SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE 120TH ANNIVERSARY: Time to Read KEEPER OF THE LIGHT

Illustration by Rachell Sumpter for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT.

Today is the 120th anniversary of the deadly 1906 San Francisco earthquake. That morning, across the Bay, on Angel Island, light keeper Juliet Nichols woke up to violent shaking.

I awake with a jolt. Everything is moving!

My bed thrashes like a boat in a storm. Dishes smash. Outside, the lamp swings wildly on its hook. I hang on for dear life and wish I were not so alone.

When the shaking stops. I inspect the house--

Storehouse cracked. Stone basement badly cracked. House plaster cracked.

--Luckily nothing that can't be fixed.

Juliet's story, before and after the earthquake, is the subject of my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog (Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2022). Beautiful watercolor llustrations are by Rachell Sumpter. Read the book and find out how Juliet saved the day when the fog bell failed during the foggy summer after the earthquake and she had to ring the bell by hand.

The San Francisco Earthquake

At 5:12 a.m., April 18, 1906 a violent earthquake struck the city of San Francisco, toppling buildings, cracking streets and sidewalks, bursting water mains. The rupture extended both northward and southward for a total of 296 miles (476 km). Shaking was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles. No system of measurement was in place at the time, but it is thought today that the earthquake would have measured between 7.9 and 8.2 on the Richter scale.  Hundreds of buildings collapsed during the quake.  But the bigger disaster came from the fires the followed.  Without a water supply, it was difficult to fight the rapidly spreading flames. By the time the fires were out, 500 city blocks were destroyed, at least 700 people were dead, and more than 225,000 homeless.

KEEPER OF THE LIGHT, Keystone to Reading Book Award, 2023-2024, Intermediate List

I was pleased to discover my book Keeper of the Light: Juliet fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog on the Intermediate List of the Keystone to Reading Book Award, 2023-2024. 

Keeper of the Light: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog by Caroline Arnold and Rachell Sumpter Inspired by the logs of a female light keeper who kept the light shining through the fog following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, this adventurous story captures an important piece of American history.

Many thanks to the Keystone State Reading Association (KRSA) for helping the children of Pennsylvania learn about Juliet Nichols, the intrepid lighthouse keeper on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay during the early 20^th century. 

The KSRA is a statewide organization of people who are interested in reading instruction, literacy development, and the encouragement of life-long reading habits.

The award list notes authors and illustrators who are from Pennsylvania. I live in California, but I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so at some level I am a Pennsylvania author too!

Juliet Fish Nichols

NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE DAY: August 7th

Today is National Lighthouse Day! Celebrate by reading my book KEEPER OFTHE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog.

On National Lighthouse Day, August 7, we celebrate how these scenic, historic structures comforted travelers throughout the centuries. In 1789, the U.S. Congress passed an act securing the protection of all lighthouses under federal support.

If you ever visit a lighthouse, you’ll understand the serenity and stability they represent to viewers on land. While lighthouse technology has evolved over time, lighthouses were once widely used to mark dangerous reefs, shorelines or harbors. Today, we imagine how a lighthouse’s beacon of light offered hope to those seeking land in the midst of stormy seas and dark nights. (Lighthouse Museum, Staten Island, NY)

Illustration by Rachell Sumpter for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT of Juliet Nichols striking the fog bell.

 

Review of KEEPER OF THE LIGHT by Ronna Mandel at Goodreads with Ronna

 

Many, many thanks to Ronna Mandel for her enthusiastic and detailed review of my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog, published at her blog https://www.goodreadswithronna.com/2022/11/09/keeper-of-the-light-caroline-arnold-rachell-sumpter/ on November 9, 2022. She captures the key elements of the story and shares several of the pictures giving readers a preview of the wonderful, atmospheric art for the book by illustrator Rachell Sumpter.

Here are the opening paragraphs of Ronna’s review:

Keeper of the Light written by Caroline Arnold and illustrated by Rachell Sumpter is a fascinating, “fictionalized account based on true events and historical documents about Juliet Fish Nichols …” I love learning about historical figures, especially women who had non-traditional careers, whose stories might never be told were it not for an inquisitive picture book author.

