A young boy wishes he was different until he is empowered by those around him to embrace his true self in this affirming picture book. All the men in his family have blue shadows, but the young boy’s shadow is pink and enjoys things... Read More

Though all of his forest friends are deep in dreams, little bear is wide awake and restless. He decides to wander into town, where, in an alleyway, he discovers a thingity-jig. Though others might dismiss his find as just a couch, he... Read More

Sofia leaves “every salty echo of the sea” behind when she goes to visit her grandparents’ house in the woods, but just because the music changes doesn’t mean it’s lost, and she conducts new movements in the thumping feet of... Read More

The night air smells like irises and honeysuckle when two children’s parents wake them for an undefined adventure. They dress in the blue predawn and walk through the village as their eyes adjust. Here and there, there are signs of... Read More

Mary Hollingsworth’s "Princes of the Renaissance" is a revealing account of the city-state dynasties that created unimaginable wealth, cut-throat competitions, and lavish displays of patronage, resulting in some of the Western... Read More

P. Christiaan Klieger’s "Tibet" is a complex, storied survey of the mountainous homeland of the Dalai Lama. Once a powerful empire, Tibet has struggled for centuries to maintain its identity and independence, pushing back against... Read More

Dr. Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim’s "Chemistry for Breakfast" is a delightful, mentally stimulating popular science book. This chemist’s-eye view of daily life brings out curiosity that is both intelligent and childlike. Nguyen-Kim’s love for... Read More

Ira Nadel’s Philip Roth: A Counterlife is an intense and illuminating study of the life, times, and work of the Jewish man from Newark who became one of America’s most original and provocative writers. Nadel brings meticulous... Read More