From the monthly archives:
Admiral Richard Byrd, explorerBlack Whiteness by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1998)
This is a harrowing account of the 1934 Antarctic winter Byrd spent alone at the South Pole. Brrrrr.
See what’s happening today at the South Pole at the Southpolestation.com web site.
Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer by Bill Wise, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth (Lee & Low, 2007)
Sockalexis, the first Native American major league baseball player, won the hearts of fans with his incredible skill, but the prejudice he faced on the field and off was intense. A note in the Afterword mentions that almost fifty years after Sockalexis’ rookie year, African American Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the major leagues.
Visit the Official Site of the Cleveland Indians, Sockalexis’ team, then known as the Cleveland Spiders.
Alexandra David-Neel, explorerFar Beyond the Gate: Alexandra David-Neel’s Journey to Lhasa by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin, 2002)
David-Neel did not represent the norm. This intrepid Victorian traveler and opera singer gloried in journeying to remote parts of the world. She became and the first Western woman to enter Lhasa, Tibet in 1924.
Alexandra David-Neel’s bio on Wikipedia offers additional info.
Thank you, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2002)
It took thirty-eight years of letters to U.S. presidents from Sarah Hale before Thanksgiving became a national holiday. Lincoln made the day official in 1863. “Pick up your pen. Change the world.”
Take a tour of the Plymouth Plantation and learn about the first Thanksgiving.
Visit WomenWriters.net to read more about Hale’s contributions as editor and writer.
Gertrude Ederle, athleteAmerica’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener (Harcourt, 2000, Voyager, 2005 reprint)
It’s twenty-one miles across the English Channel and in 1926, an American named Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to successfully swim across it. In the process she beat the men’s record by almost two hours.
Sports Illustrated for Women named Ederle one of the Top 100 Women Athletes.
Young Pele: Soccer’s First Star by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2007)
Soccer was Pele’s passion from an early age. He played and dreamed and dreamed and played, all the while honing his skills and talent. When he finally had the opportunity to play in a youth soccer tournament, he saw that it would be possible for him, a child from humble means, to achieve his goal.
ESPN posts a biography of the “King of Futbol” on their site.
Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Jane Dyer (Walker, 2006 reprint)
Woodhull’s run for president in 1872 is a fascinating part of American history. In this race, women’s rights were raised to a new level. Her eclectic background: fortune-teller, newspaper owner and investment business owner, to name only a few of her talents also make Woodhull a woman to be remembered.
“Who is Victoria Woodhull?” offers more information about this political pioneer.
Celia Cruz, musicianCelia Cruz, Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers, illustrated by Julie Maren (Dial, 2005)
When this salsa superstar was a child, her neighbors crowded the street to hear her sing to her family. Jewel toned illustrations add much to this vibrant story of her life.
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History featured Celia Cruz in a exhibit called Azucar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz.
Dizzy by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Sean Qualls (Arthur A Levine Books/Scholastic, 2006)
Everything changed the day Dizzy Gillespie’s music teacher gave him a trumpet. From that moment on, Gillespie channeled all his feelings into his music. Jazz was his music and with it he created a whole new sound, BEBOP.
Drop by PBS.org to learn more about the man and his music from Ken Burns’ Jazz.
Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (Charlesbridge, 2005)
Best known for her Earthsea fantasy series, Le Guin is featured as “U” in this collective biography of women.
Visit Ursula LeGuin’s web site to read more about the Earthsea series, current work and other facts.
Charles Ives, musicianWhat Charlie Heard by Mordicai Gerstein (Frances Foster/FSG, 2002)
A composer of innovative music, Charles Ives realized his dream at 77 years of age! What an inspiration. This is one of my all-time favorite picture book biographies.
Visit the Charles Ives Society web site for background information, works, and useful links.
Shake, Rattle and Roll: The Founders of Rock & Roll by Holly George-Warren, illustrated by Laura Levine (Houghton Mifflin, 2001)
A performer at nine, Jackson sang country for years. Until she sang with Elvis. Then she became known as the Queen of Rockabilly.
At Wanda Jackson.com you’ll find tour dates, photos, biographical info and the latest news on Jackson.
