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Showing 1 - 20 of 33 items
By Esmeralda Santiago. 1993
One of "The Best Memoirs of a Generation" (Oprah's Book Club): a young woman's journey from the mango groves and…
barrios of Puerto Rico to Brooklyn, and eventually on to Harvard In a childhood full of tropical beauty and domestic strife, poverty and tenderness, Esmeralda Santiago learned the proper way to eat a guava, the sound of tree frogs, the taste of morcilla, and the formula for ushering a dead baby's soul to heaven. But when her mother, Mami, a force of nature, takes off to New York with her seven, soon to be eleven children, Esmeralda, the oldest, must learn new rules, a new language, and eventually a new identity. In the first of her three acclaimed memoirs, Esmeralda brilliantly recreates her tremendous journey from the idyllic landscape and tumultuous family life of her earliest years, to translating for her mother at the welfare office, and to high honors at Harvard.By Melissa Sweet. 2016
6 Starred Reviews! New York Times Bestseller! A People Magazine Best Children&’s Book! A Washington Post Best Book! A Publishers…
Weekly Best Book! Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Award Honor recipient Caldecott Honor winner Sweet mixes White&’s personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with her own exquisite artwork to tell the story of this American literary icon. Readers young and old will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children&’s book author who loved words his whole life. This authorized tribute, a New York Times bestseller, includes an afterword by Martha White, his granddaughter.From Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet comes the perfect Thanksgiving Day picture book. Let's have a parade!Meet the master puppeteer…
who invented the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Melissa Sweet brings to life the inspirational story of the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons floating in the sky during the annual parade celebrating Thanksgiving. The Caldecott Honor artist brilliantly captures the essence of Tony Sarg, a self-taught immigrant with a fascinating imagination.The collage illustrations coupled with Sweet’s storytelling portray Sarg’s joy in his childhood inventions and his ingenious balloon creations that still bring delight to viewers around the country. This nonfiction illustrated book will capture the hearts of all ages.“This clever marriage of information and illustration soars high.” (Kirkus starred review)By Paula K. Manzanero, Who Hq. 2023
Learn about the fascinating career of surrealist Salvador Dalí from his early life in Spain through his public life as an…
internationally famous artist in this exciting addition to the #1 New York Times Best-Selling series.Conoce la fascinante carrera del surrealista Salvador Dalí, desde sus primeros años en España hasta su vida pública como artista de fama internacional, en este nuevo libro de la serie número uno en ventas del New York Times.Most famous for his surrealist painting The Persistence of Memory and its melting clocks, Salvador Dalí combined his dreamlike ideas with his excellent technical skills to become one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. Beyond painting, Dalí pursued the arts in many other mediums including sculpture, film, fashion, photography, architecture, and more. He was friends with many of his famous contemporaries, including Picasso, Bunuel, Miro, and Duchamp. Learn about the sometimes-shy man with the instantly recognizable upturned mustache in this book for young readers that details the life of one of modern art's most celebrated figures.Más famoso por su pintura surrealista La persistencia de la memoria y sus relojes derretidos, Salvador Dalí combinó sus ideas oníricas con sus excelentes habilidades técnicas para convertirse en uno de los artistas más famosos del siglo XX. Más allá de la pintura, Dalí se dedicó a las artes en muchos otros medios, como la escultura, el cine, la moda, la fotografía, la arquitectura y más. Era amigo de muchos de sus contemporáneos famosos, incluidos Picasso, Buñuel, Miró y Duchamp. Aprende sobre el hombre a veces tímido, con un bigote reconocible al instante, en este libro para lectores jóvenes que detalla la vida de una de las figuras más célebres del arte moderno.Get your paints and canvases ready for a fun-filled journey through art! Explore how artists get ideas and bring them…
to life, how art can affect the way we think and feel, and why people throughout history loved it so much.Why is art important? What's so great about it? In this illustrated book, you'll see the world through famous artists' eyes, and what inspired them to make art. And you'll use their techniques to produce your own masterpieces. Did you know that early humans spent a great deal of time on their cave paintings? Before cameras and smartphones were invented, people had paintings and drawings made of them to keep a record of what they looked like. Many artists, such as Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo, used art as a language to express their feelings, thoughts, and emotions in ways that words couldn't. Explore techniques you can use to create art, and you don't have to be good at drawing and painting to do it. If you want to learn why art has the power to be beautiful, shocking, entertaining, and even political, What's the Point of Art? is the place to start. This book is about how art has changed the world, one artistic movement at a time, and it is guaranteed to inspire, surprise, and entertain everyone who picks it up.By Michelle Obama. 2018
