Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
The children’s picture book biography Her Name Was Mary Katharine by Ella Schwartz (illustrated by Dow Phumiruk; Christy Ottaviano Books, 2022) tells about the woman whose name is on The Declaration of Independence. As a woman in Revolutionary America, Mary Katharine Goddard had a unique opportunity to succeed as a printer, eventually securing the chance
With a story-frame of the spawning of newborn coral reef, Kate Messner’s The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the Coral Reef (illustrated by Matthew Forsythe; Chronicle, 2018) gives a biography of Ken Nedimyer, who began the Coral Restoration Foundation. He grew up with a deep interest in coral reefs and the picture book begins when he is
Throughout the picture book Flick a Switch: How Electricity Gets to Your Home by Barbara Seuling (illustrated by Nancy Tobin; Holiday House, 2003), a girl and her dog comment on what they see and learn about switches and electricity. It includes basic facts at an easy-to-read level, making it a great upper elementary-level research book
From the series title (History Smashers), it was obvious to me that Christopher Columbus and the Taino People by Kate Messner and Jose Barreiro (Random House, August 2023) was going to an accurate and historically based book about Christopher Columbus. Some books for kids glide over the negative aspects of Columbus’ journey to the Americas,
“If you look through the window of this house,” the author begins, “you can see the two of them [Charlotte and Anne] there, sitting at the table.” In this way, Sara O’Leary immerses the reader into the isolated and yet creative childhood of Charlotte, Bramwell, Emily, and Anne Brontë in The Little Books of the
The nonfiction picture book Rooting for Plants by Janice N. Harrington and illustrated by Theodore Taylor III (Calkins Creek, August 2023) tells the story of, as the subtitle states, “The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector.” This unknown-to-me Black scientist provided many insights into plants and fungi over the course of his lifetime,
The Girl Who Heard the Music by Marni Fogelson and Mahani Teave, illustrated by Maria Alvarez Miguens (Sourcebooks Explore, April 2023) tells the true story of Mahani Teave, who grew up to be a fantastic world-traveling pianist, only to return to her home island to see the mountains of trash remaining from the tourists. It
One series I’ve been reading over the past two months are books from the Childhood of Famous Americans series. I found them to be a mixed series. Some of the books are fabulous, while others are a slog. For the most part, each book in the Childhood of Famous Americans series has 15 chapters. The
One of the first “explorers” books about Christopher Columbus that my five-year-old son and I read for our homeschooling history year was Stephen Krensky’s early reader Christopher Columbus: Explorer and Colonist (originally published 1991). This was just what an early reader needs for nonfiction: easily accessible text, just enough information, and not too many pages. My
The illustrations to Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire are quaint color pencil, which matches the folktale-like subject matter. They don’t wow me as other Caldecott winners do, but as the 1940 Medal Winner, I think the art in d’Aulaires’ biography about Lincoln are sufficiently award-worthy. Abraham Lincoln reads like a novel; it was easy
Page [tcb_pagination_current_page] of [tcb_pagination_total_pages]
