In celebration of our spring debuts, and in honor of Read Across America week, five Soaring ‘20s members are giving away their brand new picture books, PLUS free classroom Skype visits!
As book creators, we love to see reading celebrated in such a joyful way, and we want to share in the fun. If you’re not familiar with the National Education Association’s Read Across America initiative, learn more here. There are many ways to celebrate reading, not only in March but throughout the year.
Enter the book giveaway using the Rafflecopter below!
• FIVE titles and FIVE winners! Please specify which book you’d like when entering. Only one book per winner. Descriptions of the titles can be found at the end of this post.
MUSLIM GIRLS RISE
THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE
WOOD, WIRE, WINGS
HOW LONG IS FOREVER?
CLYDE GOES TO SCHOOL
• US residents only, please!
• Entries accepted March 2 through 11:59 p.m. PST March 12.
• Winners will be announced and contacted March 17.
• Skype visits will be scheduled individually between winners and book creators.
• Skype visits can be gifted to a classroom teacher of your choice.
Books & Skype Visits Available in this Giveaway
Prize pack number #1 includes:
• Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time (Salaam Reads
• Skype visit with author Saira Mir
From the publisher:
Discover the true stories of nineteen unstoppable Muslim women of the twenty-first century who have risen above challenges, doubts, and sometimes outright hostility to blaze trails in a wide range of fields. Whether it was the culinary arts, fashion, sports, government, science, entertainment, education, or activism, these women never took “no” for an answer or allowed themselves to be silenced. Instead, they worked to rise above and not only achieve their dreams, but become influential leaders. Through short, information-rich biographies and vibrant illustrations, Muslim Girls Rise introduces young readers to the diverse and important contributions Muslim women have made, and role models they may never have heard of before, but whose stories they will never forget.
About Saira Mir:
Saira Mir is a physician and children's book writer with a passion for female empowerment and reclaiming the American-Muslim identity. Part of fostering the next generation's identity requires reclaiming the Muslim-American narrative. She turned to writing to contribute to representation and uplift vulnerable Muslim youth, with a focus on female empowerment. Connect with Saira at @sairamirbooks on Twitter and Instagram or at sairamir.com.
Prize pack #2 includes:
• The Voice that Won the Vote: How One Woman’s Words Made History (Sleeping Bear Press)
• Skype visit with author Elisa Boxer
From the publisher:
In August of 1920, women’s suffrage in America came down to the vote in Tennessee. If the Tennessee legislature approved the 19th amendment it would be ratified, giving all American women the right to vote. The historic moment came down to a single vote and the voter who tipped the scale toward equality did so because of a powerful letter his mother, Febb Burn, had written him urging him to “Vote for suffrage and don’t forget to be a good boy.” The Voice That Won the Vote is the story of Febb, her son Harry, and the letter that gave all American women a voice.
About Elisa Boxer:
Elisa Boxer is an Emmy-winning journalist and a New York Times-published essayist with a lifelong passion for reading and writing children’s books. An experienced television, newspaper and magazine reporter, Elisa is thrilled to have put her journalism skills to use creating THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE: How One Woman’s Words Made History (illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger and published by Sleeping Bear Press). Elisa lives in Maine and is the proud mama of a teenage son. Find her on Twitter at @eboxer, on Instagram at @boxerelisa, and visit her website at elisaboxer.com.
Prize pack number #3 includes:
• Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane (Calkins Creek)
• Skype visit with author Kirsten W. Larson
From the publisher:
This riveting nonfiction picture book biography explores both the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the early 1900s: designing an airplane. Emma Lilian Todd's mind was always soaring—she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventions in her mind, including many designs for flying machines. However, they all seemed too impractical. Lilian knew she could design one that worked. She took inspiration from both nature and her many failures, driving herself to perfect the design that would eventually successfully fly. Illustrator Tracy Subisak's art brings to life author Kirsten W. Larson's story of this little-known but important engineer.
About Kirsten W. Larson:
Kirsten used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes books for curious kids. Kirsten’s debut book, WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: EMMA LILIAN TODD INVENTS AN AIRPLANE, illustrated by Tracy Subisak, will be published by Calkins Creek in February 2020. THE FIRE OF STARS: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of, illustrated by Katherine Roy (Chronicle), will follow in fall 2021. Kirsten also has written 25 nonfiction books for the school and library market. She lives near Los Angeles with her husband, lhasa-poo, and two curious kids. Her house is filled with LEGOs, laughter, and lots of books! Find her at kirsten-w-larson.com or on Twitter and Instagram @KirstenWLarson.
Prize pack #4 includes:
• How Long Is Forever? (Charlesbridge)
• Skype visit with author Kelly Carey
Also pictured, middle: illustrator Qing Zhuang
From the publisher:
Fans of Guess How Much I Love You will love figuring out how long forever is alongside Mason and Grandpa. Mason is waiting for Nana's blueberry pie and complains that it's taking forever. So Grandpa challenges him to figure out how long forever really is. Is it as long as Grandpa has had his tractor? No. As long as it took Nana to grow the roses to the top of the chimney? Not even close. After a trip around the farm to figure out the answer, Nana's pie is ready. And Mason's finally got the answer: forever is how long he'll love Nana's pie and how long he'll love Nana and Grandpa, too.
About author Kelly Carey:
Kelly Carey is an award-winning writer from New England. Her fiction stories have appeared in Clubhouse Jr., Highlights for Children, and Girls’ World. She is the 2008, 2009, and 2015 recipient of the Higher Goals Award from the Evangelical Press Association. When not writing in her pajamas, Kelly is happiest hiking a New Hampshire mountain or hitting the beach on Martha’s Vineyard. She is the proud co-founder of 24 Carrot Writing (www.24carrotwriting.com), and you can follow her at www.kcareywrites.com, on Twitter @KCareyWrites, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KCareyWrites.
About illustrator Qing Zhuang:
Qing Zhuang was born in a coastal province in China, where her mother lovingly nicknamed her “Strange Sea Creature.” She moved to the United States and grew up in New York City, where she still resides. Qing specializes in watercolor illustrations but loves to experiment artistically all the time! She puts all her heart and a little humor in everything she does. Explore her portfolio at www.qingthings.com, or visit her on Instagram @Qingthings.
Prize pack #5 includes:
• Clyde Goes to School (Clyde the Hippo series, Penguin Workshop)
• Skype visit with author Keith Marantz AND illustrator Larissa Marantz
From the publisher:
Meet Clyde, a lively (and often worried) hippo with a heart of gold who’s always eager to go on new adventures, in this fun-filled 8x8! Clyde can’t believe his mom is making him go to school. He has so much fun at home—what could a classroom possibly have to offer? As his mom lists all the activities he’ll get to do, Clyde only imagines the worst possible outcomes. He's so caught up in what could go wrong that he's determined to turn around and go home. But when he comes across his kind teacher and the butterfly habitat she’s carrying inside, it might just be enough to convince him to stay!
About author Keith Marantz & illustrator Larissa Marantz:
Larissa Marantz worked as a character designer on Nickelodeon’s “Rugrats” and “Rocket Power.” She illustrated several books for Nickelodeon as well, including Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Wild Thornberrys. When she’s not illustrating, Larissa enjoys teaching figure drawing to animation students at Laguna College of Art and Design. She also runs her own company, OC Art Studios, through which she teaches art to elementary through high-school-age students. Her illustrations are inspired by her three children and her humorous husband, Keith Marantz, with whom she collaborates on picture books.
Keith Marantz loves writing for children. His ever-flowing inspiration comes from his own three. They serve as his idea-proving grounds and are also his toughest critics. Keith loves visual humor but, sadly, can’t draw his way out of a paper bag. Fortunately, his wife, Larissa, can. She is the other half of the Marantz duo that takes his ideas and turns them into amazing kidlit art.
Larissa & Keith live in Orange County, California. You can find Larissa online at http://www.larissamarantz.com, @LarissaMarantz (Twitter) and @larissadrawsstuff (Instagram). Larissa and Keith are both represented by Rachel Orr at Prospect Literary.