An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WATCH…
THE EMMY-NOMINATED NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY • OPRAH&’S BOOK CLUB PICK • NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER • ONE OF ESSENCE&’S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare. In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world&’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.By Magdalena Newman. 2019
A moving and “inspiring” memoir from the mother of a child with Treacher Collins syndrome, with a foreword by R.J.…
Palacio, author of Wonder (Publishers Weekly, starred review).For Magda Newman, normal was a goal—she wanted her son Nathaniel to be able to play on the playground, swim at the beach, enjoy the moments of childhood that are often taken for granted. But Nathaniel’s severe Treacher Collins syndrome—a craniofacial condition—meant that other concerns came first. Could he eat without the aid of a gastrointestinal tube? Could he hear? Would he ever be able to breathe effortlessly? In this moving memoir, Newman, with the help of her son, tells the story of raising Nathaniel, from the shock she and her husband faced when he was born, to the inspiration of Nathaniel’s own strength and quirky humor. All this while also facing both non-Hodgkins and Hodgkins lymphoma diagnoses of her own. This uplifting story of a family tackling complex and terrifying circumstances with love and resilience is a true testament to Magda and her family, and to families everywhere who quietly but courageously persist.By Jacqueline Wilson. 2007
Lots of Jacqueline Wilson's characters are well-known and well-loved by thousands of readers: Hetty Feather, Ruby and Garnet, Pearl and…
Jodie, Elsa, Lily and, of course, the brilliant Tracy Beaker! But how much do you know about Jacqueline herself? Jacqueline takes a look back at her own childhood and teenage years in this captivating story of friendships, loneliness, books, family life and much more. She explores her past with the same warmth and lightness of touch that make her novels so special. Best of all, she reveals how she was always determined to be a writer; from the very first story she wrote, it was clear that this little girl had a very vivid imagination! But who would've guessed that she would grow up to be the mega-bestselling, award-winning Jacqueline Wilson?With original photographs and new illustrations by Nick Sharratt, this book is a delight for all of Jacky's fans, and a treat for any new readers too.By Michael Rosen. 2012
Life story of Roald Dahl, World's No.1 storyteller, creator of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The…
BFG, James and the Giant Peach and many more, brought to life by Michael Rosen - author, poet and former Children's Laureate. Written especially for children, with fun pages and illustrations by Quentin Blake.So, how did Roald Dahl get into writing? Where did he get his ideas from? What ingredients in his life turned him into the kind of writer he was? Michael Rosen comes up the answers to these key questions in his lively biography of the world's No.1 storyteller, written specially for children. Full of stories and funny anecdotes from Roald Dahl's school days and family life, Michael Rosen's fascinating observations creates a vivid picture of one of the most famous writers of all time.The unlikely true story of why we know the name William Shakespeare today, and the four-hundred-year-old book that made it…
possible.Four hundred years ago, no one bothered to write down the exact words of stage plays. Characters&’ lines were scribbled on small rolls of paper (as in, an actor&’s role) and passed around, but no master script was saved for the future. The main reason we&’ve heard of Romeo, Juliet, Hamlet, and Shakespeare himself is that a group of people made the excellent choice to preserve the plays after the Bard died. If they hadn&’t created the book known as the First Folio, Shakespeare and his works would surely have been lost to history. Part literary scavenger hunt (the search for every existing First Folio continues today), part book trivia treasure trove, and part love letter to Shakespeare, this behind-the-scenes, sharply funny true story is an ideal introduction to the Bard and his famous plays.By Colin Butcher. 2019
Molly: The True Story of the Amazing Dog Who Rescues Cats tells the heartwarming story of the man-and-dog team behind…
the United Kingdom Pet Detective Agency—how Colin, in need of a new lease on life, rescues Molly the dog, and how Molly in turn rescues many more beloved lost pets. As a veteran of the Royal Navy and longtime police officer, Colin Butcher was no stranger to dangerous situations. But a career in uniform can wear anyone down, so, in 2003, Colin left the force to start his own private detective agency, specializing in helping reunite people with their missing pets. And yet, despite his hundreds of successes, there were still heartbreaking cases where Colin couldn’t find the missing on his own. He knew he needed a partner. When Colin first met Molly, his friends doubted that she would be up for the job. Where Colin was battle-tested, Molly was young and inexperienced. She was willful, wayward, and stubborn. But Colin could tell that Molly was unusually charismatic and intelligent. He decided to take a risk and bring on Molly for training. Yes, Molly is no ordinary deputy, but a black Cocker Spaniel, and this is no ordinary detective agency. Trained by the top canine behavioral experts at Medical Detection Dogs, Molly can find missing cats—who are uniquely skilled at eluding humans—by detecting a unique scent signature, and she has been wildly successful. The work is not always easy. Molly has faced hardships ranging from a near-fatal snakebite to the challenge of winning over Colin’s girlfriend, Sarah. But through it all, Colin and Molly share an enduring love and affection. More than a working relationship, Molly is part of the family. Together, they are the Sherlock and Watson of missing pets.By Charlotte Jones Voiklis, Léna Roy. 2018
