "make it" as a hollywood actress. Her blunt honesty about her unfortunate choices also sadly resonated with me. It's easy to get caught up in doing something that feels good, even after it doesn't feel good any longer, because it's better than the fear of everything else.
I was glad that the memoir ended on a relatively high point, and wish her all the success (and more importantly, all the happiness) in the world.
Felicia Day
ISBN: 9781476785653
Read August 10, 2015
Missed the hold-til notice on this one, and got it at the library a day early. Whoops!
Felicia is one of the pillars of the geek community. She's clever, self-deprecating, snarky, funny, and deeply honest, even about herself and her failings. All of this makes for a great memoir.
I especially enjoyed reading about her upbringing, which matched my own in a lot of ways. She perfectly describes the strangeness of college and socialization after being isolated and having to fly solo for so long as a child. I also was touched by her honesty about her depression and her self-medicating with WoW while trying to "make it" as a hollywood actress. Her blunt honesty about her unfortunate choices also sadly resonated with me. It's easy to get caught up in doing something that feels good, even after it doesn't feel good any longer, because it's better than the fear of everything else.
I was glad that the memoir ended on a relatively high point, and wish her all the success (and more importantly, all the happiness) in the world.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Biography: Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor, Tim Gunn with Ada Calhoun
Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor: a master class on mentoring, motivating, and making it work!
Tim Gunn & Ada Calhoun
ISBN: 9781476780061
Biography and inspirational memoir.
I love this man so much. From the very first episodes of Project Runway, I thought that this would be a person I would be so happy to have as a mentor or guide. His first book (Gunn's Golden Rules) was lovely, and showed a fun, somewhat snippy, side of his personality, one that wasn't as obvious with his carefully crafted "on camera" persona. This book was fairly similar, and reveals how he's been shunned for plain-talking by lots of the "high and mighty" in the fashion world.
The focus of the book is on mentorship and teaching, and how he loves to help students be their best. He offers a lot of good advice and encouragement to students, teachers, and mentors, and offers a lot of anecdotes from his time at Parsons and with his tv shows. I have a feeling that some of the less positive anecdotal subjects won't be as thrilled to read the stories as I was, but anonymity is preserved, at least for former students.
The read was short, easy, and enjoyable. I wish him all the best, and enjoyed reading about him and his ideas as much as I've enjoyed watching him help the contestants ton Project Runway and Under the Gunn.
Tim Gunn & Ada Calhoun
ISBN: 9781476780061
Biography and inspirational memoir.
I love this man so much. From the very first episodes of Project Runway, I thought that this would be a person I would be so happy to have as a mentor or guide. His first book (Gunn's Golden Rules) was lovely, and showed a fun, somewhat snippy, side of his personality, one that wasn't as obvious with his carefully crafted "on camera" persona. This book was fairly similar, and reveals how he's been shunned for plain-talking by lots of the "high and mighty" in the fashion world.
The focus of the book is on mentorship and teaching, and how he loves to help students be their best. He offers a lot of good advice and encouragement to students, teachers, and mentors, and offers a lot of anecdotes from his time at Parsons and with his tv shows. I have a feeling that some of the less positive anecdotal subjects won't be as thrilled to read the stories as I was, but anonymity is preserved, at least for former students.
The read was short, easy, and enjoyable. I wish him all the best, and enjoyed reading about him and his ideas as much as I've enjoyed watching him help the contestants ton Project Runway and Under the Gunn.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Graphic Novel: El Deafo, by Cece Bell
El Deafo
Cece Bell
ISBN: 9781419710209
Crudely-drawn anthropomorphic bunnies inhabit this fictionalized biography of a child with partial hearing loss.
Cece Bell tells her early life story, and how she felt isolated and set-apart by her deafness and the resulting technical assistance devices (most of which were bulky and obvious) until her natural enthusiasm eventually win her friends, and some unintended side-effects of her hardware make her a school hero. The story doesn't linger - we get a quick fade to black after she begins to feel like she fits in, leaving the focus of the narrative on her feelings and difficult experiences as someone "different."
A very honest and insightful author's note at the end explains the variable degrees and social experiences of deafness and of Deaf culture, explains her own situation, and that this book isn't trying to speak to an overarching narrative or cultural situation - just her own confused feelings as a child.
Very cute, and a great addition to the graphic novel collection, as well as for anyone looking for diverse types of life stories and characters.
Cece Bell
ISBN: 9781419710209
Crudely-drawn anthropomorphic bunnies inhabit this fictionalized biography of a child with partial hearing loss.
Cece Bell tells her early life story, and how she felt isolated and set-apart by her deafness and the resulting technical assistance devices (most of which were bulky and obvious) until her natural enthusiasm eventually win her friends, and some unintended side-effects of her hardware make her a school hero. The story doesn't linger - we get a quick fade to black after she begins to feel like she fits in, leaving the focus of the narrative on her feelings and difficult experiences as someone "different."
A very honest and insightful author's note at the end explains the variable degrees and social experiences of deafness and of Deaf culture, explains her own situation, and that this book isn't trying to speak to an overarching narrative or cultural situation - just her own confused feelings as a child.
Very cute, and a great addition to the graphic novel collection, as well as for anyone looking for diverse types of life stories and characters.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Biography: Neil Patrick Harris, Choose Your Own Autobiography
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
Neil Patrick Harris
ISBN: 9780385346993
A biography of NPH that is, actually, in Choose Your Own Adventure format.
