No More Waiting

Working within the laws as set forth in the United States Constitution, the President of the United States has the ability and responsibility to build lasting institutions, promote programs and introduce new legislation designed for the good of all people.  Our thirty-fifth president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, on March 1, 1961 signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps.  It evolved from a speech made on the University of Michigan campus on October 14, 1960 several hours after midnight.

Let me say in conclusion, this University is not maintained by its alumni, or by the state, merely to help its graduates have an economic advantage in the life struggle.  There is certainly a greater purpose, and I'm sure you recognize it.  Therefore, I do not apologize for asking for your support in this campaign.  I come here tonight asking your support for this country over the next decade.

It is still flourishing today.

JFK believed in winning the space race.  On May 5, 1961 Alan B. Shepard, Jr. was the first American in space.  Twenty days later Kennedy during a speech to Congress strongly encouraged the United States to be the first country to place a man on the moon by the end of the decade.  (On July 20, 1969 our astronauts, Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin, were the first men to walk on the moon.)  John Glenn, on February 20, 1962, was launched into space becoming the first American to orbit Earth.

A United States President can set things in motion to create great change.  On my twelfth birthday, June 11, 1963, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered a speech.  A Time To Act: John F. Kennedy's Big Speech (NorthSouth Books, April 4, 2017) written by Shana Corey with illustrations by R. Gregory Christie chronicles the life of this man prior to and after he spoke.

John F. Kennedy loved to read about history.  But history isn't just in books---it's happening all around us.

We all are a part of history.  We have the power to sway the course of events.  In the Kennedy family of nine children, Joe Kennedy, the oldest, was the favorite.  John, Jack, was not quite sure of his place.  Not only did Jack like to read, he was a writer.  He wrote a book in college which was published with the help of his father.

During World War II, the boat Jack commanded was ravaged.  He made sure the survivors made it to shore alive.  He was named a hero.  Joe was not as fortunate as Jack.  He died in his plane over the English Channel.  The plans Jack's father had for Joe were now shifted to Jack.

From serving six years as a congressman, Jack went to work as a senator.  During his tenure he married Jackie.  By 1960 he declared his intentions to run for president of the United States.  As Jack campaigned, the civil rights movement sought and fought peacefully through protest for equality.  Jack supported their movement in speeches, even offering to assist when Dr. Martin Luther King was imprisoned.

After his election his inauguration speech was an invitation for everyone to participate in helping our country.  President Kennedy was firm and fast on some issues but not for civil rights.  He was repeatedly urged by African American leaders to take action; men, women and children were doing everything possible.  It was not easy but hard and dangerous.  President Kennedy's speech on June 11, 1963 called for freedom for all as promised by President Lincoln.  Those same people who asked for his intervention were pleased with the speech.

Dr. Martin Luther King gave his I Have a Dream speech several months later.  President John Fitzgerald Kennedy did not live to see Congress pass his request for a civil rights law but President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2.  How will we keep making history?


When you live through moments of historical significance as a child or read about them years later, you might not be as aware of all the intricate pieces which shape the whole.  Shana Corey presents readers with those pieces offering us the opportunity to understand the influences which shaped the man who became our thirty-fifth president of the United States.  We meet young Jack, second to his older brother, Joe, writer Jack, hero Jack, politician Jack and campaigning-for-president Jack.

To better comprehend the context of the times in which Jack was running for president and when he served as president, Shana Corey depicts a very real picture of the civil rights movement.  It's as if we are there.  We are asking in our minds for the president to make a move for what is right.  This sense of living back in history is made authentic with specific details and quotations expertly woven into the narrative.  Here is a sample passage.

But on important civil rights issues, Jack was slow to act.
He once declared that the president must be willing to
get in the "thick of the fight."  But now he seemed unwilling
to fight some battles.
"I would like to be patient...," the famous baseball player 
Jackie Robinson wrote to Jack, "but patience has [cost] us years
in our struggle for human dignity."
While Jack hesitated, others stepped forward and acted.
In 1961, young black and white people called Freedom Riders
tried to integrate buses in the south.
Angry crowds smashed their windows.
They slashed the tires.
They set fire to the buses.
But the young people didn't give up.


