Tut's Mummy: Lost...and Found! is a book I just read to my first-grader, but also one that I remember having read to me as a child. I think it must have really sparked my imagination for ancient cultures, because I still remember many details from the story, such as Howard Carter touching a necklace and watching the thread turn to dust, and the description of him looking on Tut's face for the first time.

Just the magnitude of this discoverey and its treasure and the fact that these objects and Tut himself had been preserved for so long is mind-boggling, and as an adult I can better appreciate just what Tut's mummy must have meant to archaeology and culture at the time. 

For many kids this may be one of their main introductions to ancient history, so it's fun to think of how many have enjoyed this over the few decades since it's been published.

Scrounged From: A curriculum sale

Format: Paperback
Author: Judy Donnelly
Illustrator: James Watling
Pages: 48
Content Advisory: Brief description of death, and a brief mention that some believed in the "mummy's curse."

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Mary on Horseback is an interesting and inspiring story -- I don't remember hearing about Mary Breckinridge before, but this is a great introduction to her work, written in three short stories that also help give children a picture of what this time period and region were like.

After losing two husbands and two children, Mary Breckinridge could have given in to despair, but instead she gave her skills and her life to help others, the poorest of the poor. Whether she is saving a father's leg from amputation, inoculating children against deadly diseases, or delivering and caring for babies, Breckinridge and her team of frontier nurses served the people in the Appalachian region and helped them in ways no one else would or could.

Scrounged From: HomeschoolClassifieds.com (Sonlight Core A)

Format: Paperback
Author: Rosemary Wells
Pages: 64
Content Advisory: Some descriptions of illness and injury.

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I've enjoyed the titles I've read so far in the Little People, Big Dreams series, and was glad to see one on the life of L. M. Montgomery, best known as the author of the Anne of Green Gables books.

This book, like others in the series, is written for very young children, and so is selective about the details and degree of information included. But I felt like I got a decent picture of Montgomery's life and what drove her and interested her as a child and beyond.

Despite creating one of the most endearing characters in children's literature, Montgomery's childhood was fairly lonely and sad. After losing both parents (in different ways), she lived with her grandparents who were not very affectionate, and young Maud (as she was called) had to create her own joy. It sounds like her writing was a way to not only express her loneliness, but also to imagine a better and fuller life.

One can't help but see glimpses of Anne Shirley herself here, even in this very abbreviated biography. It presents a hopeful picture of the power of persistence and imagination.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

Scrounged From: NetGalley

Format: Kindle
Author: Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Illustrator: Anuska Allepuz
Pages: 32
Content Advisory: One of the first things mentioned is that Maud's mother passes away, and her father sails away from their island and isn't mentioned again.

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We really enjoyed Reeve Lindbergh's lovely poem about the life of Johnny Appleseed, as well as Kathy Jakobsen's intricate and colorful illustrations of an older, wilder American countryside, capturing each season beautifully. It helps that we'd previously read a biographical picture book about Johnny Appleseed's life, but this poem still manages to include basic information about him and what he did while maintaining poetic structure.

For part of this book, we see Johnny through the eyes of Hannah, who first meets him on his travels when she's a girl, and sees him again when he's old and she's getting older too. We learn about his pacifist nature and genuine belief that he should "hurt no living thing," and his helpful attitude and desire to help settlers grow their own food. We also learn that he has become a legend since his lifetime and that sometimes it's hard to tell truth from fiction when it comes to stories of his life.

There is an additional page of information about him at the end of the book, but the poem itself does such a good job of not only communicating information, but evoking the spirit of Johnny Appleseed, and what he's come to represent in American history and lore: adventure, independence, helpfulness, sacrifice, and love and conservation of nature.

Scrounged From: Our local library

Format: Paperback
Author: Reeve Lindbergh
Illustrator: Kathy Jakobsen
Pages: 32
Content Advisory: None

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Jane Austen is one of the latest in the Little People, Big Dreams series (I previously reviewed Ada Lovelace), and I'm glad to see the inclusion of one of Britain's most famous female authors. I'm not quite as enormous a fan as some, but I did enjoy Pride and Prejudice, and respect what Jane accomplished in her time.

This book introduces Jane Austen to young children, focusing on her large, close family, and emphasizing that Jane received an education that was more expansive than what many girls received in those days. We also see her love of reading and writing and her determination to be a good storyteller, and to use writing to make the best of a sad situation in her life.

Her life is covered fairly quickly since a book for young children can't be too wordy, but overall it is an interesting peek into the past and thorough introduction to a beloved author.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

Scrounged From: NetGalley

Format: Kindle
Author: Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Illustrator: Katie Wilson
Pages: 32
Content Advisory: None

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