Hidden Shelf Blog

Books provide entertainment, education, and even escape for people of all ages. As many of us find ourselves spending more time at home than perhaps ever before, we want to present a few activities that fall “outside the pages”.

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Basic info:
Full Name: James Daniel Moore 
Do you write under a pseudonym? How did you decide which name(s) to include on your books? No. I put the name I go by,  Dan Moore, simpler the better. 
Printed works: Promise Lost: Stephen Joyner, the Marine Corps and the Vietnam War. As well as numerous academic articles and book reviews. 
Current Projects: Author’s Expanded Revision of Promise Lost: Memoir of my year in Vietnam, 1967-68

Earlier this month I talked about some of the things I look for when choosing picture books for my kids. I apply much of the same concepts when choosing books for myself, and that includes diverse representation.

• Diverse representation in characters
• Diverse representation in authors
• Diverse representation in content

Basic info:
Full Name:  Brian C. Johnson
Printed works: Send Judah First: The Erased Life of an Enslaved Soul; The Room Downstairs.
Current Projects : Caesar: Free Slave; Me, My Selfie & I: A Black Lives Matter Novel; Sintimacy: The Novel
Quick Facts About Me: I am the father of 4, and the grandfather of 8, and I am an avid kite flyer.

Several years ago, I decided that I liked the idea of a “New Years Challenge” rather than a “New Year’s Resolution.”⁣ As a person with a competitive nature, a “challenge” was something I felt more compelled to work toward and “win”, rather than a resolution, which always felt like a change you made for January and then forgot about for the rest of the year. 

Last year, I gifted books to everyone on our Christmas List. Young and old, near and far, everyone got a book. I loved the excuse to spend time in the bookstore; looking at spines, reading back covers, asking for recommendations.

It is no secret that I love books. But what I love even more is when the opportunity arises to combine great books, with creative activities, or delicious recipes. This post will be about the former.

It’s no wonder why celebrities make Ketchum, Idaho and the famous Sun Valley Resort a destination on their vacation lists. Ever since its founding in 1936, Ketchum has become a year-round sports enthusiast wonderland.

For the longest time, I have been fascinated by slave narratives. Honestly, as a black man, just saying that makes me squeamish. In Send Judah First, I wanted to take the best of these books and tell a different story…

In Send Judah First,author Brian C. Johnson not only opens a powerful and heart-wrenching door into Judah’s life, but also into Belle Grove’s kitchen where Judah served as head cook from 1817-1836. Today, we’re sharing one of the author’s favorite recipes: Apple Pan Dowdy. Ingredient quantities have been added for baking convenience!

Author and advocate, Brian C. Johnson, has committed himself personally and professionally to the advancement of multicultural and inclusive education. His newest work of historical fiction, Send Judah First, is based on the life of of Belle Grove Plantation’s head cook…

Fact: people love Idaho. For outsiders, the state holds a certain mystery and awe that spans far beyond potatoes. Idaho’s rugged and wild terrain attracts adventurers and wanderers from around the country.