Amelia Earhart was a woman of many firsts. In 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1935, she became the first woman to fly across the Pacific. From her early years to her mysterious 1937 disappearance while attempting a flight around the world, readers will find her life a fascinating story. 8-12 years
Daring Amelia
By Barbara Lowell, Illustrated by Jez Tuya
Even as a kid, Amelia Earhart was always looking for adventures. She had mud ball fights, explored caves, and even built a roller coaster in her backyard. The adventures continued as she grew up.
Amelia took flying lessons and was soon performing stunts in the sky. She became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. Still, Amelia wanted to achieve more. She set out to fly around the world. Tragedy struck when Amelia was unable to find the smallisland in the Pacific Ocean she needed to land on. Amelia Earhart is remembered today as a daring explorer who loved to fly. 6-8 years. Teacher Guide available at:https://barbaralowell.com/teacher-guide-2/
Trailblazers: Amelia Earhart, The First Woman Over the Atlantic
By Sally J. Morgan, Illustrated by David Shepard
On June 19, 1928, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to cross the Atlantic in an airplane. From building her own roller coaster as a child, to climbing to the roof of her boarding school, Amelia was a born daredevil. Find out how the girl who loved watching air shows blazed a trail in aviation! 8-12 years
Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the Sky!
By James Buckley, Jr., Illustrated by Kelly Tindall
When Amelia Earhart became the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932. She immediately became an American icon and a subject of endless fascination for generations to come. This book is the story of the bold and daring aviator’s life presented in graphic novel format, with full-color illustrations and historically accurate details. From her hardscrabble childhood to her final flight—and mysterious disappearance—Earhart’s journey will entertain, captivate, and inspire readers of all ages. 8-12 years
It’s Her Story — Amelia Earhart, A Graphic Novel
By Kim Moldofsky, Illustrated by Alan Brown
Amelia Earhart was the first women to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She piloted many record-breaking flights, became an author, advised engineers, taught college students, and defended women’s rights. And then somewhere in the South Pacific, she disappeared on an attempted flight around the world. This is her story. 7-10 years
Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride
By Pam Munoz Ryan, Illustrated by Brian Selznick
Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt were birds of a feather. Not only were they two of the most admired and respected women of all time, they were also good friends.
On a brisk and cloudless evening in April 1933, Amelia and Eleanor did the unprecedented: They stole away from a White House dinner, commandeered an Eastern Air Transport jet, andtook off on a glorious adventure, while still dressed in their glamorous evening gowns. 7-10 years
Amelia Earhart: The Legend of the Lost Aviator
By Shelley Tanaka, Illustrated by David Craig
Ever since Amelia Earhart and her plane disappeared on July 2, 1937, people have wanted to know more about this remarkable woman. This book follows the charismatic aviator from her first sight of an airplane at the age of ten to the last radio transmission she made before she vanished. 8-12 years
Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic
By Robert Burleigh, Illustrated by Wendell Minor
Robert Burleigh has captured Amelia Earhart’s first solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932. She was the first woman and only the second person to do this. 4-8 years
When Amelia Earhart Build a Roller Coaster
By Mark Weakland, Illustrated by Oksana Griviana
Amelia Earhart was one of America’s most famous aviators. But do you know what she was like as a child? From running on the river bluffs and playing football to building a roller coaster, Amelia was an active and confident child. Her childhood story will help young readers connect to this historic figure and inspire them. 6-12 years
I am Unstoppable: A Little Book About Amelia Earhart
By Brad Meltzer, Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
This friendly, fun biography focuses on the traits that made Amelia Earhart great—the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. In this new board book format, the very youngest readers can learn about one of America’s icons a lively, conversational way. The short text focuses on drawing inspiration from the famous pilot and includes an interactive element and factual tidbits that young kids will be able to connect with. 2-5 years
Amelia Lost
By Candace Fleming
In alternating chapters, Candace Fleming deftly moves readers back and forth between Amelia’s life, from childhood to her last flight, and the exhaustive search for Amelia and her missing plane. With photos, maps, and handwritten notes from Amelia, this book tackles everything from the history of flight to what Amelia liked to eat while flying. 8 and up
Amelia Earhart: A Photographic Story of a Life
By Tanya Lee Stone
With more than 100 full-color photographs, illustrations, and detailed sidebars, this book celebrates an aviation pioneer who changed how the world is viewed: aviatrix Amelia Earhart. 10 years and up
The descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you liked this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
Lives of Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought)
By Kathleen Krull, Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt
Most people can name some famous artists and recognize their best-known works. But what’s behind all the painting, drawing, and sculpting? What was Leonardo da Vinci’s snack of choice while he painted Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile? Why did Georgia O’Keeffe find bones so appealing? Who called Diego Rivera “Frog-Face”? And what is it about artists that makes both their work and their lives so fascinating?
