Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir

Written by: Tessa Hulls

First line: If you had told me five years ago that my mother and I would find ourselves here, traveling back into the past in the hopes of building a bridge between us, the sheer impossibility would have caught in my throat like a bone. 

Why you should read this book: I notice that I read a lot of memoirs written by adult women about their complex relationships with their problematic mothers, but this one seems overwhelming in comparison, almost impossibly complex, and deep, and heart-wrenching. To understand her relationship with her mother, Tessa Hulls must understand who her mother is, and to understand that, she must understand her mother's trauma, and to do that, she must understand her grandmother, who she knew only as a small and crazy Chinese lady who lived in her house in California, physically, but mentally existed in some evanescent slice of world history involving the Communist Revolution. Now grown, her grandmother passed, Hulls takes her mother back to Hong Kong and China in an attempt to recreate the lives of her ancestors while recalling her own childhood and how her American upbringing made her a stranger to the past. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: It's heavy; no wonder it took the author a decade to write. 

Neurodiversity

Written by: Thomas Armstrong, PhD

First line: Imagine for a moment that our society has been transformed into a culture of flowers.

Why you should read this book: Differences of the mind are often seen as disabilities to be overcome, but Armstrong argues that these differences--neurodiversities--while often challenging, each come with their own strengths and gifts, and asks readers to consider reframing their views of those who are different and, rather than focus on what neurodiverse people can't do, begin focusing on what they can. Armstrong holds a wide view of neurodiversity, including not only ADD/ADHD and autism, but also dyslexia, mood disorders, anxiety, cognitive disabilities, and schizophrenia, and lays out clear and research-based perspectives on the positive aspects of these conditions along with speculation about their role in overall human success, without romanticizing or downplaying ways in which they may make it difficult to function under certain societal structures. Rather than forcing individuals to a standard of conformity they cannot hope to achieve, he argues for inclusivity that recognizes the how neurodiverse people best function, and how society can accommodate their differences without pushing them out of the center, and how they can create lives for themselves that make the best use of their talents while minimizing any disabling aspect of the way they think.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You've never met a square peg you couldn't shove into a round hole.

Jane Morris and Me: Learning to Listen

Written by: Jane Herlihy

First line: It is over. In the love of his friends -- not all, but some of his closest. 

Why you should read this book: While recovering from a horrific case of Dengue fever, the author becomes fascinated with the Victorian artist's model Jane Morris, darling of the pre-Raphaelites, and the ways that women's stories are so often dictated by men who have no inkling of their rich inner lives, and begins to write a meticulously researched diary revealing a very different Janey than the one described by the artists who painted her. From there, the project blossoms into an examination of disability and illness, sitting quietly with information and waiting for understanding, opening oneself up to the freedom and possibility of the creative life, and grappling with permanent change, among other issues. This fascinating work of creative nonfiction is both biography and autobiography, nonfiction and historical fiction, traditional and feminist, and one hundred percent art. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: You've happily devoted your life to the care of invalid relatives, despite being something of an invalid yourself. 

Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel

Written by: Lisa Cron

First line: What's the biggest mistake writers make?

Why you should read this book: If you feel like you have book inside you and have no idea how to get it out, this might be the solution you've been looking for. Cron's method focuses on a reader's connection to a character's emotional journal and provides a host of exercises for helping authors create compelling reasons for their readers to fall into a story and never want to come out. Each chapter builds on the last, leading to the creation of a "blueprint" (rather than an outline—you really need to read the book to understand the distinction) that, the book promises, will make the actual writing of the novel as simple as paint-by-numbers.

Why you shouldn't read this book: I personally felt this method sucked all the joy and pleasure out of the creative process without offering seasoned writers anything new except charts to fill out with information that they previously just kept in their head; also I didn't really see how "brain science" figured into the method, other than by identifying character driven stories as being the most interesting and helping new writers understand things like back stories and motivation.

Ramona and Beezus

Written by: Beverly Cleary

First line: Beatrice Quimby's biggest problem was her little sister Ramona.

Why you should read this book: I skipped over it when I reviewed all those other Beverly Clearly books last July because I couldn't get my hands on a copy, and someone just gave me one, and it's still a delightful piece of work, if only the slightest bit dated (a 2018 parents requiring a nine-year-old to leave the four-year-old to play in a sand pile with no supervision while the older child takes an art class would likely lead to CPS involvement, and what modern parent would simply drop their kids off at another child's house on the invitation of a pre-schooler?). Unlike the other other Ramona books, this story is mostly about Beezus, her exasperation with her sister's rambunctiousness, and her own sense of unease over realizing that she doesn't always love Ramona. While justice isn't exactly served in every case, and the world isn't always fair, sensible, gentle Beezus usually comes out on top, and learns to tolerate her sister.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're the person who calls CPS on the kid playing unsupervised in the sand pile.

