WEATHER, WEATHER -- a tender reflection on the passing of seasons, perspective, and memory8/29/2017 Weather, Weather by Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler (2016, Museum of Modern Art; 64 pages) This is the third volume in a series of collaborations between the artist Maira Kalman, the writer Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket), and The Museum of Modern Art. This time the artist and the writer explore in an evocative way different physical environments and their metaphoric implications. The photographs that are the source of inspiration belong to the MoMA's collection and the point they share is that all offer points of departure. The book also includes ten vibrant new paintings by Maira Kalman, and poetic prose by Handler that embraces the photos with new meaning. Sarah Hermanson Meister, curator of the department of photography at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, writes a beautiful reflection of this project included in the book. She explains that a picture may be worth a thousand words, but often they are accompanied by even more: a title or caption that complicates or clarifies what we see in them, for example. The project takes us from Czechoslovakia in 1957 to Albuquerque in 1973 to Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1957, etc. Weather, Weather is a reflection “on passing seasons, changing perspectives, and the unpredictability of life.” Recommended to those adults and young adults who love old photographs, philosophical reflections, wryness and tenderness, and to those who believe in creativity as a way to surrender. Find this title in our catalog: Weather, Weather Recommended by: Maite
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Eyes of the World, Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, & the Invention of Modern Photojournalism by Marc Aronson & Marina Budhos (2017, Henry Holt and Co.; 304 pages) If you have ever seen a photograph of a scene from the Spanish Civil War (check The Falling Soldier for example) chances are that it was taken by Robert Capa or Gerda Taro. Those photographs that went straight from the action to the covers of news magazines, are among the best when it comes to the history of photojournalism. The book Eyes of the World is a masterpiece on the invention of modern journalism based on photographs, and it is an incredibly inspiring story about the lives and careers of two incredible courageous, kind, strong, and idealistic human beings. Robert Capa and Gerda Taro were young Jewish refugees, and they were in love. As photographers in the 1930's, they set off to capture their “generation's most important struggle-the fight against fascism.” Their work on the Spanish Civil War for example brought a human face to war. Shots of a loving couple resting, a wary orphan, and, always, more and more refugees driven from their homes by bombs, guns and planes are masterpieces of a time and era that civilizations should never forget. They were pioneers of the idea of bearing witness of history though technology. The book takes the reader though an inspiring journey with a cast of characters ranging from Hughes and George Orwell to Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway. Eyes of the World is of course packed with dramatic photos, posters, mini biographies and a fantastic narration of events based on the riveting, tragic and encouraging story of Robert Capa and Gerda Taro. Three appendices, a chapter on cast of characters, a time line and sources are also part of this treasure. There is also a delightful section, called “Collaboration,” where the writers of the book reflect on that concept: “One of the reasons we wanted to write about Capa and Taro is because they were an artistic couple who worked together as equals. (…) What is collaboration? What are the challenges, the rewards? What makes it work?” The authors go on to share their thoughts on that process, and the result is truly worthy. This book is such a treasure! A must read by all. Read it. Now. Find this title in our catalog: Eyes of the World Recommended by: Maite Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael Lopez (2017, Henry Holt and Co.; 48 pages) This book is an extraordinary work, both because of the writing and because of the art. Margarita Engle and Rafael López have created a collection of poems about amazing hispanics and about a great and varied and beautiful mixture of dreams. The poems are about a variety of amazing people who lived in geographic regions now included in the modern United States, people who faced life´s challenges in creative ways, who come from many different backgrounds, and, as the author says in a letter to the reader, some were celebrated in their lifetimes but have been forgotten by history, and others achieved lasting fame. Poems spotlight musicians, a botanist, a baseball player, a pilot, a writer, and more. The names of these amazing Hispanics are: Aída de Acosta, Arnold Rojas, Baruj Benacerraf, César Chávez, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca, Félix varela, George Meléndez Wright, José Martí, Juan de Miralles, Juana Briones, Julia de Burgos, Lous Agassiz Fuertes, Paulina Pedroso, Pura Belpré, Roberto Clemente, Tito Puente, Tomás Rivera and Ynés Mexía. Some of those names are well known in the U.S. But the book is not a book about famous Hispanics. Margarita Engle has listed modern names for regions of family ancestry before each poem rather than using historic names such as New Spain. She also ends the book with a chapter on more amazing Latinos, and with a chapter of notes about the lives the Hispanics that she features in her poems. The illustrations of Rafael López are incredible. This artist's work is a fusion of strong graphic style and magical symbolism, and he brings into it the rich cultural heritage and native color of street life in Mexico City, the place where he grew up. This is an incredibly beautiful and rich book, and anyone of any age with a love of art, poetry, or a desire to learn about the Hispanic world will be delighted. Find this title in our catalog: Bravo! Recommended by: Maite When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (2009, Wendy Lamb Books; 210 