Review: Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Greenberg, Jan, and Jordan, Sandra. (2001). Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist. New York: Delacorte Press. 132 pages. ISBN 9780385328067.

Awards/Selection Lists:

- Robert F. Sibert Honor book

- ALA Notable Book

- ALA Best Book for Young Adults

- Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar

Author's Website:

http://www.jangreenbergsandrajordan.com/

 

Brief Summary:  One of the most famous painters in history, this chronological account of the life and work of Vincent van Gogh begins with the birth of Vincent to Dutch Reverend and his wife. The first live child, but second of his name, to arrive in the household, Vincent's life never seems to travel in a straight line. Whether he decided to teach, to preach, or to draw and paint, he did so with relish few others could match, and with a fragility, humanity, and eccentricity unsurpassed by modern artists. Contemporaries of Gaugin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Monet and the Impressionists, Vincent's relationship to art, his family, and the world around him would lead to emotional masterpieces the world has not seen since, nor are they likely to.

Personal Reaction: Vincent van Gogh holds a special place in my heart, much like Einstein, da Vinci and P.T. Barnum. Often misunderstood, but highly emotional and sometimes intentionally reclusive, these artists and larger than life celebrities dared to live life outside the lines, creating a brighter, more vivid, compassionate and imaginative world than they came from. Van Gogh was often portrayed as troubled, mentally ill, and unstable. However, while not ignoring these facts, this biography places him squarely in the world of the attainable artist, the sensitive fellow searching for his place, his talent and his legacy for the world. Instead of being simply insane, the author shows how it is possible that, due to emotional stress (something that can be debilitating in highly sensitive individuals), poor diet, and partaking of the ever popular toxic absinthe, Vincent may have had epilepsy, contributing to some of his more strange behaviors. I would have liked to have seen a little more information on the side effects of prolonged absinthe usage, as it has been known to cause hallucinations, of which it was said Vincent suffered, but overall, the authors presented Van Gogh as a true person, rather than a commodity, and I think that is difficult to portray in non-fiction, while attempting to maintain facts.

 

I appreciated that the authors often fit his more famous works into the timeline of events of his life, to help the reader understand the factors that influenced his work and also the connection to his family, particularly his father, mother, and brother Theo, who financed him, both as a brother and an art dealer, for the majority of his life. Overall, I was amazed at the depth of knowledge explored on Vincent in this short 132 page work. A definite good read, though a little dry at points. It sill makes me wish I could paint the way I feel, like Vincent strove for so long to do.

 

Front/Back Matter: Front cover,  Title page, Copyright Page, Dedication, Contents, Map, Prologue, Chapters from birth through death, Postscript, Biographical Time Line, Museum Locations, Glossary of Artists and Terms, Notes, Index, About the Authors.

Content Evaluation: One problem I always have with children's non-fiction is the lack of accountability and citation of sources. The authors speak a lot to Vincent's emotional states, and those of his family and friends. Certainly some of it can be assumed due to the tone of letters and correspondence, but with no first hand accounts, how can this be positively assumed? However, the time line, postscript denoting Vincent's sister-in-law preserving his works and letters for display, the glossary and artist listing, as well as museum location lends an air of credence given the amount of research necessary to acquire this information. The Notes are where the authors gives their sources, chapter by chapter, and lends more authority to the research.

Review: Persepolis: A Story of Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

Satrapi, Marjane. (2003). Persepolis: A Story of Childhood. New York: Pantheon Books. 160 pages. ISBN 9780375714573.

 

Awards/Selection Lists:

 - ALA Alex Award

 - YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
 - Booklist Editor's Choice for Young Adults
 - New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
 - School Library Journal Adult Books for Young Adults

 

Author's Website (Agent): http://barclayagency.com/satrapi.html

Brief Summary: A memoir of the author's childhood, beginning at 10 years old, in the year 1979, the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in her home country of Iran and spanning the Shah's removal, and the war with Iraq, this black and white graphic novel presents a very approachable account of a very troubled and gruesome time. Luckily, for the outspoken and independent Satrapi, her parents were progressive and encouraged her free thinking, going so far as to send to her Vienna at the age of 14 to help her escape the oppression in her home country, in order to give her a better life. This novel explores her inner thoughts, her outer influences, dangers and traumas, as well as the effect and reactions of her loved ones.

