I brought home the best swag from the Books by the Banks festival last weekend. Are you ready for this?
Apparently there was a pumpkin painting contest at the library for teen artists. And it’s no surprise that this one was the winner! I believe the artist’s name … Read More
I always intend to blog more about my school visits. I never remember to take photos myself, but often times the coordinator will send me some pictures after the fact and I’m always grateful. And then I don’t do anything with them!
Today I’m changing that. Earlier this month I … Read More
Franklin Graves sold his Illinois cabin and land before setting off west with his family in 1846. He was paid in a collection of coins from various countries. (This was common then; the United States was still a young country and not a lot of minted money to go around.) … Read More
Not a lot in the way of controversy is often said about Patrick Breen. His claim to fame is that he maintained the only diary we have of the Donner Party’s time at the lake. I’ve never heard anyone really categorize him as a villain or a hero. But … Read More
Next up in our Heroes & Villains series: James Reed.
More often than not, Reed is painted as a villain. There are some justifiable reasons for this. I’m going to list some of them below. But as you’ll see—I think he’s another complicated character. We just can’t put … Read More
When we stayed at Donner Lake, we rented a cabin, just off Eddy Avenue.
The next day at the state park, I got to geek out a little with a really kind volunteer named Greg about the gun they have on display.
This is supposedly the … Read More
Need a Donner Party film fix? How about either of these:
Want to read more about the Donner Party? Here are a few titles you can peruse:
I had the great honor of answering some questions over at the Horn Book. It was the best set of questions I’ve ever had in an interview. So much fun! Thank you to Kitty Flynn and everyone at The Horn Book. And – you can read their lovely review … Read More
Today a book is born.
Reviewers are saying kind things about it.
… Read More“With her refreshingly varied form and ever-earnest tone, Brown weaves a compelling story of suffering, sacrifice, and survival.” — Booklist
“Across four seasons, Brown uses words and form effectively to evoke the hopeful idealism, love, joy, and life-or-death
