Blog Tour: Away With Words: The Daring Story of Isabella Bird

Away With Words: The Daring Story of Isabella Bird
by Lori Mortensen, Illustrated by Kristy Caldwell
Peachtree Publishers (March 1, 2019)
Audience: Ages 7 to 10
Nonfiction * Biography * Women
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
"Isabella Bird was like a wild vine stuck in a too-small pot. She needed more room. She had to get out. She had to explore."

Exploring was easier said than done in Victorian England. But Isabella persisted, and with each journey, she breathed in new ways to see and describe everything around her. Question by question, word by word, Isabella bloomed. First, out in the English countryside. Then, off to America and Canada. And eventually, around the world, to Africa, Asia, Australia, and more.

This dashing picture book biography about the first female member of the Royal Geographic Society takes readers around the world with a daring nineteenth-century female explorer and author. Kristy Caldwell's detailed illustrations illuminate Bird's travels around the world, and Lori Mortensen's back matter, author's note, and bibliography will satisfy the curiosity of readers who want to learn more.

Quick thoughts on the book:
Most of the time, when I think about what it would be like to live during a different time period, I think about the lack of indoor plumbing and how women were treated and decide I am okay with living in my current time period. Despite my own lack of interest in traveling and living in past centuries, I can certainly appreciate how difficult it must have been for women. And yet, there are women who stepped out of traditional roles and left their stamp on the world in phenomenal ways.

Isabella Bird was one of those women. Based on the advice of a doctor, as a treatment option for her health challenges, Bird began with fresh air and walks which eventually led her to travel around the world and write about her travel experiences.

In my twenties, I moved from Massachusetts to California. A friend and I drove across the country and I remember thinking what it must have been like for pioneers traveling by foot and in covered wagons. As I traveled, I had the benefit of books, photographs, and other experiences to prepare me for what I might encounter. I also had modern conveniences such as air conditioning and a motorized truck. Even with all of my knowledge, I remember being awe struck by what I saw as I crossed the country.

When I think about Bird, I am also struck by awe and admiration. Travel wasn’t easy in the mid-1800’s and there were a lot of risks in doing so. Imagine how valuable and entertaining her writing about her journey would be for readers of her time. If there was any doubt that women had the strength and fortitude to endure all of the challenges, Bird proved it was possible and was eventually inducted into the National Geographic Society as their first woman member.

Mortensen introduces young readers to an incredible woman with an indomitable spirit. I hope that the spirit of adventure that resided in Bird will take root in the readers who are discovering her story for the first time.

Check out the book trailer:

Look for a copy of the book at your local indie bookstore or at your community library.

About the author: Lori Mortensen is the award-winning author of more than 100 books, including If Wendell Has a Walrus, Chicken Lily, and Mousequerade Ball, and over 500 stories and articles. Her most daring adventure? Driving from California to New York and back one summer with her family and their pop-up trailer. Just like Isabella, her family soaked up each exciting detail—from the Grand Canyon to the Appalachian Mountains, to fireworks in New York City on the Fourth of July. Today, Lori lives in Northern California. Visit her website at www.lorimortensen.com.

About the illustrator: Kristy Caldwell lives in New York and has illustrated several books, including Flowers for Sarajevo. Her favorite way to travel is by boat. Visit her website at www.kristycaldwell.com.

Check out the other posts on the blog tour:

Good Reads with Ronna
Let’s Talk Picture Books
Pragmatic Mom
Geo Librarian
Kid Lit Frenzy

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Celebrating Women's History Month

Women’s History Week was established by President Carter in 1980 and then in 1987 Congress established it as Women’s History Month. For the month of March, I will be celebrating the lives of amazing women and their contributions to the world. So often their contributions haven’t been recognized or celebrated as they should. I love that in the past several years, the number of biographies about all of these women have shined a light onto their incredible work.

To kick off Women’s History, I am sharing three books…

Hedy Lamarr's Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Katy Wu (Sterling, February 5, 2019)

I was aware of Hedy Lamarr’s life as an actress but had no clue until a couple of years ago that she was quite the inventor. Sadly, I am not surprised that it took 50 years for her work in discovering frequency hopping to be recognized. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, women were expected to get married and have children. They were not expected to be thinkers and scientists and inventors and engineers. Wallmark provides young readers with a fabulous introduction to this incredible woman.

A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Alice Faye Duncan, Illustrated by Xia Gordon (Sterling, January 1, 2019)

Gwendolyn Brooks would have been a contemporary of Hedy Lamarr and yet I suspect that their lives were very different. Brooks was an exceptional poet and writer and became the first Black Writer to win the prestigious Pulitzer Award. Duncan intertwines her poetry and verse about Brooks with actual poetry written by Brooks. Definitely a love song for a very talented woman.

Gloria Takes a Stand: How Gloria Steinem Listened, Wrote, and Changed the World by Jessica Rinker, Illustrated by Daria Peoples-Riley (Bloomsbury Children’s Book, March 12, 2019)

When I was growing up, I remember hearing about and reading about Gloria Steinem. At the time, I don’t really think I thought about how significant her work was and the contributions she made in moving forward equal rights for women. Rinker providers young readers with a general overview of Steinem’s life and contributions. It has motivated me to read more about her.

Look for each of these books at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 3/4/19

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kid lit focus. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kid lit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last week, we a super busy week, so I didn’t get through as many books as I hoped. Also, I started several books and rotating through them.

Here’s what I read this past week…

Another by Christian Robinson (Simon & Schuster, March 5, 2019) - This comes out tomorrow and is a wonderful wordless picture book.

Becoming by Michelle Obama (Random House Audio, 2018) - Audiobooks tend to take awhile for me to read since I don’t have a particularly long commute and I tend to save them for when I will be in the car for a bit longer. I enjoyed Obama’s narration of her memoir.

Currently reading…

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1) by Jessica Townsend (Little, Brown Books for Young Children, 2017) - A friend recommended the audiobook and I am only listening to this on longer drives. It definitely has a wonderful narrator and the premise of the book is fascinating.

Iliad by Gareth Hinds (Candlewick Press, March 12, 2019) - I recently received this book from Candlewick and it is a beautiful companion to Hinds’ Odyssey graphic novel.

The Library Book by Susan Orleans (Simon & Schuster, 2018) - This is one of 12 books on my adult book reading challenge for the year.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport (Grand Central Publishing, 2016) - My one little word for this year is FOCUS. I have a few books that I have marked to read on the topic and this is the first one. I will probably follow up with a separate blog post in the future.

So, what are you reading?

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: The Roots of Rap 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
Little Bee Books (January 8, 2019)
Nonfiction * Music * Rap & Hip-Hop
Audience: Ages 7 to 10
Indiebound | Worldcat

Description from GoodReads:
Explore the roots of rap in this stunning, rhyming, triple-timing picture book!
A generation voicing
stories, hopes, and fears
founds a hip-hop nation.
Say holler if you hear.

The roots of rap and the history of hip-hop have origins that precede DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash. Kids will learn about how it evolved from folktales, spirituals, and poetry, to the showmanship of James Brown, to the culture of graffiti art and break dancing that formed around the art form and gave birth to the musical artists we know today. Written in lyrical rhythm by award-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford and complete with flowing, vibrant illustrations by Frank Morrison, this book beautifully illustrates how hip-hop is a language spoken the whole world 'round, it and features a foreward by Swizz Beatz, a Grammy Award winning American hip-hop rapper, DJ, and record producer.

Quick thoughts about this book:

When I first heard about this book, I put it on my “list of books to read”. I have been a big fan of both Weatherford’s work and Morrison’s art. However, the small book cover on the screen of the computer does not properly prepare you for the beauty of this book.

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars On the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop will make you gasp as you open it up. I think my first read through of the book was actually a simple walk through of the illustrations. I am truly in awe of Morrison’s incredible talent.

As I read through the text on additional read throughs of the book, I couldn’t help but look to see if the book was available in an audiobook format. I wondered about the rhythm of the text and if the rhythm changes as the history of rap unfolds.

I look forward to sharing this book with teachers and students and encouraging students to celebrate the history of rap and hip hop and be inspired to write their own spoken word poetry and musical lyrics.

