This week, we feature the enchanting life story of the creator of a popular children’s book character and an analysis of primary texts illuminating the Declaration of Independence.
History
‘The Living Declaration: A Biography of America’s Founding Text’
By Ted Widmer
To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, we should consider taking another gander at the text that established our country: the Declaration of Independence. Ted Widmer takes much more than a gander in his new book, which is defined as “A Biography of America’s Founding Text.” Widmer uses 68 texts from before, during, and after the writing of America’s most important document to analyze its meaning and importance. With a foreword from the late Gordon S. Wood, this book is a treasure.
Library of America, 2026, 393 pages
Biography
‘Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear: A.A. Milne and the Creation of “Winnie-the-Pooh”‘
By Gyles Brandreth
Looking for an entertaining book for the summer? Put this biography of A.A. Milne, the creator of “Winnie-the-Pooh,” at the top of the list. There are plenty of anecdotes about Milne, his family, his close relationship with his brother Ken, and historic and literary figures of the age. Brandreth enlivens the life of Milne by frequently entering the action with stories about himself, his research, and his meetings with those who knew Milne, including his son, the prototype for Christopher Robin.
St. Martin’s Press, 2025, 416 pages
Maritime History
‘Elizabeth’s Sea Dogs: How the English Became the Scourge of the Seas’
By Hugh Bicheno
Britain’s rise to naval dominance started during the reign of Elizabeth I. This book looks at how this transformation happened. It shows how Britain, due to its long naval war with Spain, rose from maritime insignificance to nautical heights during this period. One of the book’s strengths is its ability to place the era’s events into their historical context. Slavery, casual violence, and medicine are viewed within the matrix of their time, not today’s values. It will interest anyone taken with Elizabethan Times.
Adlard Coles, 2018, 400 Pages
Fantasy
‘Witch’s Daughter: Book Two of “Empires of Magic”’
By Sarah A. Hoyt
Teenage Albinia Blakley is fleeing her overbearing sorceress mother when her knotted-sheets rope breaks. Instead of plunging to her death, she lands on an enchanted flying rowboat being test-flown by 17-year-old Lord Michael Ainsling, the youngest brother of the Duke of Darkwater. It may be more than a fortunate coincidence. Both are on the same quest: to rescue Albinia’s father and brothers. A delightful and charming fantasy adventure, it is a tale worth reading when you need cheering up.
Goldport Press, 2026, 293 pages
Classics
‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’
By Betty Smith
This coming-of-age novel tells the story of Francie Nolan and her family struggling to realize the American dream in the slums of early 19th-century Brooklyn. Her father is an alcoholic singing waiter with the heart of a poet, her mother a hardworking supporter of Francie and her brother Neeley, her Aunt Sissy a generous but marriage-prone woman who dotes on the children. It’s a story of fortitude, love, and family strength in dire times, as well as a portrait of a girl growing into womanhood.
Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006, 528 pages
For Kids
‘Nesting’
By Henry Cole
This gorgeous picture book features the meticulous black-and-white illustrations of Henry Cole and depicts the nesting habits and life cycle of robins, from nest-building to laying and caring for eggs, to nurturing and protecting their young, to chicks fledging the nest. Readers will gain a new appreciation for these common yet heroic birds.
HarperCollins, 2021, 40 pages
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