So, you gotta pick a “famous person” to write about for a book report. Who’s it gonna be? Don’t even tell me Martin Luther King or Helen Keller. Booorrriiinnng. Listen, your teacher has been there, done that about a million times. Most high school teachers have MEMORIZED the lives of the presidents and civil rights leaders forward and backward by now. Give yourself and your teacher a shot in the arm by picking someone off the beaten path of history. The titles below are not just good for book reports, they’re also just really fun to read. I’m a dedicated fiction-aholic, and biography is one of the few areas in the ocean of non-fiction into which I am willing to dip my big toe. The great thing about biography is that not only are you reading a fantastic story, but it is ALL TRUE!! In the hands of a good writer, some biographies are better and stranger than fiction. So kick back, relax, and find out what inquiring minds want to know…trust me, it’s better than a tabloid.
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose
11.20
On a spring day in 1955, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was dragged from the bus by two adult police officers, called “Thing” and “Whore,” and put in a jail cell. She was scared out of her mind, but she was tired of being told she was less than just because of the color of her skin and the texture of her hair. From her activist-minded teachers, she knew it was her constitutional right to sit where she wanted on the bus, and the entire Montgomery police force couldn’t change that. So she dared to challenge the city’s segregated bus laws that demanded an entire row of African Americans must get up if even just one White person wanted to sit down. This happened nine months before Rosa Parks made her famous protest, and I KNOW you’ve heard of her. So why hasn’t history also made much of Claudette? The answer may surprise you…Author Philip Hoose takes you right to the tumultuous center of the Civil Rights Movement with this true story of a girl who fought back even when no one would fight for her. The most powerful words in the book come from Colvin herself, who shares the pain and fear of her frightening experience and its aftermath firsthand. “The lock fell into place with a heavy sound. It was the worst sound I ever heard. It sounded final. It said I was trapped…I didn’t know if anyone knew where I was or what had happened to me. I had no idea how long I would be there…” This is one of the best bios for YA’s around, and don’t just take my word for it—the National Book Award Foundation just named it the 2009 winner in the Young People’s Literature category.
Stitches by David Small
08.15
If you think your parents are awful, they are probably peaches compared to the folks that raised Caldecott award winner artist David Small. This gut wrenching graphic memoir of selected events from Small’s Detroit-based childhood and adolescence chronicle his survival of his parents’ loveless marriage, a botched surgery on his throat that left him scarred and voiceless, and the burning of all his favorite books by his vindictive mother. Through it all, Small maintained hope through his artwork. His sketchbook became a welcome escape from his chilly home life and silent school days, a portal to another world–just like Alice’s rabbit hole. Small was very influenced by Alice in Wonderland, and even portrays the therapist who ended up saving his life when he was a teen as the benevolent White Rabbit. In spare prose and stark panels, employing images that are startling, dream-like and reminiscent of classic cinema, Small takes you on an insightful and poignant journey through his own personal hell and eventual redemption. In the end Small perseveres, becoming an artist against all odds and with no support from his family. While this book is for everybody, it is especially for the somebody whose family has made them feel insignificant. Because as the inspiring author and illustrator demonstrates in this terrible, wonderful GN, even if you’re Small, you can still walk TALL. If you end up loving this gripping graphic memoir as much as I do, try the equally engrossing Blankets by Craig Thompson. Until then, enjoy this awesome book trailer narrated by the author himself.
Freddie & Me: A Coming-of-Age (Bohemian) Rhapsody by Mike Dawson
08.15
If your life had a soundtrack, who would be on it? For comic artist Mike Dawson, the answer is simple: “When I think of Queen, I can remember my whole life.” From the moment he sees Freddie Mercury strut his stuff on Top of the Pops as a wee lad, Mike knows he’s found his muse. When his family moves from England to New Jersey, Freddie is there, singing “I Want to Break Free” and “Death on Two Legs.” When everyone in his high school in 1991 is rocking out to Nirvana and all the other “alternative” bands, Mike can turn up his nose in favor of Freddie, who “can actually sing.” When Wayne’s World makes “Bohemian Rhapsody” a mainstream hit, Mike can brag that Queen was “his” band first. As he develops his drawing skills, suffers through his first serious romantic relationship, and tries to discover who he really is, the classic rock music of Queen is always playing in the background. This quiet, slice of life graphic memoir emphasizes the incredibly important role music plays in our lives, especially during our teen years. Dawson’s art is realistic and fearless–he isn’t afraid to depict himself in all his adolescent glory, bad haircut, braces and all. Occasionally, Dawson literally “rocks out” on impressive two page spreads (one of which hilariously depicts him singing an endless rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody at a local talent show, while the MC keeps trying to shoo him off the stage) that juice up his gently paced narrative and temper his contemplative tone. If you’re a fan of Craig Thompson’s Blankets, or the late Freddie Mercury, you’re gonna want to give Freddie & Me a go.
