Amelia Earhart : this broad ocean

Amelia Earhart: this broad ocean by Sarah Stewart Taylor & Ben Towle

Amelia Earhart developed a love of flying at a very young age. What began as a simple joy became something much deeper - a commitment to open doors for all women. As Amelia builte a name for herself in the field of aviation - breaking numerous records along the way - she inspired future trailblazers to soar to new heights.

In Amelia Earhart : This Broad Ocean, Taylor and Towle focus on Amelia's triumphant crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1928 , offering us a glimpse of her relentless ambition and her tireless will to promote women's rights. But above all, author and illustrator leave us with a sense of her deep-rooted desire to touch the sky.

The art work is tri-coloured, black, white and a beautiful torquoise.The panels of great action are and then given relief by double page spreads of landscapes which remind us how turbulent and calm Mother Nature can be. This is a terrific graphic novel biography, with most of the story taking place in Trepassey, Newfoundland

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie

The Good, the bad, and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone

I don't often post non-fiction books for girls, let alone biographies about dolls but today is the day. How many of you have played with Barbie's? She's been around for awhile and still going strong. Just a couple weekends ago, I was at Toys R Us and there seems to be two whole isles dedicated to Barbie and her extended family and accessories for them. What's her history? Why is this toy still popular when others have faded off the store shelves? Is she a positive roll-model or a negative one? Well, be prepared to learn the answers to some of these questions and more, in this biography of a doll - Barbie.

From the back cover:
During her unparalleled fifty year history, Barbie has been the doll that some people love - and some people love to hate. There is no question she has influenced generations, but to what end? Acclaimed author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbias look at how Barbie became the icon that she is, and the impact she's had on our culture (and vice versa) . Featuring passionate ancedotes and memories from a range of girls and women, this book explores the Barbie phenomenon in a brand new light.

Albert Einstein / Giants of Science

Albert Einstein by Kathleen Krull

From the inside cover:

The proud possessor of possibly the worst case of bedhead in history. Albert Einstein was a giant to be sure - in fact, his name has become a synonym for "genius." But was he a scientist? Not in the ordinary sense of the word. Einstein didn't like to work in a lab (he had a tendency to blow things up), rarely did experiments to back up his theories, and had trouble working out mathematical proofs. What he excelled at was thinking - on hikes, while playing the violin, even at the dinner table. And by endlessly pondering what he called "thought experiments," he managed to lay bare the limits of Newtonian physics and bring about a new understanding of "givens" such as time and space.

I love Kathleen Krull's series Giants of Science, she uncovers fun facts about the person that seemed to influence their science. Isaac Newton was insanely competitive, Enstein a rebel, and these attributes influenced their break-throughs in the world of science.

I'll end this posting with one of my favourite Einstein quotes, "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious."

Soul surfer

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton

When Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a shark attack in 2003, it looked as if the career of one of the top amateur surfers was over. But ten weeks later, she returned to competition in her native Hawaii, vowing to never give up the sport she loves.

Bethany's story became a book, a book series and now is about to be released as a movie.

Inspiring readers of all ages to perservere through all kinds of challenges.

With the movie coming out soon, I thought this might spark a renewed interest in Bethany's story.

Legends of Rock

Legends of Rock by Marjorie Galen and Gordon Matthews

In Legends of Rock, climb into a jukebox time machine to examine the artists and bands that created a new sound and experience. From ground breaking performers such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, all the way up to contemporary acts like Wilco and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Legends of Rock gives readers a front row seat for the stories behind the superstars. Spanning six decades and featuring some 100 of rock's most influential acts. Each artist's unique story is illustrated with captivating photography, along with behind-the-scenes nuggets, greatest-hits lists, and select discographies. Whether you're punk, a folkie, or just a fan of all things rock and roll, Legends of Rock has something for everyone.

Hard hitting, edgie, fun and packed with info - this is how I'd describe it. I think we'll be needing more than one copy.

Here's a list of the artist's and bands in the book:

AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers Band, The Band, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Beck, Chuck Berry, Black Sabbath, Blondie, David Bowie, James Brown, The Byrds, Captain Beefheart, Eric Clapton, The Clash, Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Cure, Bo Diddley, Donovan, The Doors, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, The Faces, Aretha Franklin, Grateful Dead, Guns n' Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Jefferson Airplane, Elton John, Janis Joplin, Carole King, The Kinks, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, The Lovin Spoonful, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Mamas and the Papas, Bob Marley, John Mellencamp, Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, New York Dolls, Nine Inch Nails, nirvana, Parliment-Funkadelic, Gram Parsons, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, The Pixies, The Police, Iggy Pop, Elvis Presley, The Pretenders, Prince, Queen, Radiohead, The Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., The Replacements, Johnathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, Roxy Music, Santana, The Sex Pistols, The Shangri-Las, Simon and Garfunkel, Sly and the Family Stone, Patti Smith, The Smiths, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan, Steve Miller Band, T.rex, Talking Heads, Television, Traffic, Ike and Tina Turner, U2, Van Halen, The Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, The White Stripes, The Who, Wilco, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, ZZ Top.