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Face Book by Chuck Close (2012)
Juvenile Biography, 55 pages
Chuck Close is an artist. Faces are always his subject, and he uses a variety of materials and techniques to create his work. As a child he struggled in school because he was severely dyslexic, could not add or subtract, and had a neuromuscular condition. He always had an ability to draw. As an adult, he experienced what he calls “the Event”, which is that one of his spinal arteries collapsed in 1998 and left him paralyzed from the chest down. After months of intensive therapy, he was able to work his way back to creating art again. His faces invite the audience to look at them over and over. He has recreated his own face many times but other people as well. I found it interesting that he sees younger people as a challenge because their faces are more smooth and not as lived in yet. He does not create smiling faces because he likes to leave his art more open to interpretation. After seeing this, he is having me look at people’s faces much more closely. He answers children’s questions throughout this book openly and honestly. Suggested for grades 3 and up.
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Bon Appetit: The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland (2012)
Juvenile Biography, 48 pages
An illustrated biography of Julia Child. Hartland’s illustrations and text make Julia’s life very accessible to children. Julia led a very interesting life, and her love of cooking and sharing that love with the world is very clear in this book. It inspires me to make cooking fun and try new things, even though I hate to cook most of the time. Suggested for grades 2-5.
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Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (2009)
Juvenile Biography, 133 pages
Rosa Parks was not the first person to refuse to give up her seat to a white person on a Montgomery bus. Claudette Colvin was 15 and tired of being mistreated because she was black. She had the strength and courage to deal with the consequences. It takes one person usually to inspire others to follow, and she was tired of waiting for the adults to do something. Important black leaders were grateful for what she had done, but also abandoned her when they felt she was not the right person to represent the cause. Colvin stepped up a second time to testify against the legality of segregation, but in the time between being arrested for not giving up her seat and testifying in court, she had become pregnant out of wedlock, and was again seen as not the right image for the cause. Abandoned again, she was a teen mom who had to go on with her life in spite of all the obstacles. What a woman of strength and integrity. Suggested for grades 6 and up.
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Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka (2008)
Juvenile Biography, 106 pages
Jon Scieszka’s hilarious recount of growing up with his 5 brothers (his mom was the only female in the house, I really feel for her). Children will love this book, and will enjoy reading about the silly and dangerous things Jon and his brothers did. It is obvious that Jon’s love for reading and creating stuff kids actually want to read was born at a young age. He has a great heart for children, and I am glad that he became an author and continues to share his stories with the world. Suggested for fourth grade and up.
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Smile by Raina Telgemeier (2010)
Juvenile Graphic Novel, 213 pages
Anyone who had to wear braces will sympathize with this experience (however, it sounded like Raina’s dental work was a lot more involved than the average person). Raina knocked out her two front teeth in an accident when she was 12, and went through a very arduous and at times painful journey to get her teeth fixed that lasted through her sophomore year of high school. Growing up, noticing the opposite sex, being conscious of your physical appearance——we all have our own version of this story. It really works in the graphic novel format, it fits the narrative quite well. There is definitely an audience for this autobiographical story. Suggested for fifth grade and up.
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