Charles and Emma: The Darwin's Leap of Faith-- Deborah Heiligman

So, if you've been reading this blog for a while now, you will know that I don't read much nonfiction. It's not that I don't like it... it's just that I love a good story...

I was lamenting the fact that I hadn't read a good nonfic in a while to a friend and she recommended this book to me. I'm so glad she did because it was exactly what I wanted: A Good Story.

Charles and Emma is the tale of the lives of both Charles and Emma Darwin, in a nutshell. It starts with something the reader will learn is quintessential Charles: a Ben Franklin-style list of the pros and cons of getting married. This illustrates a challenge Charles will face his whole life: should he go with his gut instinct and what his heart dictates, or should he trust logic, science, and rationality. He ends up deciding to be irrational, and marry... but it was the last irrational thing he ever did.

This book takes the reader through the happiness and struggles the scientist Charles and his religious wife Emma endure together. One of my favorite things about this book was that it illustrated how crucial and essential Emma's input, guidance, and skills were to Charles scientific publications. She was very intelligent, edited all his work, and even though she was a firm Creationist, she was happy to debate with him and further his Evolutionary discoveries. Often historical accounts tend to leave out what the wives and children do, but this book focuses on Charles's relationship with his family. They were a crucial part of who he was, and under-recognized in the world of science.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes nonfiction, memoirs, or historical romantic fiction (but be sure to be clear that this is NOT fiction and a little slower paced that fiction would be) . I can't wait to offer this to a teen who needs to read something nonfiction for school, but wants it to be "good".

Body Drama-- Nancy Redd

I do believe I have stumbled upon the best "what is happening to my body" book for teen girls that I have ever seen. I SO wish this book existed when I was an adolescent! Finally, an honest book that gives the answers girls really want to know. This book would be perfect for the teen girl who needs information, but doesn't want to actually talk to someone about her problems.

Body Drama has real photographs, not the cartoon-y drawings many books have. The photos are of real, not airbrushed teen girls in every shape, size, and color. While this book does not glorify unhealthy weight, it does portray girls who are not stick-thin as healthy and beautiful women. I do feel that I should mention this: the pictures are taken very clearly and close-up. If you have a conservative or extremely shy teen, this book might embarrass her. I have never seen such honest photography in a book meant for youth, and be warned, there are close up pictures of body parts you never thought you would see in this format in a teen book. One of the last pages has small photos of 30 nude girls. They are not sexual at all; they are just a celebration of healthy female bodies.

On various blogs, I have read that some libraries are placing this book in the adult section due to the honesty of the photographs. I am proud that FVRL has placed this teen book where it belongs: in the YA Nonfiction section.