Synopses & Reviews
"Balanced, funny, provocativeand#151;and most of all, important for anyone wanting to unand#173;derstand girlhood in America."and#151;E. Lockhart,and#160;New York Timesand#160;bestselling author ofand#160;We Were Liarsand#160;
Barbie just might be the most famous doll in the world. She has represented fifty different nationalities. Sheand#8217;s stepped into the always-fashionable shoes of more than one hundred twenty careers. She has been played with, studied, celebrated, and criticized for more than fifty years. And she has unquestionably influenced generations of girlsand#151;whether that influence has been positiveand#160;or negative depends on whom you ask.
and#160; and#160; and#160; and#160; and#160; and#160;
Acclaimed nonfiction author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbiased look at how Barbie became the icon that she is.and#160;Part biographyand#151;both of the doll and of her inventor, Ruth Handlerand#151;and part exploration of the cultural phenomenon that is Barbie, The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie is filled with personal anecdotes, memories, and opinions from people of all ages. Featuring original color and black-and-white photographs, this book is for everyone who understands that weand#8217;re all living in a Barbie world.
and#160;
"This is no mere Barbie book. This is a how-to manual about being a girl."and#151;Lauren Myracle,and#160;New York Timesand#160;bestselling author
and#160;and#160;
* "Source notes, a bibliography, and lots of images, including an inset of color photos, add to an offering that pleases and intrigues." and#151;Booklist, starred review
Review
Winner of the Golden Kite Award and#8220;History writers donand#8217;t get better than Tanya Lee Stone.and#160;The Good, the Bad, and the Barbieand#160;is balanced, funny, provocativeand#8212;and most of all, important for anyone wanting to understand girlhood in America.and#8221;and#8212;E. Lockhart,and#160;New York Timesand#160;bestselling author ofand#160;We Were Liars
and#8220;This is no mere Barbie book. This is a how-to manual about being a girl: a strong, sparky, awesome girl, with Barbie in hand or in the nearest deumpster!and#8221;and#8212;Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author
and#160;
* and#8220;Stone has done her homework and offers a particularly well-researched read. But she has also gotten many women (and men) to reminisce, comment, and argue about Barbie, and these voices add sparkle.and#8221;and#8212;Booklist, starred reviewand#160;
* and#8220;Stone reveals the pathos behind so many relationships of girls with Barbie: those who cherished her and those who were negatively influencedand#8230;In this balanced overview, both sides of the quandary are addressed... and#160;Accessibleand#8230;and includes extensive source notes and bibliographical information.and#8221;and#8212;School Library Journal, starred reviewand#160;
and#160;
* "Stone tantalizes with her intriguing survey of Barbie. indicating an audience of teens and adults rather than children. The striking cover, open design with numerous photographs and collegial voice will appeal to younger readers.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
and#160;
"Stone calmly covers Barbie's creation by Ruth Handler, the formation of Mattel, and the doll's unpromising launch among sexpot-resistant buyers at a national toy fair. From there on, though, the gloves come off, and Stone allows the voices of women and teens, scholars and collectors, lovers and haters to thrash out whether Barbie has single-handedly set an unattainable standard of female beauty, joined forces with manipulative media to trash adolescent self-esteem, acted as the progressive model for girls to envision gender barrier-crashing careers, or reigned as-duh-just a really cool doll with really pretty clothesand#8230;Notes, index, and an extensive bibliography may lure report writers into unconsidered territory, and teen book clubs might want to nominate this as a fiery nonfiction selection.and#8221;and#8212;BCCB
and#160;
and#8220;Stone takes an unapologetic look at Barbie's life, documenting the changes in Barbie through the years, her impact on society and the numerous controversies surrounding her existence.and#8221;and#8212;Childrenand#8217;s Literature
and#160;
and#8220;Stone's evenhanded, eye-opening cultural history examines [Barbie] quoting a myriad of sources to reveal the devotion and loathing generated by a fifty-plus-year-old hunk of molded plastic."and#8212;The Horn Book
and#160;
and#8220;Filled with photographs of Barbie dolls past and present as well as quotes about her from nationally known figures and children alike, Stone's fascinating and balanced account reveals a toy of almost unmatched influence.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
"Balanced, funny, provocative and most of all, important for anyone wanting to understand girlhood in America." E. Lockhart, New York Timesbestselling author ofWe Were Liars
Barbie just might be the most famous doll in the world. She has represented fifty different nationalities. She s stepped into the always-fashionable shoes of more than one hundred twenty careers. She has been played with, studied, celebrated, and criticized for more than fifty years. And she has unquestionably influenced generations of girls whether that influence has been positiveor negative depends on whom you ask.
Acclaimed nonfiction author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbiased look at how Barbie became the icon that she is.Part biography both of the doll and of her inventor, Ruth Handler and part exploration of the cultural phenomenon that is Barbie, The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie is filled with personal anecdotes, memories, and opinions from people of all ages. Featuring original color and black-and-white photographs, this book is for everyone who understands that we re all living in a Barbie world.
"This is no mere Barbie book. This is a how-to manual about being a girl." Lauren Myracle, New York Timesbestselling author
* "Source notes, a bibliography, and lots of images, including an inset of color photos, add to an offering that pleases and intrigues." Booklist, starred review"
Synopsis
The name ?Ella Fitzgerald? brings to mind a silky voice crooning jazz standards. The First Lady of Song earned her nickname by touring almost nonstop for over fifty years, winning thirteen Grammys, and recording album after album.
But who was the woman behind the name? How did a teenage runaway become a renowned jazz singer? Long after her homeless days, Ella remained insecure?she often suffered stage fright. Yet she was a born performer, able to improvise lyrics and record songs in single takes. She even seemed more comfortable on stage than off, and close friends found her hard to truly know.
Tanya Lee Stone?s Up Close biography delivers several never-before-published details of this intensely private, legendary singer?s life.
Synopsis
As a boy, Alexander ?Sandy? Calder was always fiddling with odds and ends, making objects for friends. When he got older and became an artist, his fiddling led him to create wire sculptures. One day, Sandy made a lion. Next came a lion cage. Before he knew it, he had an entire circus and was traveling between Paris and New York performing a brand-new kind of art for amazed audiences.
This is the story of Sandy?s Circus, as told by Tanya Lee Stone with Boris Kulikov?s spectacular and innovative illustrations. Calder?s original circus is on permanent display at the Whitney Museum in New York City.
About the Author
Tanya Lee Stone is an award-winning author whose works have received critical acclaim and accolades including ALAand#8217;s Sibert Medal (for informational text) and SCBWIand#8217;s Golden Kite Award. She is also the author of the YALSA Award Finalist for Excellence in Nonfiction, Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream.and#160;She lives in Burlington, Vermont.