Twenty Chickens for a Saddle by Robyn Scott
04.30
The Power of One meets Cheaper by the Dozen in this hilarious, heart-breaking memoir by Robyn Scott. When Robyn was seven, her New Zealand hippie parents moved her and her brother and sister to live in rural Botswana, where her father took a job as a bush doctor. He flew a small engine plane three days a week to different far-flung clinics where he would see more than 100 patients a day, and treat everything from pnemonia (real) to witch doctor’s curses (fake) and soon, the terrifying symptoms of AIDS. Robyn’s mother was into holistic food, medicine and home schooling, and her wacky lessons were like nothing you’ve ever seen in OR outside a classroom. Robyn and her sibs grew up swimming with crocodiles, taming house snakes, and riding bareback on half-broken horses. But they all managed to make it to adulthood with their limbs intact. This well-written and rollicking memoir may be just the ticket next time you’re feeling a little bored with your suburban existence. I guarantee you’ll get at least ten giggles and ten lumps in your throat from reading Twenty Chickens!
John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth by Elizabeth Partridge
05.04
If all you know about John Lennon is from your parents’ Beatles collection, then are you going to be surprised about what you find between the pages of Elizabeth Partridge’s stellar biography of the Fab Four’s darkest member! Partridge examines Lennon’s life from childhood, through angry adolescence and Beatle mania, to his quiet househusband days as the partner of avante garde artist Yoko Ono. World traveler, peace advocate, and passionate rocker, John Lennon’s first priority was always his music, which led to many problems in both his personal and professional life. Though there have been hundreds of books written about John Lennon and the Beatles, Partridge pitches her book directly to teens, focusing on the aspects of Lennon’s life that you guys will find most interesting. Whether you are a seasoned fan or a Beatles neophyte, you will find something to love in this gorgeously made book about one of the most complicated popular culture icons of our time.
Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt’s Remarkable Life by Candace Fleming
05.04
Maybe all you know of Eleanor Roosevelt is that she was sort of tall, wore a lot of hats, and was first lady to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was one of the more, well, famous presidents. While all those things are true, Eleanor was also a scrappy, tireless advocate for human rights, incredibly loyal to her friends, and one of the most radical president’s wives EVER. Don’t let the pearls and long skirts fool you, Eleanor did things no other first lady had done before her. She held the first ever press conference just for women, wrote her own newspaper column, and resigned from the prestigious DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) when they wouldn’t allow African American opera singer Marian Anderson appear in Constitution Hall. And that’s just in the first few chapters! Flirty, fascinating, and just plain fun, Candace Fleming’s chatty scrapbook approach to this American icon makes Eleanor seem more like a wonderful acquaintance you’d love to get to know better as opposed to a distant political figure. Fleming is careful to address all aspects of Eleanor’s full and often controversial life, including the question of her sexuality, and apathetic attitude concerning Jewish refugees during WWII. Full of personal stories and Eleanor’s witty quotes, this book will pull you into the inspirational life of this phenomenal woman who was way ahead of her time!
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
05.03
What would you say if someone offered you $10,000 just to help sail a ship from the island of St. Croix to New York City? I’m willing to bet you’d probably say yes even if you never sailed before in your life. That’s some serious pocket change. Now, what if you found out there were drugs aboard? Still keen on deck duty? Reckless teenaged Jack Gantos decided that the risk was worth it. He was tired of dead end jobs and just reading about other people’s exciting lives, he wanted to live his own adventure. This sailing job sounded like just the ticket–for very little work, he’d have enough money to go to college and start his life as a writer…except the unbelievable happened–he got caught. Stuck in a medium-security prison with hardened criminals, Gantos turned to the one thing he knew he could count on to get him through–his writing. This is the story of his arrest and scary time behind bars where surprisingly, he learned the discipline needed to become the amazing author he is today.(and if you’ve never ever read any of his other books, this is a great one to start with) Don’t miss this Hole in One–it’s my favorite book of 2002.