News & Reviews

And She Was Loved

Toni Morrison's Life in Stories A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Little, Brown Books for Readers (pub. 1.7.2025) 48 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrator: Daniel Minter C haracter: Toni Morrison O verview : " From imaginative child to visionary storyteller, Toni Morrison was a fiercely inspiring writer that helped change the world. This poetic picture book is part love letter and part biography, praising the power of this Nobel Prize winner. With i

Feb 5

To the Top of the World

Barbara Hillary, the First Black Woman to Reach the North and South Poles A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Atheneum Books (Simon & Schuster) pub. 10.21.2025 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Deborah Blumenthal Illustrator: Anastasia Magloire Williams C haracter: Barbara Hillary O verview : " As a young girl, Barbara Hillary imagined a life of adventure. Despite facing hardships in her childhood and illness as an adult, she never gave up on her dream: to travel the world and

Feb 2

Hope Rode

The Promise of the Packhorse Librarians A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Union Square Kids pub. 8.12.2025 48 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Lauren H. Kerstein Illustrator: Becca Stadtlander C haracters: Kentucky Packhorse Librarians O verview : "Following the Great Depression, literacy rates in the country had dwindled, and education and opportunities were harder to come by, especially in areas like rural Appalachia. But still, there was a dream: a vision of a nation in whi

Jan 27

Rock Star

How Ursula Marvin Mapped Moon Rocks and Meteorites A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP A Paula Wiseman Book (Simon & Schuster) pub. 10.14.2025 64 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Sandra Neil Wallace Illustrator: Nancy Carpenter C haracter: Ursula Marvin O verview : " While attending college in the early 1940s, Ursula Marvin fell in love with geology, but when she asked her male professor about making the field her major, he tried to stop her, saying it would be a better use of

Jan 11

The Spider Lady

Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Calkins Creek (Astra Books for Young Readers) pub. 5.10.2025 48 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Penny Parker Klostermann Illustrator: Anne Lambelet C haracter: Nan Songer O verview : "' Venomous spiders, delicate silk, and science experiments filled Nan Songer’s days and nights—her home in California overflowed with many-legged critters. With inspiration from a friend, Nan began to study how spider silk c

Jan 5

The Spy in the Museum

How Rose Valland Saved Art from the Nazis A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Beach Lane Books (Simon Kids) pub. 9.16.2025 40 pages Ages 6 - 10 A uthor and illustrator: Erin McGuire C haracter: Rose Valland O verview : " Rose Valland loved art. When the Nazis invaded Paris during World War II and took over her beloved museum, Rose could have fled. But who would save the artwork? So, Rose remained and saw how she was underestimated by the soldiers for being a quiet, unass

Dec 9, 2025

No One Told Sandra Day O'Connor What to Do

The First Woman to Serve on the United States Supreme Court A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Sleeping Bear Press pub. 5.1.2025 40 pages Ages 6 - 9 A uthor: Molly Golden Illustrator: Julia Breckenreid C haracter: Sandra Day O'Connor O verview : "On September 25, 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman to be a Supreme Court Justice in United States history. But who was Sandra Day O’Connor? In the 1930s, it was hard to imagine any woman sitting on the highest co

Nov 21, 2025

Ablaze

The Story of America's First Female Smokejumper A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Viking Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House) pub. 7.1.2025 40 pages Ages 4 - 7 A uthor: Jessica Lawson Illustrator: Sarah Gonzales C haracter: Deanne Shulman O verview : " Deanne loved being outdoors. With her family, she spent summers sailing the Salton Sea and backpacking the Sierra Nevada Mountains. As she grew older, her love of nature only grew. So when the heat rose each fir

Nov 13, 2025