Children and books are two of my favorite things. My enthusiastic mission is to connect them.

As a newspaper columnist (ebook and past columns online at www.Postcourier.com) as a school media specialist, and author of books for children and adults, the mission of connection is the same.

I like to laugh and have fun, and want my audiences to laugh and learn and have fun along with me.

The Story of the H.L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin (True Story) Fran Hawk (Author) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press; 1 edition (September 15, 2004)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal The story of the Confederate submarine is told from its conception to its sinking and eventual recovery. Hawk's account, based on research and oral tradition, centers on the role of George Dixon, the Confederate officer who conceived of the vessel, and the gold piece given to him by his fiancée, Queenie Bennett. The coin is said to have saved Dixon from death or serious injury at the battle of Shiloh, and stayed with him for the remainder of his life. Following the Hunley's unsuccessful tests, he took over as her captain and went down with her when she sank after destroying the Union ship Housatonic. When the Hunley was raised in 2000, the coin was among the artifacts recovered. Hawk presents the story in a readable style, while Nance's numerous, exceptional paintings and the color photos of the recovery operation, Dixon's coin and other artifacts, and portraits of Dixon and Horace Hunley bring it to life. This is an exceptionally attractive and enjoyable piece of Civil War history.–Jeffrey A. French, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist This picture book for older children tells a true story that begins during the Civil War and ends in 2004. In 1862, Queenie Bennett gave George Dixon a gold coin as a keepsake as he left to join the Confederate Army. After the coin in his pocket stopped a bullet at the Battle of Shiloh, Dixon kept it with him as he supervised the building of a submarine, the H. L. Hunley. In 1864, the Hunley became the first sub to sink a ship in wartime, but it, too, sank with Dixon aboard. The first and longer section of the book dramatizes Dixon's story; the next describes the twentieth-century discovery of the sub and its excavation, including the finding of the gold coin. Although the text has a tinge of fictionalization, the ending grounds it more firmly in reality. Many large, dramatically lit paintings illustrate the initial story, while a few color photos offer views of the recovery workers and archaeologists. The book has no index but includes an informative time line. Carolyn Phelan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Other Reviews

"It's personally very rewarding to think that the images I created for this book may spark an interest in a young mind to pursue history, to dream or just to imagine infinite possibilities -- like George Dixon and his historic "fish boat"." -- Dan Nance (20041201)

"Full of drama, love, war and mystery, this gorgeous picture book is a classic story meant to be shared."
-- Idaho Falls Post Register (January 2005) (Idaho Falls Post Register )

"The mystery of the Confederate submarine The H.L. Hunley and its crew was buried at the site where it disappeared off the South Carolina cost in 1866 until it was discovered in 2000. Hawk and Nance recount the story of the "fish boat" from its creation to its discovery and final voyage home."
-- Daily Record (December 2004) (Doody Enterprises )

Count Down to Fall

Fran Hawk (Author), Sherry Neidigh

Sherry Neidigh (Illustrator)

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(Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Paperback: 32 pages Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing (June 10, 2009)

ISBN-10: 1607180391 ISBN-13: 978-1607180395

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal Bold, full-spread illustrations with inset details feature a variety of trees and woodland animals in this informational picture book. As the facts about trees count down, the images represent the numbers 10 to 1, while corner insets show the tree, spring and fall leaves, a seed, and occasionally the flower of the specific tree pictured, such as birch, dogwood, oak, and maple. Children will be drawn to examine the expressive images of animals and find additional ones along the detailed border featuring close-ups of the tree's bark. This attention to detail makes the book more than a simple counting or seasonal book with both the four-line stanzas and art offering simple facts: "Six linden leaves/in Valentine shapes/reflect golden sun/in autumn's landscape." The counting pattern gets disrupted at three, opting for numerous "three-pointed maple leaves," and birch leaves shown falling "two by two." A spread, "For Creative Minds," includes quizzes and challenges readers to match facts with images, note specifics about leaf shapes, and learn about how plants support animals.—Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library END --

From Booklist A cheerful rhyming verse on each double-page spread tells more about the season: the trees, the colors, the shapes of the leaves, and the animals in the woods.

From Others

This is a GORGEOUS book. You can go on a fall nature walk without leaving the comfort of your home or classroom when you read this book. --A Year of Reading

I've never been knowledgeable about the different types of trees, and this book will allow me to learn about them alongside my children! There is no better way to discover than side-by-side with your child! --Tif Talks Books

Ten Tips for Raising Readers

Fran Hawk (Author) Paperback: 92 pages Publisher: Pond House Press; first edition (October 1, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0615290248 ISBN-13: 978-0615290249

This lively and easy guide empowers parents to motivate their children (or grandchildren!) to have fun while reading. The author -- a children's librarian and parenting columnist for newspapers -- uses plenty of humor in an encouraging guide that maps out strategies that really work for lifelong reading success. TEN TIPS includes specific book titles by age group, as well as websites and other resources. The first chapter starts with babies!

Editorial Reviews

"A truly impressive book that offers parents a wealth of ideas about raising children to appreciate and enjoy the power of reading. Her use of personal anecdotes and humor enrich the realistic suggestions. This is a book that parents will return to on a regular basis in their desire to create an atmosphere in which reading and learning are experienced in a joyful way by their children." --Robert Brooks, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, author of The Self-Esteem Teacher

"This book should be a required accessory for every parental nightstand in the country. Not only does Fran Hawk lay out a lucid reading program from picture books through puberty, she makes me hopeful that the rumors of literacy's death have been greatly exaggerated." --Bart King, author of The Big Book of Boy Stuff, and The Big Book of Girl Stuff,

"Fran Hawk has an engaging sense of humor and it shows...Bravo!" --Marilyn R. Mumford, Ph.D., English Department, Bucknell University

All Presentations are FREE. Schools are asked to buy a copy of my book for each child who attends the presentation. Fran makes the books available at half price and signs every copy.