 

Personal Reaction: I was really surprised in that I loved this book. I had been drawn to it in the past because it is a graphic novel, but passed it up upon learning it was a non-fiction account of a childhood in turbulent and violent Iran during the 1980's. I can recall hearing some terrible things about this time and this country, and the atrocities against girls and women during my childhood. Satrapi does tell of these atrocities, to inform the reader and be true to her own story, but she does it from the perspective of a 10-14 year old girl, and somehow, while it can be hard to understand, it is not presented in a way that would turn off or traumatize the reader. It's done in an honest but understanding manner and I think that, through the telling of her own thoughts and mental state, her attempts at pushing the boundaries, her parents' difficulties and in their successes and support, it becomes encouraging and an eye opening look at how one girl can make a difference. This girl, the author, now a grown woman, is making her difference by telling her story, and hopefully, opening the world's eyes to what goes on behind closed borders and showing that with perseverance and love, life goes on.

Front/Back Matter: Title page, Copyright Page, Introduction, Chronological author account, Credits.

 

Content Evaluation: Overall, I would say this is a superbly written book. It is emotional without being assumptive, and truth without necessarily pointing a finger. She never comes out and condemns one ideology or the other. She simply shows the consequences, how people felt, their reactions, and (now) well documented crimes that are committed when powerful people think no one is watching. I kept waiting for blame to be issued, but throughout the entire novel, while I understood where the author's parents' loyalties lay, she never once came out and said one person was wrong over the other, and that is beyond commendable. She let their actions speak louder than blame ever could.

Review: Perfect, Once Removed: When Baseball Was All The World To Me by Phillip Hooose

Hoose, Phillip. (2006). Perfect, Once Removed: When Baseball Was All The World To Me. New York: Walker and Company. 163 pages. ISBN 9780802715371.

Awards/Selection Lists:

 - Author Study List

Author's Website: http://philliphoose.com/

 

Brief Summary: As a child in the mid 1950's, the author found himself as the new kid in Speedway, Indiana, sticking out like a sore thumb but desperately wanting his peer's acceptance. The ticket to school yard success? Baseball. He struggles to learn the game with any proficiency and at the same time ,comes to realize how baseball has shaped his life and his connections to friends, family and teachers, especially after he finds out that he has a cousin in the major leagues.  

Personal Reaction: Anyone who has ever been the new kid in town and desperately wanted to fit in can relate to this book and Phillip Hoose's reactions as an 8 year child, feeling awkward and aone. Also, anyone who enjoys the golden-age of baseball, the history behind it and the national fervor, the way it brought people together, will also relate to this book. It's a great melding of two topics, seamlessly done.

As a child, I became interested in baseball as a way to connect to my father after my parents split, and my sister left for college. My favorite team, the New York Yankees, is coincidentally the same team that Hoose's cousin, the legendary pitcher, Don Larsen, played for. My love for the Yankees, in a sea of Seattle Mariner's fans (which is tantamount to social suicide in some circles) was due to the tradition of the Yankees, their connection to history, to legendary figures, to the golden-age of baseball, where a sport could unite an entire nation in joy, becoming the "national past-time." I loved to imagine myself in the 1940's or 50's in the grandstands of the classic stadiums, eating peanuts and cheering for my favorite players, where they seemed like gods and men at the same time, instead of the unreachable stars of the game today. That's where I found myself again, reading Hoose's memoir. Not only could I relate to this poor kid trying to find someway of fitting in with other children  and feeling like an outsider  (I moved around a lot and went to 6 elementary schools), but I got caught up in his excitement and the connection, passion and pride that baseball and his quest brought as time progressed, in an age of innocence.

Rest assured, while there are many references to baseball and history, it's still an interesting read, but I will admit that in the last chapters, the play by play description of the fateful 1956 World Series no-hitter rather lost my attention, much the way Charles Dickens' descriptions can. However, Hoose's excitement was clearly palpable and the family connection and pride that he saw built and sustained over decades in his family, and what he inspired himself, clearly show that some passions built early never die.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book, and reading about another child's ability to find baseball as a type of personal salvation and family camaraderie, and the continued meaning it has as an adult.
 