When President Kennedy spoke you listened; his words profound in his singular voice.  To have him speaking on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, as the children march beginning on the left side of the back to stand near him on the front, makes an impressive statement.  Above the three young men on the back is a quote from the June 11, 1963 speech.  The white background with blue and red for the text points to this as a segment from American history.

A light turquoise wash spans both the opening and closing endpapers.  In black and white, R. Gregory Christie has created a line of children carrying signs.  On the opening jacket flap a small African American child is carrying a sign.  On the title page a grown JFK is seated and reading a book.

The brush strokes, lines, light and shadows portray vivid emotional moments in images spanning two pages, single pages or small pictures on a single page.  R. Gregory Christie's work is distinctive and original; his people look literally ready to walk off the pages or turn their heads and start talking to us.  The faces of people from history are marvelous.

One of my favorite illustrations is the one appearing on the title page and again in the interior of the book.  Jack, wearing a lighter blue suit with a white shirt and a striped tie is seated in a red chair.  He is holding an open book in his hands.  He has stopped reading but seems to be looking inward.  The expression on his face is thoughtful but determined.


This book, A Time To Act: John F. Kennedy's Big Speech, written by Shana Corey with illustrations by R. Gregory Christie needs to be in your personal and professional collections.  It is one of the finest titles about Kennedy amid the civil rights movement and his life prior and shortly after the June 11, 1963 speech I have ever read for children (for everyone).  Great care has been taken by both the author and illustrator in their presentations.  A two page Author's Note is a must read at the end.  Eight portraits are offered of prominent people appearing in the narrative.  There is a further reading section, a selected bibliography, origins of quotations and acknowledgements.

To discover more about Shana Corey and R. Gregory Christie please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Shana Corey has an extras page with wonderful ideas.  Here is a discussion guide.  At a publisher's website you can view interior images.  At Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog of author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson you can see more images.  Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, hosts the book trailer premiere on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.  He asks Shana Corey to complete sentences for him in an interview.


Make sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to enjoy the titles selected by other bloggers participating in the 2017 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

His Vision Took Him Underground

In the early 1860s shortly before the advent of the American Civil War if you were to casually ask someone living in the United States the most common thing found below the ground, I'm fairly certain they would not have mentioned a mode of transportation.  Depending on the age of the person, their status and occupation they might have responded with the next crop of potatoes, pathways created by moles, shrews and earthworms or buried treasure.  If the neighborhood dog could speak human, it would probably have revealed the secret location of a stolen bone.

One city in the United States, New York City, had a huge problem.  The Secret Subway (Schwartz & Wade Books, March 3, 2016) written by Shana Corey with illustrations created by Red Nose Studio reveals how the mind of a brilliant man sought to solve the dilemma.  His efforts as well as the depiction of them in words and images by Corey and Red Nose Studio are quite remarkable.

Welcome to New York City---the greatest city on earth!
You say it looks crowded? Dirty? DISGUSTING?
The streets are filled with GARBAGE?

This was exactly the shape of the city's roadways at this time.  It seemed as if everyone had an idea how to get from point A to point B under safer and cleaner conditions but nothing changed.  One man, a man of vision, had an idea.  His name was Alfred Ely Beach.

He wanted to construct a tunnel and tracks underground which would carry a train powered by a fan...a really big fan.  Beach was sure no one would agree to such a huge undertaking so he proposed building something smaller, something carrying the mail under the city streets.  In the dark of night when everyone else was asleep, even the highest ranking politicians and undeclared ruler of the city, Boss Tweed, Beach had his crews silently haul away much more rocks and dirt than would be accumulated from digging a tube for mail.   He was digging a pathway for his train!

For nearly two months the men worked digging during the day and hauling away at night.  When they reached a dangerous obstacle they carefully persevered.  Eight feet wide and two hundred ninety-four feet long the vision of Beach's dream was finally finished.  In his characteristic style he prepared the basement from which they had been working into a lovely, fashionable waiting room.

