“I give everything to the creative process. I write and paint to create a character, express a thought or make a connection. I am not concerned about adhering to a specific style, medium or format. This allows me to be…
Category: Environment
Amnesty International’s WE ARE ALL BORN FREE
WE ARE ALL BORN FREE THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN PICTURES is a magical book. This picture book of Human Rights is engaging, even riveting, often delightful, for both child and adult reader. I opened WE ARE ALL…
Egypt on the Edge: A Review of The Glass Collector
Nearly a year ago, the people of Egypt toppled the long-standing dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak and last week conducted their first democratic elections in many years. The revolution—the largest and most successful of the Arab Spring—began with a sit-in at…
Why a Wisconsin college has chosen a young adult novel for a community read…
I tend to steer clear of bestselling books on this blog because they’re so well reviewed and blogged while smaller literary books that contain themes of social justice have a chance to draw discussion and perhaps even open…
My Name is Not Easy
My Name is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson There are many reasons you will be glad you read MY NAME IS NOT EASY. These reasons will continue to haunt you long after reading the last line. The voices of…
Thinking about outsiders and embracing identity
I’ve been thinking a lot about being an outsider as a teen and embracing identity in preparation for a panel I’m on this coming Saturday at NCTE in Chicago. What I find, after a ton of research on developmental stages…
Humor, Courage, and Tears
Two recent books by Tim Tingle celebrate the courage and humor of Native people during times of social injustice. First, a description of SALTYPIE: A CHOCTAW JOURNEY FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT. Actually has there ever been a time in…
What happens when teens feel unwanted?
Jo Knowles’ beautiful novel, Pearl, reflects the story of a teen girl whose mother admits openly that Pearl, whose grandfather calls her Bean, was nothing more than a rough piece of sand initially. Although her mother assures Bean, “I was…
Native American Month
In honor of Native American Month I would like to highlight a variety of books written by or about Native Americans . Books for young readers describe only a few of the many Native Americans who were true leaders. Even…
MPSA Political Science Conference–call for papers
Call for Papers for the 70th Annual MPSA Political Science Conference, April 12 – 15, 2012, in Downtown Chicago Paper Proposal Deadline: 10/14; Poster Proposal Deadline 12/2. Submit a Proposal Research: A conference with about 1000 panels in all subfields, including Politics, Literature…