Author: Anastasia Suen

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

Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse
by Susannah Buhrman-Deever (Author) and Bert Kitchen (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Who wins, the assassin bug or the spider? The bat or the frog? The ant or the honey bee? The male firefly . . . or the female? The battle for survival between predator and prey is sometimes a fight, sometimes a dance, and often involves spying, lying, or even telling the truth to get ahead. Biologist Susannah Buhrman-Deever explores these clashes in poems and prose explanations that offer both sides of the story.

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A 2019 Cybils Poetry nominee

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Ordinary Hazards

Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir
by Nikki Grimes (Author)

Booktalk: Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night – and discovered the magic and impact of writing.

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ON OUR OWN

No one warned me
the world was fill of
ordinary hazards
like closets with locks and keys.

I learned this lesson when Mom,
without her cousin to fall back on,
left us daily with
a succession of strangers
while she went to work.
One woman was indisputably
a demon in disguise,
full lips grinning slyly
as Mom waved goodbye
each morning.
“See you after work,”
Mom said on the first day.
The second she was out of sight,
Demon’s smiles melted like
hot paraffin.
Snatching up Carol and me,
she dragged us, kicking, to
the bedroom closet.
She shoved us in, quick as the witch
in “Hansel and Gretel”
jamming the key in the lock.

A 2019 Cybils Poetry nominee

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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My First Book of Haiku Poems

My First Book of Haiku Poems: a Picture, a Poem and a Dream; Classic Poems by Japanese Haiku Masters
by Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen (Author) and Tracy Gallup (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A fully bilingual children’s book, this poetry collection includes the original versions of the Japanese poems (in Japanese script and Romanized form) on each page alongside the English translation. Commentaries offer parents and teachers ready-made “food for thought” to share with young readers and stimulate a conversation about each work.

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A 2019 Cybils Poetry nominee

At the end of the book, you are invited to write a haiku for the painting . . .

Will you take the next step and write your own children’s book in 2020?

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Dreams from Many Rivers

Dreams from Many Rivers: A Hispanic History of the United States Told in Poems
by Margarita Engle (Author) and Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez (Illustrator)

Booktalk: From Juana Briones and Juan Ponce de León, to eighteenth century slaves and modern-day sixth graders, the many and varied people depicted in this poetry narrative speak to the experiences and contributions of Latinos throughout the history of the United States, from the earliest known stories up to present day. A middle grade verse history of Latinos in the United States told through many voices.

Snippet:

CONQUEST MEANS CRUELTY


PEDRO DE ACEVEDO
Puerto Rico, 1493

As the cabin boy on this ship,
I am a witness to the excitement
of Colón, whose first journey reached
other islands.

Now, this second voyage brings us reality.
It won’t be easy to find the spice trees we seek.

When I see a boy around my age,
I learn his name, Guacarigua.

He will be one of the captives,
a person enslaved.

A 2019 Cybils Poetry nominee

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Computer Decoder

Computer Decoder: Dorothy Vaughan, Computer Scientist
by Andi Diehn (Illustrator) and Katie Mazeika (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A picture book biography about Dorothy Vaughan, one of NASA’s first African American managers and one of the groundbreakers on the front line of electronic computing. Includes hands-on STEM activities for an introduction to coding.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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The Superlative A. Lincoln

The Superlative A. Lincoln: Poems About Our 16th President
by Eileen R. Meyer (Author) and Dave Szalay (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Abraham Lincoln is famous for many extremes: he was the TALLEST president, who gave the GREATEST SPEECH and had the STRONGEST conviction. But did you know that he was also the MOST DISTRACTED farmer, the BEST wrestler, and the CRAFTIEST storyteller? Nineteen poems share fascinating stories about events in Lincoln’s life, while history notes go even deeper into how he excelled.

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Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.