Newbery Author Linda Sue Park Coming to Stone!

 

Thanks to a grant from our friends at The Book Stall in Winnetka, grades 5- 6 will be having a visit from Newbery Award-winning author Linda Sue Park!  We are fortunate and thrilled to host this preeminent talent! She will be speaking about her newest work of historical fiction, Prairie Lotus, and some reviews are already in:  

★ "Fans of the Little House books will find many of the small satisfactions of Laura's stories...here in abundance. Park brings new depth to these well-trodden tales, though, as she renders visible both the xenophobia of the town's white residents, which ranges in expression from microaggressions to full-out assault, and Hanna's fight to overcome it with empathy and dignity.... Remarkable."—Kirkus, STARRED review

★ "Strongly reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s novels in its evocative, detailed depictions of daily frontier life....[Hanna's] painful experiences, including microaggressions, exclusion, and assault, feel true to the time and place, and Park respectfully renders Hanna’s interactions with Ihanktonwan women. An absorbing, accessible introduction to a troubled chapter of American history."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

★ "In her latest middle-grade historical-fiction masterpiece, Park conjures the resourceful and industrious spirit of America’s westward expansion without ignoring the ugly veneer of racism....An incredible and much-needed addition to the historical-fiction canon."—Booklist, STARRED review

★ "Park’s novel is clearly in conversation with [Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books], from Hanna’s friendlier interactions with, and more thoughtful views about, members of the Ihanktonwan tribe to racist attitudes among LaForge’s townspeople, who object to Hanna’s presence in the school and blame her after a local man assaults her. But this novel stands on its own, with a vividly drawn protagonist in self-reliant Hanna." —The Horn Book Magazine, STARRED review

Students in attendance at her morning program on March 3 will be receiving a special autographed treat from the author!  We will be doing an author study and related online scavenger hunts in library in preparation for this exciting morning and inspiring meeting.  We can't wait to meet you in and out of books, Linda Sue Park!

 

Follow up:  Thank you to The Book Stall in Winnetka, whom, through a wildly generous grant, provided beautiful, autographed, personalized hardcover copies of Prairie Lotus to all students in attendance at the assembly (over 200 kids)!  The kids went wild and pages have been turning ever since! Please support your local independent booksellers as they continue to support us.   

We also all thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Park's inspiring presentation which gave us insight into the fallacy of the "single story" and the truth of many stories from many cultural perspectives, and a great pep talk about not only the writing process but the re-writing process.  

Thank you also to our 8th grade Junior Librarian Team for going the extra mile to welcome our special guest, as well as all the 4th, 5th and 6th graders who completed the Linda Sue Park online scavenger hunt so we were well prepared to meet this literary celebrity!  Linda Sue Park, we were honored that Stone was the first school you visited on Prairie Lotus' "book birthday," (public release date), and wish it all the success in finding the readership it so richly deserves.  What a memorable visit!