|
DR. SEUSS Highlight Books Written and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss if you read only one or two from each decade: And to Think I saw It on Mulberry Street (1937) Horton Hatches the Egg (1940). Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1949). Horton Hears a Who (1954). On Beyond Zebra! (1955). The Cat in the Hat (1957). How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Green Eggs and Ham (1960). The Sneetches and Other Stories (1961). The Lorax (1971). Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now (1972). The Butter Battle Book (1984). You're Only Old Once! (1986). Oh, the Places You'll Go! (1990). Books about Dr. Seuss: DR. SEUSS AND MR. GEISEL by Judith and Neil Morgan, Da Capo Press, 1996 - a first rate biography. DR. SEUSS: AMERICAN ICON by Nel Philip Nel. Continuum, 2004 - a good literary study. THE SEUSS, THE WHOLE SEUSS AND NOTHING BUT THE SEUSS, a Visual Biography of Theodor Geisel by Charles D. Cohen, Random House 2004 - an amply illustrated biography. DR. SEUSS GOES TO WAR, , the World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel by Richard H. Minear. The New Press, 2001
LANGSTON HUGHES THE BIG SEA by Langston Hughes, New York: Hill and Wang, 1940. If I read only one book about Langston Hughes it would be this delightful autobiography, which chronicles his youth in Kansas, extended romps around Europe and Africa as a merchant seaman, as well as trips to Mexico and the Caribbean. It is also one of the best chronicles of the Harlem Renaissance on record. THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LANSTON HUGHES Arnold Rampersad, Editor and David Roessel, Assoc. Editor, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. This book is an excellent record of how a creative artist can change his writing style to mirror his political consciousness. It also shows how Langston developed from a blues to a jazz poet, thus illustrating the effect that black music had on his writing. THE LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES by Arnold Rampersad, Arnold, Volume I: 1902-1941, I, Too, Sing America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986 Volume II: 1941-1967, I Dream A World. New York: Oxford University, Press, 1988. These two volumes by Rampersad are the definitive scholarly works on Langston by one of America's premier literary historians, cultural critic, and all around nice guy. POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: LANGSTON HUGHES. Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel, Editors and Benny Andrews, Illustrator. New York: Sterling Publishing Com., Inc., 2006. Although the title says "for young people", I would add for all people. Andrews illustrations, which begin with adults and children at work on the cover, and features on the inside jacket three musicians- two drummers and a saxophone player -adds the perfect visual illustrations to what Hughes does with words and music, as well as, musicality, through his poetry. These are not poems that Hughes wrote "for" young people, but 'for people' and the editors have done an excellent job in their selection. In fact, if I had to read just one volume of Hughes many books of poetry, this would be it.
EMILY DICKINSON POEMS OF EMILY DICKINSON by Emily Dickinson. R.W. Franklin, Ed. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press, 1999. The latest, most definitive edition of the poet's work. SELECTED LETTERS by Emily Dickinson. Thomas H. Johnson, Ed. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press, 1994. MY WARS ARE LAID AWAY IN BOOKS: THE LIFE OF EMILY DICKINSON by Alfred Habergger. New York: Random House, 2001. Highly readable, with an emphasis on Dickinson's deliberate withdrawal from the world. THE LIFE OF EMILY DICKINSON by Richard Sewell. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1980. Still the most comprehensive source by a revered scholar. EMILY DICKINSON by Cynthia Wolff.Wolff. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1987. Examines Dickinson's religious influences and preoccupations. WEBSITES: www.emilydickinsoninternationalsociety.org THOMAS EDISON EDISON AND THE BUSINESS OF INNOVATION; by Andre Millard; the John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London; 1990. This book captures the second half of Edison's career, when the shop culture becomes the research and development laboratory. This detailed volume proves that Edison was as much a businessman as an inventor and did some of his best work after Menlo Park. EDISON: A BIOGRAPHY by Mathew Josephson; McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.; New York; 1959 This is the first serious scholarly attempt to look back at Edison and measure his influence on our lives today. After forty years, the book still holds up, giving lots of insights into the man and his life of invention. EDISON: A LIFE OF INVENTION; by Paul Israel; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 1998. If you want to know how the inventions worked, get this book. Nobody has studied the invention notebooks with such care. EDISON: INVENTING THE CENTURY; by Neil Baldwin; Hyperion Press, New York; 1995. This book is extremely strong when