Sally M. Walker

Winner of the Sibert Medal, Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is a fascinating look at the world's first combat sub. On February 17, 1864, the H. L. Hunley made history as the first submarine to sink a ship in battle. Soldiers on the shore waited patiently after seeing the submarine's return signal. But after several days, the ship had failed to return. What had gone wrong? In 1995, after more than 130 years of searching, the H.L. Hunley was finally found buried off the coast of South Carolina. Follow author Sally M. Walker on a fascinating journey through the workings of the famous submarine, its voyages, and the difficult obstacles that were overcome to recover, excavate, and conserve the ship. Praise for Secrets of a Civil War Submarine " Walker] really hits her stride, though, in explaining the complex techniques and loving care used in raising the craft, recovering its contents, and even reconstructing models of the crewmembers' bodies. Thoroughly researched, nicely designed, and well illustrated with clear, color photos, the book will serve as an informative guide to anyone interested in the Hunley or intrigued by archaelogy."--Booklist, Starred review "The archaeological process is well documented in both words and pictures, and the conclusions are interesting and even surprising. Highly recommended for school and public libraries."--School Library Journal, Starred review

Keep kids curious with this exciting first adventure in the STEAM Street Kids early-reader series, following Cora on a day of fun, science-based adventures at the beach. Pack your beach bag and join Cora and Gran for some discoveries by the shore Test sand to figure out what kind makes the best castle. Find out how sea animals survive low tide. Investigate sea stars in a tide pool--and rescue them from drying out. And what tops off a day at the beach better than a big ice cream sundae? The welcoming text by nonfiction author extraordinaire Sally M. Walker, ideal for early readers moving into chapter books, is followed by back matter expounding on the three STEAM concepts introduced and inviting kids to experiment with their own sandcastle-building activity.

Keep kids curious with this exciting first adventure in the STEAM Street Kids early-reader series, following Cora on a day of fun, science-based adventures at the beach. Pack your beach bag and join Cora and Gran for some discoveries by the shore Test sand to figure out what kind makes the best castle. Find out how sea animals survive low tide. Investigate sea stars in a tide pool--and rescue them from drying out. And what tops off a day at the beach better than a big ice cream sundae? The welcoming text by nonfiction author extraordinaire Sally M. Walker, ideal for early readers moving into chapter books, is followed by back matter expounding on the three STEAM concepts introduced and inviting kids to experiment with their own sandcastle-building activity.

River flowing, where's it going? In the launch of her first board-book series, an award-winning nonfiction author brings the youngest explorers close to nature's wonders in action. Water springs from the ground, creeks gurgle downhill, snow and rain make streams bigger, and then you have a river. But where does that river go? Step by step, Sally M. Walker's simple, scientifically accurate narration lets the youngest hydrologists follow water's movement from high land to the ocean, changing from a trickle to a torrent along the way. At each juncture comes the refrain: where's it going? Kim Smith's lush landscapes capture the water in motion and fauna nearby, from wading moose to leaping fish. A note to parents suggests bringing the learning to life by encouraging questions and observations of the natural world.

Rolling boulders here and there . . . In the launch of her first board-book series, an award-winning nonfiction author brings the youngest explorers close to nature's wonders in action. Mighty mountains reach up high, until craggy cliffs tumble and boulders settle everywhere. But how do big, jagged rocks turn into the soft sand we love at the beach? Step by step, Sally M. Walker's simple, scientifically accurate narration lets the youngest geologists learn how rocks weather over time, transforming from cobbles to pebbles to the tiniest grains of sand. Kim Smith's lush landscapes capture a wide range of fauna over geologic time, from dinosaurs and mammoths to bunnies and gulls. A note to parents suggests bringing the learning to life by encouraging questions and observations of the natural world.

In a unique melding of science and poetry, a collection of haiku extols the wonder of trees--and explores the vital roles they play on our living planet. perched on a branch, the crow's nest amid green sailsa place for daydreams From the giant tree ferns of the forests primeval to the hardy sycamores of today's urban forests, experience the essence of trees through poems that engage with every season and stage of the life cycle, from seed to photosynthesis. A broad exploration of a majestic subject, this collection of haiku touches on such topics as the importance of trees to other living creatures and the communication of trees with one another through a complex network of roots. Paired with Angela Mckay's bold, bright, beautifully patterned artwork, Sally M. Walker's third collection, a companion to Earth Verse and Out of This World, encourages respect and care for our arboreal neighbors. Back matter includes a time line, an author's note, a glossary, and a select bibliography for curious readers.

