Books

The Patriots and the Pox

Coming 9/29/2026, Pre-Order available wherever books are sold (try your local bookshop!), and at the following links:

Bookshop.org • Barnes & Noble • Books A Million • Amazon

This nonfiction illustrated book for young readers reveals the true, and often overlooked, story of General George Washington’s brave decision to inoculate his troops against smallpox during the American Revolution.

1775
General George Washington and his ragtag army are preparing to battle the powerful British military when the first attack comes— from an enemy that is invisible and deadly—smallpox! 

The disease wreaks havoc on his troops, foils his plans, and threatens to extinguish hope for independence. Desperate to get smallpox under control, Washington faces an agonizing decision—one that could either destroy his army or save it. He knew what he had to do, but how? The fate of a nation was on the line.

Here is a new look at a founding father that uniquely shows what some historians call Washington’s most important strategic decision of the war. His battle against smallpox deepens understanding about the complexity of the revolution and connects to the present with the vital role vaccines continue to play.

This unforgettable story is not only about the war for independence but also about independence from disease, the power of science, and how George Washington laid the foundation for public health in the United States.

Coming to bookstores near you in the year of our nation’s 250th birthday.

Cosmic Wonder

An innovative and visually sweeping picture book imagines Halley's Comet observing Earth and its inhabitants at every pass, tracing human evolution over millennia.

First recorded traveling overhead in 240 BCE, Halley's Comet returns every seventy-six years or so for a fresh glimpse of life on bountiful Earth. In a wondrous story told from the comet's point of view, the creator of A Green Place to Be weaves scenes of Halley's hurtling through space with views of Earth and its evolving flora and fauna below. Even as humans gaze up in search of the celestial wanderer--tracking the "broom star" in words and pictures--the comet gazes down, forming gentle conclusions. Each visit reveals how curious and creative humans transform the planet, contributing war and pollution but also a boundless capacity to love. What will the comet find when it passes again in 2061? Time stamps and thorough back matter ground a lyrical and luminously illustrated story in sound historical and scientific research. A kaleidoscope of biodiversity, locales, and peoples, Cosmic Wonder gracefully charts the highs and lows of human civilization through the eyes of a sympathetic watcher.

Of Walden Pond

From the award-winning author of Before She Was Harriet comes another work of lyrical beauty, the story of Henry David Thoreau and businessman Frederic Tudor--and a changing world.

Thoreau and Tudor could not have been more different from each other. Yet both shared the bounties of Walden Pond and would change the course of history through their writings and innovations.

This study in opposites contrasts the austere philosopher with the consummate capitalist (whose innovations would change commercial ice harvesting and home refrigerators) to show how two seemingly conflicting American legacies could be built side by side.

Oddball/ tax dodger/ nature lover/ dreamer/ That's what they called/ Thoreau.
Bankrupt/ disgrace/ good for nothing/ dreamer/ That's what they called/ Tudor.

Celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome takes her magnificent talent for research and detail to plumb the depths of these two history-makers. The graceful text is paired with Ashley Benham-Yazdani's period accurate watercolor and pencil artwork. In winter, readers see Tudor's men sawing through the ice, the workhorses dragging the ice, and Thoreau observing it all; in spring, summer, and fall, the ice continues its journey across the globe with Thoreau and Tudor writing and reflecting in their respective diaries.

An Author's Note, which explores how Thoreau's writings influenced such figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Frost, and Mohandas Gandhi, is included.

A Green Place to Be

How did Central Park become a vibrant gem in the heart of New York City? Follow the visionaries behind the plan as it springs to green life.

In 1858, New York City was growing so fast that new roads and tall buildings threatened to swallow up the remaining open space. The people needed a green place to be -- a park with ponds to row on and paths for wandering through trees and over bridges. When a citywide contest solicited plans for creating a park out of barren swampland, Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted put their heads together to create the winning design, and the hard work of making their plans a reality began. By winter, the lake opened for skating. By the next summer, the waterside woodland known as the Ramble opened for all to enjoy. Meanwhile, sculptors, stone masons, and master gardeners joined in to construct thirty-four unique bridges, along with fountains, pagodas, and band shells, making New York's Central Park a green gift to everyone. Included in the end matter are bios of Vaux and Olmsted, a bibliography, and engaging factual snippets.