It’s spring now in the northern hemisphere and the trees are leafing out, bright and green. If you’re like me, you look forward to these months of new growth, birds chirping their morning and evening songs.
Spring also means books. New books! I’ve been a fan of both Maria Gianferrari’s and Felicita Sala’s work for a number of years now. What a delight to enjoy their newest book: BE A TREE. Take a peek!
Of course, we’re all connected. Without the trees and other growing plants, we would not have the oxygen our lungs need to breathe, the shade that cools our homes and cities, the nutrients trees share with the soil, the shelter they provide for other living creatures.
This lyrical book is all about those connections (per the Author’s Note, inspired by Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees).
BE A TREE is a work of art – words and illustrations coming together to create a beautiful picture book for young readers. But one of the most poignant words and significant spreads is the double gatefold in the middle of the book. Here’s the text:
Last month, I was fortunate to hear author, Sandra Nickel, share a portion of the beginning of her newest picture book, THE STUFF BETWEEN THE STARS: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe. She talked about reading Vera’s story for the first time (in a NYT article) and shared a little about her research. I was hooked and knew I had to pick up a copy.
From the flap:
Before Vera Rubin discovered most of the universe, she was a girl who loved the night sky. She watched the Big Dipper circle the North Star. And when her eyelids grew heavy, she dreamed not about what she had seen, but about what she had not seen. She dreamed about the mysteries between the stars.
Vera had questions and set her sights on the “man’s world” of astronomy. Though, for many years, her conclusions were met with scorn, Vera persisted. Eventually, her discoveries proved that there was more to the universe than had been assumed. Thanks, in large part, to her work, scientists now believe that most of the matter in the cosmos is yet unseen. This strange ingredient, known as dark matter, does not emit light or energy.
Have you seen the tree in me by Corinna Luyken? One look at the cover with its gorgeous gouache, pencil, and ink illustrations in bright – almost florescent – pinks and yellows, oranges and golds and you know this is a book you musthave. It makes my heart happy and it will yours, too!
The flap copy describes the book as a “celebration of the strength and wonder within each of us… a joyful meditation on the interconnectedness of every living thing.” This it is.
It’s a book you’ll want to sit with. Think about. Examine. Ponder. How is the tree in me part apple? How is the tree in me seed and blossom, bark and stump? In what ways are we connected, one to another and to other living things?
Some of the lines of the poem/picture book aren’t as readily understandable as others, but that is part of the beauty of the book. It begs the reader take her time, savor the words and illustrations, consider more deeply possible connections and the author’s meanings, and revisit the story over multiple re-readings.
It’s been just over a year since the world and our regular routines were upended by COVID-19. Schools closed without warning, store shelves emptied, travel, events, and getting together with our friends all but shut down. It’s been a year of adapting, adjusting, and learning to live with an ever-changing raft of emotions. As adults, we’ve had to name and address these feelings and help the kids in our care do the same.
As the kids make plans to play, things get in their way. One child’s excited, another is scared, one feels nervous, another is prepared. It’s inevitable, isn’t it? As we’ve learned this past year, in the blink of an eye, plans can change, and, with that, so can our emotions.
Readers have been waiting almost three years for the next book by the Newbery Award-winning picture book duo Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson, and it’s finally here: MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD. It’s a beautiful book that feels like the perfect companion to LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET.
I’d read about the MILO a little before its release, but by the time I picked it up from my favorite indie bookstore, I’d forgotten exactly what it was about. Which means I read it with the curiosity of a young child, wondering where Milo was going on the train with his sister, and – more importantly – where was the story going?
For his part, Milo is mostly excited about this monthly Sunday subway ride:
“Excitement stacked on top of worry
on top of confusion
on top of love.”
As people come and go, board and leave the train, Milo imagines the lives of the passengers he sees and draws a story for each one. Along the way, he locks eyes with one of the riders – a young boy who’d boarded earlier, wearing a suit, his hair perfectly partly, without “a single scuff on his bright white Nikes.” It’s a pivotal moment, but we don’t know quite yet why.
“The spell is broken when a crew of breakers
bounds onto the train, announcing, “You all ready for a show?””
Milo continues to imagine the young performers, traveling train to train. Soon, he puts his pad aside and wonders: “What do people imagine about his face?”
