brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Nancy Paulson Books
2014

From Goodreads:
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become

Drawing From Memory by Allen Say

Drawing From Memory by Allen Say
Scholastic Press
2011
63p.


"Caldecott Medalist Allen Say presents a stunning graphic novel chronicling his journey as an artist during WWII, when he apprenticed under Noro Shinpei, Japan's premier cartoonist. Drawing from memory is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his "spiritual father." As WWII raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained--and ultimately came to understand who he really is. Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, DRAWING FROM MEMORY presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. With watercolor paintings, original cartoons, vintage photographs, and maps, Allen Say has created a book that will inspire the artist in all of us"-- Provided by publisher.

Tom Thumb by George Sullivan

Tom Thumb: A Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature by George Sullivan
Clarion Books
2011
200p.

Explores the life and career of the dwarf Tom Thumb, who toured the world as a curiosity at the behest of showman P.T. Barnum.

How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg
Walker and Co.
2011
184p.

A look at the deaths of several famous people throughout history and the circumstances surrounding those deaths.