Kate's Light: Kate Walker at Robbins Reef Lighthouse

Written by Elizabeth Spires

Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

Holiday House.2021. Biography

Kate Kaird, an immigrant who left Germany in 1882 moved to America with her young son Jacob and eventually became one of the first lighthouse keepers on the Eastern Seaboard. Her journey began when she met and married John Walker and they moved to Robbins Reef lighthouse in New York harbor. Her husband was given the job as lighthouse keeper and she became the assistant keeper. At first she hated the lighthouse and she wasn't sure she could live in such a lonely place but she eventually adapted and learned to love the peace and quiet of the lighthouse. When her husband died she convinced the lighthouse board to let her stay on until a man could be hired. Four years later she was hired as permanent keeper making her one of the first women to be put in charge of a lighthouse. Kate took care of the lighthouse and lived there for 33 years and rescued more than fifty people.

I love lighthouses and I'm fascinated with the stories of lighthouse keepers. The gorgeous watercolor and ink illustrations really capture the beauty of the water and sky and create beautiful scenes full of color and expression. I also enjoyed reading the additional information at the end about Kate. This is a very distinctive book that highlights an unknown heroine who continued to "mind the light" something her husband encouraged her to do. A great book to read during Women's History Month.

Comments

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Fresh Start

Fresh Start By Gale Galligan New York: Graphix, 2025. Graphic novel. 270 pages. Ollie Herisson is only in 7th grade, but she has already lived all over the world. Her father is an American diplomat, whose job has taken their family to France, Singapore, Thailand (where her mom is from), and now to Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie loves that her family doesn't stay in one place very long, it allows her to have a fresh start and hide from any embarrassing moments each time they move. But Ollie's parents have big news -- they've decided to buy a house in Virginia and put down roots. Now, Ollie and her younger sister Cat have to figure out how to build lasting friendships which means resolving conflict rather than running away when things get hard. Loosely based on the author's own childhood experiences, this graphic novel is sure to be popular with readers who like coming of age stories. Watching Ollie learn to think of others as she advocates for her sister Cat, and navig...

Review: Will's Race for Home

Willl's Race for Home By Jewell Parker Rhodes Little Brown & Company, 2025. Fiction. 256 pages. Will is a young man whose father and family are working the land as sharecroppers in Texas. When Will's father comes home with the news that there is land available in Oklahoma to those who can stake and settle it, Will's father expresses his deep desire to go and claim land for their family. Will begs to be included, but his mother is reluctant to let him go. After input from the entire family, they decide that Will is ready for the responsibility. Along the way Will and his father develop a deeper appreciation for each other, form deep friendship, discover hidden enemies, and encounter many challenges which force them to make difficult decisions. Will's father has to rely heavily on him, especially as they get closer to their final destination. Will's bravery is inspiring and commendable. This book is full of many amazing elements: suspense, adventure, fr...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog