About Books: Spring 2019
Montana for Kids: The Story of Our State
By Allen Morris Jones
Have you ever thought about all the things that might have happened in a place before you arrived? Welcome to the first broad history of Montana for early readers in Bangtail Press’s Montana for Kids: The Story of Our State.
This 48-page journey by author and illustrator Allen Morris Jones guides readers through Montana history. Touching on the state’s first peoples, the introduction of the horse, gold strikes, copper kings, vigilante justice and the Indian wars, Montana for Kids makes history fun for young readers. Topics also include mountain men, the railroads, mining, homesteading and logging.
Twenty-four delightful illustrations by Jones enhance the journey.
Montana’s history is a fascinating and compelling tapestry, and by connecting each of these broad topics to the next, Jones demonstrates that it is indeed one long, continuing story.
Jones is the author of the novels A Bloom of Bones and Last Year’s River, and an examination of hunting ethics, A Quiet Place of Violence. He is the co-editor, with William Kittredge, of The Best of Montana’s Short Fiction.
The Fork, The Witch, and The Worm
By Christopher Paolini
Set in Paolini’s well-known world of Alagaësia, which has captivated over 35 million readers worldwide since Eragon was published in 2005, The Fork, The Witch, and The Worm includes three all-new stories, interspersed with scenes from Eragon’s own unfolding adventure.
The book includes four pieces of original art by Paolini and memoir pages from botanist Angela the herbalist, penned by Christopher’s sister, Angela Paolini, the inspiration for the character.
It’s been a year after Eragon has departed Alagaësia to train a new generation of Dragon Riders. He is struggling with an endless sea of tasks: constructing a vast dragonhold, wrangling with suppliers, guarding dragon eggs, and dealing with belligerent Urgals and haughty elves. A vision from the Eldunarí, unexpected visitors, and an exciting Urgal legend offer a much-needed distraction and a new perspective.
Paolini’s love of fantasy and the natural beauty that surrounds his home in Montana inspired him to begin writing the Inheritance Cycle at age 15. He became a no. 1 New York Times bestselling author at 19 and spent the next decade immersed in the world of Alagaësia.
“Writing about Eragon and Saphira again felt like arriving home after a long journey,” he says. Visit the author at www.paolini.net.
A Year in the Life of a Grizzly
By Vernon Anderson
Anyone who has stopped at Montana Coffee Traders in Columbia Falls has probably viewed the paintings of Vernon Anderson. This summer, the retired businessman and photographer-turned-author compiled some of his colorful wildlife scenes into a new children’s book, A Year in the Life of a Grizzly.
As the title suggests, the book follows the first year for a young grizzly cub and her sister as their mother teaches them the keys to survival among some of Glacier National Park’s most famous sites. Starkly beautiful pencil-and-ink sketches and more elaborate oil paintings portray the cub’s journey as she learns how to forage for food, navigate a variety of terrain, and interact with other animals.
More than just an endearing tale of a young bear’s odyssey from first emergence from her den to the next winter’s hibernation, the book educates young readers on the seasonal cycles and habits of the park’s sometimes fire-scorched flora and fauna. It’s a quick and appealing read for the whole family. – Brynn Cadigan
Volcano Dreams: A Story of Yellowstone
By Janet S. Fox; illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy
Janet Fox’s new book leads readers on a tour of the Yellowstone supervolcano, from the wolves, elk, bears and mountain goats that roam its surface to the fiery depths of its magma chamber. The book knits together the vibrancy of the Yellowstone ecosystem with its explosive history, placing the everyday lives of its creatures within the context of geological time.
Fox’s poetic text takes young readers to the root of it all – the “sleeping giant” of magma responsible for the Yellowstone landscape – while Marlo Garnsworthy’s evocative paintings capture the awe of natural forces at work in our nation’s oldest national park.
“This lyrical, lusciously illustrated title offers an introduction to the flora and fauna of Yellowstone Park to young readers … A valuable addition to an Earth science collection,” writes School Library Connection.
Fox, who lives in Montana, writes award-winning books for children of all ages, including the non-fiction middle grade book, Get Organized Without Losing It, and three young adult historical romances.
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