On February 26, 1870 the first passengers, invited guests of Alfred Ely Beach, rode a train beneath New York City.  When opened to the public the train whooshed back and forth on the track for months and then several years before politics and money made their move.  When workers again went below digging and hauling in 1912 they made a surprising discovery.


Every minute devoted to research is evident in every sentence written by Shana Corey.  She declares her intentions with the first phrase and follows with the distressing status of the streets at the time.  Then she completely captivates us with the efforts of one man who dared not only to dream but created the opportunity for success.  Through her words we understand the enthusiasm Beach had for this project, the wit he used for thwarting politics and the dedication he had to making something not only safe but first class.  As we read we are inwardly cheering for Alfred Ely Beach.  Here is a sample passage.

Beach was a THINKER---a publisher and an inventor.  His father had owned a newspaper, and Beach had grown up in a simmering soup of letters and words and newfangled notions.  He was also a man of ACTION.  And if there was one thing he loved more than thinking up ideas, it was making them happen.  As Beach studies the street below, the wheels in his brain turned.


When first opening the matching dust jacket and book case readers will be intrigued by the unique, extraordinary images designed and made by Red Nose Studio (Chris Sickels).  With his finger to his lips we are immediately wondering who this man is and what he may or may not share with us.  To the left, on the back, we are still in the tunnel looking at the rear of the train car.  The reverse side of the dust jacket becomes a marvelous nine-step explanation of the illustrative process in a blend of photographs and short captions.  The work performed and the precise attention to detail shown by Sickels are astounding.

The hand-built three-dimensional sets shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR camera are so lifelike you expect the people to start moving and talking along with neighing horses. The line art and lettering was drawn with Hunt pen nibs and Higgins Black Magic ink on paper and inverted blue pencil on paper respectively.  It is hard to resist the temptation to walk right into the pages.

All the pictures span two pages: cityscapes, close-ups of Beach, meetings between politicians and those in control of the city workings as well as the first guests to ride the train, workers in the tunnel and others designing and decorating the waiting room.  Two of the more moving illustrations are when Beach closes his train and the discovery in 1912.  In both the main elements are surrounded by a large portion of black with focused illumination.

Two of my favorite illustrations spanning two pages are placed one above the other horizontally.  At the top we are given an interior view of the first passengers to ride the train in the tunnel with Beach acting as the engineer outside in the front. The six passengers are wearing an array of expressions ranging from awe to fear.  On the ride back they all anxiously await their arrival at the beginning.  It's a slice of history portrayed with excellence.


Assuredly inspirational the story of Alfred Ely Beach as portrayed in The Secret Subway written by Shana Corey with illustrations by Red Nose Studio (Chris Sickels) is a stellar work of nonfiction.  It is an impressive representation of the art of bookmaking, a polished blend of text and images.  Readers will be fascinated from beginning to end.  This title has my highest recommendation.  An extensive author's note provides further information along with a selected bibliography and Internet resources.

To discover more about Shana Corey and Red Nose Studio please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Red Nose Studio maintains a blog and Tumblr pages.  On his blog is an activity for making your own Secret Subway.  For a look inside at some of the initial interior pages stop by the publisher's website.  This title was reviewed by teacher librarian, former member of the 2014 Caldecott Medal and Honor book committee and blogger Travis Jonker at 100 Scope Notes.  Educator and author, Monica Edinger, premiered the book trailer at HuffPost Books and followed with interviews on her own blog, Educating Alice.






Please take a few minutes to read about the other selections by bloggers participating in the 2016 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy.

Her Legacy Lives On

This week boxes of Girl Scout cookies were delivered to my library media center by my students.  I can not remember a time when I have not either been selling or buying Girl Scout cookies.  When I was growing up it was not a question of whether you would join Girl Scouts but when; we were all in scouting.

My troop leaders, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Archer, were dynamos.  Growing up in the 1960s there was a plethora of things girls were expected to know but our leaders took us above and beyond those skills; putting us out in the woods to survive armed with knowledge.    I credit these two fine women and Girl Scouting with my ability to be resilient in the face of insurmountable odds.  In a word...gumption.

