Pink Ribbons, Protest Art, and More

After back-to-back issues in August and September, Booklist Online Video Review returns to a monthly schedule with 25 new reviews.

We have a nice mix of starred reviews in this issue, beginning with Art Is . . . the Permanent Revolution, in which four modern artists explore how social reality and protest are conveyed in art. This stunning film also looks at artists throughout the ages whose revolutionary works (seen in beautiful montages) reflected their political views. The Day Carl Sandburg Died is a respectful tribute to the Illinois native who is best remembered as a "poet of the people" who was also a social activist, musician, and children's author. Filmmaker Ric Burns' engrossing documentary Death and the Civil War gives meaning and impact to the astounding Civil War injury and death statistics. The government had no official means of identifying or returning bodies (more than 750,000 casualties) and notifying next of kin, evidenced in unforgettable vintage photographs, stills, and excerpted readings. Although October's monthlong breast cancer–awareness campaign is over, this might be a good time to question if the whole pink thing (NFL players wearing pink shoes and gloves, for example) is more about product marketing than breast cancer research and development, as the thought-provoking Pink Ribbons, Inc. asserts.

We'll be back in January with more video reviews, including Ken Burns' The Dust Bowl, "a chronicle of the worst man-made disaster in American history."

—Sue-Ellen Beauregard
sbeauregard@ala.org

Media - Adult Nonfiction - History

Anne Braden: Southern Patriot.
2012. 77min. California Newsreel, DVD, $195.
REVIEW. First published November 2, 2012 (Booklist Online)

Even though committed labor activist Braden was "born white in a racist society" and "privileged in a classist society," that never stopped her from becoming involved in the civil rights movement. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Arts

Art Is. . .the Permanent Revolution: Outrage in Great Art.
2012. 82min. First Run Features, DVD, $27.95.
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Viewers fascinated with protest art and the creative process will become immersed in this stirring documentary that offers a fascinating fly-on-the-wall perspective of four modern artists working in their studios on pieces with antiwar or social-justice themes. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Child Care

Building Mathematical Competencies in Early 
Childhood.
2012. 36min. Davidson, DVD, $250 (1-891340-85-9).
REVIEW. First published October 16, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Early childhood math instruction should involve more than teaching counting and shape identification, according to this well-organized program, in which three educators stress that both math and literacy proficiency are necessary to help children succeed in school. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Health & Medicine

Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's: An Emotional Journey.
2012. 50min. Paraclete, DVD, $59.95 (9781612612409).
REVIEW. First published November 2, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Well-organized interviews with experts, including authors and therapists, help family members and caregivers cope with the difficult emotions (frustration, anger, guilt) associated with "fulfilling the needs" of those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Arts

The Day Carl Sandburg Died.
2012. 84min. PBS, DVD, $24.99 (9781608837014).
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) was more than a "poet of the people." He was a social activist, children's author, biographer, folk-song collector, guitar player, wanderer, and celebrity. Upon his death, in July 1967, he was eulogized by politicians, journalists, and other luminaries, but then "his legacy suffered an unusual and inexplicably fast decline." >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Social Sciences

Death and the Civil War.
2012. 2hr. PBS, DVD, $24.99 (9781608837595).
REVIEW. First published November 2, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Based on Drew Gilpin Faust's This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War (2004), this unforgettable documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Ric Burns gives meaning and impact to the astounding Civil War injury and death statistics (more than 750,000 perished in the war). >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Child Care

Feeding Your Baby.
2012. 25min. Bite Size Babies, DVD, $24.95.
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

New parents have much to worry about, including how to properly feed their infant. In this reassuring program, dietitian Kara Korhonen offers a first-year monthly feeding schedule and gives straightforward guidelines . . . >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Health & Medicine

Food Allergies.
2012. 26min. Learning Zone Express, DVD, $49.95.
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Food allergies are a serious health problem for many. This helpful program, consisting of a series of interview clips with such medical experts as an allergist and a pediatrician, introduces the differences between food intolerance and allergy. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Sports & Recreation

Golf's Grand Design: The History of American Golf Course Architecture.
2012. 60min. PBS, DVD, $24.99 (9781608837335).
REVIEW. First published October 16, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Mark Twain called golf "a good walk spoiled," but duffers and those who follow the sport on television would highly disagree. This lovely program chronicles the history of golf-course architecture over the past 100 years in America. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Social Sciences

Grief and Loss: A Child's Perspective.
2012. 19min. Listen 2 Kids, DVD, $24.95 (9780998227026). REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

When there is a death in the family, adults may not know how to help children through the grieving process. This comforting program includes a series of open-ended interviews with kids (ages 4 to 12) who share their feelings about death and loss. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Poetry

Harlem Voices: The Poetry of Langston Hughes and Claude McKay.
2012. 28min. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, DVD, $129.95 (9781621029434).
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

