Author: Anastasia Suen

Bach to the Rescue!!!: How a Rich Dude Who Couldn’t Sleep Inspired the Greatest Music Ever
by Tom Angleberger (Author) and Chris Eliopolous (Illustrator)
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Booktalk: Every famous piece of art has an origin story–even Bach’s Goldberg Variations! When the richest dude in town can’t sleep, he hires a much-less-rich dude named Johann Gottlieb Goldberg to play him lullabies on the harpsichord. Goldberg does an OK job, but as the Rich Dude hollers for Goldberg each night, he wakes up the whole town in the process. As the town gets sleepier and sleepier and grumpier and grumpier, Goldberg worries he may be out of a job soon. But then, the one and only Bach enters the scene with a series of lullabies composed specifically for the Rich Dude. And, thus, the Goldberg Variations are born!

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Hear it yourself at The Open Goldberg Variations.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Outdoor School: Hiking and Camping: The Definitive Interactive Nature Guide
by Jennifer Pharr Davis (Author), Haley Blevins (Author), and Aliki Karkoulia (Illustrator)
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Booktalk: Rewild your life and make every day an adventure with:
– Immersive activities to get you exploring
– Write-in sections to journal about your experiences
– Next-level adventures to challenge even seasoned nature lovers

No experience is required–only curiosity and courage. This interactive field guide to hiking and camping includes:
– Planning your next adventure
– Essential outdoor gear
– First aid & survival
– Navigation
– How to handle extreme weather
– Crossing dangerous terrain
– Setting up camp
– Building a fire in rain or shine
– Games for the trail
– Finding and filtering water
– Animal tracks, calls, and sounds
– Bird watching
– Plant spotting
– Rock hunting
– What to do if you’re lost
And so much more!

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It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

A Rose Named Peace: How Francis Meilland Created a Flower of Hope for a World at War
by Barbara Carroll Roberts (Author) and Bagram Ibatoulline (Illustrator)
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Booktalk: Francis Meilland was passionate about roses. He loved their rich perfume, their buds unfurling in the summer sun, and their petals, soft as lambs’ ears. Like his father and grandfather before him, Francis cultivated flowers on the family farm in France. In his teens, he set about grafting and experimenting, determined to create a rose no one had seen before, and as the world braced for World War II, he rushed cuttings to rose-growing friends around the globe. Six patient years later, word reached him: his rose had not only flourished; people were calling it the Peace Rose.

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It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Army Rangers
by Ashley Gish (Author)
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Booktalk: Readers learn about the training, skills, and gear utilized by this elite special operations force.

Snippet: The first ranger units were formed during the French and Indian War (1754-63). The most famous was Rogers’ Rangers. Major Robert Rogers taught his men “Rules of Ranging.” This guide was made up of 28 tactics he had learned from allies and enemies alike.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Jackie and the Mona Lisa
by Debbie Rovin Murphy (Author) and Jen Bricking (Illustrator)
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Booktalk: Jackie Kennedy loved the arts. And America loved Jackie Kennedy. The first lady knew she had the country’s attention–what would she do with it? Encourage Americans to appreciate art, of course! She turned the White House into a historical site filled with some of America’s most treasured artifacts and pieces of art. She brought Shakespearean theater to the White House and ballerinas to the South Lawn. And most epically, she brought the Mona Lisa to the states (much to the chagrin of many Parisians) to encourage Americans to visit museums–and it worked!

Snippet: The first time eleven-year-old Jackie visited the White House, she wasn’t very impressed.

Drab curtains.
Boring furniture.
And no guidebook to teach visitors about the most famous house in America.

The next time Jackie visited the White House, she was the First Lady. But the White House looked the same.

Drab curtains.
Boring furniture.
And no still guidebook!

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

The Gardener of Alcatraz: A True Story
by Emma Bland Smith (Author) and Jenn Ely (Illustrator)
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Booktalk: When Elliott Michener was locked away in Alcatraz for counterfeiting, he was determined to defy the odds and bust out. But when he got a job tending the prison garden, a funny thing happened. He found new interests and skills–and a sense of dignity and fulfillment. Elliott transformed Alcatraz Island, and the island transformed him.

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It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Be the Change: Rob Greenfield’s Call to Kids–Making a Difference in a Messed-Up World
by Rob Greenfield (Author) and Antonia Banyard (Author)
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Booktalk: Rob Greenfield loves this planet, and he’s willing to go to extremes to show kids how our way of life is causing it harm. He’s walked around New York City dressed in his own garbage, cycled across the U.S. on a bamboo bike (three times), and survived one year on food he foraged or grew himself. For Rob, it’s all worth it: he brings attention to important topics like food and water waste; our dependency on fossil fuels; our piles of stuff (and the energy required to produce it); and our disconnection from community and the wider world. In this book for ages 8 to 12, Rob uses his own experiences to show kids that no one is too young to make a difference, and no action is too small to make a start.

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It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Amanda Gorman: Inspiring Hope with Poetry
by Artika R. Tyner (Author)
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Booktalk: Poet Amanda Gorman delivered her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the 2021 presidential inauguration, winning wide acclaim. Read about Gorman’s early life, her children’s and poetry books, and what she plans to do next.

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It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua
by Gloria Amescua (Author) and Duncan Tonatiuh (Illustrator)
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Booktalk: As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to grind corn in a metate, to twist yarn with her toes, and to weave on a loom. By the fire at night, she listened to stories of her community’s joys, suffering, and survival, and wove them into her heart.

But when the Mexican Revolution came to her village, Luz and her family were forced to flee and start a new life. In Mexico City, Luz became a model for painters, sculptors, and photographers such as Diego Rivera, Jean Charlot, and Tina Modotti. These artists were interested in showing the true face of Mexico and not a European version. Through her work, Luz found a way to preserve her people’s culture by sharing her native language, stories, and traditions. Soon, scholars came to learn from her.

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It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Only Margaret: A Story about Margaret Wise Brown
by Candice Ransom (Author) and Nan Lawson (Illustrator)
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Booktalk: When Halley’s comet arrived in 1910, so did an extraordinary person: Margaret Wise Brown. Margaret had a boundless imagination and a gift for spinning stories. Most grown-ups thought children’s books were frivolous and silly, but Margaret didn’t agree. Could writing stories for children be important work–a incredible way to share truth, beauty, and wonder?

Other people might call Margaret strange, and sometimes her own worries and doubts felt overwhelming. But only Margaret and her original ideas could lead to Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, and other classics beloved by children around the world.

Snippet: One night, Margaret dreamed of a green room and a red balloon and a picture of a cow jumping over the moon. The next morning, she reached for the notebook by her bed. Her pen sped, scrawling line after line about a bunny who named all the things in his room before he went to sleep.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2022 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.