Books with author Helen Strudwick

After thousands of years, ancient Egypt's monuments, tombs, religion, and way of life still capture the imagination. The Pocket Timeline of Ancient Egypt is a beautifully illustrated guide to this rich and fascinating civilization, from prehistoric times to the reign of Cleopatra. Each chapter of the lively and engaging 32-page book provides a quick but rewarding account of a different period of Egypt's history. Readers learn about life and death in the area around the Nile, the development of farming and writing, and the astonishing engineering achievements of these people. The book is illustrated with dozens of color photos of ancient monuments and atifacts. We see the delicately inscribed seal of queen Sobekneferu; the small statues known as Shabti, which were buried with their owners and were believed to be ready to awake and work in fields when their master demanded it; and the false door in the tomb of Pepy II, constructed to allow his spirit to pass between the worlds of the living and the dead. The eye-catching 12-page fold-out timeline, which can be detached for wall display, unfolds over the same 3,000 years of history as the book, presenting a vivid account of the major events, achievements, and personalities of the ancient Egyption world.

“An engaging story which broaches serious questions about family, the American spirit and hope.“ Foreword Five-Star ReviewWhen thirteen-year-old Myles brings home an injured coyote pup, his neighbor reaches for a shotgun. “The coyotes, like the prairie, are trying to take what’s ours,” he warns. “We got to fight them with all we got.” Set in eastern Colorado in the years leading up to the Dust Bowl, this young adult historical novel explores the can-do spirit that drew families to the rugged frontier. The time is 1930. Men and their tractors are transforming the prairie into the world’s breadbasket. Nature is giving way to the American dream. But all Myles sees is the wide, open freedom of the prairie and the coyote disappearing in the wind. Unable to stop men and their machines, he must find a way to save the coyote from those who would call the prairie their own.Seventy years later, Myles’ grandson Andy feels trapped by his safe, suburban routine. His mother charts his grades and packs hand sanitizer in his back pack. All she talks about is consequences. Dreams, she warns, bring only heartache like the Dust Bowl. Wanting more out of life, Andy sets out to discover what is left of his grandfather’s wild prairie. First Place for Historical Fiction, Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2013Honorable Mention, 2013 Green Book Festival Lexile Score HL (High Low) 690LWhat people are saying about COYOTE WINDS…“An engrossing account of hardscrabble life in Colorado at the dawning of the Dust Bowl era, as seen through the eyes of a wise-cracking 1920s farm boy, an injured coyote pup, and a disgruntled, 21st century teenager. The story transports readers to a bygone day when dreams died hard and indomitable spirits struggled to endure. “ --David Schweidel, author of Confidence of the Heart and What Men Call Treasure “In this fresh, affectionate, and poignant novel, Sedwick brings to vivid life the story of two boys connecting across decades with plucky independence and unexpected courage. Pages turn like the Coyote Winds, unfolding a gritty tale of endurance, love, and a touch of magic that will hold young and old in its spell.” --Joanne Meschery, author of Home and Away “Coyote Winds is engaging and provocative. The book tells the story of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in a way that encourages readers to think, and to want to know more. It helps us to understand both the harshness and the beauty of farm life on the southern Plains.” --Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, History Professor and Chair, Iowa State University, author of Rooted in Dust and Always Plenty to Do, and contributor to Ken Burns’ film, The Dust Bowl "There are days when I tire of being a reviewer, but then along comes a book like Coyote Winds that makes me feel excited about my role. Coyote Winds is a bittersweet story, full of sadness and hope." Allison Hunter, Allison's Book Bag "Coyote Winds is a vivid and beautiful portrait of two very different worlds. Andy’s modern day existence couldn’t be more different than the wide open promise of Vona, CO that Myles and his family approach, but the stories merge brilliantly. Helen Sedwick pens this story so well that I could see the Vincent farm, hear the chickens pecking at kernels and feel the coyote winds blowing across my face. " -- Compulsion Reads 5 Star Review and part of its Irresistible Collection."Coyote Winds is an evocative novel that readers of all ages and backgrounds will enjoy." Midwest Book Review

