The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley Random House, 2009 373 pages I think it was in one of my college lit classes that I first heard the term "antihero." Before that point, I had encountered the character type but had never had a name for it. For those who aren't … Continue reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Jessica
Jessica by Kevin Henkes Greenwillow Books, 1989 24 pages Kevin Henkes is one of my favorite author-illustrators for children. His perceptive, sometimes sly and snarky heroes and heroines are among the most engaging characters in picture book land. And his lovely little jewel-like illustrations beautifully capture the simultaneous limitations and limitlessness of a child's world, … Continue reading Jessica
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery Houghton Mifflin, 2012 148 pages Children with autism are (often very obviously) outside the norm in our society, and girls with autism are doubly so. While the CDC estimates that about one percent of children overall have an … Continue reading Temple Grandin
Read Like a Girl 