Skulls

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

Skulls. Scalin, Noah. Lark Books, New York. ISBN 978-1-60059-375-8

PLOT SUMMARY:

Noah Scalin decided that he wanted to make a skull a day for a year. Skulls is a book that features one hundred and fifty of the skulls that he created. Using everything from hotel sheets to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to accomplish his task. The book begins with an introduction telling the reader how the project came to be. After the one hundred and fifty skulls there is a Do-it-Yourself chapter. Scalin provides instuctions for the reader for the reader to try making their own skill. They range from a paint–by-number to a paper skull.

CRITICAL EVALUATION:

At first I thought, what an odd book. I was looking for books that would appeal to boys. I figured that skulls would appeal to them. What a great surprise this book was. It’s fun and imaginative. Scalin is sincere in his quest to make skulls. He explains that they are not to be feared or considered just Goth or something you bring out at Halloween. The pictures are great. It is obvious that the author is a vegan and an environmentalist; which is something that you would not know until you look at some of the material he uses is his project (vegan pancakes, fair-trade tea and organic locally grown food). It is amazing how you can turn everyday items like a light bulb or toothpaste into a skull. Once you start looking at the picture, you can see that Scalin has an art background. His paintings and sketches are not something a person who is not artistically inclined would be able to do. Skulls is fun book that teens will enjoy, even those that are not into skulls. There is also a website where readers can see all three hundred and sixty five skulls. www.skulladay.com

READER’S ANNOTATION:

Noah Scalin set out to make a skull a day for one year. These are one hundred and fifty of his creations.

AUTHOR:

Noah Scalin is a graduate of the NYU Tisch School of The Arts. He is a lifelong activist (whose first protest marches were spent in a stroller and then on roller skates). The former art director of independent movie studio Troma Entertainment and international clothing company Avirex, he used his experience with youth marketing and passion for grassroots activism to create his own ethically driven firm. Scalin’s work at ALR has gained international exposure in dozens of books and is frequently featured in design publications, including Graphic Design Magazine’s “Designing for The Greener Good” cover story October 2010. Noah also developed Design Rebels, a course on socially conscious design for Virginia Commonwealth University and founded a long running community supported agriculture group in Richmond, Virginia. Skulls was Scalin’s first book. His second book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal was published by Voyageur Press in 2010. Upcoming books include Unstuck and The Design Activist’s Handbook.

GENRE:

Non-fiction, Art

CURRICULUM TIES:

New York State: Art

BOOK TALKING IDEAS:

How many ways can you think of to create a skull?
Do you think skulls are dark and a symbol of death?

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE:

Age 14 and up

CHALLENGE ISSUES:

Skulls.

In order to prepare yourself should this book be challenged you may wish to take the following steps:

•Read the book or familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
•Refer to the library’s collection development policy.
•Read the book reviews from sources such as Booklist, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Publisher’s Weekly, or BookSpot.com
•Seek the opinion of teen readers that have read the book.

Should this book be challenged you should follow the additional steps below:

•Advise the senior staff of the challenge.
•Let the patron know that their challenge will be filed and that senior library management will review their request and notify them once a decision has been made.
•Offer any further assistance should the patron have additional questions.

WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS BOOK?

I was looking for more books geared towards boys. I thought that skills would be something a boy would like, but I think everyone would find this book interesting and fun.