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Biography

Temple Grandin, how the girl who loved cows embraced autism and changed the world

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Montgomery
Author's First Name: 
Sy
Publisher: 
Houghton Mifflin
Publication Month: 
April
Publication Date: 
April 3
2013 Nomination (not yet selected): 
While at times the inclusion of secondary information interferes with the flow of narration, this is an important book because it shows how Temple ultimately embraced her "different" way of looking at the world and used it to change the way livestock are treated and lead to slaughter. It celebrates animal rights as well as the human right to be accepted for one's talents, even if they are not ones recognized by the main stream.

BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PUPPETEER OF MACY'S PARADE

Tony Sarg holding a tiger balloon
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Sweet
Author's First Name: 
Melissa
Publisher: 
Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: 
2011
2013 Nomination (not yet selected): 

Inventor, tinkerer, puppeteer, and Macy's Christmas window designer, Tony Sarg came up with the idea of balloon animals for the Thanksgiving Day parade in the 1920s and created ever more complex and engaging ones, a tradition which lasts to this day. With a combination of illustration, photographed toys, and collage and a straightforward, engaging narrative Sweet provides both a brief biography, and homage to the man who made the famous New York parade what it is with his animated balloons. Additionally, she concludes with an author's note, bibliography, and sources. Seven to ten.

 Selected for the 2012 List.

HOW THEY CROAKED: THE AWFUL ENDS OF THE AWFULLY FAMOUS

Croaked cover
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Bragg
Author's First Name: 
Georgia
Illustrator's First Name: 
Kevin
Illustrator's Last Name: 
O'Malley
Publisher: 
Walker
Publication Date: 
2011
2013 Nomination (not yet selected): 

With relish, wit, and obvious enjoyment, Bragg expounds upon the disgusting illnesses, medical treatments, ailments, deaths, and autopsies of 19 famous people through history. As much a primer on famous people and historical times as about their gory demises, this has far more to offer than it's mere yuck factor... although the explosion of Henry VIII's corpse will make a great section to booktalk! Ten to Fourteen. Rhona Campbell

DRAWING FROM MEMORY

Drawing from Memory
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Say
Author's First Name: 
Allen
Publisher: 
Scholastic
Publication Date: 
2011
2013 Nomination (not yet selected): 

In this memoir Say looks back at how he evolved into an artist, crediting especially his Japanese sensei (teacher)Noro Shinpei. The illustrations and photographs give a strong sense of people and place and add to the appeal of the story. Fans of Say will recognize elements from other books but that just adds to the completeness of this picture. Ten to Fourteen.

LADY LIBERTY: A BIOGRAPHY

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Rappaport
Author's First Name: 
Doreen
Illustrator's First Name: 
Matt
Illustrator's Last Name: 
Tavares
Publisher: 
Candlewick
Publication Date: 
2008

Unusual perspectives, both in illustrations and in multiple points of view, provide a kaleidoscopic survey of those who planned, financed, and built the Statue of Liberty, including a child who donated chicken-raising profits.

ABE’S HONEST WORDS

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Rappaport
Author's First Name: 
Doreen
Illustrator's First Name: 
Kadir
Illustrator's Last Name: 
Nelson
Publisher: 
Hyperion
Publication Date: 
2008

Multiple layers convey Lincoln's impact through quotes, free verse accounts of his life, a chronology, and a list of websites.  Report-writers and curious readers alike will learn much about our sixteenth President's brilliant visionary leadership.

HENRY'S FREEDOM BOX: A TRUE STORY FROM THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Levine
Author's First Name: 
Ellen
Illustrator's First Name: 
Kadir
Illustrator's Last Name: 
Nelson
Publisher: 
Scholastic
Publication Date: 
2007

Rich with the interplay of light and shadow, dramatic oil paintings enhance the true story of Henry “Box” Brown and his successful attempt to mail himself from slavery in the South to freedom in the North.

CHARLES AND EMMA: THE DARWINS’ LEAP OF FAITH

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Heiligman
Author's First Name: 
Deborah
Publisher: 
Holt
Publication Date: 
2009

This thoroughly researched, engaging portrayal of Charles Darwin’s marriage reveals the depth of his relationship with his wife Emma, a woman whose views sometimes vexed him but whose love always comforted him. Admiring her intelligence and her faith, he consulted her about all matters, both personal and professional.

THE DUEL: THE PARALLEL LIVES OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON & AARON BURR

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
St. George
Author's First Name: 
Judith
Publisher: 
Viking
Publication Date: 
2009

Two men best remembered for their deadly duel lived remarkably intertwined lives in military service, business dealings, and political intrigue. This short book, told in alternating sections, provides lesser known details about their parallel careers.

MARCHING FOR FREEDOM: WALK TOGETHER, CHILDREN, AND DON'T YOU GROW WEARY

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Partridge
Author's First Name: 
Elizabeth
Publisher: 
Viking
Publication Date: 
2009

Powerful photographs and engaging text chronicle the participation of youth in the violent protests surrounding the 1965 freedom march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. First-hand accounts provide vivid details and convey the fear and excitement of these historic events.

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