e as an art form.
Varriale, Jim. Take a Look Around: Photography Activities for Young People. 1999. 32p. Millbrook, $23.90 (0-7613-1265-X).
Gr. 5–8. Students who shared 35mm point-and-shoot cameras took all the black-and-white images that appear in this book. A definite find for aspiring photographers, the book’s wide format and emphasis on the art of shooting photos distinguish it from other books on photography for children.
Wallace, Joseph. Turning Point Inventions: The Camera. 2000. 80p. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, $17.95 (0-689-82813-6).
Gr. 4–7. Through lively and fascinating pictures, Wallace explores the impact of the camera by showing us the world before its invention, how inventors worked toward its development, how the world has been changed by it, and its future. Contains a special full-color foldout showing in detail how a camera works.
Byars, Betsy. Keeper of the Doves. 2002. 112p. Viking, $14.99 (0-670-03576-9).
Gr. 3–6. Amen McBee, born in 1891, comes of age with the guidance of her parents and Grandmama, who helps Amen and her sisters reveal their unique natures by giving them new Brownie cameras and encouraging them to find subjects to photograph. This leads to another revelation—the nature of Mr. Tominski, the “dove magician,” who lives in the old chapel behind their house.
Gregory, Kristiana. Earthquake at Dawn. 1992. 192p. Harcourt/Gulliver, paper, $6 (0-15-
Gr. 5–9. This is a fictionalized version of the exploits of 22-year-old photographer Edith Irvine, whose images of the 1906 California earthquake revealed pervasive damage that belied government attempts to minimize its extent. Unfortunately, the photographic reproductions here are small and blurry.
Ingold, Jeanette. Pictures, 1918. 1998. 160p. Harcourt, $16 (0-15-201809-3); Puffin, paper, $5.99 (0-14-130695-5).
Gr. 6–9. Fifteen-year-old Asia McKinna, living in rural Texas during World War I, discovers a passion for photography. Ultimately, she finds her pursuit of this interest helps her deal with her feelings about the war, a series of unsolved arsons in her town, and her changing emotions about her long-time friend, Nick.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Rain Is Not My Indian Name. 2001. 144p. HarperCollins, $15.95
Gr. 5–7. Fourteen-year-old Cassidy has isolated herself since the death of her best friend. When controversy arises over her aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp, she is asked to take photographs for the town newspaper. Eventually she has to decide just how involved to get with her intertribal community.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how might those words be different if spoken by a woman narrator? Were early women photographers restricted in their ability to experiment with the new invention of the camera? Students can read about photographic pioneers Julia Cameron and Imogen Cunningham to draw their conclusions.
Photography has always been valued for its ability to show the truth. Whose truth is being depicted? Does the truth come from the subject of the photo or the person who makes the choice of what to photograph and what to leave out?
What kind of impact do current technological advances (such as laser photography, digital computer imaging, and holograms) have on the science and art of photography?
How do photographs of social or historical events affect us differently than paintings of the same events? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Students may refer to the photographic work of Margaret Bourke-White and Dorothea Lange to make comparisons with pictures of paintings from books or magazines.
What is the difference between a snapshot of a person and a photographic portrait? To help explore the distinction, students may observe the photographic work of Elsa Dorfman in En famille (Granary, 1999), a book that features many family portraits. The entire contents may be found online at http://www.granarybooks.com/books/dorfman/dorfman1.html.
How are we to define the work of modern photographers who use a combination of media? For example, Sandy Skoglund constructs scenes for her camera rather than looking for something to ph