Vol 2 No. 1 • January 2015 • Julia Washburn, Editor

Squirrel's Fun Day by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev

Three Resolutions,
Thanks to Squirrel

I’ve learned to avoid New Year’s resolutions; however, I may have to break that trend this new year, thanks to Squirrel’s Fun Day by author/illustrator duo Lisa Moser and Valeri Gorbachev.

The big, wonderfully enchanting world fills squirrel with such enthusiastic delight he determines his only to-do for the day is to have fun. But when he asks Mouse to join him, Mouse replies,

"I can’t have fun. I have too much work to do."

I grimace a little because I identify with this scurrying creature. Undaunted, Squirrel pitches in and “helps,” coaxing Mouse to an energetic meadow frolic that somehow finds Squirrel in rescue mode and Mouse covered in strawberry juice. Continue reading...

This, I Want for My Daughter

In this thoughtfully crafted post, Guest Contributor Kate Roberts remembers discovering delightful new words and wonders of the night sky while reading Rebecca Caudill's Schoolroom in the Parlor as a child. As a new mother, she gleans wisdom from this tale and shares the hope she has for awakening awe in her own daughter. Continue Reading...

With a new year comes new perspective. So, this month we shine the spotlight on a wide variety of perspectives—imagined, time-traveled, the artist's portrayed, and the betrayed.

If You Wish by Kate Westerlund conveys all that defines child-like wonder (and challenges us all to rediscover it!), Storyteller by Patricia Reilly Giff intertwines character viewpoints via creative use of time and setting, and A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant brings us a noble character whose experiences as early 19th-century family provider-turned war hero-turned renowned artist paint inspire us toward a similar steely determination. Lastly, Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War II represents a somber period in our history triggered by dissenting viewpoints. This is a careful, well-researched telling, highlighting the diversity of perspectives, even those of journalistic photographers.

Spot Light: January 2015

Thank you for choosing Make Way for Books!

Make Way for Books is an independent, online bookseller offering children's books that foster a love of reading and inspire a discerning literary appetite. Your purchase at makewayforbooks.com will help influence in-print longevity of quality titles and encourage distributors, publishers, and authors to stock, sell, and write irresistibly rich reads for kids.

If this newsletter was forwarded by a friend,
you can sign up to receive this free newsletter here.

Three Resolutions, Thanks to Squirrel

This, I Want for My Daughter

Thank you for choosing Make Way for Books!

Three Resolutions,
Thanks to Squirrel