A Book About Design

Gonyea, Mark. A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn’t Make It Better. Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2005. ISBN 978-0-8050-7575-5

Description

This cheerful introduction to graphic design shows kids that our perception of size, shape and color has meaning. The book is divided into short chapters. Chapter 1, All or Nothing, shows that you can’t change one piece of an image without affecting all the others. Chapter 2, The Box, points out that lines in a box have meaning such as speed, direction, strength, and structure. Chapter 3, 1:3:9, introduces this ratio that is used to make some design elements appear more important and other less prominent. Other chapters focus on contrast, letters as shapes, color, balance, and space. The final chapter shows how more is not always better, and how simple can be best in graphic design.

Critical Evaluation

This book reads like a picture book for very young children, and it will be appreciated by early readers. But it also has appeal for older children and tweens. The graphic design principles treated in this book are described clearly with minimal language. The graphic illustrations are simple, spare, and very thoughtfully linked to the explanations given.

Annotations

Design means making choices about many visual attributes. It is important to remember that complicated doesn’t make it better. Simple visual expression of ideas is powerful.

Author

Mark Gonyea loved cartoons, video games, and monster movies as a child. He attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Art.

Genre

Non-fiction – visual arts

Curriculum Ties

Visual arts – graphic design

Booktalk Ideas

Not applicable.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 3 to 8 (age 8 to 14).

Challenge Issues and Defense

None.

Why is it here?

The field of graphic design appeals to young readers today. They are significant consumers of graphic media via television, gaming, and online activities.

Cool Careers for Girls in Sports

Pasternak, Ceel & Thornburg, Linda. Cool Careers for Girls in Sports. Impact Publications, 1999. ISBN 1-57023-107-9

Plot

Beginning with an encouraging message about broadening opportunities, this book of true stories and advice highlights women in sports careers. Professional basketball and golf players, a ski and snowboard instructor, an athletic director, and a sports psychologist are some of the women featured. An article about Robin Roberts' career in sports broadcasting is fun to read. It is especially nice to see her early start in sports broadcasting given her recent success as an anchor on Good Morning America. She attended the President Obama's first State Dinner on November 24, 2009. Go, Robin!

Critical Evaluation

While this book may appear out of date based on its 1999 publication, the advice given still makes sense. Girls who are interested in sports are encouraged to get involved when they are young and stay involved during high school and college. That is the best way for them to find out what they might like to do in a sports career as an adult. Girls are told, "Don't be afraid to ask people for guidance. They are not going to come to you. You have to ask." Career checklists are given for jobs so girls can compare their interests and abilities to the traits that are required for success in a sports career.

Annotations

Career opportunities in sports for girls are broadening as time goes on. Girls need to have a positive mindset and a passion for sports to succeed in these careers.

Author

Ceel Pasternak and Linda Thornburg have co-authored other books in this series. Two of their titles are Cool Careers for Girls in Food and Cool Careers for Girls in Law.

Genre

Non-fiction

Curriculum Ties

Physical education -- careers

Booktalk Ideas

Ask listeners to talk about the women in sports they know of. Ask them if they have considered a career in sports. Share highlights from Tammy Jackson's career as a professional basketball player given in the book.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 4 to 6 (age 9 - 12).

Challenge Issues and Defense

None.

Why is it here?

Careers in sports for girls are cool!

Glam Girl

Kapp, Diana and Krieger, Liz. Glam Girl. Orange Avenue Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7641-2290-8

Plot

A very glam look at ways girls can have fun together. The book is divided into sections with activities about glam clothes and accessories, hair and make-up, scents and lotions, spa treatments, and projecting a glam image.

Critical Evaluation

The glam activities range from a clothing swap to hair highlights with lemon juice. Some of the activities are questionable for tweens. The "Heaven Scent" activity suggests making perfume from vodka and essential oils. The suggestion to "ask your parents first" seems like a joke. The book dares girls to wear something strapless or backless, wear a cami instead of a bra, and bare some belly button with a short shirt. While these suggestions may be acceptable in older teen territory, younger girls may see this as a message to dress beyond their age.

Annotations

This is a book of suggestions and activities for living a glam girl life.

Author

Diana Kapp and Liz Krieger are also the authors of Dare Girl, a girl's guide to truth-or-dare parties.

Genre

Non-fiction – how to dress like a tart.

Curriculum Ties

Not applicable.

Booktalk Ideas

Not applicable.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 4 – 6 (age 9 - 12) is the target audience.

Challenge Issues and Defense

Some of the activities are unsafe or suggest that young girls dress and act older than they are. Parents should read this book with their girls and then supervise their activities.

Why is it here?

A librarian suggested it to me as a source for fun activities for young girls.