From the monthly archives:
The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Scholastic, 2010)
Told from Twain’s daughter’s point of view, Susy give the inside (and hilarious) scoop on her famous father.
The Hannibal Courier Post looks at the life and works of Samuel Clemens.
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 2000)
Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi ruled her country for 47 years. It was said that she loved to read.
Fordham University posts information about the Court Life in China.
Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1994)
Based on her own childhood with her three sisters in Concord, Massachusetts, Alcott’s most famous work, Little Women was followed by other classics such as Little Men, Jo’s Boys, and Eight Cousins. Alcott also wrote works for adults.
Visit Orchard House, where Alcott lived when writing Little Women.
The Man Who Named the Clouds by Julie Hannah and Joan Holub, illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye (Albert Whitman, 2006)
From childhood, Howard was an intrepid cloud watcher. He kept weather journals and painted the clouds. As an adult, frustrated because a classification system for clouds did not exist, Howard created one. And it is still in use today.
Float on over to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to see photos of common cloud types and to read about the classification system.
Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio, illustrated by Javaka Steptoe (Clarion Books, 2010).
Meet the heart and soul of the rock ‘n’ roller who electrified the 1960s–before he became a star. Through vibrant language and dynamic illustrations, readers are introduced to Hendrix’s childhood friends, his inspirations, his songs, his fire.
The official Jimi Hendrix website offers news, video, music, album information and a bio of this pioneer.
