Posts by Nancy Bo Flood
Heart in Nonfiction Books
Guest Post by Nancy Bo Flood on Janet Fox’s Through the Wardrobe blog, April 18, 2013 Nancy Bo Flood, a good friend and talented fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts grad,…
Read MoreCheryl Carpinello: Meet Author Nancy Bo Flood
by Cheryl Carpinello, originally published at Carpinello’s Writing Pages · March 19, 2013 Today I humbly welcome prolific writer Nancy Bo Flood to Carpinello’s Writing Pages. I say prolific because Nancy is…
Read MoreTuscon
Tucson was a warm, sunshine filled time of crazy Tucson Book Festival and then quiet being with Bill. We slept a lot, ate amazing foods spiced with a variety of…
Read MoreNancy Bo Flood’s Story
By Stephanie Greene, published in ReaderKidz, March 3, 2013 This month, ReaderKidZ is proud to welcome, Nancy Bo Flood. She’s the author of many books including Sand to Stone, The…
Read MoreWriting Friends: Nancy Bo Flood
by Karen Williams in her blog, Williams Writes · January 24, 2013 The internet was new (to me anyway). It was 1993…or 4. We had just returned from Haiti. I was working…
Read MoreYou’ve Got To Have Heart, and a Good Story
Informational books for children keep getting better – innovative designs, creative presentations, plus captivating images that often mix photographs, historical papers with colorful art.
I think the most striking quality of current nonfiction books for children is that each book is a story – a story with setting, characters, plot or “through line,” and most important “heart.” What I mean by heart is that the passion of the author for the subject shines right through the words and captures the heart of the reader. When children read that last page, they not only know new information, but just as important, the reader cares. Wow! I want to read more. Where’s another book?
Leda Schubert’s picture book biography of Marcel Marceau does just that. Recently we posted an interview with Leda here at ReaderKidZ and two of her comments are especially relevant:
Read MoreCowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo
A book rocking with the sights, smells and sounds of rodeo. A selection of the Junior Library Guild. Photography by Jan Sonnenmair
Read MoreAmerican Indian Heritage Month & 20th Century’s Greatest Athlete
November is American Indian Heritage Month and at The Pirate Tree we begin our celebration with a look at one of the world’s most outstanding and versatile athletes – Jim Thorpe, Sac & Fox (Sauk). Thorpe’s native name is Wa-Tho-Huk, meaning Bright Path, and indeed Thorpe’s courage has blazed new paths for many.
Read MoreHalloween is Almost Here
Halloween is almost here. A holy evening of remembering the dead, of stopping to pause and reflect. Here on Pirate Tree I would like to remember those who have died…
Read MoreSeeing Eyes
Today my mom is having cataract surgery. “A simple procedure, out-patient, and takes only an hour or so. Afterwards a few days of patching, frequent drops, no lifting heavy objects.…
Read MoreLost Children of Hiroshima and Today’s Refugees – where are their books?
This essay discusses three questions: Should there be more books for children about war and being a refugee? If so, why? What if these harsh stories are not told, or…
Read MoreThe Pirate Tree Reviews No-Name Baby
Of all the tough subjects tackled by authors we have reviewed on The Pirate Tree, our own Nancy Bo Flood’s newest novel, No-Name Baby, takes on one of the most controversial, and most secret, topics in our society: the women who place their babies for adoption.
Read MoreBooks about War and Refugee Children
At the Hawaii’ Children’s Literature Conference which was held in Honolulu this June, with co-presenter, Jessica Powers, we talked about the importance of writing honestly about war, terrorism and being a refugee. My talk included descriptions of teaching activities, for younger students as well as teens, that can be used with a variety of books. I believe that our challenge as writers is to not avert our gaze. Our responsibility is to write with honesty. May we celebrate books that tell the stories children want to hear, stories about their own experiences. Children thrive on truth as we all do.
Read MoreSunrise and Sunset
Driving Mom home at sunset, we stopped the car by the beach. Near the water’s edge sat an old couple. As the red ball of sun began to slip behind…
Read MoreHeart, You’ve Got to Have Heart
But, you may argue, I am writing a nonfiction nature book…or a fantasy…or picture-book biography. It doesn’t matter. If you want your reader to keep turning the pages and at…
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