7 Recent YA Books You MUST Read

from Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices. 

de Fombelle, Timothée. (2014). Vango: Between Sky and Earth. Translated by Sarah Ardizzone. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. Set against the backdrop of the rise of the Nazi Party (1934-1935), 19-year-old Vango Romano is accused of killing a priest which sets him on the run. Who is Vango remains a central and compelling question in this novel. 432 pp.  (12 and older)

Charleyboy, Lisa and Mary Beth Leatherdale (Eds.). (2014). Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press. 
An amazing collection of written and visual texts. Oh my. This is my favorite book of the lot. Artful. 128 pp. (HS and older)

Cokal, Susann. (2013). Kingdom of Little Wounds. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. (Printz Honor book 2014) Fantasy novel/dark fairy tale that explores power. For the older end of YA and adults. 554 pp.

Hemphill, Stephanie. (2013). Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Balzer + Bray.
Novel in verse told from the perspective of the "afflicted" girls who fake their symptoms in Salem in 1692 leading to the killing of would-be witches. (Grade 9+)

Isaacson, Philip M. (2015). A Short Walk Around the Pyramids & Through the World of Art. Ember. 
Nonfiction title that focuses on various definitions of art. A useful guide. (Grade 7+)

Niven, Jennifer. (2015). All the Bright Places. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers. 
The novel opens with this question by the novel's subject, Violet: Is it a good day to die? Angsty. Poignant teen romance.

Walton, Leslye. (2014). The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Beautifully written story about an unusual girl, Ava  who has been born with a pair of wings. First time author, Leslye Walton was a A 2015 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist.

Updated: 15 Photography Books from 2014 & 2015

Image by Robert Adams.

Adams, Robert. (2014). Robert Adams: A Road Through Shore Pines. San Francisco, CA: Fraenkel Gallery.

from Asylum of the Birds.

from Asylum of the Birds.

Ballen, Roger. (2014). Asylum of the Birds. London: Thames & Hudson.

Carrano, George, Davis, Chelsea & Jonathan Fisher (Eds.). (2015). Project Lives: New York Public Housing Residents Photograph Their World.  Brooklyn, NY: powerHouse Books.

#Sandy: Seen Through the iPhones of Acclaimed Photographers

from #Sandy: Seen Through the iPhones of Acclaimed Photographers.

Corcoran, Sean & Eddie Brannen. (2014). #Sandy: Seen Through the iPhones of Acclaimed Photographers. Hillsborough, NC: Daylight Books.

Carrying Water y Adrain Chesser from here.

Eagle, Timothy White & Adrain Chesser. (2014). Adrain Chesser: The Return. Photographs by Adrain Chesser. Hillsborough, NC: Daylight Books.
















Fraenkel, Jeffrey. (2014). The Plot Thickens. San Francisco, CA: Fraenkel Gallery.

Photographer Unknown. Untitled. (Greece). ca 1900.

from North Korea: Anonymous Country. 

Leeb, Julia. (2014). North Korea: Anonymous Country. New York: teNeues

Littky, Pamela. (2014). Vacancy. Berlin: Kehrer Verlag.

Osborne, Mike. (2014). Mike Osborne: Floating Island. Hillsborough, NC: Daylight Books.

Ranney, Edward. (2014). The Lines. New Haven, CT: Yale University Art Gallery.

from Hiroshi Watanabe: The Day the Dam Collapses.

Rian, Kirsten & Hiroshi Watanabe. (2014). Hiroshi Watanabe: The Day the Dam Collapses. Hillsborough, NC: Daylight Books.

from E. Brady Robinson: Art Desks.

Robinson, E. Brady. (2014). E. Brady Robinson: Art Desks. Hillsborough, NC: Daylight Books.

from  Prix Pictet 05: Consumption.

teNeues. (2014). Prix Pictet 05: Consumption. New York: teNeues.

from Eleven Years.

from Eleven Years

Tucker, Anne Wilkes. (2014). Eleven Years. Berlin: Kehrer Verlag.

Yamamoto, Masao & Jacobo Siruela. (2015). Masao Yamamoto: Small Things in Silence.  RM/Seigensha.

15 Children's Art Books 2014 and 2015

Benny Andrews' s Grandmother's Dinner, Oil and collage, 1992

Benson, Kathleen. (2015). Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews. Illustrated by  Benny Andrews. New York: Clarion Books.
Burleigh, Robert. (2014). Edward Hopper Paints His World. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. New York: Henry Holt and Co. 

Engle, Margarita. (2015). The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist. Illustrated by Aliona Bereghici. New York: Two Lions.

Friedman, Samantha. (2014). Matisse's Garden. Illustrated by Christina Amodeo. New York: Harry N. Abrams. 

Kulling, Monica. (2014). When Emily Carr Met Woo. Illustrated by Dean Griffiths. Toronto, ON: Pajama Press.

from About Two Squares: A Suprematist Tale of Two Squares in Six Constructions

Lissitzky, El. (2015). About Two Squares: A Suprematist Tale of Two Squares in Six Constructions. Illustrated by Odile Belkeddar. London: Tate Publishing.

