Meet Lisa Rogers, One of the 2020 PB Stars

Because of books, I always wanted a dog…and a rabbit…and a fish…and to be a writer.

​ The quote came from the top of Lisa’s web page. I had to read more.
The dog came from Beverly Cleary’s HENRY HUGGINS.
The rabbit is from Beatrix Potter’s THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT, but the fish – only Lisa knows.
Another important book was Louise Fitzhugh’s HARRIET THE SPY.
​It got Lisa’s detective juices going, and it even started a family spy club. 

Lisa’s first job was shelving books at her mother’s library. She moved onto reporting the news. Now she is an elementary school librarian and a children’s author living just outside Boston, Massachusetts. I wonder if Lisa feels like she’s living a dream.

If you want to learn more, visit the About page on her web site. Scroll down to the bottom to find her favorite things.     Link: http://www.lisarogerswrites.com/

Part 2 – Lisa’s Books: This is Lisa’s debut fiction picture book, HOUND WON’T GO. I wonder where she got the beginning of this idea! 😊

The story: One cloudy day Hound decided he’d gone far enough. He laid down to rest – right in the middle of a busy intersection! But it gets worse, much worse – the clouds open up and unleash a thunderstorm. Will Hound go? You’ll have to read to find out!

PS - My dog wasn’t a hound, but she did the same thing when she was a puppy. I’m lucky! I live in a subdivision with no busy intersections. Thank goodness!

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Really? 16 WORDS! That’s Lisa’s title for this book that debuted last September. It’s the story of how Dr. William Carlos Williams wrote his most famous poem, all in sixteen words.            ​

​It started one morning when he looked out the window. Thaddeus Marshall pushed his wheelbarrow down the street to sell vegetables, just like he did every day in his hometown of Rutherford, New Jersey.
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The rest of the story is just as beautiful as the cover., but there’s another treat in this book – to discover how the simple everyday things of life can be changed into art by a real poet.
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​FIRSTS came out in 2016. Lisa’s name wasn’t on the front cover, but she was one of the writers from the Writers’ Loft. Together they all worked together to create this anthology.

​Someone like Lisa wrote this review for Amazon, “I was delighted to be part of this first anthology among so many talented writers. Some stories will make you laugh, some cry, and some make you think.” I wonder if Lisa wrote it.

I also found another review that said FIRSTS is “An entertaining collection of children’s literature showcasing young adult, memoirs, poetry, limericks, and picture book stories.”

Did you figure out what an anthology is? After reading that last review, I’d say it’s a smorgasbord of stories. Sometimes they’re from one author, but this time it’s from a group.  
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​This book came out years ago, in 2007. The title tells you exactly what you’re picking up – the story of Boston’s history.

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It starts with the founding Puritans, and continues onto Irish immigration, which probably peaked from 1845 - 1849. That’s when the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland, and so many came to American shores, looking for food, and hope.

It includes the story of Boston’s colorful politicians who have tackled issues from the Irish back in the 1800’s onto modern day racial and religious issues. The Big Dig was also a recent part of that history. It was a big construction project from the 1990’s where they tried to fix daily Boston traffic jams, but instead it led to leaks, delays, cost overruns, and corruption.
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The politicians range from Honey Fitz, grandfather of President John F. Kennedy to Cardinal Bernard Law. It ends with Thomas Menino, Boston’s mayor until 2014. If you want to understand Boston, this is the book for you! 

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