I used up so many sticky-notes on this book.
Way back in the mists of time, I read Choose Your Own Adventure books, usually of the Indiana Jones variety, and let me tell you - Indy is a super-hero, because I read those books with the movies in mind, and every choice I could make, I chose like Indy. I DIED ALL THE TIME. Every time, I died, usually before the adventure even started. What the heck kind of adventure was this if an adventurous character couldn't even get into it properly?
The only way I could make it to a "good" ending was if I literally searched out ALL the endings, found the SINGLE GOOD ENDING (compared to about a dozen or so really unfortunate ones, and about three or so iffy ones) and proceeded to work backwards by marking page-numbers. And you know what I found? The only way to get to a good ending was to choose the most boring and non-adventurous answer there was, every single time. That's bullshit.
Thankfully, this Choose Your Own Autobiography is not bullshit, because NPH has had a wonderful life, and has made some really adventurous choices, and very few of them end up in tragic unfortunate demises (although you might want to watch out for a redux of Joss Whedon, or on Sesame Street - apparently trying to re-experience a magical collaboration is a death sentence). My only complaint is that I think I killed a small tropical tree owned by 3M keeping track of my progress in order to make sure that I read the whole thing.
If you want to read bits-and-pieces of NPH's life and family and acting and hosting and singing and magic (although not much of the magic, as he plays his tricks close to his vest) then this is a perfect little book. I almost want to seed it through waiting rooms across the country, as a protest against three-seasons-outdated-issues of WebMD's pamphlets, recipe-optional Woman's Days, and threadbare Sports Illustrated with defaced photos of sports players. It was great to just read a few segments at a time and then set it down to work or live life myself.
If you want to actually go through his (scuse me, "your") life chronologically, then honey, you're in for a bit of work. It should be possible, but I limited myself to simply being thorough, and after a very Time Traveler's Wife sort of life, went back and tried to re-assemble the actual chronology in my head (most likely super-incorrectly). That approach alone meant that it took me a whole day longer to make sure I'd hit everything. If you read slowly, or don't have as good a memory for what you read, it might be more frustrating (there are places where it doubles back and re-uses footage, as a good Choose Your Own Adventure does) but it's still a fun adventure.
I am happy to say that through grit, persistence, genre-savvy, and rampant cheating I got through unscathed (and un-quicksanded) to the grand musical finale. Have to say, I'm pretty thrilled with the life!
Neil Patrick Harris
ISBN: 9780385346993
A biography of NPH that is, actually, in Choose Your Own Adventure format.
I used up so many sticky-notes on this book.
Way back in the mists of time, I read Choose Your Own Adventure books, usually of the Indiana Jones variety, and let me tell you - Indy is a super-hero, because I read those books with the movies in mind, and every choice I could make, I chose like Indy. I DIED ALL THE TIME. Every time, I died, usually before the adventure even started. What the heck kind of adventure was this if an adventurous character couldn't even get into it properly?
The only way I could make it to a "good" ending was if I literally searched out ALL the endings, found the SINGLE GOOD ENDING (compared to about a dozen or so really unfortunate ones, and about three or so iffy ones) and proceeded to work backwards by marking page-numbers. And you know what I found? The only way to get to a good ending was to choose the most boring and non-adventurous answer there was, every single time. That's bullshit.
Thankfully, this Choose Your Own Autobiography is not bullshit, because NPH has had a wonderful life, and has made some really adventurous choices, and very few of them end up in tragic unfortunate demises (although you might want to watch out for a redux of Joss Whedon, or on Sesame Street - apparently trying to re-experience a magical collaboration is a death sentence). My only complaint is that I think I killed a small tropical tree owned by 3M keeping track of my progress in order to make sure that I read the whole thing.
If you want to read bits-and-pieces of NPH's life and family and acting and hosting and singing and magic (although not much of the magic, as he plays his tricks close to his vest) then this is a perfect little book. I almost want to seed it through waiting rooms across the country, as a protest against three-seasons-outdated-issues of WebMD's pamphlets, recipe-optional Woman's Days, and threadbare Sports Illustrated with defaced photos of sports players. It was great to just read a few segments at a time and then set it down to work or live life myself.
If you want to actually go through his (scuse me, "your") life chronologically, then honey, you're in for a bit of work. It should be possible, but I limited myself to simply being thorough, and after a very Time Traveler's Wife sort of life, went back and tried to re-assemble the actual chronology in my head (most likely super-incorrectly). That approach alone meant that it took me a whole day longer to make sure I'd hit everything. If you read slowly, or don't have as good a memory for what you read, it might be more frustrating (there are places where it doubles back and re-uses footage, as a good Choose Your Own Adventure does) but it's still a fun adventure.
I am happy to say that through grit, persistence, genre-savvy, and rampant cheating I got through unscathed (and un-quicksanded) to the grand musical finale. Have to say, I'm pretty thrilled with the life!
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Photo-Biographical: Behind the Scenes, Judi Dench
Behind the Scenes
Judi Dench
ISBN: 9781250071118
A lovely photo book about a lovely and talented actress. I've always looked up to her, and reading through this book of photographs and her anecdotes and memories about her family and her craft and her career (and her co-workers) was truly enjoyable.
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