Nonfiction
On a flake-flying day : watching winter's wonders
Buffy Silverman
j508.2 Silverman
Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Nature
"With winter's arrival, plants and animals hunker down for the cold season. Eye-catching photos and rhyming text sparkle in this exploration of how creatures survive the snow" --
Paris like a local : by the people who call it home.
914.43604 /Eyewitness
Travel, Nonfiction
A guide to the architecture, museums, theaters, restaurants, hotels and other sights of London.
This is part of a series called "Like a Local" and I recently took the Paris version with me on a trip. In addition to a regular guide, like Fodor's or Frommer's or your preferred travel series, this lends a nice local flavor to your travel research and exploration! It's small and lightweight enough to take with you, and even with the wide world of info on our smartphones, I still prefer to take a guide or two with me--all the info in one place, good maps, and, for me, much easier to read than a screen. The highlight of this guide in my opinion (among the many fun things it pointed out) was the section on stores that carry stationery and writing instruments, and it guided me to a lovely store called L'Ecritoire, where I had a unique and friendly shopping experience. -Candice
Of all tribes : American Indians and Alcatraz
Bruchac, Joseph, 1942- author.
j970.5 Bruchac
Nonfiction, History
"On November 20, 1969, a group of 89 Native Americans-most of them young activists in their twenties, led by Richard Oakes, LaNada Means, and others-crossed San Francisco Bay under the cover of darkness. They called themselves the "Indians of All Tribes." Their objective was to occupy the abandoned prison on Alcatraz Island ("The Rock"), a mile and a half across the treacherous waters. Under the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie between the U.S. and the Lakota tribe, all retired, abandoned, or out-of-use federal land was supposed to be returned to the Indigenous peoples who once occupied it. As Alcatraz penitentiary was closed by that point, activists sought to reclaim that land, and more broadly, bring greater attention to the lies and injustices of the federal government when it came to Indian policy. Their initial success resulted in international attention to Native American rights and the continuing presence of present-day Indigenous peoples, who refused to accept being treated as a "vanishing race". Over the protestors' 19-month occupation, one key way of raising awareness to issues in Native life was through Radio Free Alcatraz, which touched on: the forced loss of ancestral lands, contaminated water supply on reservations, sharp disparities in infant mortality and life expectancy among Native Americans compared to statistics in white communities, and many other inequalities. From acclaimed Abenaki children's book legend, Joseph Bruchac, this middle-grade nonfiction book tells the riveting story of that 1969 takeover, which inspired a whole generation of Native activists and ignited the modern American Indian Movement"--
Engagingly written by Joseph Bruchac, Of All Tribes presents a wealth of information regarding the history of the United States government's treatment of various American Indian Nations. How this fraught history led to the eventual claiming of Alcatraz Island in 1969, and how this activism continues to ripple through current geopolitical and georestoritive movements. This would be a great gift book for middle-grade, and older, children, and families, especially those interested in US history and social justice movements. -Casey
Above ground : poems
Clint Smith
811.6 /Smith
Black Lives Matter, Black History, Nonfiction, Poetry, Literary Nonfiction
Clint Smith's vibrant and compelling new collection traverses the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood, and explores how becoming a parent has recalibrated his sense of the world. There are poems that interrogate the ways our lives are shaped by both personal lineages and historical institutions. There are poems that revel in the wonder of discovering the world anew through the eyes of your children, as they discover it for the first time. There are poems that meditate on what it means to raise a family in a world filled with constant social and political tumult. Above Ground wrestles with how we hold wonder and despair in the same hands, how we carry intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning in the same body. Smith's lyrical, narrative poems bring the reader on a journey not only through the early years of his children's lives, but through the changing world in which they are growing up--through the changing world of which we are all a part.
