Lisa Tucker McElroy

“Love, Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom” by Lisa Tucker McElroy is a great book to keep in elementary classrooms for children who have parents that are deployed, as well as for those students’ peers to gain insight on what those families are going through. I enjoyed the plot and the writing of “Love, Lizzie.” The plot followed letters from Lizzie and some letters from her mother from July to May, when they are reunited. The letters make Lizzie’s experience with her mother away show more very realistic as we hear from Lizzie what her mother is missing in her life, such as soccer games, birthdays, and holidays. The writing of the book is unique because it is mostly Lizzie speaking, and the text is read as the letters she sends. Lizzie’s perspective is humanizing and creates empathy in readers. show less

I hated the cover on this one so much that I almost didn't read it, but I'm glad I did. While I don't like Paterson's illustrations of people, McElroy's text has a lot of power for letters (from a girl to her mother who is serving overseas) that never break their childlike voice and Paterson's maps and some of the layout really add to what's going on. I also wish that the first page of the book wasn't a lengthy letter to adults written by Senator Dianne Feinstein, as it's completely show more unnecessary and off-putting. Even so, this is the best book on this subject that I'm aware of. show less

Serviceable, but obvious photo shoot publicity moments blast any charm.

Review for "Meet My Grandmother: She's a Supreme Court Justice." Part of a picture book series called "Grandmothers at Work." This picture essay is narrated by Sandra Day O'Connor's 9-year-old granddaughter Courtney. She explains her grandmother's work as a judge and mentions the various activities they enjoy doing together like eating ice cream and going shopping. Recommended by ALSC and the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities.