Spring 2020 Book Roundup
Spring into W&M books
May 27, 2020
By
Jennifer Hughes
Wrestling your children into bed at night, solving a murder mystery in London, escaping the constricts of Victorian society, analyzing modern Russian cinema, helping teachers adapt to increasingly diverse classrooms – William & Mary alumni and faculty never fail to demonstrate a wide range of expertise and creativity in the books they write. Find your next “must read” in the spring quarterly book roundup of titles written by W&M alumni and faculty.
Alumni
Didi Dodo: Future Spy: Double-O Dodo by Tom Angleberger ’92
In the second book of the Didi Dodo series, Chef Koko Dodo’s assistant — the Queen — is kidnapped, so Didi goes undercover at the Humanland amusement park to find her.
The Sewer Rat Stink (Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel #1) by Tom Angleberger ’92 and Elisabetta Dami
Tom Angleberger begins a new graphic novel series with a mouse named Geronimo and his private detective friend Hercule as they investigate their city’s sewer system to locate the source of a horrible smell invading Mouse Island.
Chick and Brain: Egg or Eyeball? by Cece Bell ’92
As friends Chick, Brain and Spot discuss whether Brain’s new discovery is an eyeball or an egg, parents and their new readers will giggle and enjoy reading the second book of the Chick and Brain series together.
Too Much: How Victorian Constraints Still Bind Women Today by Rachel Vorona Cote ’07
Combining memoir and academic scholarship, Rachel Cote traces how cultural beliefs in the Victorian era bound women within strict constraints at the time and still impact women today. In addition, she offers analysis on how to undo these cultural restrictions.
Thriving in Love and Money: 5 Game-Changing Insights about Your Relationship, Your Money, and Yourself by Shaunti Feldhahn ’89 and Jeff Feldhahn
Money can be a difficult topic for couples, which is why Shanti Feldblum and her husband created this guidebook that is as much about relationships as it is about finances. Learn how to manage a combined budget and a relationship at the same time.
Friday Night Wrestlefest by Jenny F. Fox ’98; illustrated by Micah Player
After editing or ghostwriting more than 70 children’s books, Jenny Fox is stepping into the spotlight with “Friday Night Wrestlefest.” Dangerous Daddoo and Flying Mom Bomb embody parents everywhere as they wrestle their children to bed one Friday night.
Trident by Ann Searle Horowitz ’85
In this new young adult novel, 12-year old Richard tries out his new goggles in the pool one day only to discover that they’ve transported him to Atlantis. He finds himself embroiled in a war to save the mythic city and the world.
Mediating the Uprising: Narratives of Gender and Marriage in Syrian Television Drama by Rebecca Joubin ’91
Rebecca Joubin takes a scholarly look at Syrian dramas. She explains how some dramas in Syria reflect nostalgia for the pre-war era, while others critique the current political and cultural landscape and advocate for change.
Up Up, Down Down: Essays by Cheston Knapp ’04
Former managing editor of the well-respected Tin House magazine Cheston Knapp analyzes current American culture with humor that leads to meaningful insights in a collection of essays. “Up Up, Down Down” is his first book.
An Environmental History of the Civil War by Timothy Silver Ph.D. ’85 and Judkin Browning
Weather, animals, disease, topography and other environmental factors greatly impacted the Civil War. In return, the war influenced the natural world in numerous ways from changes in veterinary medicine to helping inspire a conservation movement that led to the first national parks. History lovers will enjoy this original scholarly look at the Civil War.
The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman ’09
Mystery fans will rejoice at the opportunity to escape in their imaginations to 1800s London. Katharine Schellman’s debut novel follows spirited Lily Adler as she returns to society and tries to rebuild her life after her husband dies. Lily never expected her new life to include a dead body found at a ball and solving a mystery with a Navy captain and a West Indian heiress.
Trad Nation: Gender, Sexuality, Race, and Irish Traditional Music by Tes Slominski ’96
Fiddle player and scholar Tes Slomunski uses extensive research to argue that ethnic nationalism shouldn’t be the only framework for understanding Irish musical traditions. In fact, her book argues that nationalism inhibits the development of traditional Irish music in the modern world. Her book also looks at current female musicians whose music was inspired by Ireland's efforts to become an independent nation.
Uncle Charles and Me by Dr. Maurice Smith ’92
In a new children’s book by the assistant principal of Prince Edward Middle School, readers can explore the important connection between an uncle and nephew and the influence young men can have on their families.
Faculty Books
Bridging the Theory-Practice Divide in International Relations by Sue Peterson, Wendy & Emery Reves Professor of Government and International Relations and co-director of the Global Research Institute, Mike Tierney ’87, M.A. ’88, George and Mary Hylton Professor of Government and International Relations and co-director of the Global Research Institute, Dan Maliniak ’06, assistant professor of government and public policy and principal investigator for the Teaching, Research and International Policy program, and Ryan Powers ’08, research scientist at the Global Research Institute
International relations scholars and policy professionals are at odds over whether the work that scholars produce is relevant for policy work. Thought leaders on both sides of the divide analyze their differences in this collection of academic essays.
Cinemasaurus: Russian Film in Contemporary Context co-edited by Alexander Prokhorov, associate chair of educational policy, Russian Studies program director and professor of Russian studies; Elena Prokhorova, an associate professor of Russian studies; and Nancy Condee
More than three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian cinema is undergoing a renaissance. American scholars studying the Russian film industry examine four major issues the industry faces in its current state.
The Curious Eye: Optics and Imaginative Literature in Seventeenth-Century England by Erin Webster, assistant professor of English
This academic book follows the historical debates over the limits of vision and whether technology can help overcome vision limitations. These debates began in a much older literary tradition that linked an enhanced ability to see with increased philosophical and spiritual perceptions.
The Kizilbash-Alevis in Ottoman Anatolia: Sufism, Politics and Community by Ayfer Karakaya-Stump, associate professor of history
Learn about the second largest religious community in Turkey in the first comprehensive history of the Kizilbash/Alevis and the related Bektashi group. Despite compromising a large role in Turkey’s religious community, Kizilbash/Alevis and Bektashi have been historically marginalized in Turkey.
Mathematical Statistics by Lawrence Leemis, professor of mathematics
Business majors and M.B.A. students will appreciate this look at the math behind statistics, which explains pertinent topics like random sampling and interval estimation.
Diverse Classrooms by Katherine Barko-Alva, assistant professor of ESL/bilingual education, Socorro G. Herrera and Lisa Porter
A resource for educators and schools that helps them move from outdated educational practices that marginalize students to current ones based on acceptance and respect, “Diverse Classrooms” can aid schools in reimagining what parental engagement means to them.
Evocative Coaching: Transforming Schools One Conversation at a Time (second edition) by Megan Tschannen-Moran, professor of educational leadership
The newest edition of “Evocative Coaching” provides an easy-to-use model for performance improvement in education. The book offers theory based on research, useful strategies and personal stories from coaches working in schools.
The Oxford Handbook of Children and the Law edited by James G. Dwyer, Arthur B. Hanson Professor of Law and Tazewell Taylor Research Professor
A comprehensive guide that covers the life process of humans from before birth to adulthood, “The Oxford Handbook of Children and the Law” provides a scholarly look at the law and science of reproduction, infant development and vulnerability, child protection policy and systems, child custody disputes and much more.