This middle-grade biography explores the life and works of Madeleine L'Engle —written by her granddaughters.This elegant and insightful biography of…
Madeleine L’Engle (1918–2007) was written by her granddaughters, Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Léna Roy. Using never-before-seen archival materials that include photographs, poems, letters, and journal entries from when Madeleine was a child until just after the publication of her classic, A Wrinkle in Time, her granddaughters weave together an in-depth and unique view of the famous writer. It is a story of overcoming obstacles—a lonely childhood, financial insecurity, and countless rejections of her writing—and eventual triumph. Becoming Madeleine will speak not only to fans of the icon’s work, but also to anyone interested in writing.This title has Common Core connections.By Jen Bryant. 2005
Growing up on a Wisconsin farm, Georgia O'Keeffe began gathering all sorts of objects — sticks and stones, flowers and…
bones. Although she was teased for her interest in unique shapes and sizes, young Georgia declared: “Someday, I’m going to be an artist” — and that is exactly what she became. Jen Bryant’s story of Georgia O’Keeffe celebrates the famous artist’s fascination with natural shapes, “common objects,” and her unusual way of looking at the world. Bethanne Andersen’s fluid, graceful illustrations capture the beauty of O’Keeffe’s work and spirit.By Lisa Robinson. 2024
Come behind the scenes of Georgia O&’Keeffe&’s famous flower paintings to her sustainable homestead in New Mexico, where art was…
everything and everything was art.Most of us have heard the name Georgia O&’Keeffe— she&’s one of the most famous women in art history. But did you know that for most of her life, she lived on her own land in New Mexico, grew her own food, bought locally, and even made her own clothing?Georgia&’s garden and her art fed and enriched one another, just as her bean plants enriched the soil and her home-grown feasts fed her friends. In spite of the era&’s prejudice against female artists, Georgia lived and thrived in her verdant sanctuary well into old age. Soothing and inspiring, Gifts from Georgia&’s Garden illuminates the life and philosophy of a figure every child should know. Backmatter adds context to O&’Keeffe&’s story and invites families to try out her sustainable gardening techniques— and her pecan butterball cookies.Gifts for Georgia&’s Garden is the latest in Lisa Robinson&’s collection of thoughtful, artfully-told picture book biographies on figures who broke the mold and made history because of it. Hadley Hooper, a painter in her own right and the illustrator of books about Matisse (The Iridescence of Birds) and Giacometti (Two Brothers, Four Hands), perfectly evokes Georgia O&’Keeffe&’s style with pictures that burst with color and life.By Breanna J. McDaniel. 2024
From an award-winning author and illustrator comes this picture book biography about beloved librarian and storyteller Augusta Braxton Baker, the…
first Black coordinator of children’s services at all branches of the New York Public Library. Before Augusta Braxton Baker became a storyteller, she was an excellent story listener. Her grandmother brought stories like Br’er Rabbit and Arthur and Excalibur to life, teaching young Augusta that when there’s a will, there’s always a way. When she grew up, Mrs. Baker began telling her own fantastical stories to children at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem. But she noticed that there were hardly any books at the library featuring Black people in respectful, uplifting ways. Thus began her journey of championing books, writers, librarians, and teachers centering Black stories, educating and inspiring future acclaimed authors like Audre Lorde and James Baldwin along the way. As Mrs. Baker herself put it: “Children of all ages want to hear stories. Select well, prepare well and then go forth and just tell.”By J. P. Miller. 2022
Children learn about one of the most influential African American leaders in history with the biography of Frederick O’Neal.Not only…
was Frederick O’Neal a leader and pioneer, but he was also a talented actor and entertainer! Follow along to learn more about Frederick’s life and the contributions he made to the stage.Storybook Features:This children’s book features a glossary with new vocabulary, text-dependent questions, and an extension activity to develop reading comprehension skills.24 pages of vibrant illustrationsLexile 290LAbout RourkeWe proudly publish respectful and relevant non-fiction and fiction titles that represent our diverse readers, and are designed to support reading on a level that has no limits!By Maria Hinojosa. 2020
NPR&’s Best Books of 2020BookPage&’s Best Books of 2020Real Simple&’s Best Books of 2020Boston.com readers voted one of Best Books…
