Nonfiction
Vesper flights : new and collected essays
Helen Macdonald
508 /Macdonald
Nonfiction
Macdonald combines some of her best loved essays with new pieces. Her topics range from nostalgia for a vanishing countryside to the tribulations of farming ostriches to her own private vespers while trying to fall asleep. Meditating on notions of captivity and freedom, immigration and flight, she writes about the unexpected guidance and comfort we find when watching wildlife. -- adapted from jacket
The best of me
David Sedaris
817.54 /Sedaris
Nonfiction
The American humorist, author, and radio contributor shares his most memorable work in a collection of stories and essays that feature him shopping for rare taxidermy, hitchhiking with a quadriplegic, and hand-feeding a carnivorous bird.
A great selection of essays spanning his career. If you're waiting for this title, check out Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris, Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson, or Wow, No Thankyou by Samantha Irby. -Victoria
That's like me! : stories about amazing people with learning differences
Jill Lauren
j371.9 Lauren
Nonfiction
What do a trapeze artist, an Arctic explorer, and a soccer player have in common? Meet the fifteen kids and adults profiled in "That's Like Me!," a collection of first-person accounts of successful people who learn differently. Whether it was reading, math, writing, or speech problems, each person shares his or her inspiring story of facing the challenge of school, while pursuing important goals.
Added by Anne W
I have cerebral palsy
Mary Beth Springer
j616.836 Springer
Nonfiction
Meet Sydney, a girl who likes the same things other kids doriding her bike, playing baseball, and hanging out with her friends. Sydney also has cerebral palsy, which makes walking, talking, and using her hands difficult. Sydney shares her first hand account of life with cerebral palsy in I Have Cerebral Palsy so that others can understand what her life is like. Most importantly, Sydney wants her story to help other kids feel more comfortable around people with disabilities. Readers can learn about the different items that make it easier for Sydney to be mobile, eat or write in the fact-filled section about adaptive technology. Information about the Miracle League, the volunteer-based program that makes it possible for children with a variety of disabilities play baseball is also included.
Added by Anne W
All the way to the top : how one girl's fight for Americans with disabilities changed everything
Annette Bay Pimentel
j323.37092 Keelan
Nonfiction
"Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Jennifer Keelan grew up battling--and overcoming--the limitations others set for her. From a lack of cutaway curbs and bus lifts to being denied enrollment at her neighborhood school, Jennifer was continually blocked from living the life she wanted. But after discovering the world of disability rights activism, she knew she had to use her voice to change things. When Jennifer was just eight years old, she participated in the Capitol Crawl. The deeply affecting image of Jennifer crawling up the steps of Capitol Hill went viral and helped pressure Congress into passing the Americans with Disabilities Act. A powerfully illustrated biography of Jennifer's life and a celebration of youth activism, All the Way to the Top will teach all children that they have the power to make a difference"--
Added by Anne W
White fragility : why it's so hard for White people to talk about racism
Robin J. DiAngelo
305.8 /DiAngelo
Nonfiction
In this groundbreaking and timely book, antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo explores how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively. --
Every white person needs to read this book. It feels like the most helpful diversity training you will ever experience, and while sometimes the truth hurts, the sooner white people realize we live in a indoctrinated racist society and take steps to reverse it, the better. I love the directness of this book. It's very no nonsense--whether you like it or not, we exist in a racist society. Here's why and what you can do about it. It's very important and I strongly believe it's what everyone needs to get on board with understanding in order to move forward. -Mari
White Fragility
Robin J. DiAngelo
305.8/DiAngelo
Nonfiction, Black Lives Matter
In this groundbreaking and timely book, antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo explores how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.
Every white person needs to read this book. It feels like the most helpful diversity training you will ever experience, and while sometimes the truth hurts, the sooner white people realize we live in a indoctrinated racist society and take steps to reverse it, the better. I love the directness of this book. It's very no nonsense--whether you like it or not, we exist in a racist society. Here's why and what you can do about it. It's very important and I strongly believe it's what everyone needs to get on board with understanding in order to move forward. -Mari
How to be an Antiracist
Ibram X. Kendi
305.8 /Kendi
Nonfiction
""The only way to undo racism is to consistently identify and describe it -- and then dismantle it." Ibram X. Kendi's concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America -- but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. In this book, Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science, bringing it all together with an engaging personal narrative of his own awakening to antiracism. How to Be an Antiracist is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society." --
A must-read for everyone who want to learn how to be antiracist in a country that is definitely not post-racial. Kendi recounts the history of racism in the United States, and identifies both the individual responsibility and systemic responsibility for racist ideals in society. -Mari
The women who caught the babies : a story of African American midwives
Eloise Greenfield
j811 Greenfield
Black Lives Matter, Nonfiction, Kids
Through historical information, poems, illustrations, and photographs, the author shows the ways in which African American midwives have helped families over the course of hundreds of years.
Added by Anne W
Young, gifted and black : meet 52 black heroes from past and present
Jamia Wilson
jBIOGRAPHY 920.996 Wilson
Black Lives Matter, Kids, Nonfiction, Biographies
This book brings together 52 iconic talents from the past and present and celebrates their inspirational achievements. Meet figureheads, leaders and pioneers such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks, as well as cultural trailblazers and sporting heroes, including Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams.
Added by Anne W
A great selection of essays that foster solitude, reverence of nature and slowing-down. If you haven't read Macdonald's H is for Hawk, you should check that out. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren would also most-likely be up your alley. -Victoria