This past weekend was the American Library Association’s mid-year conference and I was finally lucky enough to meet poet and author Rebecca Gardyn Levington. We’ve known each other for several years on social media and it was a treat to finally meet in person, take a photo, and get a signed copy of her book, WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW.
I was also able to attend a session with Rebecca and several other poets the next day in which Rebecca talked briefly about her own bouts with anxiety — as a child and still, on occasion, as an adult. Don’t we all have those moments when we need to remind ourselves that we’re stronger and braver than we think?
You can’t control what happens next – the what, the where, the how.
The only thin in your control is you.
Right here.
Right now.
Beautifully illustrated in bright, bold colors by Mariona Cabassa, with helpful “Tips for Managing Worries” written by a child development specialist in the backmatter, Whatever Comes Tomorrow is just the right reminder to ease the jitters we all feel from time to time.
Whatever comes tomorrow, however steep the hill…
… you’ll find your path. You’ll journey on. You’ll make it through.
You will.
🦋 Enjoy this wonderful Activity Guide to accompany the book!
I love discovering books about people I have not heard of before, people who have made a significant difference yet whose contributions are largely unknown. Minerva Hoyt is one such woman. Her love of the Mojave Desert caused her to advocate on its behalf, eventually convincing President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the National Park Service that this desert was worth preserving.
On August 10, 1936, her efforts paid off when President Roosevelt signed a law creating the Joshua Tree National Monument, saving over 800,000 acres of the Mojave desert.
CACTUS QUEEN, beautifully written by Sibert Honor and Junior Library Guild award-winning author Lori Alexander with charming illustrations by Jenn Ely powerfully captures Minerva Hoyt’s passion and persistance: “This desert… possessed me, and I constantly wished that I might find some way to preserve its natural beauty.” — Minerva Hoyt
I’m so pleased to welcome Lori to ReaderKidZ to share a little more about her newest book!
DIANNE: Welcome back to ReaderKidZ, Lori! Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions.
You’ve written longer nonfiction for middle grade, including the Sibert Honor award winner, All in a Drop, but this is your first nonfiction picturebook. One of the obvious differences between the two formats is length and the need to distill Minerva Hoyt’s personality and accomplishments in a way that is still relatable to the younger picture book audience. After writing two longer nonfiction books, did you find the picture book format easier or harder? In what ways?
LORI:I do love picture book biographies! The very best are able to paint vivid and lasting images of the remarkable lives of (typically lesser-known) historical figures. I hope I’ve accomplished that with Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park.
I don’t know if I’d call any category of children’s books easy to write, but in this case I did find the picture book format a bit simpler, as the length of this manuscript was closer to 1000-words instead of the 10,000+ words of a nonfiction chapter book. In addition, the content of this story felt right for a younger audience. While this book is listed for grades 2-5, even the kindergartners I saw at this year’s school visits were quick to understand the ideas of conservation, protecting the places you love, and caring for earth’s plants and animals. The chapter book format has its merits, too. In my previous books, I’ve used the extra space to show how daily life was different in the 1600s-1800s, the time periods when my historical figures lived. I added sidebars to dive deeper into their scientific discoveries, topics such as microbes, genes, and DNA. The majority of Cactus Queen takes place in the not-so-distant mid-1900s, and it doesn’t contain any advanced science concepts, so I found the picture book format perfect for telling Minerva’s story of passion and persistence.
DIANNE: Did research for this book differ significantly from the research you did for All In A Drop and What’s a Germ , Joseph Lister? If so, how?
LORI: The process was quite similar. Once I have a subject in mind, I do a deep dive online to find any posts or links to newspaper articles. I check the library for any books that have been written about, or even just mention the historical figure, and I read, read, read. I also reach out to historical societies and I search for archival photos (my biographies have all been illustrated but each includes a number of photographs, and the acquisition of photos falls to the author, not the illustrator). Finally, if it’s feasible, I travel to the site. In this case, the whole family came along on a trip to Joshua Tree National Park, where I was able to meet with the park’s archivist and education department to gather more information (and make contacts with the expert readers who would eventually fact-check my text).
DIANNE: It’s a powerful addition when an author is able to include quotes from their subject from primary source materials. Was it yours or your editor’s idea to weave quotes by Minerva Hoyt throughout the story?
LORI: My first nonfiction editor, Ann Rider, who is now retired, taught me that quotes from the historical figure “bring the text to life.” They were sprinkled throughout our works together: All in a Drop and A Sporting Chance and What’s a Germ, Joseph Lister? While I’m working with different editors and publishers now, I continued to include rich quotes throughout my texts, pulled from primary sources such as letters, interviews, and scientific papers. Cactus Queen begins with these words from Minerva: “This desert possessed me, and I constantly wished that I might find some way to preserve its natural beauty.” A great quote, as it also sets-up the story problem and Minerva’s motivation.
DIANNE: Jenn Ely’s illustrations are marvelous! Do you have a favorite?
LORI: Jenn’s illustrations are lovely! Many people think “dry wasteland” when they hear the word desert. But Jenn created such a vibrant scene of the Mojave’s varied plants and animals. I adore every page but especially the nighttime spread, where Minerva camps out with the Joshua trees, and the final spread, when Minerva wins her hard-fought battle to protect the region she loved so much.
DIANNE: What can your readers look forward to next?
LORI: I have another biography releasing in 2025 and I’m back to the chapter book format. It’s called Seeds of Discovery: How Barbara McClintock Used Corn and Curiosity to Solve a Science Mystery and Win a Nobel Prize. The title is long, as was Barbara’s quest to gain recognition in her field of genetics. It was wonderful to write about a female scientist and the fully-illustrated, colorful artwork by Rebecca Santos energize the entire manuscript. I can’t wait to share this one with budding scientists! I also signed a board book contract recently, a fun little rhymer—more details to come!