Ramona and Her Father

Written by: Beverly Cleary

First line: "Ye-e-ep!" sang Ramona one warm September afternoon, as she knelt on a chair at the kitchen table to make out her Christmas list.

Why you should read this book: A little older and little more amenable to accepting her big sister's wisdom, Ramona finds her world rearranged when her father loses his job and the family's financial situation depends on her mother working full-time. Initially excited to have her father around more, Ramona's optimism is crushed by her father's despair and the daily drudgery of giving up little luxuries that the family can no longer afford. Through the book, Ramona learns how to be a better friend to her sister and how to forge a stronger and more mature bond with her father, and how to be happy with what she has.

Why you shouldn't read this book: The scene where Ramona gets a million burrs stuck in her hair is pretty traumatic for people who like their hair.

Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song

Written by: Frank M. Young and David Lasky

First line: Alvin Pleasant Carter! You git away from that fiddle! That's th' devil's instr'ment!

Why you should read this book: With straightforward illustrations and simple dialect, this graphic novel tells the life of Pleasant Carter, patriarch of the musical Carter family. As a young man, music meant more to him than anything else, and collecting the old songs was more important to him than any job he ever had. Eventually, with the help of his family, he is able to make a living with his music (the book comes with a CD of the family's music, but someone seems to have stolen it from the library copy I checked out).

Why you shouldn't read this book: Johnny Cash only appears on the last page.

Busy Toes

Written by: CW Bower and Fred Willingham

First line: Big toes/little toes.

Why you should read this book: A gorgeously illustrated concept book for young readers, here the body's most overlooked appendages take the stage. The full gamut of toe-based activities, from common (testing the temperature of water) to less common (wearing doll clothes) is represented in full color. Big fun for little kids, especially those obsessed with their feet.

Why you should read this book: Bare feet make you nauseous.

My Abuelita

Written by: Tony Johnston and Yuvi Morales

First line: I live with my grandma.

Why you should read this book: A little boy goes through his daily routine with his very unconventional abuelita, who seems to have a great sense for the theatrical, as well as great comic timing. She is getting ready for work, and, eventually, we learn that all her action prepare her for her job: she's a storyteller. Of course, the young narrator wants to follow in her wacky footsteps.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You want your kids to aspire to real jobs, like tax preparation or retail.

Andrew Henry's Meadow

Written by: Doris Burn

First line: Until that spring, Andrew Henry Thatcher lived with his family in the town of Stubbsville.

Why you should read this book: From an era in which most children's books were still terribly boring and offered little in the way of inspiration for the child mind comes this reprinted tale of a boy who liked to build things, much to the dismay of his unappreciative family. So Andrew Henry runs away and builds his own house, and then, as words spreads, eight more houses for other children whose parents don't appreciate their passions and gifts. Since it was written in 1965 and not 2015, the adventure ends after four days, sufficient time for the parents and families to realize how much they actually appreciate their children and their talent and interests.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You expect your pre-adolescent child get a lot farther than the meadow using their technology and skill set.

What to Do When You're Sent to Your Room

Written by: Ann Stott and Stephen Gilpin

First line: My name is Ben.

Why you should read this book: Here's a creative catalog for kids who have trouble entertaining themselves. Sent to his room for feeding his broccoli to the dog, Ben details the ways he appeases his parents and passes the time during his punishment, with realistic and imaginative efforts. A little tongue-in-cheek, lots of fun.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't want your kids to have fun while they're being punished.

Rosie's Magic Horse

Written by: Russell Hoban and Quentin Blake

First line: There was an ice-pop stick with ice-cold sweetness all around it, white on the outside, pink on the inside.

Why you should read this book: From two long-time great names in picture books comes a piece of delicious nonsense full of wishes, popsicle sticks, magic, travel, and treasure. Little Rosie, while idly toying with her collection of wooden sticks, wishes she could help her parents pay the bills, while the wooden sticks, for undisclosed reasons, wish to be a horse. Together, Rosie and a horse called Stickerino go on a journey to fulfill all their dreams.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't allow your children to pick trash up off the ground.

Adventures for a Lazy Afternoon

Written by: Travis Hanson

First line: Ever since I was a little kid, I have believed in the power of imagination.

Why you should read this book: I adore the fantasy artwork of Travis Hanson, and this book pairs dozens of imaginative illustrations of kids with dragons, dinosaurs, treasures, and more, with Hanson's advice for leading a creative life. It's both inspirational as well as beautiful, and can be enjoyed on several levels, whether or not you're interested in living the creative life. Great for dreamers young and old.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't believe in the power of imagination.

