UPDATE TO MY AUTHOR PROFILE ON AMAZON

I have recently updated my author profile on Amazon. Now it includes my latest books and a few fun facts in my biography. Note that the books section is sorted by "popularity" but if you click in the box on the upper right of the page to "publication date" you will see them in order of publication, starting with the most recent titles.

The author profile page has been recently redesigned by Amazon. It no longer includes links to videos. The video trailers for A WARMER WORLD, A POLAR BEAR'S WORLD, and GLOBAL WARMING AND THE DINOSAURS are no longer there. Look for them at my website www.carolinearnold.com .

PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6: A Recommended Publication by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

I was pleased to discover that my book PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6 is a recommended publication by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. This is the perfect audience for my book! Thank you!

In their review they write: 

A wonderful look at how students planted a school garden with real-life pictures. This book is packed with information which makes it a good resource, but a harder "read aloud". Great for classroom reference. 

 

JANUARY 21, NATIONAL ANGEL ISLAND DAY: Remembering Angel Island's History

ANGEL ISLAND. In 1775 the packet San Carlos, first known Spanish ship to enter San Francisco Bay, anchored in this cove while her commander, Lieut. Jan Manuel de Ayala, directed the first survey of the Bay. Ayala named this island Isla de Los Angeles. The island has been a Mexican rancho, U.S. Military post, Bay defense site and both a quarantine and immigration station.

In January 2010, President Barack Obama declared that January 21 shall be National Angel Island Day, "to learn more about the history of Angel Island and to observe this anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities."

One hundred years earlier, on January 21, 1910, the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay had opened to process immigrants arriving in San Francisco, most of them from Asia. There they were examined, interrogated, often being detained for weeks, months, or even years, and in many cases deported. At the time US government policy discriminated against Asian immigration. The station closed in 1940.

Today, most visitors to Angel Island come to see the remains of the Immigration Station and learn more about its history. But the history of the island includes much more. My book, KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog, portrays one of the several lighthouse keepers who operated the light and fog bell station at Point Knox on the other side of the island from the immigration station. During Juliet's years as a lighthouse keeper (1902-1914), Angel Island was used as an Army base (Fort McDowell), a quarantine station, and, after 1910, as an immigration station. Her log does not mention the opening of the immigration station, but surely she was aware of it. 

The following proclamation can be found in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

January 20, 2010

Presidential Proclamation - National Angel Island Day

A PROCLAMATION

One hundred years ago, the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay opened for the first time, and an important chapter of the American narrative began. It would be written by those who walked through the station's doors over the next three decades. From the cities, villages, and farms of their birth, they journeyed across the Pacific, seeking better lives for themselves and their children. Many arrived at Angel Island, weary but hopeful, only to be unjustly confined for months or, in some cases, years. As we remember their struggle, we honor all who have been drawn to America by dreams of limitless opportunity.

Unlike immigrants who marveled at the Statue of Liberty upon arrival at Ellis Island, those who came to Angel Island were greeted by an intake facility that was sometimes called the "Guardian of the Western Gate." Racially prejudiced immigration laws of the time subjected many to rigorous exams and interrogations, as well as detention in crowded, unsanitary barracks. Some expressed themselves by carving poetry and  inscriptions into the walls in their native language -- from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean to Russian, German, and Urdu. These etchings remain on Angel Island today as poignant reminders of the immigrant experience and an unjust time in our history.

If there is any vindication for the Angel Island immigrants who endured so many hardships, it is the success achieved by those who were allowed entry, and the many who, at long last, gained citizenship. They have contributed immeasurably to our Nation as leaders in every sector of American life. The children of Angel Island have seized the opportunities their ancestors saw from across an ocean. By demonstrating that all things are possible in America, this vibrant community has created a beacon of hope for future generations of immigrants.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 21, 2010, as National Angel Island Day. I call upon the people of the United States to learn more about the history of Angel Island and to observe this anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

REVIEW of KEEPER OF THE LIGHT in The San Francisco Chronicle

I was pleased to discover this excellent review of my book, KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog, in the San Francisco Chronicle Datebook (April 21, 2022.) Written by librarian Susan Faust, it is a double review of my book and another, THE GARDENER OF ALCATRAZ, where the story is set on another famous island in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz.  Alcatraz and its tall lighthouse was visible to Juliet Nichols from her lighthouse on Angel Island. The two books together provide an interesting contrast in personalities--Juliet, a single woman lighthouse keeper, and Elliott Michener, a prisoner on Alcatraz who developed a love of gardening.

Here's Susan Faust's review of KEEPER OF THE LIGHT:

What’s a widow to do? In 1902, with little money, Juliet Fish Nichols successfully applies to be lighthouse keeper at Point Knox on the southwest side of Angel Island, according to this fictionalized account of her time on the job. Based on “true events and historical documents,” journal entries allow Nichols to describe her isolated world: noisy sea lions and gulls; her few neighbors, infrequent city trips and well-tended garden; and the work station itself, a small house on stilts at water’s edge with an oil lamp and a 3,000-pound bell. Ethereal paintings capture the thickening fog two months after the 1906 earthquake. With lamplight unable to penetrate a foggy “foe,” the bell becomes critical. Thus, when its mechanism fails, Nichols must swing a heavy mallet every 15 seconds through a long night to prevent ships from going aground. They are loaded with rebuilding supplies. Nichols’ grit and determination are standouts in this rather staid tale of heroism. Oddly enough, Nichols is here remembered more as “keeper of the bell” than “keeper of the light,” as the title suggests. But no matter: She’s duty-bound to keep Angel Island waters safe by whatever means necessary.

NATURE INSPIRES ART: Paintings by Tom Scheaffer

Mission Trails Regional Park. Oil painting by Tom Scheaffer

My brother Tom Scheaffer loves the outdoors and frequently hikes at Mission Trails Regional Park near his home in San Diego, California. (See his post from January 17, 2022.) 

Mission Trails Regional Park.

Fall colors at Mission Trails.

Tom is an excellent photographer and a talented artist. Some of his work was recently exhibited at the Maya Moon Collective in San Diego .

Art by Tom Scheaffer. Pastel and white glue on  black paper. The glue makes black lines when it dries.

A recent walk at Mission Trails to see the fall colors has inspired two new works, one in pastels and the other an oil painting. Each one captures the richness and subtlety of nature's palette. The black lines on the pastel drawing remind me of the paintings of the French artist, Georges Roualt. 

Best Stem Books of 2022 at the Nonfiction Detectives: PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6

With many thanks to two intrepid librarians, Louise Capizzo and Cathy Potter, for including my book PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6: From Seeds to Salad in their list of Best STEM Books for Kids 2022 at The Nonfiction Detectives (December 12, 2022). I am honored to have my book among the outstanding titles on this list. Louise retired as youth service manager in a public library; Cathy is a school librarian.