September 2021 Prime Picks
The Arts
Amazing Glaze Recipes
and Combinations
Gabriel Kline
Quarry
9781589239807 $40.00
www.quartoknows.com
Amazing Glaze Recipes and Combinations: 200+ Surefire Finishes for
Low-Fire, Mid-Range, and High-Fire Pottery is an essential reference for
any arts and crafts collection strong in pottery-making instructional guides.
It pairs high-quality
color images on almost every page with a survey of different choices for
surface development in pottery, covering not only glaze potentials but the
possibility of combining them in different ways for extraordinary results.
Instructions open
with best practices for glazing, including the testing process; then move to
mid-range, high-fire, and low-fire glazes. Each section discusses different
options and approaches in its category before moving to final firing and
finishing techniques.
Explanations and step-by-step
directions are presented using a chatty tone easily accessed by pottery-making
pros and novices alike, explaining how glazes perform differently and with each
other, and how they can be combined to produce unique results.
If only one book on glazing were to be chosen for a crafts collection, it should be Amazing Glaze Recipes and Combinations.
Layers of Meaning
Rakefet Hadar
Stackpole Books
9780811770149 $27.95
www.stackpolebooks.com
Layers of Meaning: Elements of Visual Journaling belongs in both
self-help and arts holdings, and discusses the mixed media opportunities of
journaling as it relates to visual expression.
Readers may not have
heard of the fine art of "visual journey journaling" because it's a
unique approach made up by Rakefet Hadar, who uses psychological and artistic
teachings that invite readers to employ different techniques to create a visual
journal.
From blending color
with text to making a "vessel of the soul" by creating the physical
journal pages from scratch, Hadar imbibes these instructions with full-color
pages throughout, which serve as examples of just how vivid and cathartic this
approach can be.
Arts and self-help
collections alike will find Layers of
Meaning an inviting method of combining psychological inspection and
artistic aspiration into a solid artistic survey.
Charcuteria: The Soul
of Spain, 2nd Edition
Jeffrey Weiss
Surrey Books
9781572842991 $39.95
www.agatepublishing.com
The second edition of
Charcuteria: The Soul of Spain
provides the first book to thoroughly explore the Spanish tradition of curing
meats. It is packed with lovely color photos by Nathan Rawlinson and
illustrations by Sergio Mora and reviews Spanish culinary traditions in
producing specialty meats.
More than just a
recipe collection, sections include in-depth reflections on how Spanish
charcuteria differs from other places, imparts basic cooking tricks and
directions to expand the processing knowledge of even those who are experienced
cooks, and focuses on lessons learned in cooking which turn a mundane
production into something exceptional, as in a preface for the recipe Canelone
Filling: Foie and Mushroom.
Of necessity, readers
should have a background in cookery and a special interest in either Spanish
traditions or charcuteria.
Those with such experience
are in for a special treat, because there's nothing quite like this on the
market today, making Charcuteria: The
Soul of Spain a standout not just for its recipes, but for its overall
approach to Spanish cuisine and culture.
The Cook and Baker
Cherie Bevan and Tass
Tauroa
Murdoch Books
9781911668336 $31.99
www.murdochbooks.com.au
The Cook and Baker comes from the bakery of the same name and
provides home bakers with new creations that blend traditional fare with modern
variations.
From Berry Jam
Shortbreads to Blackberry and Lemon Brioche and a good selection of savory
baked dishes such as a Mince and Cheese Pie, authors Cherie Bevan and Tass
Tauroa accompany their recipes with full-page color photos of completed dishes
and introduce each dish with a summary of its seasonal roots.
The result is a
well-rounded baking book that will appeal to a wide audience; especially those
who have some baking skills to their name, but want more opportunities to
expand their horizons.
Fever-Tree Easy
Mixing
Fever-Tree
Mitchell Beazley
9781784727833 $19.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
Fever-Tree Easy Mixing provides a follow-up to a prior Fever-Tree drink
book with recipes made from the mixer brand...some 150 drinks and cocktails
that are easy to make at home.
