elegantly untangles the many movements and personalities (particularly
Billy Graham, Karl Barth, Jerry Falwell,
Reinhold Niebuhr, and Pat Robertson)
that have created the modern evangelical movement.
The Meaning of Belief: Religion
from an Atheist’s Point of View
Tim Crane (Harvard Univ.)
In this convincing exploration,
Crane, a British philosopher and professor at Central European University
who focuses on philosophy of the mind
and metaphysics, tries to bridge the gap
between atheists and religious communities by explaining the human “
religious impulse.” He argues persuasively
that religious belief is complexly
human, rather than something that
should die in the face of science.
The Myth of Equality:
Uncovering the Roots of
Injustice and Privilege
Ken Wytsma (Intervarsity)
Wytsma, president of Kilns College
and lead pastor of Antioch Church in
Bend, Ore., explains the insidious ways
white dominance shapes American culture and conversations about race from
the perspective of a passionately committed evangelical Christian. His measured explanations combined with deep
research elucidate the damaging “white
normative standard” in order to inspire
conversations around a difficult topic.
Why Buddhism Is True:
The Science and Philosophy of
Meditation and Enlightenment
Robert Wright (Simon & Schuster)
Religious scholar Wright uses evolutionary psychology cleverly to assess
whether Buddhism’s diagnosis of the
human condition makes sense. Opting
for the modular model of mind, he
argues that there are ultimately many
versions of the self (or “no-self”). His
provocative thesis champions placing
emotions on par with reason as influencers of our perceptions and interpretations. ;
PICTURE BOOKS
Accident!
Andrea Tsurumi (HMH)
Racked with guilt after spilling
juice on an upholstered chair, an armadillo named Lola flees to the library.
But, as Tsurumi’s catastrophe-packed
illustrations reveal, everyone makes
mistakes. Pots overflow, rockets misfire, whales sail through windows
faster than you can say “Calamity!” It’s
utter chaos and utterly fun.
After the Fall: How
Humpty Dumpty Got
Back Up Again
Dan Santat (Roaring Brook)
Caldecott Medal winner
Santat imagines the aftermath of Humpty Dumpty’s
most infamous moment,
turning a nursery rhyme
most children and adults
know by heart into an
unforgettable exploration
of trauma, anxiety, and
fear—one that builds to
one of the most moving
and rewarding endings of
the year.
Baabwaa and Wooliam:
A Tale of Literacy,
Dental Hygiene, and Friendship
David Elliott, illus. by Melissa Sweet
(Candlewick)
Two sheep, fond of reading and
knitting, find more adventure than
they bargained for when they meet a
literal wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Elliott’s dry-as-a-bone narration
CHILDREN’S & YOUNG ADULT
makes for delicious reading, and Sweet
captures the awkward geniality of a blossoming cross-species friendship built on
books and the occasional run-for-your-life chase.
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut
Derrick Barnes, illus. by Gordon C. James
(Bolden/Millner)
In a book as gorgeous as it is important, empowering text and lustrous portraits celebrate the ritual of the barbershop haircut: how good that fade or
shape-up can make a person
feel, and how, for many boys
with black or brown skin, it’s
a chance to be treated like a
king in a world that too often
views them with suspicion or
contempt.
A Different Pond
Bao Phi, illus. by Thi Bui
(Capstone Young Readers)
Vietnamese-American poet
Phi’s childhood memories
inform this hauntingly
understated and atmospherically illustrated account of a
predawn father-son fishing
outing, just one of several
ways the child’s immigrant
parents work tirelessly to
keep the family well-fed and cared for.
Grand Canyon
Jason Chin (Roaring Brook/Porter)
Children can accompany a girl and her
father on a trek through the Grand
Canyon in Chin’s meticulously illustrated picture book. The journey covers