Nonfiction Monday

See previous post in re: getting out of bed. I always MEAN to join challenges and do Nonfiction Monday and Poetry Friday and Whatever-the-heck-it-is Wednesday, but I just never get that far. Since I did plow through a number of the new books that came in before break, though, I can be on task for this first Monday of the new year.

Hamilton, Sue. Stan Lee (Comic Book Creators) Abdo
Okay, Mr. Lee. Don't panic if you've heard that I only buy biographies of people who have passed away-- I think that you are about the most attractive 88 year old I have seen, and you look like you have a lot of years left in you! But I had several students ask for a biography about you, and it seemed like a good idea. Hamilton's book is on the short side (32 pages), but filled with all the essential information about early life through modern day. Good illustrations accompany easy-to-read text. I may look for a slightly longer version (some reports call for a 100 page bio), because I was impressed with the range of Mr. Lee's work and his contribution to popular culture.

Rosinsky, Natalie M. Graphic Content! The Culture of Comic Books.
Again, student requests led to this purchase. While slightly longer (64 pages), the format of the book has so many pictures that there is not a lot more information than the book above. I found the pages to be a bit overwhelming, with sidebars and text wedged in odd places, but I don't think that students who are fond of comic books will mind. Again, a very nice overview. This will be hugely popular with students who need to read nonfiction for a project and think that they don't want to. (Capstone Press)


Nobleman, Marc Tyler. The Television (Great Inventions)
For as much television as students watch, they are supremely uninterested in the development of the equipment or programs! My favorite biography is the one I have about Philo T. Farnsworth-- so few people know about him that it strikes me as very sad. He certainly gets mentioned in this brief (32 pages) overview. This is slightly too short for middle school but would be an excellent book to have at the elementary level. I will continue my search for something a little more comprehensive, but this is good for browsing during study hall.


Frederick, Shane. Gamers Unite: The Video Game Revolution.
I didn't have many books on video games, since they seem to change so quickly, but this was a another in the Pop Culture Revolutions series that included Graphic Content and will appeal to many of my readers. This started with Ralph Baer who created games as far back as 1951, continued on through Pong and all the rest of the games that are familiar to many people. I appreciated that it also talked about the culture of gaming; conventions, controversies and the like. The time line at the back was particularly useful. There are two other books in this series, one about rock and roll (Play It Loud) and one about banned books.

Well, now, on with the day. There are 1,397 overdue books right now, since it is the first day back from break. Never my favorite day of the year!