These range from
traditional to modern, as in a chapter on "Highballs & Oddballs,"
and embrace many surprising flavor combinations, such as a Cucumber Wine Spritz
or a Mexican spin on the classic Mule, Mezcal Mule.
Fever-Tree products
such as Ginger Beer or Sparking Pink Grapefruit are used to set these drinks
apart from traditional cocktails, adding an extra flavor component that creates
an original collection.
Cocktail makers
looking for a fresh approach to new drinks will find Fever-Tree Easy Mixing may promote the product, but offers many new
opportunities for creating memorable drinks.
One Dish Fish
Lola Milne
Kyle Books
9780857839480 $22.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
One Dish Fish: 70 Quick & Simple Recipes to Cook in the Oven
presents meals that can be cooked in one roasting pan, making the fish dinner
more appealing and faster than in many competing fish cookbooks.
Chapters are arranged
by time frame, making it especially easy for busy cooks to choose those dishes
which will best fit a hectic schedule; while the many types of fish and the
flavors promoted incorporate a wide range of influences.
From Ginger &
Lemon Grass Salmon to Mackerel with Roasted Plum Sauce and Monkfish Tagine,
these worldwide influences lend to a diverse collection that will appeal to a
wide audience of fish cooks and eaters alike.
Robert Rose, Inc.
www.robertrose.ca
Two new cookbooks by
Robert Rose should be considered for any culinary collection, and are standouts
for their special subjects and approaches.
Toby Amidor's The Family Immunity Cookbook
(9780778806806, $24.95) is essential reading not just for cooks, but for
parents looking for healthier meal alternatives that the entire family can use
to boost health.
Over a hundred
recipes reach out to busy cooks with a focus on 25 top "superfoods"
identified as holding immune-boosting properties, focusing on recipes that
profile them to best (and most appealing) advantage.
Many of these lend to
fast (30-minute or less) prep, advance prep, and one-pot meals; while the
recipes themselves, from Strawberry Avocado Toast to Balsamic Steak Salad, are
presented with full-page color photos that enhance the appeal and appetizing
nature of the dishes.
Judith Fertig's Easy Bread: 100 No-Knead Recipes
(9780778806844, $19.95) is the item of choice for either busy cooks or those
with hand problems who can't tackle the normally knead-intensive routines of
regular bread-baking.
The focus here is on
quick doughs that go beyond the usual sweet fare to include savory baguettes,
bagels, flatbreads, pizza, and more.
From Rosemary Walnut
Boule to Brioche Pull-Aparts, these recipes are especially notable for their
diversity of structure and ease of preparation, setting Easy Bread well apart from the usual "quick bread"
approach that involves mix-and-stir sweet loafs alone.
Both stand out from
the culinary crowd.
Reviewer's Choice
2 Weeks to Feeling
Great
Gabriela Peacock
Kyle Books
9780857839633 $24.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
2 Weeks to Feeling Great: Because, Seriously, Who Has the Time? is
a fun approach to fitness and nutrition that will especially appeal to busy
people, and is recommended above others for its combination of flexible rules
and streamlined approaches to health. It is a top pick for those who are so
busy working or raising kids that the prospect of embarking on an exercise
regimen is simply daunting.
Tips involve minimal
effort for maximum results and pair an introduction to health and nutrition
with easy adjustments that can be as simple as using green tea to reduce stress
responses, taking the stairs instead of the escalator, or balancing sugar
levels at night for better sleep results.
The wide variety of
routines and health admonitions are all geared towards gaining the most from
the least effort and provide resources, insights, and approaches to better
living that even the busiest person can consider, making 2 Weeks to Feeling Great a more appealing approach than most
fitness books.
