Noah Webster and His Words

Noah Webster and His Words

By Jeri Chase Ferris and Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch

Have you ever wondered about the man behind the dictionary? Who was Noah Webster? Check out this wonderful picture book on one of the most famous scholars of all time. Did you also know that The Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language became the second most popular book ever printed?

Meet Noah. Noah was born in 1758 on a farm in West Harford, Connecticut. He lived in a family with a history of farming. But he didn’t want to be a farmer like his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather. Noah wanted to do something different. He wanted to be a scholar. He was the first in his family to attend college at Yale University. 

Author Jeri Ferris has created a wonderful biography on one of the most important books ever printed. Ferris has written this story in a creative manner with many words and definitions sprinkled throughout the story. Illustrated by Vincent Kirsch, the pictures are done in ink with watercolor and graphite.

A must read for every young scholar. A brilliant illustrated chronology of Webster’s life. Recommended for Ages 4 and up

Dear Blue Sky

Dear Blue Sky by Mary Sullivan

This is a story for middle grade readers that deal with a difficult subject, war. It is the story of a family, whose oldest child heads off to the Iraqi war to serve his country like his father and grandfather. This is a compelling story about the realistic effects of war that it has on a family. It also raises awareness and a deeper understanding about all the victims of war.

Meet Cassie. She feels like her world is falling apart because her older brother has just left for the war. Her family is falling apart; her mother can’t cope and doesn’t get out of bed. Cassie’s mother has stopped taking care of the family and is constantly fighting with her dad. Cassie’s older sister is making lots of bad decisions and gets lost in the mix while her little brother, who has Downs Syndrome, has decided to stop talking.

Cassie then gets a class assignment that really changes her perspective on everything. She discovers Blue Sky, a young Iraqi girl who has started a blog. Their worlds seem very similar yet very different and suddenly Cassie is beginning to see another side of war that she never knew about.

A story about how war affects both sides.  A wonderful read for grades 5 and up.