Synopses & Reviews
Hallie isn't afraid of anythingand#8212;that is, anything but storms, which she braves along with her grandmother, huddled beneath a special quilt. When her familyand#160;joins a wagon train headed west, leaving her grandmotherand#8212;and everything Hallie has ever knownand#8212;behind, Hallie knows she will have to be braver than she's ever been before. But can she summonand#160;the courage to helpand#160;a young buffaloand#160;stuck on a rocky ridge duringand#160;a wild storm?and#160;The Newbery medalistand#160;Katherine Applegate has pairedand#160;lyrical textand#160;with gorgeous watercolors throughout.and#160;and#160;
Review
"The story's sense and wit are most fully expressed in the text, but the character's actions and emotions are most memorably portrayed in the artwork... A fine picture book with a fierce, bold, and (deep down) compassionate heroine."and#8212;Booklist
"Emotionally true from cover to cover."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review
"Birdsall's crisp and delightful first picture book....believable characters, a tightly constructed story line, and a nod to past children's literature."and#8212;Publishers Weekly
"This gem of a book will resonate with older siblings everywhere."and#8212;School Library Journal
Review
"Exuberant . . . A terrific read-aloud."--Booklist "A wonderful tale of joy and love, as robust and vivid as the wide West . . . A splendid, colorful, and most welcome addition to the tall-tale genre."--School Library Journal
Review
"Though this story of loss is set in the 1940s, its message is timeless. . . . The retrospective narrative lends Molly's sorrow distance without diluting its significance; it also allows her to commend the wisdom of such remembrance." --Horn Book Horn Book
"This elegant book speaks to the far-reaching effects of war and the healing power of memory." Publishers Weekly
Review
Teachers and parents will appreciate this high-quality combination of text and illustration.
Kirkus Reviews
Richly descriptive verse narrative about a girl on the Oregon Trail.
Publishers Weekly
Ormerod's texured watercolors and pastels employ billowy swatchs of color to suggest th vastness of the setting. . . . Vivid imagery makes this lyrical tale an accessible, fresh addition to the children's pioneer genre as it tackles themes of change, courage and home.
Publishers Weekly
"Readers will be convinced by the girl's sentiments on the last page: "Oregon's a fine place . . . . It's home now for me.'" Horn Book
"Add this stirring story to the growing number of picture books about pioneer life." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Synopsis
On a wagon trail west with Mama and Papa,and#160;a youngand#160;girl faces down fears ofand#160;stormy weather and moving to a new place thanks to the wisdom, love, and grit instilled byand#160;herand#160;beloved grandmother back home.and#160;
Synopsis
Heartwarming picture bookand#160;charmingly depicts the topsy-turvy feelings a big sisterand#160;has for herand#160;toddlerand#160; brother.and#160;An emotionally true tale by award-winning author Jeanne Birdsall, with whimsical illustrations byand#160;celebrated artist Matt Phelan. and#160; and#160; and#160;
Synopsis
"This gem of a book will resonate with older siblings everywhere."and#160;--School Library Journal and#160; Whenand#160;Flora and her pesky little brother, Crispin, are whisked away by a swirling and swooping wind, sheand#160;gets the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to give her brother away. With tempting offers from a dragonfly, the man in the moon, and even the wind itself, she will find it difficult to choose. But Flora would do anything to get rid of Crispin, wouldnand#8217;t she?and#160;and#160;
Synopsis
An evocative celebration ofand#160; not only Christmas trees but alsoand#160;intergenerational friendship,and#160;the change of seasons, andand#160;theand#160;cycles of nature.and#160;
Synopsis
and#8220;This lovely tale celebrates intergenerational friendship and determination, growth and nature, and the joy of the holiday season.and#8221;and#160;
and#8212;School Library Journal When Wilma decides her garden needs a new beginning,and#160;she gathers string, scissors, shovels, sixty-two dozen balsam seedlings, and Parker, her five-year-old neighbor. Year after year, Wilma and Parker nurture their trees, keeping careful count of how many they plant, how many perish, and how many grow to become fine, full Christmas trees. A cozy, holiday read-aloud and a lyrical way to usher in the month of December.
Synopsis
A Coretta Scott King Honor-winning book, now in paperback
Synopsis
Thunder Rose vows to grow up to be more than just big and strong, thank you very kindly--and boy, does she ever! But when a whirling storm on a riotous rampage threatens, has Rose finally met her match?
Synopsis
A young girl's neighbor must go off to war as the United States begins to get involved in World War II. Though life goes on at Beechwood Elementary, and at her home on Orchard Street, her thoughts remain with the brave young man serving his country halfway across the world.
Synopsis
When the United States enters World War II, Molly is attending Beechwood Elementary. But her thoughts are with Ted Walker, her neighbor, who is serving aboard a cruiser in the South Atlantic.
Three years later, the war is still going on and Molly is in the fourth grade. Ted is still at sea, as a naval officer of the USS Albacore, a submarine in the Pacific Ocean. Orchard Road feels like the safest place on earth, but somewhere on the other side of the world, Ted and his crew are carrying out dangerous missions. No one knows when they will come home, and young Molly must find a way to live with fear during wartime.
Synopsis
Hallie isn't afraid of anything--that is, anything but storms, which she braves along with her grandmother, huddled beneath a special quilt. When her family decides to join a wagon train and go west, leaving her grandmother--and everything Hallie has ever known--behind, Hallie knows she will have to be braver than she's ever been before. Then one day on the trail she witnesses the wildest, most glorious storm imaginable. How can she be afraid of anything after that?
Lyrical text from an exceptional writer is paired with gorgeous, jewel-like paintings in this evocative story of westward expansion.
About the Author
Jeanne Birdsall is the National Book Award-winning author of The Penderwicks and its sequel, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street (Knopf), both of which were also New York Times bestsellers. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts withand#160;her husband, three insane cats, and a stubborn Boston terrier named Cagney.and#160;Visit her website atand#160;www.jeannebirdsall.com.
Matt Phelan is the illustrator of the Newbery Award winner The Higher Power of Luckyand#160;and its sequel, Lucky Breaks (Atheneum), both by Susan Patron, as well as the Harcourt books Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle and Big George by Ann Rockwell. He lives in Philadelphia. You can visit his website at www.mattphelan.com.