Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids by Kip Fulbeck

This paperback volume containing arresting portraits of multiracial kids is picked up at least once a day in our library at Belmont.  Students pore over the small, matte images, regularly expressing their surprise and delight with the mixture lists, often the only text present in addition to the subject’s name.  Some of the portraits are accompanied by drawings done by the subjects themselves.  Occasionally, a portrait appears side-by-side with a quote from a parent about their child or thoughts on multiraciality.  These images and minimal text are bookended by an introduction from Fulbeck, a filmaker/photographer/spoken word performer/author, and a quote from Cher.  Adult readers may be interested in the foreword penned by Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, sister of President Barack Obama.  Student readers just go right to the portraits.  A great stress-free read for school libraries and conversation starter for teachers strategizing conversations on multiraciality. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Fulbeck, Kip.  Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids.  San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2010. Print.

What’s Good in Queens today

Very excited about this weekend’s NY Art Book Fair which kicked off last night. I’ll have the honor of sitting on a panel this afternoon with Lauren Adelman of Artistic Noise who doubles as the amazing outreach arts educator we get to partner with and moderated by the exceptional Jennifer Tobias, PhD, Reader Services Librarian at the Museum of Modern Art. There’s a special surprise guest on her way down from upstate as I write this and we’ll all be talking about Artists’ Books in the Juvenile Justice System. Please stop by and say hello!--Jessica Fenster-Sparber