Special Delivery by Philip C. Stead; ill. by Matthew Cordell Roaring Brook Press, 2015 40 pages I've written before about how much I love books about girls who do. And if any book is about a girl who does, it's Philip C. Stead and Matthew Cordell's quirky little volume Special Delivery. This picture book stars … Continue reading Special Delivery
Dare the Wind
Dare the Wind: The Record-Breaking Voyage of Eleanor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud by Tracey Fern; ill. by Emily Arnold McCully Farrar Straus Giroux, 2014 40 pages I was prowling around the Internet today, searching for content to share on the Read Like a Girl Facebook page, when I came across an interview with Merline … Continue reading Dare the Wind
The Librarian of Basra and Alia’s Mission
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story From Iraq by Jeanette Winter Harcourt, 2005 32 pages Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq by Mark Alan Stamaty Alfred A. Knopf, 2004 32 pages When the United States, Britain, and George W. Bush's "coalition of the willing" invaded Iraq in 2003, the human toll of the … Continue reading The Librarian of Basra and Alia’s Mission
Grandma’s Purple Flowers
Grandma's Purple Flowers by Adjoa J. Burrowes Lee & Low Books, 2000 32 pages I've written before about the special relationship I had with my maternal grandmother, and about how devastated I was when she died, just a few months before I graduated from college. I know I was blessed to have her as long … Continue reading Grandma’s Purple Flowers
Journey
Journey By Aaron Becker Candlewick Press, 2013 40 pages Wordless picture books fascinate me. Perhaps because words are my "thing," I'm somewhat in awe of someone who can tell a story - a fully-realized, rich, deep story - without them. I didn't read (is that the right term?) wordless picture books as a kid. In … Continue reading Journey
Mama Miti
Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli; ill. by Kadir Nelson Simon & Schuster, 2010 40 pages I've written before about my desire to raise my daughter with a nuanced view of Africa, one that's more multi-dimensional than the depressing and patronizing portrayal in popular media. Part of what … Continue reading Mama Miti
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston; ill. by Barbara Clooney Dial, 1989 32 pages Christmas is a tricky holiday. Commercialization is not exactly a new problem (the Victorians sent cards, gave presents, and decorated their department stores, too), but it is a pervasive and pressing one, particularly where children are concerned. … Continue reading The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
