Beyond Boundaries · Essays and Tidbits From Nancy Bo Flood

No more thirsty lawns! Xeriscaping is the answer.

December 29, 2015

Not all plants are greedy water gobblers. Xeriscaping is the art of planting only drought resistant, low-water-use plants, which can cut water consumption by 60 percent. Here’s an introduction to…

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Rodeo excellence begins with the right lariat

December 24, 2015

In Cowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo, entrants may get to know their favorite lariat almost as well as their horses. Is a rope just a rope? Not in rodeo!

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Young rodeo competitors seek a trophy they can wear

December 22, 2015

In Cowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo, young entrants learn that champions are rewarded with decorative belt buckles. In the early days of rodeo, many contestants were former boxers. If…

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Coconuts sustain Warriors in the Crossfire

December 17, 2015

Find a coconut, find hope. That’s how Joseph and Kento respond to stockpiled coconuts, all while worrying about food and freedom. Modern cooks might deal with the coconut differently, turning…

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Ghost crab materializes in Warriors in the Crossfire

December 15, 2015

Joseph and Kento find their island of Saipan becoming a World War II battleground in Warriors in the Crossfire. As they hide on the beach, a ghost crab is one…

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Italian marble links past and present in No-Name Baby

December 10, 2015

Sophie’s grandfather’s World War I death was marked with a small headstone of Italian marble “from our homeland,” said her Nonna. The famous marble has a history dating back centuries.

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No-Name Baby highlights olive oil’s magic

December 8, 2015

In No-Name Baby, Nonna and Aunt Rae treat a bottle of olive oil like a magic potion. The family baptized their new baby with the prized oil sent by a…

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Will water bring an unhappy ending to the story of Shishmaref, Alaska?

December 5, 2015

Climate change. Climate disruption. Coastal erosion. What does it all mean? To the people of Shishmaref, Alaska, it means EVERYTHING.

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Brownstone staircase

Marveling at the mystery of sandstone

December 3, 2015

“From one grain of sand, I became a mountain.” Those words are part of my tribute to sandstone in Sand to Stone and Back Again. Beginning in the late 1800s,…

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Meet the Monument Valley ‘mittens’

December 1, 2015

Between the borders of Arizona and Utah, two wind-carved sculptures look like giant, matching mittens. The pair provided inspiration for Sand to Stone and Back Again. In fact, these buttes…

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An author’s thankful Thanksgiving

November 26, 2015

I’m thankful to teachers, librarians, booksellers, fellow authors and (most of all) readers on this day we give thanks. May you feast on good books throughout this festive time. Enjoy…

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Esther Williams

Remembering Esther ‘Million Dollar Mermaid’ Williams

November 24, 2015

She made generations dream of being in the water. Esther Williams was ready to compete in the 1940 Olympics, only to see World War II cancel her dream. Hollywood helped…

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