The Tree Lady, by H. Joseph Hopkins, illustrated by Jill McElmurry -- Day 37

Katherine Olivia Sessions grew up among the redwoods of northern California and simply loved trees. In 1881, she became the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science. She headed south to San Diego to teach, but, dismayed by the area's lack of trees, she left teaching to establish a nursery, identifying species of trees that might thrive in this dry desert climate and terrain. Kate sought seeds from horticulturists far and wide, taking care that plantings be well suited for the conditions, and by the turn of the century her energy and commitment had transformed San Diego’s City Park into a verdant oasis. When Balboa Park was chosen to be the site of the Panama-California Exposition in 1915, Kate wanted thousands more trees – oaks, eucalypti, palms – to be planted. Through the efforts of countless volunteers and widespread support, the gardens of the exposition became truly spectacular, the fair stayed open an extra year, and Kate’s efforts established an enduring green legacy for the city. Author H. Joseph Hopkins’s picture book biography The Tree Lady is delightful for reading aloud, particularly with the repeating refrain “…and Kate did” as she met challenge after challenge. Jill McElmurry’s generous, joyful illustrations show just the right amount of detail, including identified tree varieties, and artfully support the story of a remarkable woman’s passion and accomplishments.  Ages 5-10.

Hidden Figures: Young Readers' Edition, by Margot Lee Shetterly -- Day 36

Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures: Young Readers’ Edition explores some of the history of women in computing and events within the nascent National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), but most dramatically and importantly the historic role of black women at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory’s West Campus. It tells the true story of four pioneering “computers” (humans who used calculating machines) who by their wits, will and sheer mathematical skill, made their mark on a world that excluded African Americans, and certainly women, from many roles. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, early on, were pleased to be hired as computers because “for ambitious young women with mathematical minds, there wasn’t a better job in the world.” Their paths were rough, however, as they faced discrimination at every turn; they knew they had to prove themselves doubly well. Against the backdrop of the growing civil rights movement, these women showed extraordinary determination as they advanced in their professions and made game-changing contributions in the international space race dominating the public’s attention. Ages 8-12.

Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back: A Native American Year of Moons, by Joseph Bruchac and Jonathan London, illustrated by Thomas Locker -- Day 35

Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back: A Native American Year of Moons opens with a sketch of the patchwork of scales on Old Turtle’s back. Grandfather explains: “There are always thirteen on Old Turtle’s back and there are always thirteen moons in each year. Many people do not know this. They do not know, as we Abenaki know, that each moon has its own name and every moon has its own stories.” For readers not familiar with Native American beliefs and legends, this book presents the opportunity for a wonderful stretch of understanding, bringing a year of seasons into a beautiful, palpable, evocative fabric of the natural world. Scholar and storyteller Joseph Bruchac and poet Jonathan London explain in an accompanying note that Native American nations may use several names for the same moon “because so many things happen in the natural world at that time.” Choosing just one moon from each of thirteen tribal nations provides a moving glimpse of the ways one can observe the world. Readers are invited by the expressive poems and artist Thomas Locker’s striking landscapes to contemplate the Northern Cheyenne's “Moon of the Popping Trees” and a dozen others. The implied value of connecting with and respecting the rhythms of the natural world presents an important challenge to a society too prone to overlooking deep and enduring environmental concerns. Ages 4 up.


Related resources may be found at: TeachingBooks.net