Beth Anderson is no stranger to my blog. Her outstanding nonfiction biographies find little-known stories within a historical character's well-known life. Thomas Jefferson's Battle for Science: Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose! (Calkins Creek, 2024) is her latest contribution to her other great curriculum resources for grades 2-5. The engaging illustrations by Jeremy Holmes amplify the text and… Continue reading THOMAS JEFFERSON'S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE: A Picture Book Review and Giveaway
It seems as if we just celebrated New Year's and now it's time for Valentine's Day! To help celebrate, I have the perfect book for your child, grandchild, classroom or library-- VALENTINES FOR ALL: Esther Howland Captures America's Heart by Nancy Churnin and illustrated by Monika Rosa Wisniewska. REVIEWFrom the opening of the story where Esther… Continue reading Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Giveaway of VALENTINES FOR ALL by Nancy Churnin
It is my pleasure to introduce Bountiful Red Acres by my North Carolina friend, Eileen Heyes. Written for third-eighth graders, it details a year in the life of two families one Black and one White in Surry County, as they move from season to season in 1900. The book is beautifully illustrated by Dare Coulter and is… Continue reading BOUNTIFUL RED ACRES by Eileen Heyes: A Review, Author Interview and Giveaway
Have you ever wondered who invented the dishwasher? Read my review and you'll find out!REVIEW of Josephine and Her Dishwashing MachineThis STEM picture book by Kate Hannigan starts with an introduction that gives the reader an idea about this spunky woman and the historical context of the story. And I love how illustrator, Sarah Green, shows… Continue reading JOSEPHINE AND HER DISHWASHING MACHINE: A STEM Picture Book Giveaway
When a writer begins a work of historical fiction, she must start with research. For me, that means hours of reading Holocaust websites and books. As I mentioned in my first blog about Escape from Nuremberg, I decided to try my hand at writing a graphic novel. So, of course, that meant reading them to understand the genre.… Continue reading GAIJIN, BOMB, MAUS and I SURVIVED THE NAZI INVASION : Four WWII Graphic Novel Reviews
Claudia Friddell is no stranger to my blog. A year ago I featured her book, Saving Lady Liberty: Joseph Pulitzer Fight for the Statue of Liberty. Today I have another fantastic informational picture book, Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls (Calkins Creek, 2021). In Part II Claudia and illustrator Elizabeth Baddeley provide the back story to this glimpse… Continue reading GRACE BANKER AND HER HELLO GIRLS ANSWER THE CALL Part I- A Review and Informational Picture Book Giveaway
Congratulations to Bridgett Bell Langson who won, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. "I wrote BACK ON EARTH: When Men First Landed on the Moon in anticipation of the fiftieth Apollo Eleven anniversary in 2019," North Carolina author Gretchen Griffith said. "I wanted today's young readers to understand how significant this event was to the children who witnessed it." Illustrated… Continue reading Back on Earth: A Review and Giveaway
Some of you may remember my review of Sandra Warren's book, We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber and The Blue Ridge Parkway. After she wrote and published it, I challenged her to use her research to write an historical novel. She knew the story inside and out--so she… Continue reading She Started it All- A Review and Giveaway
Please see last week’s blog for the first part of my review of the audio CD of The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, its Regions, and the People. What follows is only a sampling of what Gilmour covers in this comprehensive history of a country he obviously loves. You have to read… Continue reading The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples- An Audio Book Review and Giveaway. Part II
Thanks to so many of you who visited last week's blog on Joyce Hostetter's cover reveal of DRIVE. The post had 1067 opens--which makes it the third most viewed post on my blog! ****** If you are a secret Italophile or dream of touring Venice, Florence, and Pompeii like I do, then this book is for… Continue reading The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples- An Audio Book Review and Giveaway. Part I