Historically Speaking

Teacher and librarian friends: Today the Magic Flute premiered in Vienna in 1791.  A nice teaching connection with Kyra Teis' beautiful picture book, The Magic Flute. Check out her site for some great teaching ideas. 

It's March  -- Women's History Month !   Of course, I can't wait until women's history is celebrated all year long, but for now we'll have to settle for the month of March! Since I'm all about books, I've made a list of some great titles for you to read this month!  Some are hot of the press and others are not-to-miss classics.  Enjoy! Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?  The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell , by Tanya Lee Stone Girls Who Looked Under Rocks: The Lives of Six Pioneering Naturalists by Jeannine Atkins Almost Astronauts:  13 Women Who Dared To Dream , by Tanya Lee Stone Elizabeth Leads The Way , by Tanya Lee Stone Mary Anning and The Sea Dragon by Jeannine Atkins Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli Patience Wright: America's First Sculptor and Revolutionary Spy by Pegi Deitz Shea and Bethanne Anderson Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell The Bobbin Girl , by Emily Arnold McCully The Escape of Oney Judge: Martha Washington's Slave Find...

I had the pleasure of serving on the Board of the Shaker Heritage Society and now have the pleasure of passing on this great opportunity for teachers at Siena College.       Heaven on Earth: Shakers, Religious Revival and Social Reform in America , a NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop for School Teachers will take place at Siena College in two separate sessions this summer. The first session will run from July 7 to July 13. The second session will run from July 14 to July 20.        The drive to construct a model society has played a vital role in the making of American culture ever since the English Puritans set out to build a “city upon a hill.” This NEH Landmark Workshop examines the Shaker movement as a model for understanding this utopian impulse.        K-12 educators are invited to undertake their own fieldwork in the history of American Shakerism. Participants will engage in interacti...

In the last two years the Nutcracker has popped back into my life in a big way.  Last year my cousin's daughter danced the role of Clara.  Watching her brought back all of my ballerina years of tutus and toe shoes.  She was just beautiful! This year I am watching it with different eyes.  My critique buddy, Kyra Ties, has been working for months redesigning the costumes for the party scene in the Northeast Ballet's production.  I can't wait to see her costumes under the lights!    It has truly been a labor of love for her.  In addition, her daughter is dancing in the production! Although this is the Northeast Ballet's 25th production of The Nutcracker, the ballet has a much longer history.  With music by Tchaikovsky it first premiered the week before Christmas in 1892.  The Moscow Ballet has been performing it ever since and, as you know, it has become a staple of the holiday season throughout the world. The classic tale was origi...

Did you get to watch Ken Burns' documentary, The Dust Bowl, on PBS?   It was riveting.  I only wish it were longer.  So you can imagine how excited I was to see a copy of Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan's companion volume to the special in the bookstores.   The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History chronicles the epic 1930s environmental and human disaster with more than 300 photographs and numerous first hand accounts. Another great book to read is Albert Marrin's nonfiction book, Years of Dust .  Marrin goes right to the heart of the tragedy and discusses the causes that led to it.  If you're looking for a title for your classroom, this is a great one to share with your middle schoolers! I would be remiss if I didn't include Karen Hesse's award winning work of historical fiction, Out of the Dust .   Her beautiful spare language puts the reader in the midst of the Oklahoma experience.  Hesse will leave you craving a deep breath of fresh air a...

The month of May was been a whirlwind for me.  So many wonderful events in my family topped off by a vacation to Europe, which included my first visit to Venice.  In celebration of that trip, I'd like to highlight some wonderful books and movies set in that magical city for both kids and adults. Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli From Publishers Weekly: Napoli returns to the locale of Stones in Water and For the Love of Venice, this time for a costume drama set in the late 16th century. At 14, Donata Mocenigo and her twin sister watch carefully as their noble parents set about finding a husband for their older sister. Venetian economics dictate that one daughter of a noble family will surely wed, but only with luck will a second daughter be married the remaining daughters either enter convents or care for a married brother's children. Eschewing a traditional romance, Napoli forges a plot with contemporary elements. Donata wants to see Venice and receive the same e...

Years ago my daughter asked her global history teacher why they weren't discussing Cleopatra….after all they were learning about ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt.  How could you NOT include the famous or infamous queen?  Well, the answer both dismayed and saddened us.  The NYS Regent in Global History didn't cover the great queen.   I so wish I had this book to hand to my daughter that year!   Cleopatra Rules is smart, hip, and fun.  Vicky Alvear Shecter has delivered a well-researched piece that should intrigue teens.   "So what did the romantic newlyweds do for their honeymoon?  They planned a war.  Because nothin' says lovin' quite like dead bodies on a battlefield."   Kudos, Ms. Shecter!  You've created a biography that will not only get picked up for those school biography assignments, but for pleasure! Readers will get a glimpse into the "bookish nerd" who became Queen of Egypt while coming away with a fascinating l...