For the first time, we found the 1966 Newbery winner 'I, Juan de Pareja', a novel in autobiographical form, telling the story of Juan de Pareja who was born a slave of the artist Diego Velazquez. Being a slave, he was legally prohibited from painting, but was inspired to secretly study Velzquez as he worked and paint his own pieces . The story is based in 17th Century Spain and will be enjoyed by middle and older readers.
"In all respects, I, Juan de Pareja is sharply chiseled and exquisitely proportioned." -Los Angeles Times
We were excited to find two copies of one of our old favourites, 'Pippi Longstocking', in beautiful condition! Written by Swedish author, Astrid Lindgren, this is a book about a fascinatingly independent and resourceful little girl who lives in a house with just her pet monkey and her horse. Pippi has a unique perspective on most things and a life full of excitement!
Our Beverly Cleary collection has been restocked. We have a few copies of a book of hers we especially like, 'Ramona and her Father', which is also a Newbery Honor book. Ramona's father has lost his job, and the Quimby household is impatient and irritable. All Ramona wants is for everyone to be happy again. We see her trying to make a million dollars, trying to help her father quit smoking, and finally trying to be happy herself in these difficult times.
We found a lovely hardbound edition of Karen Hesse's 'Witness'. Karen Hesse is a brilliant writer, winner of many awards, including the Newbery Medal for 'Out of the Dust'. 'Witness' takes place in 1924, as the Ku Klux Klan begins to move into a quiet town. The subject of this book is racism, its permeation into small town life, and the quiet way different people choose to stand up to it. Written in free verse poetry and told from the point of view of many different characters, this book may be confusing for some readers, especially those not very comfortable reading. Other readers will love it, though, for its fascinating subject and diverse characters.
We have picture books this time too -- Dr. Suess, Eric Carle, several copies of another of our favourites, 'Guess How Much I Love You', and many other books with delightful stories and illustrations.
Have a look at our catalogue (excel file) on the Story Revolution website.
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