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History and Current Events May 2018
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Inseparable : the original Siamese twins and their rendezvous with American history
by Yunte Huang
A wryly whimsical dual portrait of famous 19th-century conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker shares an Asian-American perspective on their improbable lives, describing their rise from savvy side-show celebrities to wealthy Southern gentry, their large family and how their experiences reflected America's historical penchant for objectifying differences.
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| Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First... by Robert KursonWhat it is: an exhilarating account of the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon and the three astronauts who risked their lives to complete the mission, portrayed with dramatic storytelling flourish.
Want a taste? "Looking back down toward his spacecraft, Borman gave thanks to the scalded machine, an exquisite piece of design and daring."
Did you know? December 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission. |
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History in Graphic Novels
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| Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-VormWhat it's about: The Manhattan Project, completed in 1946, produced the first atomic bomb. Power struggles and ethics debates marred the relationships of the major players involved, and none could imagine the extent of the bomb's devastation.
Why you should read it: Stark and straightforward black and white illustrations unflinchingly convey the harrowing implications of the Manhattan Project.
For fans of: Jim Ottaviani's Fallout, the first graphic novel on the subject.
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| Economix: How Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work) in Words and Pictures by Michael Goodwin; illustrated by Dan E. Burr What it's about: four centuries of economic history and theory, presented in thorough yet accessible chunks roughly the size of comic book panels.
What sets it apart: quirky, caricature-like art that helps the reader visualize dense concepts.
Further reading: Yoram Bauman and Grady Klein's two-volume Cartoon Introduction to Economics. |
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| The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation by Jonathan Hennessey; illustrated by Aaron McConnellWhat it is: an earnest and entertaining history of the Constitution's development and implementation, including an illuminating discussion of each article and amendment.
Art alert: Surreal, inventive illustrations imagine the three branches of government as people with landmarks for heads (for instance, the legislative branch has a Capitol Building head).
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| March. Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell What it's about: Congressman John Lewis's early life and origins in the civil rights movement, during which he served as one of the first Freedom Riders and helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Art imitates life: Lewis relied on a popular comic book of the time, Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story, to inform his efforts in the Nashville Student Movement.
Book buzz: The third book in this powerful three-volume memoir series won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. |
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| Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936 by Edward SorelStarring: actress Mary Astor, who became a tabloid sensation following her highly publicized affairs and subsequent trial for custody of her daughter.
Don't miss: Cartoonist Edward Sorel explores his longtime fascination with Astor by imagining an interview between the two.
Read it for: excerpts from the diary in question (in which Astor graded her extramarital affairs).
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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