Recommendations based on Locomotiveby Brian Floca

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade

    by Melissa Sweet
    Story of Tony Sarg and his pioneering puppetry in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

    A Sibert Medal-winning picture book biography and perfect Thanksgiving Day read about the invention of the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! From Caldecott honor artist Melissa ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. Snowflake Bentley

    by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
    A heartwarming story of a man's dedication to snowflake photography and his passion for understanding nature.

    "Of all the forms of water the tiny six-pointed crystals of ice called snow are incomparably the most beautiful and varied." — Wilson Bentley (1865–1931) Snow in Vermont is as common as dirt. Why ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

    by Mordicai Gerstein
    A heroic story of a tightrope walker who successfully crossed the Twin Towers in 1974.

    From a highly-respected picture book author/illustrator comes a lyrical evocation of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers. ... (Goodreads)

  4. March: Book One

    by John Lewis
    A firsthand account of the civil rights movement in America, and its impact on history.

    On March 7, 1965, John Lewis, a young man, stands on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama with fellow civil rights activists during the Selma to Montgomery marches on "Bloody Sunday". They are ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Me...Jane

    by Patrick McDonnell
    A young girl embarks on a journey of exploration and imagination, inspired by the life of Jane Goodall.

    Patrick McDonnell-beloved, bestselling author-artist and creator of the Mutts syndicated comic strip–shares the inspiring story of young Jane Goodall, the legendary and inspiring conservationist ... (Goodreads)

  6. And Tango Makes Three

    by Justin Richardson
    A heartwarming true story of two male penguins who adopt an egg and raise a chick together in the Central Park Zoo.

    In the zoo there are all kinds of animal families. But Tango's family is not like any of the others. This illustrated children's book fictionalizes the true story of two male penguins who became ... (Goodreads)

  7. El Deafo

    by Cece Bell
    Autobiographical graphic novel about a girl who becomes deaf and learns to navigate the world with her hearing aid, the Phonic Ear.

    The book depicts the childhood of Cece Bell, who required the assistance of a Phonic Ear hearing aid while she was growing up to be the person who she is now. While the hearing aid enables her to ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Brown Girl Dreaming

    by Jacqueline Woodson
    A poetic memoir of a young girl's coming-of-age in the Civil Rights era.

    Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. ... (Goodreads)

  9. Humans of New York

    by Brandon Stanton
    Collection of stories and photographs of people from all walks of life in New York City.

    A beautiful, heartfelt, funny and inspiring collection of photographs capturing the spirit of a city, In the summer of 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton set out on an ambitious project: to ... (Goodreads)

  10. We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast

    by Jonathan Safran Foer
    A call to action for individuals to make small changes in their daily lives to combat climate change and save the planet.

    Some people reject the fact, overwhelmingly supported by scientists, that our planet is warming because of human activity. But do those of us who accept the reality of human-caused climate change ... (Goodreads)

  11. Drawing from Memory

    by Allen Say
    A memoir of Allen Say's childhood in Japan and his journey to become an artist in America.

    DRAWING FROM MEMORY is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia

    by Candace Fleming
    A detailed account of the Romanov family's rise to power, their downfall, and the events leading up to their tragic end.

    Here is the tumultuous, heartrending, true story of the Romanovs—at once an intimate portrait of Russia's last royal family and a gripping account of its undoing. Using captivating photos and ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

    by Deb Perelman
    A collection of recipes for delicious, home-cooked meals, with tips for kitchen success.

    The long-awaited cookbook by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen—home cook, mom, photographer, and celebrated food blogger. Deb Perelman loves to cook. It’s as simple as that. She isn’t a chef or a ... (Goodreads)

  14. Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You

    by Lin-Manuel Miranda
    A collection of uplifting and inspiring messages to start and end your day with positivity and motivation.

    From the creator and star of, Hamilton, with beautiful illustrations by Jonny Sun, comes a book of affirmations to inspire readers at the beginning and end of each day. Good morning. Do NOT get stuck ... (Goodreads)

  15. Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything

    by Geneen Roth
    A journey to spiritual discovery through mindful eating and understanding of the connection between food and the soul.

    Roth began exploring emotional eating in her bestseller When Food Is Love . Now, two decades later, here is her masterwork: WOMEN FOOD AND GOD . The way you eat is inseparable from your core beliefs ... (Goodreads)

  16. My Dog: The Paradox: A Lovable Discourse about Man's Best Friend

    by Matthew Inman
    A humorous and heartwarming comic book about the joys and challenges of owning a dog.