This historical novel captures the times leading up to the Dust Bowl, a time of optimism and confidence, a time when a man was measured by what he produced, not what he could buy. It explores that American can-do spirit that drew people to the last frontier and the consequences of that spirit, both good and bad. And it asks whether that spirit has survived the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and the years since. Coyote Winds tells the story of the times before The Grapes of Wrath and offers a new perspective on American history in the 20th Century. Summary: When thirteen-year old Myles brings home a coyote pup half-blinded by a dust storm, his father warns him a coyote can’t be trusted. His neighbor loads his rifle and takes aim. Yet Myles is determined to tame the pup just as his father is taming the land. The time is 1930. Tractors and fertilizers are transforming the southern prairie into the world’s breadbasket. The American dream is within every man’s reach. But when drought turns these dreams into paint-stripping, crop-killing dust, Myles wonders if they have made a mistake by trying to tame the untamable. Seventy year later, when Andy remembers his Grandpa Myles’s tales about growing up on the prairie, he wonders what stories he will tell when he has grandchildren. Algebra, soccer practice, computer games, a day at the mall? Determined to keep his grandfather’s memories alive and have some adventures of his own, Andy heads out to discover what’s left of the wild prairie. First Place for Young Adult Historical Fiction, Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2013 Honorable Mention, Young Adult Fiction, 2013 Green Book Festival Lexile Score HL (High Low) 690L What people are saying about COYOTE WINDS… “An engrossing account of hardscrabble life in Colorado at the dawning of the Dust Bowl era, as seen through the eyes of a wise-cracking 1920s farm boy, an injured coyote pup, and a disgruntled, 21st century teenager. The story transports readers to a bygone day when dreams died hard and indomitable spirits struggled to endure. “ --David Schweidel, author of Confidence of the Heart and What Men Call Treasure “In this fresh, affectionate, and poignant novel, Sedwick brings to vivid life the story of two boys connecting across decades with plucky independence and unexpected courage. Pages turn like the Coyote Winds, unfolding a gritty tale of endurance, love, and a touch of magic that will hold young and old in its spell.” --Joanne Meschery, author of Home and Away “Coyote Winds is engaging and provocative. The historical novel tells the story of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in a way that encourages readers to think, and to want to know more. It helps us to understand both the harshness and the beauty of farm life on the southern Plains.” --Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, History Professor and Chair, Iowa State University, author of Rooted in Dust and Always Plenty to Do, and contributor to Ken Burns’ film, The Dust Bowl "Coyote Winds is a vivid and beautiful portrait of two very different worlds. Andy’s modern day existence couldn’t be more different than the wide open promise of Vona, CO that Myles and his family approach, but the stories merge brilliantly. Sedwick pens this story so well that I could see the Vincent farm, hear the chickens pecking at kernels and feel the coyote winds blowing across my face. " -- Compulsion Reads 5 Star Review and part of its Irresistible Collection. “Coyote Winds is an evocative novel that readers of all ages and backgrounds will enjoy.” -- Midwest Book Review “There are days when I tire of being a reviewer, but then along comes a book like Coyote Winds that makes me feel excited about my role. Coyote Winds is a bittersweet story, full of sadness and hope…An excellent read.” – Allison Hunter, Allison’s Book Bag

A newer and expanded edition of COYOTE WINDS is available at http://www.amazon.com/Coyote-Winds-Helen-Sedwick/dp/0988302128/ref=tmm_pap_title_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371407613&sr=8-1. The new edition provides more information about the characters and their lives. First Place for Historical Fiction, Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2013 Honorable Mention, Young Adult Fiction, 2013 Green Book Festival What people are saying about COYOTE WINDS… "There are days when I tire of being a reviewer, but then along comes a book like Coyote Winds that makes me feel excited about my role. Coyote Winds is a bittersweet story, full of sadness and hope." Allison's Book Bag "Coyote Winds is a vivid and beautiful portrait of two very different worlds. Andy’s modern day existence couldn’t be more different than the wide open promise of Vona, CO that Myles and his family approach, but the stories merge brilliantly. Helen Sedwick pens this story so well that I could see the Vincent farm, hear the chickens pecking at kernels and feel the coyote winds blowing across my face. “This book pulled me into its grip in the first chapter and didn’t let go. I couldn’t help but sympathize with Andy’s plight and understand intuitively the juxtaposition of his overly-sheltered life with the broad freedom Myles experienced over 70 years earlier even as he and his family faced the heart-wrenching ruin of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. Coyote Winds is a must-read. Its simple beauty struck a deep chord within me that is still humming with the sound of the coyote winds." -- Compulsion Reads 5 Star Review and part of its Irresistible Collection. “Coyote Winds is an engrossing account of hardscrabble life in Colorado at the dawning of the Dust Bowl era, as seen through the eyes of a wise-cracking 1920s farm boy, an injured coyote pup, and a disgruntled, 21st century teenager. The story transports readers to a bygone day when dreams died hard and indomitable spirits struggled to endure. “ --David Schweidel, author of Confidence of the Heart and What Men Call Treasure “In this fresh, affectionate, and poignant novel, Sedwick brings to vivid life the story of two boys connecting across decades with plucky independence and unexpected courage. Pages turn like the Coyote Winds, unfolding a gritty tale of endurance, love, and a touch of magic that will hold young and old in its spell.” --Joanne Meschery, author of Home and Away “Coyote Winds is engaging and provocative. The book tells the story of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in a way that encourages readers to think, and to want to know more. It helps us to understand both the harshness and the beauty of farm life on the southern Plains.” --Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, History Professor and Chair, Iowa State University, author of Rooted in Dust and Always Plenty to Do, and contributor to Ken Burns’ film, The Dust Bowl “Coyote Winds is a gripping personal tale of one family’s experience living during those turbulent years and that legacy that is passed on through the generations. –Brenna Burke, Almost All The Truth