Front and Back Matter: Copyright, Title Page, Book Titles, Dedication, Note to Reader, Chronological Memoir of Author's introduction and love affair with baseball, and his connection to legendary NY Yankees pitcher Don Larsen, Epilogue, Acknowledgments, About the Author.

Content Evaluation: Very well written and personable, Hoose has a good flow and excellent use of the written word. My only complaint would be that he clearly states in the Note to Reader, that "much of the dialogue....is re-created because I am not able to remember the exact words of family, friends and acquaintances of fifty years ago. It is however entirely accurate as to what was said and how it was said." Now I completely understand not being able to recall conversations from 50 years ago word for word. I can barely do so with conversations 5 days ago. However, this note bothers me, I think because he states that it is still entirely accurate as to how and what was said. While I'm sure the feeling is the same, how does he know it's accurate if he can't recall the exact wording? Wouldn't it have been better to have just mentioned that perhaps conversations were para-phrased, thereby lessening the questionability of the factual nature of this non-fiction? Then again, it is an autobiography of sorts, and much more questionable ones have been fashioned. While his phrasing bothers me in this "Note", I have no doubt that the intent of the conversations is very much, as it was, 50 years ago.

Review: Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal

Blumenthal, Karen. (2012). Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different. New York: Feiwel & Friends. 320 pages. ISBN 9781250015570.

 

Awards/Selection Lists:

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award, 2013 finalist
American Library Association Children's Notable List
Booklist Editor's Choice list, 2012
Junior Library Guild Selection
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Middle School list
Librarian's Choices, 2012
Texas Lone Star List

 

Author's Website: http://www.karenblumenthal.com/index.html

Brief Summary: Steve Jobs, the founder and savior of Apple Inc., and Pixar, was a controversial figure, volatile but brilliant, not always honest, but a visionary. He helped shape the world in which we live in through this vision, through his faults and his strengths, through his life story, and many people never even knew it. This book follows Jobs' life, from birth and adoption, through death, controversy, bankruptcy, failure, terminations, growth and successes, giving the details of his life transparently, but without vilification.

 

Personal Reaction: I have mixed feelings about this book. While it was written well, and easy to read, it's always hard to hear the negative aspects of a person whom you have heard some great wisdom come from. But then again, that's exactly why I chose this book: to be able to better understand what Steve Jobs was about, what his personal philosophy and work ethic was, and to make my own opinions based on the evidence presented. The truth of the matter is Steve Jobs wasn't always nice. He wasn't always likeable, or a good father and husband. Sometimes he was a terrible friend and all of these things were harder for me to reconcile than any issue with him being bad at business, in certain aspects. However, it really taught me that people who make a profound difference on the world don't have to be perfect. They can make mistakes, and doozies at that, and still be an example, can still help people, can still turn a corner and decided to be better to those around them, and while they may change in the details, essentially, they are the same person at heart. The bottom line is, I learned from him, as well as his mistakes. I learned that my tenacity can be rewarded and I can be having a positive effect on the world right now, and not even know it, but it's still a worthwhile goal. I don't have to be perfect. I can (and do) make mistakes but picking myself up WILL get me somewhere, even if I don't see it now. Most importantly, I have to agree with him, to live your life for yourself, not up to other people's expectations and to do what you love, have faith that in the end, somewhere, the dots will connect.

 

Front and Back Matter:  Title page, copyright, table of contents, introduction, chronological biography, illustrated timeline, author chapter notes (includes which resources were used in each chapter, in lieu of a formal bibliography), glossary, index.
 

Content Evaluation: At first I thought the author might be making conjectures as to Jobs' emotion state, only to find she would follow it up with a direct quote from Job's himself. That gave me a good sense that she had definitely done her homework. I was impressed that she did not sugar coat the less than favorable details of Jobs' personality and dealings, but she struck a harmonious balance, by not vilifying him, even at times, I think, putting slightly more emphasis on his positive attributes and dealings, though always keeping in mind the dirty. Overall, it was a well balanced biography and I think interesting for anyone who is still struggling to find their way, and wonders if they will ever get there, especially those that are the exploring sort, while trying to find the road less travelled, but with greater reward.