As far as I can tell, this book is only available directly from the artist.

What Do You Do with an Idea?

Written by: Kobi Yamada

First line: One day, I had an idea.

Why you should read this book: There is something achingly beautiful about a little boy whose idea (represented as a walking egg wearing a gold crown) provides the only small spot of color in his grayscale world. No matter what he does, the boy can't shake the idea, which keeps getting bigger and spreading its color, so finally he embraces the idea until it grows large enough to change the world so that everything is in color. A lovely tale about creativity, self-belief, and tenaciousness.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You fear change.

Copper

Written by: Kazu Kibuishi

First line: Hello.

Why you should read this book: There's something really special about these comics featuring a generally optimistic boy and his generally pessimistic dog living in a magical world that apparently exists on the border between Hawaii and the Dreamlands. Monsters, robots, surfing, melon bread, mountain climbing, sentient mushrooms, and friendly store clerks all coexist in Copper's universe, one in which the journey is more important than the destination and love is a living legend that peeks out at our heroes when their backs are turned. Beautiful scenery pairs with adorable illustrations; the book also include a little introduction to drawing comics primer in the back, showing how a page is produced start to finish.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't approve of too much creativity.

The Gentleman and the Kitchen Maid

Written by: Diane Stanley

First line: In the city there was a great art museum.

Why you should read this book: Class and space issues separate two lovely Dutch paintings, one of smiling kitchen maid and one of a stately young gentleman. They are doomed to look from afar, censure by the disapproving voices of other, more conservative paintings. At last, a perceptive art student, sensing their distress, unites them in her own interpretation of their paintings.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Love: it's not for you, and you don't think anyone else should enjoy it either.

Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative

Written by: Will Eisner

First line: The telling of stories lies deep in the social behavior of human groups--ancient and modern.

Why you should read this book: Written by the master, this is the resource for understanding the space in which graphic storytelling takes place: not merely at the intersection between words and images, but within a field that spans all of human history. Eisner highlights this last fact by allowing a storytelling caveman to communicate salient points in concise panels that deconstruct the art of storytelling and then put it back together to highlight human psychology as well as art. Detailed, but without extraneous information, this is the perfect guide for those seeking to understand the elements that come together to create a successful comic.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're a hack.

Circus Shoes

Written by: Noel Streatfeild

First line: Peter and Santa were orphans.

Why you should read this book: It's not their fault that they are complete idiots and ridiculously snobby: Peter and Santa were raised to idiocy by their stupid, high-toned aunt, who most likely did them a favor by dying before they reached adolescence. Terrified at the thought of being sent to separate orphanages, the two children run away to find their uncle, a talented "artiste," which is to say, he performs in the circus. Thrown into an alien world where none of their prejudices make sense and none of their education comes into play, Peter and Santa must determine who they want to be, what they want to do with their lives, and how hard they're willing to work to achieve their goals.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You absolutely believe that your children are too good to talk to other people. Or go to school. Or basically do anything.

Gathering Blue

Written by: Lois Lowry

First line: "Mother?"

Why you should read this book: The companion novel to the Newbery-winning The Giver, this is a new and different story of another gifted child in another troubled community. Kira's world is a primitive one, and as an unprotected and disabled orphan, she's at risk of being turned out and eaten by wild animals, until the Council recognizes her remarkable ability to use color and embroider fabric. Now she sees another side of her post-apocalyptic world, and must decide what to believe: the ones who control information, or what her own experience has showed her.

Why you shouldn't read this book: If the government is lying to you, you're sure it's for a good reason, and you would never question those lies.

The Trickster's Hat: A Mischievous Apprenticeship in Creativity

Written by: Nick Bantock

First line: If you want a shortcut to originality...this isn't the book for you.

Why you should read this book: It's not about reading as much as it is about action: making a serious effort at cultivating playfulness and beginner's mind in artistic endeavor, no matter where your ability lies. The book comprises forty-nine exercises employing various media--paint, pencil, collage, words, and so on--which, when used as a roadmap, may take the reader on a journey into new lands. I tackled all forty-nine activities with varying degrees of interest and varying degrees of pleasure in their outcome, and it feels like I've been somewhere, and have a number of wonderful souvenirs to show for the trek.

Why you shouldn't read this book: To me, Bantock can be a little precious at times, although I did not let that interfere with my enjoyment of the book. Keep in mind that, unless your rainy day craft box is very well stocked, you may end up spending more money on supplies than you do on this book.