About Time
David Rooney
W.W. Norton
9780393867930 $28.95
www.wwnorton.com
About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks invites not
just science readers but general interest audiences to understand everything about
clocks, time, and the history of its development and use.
Rather than tackling
the daunting prospect of creating a historical focus on the nature of time and
its tracking, David Rooney uses twelve selected clocks to capture the key
moments of the past that led to new revelations in clock-making, time
measurement, and astronomical investigations.
This lends a more
accessible tone to his coverage, which explores artifacts of the past and how
they represent advancements in thinking.
Readers who want a
lively survey will find About Time
just the ticket for an absorbing romp through the changing history of concepts
of time and how these emerging ideas affected empires, individual lives, and
human understanding alike.
All Things Must Pass
Away
Kenneth Womack and
Jason Kruppa
Chicago Review Press
9781641603256 $28.99
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
All Things Must Pass Away: Harrison, Clapton, and Other Assorted Love
Songs is a tribute to love affairs, relationships, and rock music alike,
and chronicles the tumultuous relationship between Pattie Boyd (George
Harrison's wife) and musician Eric Clapton.
Embedded within these
relationships are kernels of rock music history that move from personal affairs
to musician achievements. The beginning and ending of relationships that
directly affected the music and sounds coming from their authors serves as an
unusual backdrop of consideration that sets this book apart from others.
Also, more so than
most rock music history books, Kenneth Womack and Jason Kruppa approach their
subject from personal levels and build background musical history into the mix.
The result is an
interplay between rock music history, biography, and psychology that will keep
readers more engaged than the usual approach to famous personalities and their
works.
All Things Must Pass Away is a tribute highly recommended for any
collection strong in rock music personalities and history.
Made in California
George Geary
Prospect Park
Books/Turner Publishing
9781945551918 $40.00
www.turnerpublishing.com
Made in California: The California-Born Burger Joints, Diners, Fast
Food & Restaurants That Changed America is a colorful visual and
cultural celebration of California-born food trends that will appeal not just
to culinary students, but history students with a special interest in regional
influences.
California has
birthed a wider range of trends and famous establishments than one might
believe; from See's Candy and Jack in the Box to In-and-Out Burgers and
Baskin-Robbins.
The journey through
these establishments' history is presented in color photos and black and white
vintage images that accompany each establishment's history and development. Each
history spans several pages, offering in-depth information about founders who
had visions for new approaches to food, and who fostered this growth beyond its
California origins.
While California
libraries will be the major purchasers of Made
in California, it is also highly recommended for any collection strong in
food history and regional American history, as well as many a general-interest
reader, who will find the bright combination of lively biography, business
insight, and cultural icons compelling.
Subtle Tools
Karen J. Greenberg
Princeton University
Press
9780691215839 $29.95
www.press.princeton.edu
Subtle Tools: The Dismantling of American Democracy from the War on Terror
to Donald Trump takes aim at the notion that the Donald Trump form of
approaching life was instigated by Trump alone, drawing important connections
between events of 9/11 onward and the milieu that lead to Trump's attacks on
democracy's most basic foundations.
While Karen J.
Greenberg's contention will likely mean that Trump readers won't be picking up Subtle Tools anytime soon, that's
exactly the audience that should be absorbing its inspection of democratic
forces and the laws and social changes that, in modern times, have eroded democratic
principles.
Chapters focus on how
the War on Terror changed these principles, considering media influences,
political choice, and public policy that were each intrinsically altered after
9/11.
From state lawsuits
to federal processes, Greenberg's step-by-step examination of each event
leading to Trump's election provides both a scholarly and an accessible
treatise that comes from a director of the Center on National Security at
Fordham Law (among other positions).
The importance of Subtle Tools makes it a recommendation
beyond political science classes and collections, lending to its inclusion in
any holding where democratic history and principles are of interest.
Young Adult/Children
Candlewick Press
www.candlewickpress.com
Three new picture
books offer especially inviting formats and attractions for young leisure
readers and discriminating collections catering to them.
