Connie Roop – författare

In a question and answer format, this book gives a history of this holiday from it’s beginnings all the way up to how it is celebrated around the world today. Interspersed are fun facts and riddles. At the end of the book readers are invited to make a St. Patrick’s Day banquet with a special shamrock cake (enough to feed a classroom) and other green goodies.

Trapped by sea and storm . . . a girl must keep the lighthouse working.Matinicus Rock, Maine, 1856. Seventeen-year-old Abbie Burgess lives with her family on a tiny island off the coast of Maine. Her father, the lighthouse keeper, must clean and light the lighthouse lamps every day without fail. Otherwise ships could crash into rocks and sink. Abbie’s father leaves to buy supplies, but a storm hitsbefore he can return. Can Abbie keep the lights burning until her father returns?

Under the nose of the enemy army . . . a boy carries a dangerous secret.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1777. John Darragh’s family has sided with the rebel colonists during the Revolutionary War. But the family lives across the street from the headquarters of the British army, their enemies. The Darragh family spies on the British, and John takes messages to his brother in the rebel camp. Can John sneak past the British soldiers this time?

This fun-to-read, informative book is loaded with fascinating facts about the history and customs of Valentine’s Day and presents jokes, riddles, interesting projects, and simple recipes – everything you need to appreciate and celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Abbie tenía miedo. Nunca había tenido que mantener las luces encendidas por sí misma. Pero muchas vidas dependían del faro, y papá dependía de Abbie. Esta es la emocionante historia real de Abbie Burgess, quien en 1856 mantuvo las lámparas del faro encendidas durante una tremenda tormenta en la costa de Maine.Abbie was afraid. She had never had to keep the lights burning by herself. But many lives depended on the lighthouse, and Papa was depending on Abbie. This is the exciting true story of Abbie Burgess, who in 1856 single-handedly kept the lighthouse lamps lit during a tremendous storm off the coast of Maine.

Fourteen-year-old John Darragh was a spy. But British-occupied Philadelphia in 1777 was not a safe place for an American spy. If he were captured, John knew he would be hanged. In this suspenseful story based on accounts of the Darragh family''s spying activities for General Washington, young John undertakes a dangerous mission to deliver a message to the American army.

Fourteen-year-old John Darragh was a spy. But British-occupied Philadelphia in 1777 was not a safe place for an American spy. If he were captured, John knew he would be hanged. In this suspenseful story based on accounts of the Darragh family''s spying activities for General Washington, young John undertakes a dangerous mission to deliver a message to the American army.

The youngest astronomers can go forth and journey into outer space in this fun, basic introduction to the solar system. The unique format presents our sun and each planet in order with graduated flaps—turn each flap to reveal fascinating facts on each celestial body, and even the Milky Way!

Inspired by a true story from Maya Angelou’s childhood, this expertly researched and luminously illustrated picture book explores how a beloved mentor helped young Maya rediscover the poetry of self-expression and the power of her voice. Maya Angelou loves words. She whispers, “caterpillar green,” just to paint the color in her mind. Her tongue played with “pandemonium” to enjoy its rhythm. She sings the Negro national anthem and recites the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Words whirl and stories spin in Maya’s head and off her lips, helping her escape her troubled, segregated world and soothe her soul. Then, suddenly, eight-year-old Maya stops talking. She believes her words hurt somebody and now only deems them safe to share with her brother. Her family does what they can even as they get worried and frustrated, but it isn’t until years later that someone opens Maya back up. Mrs. Bertha Flowers, one of the most important citizens of Stamps, Arkansas, invites Maya to her home and talks to her about language and communication and reads to her from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities. Maya is transported by the power and singularity of Mrs. Flower’s voice…and finally moved to inspire the world with her own.

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and recipient of the Florida Sunshine Award: In this absorbing chapter book, Ahyoka helps her father, Sequoyah, unlock the mystery of “talking leaves” to create the Cherokee alphabet Ahyoka is the daughter of Sequoyah, a silversmith who has given up most of his trade to focus on his true passion. He longs for the day when the Cherokee people can communicate to one another from afar and document the history of their lives. He wants his people—the Real People—to have a written language like the white men do.   When he is ostracized from his community for the “magic” he is creating, he leaves his home to pursue his quest. His young daughter, who shares his dream, joins him on his journey. They work together to create a syllabic alphabet that will tell the story of the Cherokee people.