A widow at 42 and in need of a steady income, Juliet Fish Nichols worked for over a decade as Keeper of Angel Island Light Station in San Francisco Bay. Author Arnold presents an engaging interpretation of several years of Nichols’ life there—Point Knox to be precise—in log format so that readers can gain insight into the important responsibilities she was tasked with. This not only involved making sure the lamp (visible for up to 13 miles) was filled with oil, clean, and in working order but when needed, operating the fog bell machine.

For the full review please go to Ronna’s post at her blog.

VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISIT AT R.D. WHITE SCHOOL, Glendale, CA

 

Authors and Illustrators Day at R.D. White School, Glendale, CA, sponsored by the Glendale Assistance League

On November 4, 2022, I had an excellent Zoom author visit at R.D. White Elementary School in Glendale, California, as part of the Authors and Illustrators in the Schools program sponsored and organized by the Glendale Assistance League. I especially thank Linelle Vincenti and Kathy Blyth for all their support and making sure that everything ran smoothly. I was one of six authors at R.D. White on Friday. I met with four groups of first and second graders, each class for about forty minutes, sharing my books and my life as an author and answering questions from the students. I enjoyed it immensely. And I could tell that the teachers and kids enjoyed it too.

Zoom visit with two classrooms at R.D. White School

The theme of my presentation was gardens–featuring my new book PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6: From Seeds to Salad, as well as my fiction book WIGGLE AND WAGGLE (reading the first story and singing the gardening song with my Wiggle and Waggle sock puppets), and sharing my miniature garden inspired by Mr. McGregor’s garden in PETER RABBIT by Beatrix Potter. 

In my home office.

I also talked about how authors get ideas for books, sharing that the inspiration for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT came out of a visit to Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. And I showed how I create the cut-paper illustrations for my books, using A ZEBRA’S WORLD as an example.

 

PROJECT: EARTHQUAKE IN A BOX

Illustration for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT by Rachell Sumpter

Juliet Nichols, the lighthouse keeper on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay from 1902 to 1914, is the subject of my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT (Cameron Kids/Abrams 2022.)

On April 18, 1906, Juliet was woken by a violent earthquake. She wrote in her log:. Calm. Hazy. Severe earthquake at 5:07 A.M. followed by several lighter shocks.

Earthquakes occur when two parts of the Earth’s crust push against one another. To demonstrate what occurs when this happens, you can make a tiny earthquake in a box. (It is best to do this project outside.)

You will need: a shallow cardboard box, scissors, damp sand.

First, cut the box in half. Then put the box back together by overlapping the cut edges. Fill the box with sand. Pat the sand to make it smooth. Now slowly push the two parts of the box together. 

What happens to the sand? Does it form little hills or valleys? Have you made any tiny earthquakes?

CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

 

Chicago Cultural Center, in the original Public Library Building

On a recent trip to Chicago, I walked down Michigan Avenue past Millenium Park on my way to the Art Institute, and on the West side of the street I saw a large elegant building, inscribed along the top as the Chicago Public Library. No longer a library, it is now the Chicago Cultural Center. Built in 1897, it was the Central Library for the City of Chicago for 96 years, when a new library was built nearby. 

I didn’t have time to visit the new library, but I was pleased to discover online that the catalogue lists 79 of my books, including my two new books PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6 and KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: JULIET NICHOLS FIGHTS THE SAN FRANCISCO FOG.

BOOK SIGNING AT ALA in WASHINGTON, DC

In the Junior Library Guild booth at ALA in Washington, DC

I had a great day on Saturday at ALA in Washington, DC, signing KEEPER OF THE LIGHT in the Abrams booth and PLANTING A GARDEN in the Charlesbridge booth, and cruising the aisles of the exhibit hall to see all the publishers' new books! 

In  the Abrams booth at ALA

Many thanks to Nina Greuner, publisher of Cameron Kids, and everyone in the Abrams booth for hosting me in the booth and keeping the signing line going smoothly. 

In the Charlesbridge booth at ALA

And thanks to Donna Spurlock, Meg Quinn, Lindsay and Jaliza, and everyone in the Charlesbridge booth for coordinating my signing there. At both booths we ran out of books before the hour was over! It was great meeting librarians from so many places.

I also stopped by the Junior Library Guild booth and posed for a photo with PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6 which was a Spring selection.

Everyone in the convention center was required to be vaccinated and wear a mask (although I took mine off briefly for the photos.) Everyone, including me, seemed happy to be at a live, real person event!