by Holly Johnson, The University of Cincinnati
My new home is in a new country.
I know very little of the language and culture.
Memories of my old country will be in my heart forever
The love of my old country will always remain.
I leave for a better life and new opportunities
Hoping to make a bright future for me and my family.
–Arty Rico Jones
Moving from one country to another, and knowing it will become “home” can evoke any number of emotions. Continue reading
by Holly Johnson, The University of Cincinnati
”Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere.”
–Jean Rhys
Books do make us immigrants! They take us to place in which we are unfamiliar, where we might be lost, but with a chance of being found and welcomed. This week, I wanted to share some picture books in which readers—regardless of age—can get lost, but from the journey we find a new understanding of the world, others, and ourselves. Continue reading
by Holly Johnson, The University of Cincinnati
“The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources–because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples.”
My grandparents were immigrants. Like many Americans, I can trace my roots to other parts of the world. When I talked with my Norwegian grandmother about her experience of immigrating to the United States, it was one of adventure. Asked by her older brother to make the trans-Atlantic trip in 1920, she responded immediately, and gave her Oslo employer two weeks’ notice. She was 20 years old. Continue reading
by Gail Pritchard, PhD, The University of Arizona
“Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend” (Bill Watterson).
If you Google “unlikely friendships,” you will find books, YouTube videos, and images of unusual animal friendships. These tend to be animals from different species and even those that would be considered natural enemies, like a bonded cat and bird. But what do we mean when we refer to people with unlikely friendships? Continue reading
By Tracy Smiles, Western Oregon University
Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.
There is little question as to the extraordinary ways non-fiction literature for children has developed both with regard to quality and availability. Continue reading
by Judi Moreillon, Texas Woman’s University, Denton
At the 2015 Tucson Festival of Books, I attended a thought-provoking interview with illustrator Bagram Ibatoulline and author-illustrator Eugene Yelchin. The moderator asked them questions about how their experiences as Russian-born artists had influenced their work. Continue reading
by T. Gail Pritchard, PhD, The University of Arizona
This week, I want to share books about cyborgs and those that don’t quite fit the previous categories—they are hybrids involving technology. Where the two overlap involve the symbiosis of humans, machines, and technology. In the previously reviewed books, the main characters were either machines—robots and androids—or humans whose DNA had been modified in some way. This week’s reviews looks at novels that consider what happens when humans and technology merge Continue reading
by T. Gail Pritchard, The University of Arizona
Perhaps one of the more scientific/medical controversies of the last few decades involves genetic modification, whether it is through altering an organism’s own DNA, adding new DNA, or cloning. In the following novels, the characters find themselves facing personal and societal consequences, while readers are left questioning their own assumptions about boundaries, scientific research, medical application, and how they define being human. Continue reading
by T. Gail Pritchard, PhD, The University of Arizona
My earliest memory of robots is from movies–Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) terrified me and Robby from Forbidden Planet (1956) fascinated me. Later, there was Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and three of my favorites Huey, Dewey, and Louie from Silent Running (1972); and of course, from recent times, Optimus Prime of the Transformers. From television, I met Robot from Lost in Space (1965-68) and various other robots and cyborgs in The Twilight Zone (1961-62), The Six Million Dollar Man (1974-78) and The Bionic Woman (1976-1978). In my reading, I encountered robots Robbie (Asimov) and Norby (Asimov and Asimov) and Eager (Fox), cyborg Cinder (Meyer), and characters whose DNA had been tweaked Continue reading
by Yoo Kyung Sung, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Language binds the past to the present. With the advent of high-tech, wireless devices that is even more evident as people interact in new and unique ways reflecting rapid evolution in language. New words are born every day while other words slip into obscurity. In many ways, everyday language becomes a “fashion” as it mirrors social changes, trends, and contemporary issues. Historically linked language became really evident to me some weeks ago when I was watching a Korean reality show. An actor in his late 40’s used the word “Soviet” in place of Russia. When hearing this, other participants teased him as a veteran of the Ice Age. Continue reading