Ready to Go Book Display: Libraries Rock! Nonfiction

Welcome to our series, "Ready to Go! Book Display." Once a month we'll highlight the latest or greatest for every age group that you can promote within your library or order for your collection. I'm busy planning for summer reading 2018: Libraries Rock! This month we're featuring nonfiction titles that relate to this year's theme. And if you missed last month's fiction titles you can see them here.

Recommendations for Adults:

David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music by Darryl W. Bullock (Nov 2017)

The most comprehensive history of LGBT music ever compiled, encompassing a century of music by and for the LGBT community.

Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop by Marc Myers (Nov 2016)

A collection of behind-the-scenes stories draws on interviews with popular musicians to reveal the inspirations for influential songs, including Elvis Costello's "Red Shoes," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," and R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion."

Musicophilia: Takes of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks (Oct 2007)

Drawing on the individual experiences of patients, musicians, composers, and everyday people, the author explores the complex human response to music, detailing the full range of human reactions to music, what goes on and can go wrong when we listen to music, and how music can affect those suffering from a variety of ailments.

Music Theory 101 by Brian Boone and Marc Schonbrun (Aug 2017)

Covers everything novice musicians and lifelong learners need to know. Full of music trivia, music history, comprehensive and instruction and visual aids, music symbols, and chords throughout.

50 Years of Rolling Stone by Jann Wenner (May 2017)

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, a leading voice in journalism, cultural criticism and music, from the 1960s to today, presents a decade-by-decade exploration of American music and history alongside interviews with rock legends and image makers and articles, excerpts and exposes.

Recommendations for Teens:

Music: Investigate the Evolution of American Sound by Donna Latham (Nov 2013)

Presents a survey of the influences that have inspired American music genres with activities that explain the physics and traditions of music, from writing songs and improvising vocal styling to creating a beatbox and learning the Charleston.

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Anderson (Sep 2015)

An account of the Siege of Leningrad reveals the role played by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich and his Leningrad Symphony in rallying and commemorating their fellow citizens.

Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Sep 2015)

A narrative history of the Motown music label covering the historical context, personalities, and ongoing legacy of the "sound of young America."

Metal Cats by Alexandra Crockett (May 2014)

Hardcore metal musicians share photos of their beloved - and adorable - felines, in this head-banging collection that reveals the softer side of these extreme personalities.

Recommendations for Kids:

The School of Music by Meurig Bowen (Apr 2017)

Introduces aspiring musicians to different instruments and genres of music, and provides an overview of music theory.

50 Things You Should Know About Music by Rob Baker (Sep 2016)

Presents an introduction to music, discussing it's history, styles and genres from around the world, instruments and influential musicians.

What is Rock and Roll? by Jim O'Connor (Aug 2017)

Jim O'Connor explains what constitutes rock music, follows its history and sub-genres through famous musicians and groups, and shows how rock became so much more than just a style of music influencing fashion, language, and lifestyle.

Ketzel, The Cat Who Composed by Leslea Newman (Oct 2015)

Enjoying life in a noisy city where everything he hears is music, composer Moshe Cotel adopts a stray tuxedo kitten who walks across his piano keys, inspiring a celebrated one-minute composition.

Born to Swing: Lil Hardin Armstrong's Life in Jazz by Mara Rockliff (Jan 2018)

Presents the life of the jazz musician, describing her love of music as a child, her work as a composer and musician in Chicago, her marriage to Louis Armstrong, and her collaboration with some of the greatest jazz musicians of her era.

When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel by Greg Neri (Mar 2018)

From childhood friendship to brief teenage stardom, from early failures to musical greatness this is the incredible story of how Simon & Garfunkel.