Kathy did two presentations at Hulett School. One presentation was with K-2nd grade, and the other was with 3rd-5th grade. She did an excellent job of customizing her presentations to most benefit the two different age groups. Kathy is engaging, knowledgeable, and so comfortable when working with the students. I highly encourage your school to invite Kathy to do a presentation.
-Twila Pilcher, Hulett School Librarian
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Kathy and Heidi presented at our school and did a wonderful job. They directed their presentation to the audience (K-2 and a different presentation for grades 3-6). The presentation was interactive for the students, which helped them become more interested in their book as well as focus on the 45-minute presentation. Great presentation and great speakers!!! Looking forward to their new books so we can have them back again.
-Lindsay Hansen, kindergarten teacher at Sundance Elementary
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In The Amazing Sunny York, eleven-year-old Sunny strives to make the best of a challenging situation. Her mother, struggling to overcome alcoholism, has uprooted Sunny fromher beloved grandfather’s home and moved into a shabby apartment building. Gutsy yet vulnerable, Sunny connects with the colorful cast of apartment dwellers. Together, they learn that growth can only occur when one is willing to shed his or her old coats and try on new ones. The main setting of the novel, Violet Eddy’s butterfly garden, is beautifully depicted. The reader can almost hear the whisper of the milkweed as it awaits the Monarch butterflies. Sensitive and moving, The Amazing Sunny York deals with the complex topics of rebuilding relationships and learning to trust again.
-Cathy Ringler, author of Miya’s Dream
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The Amazing Sunny York blooms with a quietly courageous, not-so-quietly curiouscharacter who makes the most of her world, where she is, and whomever she is with. Readers will take this character’s hand and completely step into her worlds, both beautiful and complicated. Bjornestad has created a girl with a keen wit and a sharp mind, and a wiser-than-her-years understanding of her world. Middle graders will relate to Sunny’s dilemmas and discoveries, and will root for her, all the way to the end!
-Morgan Callan Rogers, author of Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea and Written on my Heart
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In Ghouls of Greenbottom Ward, Bjornestad’s tale of this off-kilter place between worlds will keep you reading long into the night. Fascinating and fast-paced.
-Eric Stever, author of Dragon Removal Service
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Fast-paced and engaging! Persephone Rising by Kate Glass delivers a gripping tale of survival, secrets, and the bond between siblings in a crumbling future Chicago. Perfect for fans of dystopian adventure.
-Millie Copper, Author of the bestselling speculative series Havoc in Wyoming.
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“Kathy Bjornestad’s poems are as delightful to the ear as the sweet song of a western meadowlark. Paired with Heidi Stefanich’s photographs, Let There Be Birds is a visual and literary feast.”
-John Andrews, Editor of South Dakota Magazine
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“Poems warble across these pages. Let There Be Birds somehow captures the flesh-and-blood weight of birds while celebrating the lifting wings that carry them. Study the photographs. Slowlyread and allow the dropping of boundaries to pull you into the life of birds: ‘Five yellow finches bob and sway— / May expels a gusty spray, / cocks her arm / and flings . . .’ Nature the way it should be presented.”
-Steve Boint, Founder of Scurfpea Publishing LLC, author of Winddance
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BUGS IN THE BACKYARD, a bright, bouncy, and beautiful book, will appeal to children who read and to those who are read to. Younger ones will take delight in the bugs, insects, and arachnids. Older kids (and adults) will enjoy and learn from the short, easily understood, and often surprising facts. The colorful up-close photos will encourage children of all ages to better appreciate the approximately 10 quintillion insects living on Earth at any one time.
-Reatha Oakley, award-winning author and presenter
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Rhymes from the Reef is a collection of well-written, educational, and entertaining poems, enhanced by exceptional photography and illustrations. It is a treasure for any reader.
-Eugene M. Gagliano, Wyoming Poet Laureate/Children’s Author
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With valiant verse, fascinating facts, and photographs that both suck you in and make you yearn for your own Caribbean vacation, this delightful book will be engaging for readers of all ages. I cannot wait to have copies of this masterpiece in all of my school libraries!
-Jennisen Lucas, District Librarian and Past President of AASL (American Association of School Librarians)