The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse
By Patricia MacLachlan, Illustrated by Hadley Hooper
If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France, what would your life be like? Would it be full of color and art? Full of lines and dancing figures? Find out in this beautiful, unusual picture book about one of the world’s most famous and influential artists.
The Fantastic Jungle of Henri Rousseau
By Michelle Markel, Illustrated by Amanda Hall
Henri Rousseau wanted to be an artist. But he had no formal training. Instead, he taught himself to paint. He painted until the jungles and animals and distant lands in his head came alive on his canvases. He endured the harsh critics of his day and created the brilliant paintings that now hang in museums around the world.
Matisse’s Garden
By Samantha Friedman, Illustrated by Christina Amodeo
One day, the French artist Henri Matisse cut a small bird out of a piece of paper. It looked lonely all by itself, so he cut out more shapes to join it. Before he knew it, Matisse had transformed his walls into larger-than-life gardens, filled with brightly colored plants, animals, and shapes of all sizes.
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
By Javaka Steptoe
Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City.
Women Artists A to Z
By Melanie LaBarge, Illustrated by Caroline Corrigan
How many women artists can you name? From Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe, to Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Xenobia Bailey, this illustrated alphabet picture book presents both famous and underrepresented women in the fine arts from a variety of genres: painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and more.
Each spread features a simple line of text encapsulating the creator’s iconic work in one word, such as “D is for Dots” (Yayoi Kusama) and “S is for Spider” (Louise Bourgeois), followed by slightly longer text about the artist for older readers who would like to know more. Backmatter includes extended biographies and discussion questions for budding creatives and trailblazers.
My Name is Georgia
A Portrait by Jeanette Winter
From the time she was just a young girl, Georgia O’Keeffe viewed the world in her own way. While other girls played with toys and braided their hair, Georgia practiced her drawing and let her hair fly free. As an adult, Georgia followed her love of art from the steel canyons of New York City to the vast plains of New Mexico. There she painted all day, and slept beneath the stars at night. Throughout her life Georgia O’Keeffe followed her dreams and so found her way to become a great American artist.
The Artist Who Loved Cats: The Inspiring Tale of Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen
By Susan Schaefer Bernardo, Illustrated by Courtney Fletcher
This story opens in modern-day France, when a little girl named Antoinette notices a little bronze cat in the window of her favorite antique store, and begs the shopkeeper Monsieur Arvieux and his clever cat Noir to tell her all about the artist. She learns that Steinlen moved to Paris in 1881 to pursue his artistic dreams, ultimately creating not just the Chat Noir posters but also more than 700 journal illustrations, famous posters, sculptures, cartoon strips and paintings, and even used his art to make the world a better place. Many of Steinlen’s artworks feature cats, his favorite subject.
Rembrandt and the Boy Who Drew Dogs: A Story About Rembrandt van Rijn
By Molly Blaisdell and Nancy Lane
Author Molly Blaisdell transports young readers to the city of Amsterdam in the 1650s. It is a time when world-renowned artist Rembrandt van Rijn is at the height of fame among his patrons — and when his young son Titus longs to imitate him father and become a great painter. At first, Rembrandt rebuffs Titus’s attempts at drawing, but gradually is won over by his son’s enthusiasm and persistence, and he begins to teach Titus the basic techniques of drawing from life.
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin
By Jen Bryant, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
As a child in the late 1800s, Horace Pippin loved to draw. He drew pictures for his sisters, his classmates, his co-workers. Even during WWI, Horace filled his notebooks with drawings from the trenches…until he was shot. Upon his return home, Horace couldn’t lift his right arm. He couldn’t make any art. Slowly, with lots of practice, he regained use of his arm, until once again, he was able to paint, and paint, and paint. Before long, his paintings were displayed in galleries and museums across the country.
Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and the Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever
By Barbara Lowell, Illustrated by Dan Andreasen
The true story of young Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, and his dog Spike the inspiration for Snoopy. A Junior Library Guild Selection. Doggone fun! — Booklist Starred Review
Who Was Frieda Kahlo?