pages) Sixth-grader Miranda lives in 1978 New York City with her mother, and her life compass is Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. When she receives a series of enigmatic notes that claim to want to save her life, she comes to believe that they are from someone who knows the future. If that’s the case, then Miranda has an even bigger problem—because the notes tell her that someone is going to die, and she might be too late to stop it. Though labeled as a J book, Rebecca Stead deploys some intensely thought-provoking ideas in this Newberry Medal-winning book. It is a book that begs to be read more than once, as the story contains many complex and fascinating elements. Find this title in our catalog: When You Reach Me Recommended by: Ariadne One Good Thing About America by Ruth Freeman (2017, Holiday House; 160 pages) This books starts on September 14 with a letter to Oma. “Dear Oma, We go to my new school today. It is VERY BIG. Mama and me and Jean-Claude we walk from the motel and find school. Mama write and write many papers for the school. A man come. He speak English and French and help us. I tell Jean-Claude to stay calm but he is bad boy. A lady bring the crahons and I tell Jean-Claude to play with them. Many many children are in the school. 400 say the man. Yes 400. Vraiment. Really. It is like the city. And my school at home in Congo is like one little house. I tell the man I get lost. He say I do not. I get lost. I know it.” Anais was the best English student in her class back home in Congo, Africa. But once she migrates to what she calls "Crazy America," she feels she doesn't know English at all. In fact, if she tries to make sense of the language, nothing seems to work (how can you eat chicken fingers, after all?). Anais misses her family back in Africa, those who had to stay behind: her Papa, her grandma Oma, and her big brother Olivier. She lives now in a new country with her Mama and her little brother Jean-Claude. To try to fool sadness and nostalgia, she decides to write daily letters to Oma. The book is a book of letters in which she explores her feelings and her daily experiences trying to adjust to the life in Crazy America. She tells Oma that she misses her, that she worries about Papa and big brother because of the war in Congo. She also tells her about all the strange things people do in her new country, and she decides that one good thing about America is of course, ice cream! This is a tender, touching and great middle-grade novel that explores in a beautiful way the differences and common ground across cultures and countries. Anais' voice is simply adorable, and the book is filled with funny touches that help to bring together the kaleidoscopic world we live in. Recommended to readers who enjoy down to earth voices and learning about how people think and live in different parts of the world. Recommended also for those who wish to understand the challenges faced by young immigrants in America. Find this title in our catalog: One Good Thing About America Recommended by: Maite Lion Island: Cuba's Warrior of Words by Margarita Engle (2016, Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 176 pages) “Liberty is the beast that is never tamed; it breaks the chains that bind it with blood and fire, to reclaim its rights.” -Antonio Chuffat This is the true story of Antonio Chuffat, a young man whose ancestors clashed and blended on the beautiful island of Cuba. It is the story of a boy who became a champion of civil rights for those who could not speak for themselves. The book narrates in verse form the times when Cuba is fighting for freedom from Spain. Enslaved Africans and near-enslaved Chinese servants are forced to work long, backbreaking hours in the fields. Antonio feels lucky to have found a good job as a messenger where his cultural background is an asset. One day he meets Wing, a young Chinese fruit seller who barely escaped the anti-Asian riots in San Francisco, and his sister Fan, a talented singer. Seeing and feeling injustice all around them, the three friends are determined that, in this time of violent rebellion and slavery, violence through guns will not be the only way to gain liberty. The power of written petitions offered hope, and this Chinese-African Cuban messenger boy named Antonio Chuffat documented the war of words. The book was written by the talented and fantastic Cuban-American poet and novelist, Newbery Honor-winning author Margarita Engle. I immensely enjoy novels written in verse, and Margarita Engle’s verse is astonishingly beautiful. She chose to begin the book with a chapter in non-verse form that describes the historical background of the story. This chapter is rich in information and fabulous because it brings to the surface a dark episode in the history of slavery, this time placed in Cuba: “Beginning in the 1840s, more than 250,000 men were shipped to Cuba and Peru from China as part of a treaty between the Spanish and Chinese empires. Working in Cuba’s sugarcane fields alongside African slaves, Chinese indentured laborers were often forced to sign one eight-year contract after another. Intermarriage between Chinese men and African women created a richly blended culture with unique religious, musical, and culinary traditions. In 1868, a small group of planters in Cuba freed slaves and declared independence from Spain. Around the same time, Chinese Americans were fleeing anti-Asian riots in California. By the early 1870s, 5,000 refugees had settled in Cuba.” Incredibly powerful, hopeful, haunting and beautiful, this is a must read book for people of all ages. Find this title in our catalog: Lion Island Recommended by: Maite THE BOOK BOOK -- invites children on a unique and poetic journey into the world of bookmaking5/12/2017 The Book Book by Sophie Benini Pietromarchi (2007, Tara Books; 132 pages) “Books are like houses. Curiosity always makes me want to open doors. I’ve always thought that the most mysterious doors are the covers of books.” This is the delightful beginning of an incredibly excellent and humble book. Artist Sophie Benini Pietromarchi invites children on a fantastic journey through the world of bookmaking in The Book Book, a lyrical, beautiful craft work. The journey