Synopses & Reviews
"Give me your tired,and#160;your poorYour huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . . "
In 1883, Emma Lazarus, deeply moved by an influx of immigrants from eastern Europe, wrote a sonnet thatand#160;gaveand#160;a voice to the Statue of Liberty.and#160; Originally a gift from France to celebrate our shared national struggles for liberty, the statue, thanks to Emma's poem,and#160;came toand#160;define us as a nation that welcomesand#160;immigrants.and#160;Theand#160;text of thatand#160;now famous poem,and#160;"The New Colossus," appears in this free-verse biography, illustrated in an exquisiteand#160;folk art style.and#160; and#160; Theand#160;New Colossus by Emma Lazarus hasand#160;been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 4-5, Poetry)
Review
and#147;Excellent pacing, splendid paintings, and a and#145;will-she-make-it?and#8217; plot add up to a Triple-A Motor Club perfection.and#8221; The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred
"Brown describes an astonishing feat without fanfare or needless adulation . . . . [he] leaves the story spare and true, with touches of humor. . . . It's quite a story, and Brown reminds readers that it's also quite a triumph." Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
and#147;The author of RUTH LAW THRILLS A NATION pays admiring tribute to the first woman to drive across the United States and#151; an uncommonly daring feat in 1909, before the days of interstates, road maps, or gas stations . . . truly a grand adventure.and#8221; School Library Journal, Starred
Review
"Dashing line-and-watercolor artworkand#133;A sure handed wedding of text and art that brings history to life." Booklist, Starred 9/1/07 Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Pen and ink and watercolors effectively depict the simplicityand#133;of Colonial lifeand#133;Readers will enjoy this exciting picture-book biography...
School Library Journal
"Brown continues his string of exemplary biographies...In the watercolor illustrations, [Dolley's] smiling good nature and exotic attire come through clearly in brighter days, and in darker, she radiates a sturdy presence even in plainer garb." Kirkus, Starred 9/15/07 Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"Historical figuresand#133; come to life with a few spidery lines and generous dollops of translucent watercolor..."--The Bulletin Nov.2007 The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"A sure-handed wedding of text and art that brings history to life." Book Links STARRED November 2007 Book Links, ALA
Review
Jane Addams Children's Book Award 2011
Junior Library Guild Selection
and#160;
"Nivola's rectilinear compositions and poses, her generalized figures, and her bright, limited palette recall Barbara Cooney's period scenes, capturing New York City's opulent upper crust and the indigent yet dignified newcomers with equal skill. An excellent introduction to both Lady Liberty and the poem."--Horn Book, starred reviewand#160;
"The art and words are moving in this picture book, which pairs free verse with detailed, fullpage paintings in watercolor, ink, and gouache to tell the history behind Lazarus' famous inscription on the Statue of Liberty."--Booklist
"Aand#160;gentle tribute to Emma Lazarus, very much in the style of Barbara Cooneyand#8217;s Eleanor (Viking, 1996)...The pictures, with their slight folk-art feel, capture both the time and action of the story, while the text illuminates the woman. An authorand#8217;s note and the full text of the poem complete the book. A worthwhile addition for most collections."--School Library Journal
"Nivolaand#8217;s watercolor-and-gouache paintings are rich in color and detail, showing the elegant streets and homes of 19th-century New York City as well as its settlement houses. Line, pattern and a sense of place give young readers a rich vision of the "golden door" by which "your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" came to this country. Nicely done, enabling even young children to see how the poem and the statue came together."--Kirkus
Synopsis
Don Brown introduces us to yet another little-known heroine. On June 9, 1909, twenty-two-year-old Alice Ramsey hitched up her skirts and climbed behind the wheel of a Maxwell touring car. Fifty-nine days later she rolled into San Francisco, becoming the first woman to drive across America. What happened in between is quite a tale! Through words and pictures, the author shares this story of a brave and tenacious young woman who followed her vision to conquer the open road - even when the road was nothing more than a wagon trail. Alice Ramsey's adventure offers a unique perspective on turn-of-the-century America and pays tribute to the pioneering spirit that helped create it.
Synopsis
From farm girl to first lady, the story of Dolley Madison and how she rescued Washington's portrait, as told by best-selling author-illustrator Don Brown.
Synopsis
Dolley was a farm girl who became a fine first lady when she married James Madison. She wore beautiful dresses, decorated her home, and threw lavish parties. Everyone talked about Dolley, and everyone loved her, too. Then war arrived at her doorstep, and Dolley had to meet challenges greater than sheand#8217;d ever known. So Dolley did one thing she thought might make a difference: she saved George Washington. Not the man himself, but a portrait of him, which would surely have been destroyed by English soldiers. Don Brown once again deftly tells a little known story about a woman who made a significant contribution to American history.
Synopsis
A picture book biography that shows how one poetand#8217;s voice forever changed the way we view perhaps the most symbolic piece of art in America: the Statue of Liberty
Synopsis
As a young boy, Neil Armstrong had a recurring dream in which he held his breath and floated high in the sky. He spent his free time reading stacks of flying magazines, building model airplanes, and staring through a homemade telescope. As a teenager, Neil worked odd jobs to pay for flying lessons at a nearby airport. He earned his student pilots license on his sixteenth birthday. But who was to know that this shy boy, who also loved books and music, would become the first person to set foot on the moon, on July 20, 1969.
Synopsis
Mary Kingsley spent her childhood in a small house on a lonely lane outside London, England. Her mother was bedridden, her father rarely home, and Mary served as housekeeper, handyman, nursemaid, and servant. Not until she was thirty years old did Mary get her chance to explore the world sheand#8217;d read about in her fatherand#8217;s library. In 1893, she arrived in West Africa, where she encountered giant Xying insects, crocodiles, hippos, and brutal heat. Mary endured the hardships of the equatorial countryand#151;and thrived.
Synopsis
When he was born, Albert was a peculiar, fat baby with an unusually big and misshaped head. When he was older, he hit his sister, bothered his teachers, and didnand#8217;t have many friends. But in the midst of all of this, Albert was fascinated with solving puzzles and fixing scientific problems. The ideas Albert Einstein came up with during his childhood as an odd boy out were destined to change the way we know and understand the world around us . . .
Synopsis
Our popular image of Mark Twain is of a gruff, gray-haired eccentric, the outspoken literary giant who created enduring novels such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
But once upon a time, Mark Twain was a boy named Samuel Clemens. His birth on November 30, 1835, coincided with the appearance of Halleyand#8217;s comet, streaking across the sky. A dreamer, a prankster, a lover of great tales, Sam Clemens spent his boyhood years living out adventures on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.
Synopsis
Before the word dinosaur was even invented, an English girl discovered a remarkable skeleton on the rocky beach at Lyme Regis. Thus began a lifelong passion for the woman who became one of the first commercial fossil collectors.
Mary Anning (1799and#150;1847) spent her lifetime teaching herself about fossils and combing the rugged shore for ancient treasures. Her collection thrilled the public, excited the scientific community, and proved that a woman could overcome danger and social limitations to accomplish great things.
About the Author
Linda Glaser's grandparents emigrated from eastern Europe in the late 1800's to New York City, where they first saw the huge statue.Also the author of the immigrant novel, BRIDGE TO AMERICA, Ms. Glaser lives in Duluth, MN.Ms. Nivola has written and illustrated several children's books, including Planting the Trees of Kenya.andnbsp; She lives with her family in Newton, Massachusetts.