A historic mine fire traps hundreds of men underground in a gripping work of narrative nonfiction meticulously researched and told by a master of the genre. It is November 13, 1909, and the coal miners of Cherry, Illinois, head to work with lunch pails in hand, just like any other day. By seven a.m., 484 of these men are underground, starting jobs that range from taking care of the mules that haul coal to operating cages that raise and lower workers and coal to chiseling out rocks and coal from the tunnels of the mine. With the electrical system broken, they're guided by kerosene torches--and come early afternoon, a slow-moving disaster begins, barely catching the men's attention until it's too late. In what starts as an hour-by-hour account, Sally Walker tells the riveting and horrifying story of the Cherry Mine fire, which trapped hundreds of men underground. Alternating between rescue efforts above and the heroic measures of those trying to survive the poor air and entrapment below, the tragic story unfolds over eight excruciating days in a narrative compelled by the miners' hope and absolute will to survive. Rich with archival photographs and documents, this stirring account includes sources, bibliography, an author's note, and follow-up information about survivors, rescuers, and families.

"Hits the mark."--Kirkus An engaging middle-grade nonfiction narrative of the American Indian soldiers who bravely fought in the Civil War from Sibert Award-winning author Sally M. Walker. More than 20,000 American Indians served in the Civil War, yet their stories have often been left out of the history books. In Deadly Aim, Sally M. Walker explores the extraordinary lives of Michigan's Anishinaabe sharpshooters. These brave soldiers served with honor and heroism in the line of duty, despite enduring broken treaties, loss of tribal lands, and racism. Filled with fascinating archival photographs, maps, and diagrams, this book offers gripping firsthand accounts from the frontlines. You'll learn about Company K, the elite band of sharpshooters, and Daniel Mwakewenah, the chief who killed more than 32 rebels in a single battle despite being gravely wounded. Walker celebrates the lives of the soldiers whose stories have been left in the margins of history for too long with extensive research and consultation with the Repatriation Department for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Eyaawing Museum and Cultural Center, and the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinaabe Culture and Lifeways.

This companion to Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up soars into space with a perfect fusion of poetry and science, accompanied by breathtaking illustrations. one minuscule speckgrows into the universea mind-boggling birth This stunning meeting of poetic form and luminous artwork transports us out of the bounds of Earth, past a lunar eclipse, beyond the orbiting planets, and into glowing galaxies and twinkling constellations. Sally M. Walker uses her award-winning skill as a writer of nonfiction to explore space through clever haiku, accompanied by narrative explanations of wonders that are out of this world. Illustrator Matthew Trueman imagines the explosive Big Bang and awe-inspiring meteor showers in spectacular views that no telescope could offer. Comprehensive, well-researched back matter further explores such topics as constellations and astronomers, the birth of the universe, stars, the solar system, moons and eclipses, asteroids, meteors, and comets, as well as a glossary of terms, a bibliography, and online resources for readers with an eye to what lies beyond Earth.

Based on a true story, Fiery Night is a heartwarming, empowering picture book about a little boy's devotion to his pet goat, Willie, and how they gave each other strength during the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Young Justin Butterfield was awakened in the night by neighbors warning his family of the coming fire. The Butterfields did what they could to save their home but eventually had to flee. Justin insisted on taking Willie with them, even though the frightened goat made it more difficult for them to get away quickly. Encouraging and comforting Willie helped bolster Justin's own courage during the family's difficult journey through the burning city.

