We were able to visit family in Michigan recently,and one thing I got to do was stop at a lovely little book shop in East Lansing. Lightning didn't strike me, so Sparty must have been on vacation to allow this die-hard Michigan fan to sneak onto his turf.
I took my niece to her guitar lesson, and Googled book shops when we left, thinking we could make a "quick" on our way home. It WAS a quick stop, when you consider what I'm usually like in a book store, so there! The one I found that I could get to without getting lost is Curious Book Shop. It's a lovely little shop on the main drag, right across from campus, and it is filled with books from the floor to the ceiling! I wish I'd had days to spend there among all those lovely books, and unlimited funds, but I only had a few minutes and decidedly limited financing.
I did come home with three books. They had history books, such as Landmarks, in one section up kind of high. When I came across The Story of Pocahontas by Shirley Graham, I showed it to Emma. We had to bring it home, of course. It's a lovely biography of Pocahontas. It's on the easy side for Emma to read, but it's well-written and she will certainly learn from it. I loved to read about Pocahontas (and Sacagawea) when I was a girl, too.
Then, I found Viking Adventure by Clyde Robert Bulla:
Mr. Bulla is a fairly new author to me. I have a few of his books, and am still discovering more titles. I learned about him from my friends Liz and Emily at Living Books Library. You can read Liz's blog post about him here. She also recommends him as one of her Top 10 Picks for Reluctant Readers. I am looking forward to reading this book with Isaac, and including it in my library. This book is still in print in paperback. It's a neat story about a Viking boy who lived about 100 years after Leif Ericsson. His father has taught him how to fight, and has trained him to be strong, and all he wants is adventure. He has an opportunity to learn to read and write, but turns it down, because he thinks it has no value for his life - until he finds he has things he'd like to write down so they won't be forgotten. This is a wonderful story, and I enjoyed reading it, even though it's written to be easy-to-read.
I did come home with three books. They had history books, such as Landmarks, in one section up kind of high. When I came across The Story of Pocahontas by Shirley Graham, I showed it to Emma. We had to bring it home, of course. It's a lovely biography of Pocahontas. It's on the easy side for Emma to read, but it's well-written and she will certainly learn from it. I loved to read about Pocahontas (and Sacagawea) when I was a girl, too.
Then, I found Viking Adventure by Clyde Robert Bulla:
Mr. Bulla is a fairly new author to me. I have a few of his books, and am still discovering more titles. I learned about him from my friends Liz and Emily at Living Books Library. You can read Liz's blog post about him here. She also recommends him as one of her Top 10 Picks for Reluctant Readers. I am looking forward to reading this book with Isaac, and including it in my library. This book is still in print in paperback. It's a neat story about a Viking boy who lived about 100 years after Leif Ericsson. His father has taught him how to fight, and has trained him to be strong, and all he wants is adventure. He has an opportunity to learn to read and write, but turns it down, because he thinks it has no value for his life - until he finds he has things he'd like to write down so they won't be forgotten. This is a wonderful story, and I enjoyed reading it, even though it's written to be easy-to-read.
I was delighted to find And There Was America by Roger Duvoisin! I had not heard of this book, though I love several of his others. The illustrations in "America" are lovely, and it's a simply-written book for young readers. There are several stories, each one about a different explorer, such as Leif Ericson, Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, etc.
The last book I could not leave in the store is called Little Garden People and What They Do by Ann Pearsall Sharp.
Published in 1938, it's a book about insects, written as a grandfather talking to his grandchildren as they walk through his garden. It is a lovely book, truly living, with beautiful illustrations.
This was another new one to me - I had not heard of it, or the author, before coming across it in the shop. It appears to be Ms. Pearsall's only book, and my Google search didn't turn up any other information about her. I'm still thrilled to be able to include her book in my library.
It was a successful stop, don't you think? I look forward to going back there next time we're in town!
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