Join us as we sit down with Anthony Coafield of Living Book Press, Jill Morgan of Purple House Press, and Jody Skinner of Smidgen Press to talk about 2023 and some of the very exciting projects they have in the works for 2024!
Tag: Living Book Press
By Pond and River
Oh, what a treat this book is! Bravo to Living Book Press for not only reprinting the “Eyes and No Eyes” series by Arabella Buckley, but also for updating it with gorgeous full-color photos that cannot fail to aid the reader in nature study, and invite us into the magical natural world around us.
Martha of California
Otis does a marvelous job of helping young readers imagine what life was really like in the particular setting of the story. In Martha of California, for example, we get a compelling look at the wagon train traveling across the Great Salt Desert of Utah. Before they enter into the dangerous territory, Martha tells us the men have all agreed that this journey has to be made quickly regardless of any accidents or mishaps.
Seth of Colorado
Written in 1912 by James Otis, this compelling story about the settling of the West was written for children aged approximately 8-12 years old. The reading level is comparable to something like a “Childhood of Famous Americans” book whereas the point of view is something like the “We Were There” books. While Seth is fictional, Otis tells us, through the character of Seth, about the creation of Denver, Colorado as if he were giving us a real first-person account.
Hannah of Kentucky
Written with excellent language and writing, this story is very alive and a joy to read. The reading level is comparable to something like a Childhood of Famous Americans book whereas the point of view is something like the We Were There books. While Hannah and her family are fictional, Otis tells us, through the character of Hannah, about Booneborough as if she was giving us a real first-person account.
Maggie the Magnificent
Maggie the Magnificent is the story of an Australian magpie. I would not have been surprised if Maggie flew off the page and began to sing. This book chronicles the life of Maggie–a typical magpie–from a fledgling to an adult bird. Maggie does not tell us about himself–he acts, thinks, and communicates like a bird. Magnificently life-like human characters give us an account of what magpies are and do. And when they can’t, Thompson fills the gap. The people in this story tell us other facts that many of us probably don’t know.
Warrigal the Warrior
C. K. Thompson’s books give us an accurate account of Australian wildlife. But unlike some science books, they also tell a story beautifully. Thompson does not condemn or excuse the animal he writes about. The back of the Living Book Press edition quotes him, saying, “I have not sought to glorify Warrigal, neither have I condemned him. I have just tried to present him as he really is, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”
Willy Wagtail
C. K. Thompson portrays this small black and white bird as the greatest gossip in the Australian bush country (the Australian backcountry). Willy just has to know what is going on and must be in everything. When some birds are fighting with some other birds that are trying to take their nest, Willy is the referee, to make sure that it is a fair fight and there is no cheating. When there are cuckoos, Willy is the first one to kick them out. But sometimes his nosy ways get him and his mate in trouble.
Monarch of the Western Skies
I reached for some of the birds first when choosing books from C. K. Thompson’s Australian Nature Stories series. Maggie the Magnificent, an Australian Magpie, was the first I read. I loved it. I read one about a dingo next, Warrigal the Warrior. And then Monarch of the Western Skies. Apparently, and this is unlike me, I prefer predators. Warrigal the Warrior was awesome. And this one, Monarch of the Western Skies, was just as good.
Thunderbolt the Falcon (PK)
Even though this book is about a peregrine falcon, it really is about the world around it, and how the Falcon impacts it. It talks about a whole range of animals from the sand wasp, to the Musk Duck.
Understood Betsy
In 1899 Dorothy Canfield received a B.A. from Ohio State University, then went on to receive a Ph.D. in Romance languages from the University of Paris and Columbia University. At a time when women rarely attended college, Canfield was distinguishing herself as a serious academic. In addition to her college and graduate school degrees, she…
The Princess and the Goblin
In The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald treats us to a rich imaginative adventure. Like Bilbo Baggins, however, we must be a bit uncomfortable to get the most out of it. This little tale is incredibly sophisticated, and to understand it best we must become little children again.