Nonfiction
Sacred Britannia : the gods and rituals of Roman Britain
Miranda J. (Miranda Jane) Aldhouse-Green
200.9361 /Aldhouse-Green
Nonfiction, History, Religion, Political
Two thousand years ago, the Romans sought to absorb into their empire what they regarded as a remote, almost mythical island on the very edge of the known world - Britain. The expeditions of Julius Caesar and the invasion of AD 43 brought fundamental and lasting changes to the island. Not least among these was a pantheon of new Classical deities and religious systems, along with a clutch of exotic eastern cults including Christianity. But what of Britannia and her own home-grown deities? What cults and cosmologies did the Romans encounter and how did they in turn react to them? Under Roman rule, the old gods were challenged, adopted, adapted, absorbed and re-configured. In this fresh and innovative new account, Miranda Aldhouse-Green balances literary, archaeological and iconographic evidence (and scrutinizes their shortcomings and how we interpret them) to illuminate the complexity of religion and belief in Roman Britain, and the two-way traffic of cultural exchange and interplay between imported and indigenous cults. Despite the remoteness of this period, on the threshold between prehistory and history, many of the forces, tensions, ideologies and issues of identity at work are still relevant today.
How to read a rock : our planet's hidden stories
J. A. Zalasiewicz
552 /Zalasiewicz
Nonfiction, Science
"Rocks are time machines and the keepers of our history. This guide is a geological field trip through Earth's incredible rock formations and the stories they hold"--
What a beautiful book! The cover lures you in and keeps its promise of providing detailed photos and illustrations. This is an example of excellent book design, IMHO. We had a rock-based advent calendar this last December and I enjoyed learning about the stones with my family. This book takes a deeper look into the science of rock formation. A top pick for geology lovers! -Melody
Celebrate with me! : recipes, crafts, and holiday fun from around the world
j394.2 Gladwin
Nonfiction
"This joyful collection of recipes, crafts, and activities celebrates holidays around the world."--Back cover
This book has a beautifully illustrate two-page spread for each popular from around the world, including a craft or activity and an easy recipe for a family to create together. I love the contributor for each holiday is a chef, artist or designer who share their favorite traditions, and that the book provides so many opportunities for kids to do hands-on activities to learn about that holiday! -Mari
Seen and unseen : what Toyo Miyatake, Dorothea Lange, and Ansel Adams' photographs reveal about the Japanese American incarceration
Elizabeth Partridge
j940.547273 Partridge
Nonfiction, Literary Nonfiction, Picture Books, History, Art / Art History
"Legendary photographers Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams all photographed the Japanese American incarceration, but with different approaches and different results. This nonfiction picture book for middle-grade readers examines the Japanese-American incarceration and the complexity of documenting it through the work of these three photographers"--
Seen and Unseen is a must-read. An incredible marriage of photography, literary nonfiction, scrapbooking, illustration, survivor stories, and US History, Partridge and Tamaki use various media to bring Japanese American incarceration to light. This is suggested reading for all families, middle-graders, young adults, and adults, especially those interested in or affected by WWII. Seen and Unseen would be a great gift as well! -Casey
Polar bear
Candace Fleming
j599.786 Fleming
Kids, Nonfiction, Animals
As spring approaches in the Arctic, a mother polar bear and her two cubs tentatively emerge from hibernation to explore the changing landscape. When it is time, she takes her cubs on a forty-mile journey, back to their home on the ice. Along the way, she fends off wolves, hunts for food, and swims miles and miles.