Dr. Dean Lomax's Prehistoric Pets (9781536217148, $17.99)
is a gorgeous pop-up book featuring colorful illustrations by Mike Love. It
focuses on seven selected prehistoric ancestors of modern pets.
What did a guinea
pig's ancient family look like?
Palentologist Dr.
Lomax considers links between fossil evidence and modern pets to provide a
dynamic 3-D visual journey that kids will find thoroughly engrossing;
especially since it relates to animals they already well know.
Once Upon A Time There Was and Will Be So Much More by Johanna
Schaible (9781536222135, $18.99) provides an appealing picture book that blends
colorful art with a survey that traverses time.
Each page becomes
smaller in the course of the narration, until a surprise is reached, at the
end.
Parents who would
teach the very young about the passage of time and changing geologic and human
affairs will find this a lovely visual and physical emphasis.
Eric Geron's Poultrygeist (9781546210507, $16.99) receives
fun drawings by Pete Oswald, the New York Times best-selling illustrator, that
bring to life a playful twist on monsters, chickens, and the transformation of
a chicken into a "poultrygeist."
As the story evolves,
kids receive a zany set of circumstances that surveys a hilarious dilemma.
All are outstanding
new leisure reads.
Doodling 101
Mel Willems
Hyperion
9781368075015 $19.99
www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com
Doodling 101: A Silly Symposium is an art book with a difference:
it invites kids to turn doodling into a playbook of fun.
This is a young
artist's starter kit, giving directions for drawing characters, making puppets,
participating in creative games, and more.
Because 'doodle
tools' are included along with invitations to draw on the pages, Doodling 101 will best be employed as a
personal book that invites artistic experimentation and projects.
It's a colorful,
multi-faceted presentation that will delight kids by inviting them to turn their
doodling into serious art pursuits and projects.
Penguin/Dial
www.penguin.com/kids
Three new picture
books are recommended for read-aloud and independent reading alike, offering
diverse stories that are appealing and fun.
Jory John's Summer Camp Critter Jitters
(9780593110980, $17.99) enjoys fun illustrations by Liz Climo as it explores
potential summer camp attendees who are jittery about the experiences being proposed.
Bear fears the woods.
Duck can't swim. And other challenges face them all in an unfamiliar camp
environment.
How can they conquer
their fears? A fine story evolves, which will particularly interest potential
camp attendees who are afraid of the outdoors or new challenges.
If You Were An Elephant by Leslie Staub (9781524741341, $16.99) provides
a natural history of elephants that contrasts their habits with those of
humans, offering some lively facts about elephant habits and habitats in an
engaging manner.
Staub is almost
poetic in her descriptions of their lives: "You'd
send buckets of water splashing all over. You'd be a fountain spraying rainbows
around!"
These descriptions,
paired with attractive drawings by Richard Jones, provide a different, engaging
view of elephant lives.
Dev Petty's Moth & Butterfly (9781524740511,
$17.99) receives whimsical drawings by Ana Aranda which add a sense of fun to
the story of two caterpillar friends who share many interests.
When they transform,
however, everything changes. Including their identities. Can their friendship
survive such changes?
Butterfly and moth
contrasts power a fun tale of best friends who find their lives on different
trajectories.
All are excellent
picture book stories that offer delightful reading opportunities.
Scholastic, Inc.
www.scholastic.com
These books provide
engaging stories for middle to high school readers, and are top picks for
collections looking to build leisure read interest.
Molly Knox Ostertag's
The Girl from the Sea (9781338540574,
$14.99) is a full-color graphic novel about fifteen-year-old Morgan, who seeks
to escape her island home one day soon. She wants to finish high school and
move away from her dysfunctional family and even her best friends, who don't
really know her.
Morgan holds a lot of
secrets. For one special secret, leaving home is her only option for a better,
more inclusive future.
