Bullard, Lisa My Clothes, Your Clothes
Illustrated by Renée Kurilla
Gr. K–3     24 pp.     Millbrook

Bullard, Lisa My Home, Your Home
Illustrated by Paula Becker
Gr. K–3     24 pp.     Millbrook

Cloverleaf Books: Alike and Different series. Young Jayden is thinking about "the right home for my family." He considers apartments, single-family houses, mobile homes, and more. Chloe wonders about clothing choices and learns about work attire from her moms, and personal expression and religious and cultural traditions from friends and family. Accompanied by cheerful cartoon illustrations, these are appealing if simplistic introductions. An activity concludes each volume. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Customs and Holidays; Identity; Clothing; Family—Same-sex parents; Dwellings; Family

Gordon, Stephen G. Expressing the Inner Wild: Tattoos, Piercings, Jewelry, and Other Body Art
High school     56 pp.     Twenty-First Century

From jewelry and makeup to transdermal implanting and scarification, Gordon explores the cultural history of body beautification and its varied contemporary practices. The chatty teen-speak ("ancient people really liked their bling") and fascinating photos of celebrities and people from around the world will thoroughly engage teenagers itching to get that daring haircut or first tattoo (sorry, parents!). Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.
Subjects: Customs and Holidays; Beauty, Personal; Body piercing; Tattooing; Jewelry

Miller, Shauna Penny Chic: How to Be Stylish on a Real Girl's Budget
Middle school, high school   178 pp.     Little/Poppy

Photographs by Shideh Miller. Fashion blogger Shauna Miller gives teens practical, savvy small-budget style advice. From finding your "style tribe" to assessing what's already in your closet, raiding family members' closets, DIYing, and shopping on the cheap, Miller's tone is consistently down-to-earth and encouraging: "the trick is having confidence, or as I like to say, 'owning it.'" Plenty of photographs in a clean layout visualize the ideas.
Subjects: Customs and Holidays; Fashion; Clothing

Ritchie, Scot Look Where We Live!: A First Book of Community Building
Gr. K–3     32 pp.     Kids Can

During a fundraising fair for the library, five friends and a dog visit various important community places, including the library, park, police station, and a retirement home. Information is packed into the age-appropriate text. The cartoonlike pictures are full of action; kids can look for the diverse group of friends in each double-page spread. Instructions for making a “community puzzle” are included. Glos.
Subjects: Customs and Holidays; Community helpers; Neighborhoods; City and town life

Tate, Nikki and Tate-Stratton, Dani Take Shelter: At Home Around the World
Gr. 4–6     48 pp.     Orca

Orca Footprints series. The myriad definitions of home are explored in this survey of domestic dwellings people have built across the world and over time. Arranged by structure type and filled with colorful photographs, chapters describe the materials and ingenuity involved in designing teepees, yurts, capsule hotels, and more (including many of the authors' past homes), spanning diverse socioeconomic situations and natural resources. Websites. Ind.
Subjects: Customs and Holidays; Dwellings; Architecture

From the January 2016 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.