Read On!

Mrs. Farquharson’s musings about books for children and young adults

Author Archive

dcdlibrary

Welcome! Some of my fondest elementary school memories are of reading with my friends. We would pass the book back and forth to read to each other and share the illustrations. I looked forward to my visits to the public library, and I would leave with a pile of books in my arms. After I received my Bachelor's degree in Education, I went on to earn a Master's degree in Library Science and a professional certificate in Youth Literature and Technology. The best part of my day is helping a child or adolescent find just the right book!

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Summer Reading

May29

Generally speaking, books don’t cause much harm. Except when you read them, that is. Then they cause all kinds of problems.        Pseudonymous Bosch During the summer months, children and adults have more time to read for pleasure. Having unlimited choices can sometimes be daunting though. I’ve gone back through my archives to […]

From the Archives

May21

I was exploring my blog and reading posts that I wrote when I first started writing it. I was interested to see which of my recommendations had withstood the test of time. My third entry in April 2009 was about a novel, Masterpiece by Elise Broach. Yes! I still love this book, and I still recommend […]

James VanDerZee (1886-1983)

May11

Being an artist, I had an artist’s instincts. You can see the picture before it’s taken; then it’s up to you to get the camera to see. James VanDerZee Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee by Andrea J. Loney, illustrated by Keith Mallett (Lee & Low Books) The Harlem Renaissance is an important era […]

Chef Roy Choi

May7

Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee, illustrated by Man One (Readers to Eaters) It’s not uncommon to visit certain neighborhoods in Boston and enjoy purchases from a food truck. Roy Choi’s name is synonymous with the founding of gourmet food trucks in Los Angeles. Born […]

Mary Blair (1911-1978)

April30

Mary Blair’s Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Amy Novesky (Disney Press) Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville, illustrated by Brigette Barrager (Atheneum) We are artists, dear, in love with art and […]

DJ Kool Herc

April23

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Evolution of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III (Roaring Brook Press) Hip hop is the voice of this generation. Even if you didn’t grow up in the Bronx in the ‘70s, hip hop is there for you. It has become […]

Yayoi Kusama

April16

Our Earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos. Polka dots are a way to infinity.                                                Yayoi Kusama Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki, […]

e.e. cummings

April8

April is poetry month, and what better way to celebrate than with a picture book biography about e.e.cummings? enormous SMALLNESS: A Story of E. E. Cummings is written by Matthew Burgess (Enchanted Lion Books). Edward Estlin Cummings enjoyed a childhood where he was nurtured and praised for his keen observation and love of words. Growing […]

Tomie dePaola, 1934-2020

April1

Reading is important because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.        – Tomie dePaola Strega Nona – How many children and adults smile with instant recognition when they read or hear that name! Tomie dePaola created this magical character in 1975, and she is still a […]

Hedy Lamarr

March11

People seem to think because I have a pretty face I’m stupid…I have to work twice as hard as anyone else to convince people I have something resembling a brain.                    – Hedy Lamarr Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by […]

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