Jan Wahl, MA'58, illustrated by Monique Felix
Bear Dance, Creative Editions, 2008.
The book: A brawny bear with an ear for the music of nature is captured and caged for the amusement of people, but it cannot truly dance until it does so wild and unrestrained.
The author: Jan Wahl has devoted most of his career to writing children's books, authoring more than 100 and winning several awards. His works include "Tailypo!" "Little Eight John," "I Met a Dinosaur" and "The Field Mouse and the Dinosaur Named Sue."
Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, MA'77
Finding the First T. Rex, Random House, 2008.
The book: In 1902, William Hornaday handed a map to the famous paleontologist Barnum Brown. It was Hornaday’s hand-drawn directions to a remote area of the Montana Badlands, where he believed amazing dinosaur fossils lay buried. Following the map, Brown dug up a jawbone edged with six-inch-long teeth, the remains of a monstrous creature no one had ever seen before. But one bone wasn’t enough, and Brown soon found himself in a desperate race to discover the skeleton of the mystery carnivore.
The author: Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld's books include “Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers?� “Terrible Tyrannosaurs� and “Dinosaur Babies,� which School Library Journal said "will be welcomed with deserved delight by young dinophiles." She has also written “Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young,� an ALA Notable Book. She lives in Berkeley, California.
Wendy Wax, '85
City Witch, Country Switch, Marshall Cavendish, 2008.
The book: Mitzi is a city witch—she likes pizza and plays, crowded subways and noisy streets. Muffletump is a country witch—she prefers hayrides and fresh air, pumpkin picking and her pet snake. When the cousins visit each other, their differences come between them. How can they solve their problem? With a spell, of course! But finding the right one isn’t so easy. The rhyming text makes this a wonderful read-aloud, while the vibrant watercolor and colored-pencil artwork contains fantastically funny details for kids to pore over.
The author: Wendy Wax, a children’s book editor for several years, now writes and illustrates her own books. She is married to a commercial photographer and is mother of their young son, Jonah. She lives and works in New York City and Remsenburg, New York.
Elizabeth Mills, '97
Stablemates: Belle, Scholastic, 2007.
The book: Belle is a quarter horse who lives in a big city park. Emmy, a shy young girl who has just moved to the big city from the country, is afraid of things in the city and needs a friend. As Christmastime approaches, Emmy travels off the path in the park, but Belle helps her find their way back to the stables safe and sound. Emmy begins to feel better about the city when her parents announce that her new present is Belle. Now they can be friends forever.
The author: Elizabeth Mills was a children's book editor at Scholastic for more than seven years before she moved to Seattle to work at Cranium Inc. Now she’s striking out on her own as a freelance editor and writer. Children's books are her passion.
Christine MacLean, '83
Mary Margaret Mary Christmas, Dutton Children’s/Penguin, 2008.
The book: Mary Margaret knows the true meaning of Christmas—presents!—and she is ready for her best Christmas yet. She has an ever-growing wish list and a tree with enough room at the bottom for lots of gifts. But when her teacher’s snow globe disappears from his desk and Mary Margaret becomes the prime suspect, all she really wants for Christmas is her good name back (although she wouldn’t say no to a present or two). Graduates of the Junie B. Jones and Ramona series will delight in discovering whether or not Mary Margaret makes it back onto Santa’s "nice" list.
The author: Christine Kole MacLean is the author of "Mary Margaret and the Perfect Pet Plan" and "Even Firefighters Hug Their Moms." She lives in Holland, Michigan.
Janice Law, '63
Capitol Cat & Watch Dog Unite Lady Freedoms, Eakin Press, 2008.
The book: When the night magic transforms statues inside the US Capitol into the famous historical personalities they represent, Capitol Cat and Watch Dog recruit them as a secret night-time Congress to lobby for the reunion of two Lady Freedoms—American symbols who have been separated for more than 200 years. This book entertains children and adults about America's history while illustrating the joys of friendship and cooperation to achieve a goal.
The author: Janice Law is a former federal and state prosecutor, defense attorney, criminal court judge and journalist. She is the author of "Yield: A Judge’s First-Year Diary" and "Sex Appealed: Was the U.S. Supreme Court Fooled?" Both books have been featured on C-SPAN2’s Book TV.
Josie (Gingrich) Bloss, '02
Band Geek Love, Flux, 2008.
The book: Trumpet goddess Ellie Snow has made it to senior year. No drama, no dating—just keeping lock-step within the safe precision of marching band. No boy is going to ruin Ellie's shining moment—her senior solo performance. And then Connor Higgins shows up. Ellie can’t resist the trumpet player who could be a model for Abercrombie & Fitch. It's a hook-up made in band-geek heaven. But Ellie's not ready to publicize their romance. After all, Connor's just a sophomore. Then she discovers the flipside of secrets and how it feels to be shut out by the ones she loves.
The author: Josie Bloss, a third-generation band geek, was a proud member of the U-M Marching Band. After college, she tried to decide if she wanted to be a lawyer while working in several large law firms. She chose to write instead. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana, where she mines her high school journals for material and wishes there were marching band options for adults.
Deborah Bodin Cohen, '90
Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride, Kar-Ben Publishing, 2008.
The book: Engineer Ari's train is coming to Jerusalem collecting goodies along the way to celebrate the Jewish New Year. During his journey across Israel, he learns an important lesson about friendship and forgiveness. A sweet and creative Rosh Hashanah story based on the first historical train ride from Jaffa to Jerusalem in 1892.
The author: Deborah Bodin Cohen serves as rabbi for lifelong education at Temple Emanuel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where she has been part of the clergy team since 2000. She is also an award-winning author of books for teens and children. She is married to David Cohen, a journalist, and they have two children, Arianna and Jesse.
Toni Buzzeo, '76, MA'78
"R" Is for Research, UpstartBooks, 2008.
The book: Cal D. Cat and his friends are working on a research assignment. The cute kitty shadows students around the media center as they follow a recommended research strategy through the alphabet. A great way to introduce basic research concepts, this engaging picture book will get children excited about working their own way through the alphabet. The corresponding library lessons contain instructions and reproducibles, as well as a resource list and the content standards covered in the lesson.
The author: A former college and high school English teacher, Toni Buzzeo was a library media specialist for 16 years and was named the 1999 Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year. She is the award-winning author of seven picture books and has also published nine professional books and many professional articles. She lives with her husband in Buxton, Maine.
Howard Binkow, '54
Howard B. Wigglebottom Listens to His Heart, We Do Listen Foundation, 2008.
The book: This book tells the story of a bunny who stops doing what he loves the most because his friends are making fun of him. He wants to belong, to fit in so desperately that he unsuccessfully tries all kinds of activities. One day, with the help of his grandfather, the bunny decides to be true to himself.
The author: Howard Binkow is the CEO of the We Do Listen Foundation and has dedicated his life to helping children learn how to listen and feel good about themselves.
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