Books with author Chris Ellison

It was November of 1912. With Captain Herman Scheunemann at its helm, the Rouse Simmons set off from the small Northern Michigan town of Manistique with its traditional load of trees bound for Chicago. The captain would sell the trees for 50 cents or $1.00 and even gave many away to needy families. The ship had been affectionately nicknamed the Christmas Tree Ship. Using stories she loved to hear her grandfather Axel Anderson tell, author Carol Crane weaves this heartwarming fictional tale based on the true events of the little schooner carrying up to 5,000 trees. Carol recalls Grandpa Axel sitting in his remembering rocker carving a wooden ornament just as he is in the Christmas Tree Ship as he tells his grandchildren of the storm that took the shipmen's lives, their festive cargo, and the Rouse Simmons down to its final watery resting place. True to the newspaper accounts Carol artfully explains and eloquently includes how Captain Scheunemann's wife, ever dedicated to her husband's memory, carries on his tradition of sailing schooners to deliver Christmas trees to the Chicago market. The grandchildren listen to Grandpa, spellbound, waiting for who will be chosen to hang the special schooner ornament this year. Beyond a Great Lakes tale, this is a timeless story for all who love Christmas, its traditions and stories, and especially stories of the sea, including the vast inland sea that is Lake Michigan.

On November 21, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons set sail from a small northern Michigan town across Lake Michigan. Affectionately dubbed the "Christmas Tree Ship," this was an annual trek for the Rouse Simmons. With its cargo of Christmas trees, the ship was bound for Chicago. There Captain Herman Scheunemann would sell the trees for 50 cents or $1.00 and even gave many away to needy families. But the schooner never makes its destination. The Rouse Simmons, with all hands and cargo, disappears into the cold waters. The ship's wreckage is not found until 1971. Drawing from stories told by her grandfather, author Carol Crane weaves a fictional tale based on the true events of the doomed schooner. And she explains how the captain's widow went on to continue his tradition of delivering holiday trees to Chicago. Carol Crane's many books for Sleeping Bear Press include the best-selling P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet and The Handkerchief Quilt. As a literacy advocate, Carol speaks at schools and conferences. She lives in North Carolina. Chris Ellison has illustrated children's picture books and adult historical fiction for nearly 20 years. His book Let Them Play was a 2006 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. Chris lives in Mississippi.

It is 1933 and the Great Depression has ravaged the nation. Millions of people are out of work; thousands of families are struggling to keep a roof overhead and food on the table. But Momma still finds ways to count her blessings (lucky stars) from Ruth's new shoes to Poppa's new job. But where Momma sees the 'bright,' Ruth only sees the dark. Her shoes are hand-me-downs from a neighbor and Poppa's new job keeps him away from home for months. And now their town can't afford to keep the school open. Ruth will not be going to fourth grade even though she's one of the brightest students in her class. How can anyone find the good in that? But when Ruth stops thinking of her own problems and focuses on someone else's, she realizes that being a lucky star is the best way to start seeing your own lucky stars.In addition to writing children's books, Judy Young teaches poetry writing workshops for children and educators across the country. Her other books with Sleeping Bear Press include the popular R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet and Lazy Days of Summer. Judy lives near Springfield, Missouri. This is Chris Ellison's third book in the Tales of Young Americans series. He also illustrated Rudy Rides the Rails and Pappy's Handkerchief. His first book with Sleeping Bear Press, Let Them Play, was named a 2006 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Chris lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Luna Zamora. . .Bending the rules, playing the game. . .In her junior year at Taos High, Luna doesn’t want to shake off her proud Mexican heritage and the voices of her Pueblo ancestors who feel so alive in her, thanks to her grandfather Diaz’s frank teachings about the world of boys and love. . .But she is tempted to let Tamara, Mariana and Abby bring her with them into their world of sex when a willing boy named Hector Ruiz steps forward. Luna’s role as amused observer suddenly doesn’t work for her.And then Jacob San Nicolás, the handsome but shy soccer star, makes his own awkward move towards her and she soon finds there is a rich and complex language in the world of boys. Except that in Jacob’s case, no boy or girl who has preceded her in loving him has ever truly understood that language as Luna feels she does.Into the mix is thrown Jacob’s brash older brother Miguel who wants to take Jacob away from Luna, and the sexy bad boy, Tomás Cabello, who seduces with a single look. And there is Oscar, Luna's sexually exuberant little brother, and Ian Donovan, Jacob’s best friend in more ways than one. Even nine-year old Pablo adds his voice to some of the ugliest consequences surrounding the mystery that is Jacob San Nicolás.

It is 1933 and the Great Depression has ravaged the nation. Millions of people are out of work; thousands of families are struggling to keep a roof overhead and food on the table. But Momma still finds ways to count her blessings (lucky stars) from Ruth's new shoes to Poppa's new job. But where Momma sees the 'bright,' Ruth only sees the dark. Her shoes are hand-me-downs from a neighbor and Poppa's new job keeps him away from home for months. And now their town can't afford to keep the school open. Ruth will not be going to fourth grade even though she's one of the brightest students in her class. How can anyone find the good in that? But when Ruth stops thinking of her own problems and focuses on someone else's, she realizes that being a lucky star is the best way to start seeing your own lucky stars.In addition to writing children's books, Judy Young teaches poetry writing workshops for children and educators across the country. Her other books with Sleeping Bear Press include the popular R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet and Lazy Days of Summer. Judy lives near Springfield, Missouri. This is Chris Ellison's third book in the Tales of Young Americans series. He also illustrated Rudy Rides the Rails and Pappy's Handkerchief. His first book with Sleeping Bear Press, Let Them Play, was named a 2006 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Chris lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

“Happiness is when you have a whole lot of good feelings in your tummy.”The Fuzzy MonstersThis colorfully illustrated picture book, for children and adults alike, showcases thirty good feelings in alphabetical order: admiration, adoration, appreciation, bliss, comfort, curiosity, delight etc.This is not a story book. The good feelings are presented dictionary style, with a short description or, sometimes, a very short dialogue to convey the meaning and always with an illustration.Your child will enjoy looking at the Fuzzy Monsters and wondering what they are doing. This picture book is perfect for sparking conversations about emotions and expanding the vocabulary of good emotions in particular.You will enjoy this book if you:Are looking for a children’s book about feelingsBelieve in teaching your child about positive feelings and their powerLike picture books that generate discussions with your childChildren as young as 3 y.o. can benefit from looking at the pictures in this book. They will absorb the message. For the older children, the joy will be in generating new stories and in discussing about their feelings and their lives.

Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is a monumental novel, one that can well be called an epic of modern American Negro life. It is a strange story, in which many extraordinary things happen, some of them shocking and brutal, some of them pitiful and touching — yet always with elements of comedy and irony and burlesque that appear in unexpected places. It is a book that has a great deal to say and which is destined to have a great deal said about it. Invisible Man is not only a great triumph of storytelling and characterization; it is a profound and uncompromising interpretation of the Negro's anomalous position in American society.