DIANNE: Oooh! More nonfiction, and another board book. Wonderful! Can’t wait to learn more. Thanks, again, for chatting about your picture book process!
Nonfiction Bio:
In addition to picture books, LORI ALEXANDER writes chapter books about the fascinating history of science and medicine. She won a Sibert Honor Award for All in a Drop: How Antony van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible World, and A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttmann Created the Paralympic Games was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book. Her recent release, What’s a Germ, Joseph Lister?: The Medical Mystery That Forever Changed the Way We Heal, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Lori resides in Tucson, Arizona, with her scientist husband and two book-loving teens. lorialexanderbooks.com
Do you see me as I truly am? Do I see others as they truly are? People, not only with needs and wants, hopes and dreams? But with histories, stories, a culture, and a color uniquely their own?
Each spread, beautifully illustrated by Laylie Frazier, shares the story of the actions and achievements taken by leaders whose work has had a large impact on the fight for representation, equality, and change in the United States.
From the authors:
“We want to recognize and celebrate the racial diversity and variety of cultures in our society by seeing each other completely, listening to each others’ stories, and learning how to create a more equitable world.
From the flap copy:
Part ode to an array of beautiful skin tones and part introduction to changemakes in US history, I SEE COLOR is an anthem for all generations. ”
When the show aired in 1963, Nichols was one of the first African American women cast in a television role that was not the stereotypical maid or nanny role for which black woman were generally hired. In fact, she had the opportunity to develop Lieutenant Uhura’s backstory. “Nichelle also helped discover Uhura’s name; it was derived from the word uhuru, which means “freedom” in Swahili.
After a year on the show, Nichols was ready to move on. But then, a fortuitous meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was attending a fund raiser where Nichols was appearing, led her to rethink her decision. Didn’t she realize the role model she was and the impact she was having on black children who watched Star Trek from week to week? That was all the convincing she needed. Nichols remained on the show until the series ended in 1969. Then, in 1977, she teamed up with NASA to create a film to recruit minority and female personnel for the space shuttle program.
Hers is a fascinating story that author Angela Dalton speaks to in her author’s note:
“Michelle Nichols isn’t just an actress; she is the embodiment of promise and strength for so many people. I hope in reading her story you will be inspired to dream big, believe in the importance of those dreams, and “boldly go” wherever they may take you.”
There are many ways of letting go. With each goodbye, a new hello.
GOODBYE BRINGS HELLO, with adorable illustrations by Daniel Wiseman is the perfect book for goodbyes of any kind. It’s a great way to end the school year, welcome summer, or introduce the possibilities of new things ahead.
Transitions take courage. They mean having to say gooodbye to cherished things in order to welcome the new and different.
From outgrowing a beloved trike, to “moving up” to your first big-kid ride, from standing on the edge of the pool, to jumping in with a big smile on your face, milestones are exciting but hard.
This cheerful ode to change gently empowers readers to brave life’s milestones, both large and small.
Check out the Activity Kit to go with the book and…
this heartwarming song and video created by Emily Arrow to accompany GOODBYE BRINGS HELLO. Enjoy!
Roberta rescues tiny creatures. It’s a job no one seems to care much about, except her. Roberta believes tiny creatures — roly polys, earthworms, spiders — need friends who understand them and who will rescue when they need help.
Sometimes, Roberta’s tiny creature rescues go awry. Like the time she picks up “a dragonfly that was flopping around on the ground.” It bit her — the nerve!
While most of Roberta’s rescues go smoothly, some are too hard to manage alone. Like the time her classroom was teeming with hundreds of tiny stripey spider specks, far too many for one person to save.
Thanks to Roberta’s plan and a little help from her friend Maria, the kids manage to catch the spiderlings and release them outdoors where they balloon away to their new homes on strands of delicate silk. The experience is magical!
THE RESCUER OF TINY CREATURES by Curtis Manley and Lucy Ruth Cummins is a charming book about a young girl with a big heart for all manner of tiny living things. Backmatter includes a list of “Roberta’s Favorite Tiny Creatures Worth Rescuing,” as well as Maria’s origami box with a lockable lid –perfect for rescuing bugs needing a helping hand!
David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka have done a number of books together, including HOW TO APOLOGIZE and SEE THE CAT: Three Stories About a Dog, winner of the 2021 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. Now, readers can enjoy their next collaboration: GO and GET.
This clever concept book is set up as a game of fetch, with three characters who are anxious to play – Jack, Jill, and Rex, the dog. The story begins:
On this page, young readers can guess what Jack brought before turning the page to reveal a frog. Jill comes with a different box, water splashes out, and readers see what looks like a small goldfish tank inside the box to reveal another word beginning with F – fish! And what did Rex bring back?
Kids will know that a duck is in the box, and they may know that duck starts with “D.” But… not to worry because this duck is Rex’s friend. The shenanigans continues with Jack and Jill bringing more and more silly examples until the letter D comes up. When Rex arrives empty-handed, it’s easy to assume he is confused. Doesn’t he realize that he’s a dog and “Dog” begins with the letter D?
This fun book invites prediction and letter recognition, as well as making use of a lot of decodable and common sight words. It’s a clever book that kids practicing prereading and reading skills will adore.
And guess what? It looks like another fun companion — Mr. Fox’s Game of “No!” — will follow in September.
Check out these downloadable Activity Sheets to accompany the book!
Nonfiction Bio:
