Resources > Books
This is a list of books that we've read and that we believe contribute something to the field of media literacy. Click the book covers for more information.
Spongeheadz: U and MEdia by Lynn Ziegler
Understand Media contributor Lynn Ziegler brings us an entertaining book about child TV culture. "There is no other book on family television viewing quite like this one. SPONGEHEADZ: U & MEdia presents facts and trends in an engaging format--it offers activities, Web sites, resources, quotes from kids and other V.I.P.s, and info to make watching TV a truly interactive experience, rather than a passive assault on your senses." A fun read and perfect book for parents who want to learn along with their kids.
Media Literacy edited by Donaldo Macedo and Shirley R. Steinberg
The book attempts to produce a critical understanding of media culture designed to help students develop the ability to interpret media as well as understand the ways they themselves consume and affectively (emotionally) invest in media. Such an appreciation encourages both critical thinking and self-analysis, as students begin to realize that everyday decisions are not necessarily made freely and rationally. The book has a decidedly liberal point of view (which is ok), but this should have been mentioned up front.
Body Drama by Nancy Amanda Redd
The former Miss America contestant has written an interesting book that aims to show girls what other womens' bodies really look like.Ms. Redd calls it "an honest, funny, practical, medically accurate, totally reassuring guide to how women’s bodies actually look, smell, feel, behave, and change." There are a few mixed messages in the book, and the photographs aren't for the prudish reader, but otherwise it's an interesting read that brings body image literacy to a mass audience.
Media Literacy Handbook by Art Silverblatt, et al.
This handbook offers a range of critical approaches to the analysis of media content and messages. Each chapter focuses on a specific type of analysis, including ideological, autobiographical, nonverbal, mythic, and production elements. The authors, from the School of Communication at Webster University, provide a description of each method followed by the application of the method to a particular case. This book will be of interest as a college-level textbook and for academic libraries with communications collections.
