- Mar 21
Updated: Mar 26
Louisa May Alcott Creates Little Women
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Calkins Creek
(Astra Books for Young Readers)
(pub. 1.20.2026)
40 pages
Ages 7 -1o
Author: Kate Hannigan
Illustrator: Sofia Moore
Character: Louisa May Alcott
Overview:
" Louisa May Alcott wrote the beloved classic Little Women, but she started out as just a little girl scribbling in her journal.
Born into the middle of a spirited, creative group of sisters, Louisa was always up for exploration, play, dreaming, and creating—the traits that would one day make her a writer. Even when times were hard, Louisa’s family held each other close and persevered. So when Louisa dared to write a novel, she wrote about the thing that mattered most to her—family! The four Alcott sisters became the four March sisters in the smashing hit novel Little Women."
Tantalizing taste:
"Over ten quick weeks, she wrote from her heart, tapping the skills she'd developed and all she remembered of growing up. Especially how it felt to be a girl with big dreams.
And something more: Kate Hannigan shared in the Author's Note: "Touching on universal themes of love, grief, struggle, and independence, Little Women was one of the first books to shine a light on the lives of ordinary girls - flaws and all. It's inspired countless women to become writers and remains a treasured exploration of childhood, and growing up."
How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover
Changed the Environmental Movement
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Calkins Creek
(Astra Books for Young Readers)
(pub. 3.11.2025)
40 pages
Ages 7 -10
Author: Kate Hannigan
Illustrator: Katie Hickey
Character: Rachel Carson
Overview:
"Rachel Carson wasn’t always the Rachel Carson, renowned environmental activist. From her earliest years, Rachel had a passion for nature—to her, it was a fairyland, and she loved to write about her adventures and the creatures she saw. Encouraged by teachers, Rachel wanted nothing more than to study the ocean and its inhabitants. Though unable to finish her PhD due to financial constraints, Rachel found work in science and success as a nature writer.
In the course of her work, Rachel learned about the harm caused by recently developed pesticides and chemicals that made their way into the environment. Desperate to protect nature for future generations even as her health declined, she penned the famous book Silent Spring—a call to action against the threat of the deadly chemicals. The book is anything but quiet, selling more than 2 million copies and leading directly to changes like the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Clean Water Act of 1972."
Tantalizing taste:
"For the first time in her life, Rachel...
sees the majesty of the vast, churning ocean,
hears the power of the crashing waves,
smells the fishy fragrance on the breeze,
feels her feet sink into the sandy shoreline,
tastes the salty spray of the sea mist."
And something more: Kate Hannigan shared in the Author's Note: "Carson died just eighteen months after Silent Spring was pubished. She didn't live to see the impact of her work, which still resonates today, or to hear the good names people called her - like 'mother of the environmental movement.'"
"We must all have a great sense of responsibility, and not let things happen because everyone takes the comfortable view that someone else is looking after it. Someone else isn't looking after it. It is your responsibility - yours and everyone else's." - Rachel Carson
Patrick Kelly Designs His Dreams
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Abrams Books for Young Readers
(pub. 1.13.2026)
48 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Eric Darnell Pritchard
Illustrator: Shannon Wright
Character: Patrick Kelly
Overview:
" Patrick Kelly was one of the most influential fashion designers of the twentieth century, but growing up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, he didn’t see many boys who liked to sew. That didn’t stop him from sitting down at his grandma’s table and picking up a needle and thread.
Patrick loved the way clothes could make someone feel their best, and he dreamed of creating designs full of joy and whimsy. Those dreams brought him to some of the biggest cities in the world, but when he got there, he was told that his clothes were too vibrant, too tacky, and too much!
When the fashion world rejected his designs, Patrick just laughed and carried right on working. He created clothes for people like him, outsiders who didn’t grow up fitting in but weren’t afraid to stand out. He filled his designs with love, and when the world finally recognized his talent, they couldn’t help but smile.
Tantalizing taste:
"He sewed so much his machine blew out the electricity in his apartment. But Patrick laughed and carried on as best as could.
With no machine he continued, hand sewing by candlelight.
Every week, the stage was filled with the bigget, wildest, most outrageous costumes Patrick could imagine.
And every night, the crowds shouted:
'Fantastique!'
'Magnifique!'
'Tres chic!'
And something more: Eric Darnell Pritchard shared in the Author's Note: "I hope that this book about Patrick's life and creations will always be there when you - or someone you know - needs the reminder that our dreams are achievable, that standing out is a superpower, that creating and sharing things that bring more joy to a sometimes sad, scary world is a choice we can make every day, and most of all, that Patrick Kelly loves you."
