Non-Fiction

The Lost Childhood: A World War II Memoir by Yehuda Nir
This new, Young Adult book describes six years in the life of a daring and resourceful Polish Jewish boy and his family, who survived the Holocaust by using false papers and posing as Catholics. Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Horn Book, and a Publisher's Weekly starred title.

Monuments Past and Present:  Pompeii or Greece or Rome 
The  three titles of  the Monuments Past and Present series, from  the Metropolitan Museum of Art, explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii, Greece, and Rome -- using overlays to show how they looked in the past over color illustrations of how their ruins look today. Excellent resources for students, and anyone else interested in the fascinating histories of these ancient regions.

The Glory of Byzantium Helen C. Evans & William D. Wixom, editors
A Metropolitan Museum of Art Publication dedicated to the art of the middle Byzantine period (843-1261), demonstrating its wide influence through a celebration of its most beautiful and meaningful works of art.  Recommended by Library Journal and a Choice Outstanding Book.

Van Gogh's Table at the Auberge Ravoux: Recipes From
   the Artist's Last Home and Paintings of Cafe Life
    by Alexandra Leaf and Fred Leeman 
Authors Alexandra Leaf, a culinary historian, and Fred Leeman, the former chief curator of the Van Gogh Museum, offer a picture of the artist's life shown through the lens of his last home, the Auberge Ravoux. .This work includes 50 recipes for bistro classics, as well as well-illustrated stories and  images of the artist's life. recommended by Publishers Weekly.

Caravaggio by John T.Spike
In an engaging and informed text, John T. Spike explores in detail Caravaggio's scandalous life and provocative work. Placing Caravaggio within the broad panorama of society and ideas at the turn of the 17th century, the author sets a richly detailed stage for an artist who has been called "the first modern painter." This work includes excellent, beautiful reproductions of nearly every existing work by this artist. Recommended by Publisher's Weekly.

William Blake by Robin Hamlyn et.al.  
Illustrations and text analyze the vision, personal mythology, political views, and painting techniques of British artist William Blake.  Highly recommended by  Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist (which says it is a "superbly illustrated volume, overseen by Tate curator Hamlyn and created to accompany the largest Blake exhibit ever mounted, [it] provides an unprecedented tour of Blake's cosmos."

This is Reggae Music: The Story of Jamaica's Music  
      by Lloyd Bradley
This book chronicles the history of reggae music, profiling influential artists, tracing its development, and discussing why it has always been the music of the people of Jamaica. It is a starred book for Kirkus  Review and Library Journal.