HEATHER PIERCE STIGALL
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REVIEW: IT’S NATIONAL SUPERHERO DAY!

4/28/2023

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What better way to celebrate National Superhero Day than read a book about the origin of Wonder Woman in:  
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​TITLE: A TRUE WONDER: THE COMIC BOOK HERO WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING
AUTHOR: Kirsten W. Larson
ILLUSTRATOR: Katy Wu
PUBLISHER: Clarion Books/2021
OPENING LINES: 
 
“As lovely as Aphrodite—as wise as Athena—with the speed of Mercury and the strength of Hercules—she is known only as Wonder Woman, but who she is, or whence she came, nobody knows!”
 
Until now!
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This picture book about the origin of Wonder Woman is fabulous! Kirsten Larson tells the journey of how Wonder Woman came to be, how she was received by fans, how her character influenced the comic book industry, and how she became an inspiration for so many. Complementing Larson’s suspenseful text full of POW and WOW, are Katy Wu’s bright, bold illustrations done in comic book style. I think you’ll agree this book is truly wonderful!
 
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REVIEW: HAPPY NATIONAL GARDENING DAY!

4/14/2023

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​Do you like to garden? Elliott Michener didn’t care much about it when he became a prisoner at Alcatraz in 1941. All he cared about was escaping. But a funny thing happened to him when he was given the job of tending to Alcatraz Island’s gardens. You can read all about it in: 
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​TITLE:           THE GARDENER OF ALCATRAZ: A TRUE STORY
AUTHOR:     Emma Bland Smith
ILLUSTRATOR: Jenn Ely
PUBLISHER: Charlesbridge/2022
OPENING LINES: 
 The boat chugged out of San Francisco and into the bay. Sound nice? It wasn’t. This was no pleasure outing, let me tell you.
 
Gulls squawked. A foghorn moaned. And Elliott Michener, prisoner #AZ-578, stared into the fierce wind. Ahead loomed an island topped with a concrete fortress, watchtowers, and barbed wire.
I have been fortunate enough to have visited Alcatraz a few times. I have always found it fascinating, but I never thought much about the gardens there. That is, until I read this book. THE GARDENER OF ALCATRAZ tells the true story of Elliott Michener, who was a prisoner at Alcatraz from 1941 to 1950. At first, all Elliot thought about was escaping back to a life of crime, but when he was entrusted with the job of tending to the island’s gardens, “a funny thing happened.” While learning more and more about the art and skill of gardening, his outlook on life changed. Jenn Ely skillfully tells the true tale of a former prisoner who, while transforming Alcatraz island’s gardens, transforms himself. She includes supplemental backmatter complete with a timeline, what happened to Elliott after he left Alcatraz, and history of Alcatraz and its gardens. Jenn Ely’s illustrations reflect the transformation of both prisoner and grounds as they move from dull and drab to bright and hopeful. I found this book fascinating and I think you will too!
 
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REVIEW: IT'S GLOBAL ASTRONOMY MONTH!

4/4/2023

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​April is for stargazers, and have I got a dazzling picture book for all you stargazers:
TITLE: THE STUFF BETWEEN THE STARS: HOW VERA RUBIN DISCOVERED MOST OF THE UNIVERSE
AUTHOR: Sandra Nickel
ILLUSTRATOR: Aimée Sicuro
PUBLISHER: Abrams Books for Young Readers/2021
OPENING LINES: 
​Vera always liked looking at the night sky. But when she was eleven, she moved to a new house, with a bedroom so small the only place to look was up through her window. As she lay in bed, a star slipped into sight, slowly snuck across the pane, and disappeared,
 
Others followed.
 
The stars were stirring, and something bright stirred in Vera too.
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Wow! The stuff you can learn in a picture book! If you (and your young readers) like space, stars, and smart and resilient women, this book is for you. Sandra Nickel brilliantly weaves the story of how astronomer, Vera Rubin, overcame barriers to help prove the existence of dark matter. Aimée Sicuro's watercolor, ink, and charcoal pencil illustrations weave a story all their own (and include bonuses I love, illustrated end papers and a surprise under the dust jacket!). Wonderful book! 
 
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REVIEW: HAPPY NATURE DAY!

4/2/2023

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​Ah nature. The fresh air! The beauty! The bugs. That’s just one of the things Stuart is worried about when his teacher announces they are going on a field trip in the wild! Read all about it in:
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TITLE: THIS FIELD TRIP STINKS!

AUTHOR: Becky Scharnhorst

ILLUSTRATOR: Julia Patton

​PUBLISHER: Flamingo Books/2022

OPENING LINES: ​
September 28th
 
Dear Diary,
 
This morning, Mr. Grizzly announced we’re taking a field trip. I thought we’d study stars at the Planetarium or dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum. But we’re going to study plants and animals…IN THE WILD!
Everyone was excited.
Everyone except ME!
I’ve read enough books to know nature is FULL of poisonous plants, creepy crawlies, and ferocious beasts!
 
P.S. Isn’t our class wild enough?

​In this second book in the series, readers are reunited with anxious Stuart, this time when his class takes a field trip IN THE WILD! Stuart is not thrilled at the prospect of “poisonous plants, creepy crawlies, and ferocious beasts!” But he gives it a try and, despite some mishaps and with the help of his friends, Stuart returns home with a new appreciation for nature (or at least s’mores). This book is as adorable as the first. Becky Sharnhorst’s epistolary-style text works perfectly to capture Stuart’s anxiety and gradual acceptance of at least some parts of his field trip experience. As Sharnhorst sprinkles humor in Stuart’s journal entries, Julia Patton creates humorous and expressive characters and wild-life situations. Readers will be laughing out loud with Stuart and his friends in THIS FIELD TRIP STINKS!
 
 
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    About Heather

    Heather is a busy wife and mom of five rambunctious children and one lovable pup They all provide lots of distractions, but oodles of inspiration.  Sometimes the pictures and ideas in her head turn into her own children's stories, but she always makes time to read other people's books. Sometimes she reviews them here.

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  • Books
    • PAISLEY'S BIG BIRTHDAY
    • GILBERT & THE GHOST
  • About
    • Meet Heather
    • Press Kit
  • Events & News
  • Appearances
    • Author Visits
  • Resources
    • For Writers
    • For Educators & Readers
  • Ramblings & Reviews
  • Contact