    Matthew Inman dishes another helping of hilarity from his online comic The Oatmeal in My Dog: The Paradox . After years of carefully observing his own dog, Rambo, Inman follows his #1 New York Times ... (Goodreads)

  17. Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope, and Repair

    by Anne Lamott
    A memoir on the author's journey through addiction, loss, and grief, finding hope and healing through faith, community, and creativity.

    “Lamott’s …most insightful book yet,, Stitches, offers plenty of her characteristic witty wisdom…this slim, readable volume [is] a lens on life, widening and narrowing, encouraging each reader to ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery

    by Miguel Ruiz
    A guide to personal growth and self-mastery, based on ancient Toltec wisdom. The fifth agreement is to be skeptical but learn to listen.

    In, The Four Agreements, , don Miguel Ruiz revealed how the process of our education, or "domestication," can make us forget the wisdom we were born with. Throughout our lives, we make many ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. Enrique's Journey

    by Sonia Nazario
    A young man's perilous search for his mother in the US, crossing the Mexican border.

    A true story from award-winning journalist Sonia Nazario recounting the odyssey of a Honduran boy who braves hardship and peril to reach his mother in the United States. In this astonishing true ... (Goodreads)

  20. Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir

    by Liz Prince
    A young woman's exploration of gender identity, and the challenges she faces growing up.

    Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, dressing in pink tutus or playing pretty princess like the other girls in her neighborhood. But she wasn't exactly one of the guys, either. She was ... (Goodreads)

  21. Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions

    by Lysa TerKeurst
    A guide to understanding emotions, making wise choices, and living with peace.

    Do you ever feel like your emotions are working against you? Though we may find ourselves stuffing down emotions, exploding with emotions, or reacting somewhere in between, Lysa TerKeurst assures us ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

    by Steve Sheinkin
    A riveting account of the race to build the world's first atomic bomb during WWII.

    In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific ... (Goodreads)

  23. Bruchko: The Astonishing True Story of a 19-Year-Old American, His Capture by the Motilone Indians and His Adventures in Christianizing the Stone Age Tribe

    by Bruce Olson
    A 19-year-old's experiences living among and converting a Stone Age tribe in South America.

    What happens when a nineteen-year-old boy leaves home and heads into the jungles to evangelize a murderous tribe of South American Indians?, For Bruce Olson, it meant capture, disease, terror, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper

    by Diablo Cody
    A funny, poignant memoir of a young journalist's year spent working in a strip club.

    Decreed by David Letterman (tongue in cheek) on CBS TV’s The Late Show to be the pick of “Dave’s Book Club 2006,” Candy Girl is the story of a young writer who dared to bare it all as a stripper. At ... (Goodreads)

  25. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

    by Anthony Bourdain
    A humorous and unflinching account of life in restaurant kitchens, exploring the culture and camaraderie of the culinary world.

    A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute ... (Goodreads)

  26. Letting Go: The Pathway To Surrender

    by David R. Hawkins
    A guide to letting go of negative emotions and attachments, leading to inner peace and spiritual growth.

    Letting Go, describes a simple and effective means by which to let go of the obstacles to Enlightenment and become free of negativity. During the many decades of the author’s clinical psychiatric ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. What the Bleep Do We Know!?: Discovering the Endless Possibilities for Altering Your Everyday Reality

    by William Arntz
    Exploring the power of thought and how it shapes our reality.

    Gravity sometimes doesn't work. Some things are both waves and particles. . .at the same time. Electrons simply disappear . . . all the time. If the universe is this wild and unpredictable, so full ... (Goodreads)

  28. Lincoln: A Photobiography

    by Russell Freedman
    A visual biography of Abraham Lincoln, featuring photographs and historical context of his life and presidency.

    Abraham Lincoln stood out in a crowd as much for his wit and rollicking humor as for his height. This Newbery Medal-winning biography of our Civil War president is warm, appealing, and illustrated ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America

    by George Packer
    An exploration of America's political and economic decline over the last few decades.

    A riveting examination of a nation in crisis, from one of the finest political journalists of our generation American democracy is beset by a sense of crisis. Seismic shifts during a single ... (Goodreads)

  30. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

    by William McDonough
    A revolutionary approach to design, advocating for products that can be reused or recycled indefinitely, creating a sustainable and regenerative economy.

    "Reduce, reuse, recycle," urge environmentalists; in other words, do more with less in order to minimize damage. But as architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart point out in this ... (Goodreads)