During the 1920s and '30s, Harlem was a richly diverse community filled with writers, poets, artists, and sculptors from the U.S., Africa, and the Caribbean islands. Poets Langston Hughes and Claude McKay were two writers drawn to this cultural enclave . . . >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Health & Medicine

Hungry for Change.
2012. 89min. Docurama, DVD, $29.95 (1-4229-2232-4).
REVIEW. First published November 2, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Using a day in the life of an overworked, overstressed office worker as a framework, this persuasive program addresses nutrition from various angles, ranging from food cravings to the dangers of diet food. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Arts

Inocente.
2012. 40min. Cinema Guild, DVD, $295 (0-7815-1414-2).
REVIEW. First published November 2, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Inocente is age 15 and homeless in San Diego. In this moving documentary, the undocumented teenager (who begins each day by dramatically painting her face and putting a brightly colored flower in her hair) shares her story. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - History

Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment.
2012. 80min. First Run Features, DVD, $27.95.
REVIEW. First published October 16, 2012 (Booklist Online).

The kibbutz movement began as a revolutionary utopian communal experiment more than 100 years ago and functioned as an alternative way of life for a small portion of Israelis until the 1980s, when economic necessity forced an ideological reinvention. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Arts

Magical Story Times.
2012. 15min. Granny Press, DVD, $79 (9780945110170).
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Esther Nelson and Davida Hirsch, the "grandmas" of Granny Press, star in this lively program designed to help librarians and preschool teachers integrate age-appropriate music, dance, and movement into library and classroom activities. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Arts

Mariachi High.
2012. 60min. PBS, DVD, $24.99 (9781608837281).
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

This upbeat, inspirational video follows a talented mariachi ensemble from Zapata High School, in Texas. The music director handpicks every player, and audition stakes are high, with only 16 students allowed to participate in the statewide competition. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Cookery

A Matter of Taste.
2012. 79min. First Run Features, DVD, $27.95.
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Filmmakers follow talented, young chef Paul Liebrandt for 10 years as he tries to make his culinary mark in New York City. Demanding and passionate, Liebrandt views his craft as "putting on a stage performance." >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Religion

Minarets in Temecula: Islam and the Right to Religious Freedom.
2012. 28min. Choices, DVD, $24.95 (9781933724393).
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

The U.S. was founded on principles of secular government, religious freedom, and free speech, but many Muslims in the U.S. are finding it difficult to exercise their rights. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - History

No Job for a Woman: The Women Who Fought to Report WWII.
2012. 61min. Women Make Movies, DVD, $295.
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

During WWII, women reporters were eager to cover the warfront, but they weren't always allowed to get close to the action. This involving documentary tells the stories of three heroic, veteran female war correspondents who bucked the system. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Social Sciences

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.
2012. 2hr. Docurama, DVD, $29.95.
REVIEW. First published October 22, 2012 (Booklist Online).

In 1994, three teenagers were tried and convicted for murdering three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. This final installment in the Paradise Lost film trilogy updates the explosive case. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Arts

The Perils of Show Business: Proceed at Your Own Risk.
2012. Limelight, DVD, $19.99 (9780879103989).
REVIEW. First published October 16, 2012 (Booklist Online).

Veteran actor Charles Grodin is determined to knock the stars out of young actors' eyes in this frank, no-holds-barred video, in which he discusses acting, working with agents, directing, and screenwriting. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Geography, Travel, Culture

Physical Geography: Making Sense of Planet Earth.
2012. 4hr. Ambrose, DVD, $199.99 (3-9815-0051-6).
REVIEW. First published November 2, 2012 (Booklist Online).

This eight-title, four-disc series, hosted by Alexander B. Murphy, "explores the dramatic discoveries of the forces shaping planet Earth" and explains the role of physical geography in the twenty-first century and beyond. >>read more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Social Sciences

Pink Ribbons, Inc.
2012. 98min. First Run Features, DVD, $27.95.
REVIEW. First published October 16, 2012 (Booklist Online).

During every October's monthlong breast cancer–awareness campaign, it is difficult to avoid seeing pink, from the shoes and gloves of NFL players to the containers and lids of yogurt and fast-food chicken. Based on Samantha King's Pink Ribbons, Inc: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy (2006), this thought-provoking documentary examines the "think-pink" culture. &gt&gtread more

Media - Adult Nonfiction - Arts

Shakespeare High.
2011. 1.5hr. Cinema Guild, DVD, $99.95.
REVIEW. First published November 1, 2012 (Booklist Online).

This fast-paced, inspirational documentary introduces several California high-school students preparing to compete in the Ninetieth Drama Teachers Association of Southern California Shakespeare Festival. >>read more

Media - Youth Nonfiction - Feelings & Behavior

Confronting Sexual Harassment in School: What Every Student Needs to Know.
2012. 24min. Human Relations Media, DVD, $149.95 (9781555485733). Grades 7-12.
REVIEW. First published September 6, 2012 (Booklist Online).

This excellent production clarifies for teen viewers what constitutes sexual harassment and offers information and advice for handling and responding to difficult situations. >>read more

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