Illinois Authors

Sleeping Bear Press Chelsea, MI : 2008

From the first woman to swim the English Channel to the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, there have been some incredible and amazing events and milestones in the world of sports. Now in A is for Amazing Moments: A Sports Alphabet, sportswriter Brad Herzog showcases those events that set sports records while impacting American history and world views. Learn how runner Jesse Owens not only amazed the world but also stunned Nazi Germany at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Cheer on Billie Jean King as she defeats Bobby Riggs in their 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match. Read how super-racehorse Secretariat ran away with America's heart as well as the 1973 Triple Crown. All these moments, and many more, are brought to pulsing life in A is for Amazing Moments: A Sports Alphabet. Vivid, colorful artwork captures the spirit and energy of these events. Brad Herzog has written travel and sports books for readers young and old. His children's books include H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet and T is for Touchdown: A Football Alphabet. Lauded by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Brad lives on California's Monterey Peninsula. Melanie Rose is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and has illustrated numerous books for Sleeping Bear Press including H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet; K is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet; and Z is for Zamboni: A Hockey Alphabet. She lives near Toronto, Canada.

Why Not Books 2016

“I know words. I have the best words,” bragged Donald Trump, while running for―are you kidding me?―president of the United States. Well, so do we. And they’re all here in D is for DUMP TRUMP: An Anti-Hate Alphabet―26 poems and 20 original editorial cartoons about this detestable caricature of a candidate.A... It’s animus and acrimony from appalling Donald Trump,who ignores his better angels when he’s on the stump.Mix affluence with arrogance. Throw in anger, too.Stir it up. Antagonize. It’s an authoritarian stew.Although harsh in its criticism of a narcissistic bully striving to be Leader of the Free World, this is NOT a book meant to spread hate, but rather to stop it. You can’t stop a demagogue by simply rolling your eyes; sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves.As you roam through the alphabet―B is for a bigoted bully, F is for fascist fear-mongering, M is for misogyny, N is for narcissism, X is for xenophobia―you’ll laugh, you’ll sigh, and if you’re as horrified by Donald Trump as we are, you’ll want to spread the word.A portion of the proceeds from D is for DUMP TRUMP will support the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization dedicated to fighting hate, teaching tolerance, and seeking justice.

Why Not Books Chelsea, MI : 2020

In 2020, millions of Americans anticipated the most important presidential election in generations against a backdrop of converging calamities: the worst health crisis in a century, the highest unemployment rate since the Depression, countless small businesses on the brink of demise, historic racial confrontation, cities and forests ablaze, and an autocrat in the Oval Office who only aggravated a nation's deep divisions. Democracy seemed to hang in the balance. America had reached an inflection point. So acclaimed travel author Brad Herzog decided it was time to take a drive, coast to coast. His goal: Immerse himself in the moment. Chronicle 2020 -- not in hindsight, but in real time. DETOUR 2020 takes the reader to Jamestown and Appomattox, Hazard and Dodge City, Metropolis and Roswell, the Little House on the Prairie and the Grand Canyon. Each stop allows examination of an American wrong turn -- entrenched and emboldened racism, xenophobia, conspiracism, science denial, uncivil discourse, toxic masculinity, misplaced idolatry, malignant leadership. With wit and insight, Herzog takes us on an expedition into the heart of a nation and its tragic deviations. Sometimes a beautiful drive isn't pretty.

Sleeping Bear Press Chelsea, MI : 2007

E is for Extreme indeed! From the gravity-defying rush of bungee jumping to the ultimate endurance challenge of the ultramarathon, young readers are given an armchair seat to the world of extreme sports. What makes the Iditarod sled dog race so grueling? What sports competition is only open to U.S. Army Rangers? And what famous mountaineer answered "Because it's there" to the question of why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, only to disappear on the mountain a year later? Other topics include drag racing, freestyle skiing, and kite boarding. Now thrill seekers of all ages can experience the ABC's of extreme sports. Prolific travel/sportswriter Brad Herzog has more than two dozen books to his credit, including six sports alphabet books for Sleeping Bear Press. When he's not traveling around the United States, Brad makes his home on California's Monterey Peninsula with his family. Melanie Rose has illustrated almost a dozen books for Sleeping Bear Press, including the bestselling Z is for Zamboni: A Hockey Alphabet and W is for Wind: A Weather Alphabet. Among her future book projects are a dance alphabet and an England alphabet. Melanie lives in Mississauga, Canada.

