The Black Friend, is a great resource for white teens looking to learn more about anti -racism and social justice. Not only does author, Fredrick Joseph pull in his own perspectives and life experiences into the book; he also interviews authors and activists like Angie Thomas and Jemele Hill. Joseph covers and gives relatable examples of white privilege, cultural appropriation and more. If you’re not sure what all the terms or concepts mean or what specific events were, don’t worry! There’s also an excellent encyclopedia of racism in the back of the book that lays everything out for you. Whether you’re starting your journey into learning more about these topics or you been on it for awhile this is a great readable resource to check out.
Tag: non-fiction
Name That Text Type!: What Is Poetry?
Hello, April! National Poetry Month has arrived! Time to brush up on or learn for the first time what poetry is, what poems can be about (hint: anything you want!), where we can find them, and what the guidelines are for writing different types of poems (like concrete, limerick, haiku, acrostic and more)! Learn what stressed syllables are (hint: they aren’t anxious), the difference between rhythm and rhyme, and metaphor and simile!
Check it out on Hoopla here. It’s a Bonus Borrow, and won’t count as one of your 4 monthly borrows!
Then engage with Ms. Sally’s Family Poetry Jam activities! We’d love to see the poems you come up with!
A Few Drops of Red: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield
Dive into Chicago’s past with relevance to the racial issues still facing Chicago and other communities today with this nonfiction read. A Few Drops of Red, sets the stage of all of the different events that led up to the race riots; from immigrants from Europe and southern Blacks coming to Chicago, to the meat packing industry changing and booming. Hartfield introduces a variety of interesting figures like Ida B. Wells – Barnett, a trailblazing Black journalist and advocate or Gustavus Swift who became a giant in the meatpacking industry. The story is laid out well making it a gripping and tense read complete with pictures from the time period.
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World
This is an epic collection of graphic stories of women from different time periods, races and experiences using their strengths and skills to impact the world in a multitude of ways. There’s the bearded lady, Clementine Delait, who used her intriguing beauty and entrepreneurial skills to build a business or Josephine Baker, whose dancing and personality allowed her to get close to anybody, which was key during the French Resistance during WWII. This graphic novel story collection has names you may have seen before, but many of the stories are a change of pace from the usual characters and bring these women’s empowering and exciting adventures alive.
Andrew Carnegie Medals announced!
September 22, 2015
Each year the American Library Association awards one work of fiction and one work of nonfiction an Andrew Carnegie Medal. This year the longlists of both categories have been announced. Where are your gaps? Want to fill them? Then just click on the titles below and reserve your copies with EPL today! Continue reading “Andrew Carnegie Medals announced!”
National Book Award 2015 Nominees: Non-Fiction
September 16, 2015
I don’t think anyone was too surprised to see Ta-Nehisi Coates’s massive breakaway hit Between the World and Me appear on this year’s longlist of nonfiction National Book Award nominees. There were some pleasant surprises, however. Sy Montgomery, long known for her children’s nonfiction titles, did well with her recent The Soul of an Octopus (which is NOT for kids). Meanwhile Sally Mann’s memoir Hold Still made an appearance as well. Have you read all the nominees? Click on the titles below to reserve your copies from the EPL system: Continue reading “National Book Award 2015 Nominees: Non-Fiction”
Football Season Starts So Pick Up Some Pigskin Related Reading
September 10, 2015
That smell in the air? It’s the scent of footballs whizzing through the air at a rapid rate. It may still be warm outside but football season is fast upon us. And what better way to celebrate than reading the latest gridiron-related publications out this year? Here are the latest books on our shelves, ready for you to punt over the circulation desk and into your home:
Continue reading “Football Season Starts So Pick Up Some Pigskin Related Reading”
Facts in “Three Cups of Tea” Questioned
April 18, 2011
Greg Mortenson, author of the enormously popular book Three Cups of Tea, has been called upon to support the facts in his book and to explain how his charitable foundation is spending its money. The controversy puts publisher Penguin Group USA in the uncomfortable position of having to defend its fact checking of nonfiction books and could jeopardize support for Mortenson’s foundation. See this New York Times article for the full story.
Mary B., Reader’s Services
Author, Sarah Vowell, in Oak Park on April 6, 2011
March 18, 2011
Many think of 1776 as the defining year of American history, when we became a nation devoted to the pursuit of happiness through self- government. In Unfamiliar Fishes, Sarah Vowell argues that 1898 might be a year just as defining, when, in an orgy of imperialism, the United States annexed Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, and invaded first Cuba, then the Philippines, becoming an international superpower practically overnight. With her trademark smart-alecky insights and reporting, Vowell lights out to discover the off, emblematic, and exceptional history of the fiftieth state, and in so doing finds America, warts and all.
Continue reading “Author, Sarah Vowell, in Oak Park on April 6, 2011”
Another Fantastic Site!
February 16, 2011
The British Council, an international organization whose motto is “Learn, share, connect worldwide,” promotes the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people around the world. One of its many resources is Contemporary Writers, a database of UK, Commonwealth, and Republic of Ireland writers to which it adds new names each month. A page comprising a biography, a list of the writer’s works, the genres in which the s/he writes, a bibliography, awards garnered, and a critical perspective on the work, is devoted to each author. This is a wonderful resource for students of literature, and for those who want to enhance their reading choices. And it’s just plain fun to browse.
Mary B., Reader’s Services