More than 20,000 American Indians served in the Civil War, yet their stories have often been left out of the history books. In Deadly Aim, Sally M. Walker explores the extraordinary lives of Michigan's Anishinaabe sharpshooters. These brave soldiers served with honor and heroism in the line of duty, despite enduring broken treaties, loss of tribal lands, and racism. Filled with fascinating and gripping firsthand accounts from the frontlines, this book teaches listeners about Company K, the elite band of sharpshooters, and Daniel Mwakewenah, the chief who killed more than thirty-two rebels in a single battle despite being gravely wounded. Walker celebrates the lives of the soldiers whose stories have been left in the margins of history for too long with extensive research and consultation with the Repatriation Department for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Eyaawing Museum and Cultural Center, and the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinaabe Culture and Lifeways.

Explore the wonders of our planet through poetry and art in this stunning picture book from award-winning illustrator William Grill.From the hidden wonders of fossilization, rocks and the water cycle, to awe-inspiring spectacles like volcanoes, thunderstorms and glaciers, discover the magnificent ways the world works in this unique and beautiful approach to earth science. Vivid illustrations by William Grill, the Kate Greenaway medal-winning creator of Shackleton's Journey, and illuminating haikus from Sally M. Walker reveal the extraordinary processes that happen all around us. A book to treasure for art- and science-lovers alike.

Who could care for a bear? When Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear at a train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training during World War I. Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company's home town, and he brought her along to the military camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment's much-loved mascot. But who could care for the bear when Harry went to battle? Harry found just the right place for Winnie-the London Zoo. There a boy named Christopher Robin played with Winnie-he could care for this bear too!

In 1638, John Lewger made a home in the wilderness of the New World, in a place called Maryland. He named his house St. John's, and for nearly eighty years, it was the center of an ambitious English plan to build a new kind of community on American soil. Men and women lived and worked within its walls. Babies were born. Last breaths drawn. St. John's walls witnessed the first stirrings of the great struggles that would dominate the continent for the next three centuries: The unimaginable wealth of the New World's crops and natural resources. The promise of religious tolerance under a new model of government. The injustice of slavery. The betrayal of native peoples. The struggle for equality between men and women. If St. John's walls could have talked, they would have spoken volumes of American history. And then the walls crumbled. One hundred years after it was built, St. John's House had been abandoned. The buildings slowly deteriorated, returning to the Maryland soil to be plowed under by generations of Maryland farmers. St. John's walls were silent for more than two centuries, little more than ghosts haunting the historical and archeological records. But they weren't lost. Not entirely. Award-winning author Sally M. Walker tells the story of how teams of scientists and historians managed to hear the ghostly echoes of St. John's House and, over the course of decades of painstaking work, made them speak their stories again.

On December 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbor in Nova Scotia, Canada. One ship was loaded top to bottom with munitions and the other held relief supplies, both intended for war-torn Europe. The resulting blast flattened two towns, Halifax and Dartmouth, and killed nearly 2,000 people. As if that wasn't devastating enough, a blizzard hit the next day, dumping more than a foot of snow on the area and paralyzing much-needed relief efforts. Fascinating, edge-of-your-seat storytelling based on original source material conveys this harrowing account of tragedy and recovery. This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum.

Electricity powers lights, computers, and television sets. But have you seen how electricity can make objects stick together? Or make other objects pull apart? Now you can Explore electricity with the fun experiments you'll find in this book. As part of the Searchlight Books(TM) collection, this series sheds light on a key science question―How Does Energy Work? Hands-on experiments, interesting photos, and useful diagrams will help you find the answer

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist One of the Best Books of the Year: Chicago Public Library, School Library Journal, Science Books & Films Bright white teeth. Straight leg bones. Awkwardly contorted arm bones. On a hot summer day in 2005, Dr. Douglas Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution peered into an excavated grave, carefully examining the fragile skeleton that had been buried there for four hundred years. "He was about fifteen years old when he died. And he was European," Owsley concluded. But how did he know?Just as forensic scientists use their knowledge of human remains to help solve crimes, they use similar skills to solve the mysteries of the long-ago past. Join author Sally M. Walker as she works alongside the scientists investigating colonial-era graves near Jamestown, Virginia, as well as other sites in Maryland. As you follow their investigations, she'll introduce you to what scientists believe are the lives of a teenage boy, a ship's captain, an indentured servant, a colonial official and his family, and an enslaved African girl. All are reaching beyond the grave to tell us their stories, which are written in bone.