Anne Bustard: Children's Author

From the category archives:

March

March 25 Birthday: Aretha Franklin

by Anne on March 25, 2011


Aretha Franklin, musician

Mar. 25, 1942-

The Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World by Julius Lester, illustrated by Lisa Cohen (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2001)

Surrounded by musical neighbors such as Smokey Robinson, Otis Williams and Dianna Ross, Aretha Franklin loved to sing, too. Can you spell R-e-s-p-e-c-t?

Read about Franklin at the Time 100 site.

March 24 Birthday: Harry Houdini

by Anne on March 24, 2011

Harry Houdini, magician

Mar. 24, 1874-Oct. 31, 1926

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Houdini: World’s Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Walker Books for Young Readers, 2005)

Houdini sawed people in half and wrapped himself in chains—all in the name of magic. This biography offers a look inside his life, his challenges and his performances.

Visit the PBS American Experience site about Houdini, The Man Behind the Myth for a timeline, gallery, teacher’s guide and special features.

March 24 Birthday: John Harrison

by Anne on March 24, 2011

John Harrison, inventor

Mar. 24, 1693-Mar. 24, 1776

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The Man Who Made Time Travel by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003)

Harrison succeeded in figuring out how to track longitude for ships at sea…after five tries and over thirty-five years. Thank you for your perseverance, Mr Harrison!

The National Maritime Museum dedicates a page to Harrison and the Longitude problem.

March 21 Birthday: Johann Sebastian Bach

by Anne on March 21, 2011

Johann Sebastian Bach, musician

Mar. 21, 1685-July 28, 1750

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Sebastian: A Book about Bach by Jeanette Winter (Silver Whistle, 1999)

Bach survived the sorrows of childhood and created magnificent music. And aren’t we glad he did!

The J.S. Bach Home Page celebrates the life and work of Bach.

March 21 Birthday: Ruth Law

by Anne on March 21, 2011

Ruth Law, aviator

Mar. 21, 1887-Dec. 1, 1970

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Ruth Law Thrills a Nation by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin, 1995)

In 1916, Law flew nonstop from Chicago to New York and set the American record. This is the story of her great achievement.

See a photo of Law and read a short history of her aviation life. Other links are also featured.