Literature in Art Books

By Caitlin Cavanaugh

Avril Lavigne has been my idol ever since I heard her first album "Let Go," which is my favorite album. I thought I knew a lot about her but I learned so much from reading this biography.

One of the coolest things I found out is that we share the same birthday and both lived in a town called Belleville when we were born. I also found out she got married last year, which I didn't know.

This book is very informational but really awesome still. It is well written. It has a lot of great pictures of Avril and a lot of other famous people. (This is coming from a sixth grader who doesn't always like to read.)

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone but if you're an Avril fan it is a must have.

Reviewed by Cayden (age 3-1/2), Max (age 18 months) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (2/08)

"Baby Signs" is a sturdy board book that provides 13 signs that are helpful for a baby to learn so that he is able to communicate before he can speak. Among some of the signs taught in the book are milk, more, diaper, book and sleepy.

Cayden: Points to the cover and says, "He's a baby, like you are a baby Max!"
Max: "Baby"

Cayden: "He threw it! There was milk in there!" (referring to the baby throwing his bowl when he was done eating)
Mom: "Who does that?"
Cayden: "Babies like Max!"
Mom: "Maybe we should teach him the sign for `all done'"

Cayden: Pointing to the illustration of how to sign diaper: "What are you supposed to do here?"
Max: Pointing to the diaper that the baby put on his head "Hat, Hat!"

Mom: "What was your favorite sign to learn?"
Cayden: "I like this one! The dog one!" Then they both stick out their tongues and pant (which is the sign for dog).

Parent's comments: Cayden and Max had already known a couple of signs that were in "Baby Signs" and recognized them right away when we got to that page. The book definitely held their interest and the illustrations as to how to do the signs along with the written directions were very helpful. I think that there is just the right number of signs so as not to be too overwhelming for a young child.

Fred Smith's writings and research are highly valuable sources for those interested in African Art. He offers highly educated points and is a well-respected professor.

My wife and I have been avid readers of Mark & Sherri Devaney books for quite some time now. Needless to say, their latest installment did not disappoint. This is the most informative assessment of Senator Obama I have read to date. While this book would make a perfect Christmas gift, it would certainly be appropriate for any special occasion! Kudos to the authors; my wife and I will look forward to your next work.

My twin boys have been playing basketball since they were eight years old. They are now 12 and say this is the best book they have ever read to assist them with their game. In fact, their whole team each have one now. They re-named it "The BB". (basketball bible)!

Originally published in German in 1956 as "Verwundung und Tod in der Ilias", by Peter Jones and now published in a new edition as Battle And Battle Description In Homer: A Contribution To The History Of War by the editorial and translation team of Peter Jones, Malcolm Willcock and Gabriele Wright is now expertly available in English (the Greek passages as well as the German), and enhanced with a preface that places the work in terms of oral theory, as well as a full appendix. Though Battle And Battle Description In Homer acknowledges that Homer is a poet, not a staff instructor, author Albracht applies the Homeric text to create a convincing scene of how the workings of battle proceeded in the Iliad, from the council of war, to marshalling troops, the use of chariots, massed attack and defense, retreat, flight, pursuit, protection in the field, attack and defense of a fortified camp, the siege and defense of a fortified city, and much more. An in-depth, scholarly yet fascinating close study of what classic literature can tell us of military strategy, tactics, and history.

An exciting account of medieval sexuality? Surprisingly, yes. Loyola University English professor Frantzen brings the "shadows" of same-sex relations ("as closely attached to heterosexual relations as shadows are to their objects") into relief by highlighting their centrality in everything from operatic "trouser roles," in which women dress as men in ambiguous visions of female-female desire, to the dances of Mark Morris, which "offer gay people entertainment and affirmation of the highest order." Turning to his specialty, Frantzen reveals an Anglo-Saxon world much less prudish than we are accustomed to imagining. Where "queer theory" has sought to uncover gay liberation in the past, his "assimilationist" model never limits same-sex desire to genital contact. An engaging and witty guide to tales of cross-dressing saints, legal codes paying much more attention to heterosexual than homosexual misbehavior and references to "Sodom and Gomorrah" less severe than one would expect, he discovers both self-identified same-sex lovers and a culture that allowed them a certain license. Pointing out the nationalist chauvinism of the numerous historians who have labeled William the Conqueror's son gay, Frantzen also makes clear the vast difference between medieval and modern conceptions of sexual identity. Frantzen's marvelous book, concluding with a fascinating discussion of how Angels in America reverses Anglo-Saxon codes of national unification, opens up a world most readers will never have even known was there. It's a difficult topic, but Frantzen's comprehensive, readable and even wryly funny treatment makes this an unexpected pleasure. (0ct.)

I've read this story about James Wolfe, truly he was a hero. Anyone who loves great history would be riveted by the details.

This little gem of a book features color reproductions of several paintings created by Emily Carr. Each image is paired with a bit of her writing, so that one has a sense of what she was thinking during or shortly after painting a particular landscape. This book is an ideal introduction to the art and prose of Emily Carr--not too long and not too short. It makes me want to see and hear more from this admirable Canadian woman.

The introduction to this book (free to Kindle users) is also an excellent introduction to the history of Beowulf scholarship. I'm afraid I can't address the rest of the book; the price is rather high for the non-specialist. (It seems to have a remarkably high sales rank, given its high price and recondite subject.)