Don’t miss the back matter at the end of the book. Weatherford and Morrison include their thoughts on the Hip Hop and the role music and spoken word poetry played in their life. There is also a Hip Hop’s Who’s Who and key vocabulary at the end.

Look for The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews….

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to Young Adult - 2/25/19

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kid lit focus. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kid lit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

It has been too long since I joined up with this wonderful community and I am hoping to participate again on a weekly basis.

Here’s what I have been reading in the past month or so…

The Visitor by Antje Damm, Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer (Gecko Press, 2018) - I missed this in 2018 and so glad I found it. Truly a special story.

The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates, Juniper Bates (Simon & Schuster, 2018) - Add this one to your collection of inclusive stories.

Hazelnut Days by Emmanuel Bourdier, Illustrated by Zau (Mineedition, 2018) - I don’t want to spoil the ending of this one but it is definitely worth the read.

They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books, 2018) - This is Tamaki’s first picture book and it is lovely way to explore colors.

First Laugh — Welcome Baby! by Rose Ann Tahe, Nancy Bo Flood, Illustrated by Jonathan Nelson (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2018) - I am trying to build my collection of books by Native American authors. Add this one to your collection.

The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln by Marissa Moss, Illustrated by Jeremy Holmes (Abrams, 2018) - I was fascinated by this picture book biography about Allan Pinkerton.

Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival by Lindsay Moore (Greenwillow Books, January 22, 2019) - This fictional text would pair nicely with a nonfiction text on polar bears and climate change.

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford, Frank Morrison (Little Bee Books, January 8, 2019) - Wow! The text and illustrations in this book are amazing.

The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach (Scholastic Press, February 26, 2019) - This would pair nicely with a nonfiction text on the life cycle of a butterfly. And this one will make a very funny read aloud.

What If...? Then We...: Short, Very Short, Shorter-than-Ever Possibilities by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Fred Koehler (Boyds Mills Press, February 19, 2019) - Click on the title for my recent review of the book and a giveaway.

Lubna and the Pebble by Wendy Meddor, Illustrated by Daniel Egneus (Dial Books, March 5, 2019) - If you have a refugee shelf, you will want to add this one to it. I read it to a group of teachers and got all choked up.

The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood, Illustrated by Hannah Marks (Dial Books, April 2, 2019) -This will be a fun read aloud.

¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market by Raúl Gonzalez III (Versify, April 2, 2019) - A new picture book coming from Kwame Alexander’s imprint. VERSIFY. The kids I shared this one with really enjoyed it.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Versify, April 2, 2019) - A new picture book by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson. You will want to pick this one up.

Fox & Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride: and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier - I really enjoy Ruzzier’s Fox and Chick characters. This one is as good as the first one.

How I Became a Spy: A Mystery of WWII London by Deborah Hopkinson (Knopf Books for Young Readers, February 12, 2019) Click on the link for my review of this book.

Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis (Bloomsbury, April 30, 2019) - I am still trying to figure out how to sum up this book. I do think that books about children in foster care are needed and also hard because every child has such a different experience. I was definitely drawn into this book and glad I read it. More to come.

For those who like cookbooks, I have gone back into a phase of reading them. I was excited to see that the Los Angeles Public Library has such a fabulous collection of new or newish cookbooks and cooking memoirs.

Cravings: Hungry for More by Christy Teigen and Adeena Sussman (Clarkson Potter, 2018) - This one I think I will pick up. Lots of recipes I want to try.

Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes by Adam Reid, Photographs by Andre Baranowski (W.W. Norton, 2009) - This was recommended on a podcast I listen to and I was curious to check it out. I am still craving milkshakes.

The Grand Central Baking Book: Breakfast Pastries, Cookies, Pies, and Satisfying Savories from the Pacific Northwest's Celebrated Bakery by Piper Davis, Ellen Jackson (Ten Speed Press, 2009) - This one also came from a podcast recommendation and right now I am going sugar-free and gluten free so I was just enjoying this but have no plan to make anything for awhile.

Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine by Edward Lee (Artisan 2018 - I enjoy travel memoirs especially those that talk about culture and food.

So, what are you reading?