of 2020&“Anyone striving to understand and improve this country should read her story.&” —Gloria Steinem, author of My Life on the RoadThe Emmy Award–winning journalist and anchor of NPR&’s Latino USA tells the story of immigration in America through her family&’s experiences and decades of reporting, painting an unflinching portrait of a country in crisis in this memoir that is &“quite simply beautiful, written in Maria Hinojosa&’s honest, passionate voice&” (BookPage).Maria Hinojosa is an award-winning journalist who, for nearly thirty years, has reported on stories and communities in America that often go ignored by the mainstream media—from tales of hope in the South Bronx to the unseen victims of the War on Terror and the first detention camps in the US. Bestselling author Julia Álvarez has called her &“one of the most important, respected, and beloved cultural leaders in the Latinx community.&”In Once I Was You, Maria shares her intimate experience growing up Mexican American on the South Side of Chicago. She offers a personal and illuminating account of how the rhetoric around immigration has not only long informed American attitudes toward outsiders, but also sanctioned willful negligence and profiteering at the expense of our country&’s most vulnerable populations—charging us with the broken system we have today.An urgent call to fellow Americans to open their eyes to the immigration crisis and understand that it affects us all, this honest and heartrending memoir paints a vivid portrait of how we got here and what it means to be a survivor, a feminist, a citizen, and a journalist who owns her voice while striving for the truth.Also available in Spanish as Una vez fui tú.By Maria Hinojosa. 2020
NPR&’s Best Books of 2020BookPage&’s Best Books of 2020Real Simple&’s Best Books of 2020Boston.com readers voted one of Best Books…
of 2020&“Anyone striving to understand and improve this country should read her story.&” —Gloria Steinem, author of My Life on the RoadThe Emmy Award–winning journalist and anchor of NPR&’s Latino USA tells the story of immigration in America through her family&’s experiences and decades of reporting, painting an unflinching portrait of a country in crisis in this memoir that is &“quite simply beautiful, written in Maria Hinojosa&’s honest, passionate voice&” (BookPage).Maria Hinojosa is an award-winning journalist who, for nearly thirty years, has reported on stories and communities in America that often go ignored by the mainstream media—from tales of hope in the South Bronx to the unseen victims of the War on Terror and the first detention camps in the US. Bestselling author Julia Álvarez has called her &“one of the most important, respected, and beloved cultural leaders in the Latinx community.&”In Once I Was You, Maria shares her intimate experience growing up Mexican American on the South Side of Chicago. She offers a personal and illuminating account of how the rhetoric around immigration has not only long informed American attitudes toward outsiders, but also sanctioned willful negligence and profiteering at the expense of our country&’s most vulnerable populations—charging us with the broken system we have today.An urgent call to fellow Americans to open their eyes to the immigration crisis and understand that it affects us all, this honest and heartrending memoir paints a vivid portrait of how we got here and what it means to be a survivor, a feminist, a citizen, and a journalist who owns her voice while striving for the truth.Also available in Spanish as Una vez fui tú.By Richard Michelson. 2024
For fans of All-of-a-Kind Family, here is the true story of how Sarah Brenner, a poor girl from New York…
City&’s Lower East Side, became Sydney Taylor: dancer, actress, and successful children&’s book author.Sarah Brenner might have come from an all-of-a-kind family (five sisters who all dressed alike), but she was always one of a kind. Growing up in a Jewish immigrant family on New York&’s impoverished Lower East Side, Sarah loved visiting the library, celebrating holidays with her family, and taking free dance classes at the Henry Street Settlement. But she was always aware of things that weren&’t fair—whether it was that women couldn&’t vote, or how girls were treated in her school, or that her parents had had to leave Europe because they were Jewish. When she grew up, Sarah changed her name to Sydney and became an actress and a dancer, but she never forgot the importance of fighting unfairness, whether it was anti-Semitism at her job or the low wages of workers. And when her daughter complained that it wasn&’t fair that there were no books about Jewish children like her, Sydney put pen to paper and wrote a one-of-a-kind children&’s book.From well-known Jewish children&’s author Richard Michelson, this is the story of how Sarah became Sydney and how she showed children the joy of seeing their culture reflected on the page.By Billy Merrell, Who Hq. 2024
Find out how a young boy from the Midwest became one of the most important writers and activists of the…
Harlem Renaissance in this addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling series!Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, and was raised by his grandmother, who told him many stories of the Black American experience and taught him to be proud of his race from a young age. With her guidance, Langston went on to become a talented writer in high school, creating dramatic plays, poetry, and articles for the school paper. His career as a writer would continue to blossom. Langston pioneered Jazz Poetry and published nearly twenty poetry books during his lifetime as well as novels, books for children, nonfiction books, and plays. He was an activist and a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance period, alongside Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen. Young readers can learn about Langston's beloved writing, including some of his most famous poems "Dreams" and "The Weary Blues," and his long-lasting legacy in this middle-grade biography.