Exciting New Nonfiction/Historical Fiction

Below are two exciting nonfiction graphic novels and highly illustrated texts that will totally tempt your readers to think differently and more creatively about the world around them.

Note that these are only a tip of the iceberg. I am currently working on a list of all new Spring/Summer works in 2019 that will be posted in about a month and will be posted in the "Support" section of this website. Furthermore, there are still some pretty awesome reads to look through in the "Recommended Books" section as well.

In the meantime, I hope to wet your whistle with the gems below.

Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Thermes. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, August, 2019. This incredible book is a cross between a graphic novel and a highly illustrated text and even though it looks and feels like a picture book, and is published through Abrams' Books for Young Readers, it is truly an all ages book (literally and figuratively). Thermes beautifully tells the story of Manhattan both visually and verbally. She begins at the beginning allowing us to view, feel, and enter the island as it was millions of years ago - as a sheltered island anchored on bedrock found in an estuary where a freshwater river meets the salty sea. We then view it as an island home of the Lanape who lived on it for thousands of years as they farmed, hunted, fished and traded for generations. We slowly see how it was discovered by an Englishman named Henry Hudson and how the island, its peoples, and landscape changed over the years, to create the metropolis we know today. Done in vibrant and warm watercolors, the island - its history and peoples come alive - inviting readers of all ages to truly experience the island's history. The book ends with an eclectic resource section that begins with a "through the centuries" view of the island, with a timeline, and finally with books, websites and museums for readers of all ages to continue their journey and fascination with this iconic island. This is a real gem and will be a valuable home/school/library resource and once published, is soon to win many awards.

Charlotte Bronte Before Jany Eyre by Glynnis Fawkes with an Introduction by Alison Bechdel. Disney-Hyperion, September 2019. This book is part of series from The Center for Cartoon Studies Presents, and it stunningly tells the story of how Ms. Bronte struggled to make her voice heard in an era where neither the poor nor the women had much chance or opportunity to do so. Through Ms. Fawkes brilliant black and white details and her sharp verse, we learn of Charlotte's severe hardships growing up: from losing her mother, to be sent away to a