The Random Shelf: Nonfiction

Children's nonfiction is in a renaissance. It's never looked better and brighter. There can be too much of a good thing, however, and the design occasionally overwhelms the text. With all the emphasis on design, older books can be overlooked. This is unfortunate because although they might not be the snazziest books on the shelf, they are still important to the collection, as are these next two books.

Remember learning about cumulus clouds, cirrus clouds, etc? Do you remember any of the clouds except for cumulus clouds (the fluffy ones)? I don't either. Julian May's The Cloud Book is a solid introduction to cloud types and cloud formations. Everything is explained in a concise and clear manner. A glossary would improve the book, but it's a fine and easy reading reference book.

The history of America's newspapers is a fascinating and colorful history. Leonard Everett Fisher's The Newspapers is a short but effective take on the rivalries and exploits of the
19th century newspaper trade. Crazy, crazy stuff.

Not only does newspaper history make for good reading, it makes for my favorite live action musical ever produced by Disney.



Eat your heart out, High School Musical.

(Stop laughing. You don't know what you're missing.)

Batman Sings!