What an informative yet emotional, beautifully-illustrated nonfiction picture book about a mother polar bear and her cubs! Mother bears are incredibly capable creatures - you won't doubt it after devouring this edge-of-your-seat book describing the long journey of a bear family's first year. A great read-aloud with gorgeous Arctic-landscape illustrations! -Anne W
Slenderman : online obsession, mental illness, and the violent crime of two Midwestern girls
Kathleen Hale
364.1523 /Hale
Nonfiction, True Crime
"The first full account of the Slenderman stabbing, a true crime narrative of mental illness, the American judicial system, the trials of adolescence, and the power of the internet. On May 31, 2014, in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin, two twelve-year-old girls attempted to stab their classmate to death. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier's violence was extreme, but what seemed even more frightening was that they committed their crime under the influence of a figure born by the internet: the so-called "Slenderman." Yet the even more urgent aspect of the story, that the children involved suffered from undiagnosed mental illnesses, often went overlooked in coverage of the case. Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls tells that full story for the first time in deeply researched detail, using court transcripts, police reports, individual reporting, and exclusive interviews. Morgan and Anissa were bound together by their shared love of geeky television shows and animals, and their discovery of the user-uploaded scary stories on the Creepypasta website could have been nothing more than a brief phase. But Morgan was suffering from early-onset childhood schizophrenia. She believed that she had been seeing Slenderman for many years, and the only way to stop him from killing her family was to bring him a sacrifice: Morgan's best friend Payton "Bella" Leutner, whom Morgan and Anissa planned to stab to death on the night of Morgan's twelfth birthday. Bella survived the attack, but was deeply traumatized, while Morgan and Anissa were immediately remanded into jail, and the severity of their crime meant that they would be prosecuted as adults. There, as Morgan continued to suffer from worsening mental illness after being denied antipsychotics, her life became more and more surreal. Slenderman is both a page-turning true crime story and a search for justice"--
This is a thorough, very readable account of the Slenderman-related crime that happened in Wisconsin, in 2014. The author has done their research, and is able to add a lot of great detail due to the interviews they had with involved persons. The gentle focus on mental illness is welcomed, as it brings so much to light here. Also especially interesting is the background on the whole Creepypasta/Slenderman thing, which, to be honest, was a bit of a mystery to me. Adults will like this, but some higher-reading young adults with a judicious interest might as well. -Candice
Legendary and mythical guidebook : super deluxe edition
Whitehill, Simcha, author.
j793.93 Pokemon
Nonfiction
"The new Pokémon are here, and kids gotta catch 'em all! This updated guidebook features the unique and mysterious new Galar region Pokémon from the hit new games for Nintendo Switch, Sword & Shield."--
Added by Casey
The universe in you : a microscopic journey
Chin, Jason, 1978- author.
ON ORDER BOOK
Nonfiction, Science
"A book exploring the world of the very small, delving deep into the microscopic spaces just beneath our skin"--
Added by Casey
Disney princess tea parties
Caron, Sarah W., author.
j641.53 Disney Princess
Nonfiction, Cookbooks
"Teatime has never been so magical with this charming cookbook featuring over 50 kid-friendly and easy-to-follow recipes inspired by the Disney Princesses. From tasty cookies and biscuits to delicious herbal teas, Disney Princess Tea Parties Cookbook includes many Disney-themed treats for the ultimate tea party."--Amazon.
Royaltea, anyone? Kids will enjoy the fun recipes and nods to favorite Disney Princesses in this one. -Casey
Cute chibi animals : learn how to draw 75 cuddly creatures
Im, Phoebe, author.
j743.6 Im
Nonfiction, Art / Art History, Animals
"Chibi is Japanese slang for "short," and the characters in Cute Chibi Animals live up to this description, with their cute, roly-poly bodies that make them extremely lovable and huggable. Phoebe Im, the popular Instagram artist behind Bobblejot, shows you how to master this anime and manga drawing style with 75 step-by-step tutorials of your favorite animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and more."
I love both of the chibi drawing books from Phoebe Im. This series is certain to be a hit with anyone of any age who likes to draw cute animals. -Casey
This book is literally as the blurb says--it describes the religious atmosphere of Britain when the Romans blasted onto the scene, and uses various historical accounts and archaeological finds to give evidence. If that's your thing, then you'll love it! It can lean a little to the technical side, and assumes the reader might have a slight comfort level reading socio-archaeological articles, but the information is presented in nice, small bites so you don't get lost in the details. If deep British history is your cup of tea, and you don't need a lot of color photos to spice up the info, then you won't be disappointed. -Candice