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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Twelve

This week we heard that one of the books illustrated by Brian Floca and published in 2010 - Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Springreceived a Sibert Honor. While I wait for this book to arrive, I thought I would review another of Brian's books. This one he both wrote and illustrated, and it won a Sibert Honor in 2008.
Brian Floca
Picture Book
Ages 5 to 7
Simon and Schuster, 2007, 978-1-4169-2463-4
   There was a time when many lightships waited at anchor along America’s coastline to warn ships about underwater hazards. Unlike other ships, lightships did not “sail from port to port,” nor did they “carry passengers or mail or packages.” These ships stayed in one place, and there they waited.
   The Ambrose was one of these ships, and she held her place day after day. No matter how much the ship rocked, her crew took care of her light, they manned and cared for her engines, and they made sure that she did move from her position. It was not an easy life for the crewmembers because their quarters were tight, comforts were few, and dangers had to be anticipated. No matter what happened, the Ambrose’s light had to be ready to guide ships to safety during storms and fog.
   In this unique picture book, Brian Floca pays tribute to the lightships and their crews whose service saved countless ships from having potentially disastrous accidents. Floca gives us a picture of what life on one of the lightships must have been like using a lyrical text and wonderfully atmospheric illustrations.
   At the back of the book, the author provides the reader with further information about lightships.
   This title was one of the books chosen to receive a 2008 Robert F. Siebert Honor. The award is given yearly to the authors and illustrators who create the most meaningful informational book published in English during the preceding year. 

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