Author: Anastasia Suen

From her studio in Northern California, developmental editor Anastasia Suen reads, writes, and edits books for creators of all ages.
Posted on

Halloween and Day of the Dead Traditions Around the World

Halloween and Day of the Dead Traditions Around the World
by Joan Axelrod-Contrada (Author) and Elisa Chavarri (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Explore Halloween and Day of the Dead traditions from around the world, including All Saint’s and All Soul’s Days, the Day of the Dead, and other celebrations.

Snippet: Festivals of the dead such as Halloween happen around the world. In the United States, Halloween celebrates all scary things. Other festivals of the dead are for remembering lost loved ones. Many festivals mix these ideas.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2021 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Secrets of Navajo Code Talkers

Secrets of Navajo Code Talkers
by Rachael L. Thomas (Author)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: In wartime, unbreakable codes help armies win battles. And what better code than an advanced language. The Navajo language was key to the success of the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

Read how Navajo Marines risked their lives to translate secret messages during World War II. Learn what makes the Navajo language ideal for encoding messages and the special vocabulary the code talkers used in battle. Finally, try your hand at translating messages yourself.

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2021 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

How do we stop climate change?

How do we stop climate change?
by Tom Jackson (Author) and Dragan Kordic (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: The middle grade book uses a visual thinking technique called ‘mind mapping’, where complex ideas are broken down into a clear flow of visual information. The ‘mind map’ connects the information, making it easy to grasp so readers can understand climate change and take practical actions to help protect the planet.

Snippet:


Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2021 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Where Are You, Agnes?

Where Are You, Agnes?
by Tessa McWatt (Author) and Zuzanna Celej (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Agnes Martin was born on the Canadian prairies in the early twentieth century. In this imagining of her childhood, Agnes spends her days surrounded by wheat fields, where her grandfather encourages her to draw what she sees and feels around her: the straight horizon, the feeling of the sun, the movement of birds’ wings and the shapes she sees in the wheat.

One day, Agnes’s family moves to a house in a big city. The straight horizon and wheat fields are gone, but Agnes continues to draw what she sees and feels around her. No one except her grandfather understands what she is trying to capture — not her mother, who asks, “Where are you, Agnes?” when she sees her daughter engrossed in her drawing; nor her siblings, who think her art is ugly. Still, Agnes keeps trying to capture what she sees inside her mind.

Agnes Martin grew up to become a famous abstract expressionist artist.

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2021 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Every Day Amazing: Fantastic Facts for Every Day of the Year

Every Day Amazing: Fantastic Facts for Every Day of the Year
by Mike Barfield (Author) and Marianna Madriz (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Something amazing really does happen every single day! Discover fantastic facts for every date on the calendar. For example, did you know that Buzz Aldrin took the first selfie in space on November 12th, 1966? Or that October 21st is International Day of the Nacho?

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2021 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Whose Big Rig? Board Book

Whose Big Rig? (A Guess-the-Job Book) Board Book
by Toni Buzzeo (Author) and Ramon Olivera (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: This nonfiction board book features six kinds of specialized rigs used to construct a light-rail system–a tunnel borer, an excavator, a bulldozer, a tie dragon, a tamping machine, and a bucket truck–with five different parts of each rig properly labeled. The answer to each inquiring refrain of “Whose rig is this?” is revealed under a gatefold, engaging the reader in an informative guessing game about construction machines and their operators.

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2021 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Meet the Artist: Andy Warhol

Meet the Artist: Andy Warhol
by Tate Museum (Author) and Rose Blake (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Meet Andy Warhol and explore the prominent themes and ideas in this internationally renowned artist’s body of work. Experiment with printing and blotted line drawings, design your own disco outfit, be famous for 15 minutes, make your very own time capsule, and even become the director of your own movie!

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2021 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

LSU Tigers (College Football Teams)

LSU Tigers (College Football Teams)
by K. C. Kelley (Author)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Learn about the key players and big wins that have made the LSU Tigers one of the most popular teams in college football.

Snippet: LSU stated playing football in 1894. They were very good right away. The school’s first perfect season was in 1895. Four of the next 13 seasons were perfect.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2021 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.