At the next station, as he and sister step off the train, there’s the boy in the suit, a few paces ahead. And, suddenly, we understand what this journey is about.
The dedication says that this is a book “… for those who dare to imagine beyond a first impression.” If you haven’t read MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD, find a copy soon.
Did you know that in 1948, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organized the first sports competition involving WWII veterans with spinal cord-related injuries? And did you know that twelve years later, in 1960, those very games (called the Stoke Mandeville Games) were played in Rome, Italy and later renamed and recorded as the first official Paralympic Games? And did you know that this year, the games are scheduled to be played in Tokyo, Japan?
Lori Alexander‘s fascinating book – A SPORTING CHANCE, with archival photos and engaging illustrations by Allan Drummond, introduces readers to Dr. Ludwig Guttmann’s pioneering work with patients suffering from spinal cord injuries. Dr. Guttmann’s innovative treatments brought hope and healing to those who had previously faced almost certain death. Listen in as Lori and I chat about her newest book:
The story of Ludwig Guttman’s journey from working as a volunteer orderly in a local hospital to pursuing medical studies at the University of Breslau, to eventually escaping Nazi Germany for England, where he conducted research on the human nervous system (and later created the Paralympic Games) is both fascinating and a story I’ve never heard told before. How did you come to learn about Ludwig’s work with spinal injuries and what made you know that you were the one to tell his story?
I’m glad you enjoyed reading about Ludwig’s remarkable life, Dianne! Back in 2018, I had just completed my first chapter book biography (ALL IN A DROP) with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Coming from picture books, the research, revisions, expert readers, back matter—it was all quite a learning process! But I enjoyed the longer format which allowed me to dig deeper into a topic. When my editor asked if I’d consider doing it all again, I replied, “Absolutely!” But who to write about next? A news story featuring the upcoming Winter Olympics caught my attention. Our family are also big fans of the Paralympic Games. So the spark for A SPORTING CHANCE began with a bit of curiosity and a simple Google search: “Who founded the Paralympic Games?”
My daughter was born with a condition that affects the tibia in her left leg. We didn’t have a diagnosis until she was bearing weight as a newly walking toddler and her leg broke. The bone wouldn’t heal and after six months, her leg was still fractured. In many cases, children with this condition undergo multiple surgeries in attempts to get the affected bone to heal. If the bone won’t fuse, amputation is the next course of action. Although we’ve had some success with surgeries, bone grafts, rodding, and a leg brace, the amputation has always been in the back of our minds. We love to watch the Paralympics to show our daughter (now 14) that legs aren’t required for gold medals. Success comes to those who work for it.
Let’s talk about your research. Once you decide on your subject matter, what are your first steps? Do you start by reading and gathering information, then gradually begin to formulate a tentative outline? How does your research evolve? In other words, were there questions you had that led to a dead end causing you to have to rethink the sequence, progression, or content of your story? Did you run into any roadblocks – information that you hoped to find, but were unable to? What were some of the challenges of the research? Were there any surprises?
When I learned that a doctor was behind the founding of the Paralympic Games, I had to know more! I read/watched/listened to everything I could find about Ludwig Guttmann—a biography written for adults, newspaper articles, YouTube videos, interviews with athletes, interviews with Ludwig’s grown children, audio recordings made my Ludwig himself. And while I wanted to include every detail from my research, I had to remember my audience—kids aged 8-12. For this chapter book biography, I used a narrative nonfiction format. The remarkable events of Ludwig’s life read like a story, with a main character who has a problem to solve. I like to begin with details from childhood. This gives young readers a hint at what’s to come (Ludwig was small but fast, was smart but didn’t love school, liked to play sports, and stood up for his Jewish friends when they were bullied). Themes of compassion, tenacity, and social justice are woven throughout the story. Ludwig was Jewish and living in Germany up until 1938. So in addition to details about his life, I had to provide historical context to young readers who may not be familiar with this part of world history. It’s a tricky balance for nonfiction writers—we want to keep all the interesting bits and move the story forward without heading off track or making things overly complex (those extra details may fit nicely into sidebars or back matter). The final chapter, which features current Paralympic athletes, was challenging because there were so many women and men, from different countries, participating in different sporting events, that I wanted to include. Narrowing to six “mini-biographies” was a tough task!
