Display: Doreen Rappaport

Doreen Rappaport was born in New York City in a home filled with music. Her mother was a singer and her father was a musical arranger. With this musical background, Doreen studied the piano and became a junior high music teacher after graduating from Brandeis University. In 1965 she began teaching in McComb, Mississippi and realized that there was a large part of American history which she had never really understood. Doreen began to write books about people's struggles against oppression to bring light to less well known parts of history. She is now the award-winning author of over 60 children's books which celebrate the lives of those who have overcome hard things to make an impact on the world.

Walt's imagination: the life of Walt Disney
Written by Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by John Pomeroy
From his childhood in rural Missouri to his legendary stature as a film and television icon, Walt governed his life with imagination, ingenuity, and scrupulous attention to detail. Faced with both public failures and massive success, he revolutionized the art form of animation, always seeking innovative solutions, cutting edge technology, and new ways of storytelling. A picture-book biography that introduces the life and career of Walt Disney.

Frederick's journey: the life of Frederick Douglass
Written by Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by London Ladd
Sketches Frederick Douglass's journey from slavery to international renown as writer and lecturer.

Wilma's way home: the life of Wilma Mankiller
Written by Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by Linda Kukuk
A picturebook biography of Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Elizabeth started all the trouble
Written by Doreen Rapppaport
Illustrated by Matt Faulkner
The story of women across the nation who stood together and demanded equal rights, including the right to vote, brought to life by Matt Falkner's vibrant illustrations.

Martin's Big words: the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Written by Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by Bryan Collier
This picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young children through his own words. Martin Luther King, Jr. , Was one of the most influential and gifted speakers of all time. Doreen Rappaport uses quotes from some of his most beloved speeches to tell the story of his life and his work in a simple, direct way. Bryan Collier's stunning collage art combines remarkable watercolor paintings with vibrant patterns and textures.

Helen's big world: the life of Helen Keller
Written by Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by Matt Tavares
An introduction to the life and legacy of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan.

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Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages. Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

Review: A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall

A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall By Jasmine Warga New York: Harper, 2024. Fiction. 211 pages. A painting has been stolen from the Penelope L. Brooks Museum and sixth-grader Rami Ahmed is worried he's the main suspect. His mother works at the museum as the lead custodian and Rami spends a lot of time hanging out at the museum while she works. On the day the painting went missing, the only people there were the security guard Ed, the cleaning crew, and Rami. Then, a mysterious girl appears in the museum. She floats around from room to room and only Rami can see her -- and she looks exactly like the girl from the missing painting. To prove his innocence and help figure out who the floating girl is, Rami partners up with an aspiring sleuth at school named Veda and the two dive into unexpected situations as they try to solve the mystery. This is a cozy mystery that is focused mostly on characters and ambiance and only a little on the mystery itself. Don't read this book if yo...

Review: The Amazing Generation

The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World Written by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price Illustrated by Cynthia Yuan Cheng New York: Rocky Pond Books, 2025. Informational. 226 pages. In a kid-friendly adaptation of his best-selling book, The Anxious Generation , Jonathan Haidt teams up with Catherine Price, author of How to Break Up With Your Phone , to bring the power of good information directly to the hands of those that this issue affects most directly — kids on the cusp of getting their own smartphones. The book presents information about the drawbacks of having a smartphone and social media too soon in clear and easy-to-understand language, with eye-catching graphics and pop-outs. Throughout the book, quotes from real teens and young adults, called screen "rebels" by the authors, emphasize the points the authors are trying to make. Fictional characters are featured throughout in a graphic novel story, which further emphasizes the po...

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