Olivia by Ian Falconer Atheneum BFYR, 2000 40 pages I first encountered Olivia in a bookstore, where an employee had singled her out for display. I couldn't resist--she was a pig in a sailor dress, after all. I loved the book so much that I got my own copy. Over the years, I've read Olivia … Continue reading Life in the Active Lane
“A matter of exultant pride to any race”*
When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan; ill. by Brian Selznick Scholastic Press, 2002 40 pages I'm not sure when I first heard of Marian Anderson, the legendary black American contralto--probably in high school, when my younger sister started studying opera. But I remember being instantly fascinated by this photo of her performance at the … Continue reading “A matter of exultant pride to any race”*
What Little Girls are Made of
A Christmas Like Helen's by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, ill. by Mary Azarian 2004: Houghton Mifflin Company 32 pages Christmas always puts me in a historical frame of mind. From soon after Thanksgiving until past Epiphany, stories and trivia and memories flow constantly through my mind like a silent soundtrack to everything I do. I think about … Continue reading What Little Girls are Made of
Read Like a Girl 