Syncopated : An anthology of nonfiction picto-essays, by Brendan Burford, ed. New York: Villard, 2009

ISBN: 978-0345505293

Annotation: This collection of 16 illustrated essays covers an eclectic mix of topics: from farming, to a profile of a graffiti artist, to a transcription of FBI reports on treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Illustrations: pen and ink

Curricular Use: 9^th-12^th grade; Social Studies, Language Arts, Art, etc.

Use of Sophisticated Language: There are many instances in Syncopated of sophisticated language, as the essays are aimed at an audience of high school age and above. For example, in Tricia van den Bergh’s “Portfolio,” a picture-essay on Washington Square Park, she writes, “It’s absurd to me now that I thought this park was impervious to change, and that my initial feelings were of ill will toward its change. Every place is in a state of flux and attempts to document this phenomenon are fleeting.”

5Q/5P

DM 8/2/09