#whataverysreading as of late. She’s reading The Boxcar Children for the first time including Journey on a Runaway Train (published in February and the first in a new mini-series called The Boxcar Children Great Adventure). Taking recommendations — what are some of everyone’s favorite Boxcar stories that we should seek out?
SOPHIE SCOTT GOES SOUTH is a story inspired by author/illustrator Alison Lester’s trip aboard the Aurora Australis in 2005 as an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow to the remote Mawson Station in Antarctica. “Every day of the six-week voyage I sent an email to schools and families around the world, describing my experiences. Children drew their responses to my stories and sent copies of their work to me. I used these drawings to make an exhibition called Kids Antarctic Art.”
Nine-year-old Sophie accompanies her captain father on a month-long voyage to transport people and supplies to Mawson Station in Antarctica. We read Sophie’s daily diary as she describes life on the ship, bouts with blizzards, rough waves and the cold, strong wind, her first iceberg sighting and first encounters with a seal and Adelie penguins.
Sophie’s description of her time in Antarctica is detailed, absorbing and one that readers will find intriguing. For instance, “thick ropes linked all the buildings…to stop you from getting lost in a blizzard.” In the middle of the night, Sophie witnesses “a band of light stretched across the sky, shimmering and dancing in front of the stars” — an aurora astralis, similar to the aurora borealis seen in the Arctic.
A remarkable book—seek out a copy for your library. Thanks to @thelittlebookemporium for the recommendation.
SOPHIE SCOTT GOES SOUTH was written and illustrated by Alison Lester and published by Penguin Kids Australia | HMH.
Read an interview with Alison Lester on Publishers Weekly where she explains the story behind SOPHIE SCOTT GOES SOUTH and “why she decided to venture to the bottom of the world, and why she chose to chronicle the expedition in a children’s book.”
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re partnering with The Land of Nod to give away a set of the following Little People, Big Dreams books: Amelia Earhart, Maya Angelou, Frida Kahlo and Coco Chanel.
This giveaway is open to US residents only and it ends on Thursday, March 23, at 11:59 PDT. Head over to this post on Instagram to enter.
Who can you play a trick on if not a friend? A good friend, of course. The cunning humor, copious amounts of wit, furtive glances and ironic revenge in Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s latest collaboration TRIANGLE will make readers laugh even the tenth time around. Now excuse us as we crack open this book again and watch some scheming shapes sidle across its pages.
Also, we made some bookmarks inspired by our newest favorite shape.
The classic story of Little Red Riding Hood, reimagined with brilliant paper cut engineering and a modern, crisp palette of red, black and white. As its pages are turned, the paper cut scenes commingle with each other, creating depth in their visual storytelling. A magical version of this fairy tale that will enchant its readers.
This version of Little Red Riding Hood by the Grimm Brothers was created by Clémentine Sourdais and published by Little Gestalten. Check this Instagram post for a video of how the book works.