Showing posts with label Book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book review. Show all posts

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Book Review - The Boy Who Wouldn't Read

 A fellow Chautauqua conferee asked me to do a book review.  After reading the book, I was glad to oblige.  It will be published in September 2013.  
 The Boy Who Wouldn't Read
 The Boy Who Wouldn't Read by Denise McConduit


Robbie doesn't like reading.  With the sweep of a sorcerer's magical wand, he no longer has to worry about this dreaded activity.  In this rhyming book, his expression goes from boredom to glee to horror as he gets a glimpse of a world without words.  Colorful lively illustrations make readers realize that reading doesn't only take place in the pages of a book.  This story has the potential to open up a whole avenue of discussion about where we read and why reading is an important skill.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Book Review - Wheels of Change by Sue Macy

Azalea
Last summer, I won a book from Sue Macy on the I.N.K. blog.  Recently, I finally got around to reading it.  Wheels of Change is a nonfiction book published by National Geographic publishers about the history of the bicycle.

Design: The book has a vintage/retro look.  It's filled with historical photographs of items you might find at an antique sale.  Circular photographs and text in circular shapes are clever methods of reinforcing the wheel and the idea of rolling forward.

Text: It's eye-opening.  Often we hop on our bikes and go for a ride, but seldom do we ponder what it was like before the bicycle.  Who knew that at one time the pedals were on one side of the bike to accommodate long petticoats?  The book took me back in time and left me thinking and wondering.  Who could have guessed the bicycle had such a profound impact on women's attire?  I wish I could bring my grandmother back and ask her about petticoats and bicycles.
    Although it's for young adults, I see no reason why college fashion design professors couldn't use this in their curriculum to teach the history of fashion.  College students would LOVE to read a book like this versus a stale textbook.  The book won the YALSA award for excellence in nonfiction.


The wind sweeps up Mary Poppins in her azalea petticoat