Johnny Appleseed aka John Chapman, ecologist

Sept. 26, 1774-Mar. 1847

Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg (HarperCollins, 1988)

Kellogg blends fact with fiction in this story about an American icon. I love the illustrations—big and lush.

Note: There are many, many books published about Johnny Appleseed. This is one of my favorites.

Read an article about Chapman from Harper’s New Monthly Magazine from 1871 posted on Cornell’s web site.

George Gershwin, composer

Sept. 26,1898-July 11, 1937

Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1993)

Gershwin wrote Broadway show tunes galore. Thanks, George (and your brother, Ira, too,) for Rhapsody in Blue, Swanee, I Got Rhythm and more.

Visit the Official Web site of George and Ira Gershwin.