Hush! A Thai Lullaby, Minfong Ho, Illustrated by Holly Meade

A mother in rural Thailand attempts to quiet her home and the area around it in this gentle bedtime book. She asks animals ranging from a mosquito to a frog to a water buffalo to be quiet as her little boy is sleeping. In each lovely cut paper and ink image, the mother resorts to pleading poses. One fun feature of this book is that she gets a bit too frantic about quiet and even a very young child will see the humor in her going outside to holler up to a monkey swinging in the trees to hush. Holly Meade adds her own touch of whimsy throughout in showing the little boy climbing out of his hammock behind his mother’s back and playing while she is scolding all the animals. This book shows a different world than many American children experience and yet draws in a young audience easily with the rhymes and engaging illustrations. I only wish that Ho had given the little boy a Thai name instead of referring to him as “Baby” throughout. But that leaves fun to parents and readers to come up with their own Thai name, as have my son and I. (Diane Magras)

About the Author and Illustrator: Minfong Ho grew up on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, in a setting much like the one that Meade illustrates in Hush. Her parents were Chinese, and so that, then Thai, were her early languages. She writes that she thinks of Thai as “the language of my hands” and English “the language of my head.” She began writing at Cornell University as a means of experiences home away from home. Her books include novels for young adults, short stories, and picture books.

Holly Meade is a woodcut artist and children’s book illustrator whose prints have hung in galleries across Maine and whose illustrations have appeared at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts, among other places. She shows her woodcuts at the Reach Road Gallery in Sedgwick, Maine.

Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Beyond, Pankaj Mishra

In the selected title for the MHC’s teacher seminar on December 5, author Mishra (a journalist, novelist, and lecturer) approaches South Asia through the lens of modernity. How are the various ancient cultures in the region adjusting to the influence of industrialism and consumerism on their religions, leaders, and customs? I’ve never traveled to South Asia, but many of the names and places mentioned in the book were familiar to me from media coverage: Peshawar, Bollywood, and Bhutto, among others. Mishra also goes beyond the headlines to explore places like Kashmir and Nepal. Unfortunately, India and Pakistan were in the headlines again as I read Temptations of the West. I was grateful to be receiving the news about the attacks on Mumbai with new understanding of the complexity and vulnerability of the region. (Brita Zitin)

About the Author: Pankaj Mishra, born in north India, is a novelist and essayist whose writings have made him a controversial figure in his home country (he lives both in India and England); his criticism of current events has caused him to be accused of being anti-Hindu. Mishra’s works include the novel The Romantics (2000) and the nonfiction Butter Chicken in Ludhiana: Travels in Small Town India and An End to Suffering: The Buddha in the World (2004). Temptations of the West was published in 2006.

The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, Annette Gordon-Reed

This fascinating, award-winning book explores the entire Hemings family and their relationship to Jefferson, his extended family and friends and their home, Monticello. Many of us have heard the stories of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, but they only scratch the surface. The Hemings and Jefferson families, as with all families, are complex and unique, and their interweaving provides a rich exploration. Reed seems to have left no stone unturned as she unearthed correspondence, archaeological artifacts, notes and interviews to inform her work. While she must, in places, use conjecture, it does not distract from the text. This groundbreaking work just won the National Book Award, and is a great read. (Martina Duncan)

About the Author: Professor Annette Gordon-Reed (who teaches at the New York Law School) first became fascinated with Thomas Jefferson in elementary school in segregated east Texas. Attending Dartmouth College and later the Harvard Law School, this interest has always been among her researched topics. In 1997, Gordon-Reed published Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy, and can be credited for bringing much of this issue to light. Her other books include Vernon Can Read!: A Memoir and Race on Trial: Law and Justice in American History.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s wit and good sense come through at his best in this charming, intelligent book. Hank Morgan, a 19th-century New England engineer, receives a blow on the head during a fight and wakes up in Great Britain during the time of Camelot. Sir Kay immediately takes him hostage. Morgan uses his scientific knowledge to predict an eclipse of the sun in order to avoid execution. Besting Merlin, Morgan gains a prominent place at King Arthur’s court as the greatest wizard in the land. His magical feats are all based in science or engineering and quickly secure for him the trust, respect, and fear of the land—and the name of The Boss (or Sir Boss). Morgan recognizes the limitations of the society, led by class prejudice, and uses his 19th-century intellect and engineering skills to battle it all, from the institutions of knight errantry to slavery. Twain’s descriptions of an underground West Point, universities, and even a telephone system are fascinating, but his stories of the suffering people Morgan meets on his travels are the most impressive. This book also includes a chilling description of the brutalities of war. It is not altogether light reading. (Diane Magras)

About the Author: Schoolchildren across the United States know the 19th century Missouri and later New England writer and humorist Mark Twain (his real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens) for his The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Those inclined to ban books know him for his later novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain’s work is always marked by his wit and a sometimes not-so-subtle criticism of society. This can range from a condemnation of slavery to a satire of American’s tendencies while traveling abroad. He had many friendships with notable writers, scientists, politicians, businessmen, and other celebrities of his day, and these and his experiences as a riverboat pilot and journalist helped inform much of his work.