Posts by slthomson@earthlink.net

Home of the Brave

Posted by on Sep 3, 2026 in American History, BOOK: Storycorp, Home of the Brave, Nonfiction | Comments Off on Home of the Brave

A great review for Home of the Brave from School Library Journal–lovely way to start out the school year!

This graphic novel from independent nonprofit StoryCorps’s treasure trove represents a snapshot of diverse American voices. Each nonfiction entry expresses the humanity shared amongst everyday individuals regardless of hardships, boundaries, and historical events. . . . Fourteen true stories in all, each one explores human experiences while navigating complex situations. Standouts include the profile on one of the first Black midwives registered in North Carolina, an account of the young man who was by President Kennedy’s side in his last moments, and the story of a combat medic in the Vietnam War. . . . A timely and worthwhile addition to collections commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, offering an engaging exploration of the nation’s founding ideals and history.

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Creatures, Creatures Everywhere

Posted by on Aug 5, 2026 in BOOK: Griffin's Boy | Comments Off on Creatures, Creatures Everywhere

I got to spend a lovely weekend in New York City a little while ago, including a great trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Pro tip: when you are overwhelmed and exhausted by culture, a visit to the East Asian wing is quite soothing.)

I found these delightful legendary creatures who would have been quite at home in the menagerie from The Griffin’s Boy–it was like finding old friends peering from plinths and creeping about in carved stone archways.

(The image in the middle is officially a “chimera” which is museum-speak for “we don’t know what the heck this is supposed to be.” I believe that’s a lion’s head with wings along the back–perhaps an entirely new type of legendary beast?)

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A Life Lived in Stories

Posted by on Jun 26, 2026 in Children's Literature | Comments Off on A Life Lived in Stories

Four hundred and fifty books.

Poetry. Nonfiction. Realism. Fantasy and fables. Anything that told a story, that connected writer and reader, that spun a thread of information, emotion, hope and entertainment and moral choice, between two minds and hearts.

It feels like a pillar somewhere has fallen, and the world is a little less steady than it was.

Thank you, Jane Yolen, and farewell.

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Thank You Again

Posted by on Jun 12, 2026 in Book: Dragon's Egg, Educators & Librarians, School Visits | Comments Off on Thank You Again

"I like the part of the book how the girl to[ok] the egg from the Dragon and she thorugh it was gold also bring it in her room inside her home but very important about for me is that [it] was so interesting the book. Love: Phillip"
“I like the part of the book how the girl to[ok] the egg from the Dragon and she thought it was gold also bring it in her room inside her home but very important about for me is that [it] was so interesting the book. Love: Phillip”

Another sweet thank-you note from a writing workshop. What I love about this note is how genuine it is. I didn’t think that the chapter where the heroine of Dragon’s Egg takes a dragon’s egg and hides it in her room was particularly dramatic or exciting–but for this reader it was!

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