explores colors, textures, shapes, and feelings. Benini demonstrates how those intangible elements can be turned into pictorial narratives. She also explores the uses of unlikely items, like pencil shavings, onions, dust, and leaves. An egg box becomes a perfect book cover, an onion will work for decorating paper, rough string can bind books and boxes of cornflakes or biscuits can illustrate cars or cities, and also will work on making good book covers. The book is a visual feast to enjoy with time. Photographs and art are fantastic, and together with the writing, become an invitation to get to work right away. The Book Book is a tribute to the rich, imaginative world in all of us. This work evolved from workshops with children, which explains the fact that it can be used by children without adult help. But it is also a great tool for parents, teachers or anyone working with children because it features creative and simple exercises in drawing, creative writing, and book-making. This book is a house that you want to enter and stay for a long time. Find it, open it, and enjoy. Find this title in our catalog: The Book Book Recommended by: Maite Amina's Voice by Hena Khan (2017, Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; 208 pages) Amina’s Voice is the latest book by Hena Khan, a Pakistani American author who enjoys writing about her culture as well as all sorts of other subjects. In Amina’s Voice, she chooses to let her main character, Amina, guide the reader through the days and nights of an almost 12-year-old American girl. Amina’s voice is a powerful one and the reader certainly hears what she has to say. She shares the same questions as many other girls of her age. She has a best friend named Soojin and she is very happy hanging out just with her, but the problem is that now that they are in middle school, everything feels different. Soojin starts hanging out with Emily, one of the “cool” girls in the class, and she even starts talking about changing her name to something more “American.” Amina doesn’t quite understand this “new” Soojin, but she loves her friend and she tries to keep up with the new changes. In Amina’s narration, she brings us many details about her family and those details are a pure joy to read. While her life goes on, and she struggles to keep up with the changes that middle school brings into her life, her local mosque is vandalized, and she is devastated. The final chapters of the book are a beautiful example of how a fractured community begins to heal. Amina’s Voice is a beautiful, fun and interesting book. The author believes in the power of a young girl’s voice, and in this book you will certainly hear it. Recommended to young readers curious about cultural diversity, and those who enjoy strong, young female characters. Best for 8 to 12. Find this title in our catalog: Amina's Voice Recommended by: Maite The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz (2016, Dutton Books For Young Readers; 384 pages) This is a profound and ambitious book, and an example of great storytelling. The story starts on a dark night in the year 1242, when a group of travelers gather at a small French inn. It is a perfect night for a story, and everyone in the kingdom is looking forward to learn more about the tale of three children: Jeanne, a peasant girl who has visions of the future (character loosely based on Joan of Arc); William, a young monk with supernatural strength; and Jacob, a Jewish boy who can heal any wound. Together, their powers will be tested by demons and dragons, cruel knights and cunning monks. These three unlikely friends and their faithful greyhound are going to be chased through France to a final showdown in the waves at the foot of the abbey-fortress of Mont-Saint-Michel. One of the most brilliant parts of this book is the manuscript illuminations created by illustrator Hatem Aly that offers the feel and texture of 13th-century France. They are also filled with the author’s trademark style and humor. The novel is a well-researched and engaging adventure, but it is more than that: it is a sweet and moving story about the power of friendship, curiosity and love of learning, all in a world filled with hate and narrow-mindedness. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the closing author’s note chapter where he explains where the story came from. He explains how much of the novel is real and how much is made up, offers deep details of the main characters, and he also offers a historical context of the High Middle Ages, the time when The Inquisitor’s Tale takes place. Find this title in our catalog: The Inquisitor's Tale Recommended by: Maite Women In Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed The World written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky (2016, Ten Speed Press; 128 pages) This juvenile nonfiction book is a bliss and a joy. One of those books I wish I would have had the opportunity to have in my hands when I was a young girl, looking around for female role models in any field in life. Those books didn't exist then; woman scientist wasn’t even a concept. But now, it is a scientific fact: Women rock, and they rock also in science. Everything about this book is charming. The facts, the portraits of those 50 fearless pioneers who changed the world, the format, and those incredible illustrations included in each chapter. The fifty notable women belong to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from the ancient to the modern world. The art is striking, and the collection also includes infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary. The reader can dive into profiles of well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Gertrude Elion, pharmacologist and biochemist, Annie Easley, computer programmer, mathematician and rocket scientist, Patricia Bath, ophthalmologist and inventor, or Sau Lan Wu, particle physicist among many others. This book not only celebrates the achievements of the intrepid women who have paved the way for the next generation of female scientists, the book also celebrates diversity and embraces it. This is a beautiful, gorgeous, excellent book. Read it! Find this title in our catalog: Women In Science Recommended by: Maite |