It's Monday! What Are you Reading?

Thank you to Kellee and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts for hosting It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?  You can check out their blog for some great ideas for new reads.  I'm so glad to be back into joining this wonderful group.

I picked up a couple of picture books when I was at the library this week and learned something about two people I hadn't known much about.

A Splash of Red by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet is about Horace Pippin, an American artist who was injured in World War I, thought he would not be able to do his art again, and found a way to overcome his challenges.  I always love Melissa Sweet's illustrations and this book does not disappoint.  Just as interesting as the book are the endnotes and list of resources found in the back.  You can find more information about Horace Pippen at http://asplashofredbook.com/.

I had not heard of Anne Carroll Moore before today, nor had I ever considered that a children's space in the library had not existed at one time.  Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough and illustrated by Debby Atwell, (this phrase is repeated throughout the book) is about Anne Carroll Moore, who created the first spaces for children at public libraries.  In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were few books available for children to be borrowed.  Those with the power believed that children would ruin library books, they wouldn't remember to bring them back, and reading wasn't very important for children, especially girls.  (That's scary!)  Here is more information about Miss Moore from The New Yorker.