A beautiful and healing collection of poems from Clint Smith (author of "How the Word Is Passed"), reflecting on the ups and downs of parenthood, how it has changed him and other epiphanies that come with it. Sprinkled with both the small happy memories and the bursts of grief that can come with the vicissitudes of life, loss and trauma. -Annie
Trees : a rooted history
Piotr Socha
j582.16 Socha
Nature, History, Nonfiction
"Part botany, part history, part cultural anthropology--Trees goes beyond the basics to tell readers everything they might want to know about this particular branch of the plant kingdom. Trees explores the important roles trees play in our ecosystem, takes an up-close-and-personal look at the parts of trees (from roots to stumps to leaves), and unpacks the cultural impact of trees from classification systems (like family trees or data trees) to long-standing myths (like the Tree of Life)."--
This book was an expired hold on the bookmobile, so I ended up "leafing" through it during a slower stop, their loss my gain! I was obsessed with the illustrations! The oversized pages offer several wonderful field guides for different types of trees, roots, seeds, endemic species, and more. I enjoyed the concise and gorgeous exploration of the use of trees as building materials throughout history. The book dives deep in the cultural significance to native trees around the world and examines religion and folklore surrounding trees. I loved the book so much I decided to buy a used copy online to enjoy again later. -Mari
Giraffe math
Stephen R. Swinburne
j513.2 Swinburne
Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Science
"Told through the voice of Twiga the giraffe, this picture book shares knowledge about giraffes through math, using measurements, graphs, fractions, time, elemental geometry, and percentages."--
Giraffe Math is wonderful and so fun! Add this to the ever-growing list of fabulous picture book nonfiction. -Casey
Tenderheart : a cookbook about vegetables and unbreakable family bonds
Hetty McKinnon
641.5636 /McKinnon
Cookbooks, Nonfiction
"From the acclaimed author of To Asia, With Love, a loving homage to her father, a Chinese immigrant in Australia, told in 150 flavorful, vegetarian recipes. Heritage and food have always been linked for Hetty McKinnon. Growing up as part of a Chinese family in Australia, McKinnon formed a deep appreciation for her bi-cultural identity, and for her father, who moved to Sydney as a teenager and learned English by selling bananas at a local market. As he brought home crates full of produce after work, McKinnon learned about the beauty and versatility of fruits and vegetables. Tenderheart is the happy outcome of McKinnon's love of vegetables. From Miso Mushroom Ragu with Oven-Baked Polenta to Celery and Vermicelli Spring Rolls and Sweet Potato and Black Sesame Marble Cake, Tenderheart features 21 essential fruits and vegetables that become the basis for 150 recipes. A tender tribute to her father and his experience as an immigrant, McKinnon explores how food connects us to our loved ones, even when they are no longer with us - and gives us the tools to make recipes that are healthful, economical, and bursting with flavor"--
I picked up this gorgeous cookbook on the Bookmobile and couldn't stop staring at the front cover, so knew I'd be taking it after my shift. This is a book about love; love of family and love of cooking. The two interweave beautifully in the recipe illustrations and the photo album snap shots. The author's love and respect for her father and mother and the sacrifices they made are evident in every recipe. I loved how each chapter was a shout out to a new vegetable or root. Many of the recipes had similar experiences so the book is practical, too. I have tried several recipes already and can't wait to serve up more! -Victoria
Our migrant souls : a meditation on race and the meanings and myths of "Latino"
Héctor Tobar
305.868 /Tobar
Nonfiction
"Latino" is the most open-ended and loosely defined of the major race categories in the United States. Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino" assembles the Pulitzer Prize winner Héctor Tobar's personal experiences as the son of Guatemalan immigrants and the stories told to him by his Latino students to offer a spirited rebuke to racist ideas about Latino people. Our Migrant Souls decodes the meaning of "Latino" as a racial and ethnic identity in the modern United States, and seeks to give voice to the angst and anger of young Latino people who have seen Latinidad transformed into hateful tropes about "illegals" and have faced insults, harassment, and division based on white insecurities and economic exploitation.
After a few paragraphs into this book, I was hooked by the author's writing style, historical knowledge and perspective, but perhaps most of all by his humility and humanity. Part professor and part reporter, Tobar is first a collector and reflector of stories, of histories, and this book is an ode to his Latino students and those trying to make sense of their ancestral roots; but will resonate with anyone who has left their motherland in search of a new life. Tobar contends that the very notion of the word "Latino" to describe such myriad life experiences that have intersected with geopolitical and socioeconomic clashes of civilizations (namely North vs. South America,) is ridiculous. I found myself looking up historical facts mentioned in the book, or googling landmarks to gain more insight. While I did not agree with everything the author laid out, overall I thought this was an excellent, moving and brave undertaking. I have no doubt it will bring solace to those who have made journeys across oceans, deserts, or walls due to war, country instability, or in search of something more. In the very least they know that while their stories may differ, they are not alone. -Victoria
Lapidarium : the secret lives of stones
Hettie Judah
553.8 /Judah
Nonfiction, Nature
"Inspired by the lapidaries of the ancient world, this book is a collection of true stories about sixty different stones that have influenced our shared history. Through the realms of art, myth, geology, philosophy, and power, the author tells the story of humanity through the minerals and materials that have allowed humans to evolve and create. Lapidarium uses the stories of these sixty stones to explore how human culture has formed stone, and the roles stone has played in forming human culture"--
This book gets my vote for prettiest cover on the new nonfiction shelves right now. It's history, mythology, and earth science packaged into smart essays that revel in humanity. -Melody
Root, nurture, grow : the essential guide to propagating and sharing houseplants
Caro Langton
635.965 /Langton
Nonfiction, Home
Shows you how to make the most of your favorite houseplants through simple, beginner-friendly propagation techniques, as well as resourceful DIY projects including homemade rooting mediums, seed-bombs, and a self-watering plant pot.
If you are into houseplants and love growing their babies, this is the book for you. My house doesn't get great sunlight (plus, cats!) so I personally don't have a ton of houseplants at home. That isn't going to stop me from checking out this book and reading about nurturing their growth from a single cutting. I'm happy to read it for the beautiful plant photography itself. -Melody
Rhyming text and beautiful photographs make "On a Flake-Flying Day" the perfect seasonal read-aloud! -Casey