Ages 7-10; Gr.2-7.
The inspiring biography of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui whose handmade sculptures, created from discarded bottle tops, have received international acclaim and been showcased around the world.

Ages 12-18; Gr.7-9.
In America, there is a tradition of teens protesting injustice and bringing about change that the older generation just couldn't. Craftivism means using handmade art to provoke, to interrupt, to draw attention, to help others, and hopefully to bring change. Ever heard of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which helped raise awareness of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s? That's craftivism.

Ages 4-8, Gr.1-4; Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Picture Book, 2022.
As an observant child growing up in Lithuania, Ben Shahn yearns to draw everything he sees-and, after seeing his father banished by the Czar for demanding workers' rights, he develops a keen sense of justice, too. So when Ben and the rest of his family make their way to America, Ben brings both his sharp artistic eye and his desire to fight for what's right.

Lexile measure AD1610L; Ages 4-8; PrK-Gr.3.
For centuries, blue powders and dyes were some of the most sought-after materials in the world. Ancient Afghan painters ground mass quantities of sapphire rocks to use for their paints, while snails were harvested in Eurasia for the tiny amounts of blue that their bodies would release. And then there was indigo, which was so valuable that American plantations grew it as a cash crop on the backs of African slaves. It wasn't until 1905, when Adolf von Baeyer created a chemical blue dye, that blue could be used for anything and everything--most notably that uniform of workers everywhere, blue jeans.

Lexile measure 680; ages 12 and up; Gr.7-9.
A sculptor of historical figures starts with givens but creates her own vision. Edmonia Lewis was just such a sculptor, but she never spoke or wrote much about her past, and the stories that have come down through time are often vague or contradictory. Some facts are known: Edmonia was the daughter of an Ojibwe woman and an African Haitian man. She had the rare opportunity to study art at Oberlin, one of the first schools to admit women and people of color, but lost her place after being accused of poisoning and theft, despite being acquitted of both. She moved to Boston and eventually Italy, where she became a successful sculptor.

Ages 10 and up; Gr.4-6; Coretta Scott King honor, illustrator, 2020.
From celebrated author and illustrator Ashley Bryan comes a deeply moving picture book memoir about serving in the segregated army during World War II, and how love and the pursuit of art sustained him.

Ages 14 and up.
In a collection of essays and personal mini-comics that span eight years of her young adult life, author-illustrator Noelle Stevenson charts the highs and lows of being a creative human in the world. Whether it's hearing the wrong name called at her art school graduation ceremony or becoming a National Book Award finalist for her debut graphic novel, Nimona, Noelle captures the little and big moments that make up a real life, with a wit, wisdom, and vulnerability that are all her own.

Ages 5-8; K-Gr.4.
A gorgeously illustrated picture book biography about the fascinating life of surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. Ever since she was a little girl, Leonora Carrington loved to draw on walls, in books, on paper--and she loved the fantastic tales her grandmother told that took her to worlds that shimmered beyond this one, where legends became real.

Ages 7-10; Gr.4-6.
Alberto Giacometti became one of the iconic artists of the twentieth century, whose tall, spindly sculptures grace the collections of museums around the world. Diego was always at his side, helping and encouraging, and in his spare time creating remarkable pieces of furniture, works of sculpture in their own right.