SEEDS OF FREEDOM: THE PEACEFUL INTEGRATION OF HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA
Starred Review Publishers Weekly: "Unflinchingly honest and jubilantly hopeful, this is nonfiction storytelling at its best." - Starred Review Booklist: "A valuable introduction to the civil rights period." - NCSS Carter G. Woodson Award Elementary Honor - Junior Library Guild - Bank Street Best - Parents' Choice Silver Honor - AR Quiz # 172163 - Kirkus: "A book that is as quietly inspiring as its subject." - Mississippi Library Association Author Award - Represented AL at the National Book Festival - Review in Los Angeles Times - Column in Kirkus Reviews
THE SECRET WORLD OF WALTER ANDERSON:
NCTE ORBIS PICTUS AWARD for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children - SIBA BOOK AWARD - MISSISSIPPI LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AUTHOR AWARD - Bank Street Best - CCBC Choices - Kirkus Starred Review and Best Children's Books - NCSS Notable - National Book Festival: Represented MS & AL - AR Quiz #134485
Personalized signed copies available; email Hester under "Quick Links."
Dreams do come true! Whatever your dream may be, her advice is: Never give up! Hester has presented keynotes and workshops at conferences for writers, librarians, and teachers plus Hester performs at schools, libraries, and book festivals. She offers a workshop called Show Don't Tell: How Acting Techniques Improve Writing.
An author visit by Hester Bass is a special occasion for learning while having fun. A storyteller, singer, and teacher, Hester helps audiences experience the wonder of words through original songs, art activities, and writing prompts. As one librarian said, Hester can "encourage the most reluctant reader to read and the hesitant student to write." Click the link at right to learn more.
Hester enjoys sharing what she's learned about writing for children through keynotes, presentations, and workshops. What makes a story memorable, and publishable? Hester will share her secrets! She has offered sessions for ALA, NCTE, and ILA, and can tailor a presentation specifically for your audience. Click the link at the right for more information.
Seeds of Freedom: The Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama is a little-known true story of the Civil Rights movement in Alabama, illustrated by the acclaimed E.B. Lewis. While violence in other communities surrounded them, the black citizens of Huntsville organized one peaceful protest after another, and the white citizens remained committed to nonviolence as well. Through courage, creativity, and cooperation, Huntsville integrated peacefully, providing an example for children today of how racial discrimination, bullying, and unfairness can be faced successfully with perseverance and ingenuity. Hester loves to travel and inspire readers - email her now to get on her calendar.
Hester's award-winning picture book biography of American artist, Walter Inglis Anderson, also illustrated by E. B. Lewis, was published by Candlewick Press in 2009, and reissued as a chapter book in 2014. The Secret World of Walter Anderson is the story of a man who risked everything to bring himself and nature into one thing called art. From his home on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, he would often row twelve miles of open water to reach Horn, an uninhabited barrier island, where he lived under his boat for weeks at a time so he could paint the wildlife there. Hester studied Anderson's life and work for over 25 years and has many anecdotes to share about this remarkable artist and this book's unusual journey to publication.
Hester's first book, So Many Houses, is a Scholastic Rookie Reader® about the materials used to build houses across the globe. Bold, lively illustrations by Alik Arzoumanian make So Many Houses a colorful trip around the world. Click the link at the right to see the book.
If you have questions, or want to bring Hester Bass to your town, scroll down to the Quick Links (left, below) and click on E-mail Hester Bass!
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Content © and all rights reserved by Hester Bass.
Illustrations from Seeds of Freedom: The Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama © and all rights reserved by E. B. Lewis. Published 2015/2018 by Candlewick Press.
Illustrations from The Secret World of Walter Anderson © and all rights reserved
by E. B. Lewis. Published 2009/2014 by Candlewick Press.
Illustrations from So Many Houses © and all rights reserved by Alik Arzoumanian. Published 2006 by Children's Press/Scholastic Library.