Many Guild members live in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Not surprisingly, the history, people, and details of these places have provided rich inspiration for our fiction and nonfiction. We are delighted to share this list with teachers, librarians, media specialists, parents, grandparents--in short, all those bringing together young people and books. We hope you find it helpful.

Many of these authors and illustrators are listed in the Guild Speakers Bureau and available for school visits or booktalks. This list was compiled by The Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C. Please feel free to photocopy it and share with others.

MARYLAND

Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards, illus. by Henry Cole. Picturebook fiction, 5-8. Animals witness a pair of bare feet of a runaway slave running through the woods. Unwittingly, the animals help with the escape. Set on Eastern Shore of Maryland. (Starred Review, School Library Journal) [HarperCollins 1997; ISBN 006027137 $14.95]

Chesapeake ABC by Priscilla Cummings, illus. by David Aiken. Fiction, 2 to 7. A is for an anchor,/B for boat and Bay./Come and learn the alphabet./Have fun--the Chesapeake Way!
[Tidewater 2000; ISBN hdbk. 0-87033-525-1 $11.95]

Chesapeake Rainbow by Priscilla Cummings, illus. by David Aiken. Picture book. A companion book to Chesapeake ABC and Chesapeake 1-2-3. Chesapeake Rainbow helps young readers learn their colors the Chesapeake way. [Tidewater 2004; ISBN hdbk. 0-87033-556-1 $11.95.]

Chessie, the Seamonster That Ate Annapolis by Jeff Holland, illus. by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Fiction, 2-7. Legendary Chessie is taken in by kindly Cap'n Dan and, though she stirs up some trouble, becomes the hero of the local watermen. [Oak Creek 1990; ISBN hdbk. 0-961846-0-0 $8.95]

M is for Maryland by Carla Golembe. Nonfiction, 4 and up. This alphabet picture book teaches children about the rich history, people, and traditions of Maryland.
[VSP 2000; ISBN hdbk. 1-893622-03-7 $15.95]

On the Way to the Beach written and illustrated by Henry Cole. Fiction, 2 to 7. A visit to a beach on the Eastern Short brings encounters with various creatures of nature. Flaps fold out to reveal the plants and animals of each two-page spread. (2004 Outstanding Science Trade Books)
[Greenwillow 2003; hdbk ISBN 0-688-17515-5 $15.99]

Rosie's Posies by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Fiction, 2-7. Shy Rosie finds imaginary friends in her flower garden on the Eastern Shore. [Tidewater 1995; ISBN hdbk. 0-87033-472-7 $14.95]

Santa and the Skipjack by Janie Meneely, illus. by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Fiction, 2-7. When his sleigh has trouble, Santa gets help from local waterman on Tilghman Island.
[Oak Creek 1991; ISBN hdbk. 0-9618461-1-9 $11.95]

Alice Series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Fiction, 9-14. We watch an appealing teenage girl mature in realistic situations with family and friends in a projected series of 28 books. Set in Silver Spring. Titles include Agony of Alice (1985; ALA Notable), Alice the Brave (1995), and Alice Alone (2001).
[Atheneum; ISBN's hdbk., respectively, 0-689-31143-5, 0-689-80095-9, 0-689-82634-6, each $16. ISBN's pbk., respectively, for first two titles, 0-689-81672-3, 0-689-80598-5, each $3.99]

Anna All Year Round by Mary Downing Hahn. Historic fiction, 9-12. The stories, everyday experiences, and emotional development of 8-year-old Anna, based on childhood memories of the author's mother growing up in Baltimore, circa 1915. [Houghton Mifflin 1999; ISBN hdbk. 0395869757 $15, pbk. 038073317X $4.95]

Anna on the Farm by Mary Downing Hahn. Historic fiction, 9-12. A sequel to Anna All Year Round set just before WWI, Anna spends a week on her uncle's farm until Theodore calls her a "city slicker" and challenges her to prove herself. [Clarion 2001; ISBN hdbk. 0-618-03605-9 $15]

As Ever, Gordy by Mary Downing Hahn. Historic fiction, 10-13. A sequel to Stepping on the Cracks (1991) and Following my own Footsteps (1996), eighth grader Gordy must move back to the Maryland town he hates and step away from his past behavior. [Houghton Mifflin 1998; ISBN hdbk. 0-395-83627-1 $15]

Autumn Journey by Priscilla Cummings. Fiction, 9 and up. A coming-of-age story about 11-year-old Will Newcomb who shoots a Canada goose on his first hunting trip, then nurses the injured bird back to health. Specific settings: Baltimore, Eastern Shore. (ABA Pick of the List)
[Dutton 1997; ISBN hdbk. 0-525-65238-8 $14.99]

Awesome Chesapeake by David Bell, illus. by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Nonfiction, 8-14. This kids' guide to the Chesapeake Bay includes information on the area's history, ecology, and creatures.
[Tidewater 1994; ISBN hdbk. 0-87033-457-3 $11.95]

Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards, illus. by Henry Cole. Picturebook fiction, 5-8. Animals witness a pair of bare feet of a runaway slave running through the woods. Unwittingly, the animals help with the escape. Set on Eastern Shore of Maryland. (Starred Review, School Library Journal) [HarperCollins 1997; ISBN 006027137 $14.95]

Biggest (and Best) Flag That Ever Flew, The by Rebecca Jones, illus. by Charles Geer. Nonfiction, 5-10. Caroline Pickersgill (of Baltimore's Flag House) helps her mother make the flag that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner." [Tidewater 1988; ISBN hdbk. 0-87033-440-9 $8.95]

Boy Who Saved the Town, The by Brenda Seabrooke, illus. by Howard Burns. Historic fiction, 4-10. In the War of 1812 a boy helps save the town of St. Michaels from an attack by a British ship. [Tidewater 1990; ISBN hdbk. 0-87033-405-0 $9.95]

Brothers at War by Margaret Blair. Fiction, ages 8 and up. Two teenage boys, the Henry Brothers, reenacting the Civil War time travel through the medium of old-time photography back to Maryland's Battle of Antietam, where they fight on opposite sides; their friend Sarah Singleton joins up with Nurse Clara Burton. [White Mane 1997; ISBN pbk. 1-57249-049-7 $7.95]

Captain Kate by Carolyn Reeder. Historical fiction, 8 and up. Kate and Seth, 12-year-old stepsibs and rivals, must learn to work together while they contend with Confederate raiders and the rigors of their journey down the C&O Canal from Cumberland to Georgetown. [Children's Literature reprint 2002; ISBN pbk. 1-890920-14-2 $6.50]

Chadwick the Crab Series by Priscilla Cummings, illus. by A.R. Cohen. Fiction, 4-11. Chadwick the Crab and his Chesapeake Bay buddies find fame, fight pollution, and help their endangered friends in this five-book series, which includes Chadwick the Crab (1986), Chadwick and the Garplegrungen (1987), and Chadwick Forever (1993). [Tidewater; ISBN's hdbk., respectively, 0-87033-347-X; 0-87033-377-1; 0-87033-450-6, each $8.95]

Chester Town Tea Party, The by Brenda Seabrooke, illus. by Nancy Coates Smith. Historic fiction, 4-10. When Amanda follows her brother on May 23, 1774, she becomes a surprised secret participant in the tea party staged by Chester Town in sympathy for the city of Boston being punished by the British for its tea party. [Tidewater 1991; ISBN pbk. 0-87033-422-0 $8.95]

Corey's Story: Her Family's Secret by Elisa Carbone, illus. by Sally J.K. Davies. Twelve-year-old Corey copes with her father's alcoholism until she and her mother find a way to help that they never would have dreamed of. Set in Montgomery County and Washington, DC. (Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist)
[Waterfront 1997; ISBN pbk. 0-914525-30-1 $8.95]

Counties of Central Maryland, The by Patricia D'Amario and Elaine Bunting, illus. by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Nonfiction, 8 and up. Resource book devoted to the region's geography, environment, growth and development, history, and fascinating "folks." Features Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George, and Montgomery counties. [Tidewater 2000; ISBN hdbk. 0-87033-503-0 $19.95]

Counties of Northern Maryland, The by Patricia D'Amario and Elaine Bunting. Nonfiction, 8 and up. Resource book devoted to the region's geography, environment, growth and development, history, and fascinating "folks." Features Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, and Harford counties. [Tidewater 2001; ISBN 0-87033-520-0 $19.95]

Crazy Lady! by Jane Leslie Conly. Fiction, 8 and up. Academic low-achiever Vernon Dibbs befriends an alcoholic woman and her disabled teen-aged son and becomes part of a crisis they face. Set in Baltimore. (Newbery Honor) [HarperCollins 1993; ISBN hdbk. 0-06-021357-4 $13, pbk. 0-06-440571-0 $3.95]

Face First, A by Priscilla Cummings. Fiction, 10 and up. Seriously burned in an automobile accident, 12-year-old Kelley Brennan must learn to accept that she will never look the same. Set in Baltimore and Stevensville on Kent Island. (School Library Journal starred review) [Dutton 2001; ISBN hdbk. 0-525-46522-7 $16.99]

Great Gilly Hopkins, The by Katherine Paterson. Fiction, 10 and up. An angry foster child learns to care for an unusual family. Also contains details of Virginia. (National Book Award) [Crowell/HarperCollins 1978; ISBN hdbk. 0-690-03837-2 $15.95, pbk. 0-06-440201-0 $5.95]

Hannah In Between by Colby Rodowsky. Fiction, 10 and up. For a long time, Hannah feels her family is wrapped in secrecy as no one wants to admit her mother is alcoholic. Specific settings: Baltimore, Ocean City. (ALA Best Book) [Farrar, Straus & Giroux 1994; ISBN hdbk. 0-374-32837-4 $15, pbk. 0-8167-3740-1 $3.95]

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson. Historic fiction, 12 and up. Set on an island in the Chesapeake Bay, this tells of a jealous twin who must find both herself and an understanding of her sister. Also contains details of Virginia. (Newbery Medal) [Crowell/HarperCollins 1980; ISBN hdbk. 0-690-04078-4 $15.95, pbk. 0-06-440368-8 $5.95]

John Smith Escapes Again! written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer. Non-fiction/Biography/Historical/Picture Book, 7-14. John Smith, the man rescued by Pocahontas, was also America’s first superstar! An explorer, adventurer, writer, and fighter, his amazing life included a whole series of impossibly daring escapes from slavery, attacks by ruthless sea pirates, ambush by Indians, and more.
[National Geographic Society 2006; 64 Pages; ISBN hdbk. 0-7922-5930-0, $16.95; ISBN LB 0-7922-5931-9]

Joseph Schwartz's Story by Carolyn Reeder. Historical fiction, 10 and up. Set in Baltimore at the time of the Pratt Street riot. As the Civil War begins, fourteen-year-old Joseph, a scholarship student, tries to hide his support for the Union from his rich classmates who hope Maryland will secede. [Children's Literature reprint, 2003; ISBN pbk. 798-1-890920-16-6 $6.95]

Leonard Calvert and the Maryland Adventure by Ann Jensen, illus. by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Nonfiction, 8 and up. The story of how Leonard Calvert founded the Maryland Colony and proved he was not the dunce that others thought him. Set in St. Mary's County. [Tidewater 1998; ISBN pbk. 0-87033-502-2 $9.95]

Maryland (Seeds of a Nation Series) by Debbie Levy. Illustrated nonfiction, 8 and up. Read about Maryland’s early history, from the rise of the Algonquians, through European exploration and settlement, to statehood. [KidHaven Press/Thomson Gale 2004; ISBN 0-7377-1447-6 $20.96]

Molly Bannaky by Alice McGill, illus. by Chris Soentpiet. Biography, 7 and up. After serving seven years as an indentured servant, a young Englishwoman buys a slave, marries him, and becomes the grandmother of Benjamin Banneker. Set in Oella/Ellicott City. (ALA Notable) [Houghton Mifflin 1999; ISBN hdbk. 0-395-7228X $16]

Mystery of the Tiger's Eye by Gertrude Chandler Warner (aka Candice Ransom). Fiction, 7-11. In #17 of the Boxcar Children Special series, the Alden children encounter a strange boy and a mysterious house on the cliffs overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. [Whitman 2001; ISBN hdbk. 0807554871 $13.95, pbk. 080755488X $3.95]

Not My Dog by Colby Rodowsky. Fiction, 7-10. Though Ellie Martin has always wanted a puppy, she learns to adapt when asked to take in Great-Aunt Margaret's dog Preston. Set in Baltimore. (ALA Notable) [Farrar, Straus & Giroux 1999; ISBN hdbk. 0-374-35531-2 $16, pbk. 0-374-45538-4 $4.95]

Oyster Moon by Margaret Meacham, illus. by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Historic fiction, 8-12. This exciting blend of mystery and history is set on the Eastern Shore in the late 1800s during the tumultuous oyster wars. [Tidewater 1996; ISBN pbk. 0-87033-459-X $9.95]

Pack, The by Elisa Carbone. Contemporary YA fiction, ages 12 and up. A group of friends, an act of school violence in the making . . . how far will it all go? Set in and around the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD. (A Junior Library Guild selection). [Viking 2003; 0670036196 hbk $15.99]

Park's Quest by Katherine Paterson. Fiction, 10 and up. In seeking to know his father who was killed in Vietnam, a boy's fantasy life is played out in reality. Also contains details of Washington, D.C., and Virginia. (IRA-CBC Children's Choice) [Lodestar/Econo-Clad 1989; ISBN hdbk. 0-525-67258-3 $11.10, pbk. 0-14-034262-1 $4.99]

Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings. Contemporary young adult fiction, 10 and up. Brady Parks, the 13-year-old son of a Chesapeake Bay waterman, struggles to do the right thing when he discovers two of his friends have sabotaged a kayak with tragic results. [Dutton Chidren's Books 2004; ISBN hdbk 0-525-47317-3 $15.99]

Remembering Mog by Colby Rodowsky. Fiction, 12 and up. About to finish high school, Annie Fitzhugh finally begins to confront her grief over the murder of her sister Mog, two years ago. Specific setting: Baltimore. [Farrar, Straus & Giroux 1996; ISBN hdbk. 0-374-34663-1 $14, pbk. 0-380-72922-9 $3.99]

Sarah and the Naked Truth by Elisa Carbone. Fiction, 8 and up. Sarah wonders about the secret her new friend Olivia is hiding, and when she discovers Olivia has an artificial leg, Sarah learns something about the courage to be one's self, about disability, and about friendship. Set in Montgomery County. (ABA Kids Pick of the List) [Knopf 2000; ISBN hdbk. 0-375-80264-9, $15.95]

Secret of Heron Creek by Margaret Meacham, illus. by Lynne Lockhart. Fiction, 8-12. William befriends Chessie the Chesapeake Bay Sea Monster and attempts to save her when she is kidnapped by the evil Mr. Harrigan. [Tidewater 1991; ISBN pbk. 0-87033-414-X $7.95]

Starting School With an Enemy by Elisa Carbone. Fiction, 8 and up. Spunky Sarah deals with a school bully and learns that sometimes it takes more courage not to fight than to fight. Set in Montgomery County. (Children's Literature Choice List) [Knopf 1998; ISBN hdbk. 0-679-88639-7 $16, pbk. 0-679-88640-0 $4.99]

Stealing Freedom by Elisa Carbone. Historic fiction, 8 and up. Based on the true story of Ann Maria Weems and her courageous escape from slavery in Rockville to weeks of hiding in Washington, DC, and finally on to freedom in Canada. (ALA Best Book for Young Adults) [Knopf 1998; ISBN hdbk. 0-679-89307-5 $17, pbk. 0-440-41707-4 $5.50]

Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn. Historic fiction, 9-12. Set during World War II, this tells the story of two girls dealing with the war, the town bully Gordy Smith, and his brother Stu, a deserter that Gordy is hiding in the woods. The sequel, As Ever, Gordy was published in 1998. Specific setting: Prince Georges County, College Park. (Scott O'Dell Award) [Clarion 1991; ISBN hdbk. 0-395-58507-4 $16, pbk. 0380719002 $4.95]

Toulouse: The Story of a Canada Goose by Priscilla Cummings, illus. by A.R. Cohen. Fiction, 4-11. Toulouse the Canada Goose is separated from his family on his first fall migration from Quebec to Maryland and finds his way with a lost snow goose. Set in Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore.
[Tidewater 1995; ISBN hdbk. 0-87033-460-3 $9.95]

Turnabout Shop, The by Colby Rodowsky. Fiction, 10 and up. After the death of her mother, Livvy is sent to live with her mother's old friend Jessie Barnes and encounters a large family and the Turnabout Shop. Set in Baltimore. [Farrar, Straus & Giroux 1998; ISBN hdbk. 0-374-37889-4 $16, pbk. 0-380-73192-4 $4.95]

While No One Was Watching by Jane Leslie Conly. Fiction, 8 and up. Children from a wealthy and a poor neighborhood in Baltimore end up meeting when Frankie steals Addie's pet rabbit and she and detective friend Maynard track Frankie down. (Horn Book Award Honor) [Henry Holt 1998; ISBN hdbk. 0-8050-3934-1 $16.95, pbk. 0-06-440787-X $4.95]

World Turned Upside Down, The by Ann Jensen, illus. by Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Historic fiction, 7 and up. The story of an Annapolis family during the American Revolution. [Tidewater 2001; ISBN pbk. 0-87033-534-0 $9.95]