Monthly Archives: December 2020

Mathematician Katherine Johnson is one of 10 Children’s Books Celebrating “Hidden Figures”

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When President Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Katherine Johnson in 2015, few people had even heard her name — but today, thanks to the smash success of the book Hidden Figures and its movie adaptation, this groundbreaking mathematician has become an inspiration for girls everywhere!

Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

Johnson was one of NASA’s “human computers,” a group of female mathematicians who calculated critical equations for rocket design, launch trajectories, and more. During her 35-year career at NASA, during which she was forced to overcome both gender and racial barriers, Johnson’s skills in celestial navigation were renowned.

A Hairy, Scary Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

She calculated — by hand — the flight trajectories for a number of historic missions, including the Alan Shepard’s space voyage aboard Freedom 7 in 1961 and the Apollo 11 flight to the Moon in 1969. Now, this inspiring woman’s contributions to the history of crewed space flight are finally being celebrated by the nation and the world.

Read more here from A Mighty Girl

4. 100 Favorite Books For Young Readers That Will Welcome Your Kids To Story Hour courtesy of NPR

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It’s been such a strange, lost summer. Camps and schools and activities have shut down during the pandemic, leaving kids and caregivers stuck at home and climbing the walls — and sometimes the garden fences.

Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

With that in mind, we decided that this year’s summer reader poll should be all about keeping kids occupied. We asked you to tell us about your favorite kids’ books, from board books for babies to great read-alouds to early chapter books and even a few books for older readers. And thousands of you answered.

A Hairy, Scary Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

Summer Reader Poll 2020: 100 Favorite Kids' Books

As with all our summer polls, this one isn’t a straight-up popularity contest. (Otherwise it would have been nothing but 100 Mo Willems books — and we love Mo Willems, but that wouldn’t have been the most useful list.) Rather, it’s a curated list built from your recommendations and picks from our expert panel of judges — a fantastic group of authors, librarians, publishers and all-around book nerds. And instead of a ranked list, it’s grouped into categories that we hope will help you find just the right books for the kids in your life.

Read more from NPR here

Famous footballer, Marcus Rashford, Launches Book Club for Children to Spread Joy of Reading

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Footballer Marcus Rashford has followed his free school meals campaign by launching a book club to help children enjoy the escapism of reading.

The Manchester United and England star has teamed up with Macmillan Children’s Books to promote reading and literacy.

Adventure on Spook Hill by Shelia Lirette Children’s Book Writer

Books were “never a thing we could budget for as a family”, he said.

“I only started reading at 17, and it completely changed my outlook and mentality.” He said reading shouldn’t be for “just those that can afford it”.

A Hairy, Scary Adventure on Spook Hill by Shelia Lirette Children’s Book Writer

The 23-year-old continued: “I wish I was offered the opportunity to really engage with reading more as a child.

“There were times where the escapism of reading could have really helped me. I want this escapism for all children.”

Macmillan said the scheme would see a large number of books being given away to children from vulnerable and under-privileged backgrounds.

Read more here at BBC News: Famous footballer, Marcus Rashford, launches a book club for children to spread joy of reading

Marcus Rashford

Boys Who Love Ballet Finally Have A Chance To Be Seen

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John Robert Allman’s “Boys Dance!” explains how fancy footwork can pay off at school and in sports, while spotlighting male role models in the art form.

Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

John Robert Allman immersed himself in the intricacies of ballet for months before setting out to write his latest picture book. But if the author has his way, readers will be able to do more than just distinguish between a pirouette and a plié by the time they’ve finished the story.

A Hairy, Scary Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

Allman, who is based in New York, said his lifelong love of the stage inspired him to write “Boys Dance!” The book, released last month, features illustrations by Luciano Lozano and is geared toward young, aspiring male dancers who are passionate about ballet, jazz and other classical styles ― but have yet to see themselves represented in children’s literature.

A Hairy, Scary Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

“I wanted to make sure that boys would be able to see dance as something they can — and should — get into if they want to,” Allman told HuffPost. “So little in media when I was a kid made that case, showed you a role model, or made it seem OK to be excited about dance the way I was. But it’s something guys have always loved and excelled in, so they shouldn’t be at all hesitant to try it.”

Read more about it here by Huffpost:

Michelle and Barack Obama Join Story Time Series to Read a Children’s Book

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This week’s installment of former first lady Michelle Obama’s weekly story time series featured a special guest reader.

A Hairy, Scary Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

Her husband, former President Barack Obama, joined the PBS Kids’ series “Mondays with Michelle Obama” to co-narrate a children’s book for kids cooped up at home during the pandemic.

Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

Their chosen book? Julia Sarcone-Roach’s “The Bear Ate Your Sandwich.” Michelle Obama did her best crying sniffle, and Barack Obama barked convincingly (no spoilers, but he played a dog at the story’s end).

Read more here from CNN Politics