Updated: Apr 9
How William J. Wilgus Created Grand Central Terminal
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Quill Tree Books
(Harper Collins)
(pub.1.23.2024)
48 pages
Ages 4-8
Author: Megan Hoyt
Illustrator: Dave Szalay
Character: William J. Wilgus
Overview:
" There was once a place in New York City that had a tennis club, movie theater, and art gallery—all in the same building! It also had a secret passageway, a huge library, and even a ski slope.
This astounding building is Grand Central Terminal, and it was the work of one brilliant man: William J. Wilgus. When William, an experienced engineer, wanted to create a new electric-powered train system, he knew he needed to house this special fleet somewhere exceptional. His grand idea of a solution? An underground multilevel train station that would become an iconic New York landmark, and one that is still an integral part of the city over a century later."
Tantalizing taste:
"Finally, they came up with a solid plan.
Grand Central Terminal's main concourse would be 275 feet long and 120 feet
wide, with a ceiling towering 125 feet at its tallest point. The biggest cluster
of sculptures ever built would adorn its magnificent exterior."
And beneath it would run two levels of shiny new electric trains on sixty-seven steel tracks.
No more smoke.
No more sparks.
No more accidents."
And something more: At the back of the book, More About William J. Wilgus and Grand Central Terminal states: "... Grand Central Terminal opened right on time, at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, February 2, 1913. It has been running ever since - closing only for a few brief power outages and railway strikes. William J. Wilgus was awarded many honors for his work and even received honorary doctorate degrees from two different universities. For a man who barely finished high school, his accomplishments, like his Grand Central Terminal, were magnificent."
Updated: Apr 9
Annie Londonderry, the First Woman
to Cycle Around the World
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Calkins Creek
(Astra Books for Young Readers)
(pub. 2.20.2024)
40 pages
Ages 7 - 10
Author: Vivian Kirkfield
Illustrator: Alison Jay
Character: Annie Londonderry
Overview:
" In the 1890s, times were tough, and opportunities for women were few and far between. When mother-of-three Annie Londonderry saw an ad promising $10,000 to a woman who could cycle around the world in a year, something no one thought possible, she decided it was time to learn to ride. She waved goodbye to her family in Boston and set off for Chicago.
Annie was exhausted when she arrived fifty-nine days later—and she realized she’d never make it across the Rockies before winter, and certainly not riding a heavy women’s bike and wearing a corset and petticoats. So Annie got herself a better bicycle and comfortable bloomers, and headed back East to try a different route. Facing robbers, sprained ankles, and disapproving stares, Annie missed her family and wanted to quit. But she journeyed on, all over the world. And, when she finally reached California and the Southwest, she kept pedaling. Her family was counting on the prize money, and people around the world, especially women, were watching.
Annie came through for all of them, arriving in Chicago fourteen days before her deadline and proving that women could do just about anything."
Tantalizing taste:
"But Annie was determined to win the wager, provide a better life for her children, and prove that a woman could take care of herself.
Once in the city, Annie sold autographed photos, served as a clerk in different stores, and wheeled her way through the streets of Paris, adorning her body and her bike with ribbons advertising French companies, earning francs with every flutter."
And something more: VIvian Kirkfield, in the Author's Note writes: "This twenty-four-year-old Jewish mother of three was a most unlikely candidate for such a wager. But her idol was journalist Nelly Bly, who had traveled around the world eight years before to challenge Jules Verne's fictional record of traversing the globe in eighty days. Upon Annie's return, she moved her family to New York City, got a job as a journalist for the New York World, and published accounts of her exploits."
Updated: Apr 11
The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Harper Collins
(pub.1.30.2024)
48 pages
Ages 4-8
Author: Michelle Meadows
Illustrator: Janiel Law
Character: James Baldwin
Overview:
" Before he became a writer, James 'Jimmy' Baldwin was a young boy from Harlem, New York, who loved stories. He found joy in the rhythm of music, family, and books.
But Jimmy also found the blues, as a Black man living in America.When he discovered the written word, he discovered true power. Writing gave him a voice. And that voice opened the world to Jimmy. From the publication of the groundbreaking collection of essays The Fire Next Time to his passionate demonstrations during the civil rights movement, Jimmy used his voice fearlessly."
Tantalizing taste:
"Writing is electric blue,
bright, brilliant words
of letters and words
flying, flipping,
flowing to the beat.
In elementary school, Jimmy stood out.
Kids picked on him,
noticing he was small, shy, and smart.
His teachers noticed something else:
Jimmy had a gift for weaving words together
like musical notes of a song."
And something more: Michelle Meadows, in the Author's Note writes: "While writing this book, it moved me most to learn how James Baldwin found comfort in words from a young age. Words have always soothed me too. My mother says that when I was a child, I left little notes all around the house about how I was feeling. I hope this book inspires young readers to find joy an dpower through written expression."