By Sarah Fabiny, Illustrated by Jerry Hoare
You can always recognize a painting by Frieda Kahlo because she is in nearly all — with her black braided hair and colorful Mexican outfits. A brave woman who was an invalid most of her life, she transformed herself into a living work of art. As famous for her self-portraits and haunting imagery as she was for her marriage to another famous artist, Diego Rivera, this strong and courageous painter was inspired by the ancient culture and history of her beloved homeland, Mexico.
The Noisy Paint Box
By Barb Rosenstock, Illustrated by Mary GrandPre
Vasya Kandinsky was a proper little boy: he studied math and history, he practiced the piano, he sat up straight and was perfectly polite. And when his family sent him to art classes, they expected him to paint pretty houses and flowers — like a proper artist.
But as Vasya opened his paint box and began mixing the reds, the yellows, the blues, he heard a strange sound — the swirling colors trilled like an orchestra tuning up for a symphony. And as he grew older, Vasya continued to hear brilliant colors singing and to see sounds dancing. But was Vasya brave enough to put aside his proper still lifes and portraits and paint…music?
Just Behave, Pablo Picasso
By Jonah Winter, Pictures by Kevin Hawkes
“One day the world is peaceful, lovely landscape painting…The next day — BLAM! — Pablo bursts through the canvas, paintbrush in hand, ready to paint something fresh and new.”
Pablo Picasso may have been one of the most famous artists of the 20th century, but that doesn’t mean he painted what people wanted him to paint. Some people hated his paintings and called them ugly and terrible. But Picasso didn’t listen to all those people. He kept on working the way he wanted to, until he created something new, so different, that people didn’t know what to say.
Action Jackson
By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker
One late spring morning the American artist Jackson Pollock began work on the canvas that would ultimately come to be known as Number 1. The authors use this moment as the departure point for a picture book about a great painter and the way in which he worked.
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
This beautifully written biography tells the story of E.B. White, the author of Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. Caldecott Honor winner Melissa Sweet mixes White’s personal letters, photos, and family keepsakes with her own artwork to tell the story of this American literary icon. E.B White was a journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children’s book author who loved words his whole life.
Through the Wardrobe: How C.S. Lewis Created Narnia
By Lina Maslo
As a child, Clive Staples Lewis imagined many things . . . heroic animals, and knights in armor, and a faraway land called Boxen. He even thought of a new name for himself—at four years old, he decided he was more of a Jack. As he grew up, though, Jack found that the real world was not as just as the one in his imagination. No magic could heal the sick or stop a war, and a bully’s words could pierce as sharply as a sword. So Jack withdrew into books and eventually became a well-known author for adults.
But he never forgot the epic tales of his boyhood, and one day a young girl’s question about an old family wardrobe inspired him to write a children’s story about a world hidden beyond its fur coats . . . a world of fauns and queens and a lion named Aslan. A world of battles between good and evil, where people learned courage and love and forgiveness. A magical realm called Narnia. And the books he would write about this kingdom would change his life and that of children the world over.
Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen: The Story of Six Novels, Three Notebooks, a Writing Box and One Clever Girl
By Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by Qin Leng
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of our greatest writers. But before that, she was just an ordinary girl. In fact, young Jane was a bit quiet and shy; if you had met her back then, you might not have noticed her at all. But she would have noticed you. Jane watched and listened to all the things people around her did and said, and locked those observations away for safekeeping.
Jane also loved to read. She devoured everything in her father’s massive library and before long, she began creating her own stories. In her time, the most popular books were grand adventures and romances, but Jane wanted to go her own way…and went on to invent an entirely new kind of novel.
The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Suzy)
by Barbara Kerley, Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
Suzy Clemens thought the world was wrong about her papa. They saw Mark Twain as “a humorist joking at everything.” But he was so much more, and Susy was determined to set the record straight. In a journal she kept under her pillow, Susy documented her world-famous father from his habits (good and bad) to his writing routine to their family’s colorful home life. Her frank, funny, tender biography (which came to be one of Twain’s most prized possessions) gives rare insight and an unforgettable perspective on an American icon.
Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder
by William Anderson, Illustrated by Dan Andreasen
This picture book biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder tells the remarkable story of the pioneer girl who would one day immortalize her adventures in the beloved Little House books. This biography captures the essence of the little girl called “Half-pint,” whose classic books and pioneer adventures have made her one of the most popular literary figures in America.
