Change Has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit
by Kadir Nelson Simon & Schuster
Our Price: $12.99
Kadir Nelson was approached by editors at Simon and Schuster just after the election with the idea for Change Has Come. He began work on the sketches included in this book while he was on tour for Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, and he completed them in just ten days. Known for his glowing colors and polished paintings, this was the first time I had seen looser sketches by Kadir Nelson. These sketches show all of the skill of his other books, but also have a moving spontaneity. Kadir Nelson captures Obama, as well as the spirit of America at this time, beautifully. Change Has Come is perfect for introducing your child to Barack Obama, or as a gift or keepsake for anyone inspired by this election (and who isn’t?).
Masterpiece
by Elise Broach Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Our Price: $16.95
James is an eleven year old boy living in New York City. Marvin is a young beetle living in James’s apartment. Despite their differences, they quickly strike up a lasting friendship. When James’s parents stumble across a drawing made by Marvin, they mistakenly assume that James has drawn it, and conclude that James has spectacular artistic talent. His mother immediately tries to jumpstart his career as a famous artist by selling the drawing, while his father decides they should take a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts for inspiration. James takes Marvin along on the field trip, and together they find themselves recruited by the museum to help prevent an art heist. When their plan goes terribly wrong, only James and Marvin can prevent the theft.
This is the story of a beautiful friendship, of adventure, mystery, and intrigue, and of art. Filled with beautiful, quirky, expressive illustrations, this book is perfect for budding artists and art historians. Fans of books about tiny creatures, like The Barrowers and Stuart Little, will also find this book irresistible. Don’t miss the Author’s Note at the back of the book- it tells readers about the artist Albrecht Durer, about the true story behind the art thefts mentioned in the novel, and about real, live beetles!
Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean
by Ana Sortun ReganBooks
Our Price: $34.95
In the introduction to Spice, Ana Sortun says that when she was trained as a chef in Paris, she was taught that the way to add flavor to a dish is through fat, usually by adding butter or cream. Through her later travels through Turkey, Sortun learned that spice is a lighter, healthier, more satisfying way to flavor food.
In its very organization, this cookbook is a tribute to the power of spice. Sortun organizes her recipes by type of spice, including a section on the use of flowers. In the introduction to each section, Sortun provides historical and culinary descriptions of the spices and suggestions about what spices to pair together. I recently had the opportunity to spend a week in Istanbul. Sortun’s descriptions of the city and cuisine transported me back to my time there, and resonated deeply with me. Beautifully designed, with color photos to enrich the recipes, this is the kind of cookbook it is a joy just to sit on the couch, mouth watering, and read, let alone cook from.
Sortun has a long history in Cambridge. After stints at 8 Holyoke and Casablanca in Harvard Square, Sortun now has her own restaurant, Oleana Restaurant, and café, Sofra Bakery and Café, both here in Cambridge. Sortun’s family farm provides the restaurant with its fresh, organic produce. A wonderful opportunity to support our local businesses and authors, Spice will inspire you in the kitchen and enrich your table.
Paul Fisher may be considered legally blind, but he sure can see things that others can’t. He can see that something is very wrong in Tangerine County, where lightning strikes at the same time every day and sinkholes open up without warning. Paul can see the truth about his older brother, who most people see as the local football star, but who Paul knows is nothing but the local bully. If he can see these things, AND play soccer better than anyone in the county, why exactly is he considered blind? Tangerine is great for soccer fans, and anyone who enjoys the story of an unlikely hero. Beautifully written, you won’t be able to put it down.
I Am the Messenger
by Markus Zusak Knopf Books for Young Readers
Our Price: $8.95
When Ed Kennedy finds himself stopping a botched bank robbery, his life changes. He is no longer the under-aged cab driver with few prospects, living in a small shack in the same town where he has always lived. His life has purpose. Ever since the bank robbery, Ed has been receiving messages written on playing cards. Ed takes it upon himself to interpret the messages and act upon them. Each card leads him to a different person. As Ed finds a way to make a difference in each person’s life, he slowly finds that he has made a difference in his own. Alternately uplifting and intense, I am the Messenger is a great book for older teens.
Half A World Away
by Libby Gleeson Arthur A. Levine Books
Our Price: $15.99
Amy and Louie are not only neighbors, they are the best of friends. Sometimes Louie climbs through the hole in the fence to visit Amy, and sometimes Amy climbs through the hole in the fence to visit Louie, but no matter where they are, they always have a lot of fun. Together they build “towers as high as the sky” and dig “holes deep enough to bury bears.” They dress up in costumes made from capes, rain boots, and the less ordinary, flippers, colanders and Kleenex boxes. They even have a secret language with which they communicate. When Amy and her family move far away, Louie wants to call to Amy in their secret language, but he doesn’t know if she’ll be able to hear. You’ll have to read this story, and take the time to delight in its classic illustrations, to discover how it ends. As someone who moved a lot as a kid, this book touches my heart with every reading.
Ellington Was Not a Street
by Ntozake Shange Simon & Schuster
Our Price: $15.95
“it hasn’t always been this way/ ellington was not a street/ robeson no mere memory/ dubois walked up my father’s stairs/ hummed some tune over me/ sleeping in the company of men/ who changed the world…”
So begins ellington was not a street, the true story of Shange’s experiences growing up surrounded by great African American leaders, thinkers, musicians and boxers- men who “changed the world.” Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award in 2005, this book brings these great men and their families to life, reminding us of their contributions, and reminding us that they are so much more than street names. The rhythm and brevity of the text make it a great picture book for younger children. The nine biographies featured at the end of the book mean that it is also engaging for older readers. Kadir Nelson's beautifully rendered illustrations make this book impossible to resist.
