Shaw/Watha T. Daniel
Neighborhood Library

Invisible Illness

Non-Fiction and Fiction focused on disability and mental illness

The books below cover the subject of disability and mental illness. There is a mixture of non-fiction and fiction in the list, and it attempts to give a wide range of perspectives on topics that are often misunderstood and underrepresented in mainstream media and politics. Here, those readers looking for materials that reflect a mental disorder can find representation via these recommended titles.

• Adults
• Aja H.
• Disabilities Awareness Month
• Fiction - Teens
• Literary Fiction
• Memoir/Biographies

African American Poetry for Children

The triumphs and tragedies of the African American experience are discussed in these illustrated poetry collections. Studies show that reading and writing poetry helps children develop vocabulary, phonetic awareness and an ability to talk constructively about their feelings. Please see the Library's Black Studies database collection to find additional information about African American history.

• Black History Month
• Children
• Megan M.
• Poetry

Retelling Shakespeare

Shakespeare Retold To mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, Hogarth Press commissioned several acclaimed and popular contemporary authors to write novels retelling a Shakespeare play of their choice. Shakespeare fans will easily recognize the characters, plots and familiar themes of jealousy, ambition, revenge and the destructive and redemptive power of love.

• Literary Fiction

Set in Japan

As a group, these novels do not have one thing in common, other than all being set in Japan. Most, but not all, were written by Japanese authors. Most, but not all, were written in the 20th century. Most, but not all, are narrated by a female character. All of them are commendable though, and I learned something about Japanese history or culture from each one.

• Historical Fiction
• Literary Fiction