This is your second nonfiction book for middle grade readers. Did your process change much from the first book to the second?
The process didn’t change much, as far as the research and writing. One aspect I found more challenging for A SPORTING CHANCE was the photo acquisitions. The final book includes forty archival photographs, in addition to the colorful illustrations by Allan Drummond. It’s the author’s job to research images, obtain permissions, and pay for any photographs needed. While it was fun combing the internet for possible images, in hindsight I wish I’d been more organized. I found some great options in my early days of research but didn’t make a note of where they came from, which left me hunting for sources months later. I fell in love with a few images but was either denied permissions or could never track down their owner, so they had to be scrapped. The final photographs came from dozens of sources including the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the International Paralympic Committee, and from research papers Ludwig published in 1947. I went well over my “budget” provided by the publisher but I knew how much kid readers love pictures (I do, too!). So I paid for several extra images out of pocket. What first felt like a daunting task turned out to be a fascinating experience. I had the chance to work with art directors and I felt more connected to the design and layout of the book. In the end, I wouldn’t want the job of photo research to go to anyone else. A picture is worth a bit of your advance!
Share with readers what you’re working on now and what we can look forward to next!
I’m putting the finishing touches on a third chapter book biography with HMH, called WHAT’S A GERM, JOSEPH LISTER? This one is about the history and science of hospitals and healing before doctors knew anything about germs. Like my previous nonfiction books, it will be highly illustrated. And this one contains plenty of “eew” moments that young readers love. We’re talking about a time when doctors washed their hands after a surgery, not before. Their blood and pus-covered overcoats were never washed. In fact, a stiff, blood-splattered coat was a sign of an experienced doctor. How times have changed! If that’s not your cup of tea, I have a picture book called MINI MIGHTY SWEEPS, featuring a cute street sweeper truck with a can-do attitude, releasing from Harper next summer!
THANKS for sharing your writing process with readers, Lori! WHAT’S A GERM, JOSEPH LISTER?, sounds *very timely* given that we’ve all been especially “germ-focused” over the past year. Having read an early version of MINI MIGHTY SWEEPS, I know readers are in for a treat!
Lori Alexander loves to read and write! She has written picture books like BACKHOE JOE (Harper) and FAMOUSLY PHOEBE (Sterling) as well as the FUTURE BABY board book series (Scholastic). Her first non-fiction chapter book, ALL IN A DROP (HMH) received a Sibert Honor Award. Her new book, A SPORTING CHANCE (HMH), is a Junior Library Guild Selection and received a Kirkus starred review.
Lori resides in sunny Tucson, Arizona, with her scientist husband and two book loving kids. She runs when it’s cool and swims when it’s hot. Then she gets back to reading and writing. Visit Lori at www.lorialexanderbooks.com or on Twitter @LoriJAlexander or Instagram @lorialexanderbooks
“My grandmother is so old, no one knows how old she is.
Not me, not my big sister Dawb, not our older cousin, Lei.
My father waits patiently when we try to guess her age.
He is my grandma’s ninth and youngest child, and even
he does not know how old she is.”
The book begins and already we can tell this will be a powerful story. There will be the young girl, Kalia, her grandma – “born on the other side of the world, across a wide ocean,” – and the extended family. Though they are poor in possessions, they are rich in the most important things.
The luckiest of the children take care of Grandma: one washes her clothes, another scrubs her soft brown back, and Kalia clips grandma’s nails while she “sits on her favorite stool in the light from the window.” Grandma’s feet are rough and calloused, “filled with dirt from long ago and far away.”
Grandma tells the girls about the time, years before, when she was still a child and had to care for her two younger brothers and baby sister after both her parents died. There was never enough food. “We lived always with hunger eating us on the inside.” Kalia thinks about how “even with just her one tooth, Grandma never said no when we offered her something to eat.”
As Kalia grows older, money is still tight and because the price of meat is expensive, all she can offer her grandma at dinner is a thick chunk of bone on her spoon. Kalia grows tired of the family’s struggles. There is never enough money, not even for a new dress on the first day of school.
One evening, Kalia asks her parents for braces even though she knows the answer. But what will Grandma say?
This richly textured story, drawn from author Kao Kalia Yan‘s childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, is stunningly illustrated by Khoa Le.
© illustration by Christian Robinson