A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creator of the Snowy Day
By Andrea Davis Pinkney, Illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher
The story of The Snowy Day begins more than one hundred years ago, when Ezra Jack Keats was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. The family were struggling Polish immigrants, and despite Keats’s obvious talent, his father worried that Ezra’s dream of being an artist was an unrealistic one. But Ezra was determined. By high school he was winning prizes and scholarships. Later, jobs followed with the WPA and Marvel comics. But it was many years before Keats’s greatest dream was realized and he had the opportunity to write and illustrate his own book. For more than two decades, Ezra had kept pinned to his wall a series of photographs of an adorable African American child. In Keats’s hands, the boy morphed into Peter, a boy in a red snowsuit, out enjoying the pristine snow; the book became The Snowy Day, winner of the Caldecott Medal, the first mainstream book to feature an African American child. It was also the first of many books featuring Peter and the children of his — and Keats’s — neighborhood.
Will’s Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk
by Jane Sutcliffe, Illustrated by John Shelley
When Jane Sutcliffe set out to write a book about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, she ran into a problem: Will’s words keep popping up all over the place. What’s an author to do? After all, Will is responsible for such familiar phrases as “what’s done is done” and “too much of a good thing.” He even helped turn “household words” into household words. But — what better words are there to use to write about the greatest writer in the English language than his very own?
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
by Jen Bryant, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
When he wrote poems, William Carlos Williams felt as free as the Passaic River rushing to the falls. His notebooks filled up, one after another. His words gave him freedom and peace, but he also knew he needed to earn a living. He became a doctor yet never stopped writing poetry. This biography celebrates the amazing man who found a way to earn a living and to honor his calling to be a poet.
Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People
By Monica Brown, Illustrated by Julie Paschkis
Once there was a little boy named Neftalí who loved wild things wildly and quiet things quietly. From the moment he could talk, he surrounded himself with words. Neftalí discovered the magic between the pages of books. When he was sixteen, he began publishing his poems as Pablo Neruda.
Pablo wrote poems about the things he loved―things made by his friends in the café, things found at the marketplace, and things he saw in nature. He wrote about the people of Chile and their stories of struggle. Because above all things and above all words, Pablo Neruda loved people.
Enormous Smallness: A Story of E.E. Cummings
by Matthew Burgess, Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
Some of E.E. Cummings’s wonderful poems are integrating into a story that gives readers the music of his voice and a spirited, sensitive introduction to his poetry. This book emphasizes the bravery it takes to follow one’s own vision and the encouragement E.E. received to do just that.
Beatrix Potter and the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig
By Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by Charlotte Voake
Deborah Hopkinson takes readers back to Victorian England and the home of budding young artist and animal lover Beatrix Potter. When Beatrix brings home her neighbor’s pet guinea pig so that she can practice painting it, well . . . it dies! Now what? Written in the form of a “picture letter,” this mostly true tale is a wonderful introduction to a beloved author/illustrator. An author’s note includes photographs and more information about Beatrix Potter’s life and work.
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
Andrea Davis Pinkney and Illustrator Brian Pinkney
Born into slavery, Belle had to endure the cruelty of several masters before she escaped to freedom. But she knew she wouldn’t really be free unless she was helping to end injustice. That’s when she changed her name to Sojourner and began traveling across thecountry, demanding equal rights for black people and for women. Many people weren’t ready for her message, but Sojourner was brave and her truth was powerful. And slowly, but surely as Sojourner’s step-stomp stride, America began to change.
Martin and Mahalia His Words, Her Song
Andrea Davis Pinkney and Illustrator Brian Pinkney
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and his strong voice and powerful message were joined and lifted in song by world-renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. It was a moment that changed the course of history and is imprinted in minds forever.
The Red Pencil
Andrea Davis Pinkney and Illustrator Shane W. Evans
Life in Amira’s peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when Janjaweed attackers arrive, unleashing unspeakable horrors. After losing nearly everything, Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey on foot to safety at a refugee camp. She begins to lose hope, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind — and all kinds of possibilities.
Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
Andrea Davis Pinkney and Illustrator Stephen Alcorn
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus and sparked a boycott that changed America. Harriet Tubman helped more than three hundred slaves escape the South on the Underground Railroad. Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The lives these women led are part of an incredible story about courage in the face of oppression; about the challenges and triumphs of the battle for civil rights; and about speaking out for what you believe in — even when it feels like no one is listening.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down
Andrea Davis Pinkney and Illustrator Brian Pinkney
This picture book celebrates the momentous Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in, when four college students staged a peaceful protest that became a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality and the growing civil rights movement.
Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America
Andrea Davis Pinkney and Illustrator Brian Pinkney
Hand in Hand presents the stories of ten men from different eras in American history, organized chronologically to provide a scope from slavery to modern day. Profiles of: Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglas, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B DuBois, A. Phillip Randolph, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Barack H. Obama II.
Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Berry Gordy began Motown in 1959 with an $800 loan from his family. He converted the garage of a residential house into a studio and recruited teenagers from the neighborhood, including: Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross, to sing for his new label. The country was on the brink of a cultural revolution, and one of the most powerful agents of change in the following decade would be this group of young blackperformers from urban Detroit.
A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the
Creation of The Snowy Day
Andrea Davis Pinkney
and Illustrators Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
The story of The Snowy Day begins more than one hundred years ago, when Ezra Jack Keats was born in Brooklyn, New York. The family were struggling Polish immigrants. Despite Keats’ obvious talent, his father worried that Ezra’s dream of being an artist wasan unrealistic one. But Ezra was determined. For more than two decades, Ezra had kept pinned to his wall a series of photographs of an adorable African American child. In Keats’ hands, the boy morphed into Peter, a boy in a red snowsuit, out enjoying the pristine snow. The book became The Snowy Day, the first mainstream book to feature an African American child.
Andrea Davis Pinkney
The book descriptions used are primarily the publishers.
If you like this article, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving
By Laurie Halse Anderson, Illustrated by Matt Faulkner
The holiday might have started with a jubilant feast on Plymouth’s shore. But by the 1800s, America’s observance was waning. None of the presidents nor congress sought to revive the holiday. And so one invincible “lady editor” named Sarah Hale took it upon herself to rewrite the recipe for Thanksgiving as we know it today. In 1863, Hale’s thirty-five years of petitioning and orations got Abraham Lincoln thinking. He signed the Thanksgiving Proclamation that very year, declaring it a national holiday.
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade
By Melissa Sweet
Everyone’s a New Yorker on this special day, when young and old rise early to see what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who first invented these “upside-down puppets”? Meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire!
Molly’s Pilgrim
By Barbara Cohen, Illustrated by Daniel Mark Duffy
This touching story tells how recent Russian Jewish immigrant Molly leads her third-grade class to discover that it takes all kinds of pilgrims to make a Thanksgiving. Based on a true story.
1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving
By Catherine O’Neill Grace
Countering the prevailing, traditional story of the first Thanksgiving, this illustrated photo-essay presents a more measured, balanced, and historically accurate version of the three-day harvest celebration in 1621.
If You Were a Kid at the First Thanksgiving
By Melissa Sarno, Illustrated by Lluis Farre
As one of the few young children living in the Plymouth colony, Miles Allterton is always looking to make new friends. In a nearby Wampanoag settlement, a girl named Aquina wants to hunt with her father and brothers. When the two children meet during preparations for a harvest feast, they quickly strike up a friendship. Readers will follow along as the children and their families attend the first Thanksgiving celebration. 7-9 years
Thanksgiving in the White House
By Gary Hines, Illustrated by Alexandra Wallner
President Abraham Lincoln’s youngest son, Tad, is very fond of Jack the turkey. He has tamed him and taught him tricks. The bird follows him all around the White House yard. But Jack was meant to be the main dish of the first official Thanksgiving celebration. Tad doesn’t want his pet to be eaten for dinner, not even for a day as special as this. Can he convince his father to save Jack’s life?
What Was the First Thanksgiving?
By Joan Holub, Illustrated by Lauren Mortimer
The history of the feast! After their first harvest in 1621, the Pilgrims at Plymouth shared a three-day feast with their Native American neighbors. Of course, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag didn’t know it at the time, but they were making history, celebrating what would become a national holiday.
Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving
By Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by Greg Shed
In 1620, an English ship called the Mayflower landed on the shore inhabited by the Pokanoket. It was Squanto who welcomed the newcomers and taught them how to survive. When a good harvest was gathered, the people feasted together — a tradition that continues almost four hundred years later.
Sarah Gives Thanks: How Thanksgiving Became a National Holiday
By Mike Allegra, Illustrated by David Gardner
During the nineteenth century, Sarah Josepha Hale dedicated her life to making Thanksgiving a national holiday, while raising a family and becoming a groundbreaking writer and women’s magazine editor. Sarah Hale’s inspiring story is the tale of one woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
No matter how busy he was, Ben Franklin always found time to try out new ideas. He was a man of many talents. He was also an ambassador to England, a printer, an almanac maker, a politician, and even a vegetarian (for a time.)
George Washington’s Breakfast
George Washington Allen, a boy who never gives up until he finds out what he wants to know, is determined to learn all there is to know about his namesake, including what the first president ate for breakfast. The humorous story and likeable colored illustrations bring history alive and make research meaningful — Booklist.
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
Everyone knows about Paul Revere’s midnight ride. But not everyone knows the harrowing details and narrow escapes that occurred along the way. This timeless, funny book highlights little-known facts about patriot Paul Revere.
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?
Everyone knows that John Hancock was one of the first signers of the Declaration of Independence. But not many know that he signed his name so large to show how mad he was about how the colonists had been treated. This fun book highlights little-known facts about this historical figure.
George Washington’s Mother
Everyone has a mother. Even George Washington. But Mary Washington is nothing like you’d think. She hates to dress up. And she always thinks she knows what’s best for George. After all, she’s his mother. You can read more about her in this true story.
Where Was Patrick Henry On the 29th of May?
Patrick Henry wasn’t particularly well spoken. As a lawyer, he mumbled through some of his early cases. But when the issue was freedom, Patrick Henry was transformed into a natural orator. Jean Fritz makes history come alive as she chronicles the life of a man who moved a nation.
Why Don’t You Get A Horse, Sam Adams?
In early America, when all the men wore ruffled shirts and rode grandly on horseback, one man refused to follow suit. He was the rebel leader Sam Adams, a plainspoken gent who scorned ruffles, refused to ride a horse, and had little regard for the king.
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?
Jean Fritz sheds light on the life of England’s King George III. She begins when he was a bashful boy who blushed easily, continues to his early days as king, and examines his role in the American Revolution, when Americans ceased to think of him as good King George.
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution
This factual gem that’s written with Jean Fritz’s humorous touch chronicles the hot summer of 1787 when fifty-five delegates from thirteen states huddled together in the strictest secrecy in Philadelphia to draw up the constitution of the United States.
If you like this article, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
Books descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
On Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, Marian Anderson sang before an audience of over 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The free concert was broadcast on the radio to millions.
Marian, a child prodigy, considered to be one of the best singers of her time, sang for audiences in America and throughout Europe. She sang for President Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House and at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. But in Washington, D.C., in 1939, it was a different story.
Marian Anderson
Howard University hoped to have Marian give a concert at Constitution Hall. The sponsors of the hall, The Daughters of the American Revolution, refused. They had instituted a whites only policy. When Americans heard about the refusal, many wrote letters to newspapers in protest, and the First Lady announced her resignation from the DAR.
Marian Anderson and Eleanor Roosevelt
When Howard University then asked an all-white school to hold the concert, they refused. Where would Marian be free to sing? According to the FDR Presidential Library, Eleanor Roosevelt worked behind the scenes to insure that the concert would go on. With President Roosevelt’s approval, Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes, announced that the concert would be held in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Marian Anderson
On that cold Easter Sunday,Marian sang in her clear, beautiful contralto voice. You can see her initial nervousness and then hear her sing America in the video below.
Marian Anderson sang twice more at the Lincoln Memorial, once in 1952, and again in 1963 at the March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech. Marian and Eleanor Roosevelt became good friends.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
In October 1910, Harriet Quimby watched an air show where top aviators competed. It was The International Aviation Tournament held in Belmont Park, New York. The highlight was an aerial race from the park to the Statue of Liberty. Harriet, known for her love of driving fast cars, decided to learn to fly.
Harriet Quimby
Harriet and her friend Matilde Mosiant took flying lessons in 1911. They were two of the first five students at Matilde’s brother’s school. The famous aviator, Louis Bleriot, trained Harriet’s instructor. Bleriot was the first person to fly solo across the English Channel.
