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Susan Goldman Rubin
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Maya Lin: Thinking with Her Hands Kindle Edition

by Susan Goldman Rubin (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 19 ratings
See all formats and editions
“An intriguing look at how a creative, introspective child became a world-famous architect and artist.” —Shelf Awareness
 
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, is one of the most famous pieces of civic architecture in the world. But most people are not as familiar with the reserved college student who entered and won the design competition to build it. This accessible biography tells the story of Maya Lin, from her youth as a first-generation American to her struggle to stick with her vision of the memorial to the wide variety of works she has created since then.
 
The carefully researched text, paired with ample photos, crosses multiple interests—American history, civic activism, art history, and cultural diversity—as well as providing an important contribution to the current discussion of the role of women and minorities in society.
 
“A reading experience as thoughtful and emotionally connected as one of Lin’s installations.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
 
“A finely designed, endlessly compelling examination of the life and work of one of America’s most notable architects.” —Booklist (starred review)
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    1 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    114 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 6
  5. Lexile measure
    980L
  6. Publisher
    Chronicle Books LLC
  7. Publication date
    November 7, 2017
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  12. ISBN-13
    978-1452108377
  13. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4–8—For many, Maya Lin's name is synonymous with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This biography moves beyond that singular project to provide readers with a fuller picture of Lin. Born in the United States to Chinese parents and a "Class A nerd," she never felt that she fit in until college. Rubin incorporates information about Lin's life and family, while putting the primary focus of each chapter on a specific project. Lin's thinking is outlined in each case, whether it is how to help people understand the civil rights movement (the Civil Rights Memorial, Montgomery, AL) or how to raise hopes and spirits with her design for a chapel for the Children's Defense Fund in Clinton, TN. Pages of large text alternate with black-and-white family photos and striking color images of her designs, both as they were taking shape, and upon completed construction. The spare writing style and the book's uncluttered layout provide a reading experience as thoughtful and emotionally connected as one of Lin's installations. The narrative represents the artist's body of work from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to her current involvement with What Is Missing?, a project bringing attention to endangered species. VERDICT Thoughtfully written and visually engaging, this biography is a must for elementary and middle school libraries.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

Review

"A reading experience as thoughtful and emotionally connected as one of Lin's installations."-School Library Journal, starred review

"A reading experience as thoughtful and emotionally connected as one of Lin's installations."-School Library Journal, starred review

"An intriguing look at how a creative, introspective child became a world-famous architect and artist."--Shelf Awareness

"An intriguing look at how a creative, introspective child became a world-famous architect and artist."--Shelf Awareness

Booklist Editor's Choice

Booklist Editor's Choice

Read On Wisconsin! State Reading List 2018-2019

Read On Wisconsin! State Reading List 2018-2019

"A finely designed, endlessly compelling examination of the life and work of one of America's most notable architects."-Booklist, starred review

"A finely designed, endlessly compelling examination of the life and work of one of America's most notable architects."-Booklist, starred review

"Thoughtfully written and visually engaging."--School Library Journal, starred review

"Thoughtfully written and visually engaging."--School Library Journal, starred review

"An engaging, admiring, and insightful portrait of an uncompromising, civic-minded, visionary artist."-Kirkus Reviews

"An engaging, admiring, and insightful portrait of an uncompromising, civic-minded, visionary artist."-Kirkus Reviews

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B072313BZF
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books LLC; Illustrated edition (November 7, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 7, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 16456 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 114 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

About the author

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Susan Goldman Rubin

Susan Goldman Rubin

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Susan Goldman Rubin grew up in the Bronx and dreamed of becoming an artist. She illustrated her first three picture books but then turned to writing nonfiction, mainly about art and history, and is the author of more than 55 books for young people. Her titles include Diego Rivera: An Artist For The People, They Call Me A Hero: A Memoir of My Youth, Music Was It! Young Leonard Bernstein, Everyone Paints! The Art and Lives of the Wyeth Family, and Freedom Summer: The 1964 Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
19 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

M. Wei
5.0 out of 5 stars Creative inspiration
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
Enjoyed reading this with my 12 yr old, creative daughter. I’ve followed Maya Lin through her career but this was written for an audience like my daughter. Nice to share this with her and hope it inspires her.
One person found this helpful
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KarenRachel
5.0 out of 5 stars Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2017
Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands is a perfect book for middle school students. It captures May Lin's body of work, not just the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Before I read this book I did not know that she had so many more architectural pieces.

I remeber the controversy surrounding the Vietnam Veteran's memorial. I was fairly young but it was a topic of discussion in my family. I remember my mother believed that it was the perfect memorial for a war that killed so many and hurt so many more.. I could not have said it so well.

In Maya Lin: Thinking with Her Hands I developed a richer understanding of the woman who created so much meaningful art. I learned about her upbrining in a family that treasured art, the dislocation of her parents who longed to go home to China, how much she loved school and loved learning and how, though shy and reserved, she decided to enter the contest to build a memorial for Vietnam Vets. I was stunned by the Vietnam Vets Memorial when I finally had the opportunity to see it in Washinton, D.C. and suprised and moved to learn that she designed so many more beautiful buildings. Honestly, after seeing the pictures in the book I want the opportunity to see all of Maya Lin's work and it is now on my bucket list. Thank you for the wonderful crisp and clear photographs and the rich detail of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.
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Cynthia Hudson
5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of MotherDaughterBookClub. com
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2017
Maya Lin was thrust into the national spotlight when her design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., completed as a college project, won out over other entries. In her early 20s, she found herself in a struggle to keep the integrity of her vision during a national conversation in which powerful people demanded changes. The experience set the tone for major projects that would come throughout her career.

Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands by Susan Goldman Rubin tells the story of Lin’s life in a biography accessible to young readers aged 8 to 12. While showcasing Lin’s work, the story also focuses on her groundbreaking role as an artist, an achievement even more impressive considering she began her career during a time when women and minorities had to work extra hard to be taken seriously. Photographs show not only Lin’s work, but how people interact with her installations, which include buildings, memorials, and places in nature.

The book’s release coincides with the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, which makes it a good time to reflect on the social changes that have occurred during Lin’s career.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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