Why Not Books 2013

A century ago, in 1913, the world's finest golfers gathered at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, to compete in golf's national championship, the U.S. Open. Joining them was a little-known amateur, 20-year-old Francis Ouimet, who lived across the street from the course and taught himself to play by sneaking onto the fairways with the only golf club he owned. His caddie? Ten-year-old Eddie Lowery, who stood only four feet tall. Together, against their idols and in front of a crowd that grew from a handful of spectators to a horde of thousands, they attempted to pull off the impossible. Along the way, they forged a lifelong friendship. In FRANCIS AND EDDIE award-winning author Brad Herzog and award-winning illustrator Zachary Pullen celebrate golf's most inspiring underdog story. What Seabiscuit is to the "sport of kings" Francis and Eddie are to the "gentleman's game."

Sleeping Bear Press Chelsea, MI : 2009

Following his H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet, Brad Herzog once again steps to the plate to bring the game of baseball to fans of every age. Using numbers as its backdrop, Full Count: A Baseball Number Book goes behind the batter's box and into the dugout to explain game basics and showcase historic moments. Starting with the signal for a fastball (1), to the miles-per-hour speed on some of the fastest pitches ever thrown (100+), Full Count counts out the players, the plays, and pulse-stopping moments in America's favorite sport. Brad Herzog has won several awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He has published more than two dozen books, including his sports alphabet books, H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet and K is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet. Brad lives on California's Monterey Peninsula. Following successful careers as a commercial illustrator and a wildlife artist, Bruce Langton started illustrating children's books. His books include P is for Putt: A Golf Alphabet and Win One for the Gipper: America's Football Hero. Bruce lives in Granger, Indiana.

Sleeping Bear Press 2011

From the first games held in ancient Greece to the cultural extravaganzas of recent years, there have been some incredible and amazing events and milestones in the world of Olympic sports. Now in G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet, writer Brad Herzog showcases those athletes and events that not only set sports records but also impacted history and world views. Learn the meaning behind the five interlocking rings featured on the Olympic flag. Cheer on American Jim Thorpe as he won the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, only to lose his medals later. Read how the man dubbed as the "world's laziest high jumper" won the gold in 1968 and later had a jump named after him. All these moments and more are brought to life in G is for Gold Medal. Brad Herzog has written travel and sports books for readers young and old. His books with Sleeping Bear include the best-selling H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet. Brad lives on California's Monterey Peninsula. Doug Bowles has been a freelance illustrator for more than twenty years. His books for Sleeping Bear include One Kansas Farmer: A Kansas Number Book and S is for Sunflower: A Kansas Alphabet. Doug lives in Leawood, Kansas.

Sleeping Bear Press Ann Arbor, MI : 2009

Now anyone can be one of the "boys or girls of summer" and get a home plate view of America's favorite pastime in H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet. This new offering in our line of children's alphabet books brings the game of baseball to entertaining and informative life. Sports writer Brad Herzog pairs easy-to-read rhymes with detailed expository so that readers are pitched baseball's facts, faces, history, and places from A-Z.

Sleeping Bear Press Ann Arbor, MI : 2011

For many sports fans there's no such thing as too much baseball. In I Spy with My Little Eye: Baseball, readers get double the fun. Brad Herzog (H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet) teams up with photographer David Milne to create a visual puzzle book that challenges the deductive skills and sharp eyes of young readers. Dual look-alike photographs are filled with baseballs, bats, and memorabilia. But one of the scenes in each photo pair has been slightly altered. Can you see the changes? How many can you find? Poetic clues help young fans and seasoned veterans spot the differences. From the number of trophies in the case to the jerseys hanging in a locker room, baseball fans of all ages will enjoy this new way of spying the game! Brad Herzog's books with Sleeping Bear Press include Full Count: A Baseball Number Book and S is for Save the Planet: A How-to be Green Alphabet. Brad has won several awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He lives on California's Monterey Peninsula. David Milne is a third-generation photographer in Toronto, Canada. He studied at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. David photographs art for numerous galleries and artists, corporate portraits, and products. David was also the photographer for I Spy with My Little Eye: Hockey.

