Harold Washington College Faculty Publications: Books by HWC Faculty

The rising cost of tuition, increasing competition, and mounting student loan debt has caused educational leaders to rethink degree programs and resources for learners. As such, open educational resources, prior learning assessment, open degree plans, and competency-based learning have gained popularity in the field of higher education. Enhancing Education Through Open Degree Programs and Prior Learning Assessment is a critical scholarly resource that examines teaching and learning materials that learners may freely use and reuse without charge. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as open educational resources, prior learning assessment, and competency-based learning, this book is geared towards educations, professionals, school administrators, researchers, academicians, librarians, and students seeking current research on equity and access to higher education for all learners across the globe.

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, British theatre saw a shift from what critics call 'Restoration' to 'sentimental' comedy. Focusing on the career of the Irish dramatist George Farquhar (1678-1707), this book argues that experimentation was the basis for this change.

Did you know that T.S. Eliot's book "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" is the text on which Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Cats" (1981) is based? Throughout his work, twentieth-century poet, dramatist, and critic T.S. Eliot examined his historical place and relevance in the world. While tradition and culture are fundamental themes in his work, how does Eliot use music to explore these themes, achieve order, and find a solution to his existential questions?

From the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk comes the story of four kids who form an alternative Scout troop that shakes up their sleepy Florida town. * "Writing with wry restraint that's reminiscent of Kate DiCamillo... a beautiful tale." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. Ofelia Castillo (a budding journalist), Aster Douglas (a bookish foodie), and Cat Garcia (a rule-abiding birdwatcher) meet the kid behind the invite, Lane DiSanti, and it isn't love at first sight. But they soon bond over a shared mission to get the Floras, their local Scouts, to ditch an outdated tradition. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn't know they needed- sisterhood.

From the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk, a dazzling novel about a young girl who learns the missing pieces of her origin story from the family of legendary luchadores she's just met. Twelve-year-old Adela "Addie" Ramirez has a big decision to make when her stepfather proposes adoption. Addie loves Alex, the only father figure she's ever known, but with a new half brother due in a few months and a big school theater performance on her mind, everything suddenly feels like it's moving too fast. She has a million questions, and the first is about the young man in the photo she found hidden away in her mother's things. Addie's sleuthing takes her to a New Mexico ranch, and her world expands to include the legendary Bravos- Rosie and Pancho, her paternal grandparents and former professional wrestlers; Eva and Maggie, her older identical twin cousins who love to spar in and out of the ring; Uncle Mateo, whose lucha couture and advice are unmatched; and Manny, her biological father, who's in the midst of a career comeback. As luchadores, the Bravos's legacy is strong. But being part of a family is so much harder-it's about showing up, taking off your mask, and working through challenges together.

A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book The First Rule of Punk is a wry and heartfelt exploration of friendship, finding your place, and learning to rock out like no one's watching. There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school--you can't fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (María Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School's queen bee, violates the school's dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself.   The real Malú loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please). And when she assembles a group of like-minded misfits at school and starts a band, Malú finally begins to feel at home. She'll do anything to preserve this, which includes standing up to an anti-punk school administration to fight for her right to express herself! Black and white illustrations and collage art by award-winning author Celia C. Pérez are featured throughout. "Malú rocks!" --Victoria Jamieson, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning Roller Girl

Winner of the Four Way Books Intro Prize as selected by Vievee Francis, Valerie Wallace's House of McQueen is a fascinating, glittering debut by an assured new voice. Inhabiting the life and work of Alexander McQueen, Wallace builds a fantastical world using both original language and excerpts drawn from interviews, supermodels, Shakespeare, Poe, and more. At turns fierce and vulnerable, precise and decadent, here is a collection that leaps from runway to fairytale to street with wild, brilliant grace.

"Winner of the Paz Prize for Poetry, this dual-language book explores perseverance and survival in the face of violence, displacement, and defeat." --Publishers Weekly "In this bilingual edition (superbly translated from the Spanish by Lawrence Schimel) Puerto Rican poet Vázquez Paz grapples with the violence against the psyche . . . and with the violence of displacement . . . These poems are a celebration of female strength and imagination: 'I am a woman: I endure much/ but the day is short.'"--NBC Latino, one of the Best Latino Books of 2019 Previous winners of the Paz Prize for Poetry include Miami Century Fox, by Legna Rodríguez Iglesias and translated by Eduardo Aparicio, Nine Coins/Nueve monedas, by Carlos Pintado and translated by Hilary Vaughn Dobel, and Colaterales/Collateral by Dinapiera Di Donato and translated by Ricardo Alberto Maldonado.

Heldt embraces the mysteries of existence while expatiating on bus stations, the curves of a spoon, or blue jays and scuppernongs. In the end it is the graceful and physical language that will bring you back and back again to these beguiling poems.--Corey Mesler, author of Some Identity Problems.