authors

Hope Is an Arrow

Sophie Rosen , , , ,

McCarthy, Cory. Hope Is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese American Poet Kahlil Gibran. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2022.
A poet. An artist. A storyteller. An essayist. A philosopher. Born into a Lebanese Maronite Christian family in 1883, Kahlil Gibran came to America with his mother and siblings in 1895.  Sent back to study Arabic in Beruit when he was fifteen, he moved to Paris to study painting when he was eighteen. In 1910, he returned to the US, where his literary fame grew. Attracted to Islam, Sufism, and Jungian psychology, his writing was nonetheless greatly influenced by the King James Bible. Although he died almost 100 years ago, his work continues to be published. The Prophet has not been out of print for over 100 years.
This picture book biography – vibrantly illustrated by Ekua Holmes – retells the story of Gibran’s complex life in a clear, easy-to-follow style suitable for reading aloud to listeners as young as six but informative enough – with extensive notes at the end – to provide a fascinating introduction for readers of any age. Highly recommended.

“We are the seeds of the tenacious plant, and it is in our ripeness and our fullness of heart that we are given to the wind and are scattered.”

P.S. Always watch for picture books published by Candlewick. They are invariably beautiful.

More stories of immigrants

More biographies of writers

Extraordinary Magic

Sophie Rosen ,

Crews, Nina. Extraordinary Magic. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2024.

What words would you choose to tell the story of your life?
How could you turn those words into poems about your life?
Nina Crews, author of over a dozen children’s books, uses poems and pictures to tell the story of Virginia Hamilton, author of over forty books and winner of multiple awards including the Newbery Medal in 1975. Most young readers today – at least in Canada – will not be familiar with Hamilton’s folktales and realistic novels about life for African Americans. This picture book is an excellent introduction to an author who excelled at writing complex stories that did not flinch from life’s ugliness while still celebrating its beauty. Recommended for readers up to 15 years of age.

More biographies of writers

Stories of people with African heritage

Novels for young adults

Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock

Sophie Rosen ,

Bailey, Linda. Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock. Toronto: Tundra, 2022.
Everyone knows the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. But who is Arthur Conan Doyle? A quiet man who lives alone and stays indoors writing stories? No. Definitely not. Arthur Doyle loves sports – all sports – and is a superb storyteller. When he completes his schooling, he travels the world as a ship’s medical officer before coming back to Scotland to open his own practice. While he waits for patients to arrive, he writes stories, all of which are rejected by publishers. No one wants them. Until he writes about a detective, and Sherlock Holmes is born! (Arthur also marries twice, has five children, does more travelling, and does all he can to make sure people are not mistreated.) This biography – written in present tense – is a delight to read! It flows beautifully: perfect for reading aloud to younger students, excellent for teaching style to older students. And the liveliness of the writing and the humour of the illustrations (by Isabelle Follath) make it fun for any age. Outstanding!

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Frankenstein

Sophie Rosen , , ,

Dear Reader,

You’ve no doubt heard of Frankenstein, the horrible monster created by a mad scientist. The real story is far more interesting. Fourteen-year-old Mary and her stepmother did not get along together, so her father sent her to live in Scotland. When Mary returned to London, two years later, circumstances had not improved. So Mary and her stepsister and a poet, Percy Shelley, ran away to Switzerland where they lived in a big house on Lake Geneva. One night, eighteen-year-old Mary came up with the idea of a monster brought to life by a Dr. Frankenstein. When her novel was first published in 1818, no one could believe that it had been written by a girl. But it really was her story. And 200 years later, her horror story is still famous! 

Bailey, Linda. Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein. New York: Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, 2018.

This dramatic picture book, suspensefully illustrated by Julia Sarda, tells Mary’s whole story. Read it the first chance you get! 

Ms. R. 

P.S. If you’re interested in finding out more about classic stories, check out this list. 

 

Let’s go on an adventure…

Sophie Rosen , , , , ,

Sis, Peter. Robinson. New York: Scholastic Press, 2017.
A softly beautiful picture book combining memories from the author’s childhood with the story of Robinson Crusoe. The softly detailed illustrations, complemented by the capital-letters font, will enchant readers 7 to 14 years old. Highly recommended!

Picture book memoirs

Stories of adventure

Write about your own memories

“When you have little children, you want to tell them about joy and happiness and hope. And then comes the time you want to tell them there are tough moments. I admire people who can do that.” Peter Sis 

Note: All of Peter Sis’s books are memorable. Here are some of my favourites:

  

“People think children’s books are about teddy bears and little flowers. I realize people sometimes don’t know what to do with my books because they say, ‘Is it a children’s book, and what age group?'” Peter Sis

Observing nature…

Sophie Rosen , ,

Heckert, Barbara. A Boy, a Mouse, and a Spider: The Story of E.B. White. New York: Christy Ottaviano Books / Henry Holt and Company, 2017.
Who was the author of the classic novel Charlotte’s Web? What was his childhood like?  What challenges did he overcome? What inspired him to write children’s stories? The design of this picture book – illustrated by Caldecott winner Lauren Castillo – is unfortunately weakened by the font, which does not match the style of the pictures. Nevertheless, this biography is still recommended for curious readers 8 years old and up. 

More biographies

“There’s no limit to how complicated things can get, on account of one thing always leading to another.” – E.B. White

Setting the record straight…

Sophie Rosen ,

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

Kerley, Barbara. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy). New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.
This is a frank biographer and an honest one; she uses no sandpaper on me.” That’s what Mark Twain said about his own daughter, who secretly – when she was thirteen years old – kept a journal about her adored papa. Author Barbara Kerley tells the whole story in this intriguing picture book biography. Varying-sized fonts, humorous full-page illustrations by Edwin Fotheringham, and sample diary entries complete with misspellings help to tell this delightful account of one of the most well-known American writers. A timeline, author’s note, and tips for writing a biography complete this picture book highly recommended for all who have enjoyed the tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. 

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“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” 

Picture books for writers

“The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”

Humorous stories

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”