The Story of Civil War Solider Rosetta Wakeman
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
(pub. 2.27.2024)
56 pages
Ages 7 -12
Author and illustrator: Joanna Lapati
Character: Rosetta Wakeman
Overview:
" In 1862, the war between North and South showed no signs of stopping. In rural New York, nineteen-year-old Rosetta Wakeman longed for a life beyond the family farm. One day she made a brave, bold choice: she cut her braid and disguised herself as a man. No one suspected that “Lyons” was a woman—not even when she signed up to fight for the Union. As Rosetta’s new regiment traveled to Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Louisiana, she sent letter after letter home to New York. Army life wasn’t easy, but Rosetta knew it was where she belonged— supporting her family and serving her country.
Through intricately detailed scratchboard art and excerpts from Rosetta’s letters, this fascinating biography introduces young readers to an unconventional woman who was determined to claim her own place in history. "
Tantalizing taste:
" So a life filled with chores soon became dull.
She wanted something ... different.
She wanted something ... more.
So one night, when her family was asleep, Rosetta made a bold decision. She bound her chest, got dressed in her pa's old clothes, clutched a pair of shears in one hand ,took a deep breath ... and cut off her braid. Then she tiptoed out of the old, creaky house.
Outside, a breeze tickled her bare neck.
She practiced speaking in deep, low tones and pondered a name for her new self. 'Lyons Wakeman,' she whispered."
And something more: The More About Rosetta Wakeman and the Civil War explains: "We have no records of what the Wakemans thought of their soldier-daughter's letters as they arrived, but (however they felt" they stored her letters for years after the war. Rosetta wrote frequently, constantly reassuring her family that she was still well... On June 19, 1864, Rosetta Wakeman died from dysentery - the deadliest disease of the Civil War... Rosetta had been hospitalized for over a month, and during that time (as far as history records), no one had learned her secret.
She was buried under the name Lyons Wakeman ...
Through the efforts of [her sister] and other relatives Rosetta's letters were eventually published as the only letters that share a woman soldier's perspective on the Civil War as it happened."
The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
G.P. Putnam's Sons
(Penguin Random House)
(pub. 2.27.2024)
48 pages
Ages 4-8
Author: Hayley Rocco
Illustrator: John Rocco
Character: David Attenborough
Overview:
" As a boy, David loved exploring the wild places near his home in England, collecting fossils, rocks, and newts. When he grew older, he got a job in television, where he had an idea for a new kind of show: He would travel to wild places all over the world to film animals in their natural habitats. Over the span of seven decades, David's innovative documentaries have been treasured by millions of people.
But as time went on, he noticed the wild places he loved were shrinking. What could David do to help? What could we all do?"
Tantalizing taste:
"But as time went on, David noticed that the wild places were shrinking, while the not-so-wild places kept on expanding.
'We are replacing the wild with the tame.'
"The animals were becoming more and more difficult to find.
There weren't as many fish in the sea.
There weren't as many birds in the sky...
The natural world he cared for was in trouble.
Humankind was in danger too...
He realized he had to share what he'd learned and what we needed to do to fix it.
'We must rewild the world. If we act now, we can yet put it right.'"
And something more: The Back Matter includes a section, "What Can You Do to Help?" which states: "It may seem like many of the problems and solutions ... are out of your control, and in some ways, that is true. While reducing, reusing, and recycling is a great start, most of these problems need to be solved through new laws at the local, state, national, and even global level. The people who make these laws need to hear your voice… The more people who do this, the more likely they will create laws that will protect our planet."
"It's surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth." - David Attenborough
The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Harper
(HarperCollins)
(pub. 1.30.2024)
48 pages
Ages 4- 8
Author: Michelle Meadows
Illustrator: Jamiel 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:
"Jazz is passion purple,
paintbrushes, bebop, blues,
singing, swinging, soul.
On the advice of a friend, Jimmy met a painter.
Knocking on Beauford Delaney's door in Greenwich Village changed Jimmy's life.
Beauford was kind.
He introduced Jimmy to jazz and the blues,
to the stories of Black people tucked inside music,
to art, color, and light.
He showed Jimmy how to see with an artist's eyes."
And something more: In the Author's note, Michelle Meadows explains: "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 and power through written expression."