Sleeping Bear Press [Place of publication not identified] : 2006

Author Brad Herzog brings his well-received prose and soccer knowledge together with Melanie Rose's charming and realistic illustrations to detail every facet of the game. Each letter has a simple rhyme for young readers: "J is for the Jerseys that soccer players wear. But often in the World Cup, opponents tend to share. In a gesture of respect after a game ends, They simply swap their jerseys as if they are old friends." For older readers the expository text gives specific details about goaltending, referees, the World Cup, and many other aspects. K is for Kick follows the wildly popular Z is for Zamboni.

Sleeping Bear Press Ann Arbor, MI : 2011

Now even the smallest of fans can enjoy a book about their favorite sport. Rhyming riddles accompanied by colorful artwork help introduce the game's simplest, most basic elements.

Sleeping Bear Press Ann Arbor, MI : 2011

Board Books for Little Sports! Now even the smallest of fans can enjoy a book about their favorite sport. Rhyming riddles accompanied by colorful artwork help introduce the game's simplest, most basic elements.Brad Herzog lives on California's Monterey Peninsula with his wife, Amy, and his two sons, Luke and Jesse. As a freelance writer, he has won several awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, including a Grand Gold Medal for best magazine article of the year. Brad has published more than two dozen books, including two memoirs about his travels through small-town America. A graduate of the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio, Doug Bowles has been a freelance illustrator for 20 years. In addition to Doug's illustrations for children, he enjoys working with a wide range of clients in the advertising, corporate and editorial communities. His work has been selected many times in the Society of Illustrators West competition, and he has had several gallery showings. Doug lives in Leawood, Kansas, with his wife and two children.

Sleeping Bear Press Ann Arbor, MI : 2011

Now even the smallest of fans can enjoy a book about their favorite sport. Rhyming riddles accompanied by colorful artwork help introduce the game's simplest, most basic elements.

Sleeping Bear Press Ann Arbor, MI : 2011

Board Books for Little Sports! Now even the smallest of fans can enjoy a book about their favorite sport. Rhyming riddles accompanied by colorful artwork help introduce the game's simplest, most basic elements.Brad Herzog lives on California's Monterey Peninsula with his wife, Amy, and his two sons, Luke and Jesse. As a freelance writer, he has won several awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, including a Grand Gold Medal for best magazine article of the year. Brad has published more than two dozen books, including two memoirs about his travels through small-town America. A graduate of the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio, Doug Bowles has been a freelance illustrator for 20 years. In addition to Doug's illustrations for children, he enjoys working with a wide range of clients in the advertising, corporate and editorial communities. His work has been selected many times in the Society of Illustrators West competition, and he has had several gallery showings. Doug lives in Leawood, Kansas, with his wife and two children.

Sleeping Bear Press 2017

For 108 years, fans of Chicago Cubs baseball suffered every playofff season, with mishap after mishap each being traced back to 1945 when a friendly goat was kicked out of a World Series game. But the 2016 season felt different. Would this finally be the year that the Billy Goat Curse was reversed? Author Brad Herzog tells the story of the curse's origin and follows the Cubs right through that fateful November night in 2016 when the Cubbies could finally fly the "W."

Why Not Books 2014

Carolyn Goodman's life was punctuated by tragedy, including a brother's premature death, childhood molestation, a father's suicide, and a son's infamous murder. But hers is foremost a tale of survival, of turning personal anguish into social conscience. When her twenty-year-old son, Andy, was one of three civil rights volunteers to disappear in Mississippi in the summer of 1964, the story galvanized the nation. A half century after the Mississippi murders, this is the first time that a victim's family member has expounded about the experience and the myriad emotions from guilt to resolve that it spawned. More than simply a memoir, My Mantelpiece is the story of a century's seminal progressive movements seen through the lens of a remarkable woman's singular journey. **Along with a foreword by National Book Award-winner Maya Angelou, MY MANTELPIECE includes back-cover testimonials from Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congressman John Lewis, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and performer-activist Harry Belafonte.

Sleeping Bear Press Chelsea, MI : 2005

Fore! Lookout for the latest shot from the Sleeping Bear Press sports title: P is for Putt: A Golf Alphabet. Look no further than the ever-growing popularity of Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie to see that golf is a sure-fire hit in the hearts of youngsters. And adults! This fun and educational ABC book takes a look at golf's illustrious history and stars in easy-to-read rhyming text that follows the heroics of Babe Didrikson Zaharias to the splendor of the Master to the mystery of the dimples of every golf ball. Sport-loving Brad Herzog brings his pen power to skillfully explain the game on grass and the characters and legends that make golf as fun as it is difficult to master. No matter what course hackers step upon - their local public course or the majesty of Pebble Beach, golf is a game full of color and colorful character and history. Artist Bruce Langton brings his outdoor eye to capture the rich and lustrous palette of the sport of swings. A perfect gift for the sport nut, amateur golfer or anyone who has dreamed of playing alongside the greats, P is for Putt: A Golfer's Alphabet is a welcome addition to any golf bag, bookshelf or 19th hole. Once the book is opened, it won't be put down until every fun, fact-filled page has been shared and shared some more. Teeing off this April!