Harriet wrote about her experience flying in Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly, the magazine she worked for. She encouraged women to fly. And to “abandon skirts and don a knickerbocker uniform.” Harriet designed her own flight suit. It was made of purple wool, backed with satin, and included a hood. There were large buttons on the skirt. When buttoned, they became pantaloons.
Harriet In Her Flight Suit
On August 1, 1911, Harriet became the first American woman to earn a pilot’s license. She flew in aerial exhibitions. On September 4, 1911, she became the first woman to fly at night. She flew over a crowd on Staten Island, New York. She was part of the Moisant Aviation Exhibition Team.
Harriet and Matilde, along with the Moisant team, celebrated the inauguration of the new Mexican president. They were hired to perform in an airshow. According to one of Harriet’s biographers, Matilde dropped roses when she flew over the president’s palace. Harriet and Matilde became the first women to fly over Mexico City.
Matilde Moisant
Harriet decided to follow in Louis Bleriot’s footsteps and become the first woman to cross the English Channel. She kept her plan a secret not wanting to invite competition. Harriet sailed to England on March 7, 1912. In France, she met Bleriot. She borrowed one of his monoplanes and had it shipped to England.
On April 16, Harriet took off from Dover, England. She attempted to cross the channel and land in Calais, France. With a compass on her lap, she flew into fog. But she was able to cross the channel successfully. She landed on a beach 25 miles from Calais. The excited beachgoers carried Harriet on their shoulders.
As the first woman to pilot a plane across the English Channel, Harriet’s name would have been the top headline in newspapers. But two days before her flight, the “unsinkable” Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. Stories about the Titanic ran for weeks.
Harriet continued flying exhibitions in America. Unfortunately, she, like so many early aviators, died while flying. On July 1, 1912, she flew at the Third Annual Boston Aviation Meet in Squantum, Massachusetts. Harriet and a passenger, William Willard, flew in Harriet’s new Bleriot two-seater. Something went wrong with the plane and Harriet lost control. Both she and Willard died. Harriet was only 37 years old.
Harriet will always be remembered as one of early aviation’s stars. She was the first American woman to receive a pilot’s license and the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel.
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To Learn More, Visit the International Women’s Air & SpaceMuseum at:http://www.iwasm.org
As a young child, Jane Goodall had a toy chimpanzee. She named him Jubilee. When Jane was eight years old, she read The Story ofDr. Doolittle and the Tarzan books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. She dreamed of living in Africa. “I was absolutely fascinated with the idea of being out in the jungle, out with the animals, being a part of it all,” she said later.
On July 14, 1960, Jane’s dream came true. Famed paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey found in Jane a patient, determined young woman, with the right qualities necessary to study the behavior of chimpanzees in the wild. Jane traveled to the Gombe Stream Game Reserve in Tanzania (then Tanganyika) to record her observations not knowing that her research would be groundbreaking.
At first, Jane was unable to find chimpanzees or was only aware that they were in the jungle near her. Once she found a high peak that overlooked two valleys, Jane was able to follow the daily interactions and behavior of the chimps through her binoculars. They were aware of her presence and over time expected that she would be there watching them. Through Louis Leakey’s insistence, a filmmaker captured Jane and her observations.
Jane learned that chimps are nomadic in nature, searching over two to six miles a day for food. She learned that mothers and young chimps stay together and that males are not part of child raising. And she watched the chimps spend part of their day resting and grooming each other.
When a small group of chimps let Jane come near them, it was the “proudest and most exciting moment of my life,” she said. Jane named the matriarch of the group, Flo. She observed Flo’s infant, Flint, as he grew and his sister Fifi’s intense interest in him. Fifi often tried to imitate Flo’s gentle mothering. Jane learned that young chimps are deeply curious about the world around them and are intrigued by baby chimps.
Jane told her staff to signal her if a chimp approached their camp. One day, a male, Jane had observed and named David Graybeard, entered the camp. He grabbed a stalk of bananas from a tent. When Jane was told, she returned and photographed David eating the bananas. He entered the camp again, and in time other chimps followed. Jane, it seemed, was no longer a perceived threat.
Jane Goodall grooms the coat of a chimpanzee as he eats a banana in this photo from 1974. National Geographic Photo
Jane’s most amazing discovery was that chimps make and use tools. The chimps in the groups Jane studied over three generations, used stalks of grass to dip into holes in the earth to capture termites. They modified these tools by breaking off the ends of the stalks when they became less effective.
Twigs were used as similar tools after their leaves were removed. The chimps also made sponges by wadding up leaves. They dipped the sponges into tree holes that had collected rainwater and then drank from the sponges. Jane also learned that chimps were not solely plant eaters. They hunted and ate mammals, including baboons, bush pigs, antelope, and monkeys. And Jane observed aggression in chimps which made them seem even more like humans to her.
Jane Goodall lectures around the world stressing the importance of “creating a balance between humans and the natural world.” She established the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots and Shoots, a program for children. Visit these programsat:https://www.janegoodall.org
“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.” – Jane Goodall
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brillance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made of
By Kirsten W. Larson, Illustrated by Katherine Roy
A poetic picture book celebrating the life and scientific discoveries of the groundbreaking astronomer Cecilia Payne!
Astronomer and astrophysicist Cecilia Payne was the first person to discover what burns at the heart of stars. But she didn’t start out as the groundbreaking scientist she would eventually become. She started out as a girl full of curiosity, hoping one day to unlock the mysteries of the universe. 5-8 years
Maria’s Comet
by Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by Deborah Lanino
Maria longs to be an astronomer. She imagines all the strange worlds she can travel to by looking through her papa’s telescope. One night Maria gets her chance. For the first time, she sees the night sky stretching endlessly above her. Her dream of exploring constellations seems close enough to touch. This story is inspired by the life of Maria Mitchell, America’s first woman astronomer.
On A Beam Of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein
by Jennifer Berne
Travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. This is a moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures
By Julia Finley Mosca, Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe. Inside, you’ll find a complete biography, fun facts, a colorful timeline of events, and even a note from Temple herself.
The Librarian Who Measured The Earth
by Kathryn Lasky
This is a colorfully illustrated biography of the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes. He compiled the first geography book. And accurately measured the globe’s circumference.
Who Was Marie Curie?
By Megan Stine, Illustrated by Ted Hammond
Born in Warsaw, Poland, on November 7, 1867, Marie Curie was forbidden to attend the male-only University of Warsaw, so she enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris to study physics and mathematics. There she met a professor named Pierre Curie, and the two soon married, forming one of the most famous scientific partnerships in history. Together they discovered two elements and won a Nobel Prize in 1903. Later Marie won another Nobel award for chemistry in 1911. She died in Savoy, France, on July 4, 1934, a victim of many years of exposure to toxic radiation.
Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries
by Don Brown
Before the word “dinosaur” was ever coined, a young girl discovered a remarkable skeleton on the rocky beach at Lyme Regis in England. This discovery became her passion. She became one of the first commercial fossil collectors. Born in 1799, Mary Anning spent a lifetime teaching herself about fossils. She combed the rugged shore near her home and found a treasure trove of fossils. These long-extinct creatures excited early paleontologists.
Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos
by Stephanie Roth Sisson
Young Carl Sagan went to the 1939 World’s Fair. His life was changed forever. From that day on he never stopped marveling at the universe. He sought to understand it better. Star Stuff follows Carl from his days star gazing from his Brooklyn apartment. Through his love of science fiction novels. To his work as an renowned scientist. Carl worked on the Voyager missions exploring the farthest reaches of space.
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
by Claire Nivola
Sylvia Earle first lost her heart to the ocean as a young girl. She discovered the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico. As an adult, she dives even deeper. She designs submersibles, swims with whales, and takes deep-water walks. Sylvia has dedicated her life to learning more about what she calls “the blue heart of the planet.”
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
By Rachel Ignotofsky
Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. This collection also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary. The trailblazing women profiled include well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African-American physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon.
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved the Mystery That Baffled All of France
by Mara Rockliff, Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
American inventor Benjamin Franklin is upstaged by a compelling and enigmatic figure: Dr. Mesmer. In elaborately staged shows, Mesmer, wears a fancy coat of purple silk. He carries an iron wand. And he convinces the people of Paris that he controls a magic force. It can cure illness and thoughts. But Ben Franklin is not convinced. Will his practical scientific approach get to the bottom of the mysterious Mesmer’s tricks?
Barnum’s Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World
by Tracy Fern, Illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Barnum Brown’s parents named him after the circus icon P.T. Barnum. They hoped he would do something extraordinary. And he did! He worked as a paleontologist for the American Museum of Natural History. He discovered the first documented skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. And most of the dinosaurs on display there today.
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this Books For Kids: Scientists, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
