Happy Book Birthday x2

by award-winning

Megan Hoyt 

Illustrated by Dave Szalay

(Quill Tree Books/ Harper Collins)

In her fourth PB bio, acclaimed author Megan Hoyt pays homage to the architect of
Grand Central Terminal …

There was once a place in New York City that had a tennis club, movie theater, and art gallery—all in the same building! It also had a secret passageway, a huge library, and even a ski slope. This astounding building is GCT, an iconic New York landmark and the work of one brilliant man: William J. Wilgus, a real-life superhero engineer.

“A charming tale, and to think it’s all true! Whether readers are train and construction buffs or not, this is a living, breathing biography of a building, and the man who believed in it from the ground up. Extraordinary.”

Image © Dave Szalay (throughout)

A Grand Idea book trailer
created by Dave Szalay

“A colorful tale of robber barons, competing architectural visions, and urban development on a truly grand scale … A rare introduction to one of New York City’s more influential but lesser-known builders, and his ‘Grand’ work.”

“Hoyt’s lively text is chockful of information, presented in a child-friendly way (for instance, readers learn that Wilgus’s plan required thirty thousand tons of riveted steel, the equivalent of three Eiffel Towers) …”

Full “S.T.E.M.” Ahead:

“[An] informational STEM picture book with an emphasis on
problem-solving.”

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
 
MH: There are so many educational tie-ins here, from learning about construction, steel, electric and coal-powered trains, and the historical time period. But I really hope young readers will just love owning a special book about trains! It is also such a fascinating, engaging tale of an underdog engineer making his dreams come true, and we don’t see many of those.

Trains are the Ticket!

Happy Book Birthday

by Megan Hoyt

… her debut PB biography

Illustrated by
Iaccopo Bruno

(Quill Tree Books / Harper Collins)

This 2021 National Jewish Book Award finalist brings to light the inspiring, true story of Gino Bartali, a beloved Italian cyclist and secret champion in the fight for Jewish lives during World War II.

“Gino Bartali was a resistance hero who used his bike, his reputation as a competitive cyclist, and his fame as a Tour de France winner … to help hundreds of families escape during World War II … He never discussed his role in this effort, so his heroism wasn’t known until well after he died. The author uses clear, descriptive sentences that flow and paint a vivid picture… 
VERDICT This would be a great start for any student wanting to know more about how different people helped resist the efforts of the Nazis during World War II.”

“The story of an Italian cyclist whose work with the Resistance in World War II earned him the designation of “Righteous Among Nations” from Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Center. … Afterward, Bartali never spoke about it, saying “Good is something you do, not something you talk about. A welcome, timely reminder of what true courage is.“

Megan and her Quill Tree editor, Karen Chaplin (on the left):

Thank you for all and everything, Karen!

Megan Hoyt is a National Jewish Book Award finalist, the winner of the 2017 SCBWI Work in Progress Award and serves as Membership Coordinator for the SCBWI Carolinas region. BARTALI’S BICYCLE, her debut, was followed by THE GREATEST SONG OF ALL, KATI’S TINY MESSENGERS, and A GRAND IDEA, also with Quill Tree. Megan has a bachelor’s in English and History and a master’s in Theology. She is a certified teacher, whose interests range from Medieval and Renaissance History to Theology to 19th century children’s literature. When she is not writing, Megan Hoyt tutors child actors on set for Disney, Warner Bros., Showtime, and Cinemax, among others.