Latest news, reviews, and honors:

Farmer George Plants a Nation receives its second starred review. This starred review appears in the April/May issue of Library Media Connection:

"Exquisite artwork makes the pages pop. Realistic oils depict the Colonial era with fine details. ...The various perspectives including the fish-eye effect provide added visual interest. ...This attractive picture book for older readers should be included in library collections because of its unusual treatment of George's lifetime achievements. Highly Recommended."

Reviewer Leah J. Sparks writes a review of Carolyn Yoder's John Adams, The Writer in the April 2008 issue of School Library Journal:

"Yoder’s succinct introductions provide ample context for each selection, and the diverse writings give a sense of the man’s intelligence, resolve, and dedication to the ideals that created America, along with his growing sense of stewardship over the fledgling nation. ... [T]hose who seek an easily digestible overview of the second president’s life and times will find this book both informative and appealing."

Leprosy expert, Dr. Christopher Leuz, MD FACS, praises Joyce Moyer Hostetter's Healing Water:

"The author has done an excellent job of keeping the reader’s interest from the first page to the end of the book. ... The story is completely authentic in relating to the disease of leprosy and society’s reaction to it. ... The historical characters add the final touch of giving a compelling reality to the novel."

In its March 2008 issue, School Library Journal awards Farmer George Plants a Nation with a starred review:

"This picture-book biography focuses on George Washington’s life as a farmer, inventor, and scientist... Thomas’s enthusiasm for her subject is evident in her storytelling-style text. She not only used primary sources in her research, but also included several quotes from Washington’s diaries and letters. ... Johnson’s oil paintings support the text while adding a feel of the 18th century. The balanced placement allows both the art and narrative to shine. ... Students will find this title useful for reports, but will also find it a great nonfiction read."

Larry Dane Brimner's We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin has won the Norman A. Sugarman Biography Award for the most outstanding biography published in the United States in the last two years.

Kirkus Reviews praises Peggy Thomas’ Farmer George Plants a Nation in its January 1, 2008 issue:

“A pleasing new picture book looks at George Washington's career through an agricultural lens. Thomas integrates Washington's military and political adventures into her account, making clear that it was his frustration as a farmer that caused him to join the revolutionary cause.”

School Library Journal gives We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin a starred review in its November 2007 issue, calling it “A captivating biography of the man who has been called the ‘intellectual engineer’ of the Civil Rights Movement.” School Library Journal states:

“The author’s writing is lively and clear, and he adeptly places Rustin in the larger context of the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement. ... A gem for students studying the Civil Rights Movement and an excellent addition to any American history collection.”