Publishers Weekly - October 30, 2017

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.