Stories of courage in the face of adversity are alway irresistible. As humans, we need to hear about happy endings—that someone just like us can face down a dragon and ultimately come out victorious. What’s easy to love about nonfiction is discovering a good beat-the-odds story and being able to say, “This actually happened!” Women’s […]
Tag Archives: Kate Hannigan
March
14
A Dozen New Picture Book Biographies to Celebrate Women’s History Month by Sarah Green and Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
May
18
Who Invented TV Video Gaming? And Will His Story Inspire My Kid to Read? by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
How do I make my reluctant reader pick up a book? Write about his favorite thing: gaming. When I visit schools, I often tell students that most books are written to answer a single question. And while I’d like to say that my newest picture book biography Blips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented […]
July
30
10 Picture Book Biographies About Women in Presidential Politics by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
As we move into the final stretch of the 2020 election, it’s a great time to reflect on how far America has—and hasn’t—come since August 1920, when the 19th Amendment’s ratification granted women the right to vote. In those 100 years, there have been few opportunities to cast ballots for female candidates seeking the highest […]
August
06
History’s Beating Heart, in Family Heroes and Superheroes by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
“She died of the Spanish flu, leaving nine children behind.” “He boarded a boat in Derry after his younger brother joined the Irish Republican Army.” “She was a maid like all the other Irish immigrants. They called them Bridgets.” For lots of people, history is boring and gray-toned. But for me, it’s always been […]
November
05
Best Books for a Knee-Slapping, Side-Splitting, Spirit-Lifting Belly Laugh by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
There’s nothing like the joy of snuggling in with a small friend and sharing a picture book. And it’s even better when the book is funny. Not just funny ha-ha, but funny HA-HA! A real knee-slapper. A side-splitter. An I-can’t-talk-right-now-because-I’m-laughing-too-hard kind of book. They’re tricky to find. But when you do, O, the Hilarity! […]
June
13
Crystal Chan Takes on Complex Issues for Teens in New YA ‘All That I Can Fix’ – Interview by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
Chicago author Crystal Chan doesn’t shy away from challenging subjects. With her debut novel, the enchanting Bird (Atheneum, 2014), she explored loss, grief, and the meaning of family through the eyes of an inquisitive girl, Jewel. The book resonated with middle-grade readers and adults, and was picked up for translation and publication in nine countries […]
March
02
31 New Picture Book Biographies to Celebrate Women’s History Month by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
Like any great creation, Women’s History Month traces its roots to the tiniest seed of an idea—or in this case, a single date on the calendar: National Woman’s Day. First observed on February 28, 1909, it was organized by the Socialist Party of America to call for equal rights for women on the job and […]
January
23
How Nellie Bly Introduced Me to My Next Book by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
Visiting classrooms to talk about researching and writing books, I’m often asked where story ideas come from. I tell students that we can find story ideas everywhere—reading the news, eavesdropping on restaurant conversations, even observing our dogs. I especially love finding them in other books. Such is the case when I was researching a recent […]
June
26
Dana Alison Levy and ‘This Would Make a Good Story Someday’ by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
What I wouldn’t pay to be a fly on the wall at Dana Alison Levy’s house. Because clearly this author has witnessed some thrilling family dynamics in her day. Nobody does hilariously complicated home life for middle-graders better than Levy, author of The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2014), a […]
May
14
Celebrating Nerdom With Mike Merschel’s ‘Revenge of the Star Survivors’ – post by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
As a nerd, someone married to a nerd, and a mom raising three little nerds, I’ve always felt among my people at Nerdy Book Club. When I had the chance to read Revenge of the Star Survivors (Holiday House, April 2017) by Michael Merschel, I knew this was the perfect place to share it. It’s […]
Nerdy Book Club 