talking about Edison the man and his family. EDISON'S ELECTRIC LIGHT by Robert Friedel and Paul Israel; Rudger's University Press; New Brunswick, New Jersey; 1987. This is a month by month report, the highs and lows, that resulted in the invention of the incandescent lamp. EMPIRES OF LIGHT by Jill Jones; Random House, New York, 2003. If you think History is just about good guys rising to the top, you should read this. Westinghouse, Tesla, and Edison battle for leadership in the light/power hungry world. EXECUTIONER'S CURRENT, by Richard Moran; Alfred A. Knoff; New York 2002. What would you do to make sure your light system dominates the world? Would you create an electric chair to show the dangers of AC current even though you do not personally believe in capital punishment? THOMAS ALVA EDISON; AN AMERICAN MYTH; by Wyn Wachhorst; The MIT Press; 1982 This book discusses how the man becomes a symbol and the role of that symbol in our society. Also, this author is the consummate prose writer. I reread it just to enjoy his use of language. THOMAS EDISON AND ELECTRICITY; by Steven Parker; 1995. The danger of most children's books about all great men and women is that they simplify the past for an inspiring message. They trust the myths and unverifiable anecdotes. This book is better than most. WEBSITES: EDISON/FORD ESTATES: http://www.edison-ford-estate.com EDISON NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE: http://www.nps.gov/edis/hime.html THOMAS A. EDISON PAPERS: http://edison.rutgers.edu THOMAS EDISON'S INVENTION WEB: http://homestead.juno.com/pdeisch/files/edison.html |
|
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN If you can only read one…. Christopher Lowell, presenter of Ben Franklin recommends: Gordon S. Wood’s THE AMERICANIZATION OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN It’s concise but thorough, eminently readable, witty and wise as Ben himself. Gordon Wood’s credentials are impressive: Pulitzer-Prize winning historian, Professor Emeritus at Brown University, and with the brilliance to call me “The best Benjamin Franklin I’ve ever seen.” (0bviously a man of great critical perception and artistic taste). In fact, aside from being a Red Sox fan, a defect owing to his Bostonian upbringing (for which I forgive him), Wood is without fault. Books by Franklin, himself: **THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
- 2nd edition with an excellent foreword by Edmund Morgan, one of our most eminent Franklin scholars, who here adds much to
this terrific and important autobiography. Regrettably, Franklin wrote of events only up to 1757, (and he lived until 1790)
but even so, this is an entertaining, witty, beautifully crafted memoir. But if Ben only wrote of events preceding his first,
major trip to England, see…. THE COMPLETED AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (2006): Here, Columbia University professor Mark Skousen arranges Ben’s own letters and other documents to “finish” the autobiography, taking it from 1757, where Ben left it, till his death in 1790. This isn’t Skousen’s whimsical fantasy; it is his meticulous assembling of Ben’s own words about those crucial years that saw our declaration of Independence, the War, and the formation of our Constitution. Franklin wrote the words; Skousen arranged them. I loved it. THE ART OF VIRTUE -- This volume, edited brilliantly by Rogers et al, is a compilation of pieces Ben always wanted to write, and had formed plans to write, but never did. AN APOLOGY FOR PRINTERS: A delight-- reflections from our first and most important Printer! Franklin’s pride in being of the middle class, a “leather-apron,” comes through here. The Four Key Biographies: **THE AMERICANIZATION OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN by Gordon Wood (Penguin Press: 2004) Professor Wood traces the evolution of Franklin from, in his view, middle class tradesman to aristocrat wannabe. Although I disagree with the premise, the book is superbly written and Wood roots Franklin in his times as well as anyone. **BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, AN AMERICAN LIFE by Walter Isaacson (Simon and Schuster: 2003) Widely acclaimed and on the NY Times Best-seller list for many weeks. Isaacson is thorough without being the least bit tiresome, and takes the reader through the chronology of Franklin’s life in a most entertaining manner. Extensive footnotes include many useful and appropriate websites. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN by Carl Van Doren (Viking Press: 1938)-- very complete, this was the bio for years. It doesn’t read “old” at all. THE FIRST AMERICAN by H.W. Brand (Doubleday: 2000) This Texas Tech History professor has written a detailed and eminently readable book. Very entertaining and easy to absorb. Brands often narrates PBS or History channel programs about Ben. Franklin and Science: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S SCIENCE by I.B. Cohen (Harvard U. Press: 1996 - reprint) Here, I take an excerpt from Amazon.Com’s description of this book: “I. Bernard Cohen, the principal elucidator of Franklin's scientific work, examines his activities in fields ranging from heat to astronomy. He provides masterful accounts of the theoretical background of Franklin's science (especially his study of Newton), the experiments he performed, and their influence throughout Europe as well as the United States. Cohen emphasizes that Franklin's political and diplomatic career cannot be understood apart from his scientific activities theoretical interests.” THE FIRST SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND THE PURSUIT OF GENIUS by Joyce Chaplin (Basic Books: 2006.) Here, Prof. Chaplin argues that science was not something Ben “did,” but the most important part of his intellectual life and that part of him that formed all the others. With the prolific I. Bernard Cohen and the brilliant Joyce Chaplin, the reader has a detailed and balanced view of Franklin’s scientific life. Franklin in the London Years: FRANKLIN OF PHILADELPHIA’S LONDON YEARS by Charles Morris (Typophile monograph, unknown printer: 1971) Franklin in the Paris years: A GREAT IMPROVISATION: BEN FRANKLIN, FRANCE, AND THE FIRST OF AMERICA by Stacy Schiff (Henry Holt: 2005) new, witty thoroughly scholarly and is a great compliment to David Schoenbrun’s earlier TRIUMPH IN PARIS: THE EXPLOITS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (Harper and Row: 1976.) Couldn’t put either of them down. Franklin and the American Revolution: **THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA by Catherine Drinker Bowen (Little Brown &Co: 1974) is superbly written and riveting. THE OLDEST REVOLUTIONARY by J.A. Leo LeMay (U of Penn. Press: 1976) places Franklin in the middle of the fray. Franklin and "the ladies" particularly in the Paris years: MON CHER PAPA: FRANKLIN AND THE LADIES OF PARIS by Claude-Anne Lopez (Yale U.Press: 1990) Claude-Anne Lopez was for many years the editor of the Franklin papers at Yale (now grown to 40 volumes of 800 pages each!) and writes in a charmingly conversational, relaxed style. Franklin and the Constitutional Convention of 1787: **MIRACLE AT PHILADELPHIA by Catherine Drinker-Bowen (Little Brown & Co, and Book of The Month Club: 1986) is a readable, chronological account of this key moment in American history. THE CREATION OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC by Gordon S. Wood (U. of N.C. Press: 1969) is equally readable and broader in scope than just the Constitutional Convention, but treats that meeting in fascinating detail. Franklin and Slavery: RUNAWAY AMERICA: BEN FRANKLIN, SLAVERY AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by David Waldsteicher (New York: 2004) Here, Temple University Professor Waldstreicher shows how ingrained into the fabric of the colonial economy were slaves and indentured servants. He highlights Franklin's changing relationship to slavery with objectivity and thorough scholarship. BURY THE CHAINS by Adam Hochschild (Houghton-Mifflin: 2005) For background on the Revolutionary era: Of all the hundreds, I particularly like… THE BIRTH OF THE REPUBLIC by Edward Morgan (3rd ed. U. of Chicago Press: 1992) is a great overview
ANGEL IN THE WHIRLWIND: THE TRIUMPH OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by Benson Bobrick (Penguin: 1997) which reads like a novel you can't put down. “1776” by David McCullough’s (Simon and Schuster: 2005) chronicles the first year’s struggle for our independence with a focus on the leadership of George Washington. Books on Ben for younger readers: (I am indebted here to Ms Carol Ansel, Librarian at the Pine Point School (CT) Library Technology Center in Stonington, CT) Adler, David A. B. Franklin, Printer. New York: Holiday House, 2001. Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Holiday House, 1990. Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin & Selections from his Writings. New York: A. S. Barnes, 1944. (Illustrated Modern Library with color plates by Thomas Hart Benton). Donovan, Frank R. The Many Worlds of Benjamin Franklin. New York: American Heritage Publishing Company, 1963. **Fleming, Candace. Ben Franklin’s Almanac: Being a True Account of a the Good Gentleman’s Life. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003. Fritz, Jean. What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? New York: PaperStar, 1996. (also available in video – Weston Woods [now Scholastic], 1993). Giblin, James Cross. The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Scholastic Press, 2000. (Note: One of the very top non-fiction writers for children) Lawson, Robert. Ben and Me: a new and astonishing life of Benjamin Franklin as Written by his Good Mouse Amos. Boston: Little Brown, 1939. (also available as audiobook from Recorded Books). Randolph, Ryan P. Benjamin Franklin: Inventor, Writer and Patriot. New York: Rosen, 2003. (“Library of American Lives and Times, “ PowerPlus Books). Schanzer, Roslyn. How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Periodicals Kids Discover November 1994 (complete issue) Cobblestone Magazine September 1992 (complete issue) American History February 2006 (several articles) |
Presenting Partners: Wofford College, Friends of Buncombe
Co Library, Greenville County Library System, Greenville County Museum of Art, Wade
Hampton High School, Warehouse Theatre