Collections strong in
alternative relationships will find this an appealing tale of romance and
change, couched in an unusual graphic novel format.
Alan Gratz's Ground Zero: A Novel of 9/11 (9781338245752,
$17.99) documents the experience of being at ground zero on 9/11 through the
eyes of Brandon, who is visiting his father at work at the World Trade Center
when disaster strikes.
It juxtaposes this
event with those in Afghanistan on September 11, 2019, seen through the eyes of
Reschima, who experiences a battle in her village and develops a relationship
with wounded American soldier Taz.
As each character
confronts not only challenges to their survival but issues revolving around
their choices and the consequences of their actions, young adults receive
moving, interlinked stories set in very different situations of conflict that
will give them much food for thought, evoking much empathy.
Mason Deaver's The Ghosts We Keep (9781338593341, $18.99)
tells of a sibling's recovery from the death of his brother in a car accident.
More than loss and
grief is involved, however. Liam must now navigate the world without his
biggest supporter in it, while simultaneously fielding the increasing distance
of friends and the world around him.
This story of grief
goes beyond loss and probes how a younger sibling learns to live without his
older mentor.
When Meg is further
challenged by finding an injured British spy, the decisions she makes and the
journey she undertakes lead her into danger.
Justin A. Reynolds
writes Miles Morales Shock Waves
(9781338648034, $12.99), a graphic novel which ties into the Marvel universe
for middle-grade readers as it tells of ordinary Miles, who is struggling with
school and his alter ego of Spider-Man.
After an earthquake
strikes his mother's Puerto Rican birthplace, Miles must head a fundraiser,
face a friend's missing father, and solve a mystery, all at the same time.
Does even Spider-Man
have enough strength to do all these things?
All are engaging
leisure reads that teens will find involving.
Random House
www.randomhousekids.com
These new picture
books provide entertaining and absorbing stories that lend to read-aloud and
independent reading alike.
Vern Kousky's Milo is Missing Something
(9780593173428, $17.99) tells of a new hatchling that faces an unfamiliar ocean
world and its creatures, only to find something missing from this life.
What is the thing
that he misses? Kids are invited to speculate as Milo navigates an unfamiliar
world seeking something mysterious.
Frances Gilbert's Too Much Slime! (9780593303573, $17.99)
is illustrated by Vin Vogel, who accents the whimsical story of a creepy, slimy
presence that is oozing towards the school.
It's seemingly
unstoppable...but, what can it be?
Kids will appreciate
the fun illustrations that bring a slimy mystery to life.
Both are winning,
engaging, fun stories.
Simon and
Schuster/Atheneum
www.simonandschuster.com
These new arrival
picture books from Simon and Schuster represent winning picks for parents and
libraries alike.
Lita Judge's Even the Smallest Will Grow
(9781534457256, $17.99) imparts a much-needed message to the world: that
"there is strength in even the smallest things."
As a mother tells of
acorns that grow into something larger and relates them to her small child
("...just as you, stretching your toes under warm sheets and resting your
head on a dream-filled pillow, will grow."), kids receive a positive book
filled with future possibilities that reflect the rhythms of life and growth—perfect
for bedtime read-aloud.
Deborah Freedman's Is Was (9781534475106, $17.99) contrasts
the words 'is' and 'was' with descriptions that capture the sense of past and
present for the very young who are absorbing these concepts of time's passage.
Ages 4-8 will
appreciate an exploration in contrasts as nature is depicted, from "where
singing was, a buzz is" to an emphasis on 'is' and 'was' events.
The very simple
approach and sometimes-wordless picture book pages will require an adult's
read-aloud, interactive participation to bring to life its gentle possibilities
and contrasts.
Vampenguin by Lucy Ruth Cummins (9781534466982, $17.99) tells of a
small vampire and a penguin who decide to switch identities.
Ages 4-8 will
appreciate a lively, original venture that introduces something different (and
delightfully unexpected) to the penguin enclosure at the zoo in a story that is
whimsical and fun.
