From the monthly archives:
A Bird or Two: A Story About Henri Matisse by Bijou Le Tord (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1999)
This tribute to the French artist, known as the father of modern art, focuses on Matisse’s later years, when he lived in Nice and was inspired by its extraordinary light.
View a collection of Matisse art and a bio at the WebMuseum, Paris.
Shake, Rattle & Roll: The Founders of Rock & Roll by Holly George-Warren, illustrated by Laura Levine (Houghton Mifflin, 2001)
A double page spread in this collective bio is devoted to rocker, Bo Diddley. This artist played the violin as a child, and then switched to the guitar as a teen. He is credited with the invention of a thump-thump-a beat on the guitar.
Read more about Bo Diddley at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
A tailor by profession, this was our only president who could quilt. He was number 17.
You can read Johnson’s State of the Union Address on the Project Gutenberg site.
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
Our most educated president spent more money on books than clothes. His number? 28.
Read the official White House biography of President Wilson at Whitehouse.gov.
Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth, illustrated by Susan L. Roth (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2009)
An advocate for education, Greg Mortenson made a promise to Korphe, a Pakistan village that took him in when he was ill—he would return to build a school. And he did. This is the story of that remarkable feat.
Visit the Three Cups of Tea website to learn more about Mortenson’s mission to promote peace, one school at a time.
