Best Books About Chicago

“Once you’ve become a part of this particular patch, you’ll never love another. Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies. But never a lovely so real.” Ernest Hemingway once said of Nelson Algren’s writing that “you should not read it if you cannot take a punch.” The prose poem, Chicago: City on the Make, filled wi...

Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that 'The Devil in the White City' is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for...

Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel have touted and promoted Chicago as a "world class city." The skyscrapers kissing the clouds, the billion-dollar Millennium Park, Michelin-rated restaurants, pristine lake views, fabulous shopping, vibrant theater scene, downtown flower beds and stellar architecture tell one story. Yet, swept under the rug i...

This is the story of Jane Addams, the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, who transformed a poor neighborhood in Chicago by opening up her house as a community center.This title has Common Core connections....

This time everyone's favorite wandering pooch blows through the Windy City with his owner Pete and Pete's family. After exploring the Magnificent Mile and scarfing down hot dogs at Navy Pier, the family boards a train at the railway station, losing sight of Larry when the hungr pup pursues a tasty snack... oh no! Will they ever be reunited? While L...

Next stop, Chicago! That's the shout from conductor Martha Day Zschock, who has taken children and their delighted parents on Journeys Around Boston, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Maine, Nantucket, and Cape Cod since starting this bestselling series in 1999. Hop aboard the L, circle the Loop, board a water taxi, walk the w...

Just like visitors and locals, Larry the pup loves the Navy Pier, Chicago-style hot dogs, the L, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, the “Bean”, and more! Fans of the best-selling Larry Gets Lost in Chicago will love this board book introducing young readers to the sites and sounds of the city. We know your little ones will too....

Now an HBO Film!“If one had to identify the single most influential shaping force in modern Black literary history, one would probably have to point to Wright and the publication of Native Son.” – Henry Louis Gates Jr.Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for...

Marvel at the treasures on display at the Art Institute, window shop along Michigan Avenue's mile-ong Magnificient Mile, or take in a game at Wrigley Field. Explore the Windy City, past and present....

Good night Chicago explores the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, Chicago River and bridges, Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum of Natural History, Water Tower Place, blues musicians, fantastic fountains, Adler Planetarium, and more. Welcome to the Windy City. Young readers will be treated to a personal tour of one of t...