a team of brothers, a pair of heroes, and a boy in the Black Hills of S. Dakota have in common? They’re all the subjects of some of 2012’s wonderful new biographies for children. THOSE REBELS, JOHN & TOM by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Scholastic Press 2012) I adored this book and so… Read more »
May 2012
It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw by Don Tate
Bill Traylor began to draw when he was in his eighties! Not as a child raised as a slave. Nor as a young adult during the ravages of the Civil War. Most certainly not as a young father struggling to feed his family by working as a share cropper. No. Bill Traylor saved up a lifetime of vivid memories – historically… Read more »
Amazing “Firsts”
It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw by Don Tate, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, shows the life journey from slavery to artistry of Bill Traylor. His story is not always a happy one, but it is full of courage and “making do” when life goes in unexpected directions. Bill Traylor used bits… Read more »
FAQ: How do I get my kids to choose nonfiction for pleasure reading?
I’ve heard several arguments for why children should be reading more nonfiction, most of them concerning improving school performance and raising academic test scores. While these are admirable goals, it makes reading nonfiction sound akin to eating vegetables. My biggest reason for why kids should read nonfiction is: there are some engaging, interesting nonfiction books… Read more »
Your Friend, Louise Borden
DEAR READER, Years ago when I was attending elementary school in Cincinnati, Ohio, I had no clue that I would someday grow up to be a writer. I was too busy playing with my older sister Cindy, my younger sister Margaret and our friends in the neighborhood. On blue sky days, I loved to ride… Read more »
What’s Your Story, Louise Borden?
What’s your story? Who? Where? When? Let your readers know something interesting about your childhood years. Include the good and the bad, the funny and the serious. I had a wonderful childhood! I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and because of this I’m an avid baseball fan. My father used to take his three daughters… Read more »
People Who Made a Difference
HIS NAME WAS RAOUL WALLENBERG; COURAGE, RESCUE AND MYSTERY DURING WWII by Louise Borden. (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012) This book for older readers presents the true account of how Raoul Wallenberg from Sweden, educated in the US and working in Hungary when World War II broke out, repeatedly risked his own life to… Read more »
