PSLA TITLES FOR 2011
NON-FICTION
Allen, Felicity. Your Sketchbook, Your Self. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2011. 978-1-85437-969-6. 48p. $12.95. Gr. 8-Adult. This is a great guide to creating and maintaining a personal sketchbook that is both useful and unique to the individual artist or art student. It is a wonderful collection of examples on how artists choose to use their sketchbooks. Comprehensive notes are included on how to create a unique and personal sketchbook of your own. Aliza H., Sandy Run Middle School Aronson, Marc and Marina Budhos. Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science. New York: Clarion Books, 2011. 978-0-618-57492-6. 166 p. $20. Gr. 9+. This is not history from the view of kings and conquests but from farming, trade, and people. Aronson and Budhos, a husband-wife team, have done extensive, meticulous research into the impact of sugar on life and economy throughout history. This is the kind of history that makes the relevance of its study obvious to teens as they see the connectedness of the events and lives through time. Great resource. History/Agriculture Lynne Smith, Biglerville High School Barrow, John D. Book of Universes. New York: W.W. Norton, 2011. 978-0-393-08121-3. 354p. $26.95. Gr. 9+. I cannot begin to fathom the theoretical physics and mathematics used by Einstein, Newton, Ptolemy and others to imagine our universe, its beginning, size, composition, etc. But every time the subject matter sailed over my head, author Barrow channels Carl Sagan by inserting an interesting personal anecdote about a famous scientist or kicking off a chapter with a pithy quote, to wit: “The universe may be like Los Angeles. One-third substance and two-thirds energy.”- Robert Kirshner. Barrow approaches our current understanding of the nature of our universe as one would a history text, beginning with Aristotle and detailing how each subsequent great thinker debunked prior theories or added to our collective knowledge. Even when I was baffled about the science, Barrow’s accessible writing kept me fascinated about the lives of the mathematicians and scientists, their passionate dedication to further our understanding of our world, and their processes. This book is a must-read for your math and science prodigies, share it with your teachers and parents also! Contains index and extensive end notes. Astronomy/Cosmology/Physics/Science History Kathie Jackson, student teacher, Springfield Township H.S Barton, Chris. Can I See Your I.D.?: True Stories of False Identities. New York: Dial, 2011. 978-0-8037-3310-7. 121p. $16.99. Gr. 6+. A teen who passes himself off as a train conductor to drive the New York City subway, a young woman who poses as a man to serve in the Confederate Army, and John Howard Griffin’s racial transformation from white to black are three of Barton’s ten well-researched stories of imposters, pretenders, counterfeiters that will surely interest young adolescents. In short chapters written in second person, Chris Barton tells about each fake and follows up with “What Happened Next.” A page of cartoon art by Paul Hoppe introduces each story and gives visual clues about the chapter’s phony character. Booktalk this one to reluctant readers. Identity, Imposters Ro Becker, Springfield Township Middle School Beker, Jeanne. Strutting It! The Grit Behind the Glamour. New York: Tundra Books, 2011. 978-1-77049-224-0. 78p. $17.95. Gr. 9-12. Beker gives a birds-eye view of the ins and outs of the modeling world. Each chapter discusses what it is like to start in the career of modeling, getting discovered, developing a personal style, and how the world of modeling has changed through the decades. The author also describes how models have also built empires through clothing labels, writing books and making videos and also being other kinds of models. Each chapter contains biographies and highlights of supermodels and black and white photographs. BJ Neary, Abington Senior High Belge, Kathy and Bieschke, Marke. Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens. San Francisco: Zest Books, 2011. 978-0981973340. 208p. $14.99. Gr. 7-12. This book is an excellent resource for all teens especially those struggling with sexual identity. It is written in a humanistic and occasionally humorous manner, providing much needed information on queer identities, self esteem, harassment, rights, coming out, finding allies in the community, safe sex as well as a plethora of current paper and online resources. The authors write from their own experiences in a very genuine, open and honest manner appropriate for adolescents fourteen years and up. Robin Bassion, Lenape Middle School Benson, Richard. F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers. San Fransisco: Chronicle, 2011. 978-0811878319. 128p. $9.95. Gr. 7+.
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