Here Come the Girl Scouts!: The Amazing All-true Story of Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure (Scholastic Press) by Shana Corey, illustrated by Hadley Hooper, is more than a picture book biography. Illuminating the life of a woman responsible for directing the course of girl's and young women's visions, hopes, for decades, it offers readers insights into the power of one. 

One of my personal favorite quotes by Thomas Carlyle is:

Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities:  It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak. 

Whether she knew it or not, Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low lived this quote.

Coming from a family known for forging new ground, Daisy longed for the thrill of going her own way unlike the other prim and proper girls of her day.  Even though an ear infection caused hearing loss Daisy moved forward in her world travels as a young woman.  There came a time though when adventure had served its purpose, Daisy wanted to make a difference.

Hearing of Girl Guides in England, Daisy passionately desired to bring something similar home to America.  On March 12, 1912 the first meeting of the Girl Scouts was held in Savannah, Georgia; beginning Daisy's greatest adventure of all.  Giving not only time but designing uniforms, providing a meeting place, land for a basketball court, and a canoe for boating, Daisy wished for Girl Scouts to come from all walks of life without the restrictions of money, upbringing, ethnic or racial barriers.  No detail was to small or large for her attention; the ten Girl Scout laws, a handbook and a series of badges to earn.

Girl Scouts were seen all over Savannah participating in a variety of activities; some viewed them with disdain, others applauded their efforts.  For the first time new avenues were open to girls; holding their heads up high, enjoying the out-of-doors, feeling a sense of camaraderie, because of Daisy they began to believe that anything was possible for them.  Speaking across the country Daisy inspired others to begin troops in their communities, though her heart continued to remain with the girls in Savannah.

While the genre of biography is not the first place I look for reading material, I can say, in all honesty, that I have read this title repeatedly.  I am drawn to the single short concise sentences, the groupings of single sentences to make a point, a short paragraph or several paragraphs carefully written to present the true character of Juliette Gordon Low, Daisy.  Two techniques employed stand out:  within a sentence or paragraph an individual word or words will be sized larger and bolder to emphasize a thought or comment on Daisy or the historical time period and cleverly tucked in the illustrations are quotes from Low aiding in readers' understanding of her belief system; bringing readers into her world, the world she imagined for the Girl Scouts.  There is an effervescent quality to Corey's narrative matching that of her subject.

To make yourself strong and healthy it is necessary to begin with your inside.

Whatever you take up, do it with all your might.

Hadley Hooper's charming, forthright illustrations done in paint, ink and printmaking techniques, then scanned and arranged in Photoshop, could not have found a better venue than this title.  Her debut picture book displays hues in sync with Low's adventurous life, championing the cause of scouting, exploring and appreciating our natural world; greens, blues, golds, rusts and browns.  Nearly all the visuals, two page spreads, are brimming with vitality. 

From the first page picturing a young girl in a period dress, hand on her hip, holding a fishing pole in front of a tree house to the final two pages depicting framed portraits of notable women, all former Girl Scouts, Lucille Ball, Gloria Steinem, Hillary Clinton, with one empty, captioned with a single word, YOU, readers relive, visually, the journey taken by Daisy.  Whenever appropriate Hooper places those flowers, in all sizes, whose name Juliette Gordon Low bore; even the earrings she wears on the front cover. But my favorite by far is the cover hat illustration repeated in the center of the book with one of Low's quotes replacing the author's and illustrator's names across the hat band; a truly memorable illustration more than worthy of framing.

At the end of the book are three pages of extensive additional information and resource notes.  By following the link above to Hadley Hooper's website readers can click on Links and visit her Tumblr pages to see more of the book's illustrations. Selecting Extras on Shana Corey's website provides just that; more information about scouting and how to celebrate the 100th anniversary this year.

Here Come the Girl Scouts!:  The Amazing All-true Story of Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure by Shana Corey, illustrated by Hadley Hooper, is an awe-inspiring title showcasing the accomplishments of a single woman; one of the best in 2012. 

I can't believe I still have this
 but it represents a great deal of work.

This is a continuation from the front.
  Thank you Juliette Gordon Low.