Arts and Humanities

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Bernier-Grand, Carmen. Frida : Viva la Vida! Long Live Life! 2007. Marshall Cavendish.
In twenty-six original, free-verse poems the author depicts the thoughts, feelings, and life events of Mexican self-portraitist Frida Kahlo. The poems are accompanied by twenty-four full-color reproductions of Kahlo’s paintings. Substantial background materials include a biographical sketch, chronology, and glossary.

Blumenthal, Karen. Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America. 2005. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum.
This nonfiction work looks at Title IX, the 1972 legislation mandating that schools receiving federal funds could not discriminate on the basis of gender, ensuring equal treatment and opportunity for girls in sports and education. Included are period photos, a time line, "then and now" commentary, extensive source notes, and suggested resources for further reading.

Bowker , John. World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained. 2006. DK.
This comprehensive work introduces the reader to faiths of the world through religious artifacts, paintings, architecture, and annotations of sacred texts. It includes a time line comparing significant events and people.

Bryson, Bill. Shakespeare: The World as Stage. 2007. HarperCollins.
Bryson hits the mark with his characteristic wit as he explores the world of Shakespeare and the mystery surrounding the man and his plays.

Campbell, Joseph and Bill Moyers. The Power of Myth. 1988. Broadway Books/Doubleday.
A companion to the six part television documentary originally broadcast on PBS, this book covers such subjects as the role of mythology in the modern world, the journey inward, the hero's adventure, and tales of love and marriage.

Diamant , Anita. The Red Tent: A Novel. 1998. Picador.
This novel recreates the biblical life of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, from her birth in Mesopotamia through her death in Egypt.

D’Orso , Michael. Eagle Blue: A Team, a Tribe, and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska. 2006. Bloomsbury.
This true story explores the tiny village of Fort Yukon, Alaska, its vanishing cultural heritage, and its relationship with mainstream American culture through its high school basketball team.

Engle, Margarita. The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. 2006. Henry Holt.
Written in verse, this is a Pura Belpre Award winning portrait of Juan Francisco Manzano, the poet who was born a slave in Cuba in 1797.

Follett, Ken. Pillars of the Earth. 2007. Penguin.
This best-selling epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the canvas of twelfth-century England depicts fascinating characters and provides a spellbinding introduction to medieval religion, architecture, politics, and daily life.

Freedman, Russell. The Voice That Challenged a Nation : Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. 2004. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion.
A Newbery Honor book that accounts the life and musical career of the great African American vocalist, Marion Anderson, in the context of the history of civil rights in the United States.

Greenberg, Jan. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art. 2001. Harry N. Abrams.
Can a painting speak? This collection of lyrical responses to famous American works of art provides answers.

Gruen , Sara. Water for Elephants: A Novel. 2007. Algonquin Books.
Gruen creates a story full of enchanting circus lore, mystery, trains, romance, and danger with no-holds-barred.

Hemphill, Stephanie. Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. 2007. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf.
Hemphill creates a chronological biography in verse format from the viewpoint of others in Plath’s life. This is a worthy homage to Plath as her legend lives on.

Howe, Peter. Shooting Under Fire: The World of the War Photographer. 2002. Artisan.
Ten leading combat photographers share their experiences of horror, humor, bravery, and daring while reporting from war-torn locations such as Vietnam, Haiti, Chechnya, El Salvador, Sarajevo, and Afghanistan. Over 150 black-and-white and color photographs provide a powerful and moving look at war and those who risk everything to document it.

Jacobs, A.J. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. 2007. Simon & Schuster.
A non-judgmental and humorous look at the twelve months Jacobs lived as closely as he could to literal compliance with biblical rules.

King, Melissa. She’s Got Next: A Story of Getting In, Staying Open, and Taking a Shot. 2005. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Mariner Books.
Through pick-up basketball games and the people she meets on the streets of Chicago, the author learns valuable life lessons.

Landis, Deborah Nadoolman. Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design. 2007. HarperCollins.
Landis showcases 100 years of Hollywood’s most memorable costumes and the characters they helped bring to life as she reveals a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of the costume designer’s art.

Martin, Steve. Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life. 2008. Simon & Schuster/Scribner.
In a memoir full of humor and candor, Martin shares his personal itinerary as he negotiates the maze of honing his profession and the pitfalls he avoided.

McGreevey , Tom and Joanne Yeck. Our Movie Heritage. 1997. Rutgers University Press.
This work provides over one hundred beautiful pictures of top stars, directors, and others in the film industry, but the focus is on film preservation and the race against time to salvage what is left of the large number of films that are currently deteriorating in our nation’s vaults, theaters, and private collections.

Partridge, Elizabeth. John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth. 2005. Penguin/Viking.
Partridge provides a wide-open view into the work and life of one of the most influential and complicated persons from the world’s musical heritage.

Partridge, Elizabeth. This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie. 2002. Penguin/Viking.
Guthrie was a humbling figure, while at the same time a major catalyst of social change. This work provides insight into one of our most prolific and talented musicians, as well as the creation of his music.

Polly, Matthew. American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China. 2007. Penguin/Gotham Books.
The author reflects on the childhood dream that led him, as an adult, to take a break from Princeton and travel to China’s famed Shaolin Temple to study martial arts for two years.

Sandler, Martin. Photography: An Illustrated History . 2002. Oxford University Press.
This work looks at photography as it evolved from daguerreotypes in the 1800’s to the respected art form that it is today. Numerous compelling black-and-white and color photographs document technological developments, the contributions of pioneers in the field, as well as the impact photography has had upon all aspects of society.

Strickland, Carol. The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern. 2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
In an accessible format, this unique work provides a basic working knowledge of art and art history through short essays, sidebars, and photographs.

Weller, Sheila. Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon—And the Journey of a Generation. 2008. Simon & Schuster/Atria.
In three interwoven biographies, Weller chronicles the life and times of three tradition-breaking women singer-songwriters who came of age in the late 1960s.