A young reader’s history of the famous document that set America on the course to freedom Many kids have heard of the Declaration of Independence, but few know the story behind the people and events that helped forge it. They may know about Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, but do they know the roles that Patrick Henry and Thomas Gage played in setting fire to a revolution? This is the story of how the men and women of thirteen British colonies came to declare their independence on July 4, 1776.   Covering major events such as the Boston Massacre and Paul Revere’s midnight ride, The Declaration of Independence brings the rich and exciting history of the Revolutionary War to young readers who want to know more about America’s beginnings.

A teenage girl questions her principles after her brother is captured during the Revolutionary War Fourteen-year-old Samantha Byrd is an excellent shot—she’s even better than her brother at providing food for her family. Although the winds of war are blowing in Virginia, she knows that she could only ever use her skill for hunting—not for hurting another person.   When the Revolutionary War finally begins, her brother is captured, and Samantha sets off to rescue him. But when she comes face to face with the enemy, will she still stand by her principles, or will she pull the trigger?

Sacagawea, the Shoshoni woman who helped guide Lewis and Clark on their famed expedition, tells her life story When Sacagawea’s son asks her about her life, she isn’t sure where to begin. Does she start with her birth as a Shoshoni? Her kidnapping by an enemy tribe at age eleven? Or her role as the famous guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition? She’s seen and experienced more in her young life than most people ever will.   Told from Sacagawea’s point of view, this historical novel shares the ordeals of her youth along with the memory of her long, arduous journey west with Lewis and Clark. She shares her love of nature and explains how her loyalties have changed over time.   This story of Sacagawea goes beyond the legend to reveal the flesh-and-blood woman who she really was.

Can the advice of an eleven-year-old girl help get Abraham Lincoln elected president? As the election of 1860 nears, eleven-year-old Grace and her family are working hard to help Abraham Lincoln win. After seeing his image on a poster, Grace decides to write to him and suggest that growing a beard might win him more votes. Much to her surprise, Lincoln answers her letter, and she becomes a neighborhood celebrity.   When the president-elect’s victory train passes through on its way to Washington, DC, Mr. Lincoln singles Grace out as the girl who gave him good advice. Based on true events, this story will charm young readers of historical fiction.

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People: A firsthand account of Christopher Columbus’s famous voyage to the East, taken directly from his journal entries Christopher Columbus had a dream—to reach the fabled lands of the East, rich with spices, jewels, silver, and especially gold. Having studied the travels of other explorers, Columbus was convinced he could reach his destination by traveling west across the seas. After convincing Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to fund his expedition, he set sail in August of 1492.   In this account, the voyage Columbus undertook is told in his own voice through his journal entries of that year. He tells of excitement, drama, and terror on the high seas, as well as the doubts he faces from his own crew, as together, they weather the path to victory.

The big purchase that led to fundamental questions about what America would become In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million, extending the United States beyond the Mississippi River for the first time.   Now the United States had big questions to answer: How would Louisiana be governed? How would it be divided? Would it be comprised of free states or slave states? What would happen to the Native Americans? With biographical sketches of the people who helped forge the answers to these questions, such as Lewis and Clark, Napoleon Bonaparte, and of course, Thomas Jefferson, this is the tale of the expansion of the United States into a new territory as well as a new era.

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People: The tale of the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark, condensed from their own eight-volume journals for young historians Lewis and Clark’s famous 1804 expedition was told with great detail by the explorers themselves in an eight-volume account. Now young historians have the opportunity to learn the thrills, challenges, and adventures in a version accessible for them. Two years’ worth of entries are condensed into a flowing account that maintains the historical essence of the original.   With a fact-filled prologue and epilogue, young readers can relive the adventurous eight-thousand-mile journey across uncharted wilderness.

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a C. S. Lewis Noteworthy book: A rich history of the pilgrim experience, as recorded in real diaries Nearly four hundred years after the pilgrims left England in search of a better life, their stories still resonate with Americans today. In this account, the pilgrims’ own writings of their adventures and hardships are brought to life for young readers.   This touching account shows the pilgrims’ voyage on the Mayflower, their first meeting with the native people, and the hardships of hunger, illness, and death that they faced during their first winter. Finally, after more than a year in the New World, they celebrate the harvest and truly give thanks.