MacLachlan, Patricia. (2014). The Iridescence of Birds: A Book about Henri Matisse. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

Meltzer, Milton. (2015). Dorothea Lange. New York: Puffin.

Morles, Yuyi. (2014). Viva Frida. Photographs by Tim O'Meara. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

Powers, J.L. (2014). Colors of the Wind: The Story of Blind Artist and Champion Runner George Mendoza. Illustrated by George Mendoza. Purple House Press.

Rubin, Susan Goldman. (2014). Stand There! She Shouted: The Invincible Photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Illustrated by  Bagram Ibatoulline. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Ruurs, Margriet (2015). A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison. Illustrated by Katherine Gibson. Toronto, ON: Pajama Press.

Warhol, Andy. (2014).  Andy Warhol So Many Stars Board Book. Mudpuppy.

Weatherford, Carole Boston. (2015). Gordon Parks: How thephotographer Captured Black and White America. Illustrated by Jamey Christoph. Grand Rapids: MI: Albert Whitman & Company

Winter, Jeanette. (2014). Mr. Cornell's Dream Boxes. New York: Beach Lane Books.

Without Words: 20 Wordless Picture Books Published Recently

from The Changing Countryside.

Two of my favorite wordless book are Dong Sheen and Jae-Soo Liu's (2002) Yellow Umbrella and Jorg Muller's (2006) The Changing Countryside.  In this post I want to highlight a recent (and one to be published) wordless picture books. Macguire's The Wild Swans, an accordion book that opens to more than 60 feet, may be my new favorite.

Wordless picture books offer readers opportunities to build comprehension, especially with regard to inferring, character development, and theme.

from  Quest.

Becker, Aaron. (2014). Quest. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

from  Journey.

Becker, Aaron. (2013). Journey. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Blexbolex. (2013). Ballad. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

from  The Line.

Bossio, Paula. (2013). The Line. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press.

from The Flashlight.

Boyd, Lizi. (2014). The Flashlight. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

from Inside Outside

Boyd, Lizi. (2013).  Inside Outside. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

from Fox's Garden.

Camcam, Princesse. (2014). Fox's Garden. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

Colón, Raúl. (2014). Draw!  New York: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books.

Dorémus, Gaëtan. (2014). Coyote Run. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

from The Farmer and the Clown.

Frazee, Marla. (2014). The Farmer and the Clown. New York: Beach Lane Books.

Geisert, Arthur. (2013). Thunderstorm. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

from Flora and the Flamingo.

Idle, Molly. (2013). Flora and the Flamingo. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Jay, Alison. (2014). Out of the Blue. Concord, MA: Barefoot Books.

from The Wild Swans. 

Maguire, Thomas Aquinas. (2102). The Wild Swans. Vancouver, BC: Simply Read Books.

from Float.

Miyares, Daniel. (2015). Float. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Pett, Mark. (2014). The Girl and the Bicycle. New York: Simon & Schuster.

from ).The Boy and the Airplane. 

Pett, Mark. (2013).The Boy and the Airplane. New York: Simon & Schuster.

from The River.

Sanna, Alessandro. (2014). The River. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

from   Fossil.

Thomson, Bill. (2013). Fossil. Seattle, WA: Two Lions.

Villa, Alvaro F. (2013). Flood. Mankato, MN: Capstone Young Readers.

80 Days of News, 80 Collages & One Truth I've Learned about People & Cultures in Collision

Another Mother's Grief (8.11.14)

Reconciliation Can Happen Between Equals (8.12.14)

From May 25, 2014 to August 12, 2014 I read The New York Times each morning and then created a collage based on some aspect of the news.  (You can see all 80 here and in the slideshow below). It has been a difficult time in the world with wars and coups happening in Iraq, Gaza, Israel, Thailand, and the Ukraine. At home (USA) issues related to economy, immigration, governance, women's rights, rape, and racial and gender injustices have been raised, argued, ignored, pitied and repeated.

Across these somewhat disparate situations, matters of power can be discerned regardless of the topic. Economic injustice rests beneath all of these concerns. There can be no peace without economic justice. Until we not only see other as worthy, but also know other as economic equal--we will continue to be mired in local and global contention. We must become (other)wise.

It was Edward Said who in writing about Palestine and Israel told us:

"I sincerely believe in reconciliation between peoples and cultures in collision, and have made it my life’s work to try to further that end. But true reconciliation cannot be imposed; neither can it occur between cultures and societies that are enormously uneven in power. The kind of reconciliation that can bring real peace can only occur between equals, between partners whose independence, strength of purpose, and inner cohesion allows them fully to understand and share with the other."

To make peace in the world, economic justice is
critical.  We must ensure that all become equal partners, not people colonized who are juxtaposed to one another across vast distances where servitude is insisted upon.

We can do better.

We must.






Cited:

Said, Edward W. (2012-10-24). Peace And Its Discontents: Essays on Palestine in the Middle East Peace Process . New York: Vintage.