Cathy Potter (no relation to the boy wizard) works her own kind of magic as an elementary school librarian in Falmouth, Maine. She's half of the duo behind The Nonfiction Detectives and I'll bet you'll never guess her favorite genre. Nonfiction! Freaky coincidence, right?
Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero
by Marissa Moss
Abrams for Young Readers
Nominated by: Betsy Bird
In today's featured book review, Cathy gives us a rundown of a fascinating biography of a Civil War hero. Or, um, heroine, to be exact. Sarah Edmonds posed as a man and this picture book gives us a portrait of one crazy, courageous woman. What I loved about Cathy's review is that she's got a keen eye for both the narrative and the illustrations and how they complement one another. Here's an excerpt:
Pen & ink and acrylic illustrations capture the intensity of the Civil War and the danger involved with Sarah's work as a spy. The illustrations are truly unique. Hendrix uses monochromatic blue and orange illustrations on some pages to direct readers’ attention to the background or foreground.
Read the full review here.