The story of the ten-year-old boy who becomes captain of a ship After his mother’s death, young David Glasgow Farragut is forced to leave home to live with Captain Porter and his wife. During the War of 1812, Captain Porter is posted to the Essex, and he chooses to bring David with him to fight the British Navy. At ten years old, David is the youngest midshipman ever assigned to a warship in the US Navy. On board, Farragut must not only learn about life at sea, he must establish his authority over seamen twice his age.   Farragut proves his worth as the Essex first sails the Atlantic and then travels “around the Horn” to the Pacific, where it engages in battle. After taking control of a captured ship near Valparaíso, Chile, Farragut, only twelve years old, is assigned his first position as full captain and given the captain’s sword he has coveted from the start.   Told through fictional letters that Farragut wrote to his father from prison after his capture, Take Command, Captain Farragut! gives young readers an extraordinary view into the life of an adventurer who today would be a classmate.

American history comes alive for young readers in this collection of richly detailed narratives ranging from Christopher Columbus to Abraham Lincoln. These “direct and surprisingly accessible” histories, often told in the actual words of key figures from the American past, are a brilliant blend of fact and imagination (Publishers Weekly).  I, Columbus: A firsthand account of Christopher Columbus’s famous voyage to the East, taken directly from his journal entries. He tells of excitement, drama, and terror on the high seas, as he and his crew weather the path to discovery.  Pilgrim Voices: The pilgrims’ own writings of their voyage on the Mayflower, their first encounters with indigenous people, and their Thanksgiving celebration after surviving a difficult first winter in the New World.  Off the Map: The story of Lewis and Clark’s famous 1804 expedition into the uncharted lands of America, in an accessible version drawn from the explorers’ own account.  Louisiana Purchase: Biographical sketches of Lewis and Clark, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Thomas Jefferson tell the story of the United States’ expansion into a new territory and a new era.  Sacagawea: Told from Sacagawea’s point of view, this historical novel shares the ordeals of her youth along with the memory of her journey west with Lewis and Clark. She shares her love of nature and explains how her loyalties have changed over time.  The Declaration of Independence: Covering major events such as the Boston Massacre and Paul Revere’s midnight ride, this accessible history brings the story of the Revolutionary War to life.  An Eye for an Eye: When her brother is captured at the start of the Revolutionary War, fourteen-year-old Samantha sets off to rescue him. But when she comes face-to-face with the enemy, will she still stand by her peaceful principles?  Take Command, Captain Farragut!: Ten-year-old David Glasgow Farragut is the youngest midshipman ever assigned to a warship in the US Navy. Told through fictional letters that Farragut writes from prison after his capture in the War of 1812, this richly imagined story is based on real history.  Ahyoka and the Talking Leaves: Ahyoka’s father is a Cherokee silversmith who dreams of a written language for his people. When he is ostracized for the “magic” he is creating, father and daughter leave home to pursue his dream on their own.  Grace’s Letter to Lincoln: After seeing Abraham Lincoln on a poster, eleven-year-old Grace decides to write to him and suggest that he might win more votes in the 1860 election if he grows a beard. Much to her surprise, Lincoln answers her letter, and history is made. This “touching historic encounter” is based on true events (Scholastic).    

Abbie tenía miedo. Nunca había tenido que mantener las luces encendidas por sí misma. Pero muchas vidas dependían del faro, y papá dependía de Abbie. Esta es la emocionante historia real de Abbie Burgess, quien en 1856 mantuvo las lámparas del faro encendidas durante una tremenda tormenta en la costa de Maine.Abbie was afraid. She had never had to keep the lights burning by herself. But many lives depended on the lighthouse, and Papa was depending on Abbie. This is the exciting true story of Abbie Burgess, who in 1856 single-handedly kept the lighthouse lamps lit during a tremendous storm off the coast of Maine.

Perfect for beginning readers, this laugh-out-loud joke book about creepy creatures will put a smile on your face!

Perfect for beginning readers, this laugh-out-loud joke book about comical celebrations will put a smile on your face!

Perfect for beginning readers, this laugh-out-loud joke book about nutty nature will put a smile on your face!

Perfect for beginning readers, this laugh-out-loud joke book about foolish farm animals will put a smile on your face!