Hidden Shelf Blog

Top 5 STEM Books For Kids: A Granddad’s Guide to Great Books for the Curious Grandchild.

“Sure, I give my grandchildren cool toys. But I also send gifts that will last. My grandkids (ages 10, 8, 7) are probably a lot like yours – curious, creative, fun … and obsessed with books that spark their intelligence.” Here’s a short list of great books for bright kids (ages 7-12).

I learned that my fate is indeed tied up with historical moments but that writing helps me understand it and right the wrongs of the past.

I took time to write two novels both involving three-year-old boys. Ironically, the Christy Award winning novel Stars in the Grass, centers around a family and the loss of their three-year-old son.

Like many of you, I’m sweltering through a historic heatwave plaguing the Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains. By July 4th, my hometown in Montana  has already had more 90+ degree days than we used to have all summer. As the heat dries out forests, wildland fires will follow. We know the pattern. 

We are a doughnut loving family! I love that the popular “national days” give us the excuse to indulge in these delicious treats! What better way to celebrate this sweet holiday than sinking your teeth into a tasty tale–featuring our favorite fried delicacy of course! 

Grab your favorite doughnut (and a cup of coffee) and start reading! 

Fan readers of which authors/books do you think would enjoy this title and why? Walter Mosley fans would enjoy this book because it’s a mystery that’s steeped in black tradition and vernacular. Fans of Eric Jerome Dickey books would also enjoy this read because of its humor and accessibility.

Mark your calendars for the release of The Warden’s Son, a posthumous memoir about growing up at the Idaho State Penitentiary by Jerry Clapp, son of Idaho’s longest serving Warden, Lou Clapp, and featuring an introduction by Anthony Parry, Old Idaho Penitentiary Interpretive Specialist.

Bruce Smith is a wildlife biologist and an award-winning author of five books of natural history, conservation, and outdoor adventure, including Life on the Rocks: A Portrait of the Mountain Goat, which won the National Outdoor Book Award.

Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Oluadah Equiano; all familiar names that have been readily adopted by American history. These Black history figures have been canonized for oratory skills, abolition work, or for being a first. While their exploits are worthy of consideration, our history books have ignored countless members of society whose exploits are not chronicled, remembered, or celebrated by many.

Basic info:
Full Name: Scott Ziemer
Printed works: Jiemba & Friends
Current Projects: Jiemba II, III,
Background, Growing up, and a little bit about yourself: Where did you grow up? Lakewood, (Southern) California
Describe your hometown in three words: Friendly, Scenic, Growing.

Basic info:
Full Name: Mariah Ziemer
Printed works: Jiemba and Friends, written by Scott Ziemer, illustrated by Mariah Ziemer
Current Projects: Loose Chronicles, Bob Gaines

After reading Jiemba and Friends, I started thinking about boomerangs. I remember my cousin having one when I was a kid. I’m not sure any of us had much success getting it to fly back. Regardless, I always thought they were fascinating and I’ve realized a lot of people have questions about boomerangs.

I consider myself a “part-time hippy”. I use essential oils, and I also vaccinate my kids. We eat a whole foods diet, but occasionally hit up the drive-thru. I eat a mostly vegan diet, but I eat eggs and honey. I use non-toxic, dye-free, scent-free …

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”.

Share your book-related activities with us by tagging @hidden_shelf on Instagram!

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.