Book Finder

The Campbell’s Soup Cans. The Marilyns. The Electric Chairs. The Flowers. The work created by Andy Warhol elevated everyday images to art, ensuring Warhol a fame that has far outlasted the 15 minutes he predicted for everyone else. His very name is synonymous with the 1960s American art movement known as Pop. Warhol’s rise, from poverty to wealth, from obscurity to status as a Pop icon, is an absorbing tale—one in which the American dream of fame and fortune is played out in all of its success and its excess. No artist of the late 20th century took the pulse of his time—and ours—better than Andy Warhol.

Ernie Barnes was an NFL football player who longed to make art. Finally his dream came true. When Ernie Barnes was growing up in North Carolina in the 1940s, he loved to draw. But in the segregated south, Ernie didn’t know how to make a living as an artist. Ernie grew tall and athletic and became a football star. Still, in his heart Ernie longed to paint. 

Ernie Barnes was one of the most important artists of his time known for his style of elongation and movement. His work has influenced a generation of painters and illustrators and can be found in museums and collections, such as the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the California African American Museum.
 

Rich paintings in limited colors convey the power of a people and a piece of their history. Done in the cadence of the Blues, this unique and powerful picture book inspired by the uniquely African American music and related experience is for older readers.

Black women everywhere have changed the world! Published in partnership with curators from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, this illustrated biography compilation captures the iconic moments of fifty African American women whose heroism and bravery rewrote the American story for the better. 

In 1981 two artists — Christo and Jeanne-Claude — proposed an installation in New York’s Central Park that would span twenty-three miles. They received a 185-page response from the Parks Department that could have been summed up in one single word: “no.” But they persisted. This biography of contemporary artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude is a story of the power of collaboration, and vision, and of the creation of the spectacular Gates and other renowned artworks. Christo and Jeanne-Claude is a 2003 Bank Street - Best Children’s Book of the Year.

What constructs in your life must you unlearn to support inclusivity and respect for all? This is a question that artist, actor, and activist Chella Man wrestles with in this powerful and honest essay. A story of coping and resilience, Chella journeys through his experiences as a deaf, transgender, genderqueer, Jewish person of color, and shows us that identity lies on a continuum — a beautiful, messy, and ever-evolving road of exploration.

Caldecott Medalist, Allen Say, tells his own story in words and a variety of images both rendered and photographic. This is more authentic than Say’s fictionalized but equally sophisticated, highly engaging account entitled The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice.

“Dreaming In Indian will shatter commonly held stereotypes and challenge readers to rethink their own place in the world. Divided into four sections, ‘Roots,’ ‘Battles,’ ‘Medicines,’ and ‘Dreamcatchers,’ this book offers readers a unique insight into a community often misunderstood and misrepresented by the mainstream media. Emerging and established Native artists, including acclaimed author Joseph Boyden, renowned visual artist Bunky Echo Hawk, and stand-up comedian Ryan McMahon, contribute thoughtful and heartfelt pieces on their experiences growing up Indigenous, expressing them through such mediums as art, food, the written word, sport, dance, and fashion…Whether addressing the effects of residential schools, calling out bullies through personal manifestos, or simply citing hopes for the future, Dreaming In Indian refuses to shy away from difficult topics. Insightful, thought-provoking, and beautifully honest, this book will to appeal to young adult readers.” — Birchbark House

In twenty-six original, free-verse poems the author depicts the thoughts, feelings, and life events of Mexican self-portraitist Frida Kahlo. The poems are accompanied by twenty-four full-color reproductions of Kahlo’s paintings. Substantial background materials include a biographical sketch, chronology, and glossary.

Like the style challenges on Project Runway, this book takes unusual objects (items found in a hardware store, like washers, bolts, etc.) and turns them into attractive jewelry. Even beginners will find projects at their level.

Can a painting speak? This collection of lyrical responses to famous American works of art provides answers.

The powerful graphic memoir from Jarrett Krosoczka about growing up with a drug-addicted mother, a missing father, and two opinionated grandparents. Hey, Kiddo is a profoundly important story about a family grappling with addiction and finding the art that helps you survive. National Book Award finalist.

You can see related interviews with Jarrett about Hey, Kiddo on Jarrett's website, as well as his TED talk in which he shares his personal story.

The history of African Americans is also the history of the United States. How the history and culture of once enslaved people came to sit proudly on the National Mall in the nation’s capital is told in word and image for a riveting portrait of a particular place and a country’s history.

Part of DK’s set of ultimate superhero guides, this volume features the superhero team the Justice League, complete with back stories, trivia,and big beautiful pictures. Meet the original Heroes.

Wallis’ book is full of political cartoons killed before publication. Each cartoon is accompanied by a brief narrative explaining why it was considered too controversial for publication.

He was born in the backwoods of Kentucky in a humble log cabin, but Abraham Lincoln was savvy enough to embrace the new technology of his time—photography—to propel him all the way to the White House. This simple man with lofty goals was willing to use any means necessary, including the power of photography, to save the union and free the slaves—leaving behind an unmatched legacy of sacrifice, service, and achievement.  

Short, clever, sometimes irreverent snapshots introduce a range of artists and their peculiarities. From Michelangelo to Georgia O’Keefe, the artists are presented in brief essays accompanied by lighthearted illustrations.

A dozen famous paintings are used to launch problem solving by grouping. Poems focus on items in the image and pose a problem to solve. Answers as well as an art explanation are provided at the end.

Pick Me Up is an encyclopedic non-fiction book primarily intended for children. With gorgeous full-color spreads and an edgy, vivid design, a title for the Internet generation covers facts on history, geography, science, and natural history, and includes a detailed index to make each subject simple to find.

Cassidy Rain Berghoff didn’t know that the very night she decided to get a life would be the night that her best friend would lose his. It’s been six months since her best friend died, and up until now Rain has succeeded in shutting herself off from the world. But when controversy arises around her aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp in their mostly white midwestern community, Rain decides to face the outside world again — at least through the lens of her camera. 2020 Teaching for Change: Social Justice Books Selection.

Shooting Under Fire is the candid testimony and stunning photographs of the men and women who go into battle armed only with a camera to show warfare as it is and where it is.

Tree Ear, a homeless orphan, longs to work as a potter, a respected but competitive employment — especially for a boy who lives under a bridge. Set in 12th century Korea, this Newbery Medal winning novel is as relevant as if it were taking place today.

In an accessible format, this unique work provides a basic working knowledge of art and art history through short essays, sidebars, and photographs.

Twelve—and only twelve—emerald-bedecked integers sleep somewhere in this nation’s soil. If you can find them, they’re yours to keep—and only this book can tell you where they are.