The author's drawings
are just as delightful as her story line.
Gabi Snyder's Listen (9781534461895, $17.99) will
reach kids ages 4-8 with a lovely tale illustrated by Stephanie Graegin as it
advocates a slower pace of in a piece directed to the very young.
The portrait of a
girl's day and how she absorbs new wonders by taking more time to enjoy them
offers satisfying lessons about all the things that can be learned and felt
when the time is taken to truly listen.
Alex Willan's Dragons Are the Worst! (9781534485112,
$17.99) will reach ages 4-8 with the funny story of Gilbert the Goblin, who
admits that he's been wrong in the past...but certainly not about his opinion of dragons.
There's only one problem: the pot is calling the kettle black.
As Gilbert faces
unexpected results from his innate prejudice, readers are treated to a story
about fear, truth, and different sides of a scary countenance that may actually
represent something else.
All are exceptional
picture books for kids.
Sleeping Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com
Sleeping Bear Press
publishes consistently noteworthy books, and these new arrivals are no
exception to its rule of pairing quality illustrations with fresh, original
writing.
Two board books will
appeal to young audiences with their attractive illustrations and simple
stories.
Linda Vander Heyden's
A Horse Named Jack (9781534111554,
$9.99) enjoys charming barnyard animal drawings by Petra Brown as it explores a
bored horse who is only entertained when children come to visit.
Tired of waiting for
them, Jack decides to take matters into his own hooves, and a delightful tale
of newfound freedom emerges.
Deborah Diesen's Catch a Kiss (9781534111547, $9.99) is a
sweet story best used for read-aloud. It tells of a mother and daughter's
loving relationship. Kris Aro McLeod's fun drawings illustrate what happens
when a kiss blown by a mother blows away.
Izzie just wants her
mother's love back. But, a wise mother points out that her kiss holds a
different powers in this warm, appealing story.
Leslie Kimmelman's The Ghouls' Guide to Good Grammar
(9781534110953, $16.99) is a recommendation for Halloween and year-round
enlightenment alike as it follows young ghouls to school, where they tackle a
frightening subject.
Mary Sullivan's
whimsical, fun illustrations add a delightful flavor to this different approach
to learning grammar, encouraging kids to have some fun during the course of exploring
grammatical snafus.
Lessons kids can
easily absorb include how to use commas, periods, and comparison words
appropriately.
Saguaro's Gifts by Kurt Cyrus (9781534111301, $16.99) provides a
whimsical tale of community and desert life as it follows animals who enjoy the
rich gifts of a big saguaro cactus which provides a hundred years of shelter
and food.
The rhyming text presents
fun descriptions, but it's Andy Atkins' gorgeous illustrations that capture the
desert's nature in an eye-catching manner.
Alexandra
Alessandri's Isabel and Her Colores Go to
School (9781534110632, $16.99) receives large-size, vivid drawings by
Courtney Dawson as it features a girl who feels that English is
"wrong" in comparison to the warmth of the Spanish language.
Charged with learning
English at a new school, Isabel makes an attempt to overcome her resistance and
prejudice towards the English language, but receives some unexpected lessons in
friendship and inclusiveness from a surprising new experience.
Young readers for
whom English is a second language will find this an endearing approach to the
challenges of learning another language.
All are excellent,
lasting recommendations for discriminating children's libraries and readers.
Twitchy Witchy Itch
Priscilla Tey
Candlewick Press
9780763689810 $17.99
www.candlewick.com
Twitchy Witchy Itch tells of Itch the witch, who counts down to tea
time as she worries about how her messy house will appeal to guests.
Lovely, colorful
full-page illustrations enhance the story as a potentially good hostess
struggles to use magic to put her house in order. The problem is that her
twitchy house refuses to stay in place.
This fun story of spells and struggles for order will delight young readers with its whimsical tale of a witch's dilemma and a house's resistance to change.