Wishing you all a grand Independence Day, however you celebrate or if you do! Also, remember there's a full, super moon tonight!
Two sycamore seeds, Louise and Merwin, go on a journey when their own mother tree releases them as a fire in their forest nears. Like all of Brian Selznick's books, you need to read and "see" this story he has created with a love of our earth and years of learning. After taking us on this trip, added information about his own creation story of the book is something you'll also want to know. "Once upon a time, there were two little seeds in a very old forest. Their mama said she would give them roots and wings--roots so they'd always have a home, and wings so they would be brave enough to find it." Selznick seems to be wishing this for all of our children, for all of our earth.
My father was killed in action during the final battles to free the Philippines toward the end of World War II. He was a pilot and his plane was lost during those battles and never recovered. When I saw this book by Deborah Hopkinson, I wanted to know more details about the story of that area being overtaken so early by the Japanese, what happened in the Bataan Death March, why did it take so long for the US to return, and what about the POWs who were there most of the war, IF they manage to stay alive? Hopkinson well researches this with a specific focus on some survivors who have written their stories about that time. There are photos and timelines, links for learning more throughout the text, and resource lists. She also includes later events concerning this amazing feat carried out by Americans and Filipinos to rescue the prisoners, fearing that soon they would be massacred since the U.S. had returned to retake the Philipines. I also liked hearing how much the Filipinos helped in any way they could, even though their country had been taken and they had suffered much. Now I know so much more about why my father gave his life so others could live. It's quite an amazing story of the courage of people to fight for good.
Now Reading: Chris Baron's The Gray