Sleeping Bear Press Chelsea, Mich. : 2006

Engines hum and hearts pound as cars hurtle around the track at 200 miles per hour. In R is for Race: A Stock Car Alphabet, readers will experience the track's sights and sounds as they learn the ins and outs of stock car racing, from its humble beginnings in 1895 to the fastest growing sport in America. Whether interested in the guys in the garage or the Daytona International Speedway, fans young and old will speed from A to Z as they are introduced to the people, places and memorable moments in stock car racing. As a freelance magazine writer, author Brad Herzog has earned three gold medals from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He has also written several sports titles for Sleeping Bear Press, including H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet. Brad lives with his family on California's Monterey Peninsula. Illustrator Jane Gilltrap Bready's motorsports paintings have been displayed in museums worldwide. She came by her love of cars naturally, as she was born into a family with racing ties. She and her family live in New Hampshire.

Sleeping Bear Press Chelsea, MI : 2009

Did you know Americans generate nearly 250 million tons of trash each year? Or that it takes hundreds of years for a polystyrene cup to decompose? Mankind's negative impact on Mother Earth is tremendous and daily bad news can make it feel overwhelming. But all is not lost! S is for Save the Planet: A How-to-Be-Green Alphabet details the many environmental issues we face and then suggests easy-to-take actions that anyone can do. From the particulars of vermicomposting and xeriscaping, to the three R's of responsible waste management, young readers learn how they can be a force of nature in protecting the earth for generations to come. Brad Herzog spends two months every summer traveling across the country with his wife and two young sons and celebrating America's natural wonders. Together, they have visited more than 30 national parks and seashores. This is Brad's eighth alphabet book for Sleeping Bear Press. He lives on California's Monterey Peninsula. Linda Holt Ayriss is the recipient of a silver medal from the Best in the West Society of Illustrators, and has been recognized in the Communication Arts Annual. She is also the author of Sleeping Bear's E is for Evergreen: A Washington Alphabet. Linda lives in Washington State.

Why Not Books 2016

Every town tells a tale - even the tiniest dots on the map. In SMALL WORLD, those dots constitute a trip around the world in 50 days. Bestselling author Brad Herzog travels from Paris (Kentucky) and Prague (Nebraska) to Cairo (Illinois) and Calcutta (West Virginia) in an attempt to find truth amid America's patchwork quilt of stereotypes and rumors. He marvels at a castle in Versailles, imbibes at a London pub, discovers a descendant of King David in Jerusalem and makes a pilgrimage to Mecca - all without leaving the U.S. Along the way, Herzog encounters a cast of characters as varied as the landscape - devout ranchers and devoted nudists, miners and migrants, artists and activists, hillbillies, hippies, hermits and Hare Krishnas. More than just a romp through small towns with grandiose names, SMALL WORLD is post-9/11 exploration of people struggling to survive in the nation's nooks and crannies. "We understand our world by expanding our reach," writes Herzog, "and it begins with the small world close to home."

Why Not Books 2016

Can you find love in Love, Virginia? Is there inspiration in Inspiration, Arizona? Wisdom in Wisdom, Montana? It is 1995, and young author Brad Herzog wonders if the cynicism of his generation reflects America or merely misjudges it. So he and his wife empty their bank accounts, pack everything into a Winnebago and set a course for the fine print of the atlas. The road takes them to Triumph, Louisiana, where they find a community twice destroyed by hurricanes and twice rebuilt. In Justice, West Virginia, half the population descends from the Hatfields and McCoys. Faith, South Dakota is a hailstorm, a grasshopper plague and a religious debate. Harmony, California is up for sale. What began as a literal search for the small places on the map becomes a figurative examination of virtues lost amid disillusionment. Equal parts whimsy and wonder, STATES OF MIND eloquently reminds us that large insight is the amalgam of small discoveries. *Recommended reading for nationwide AP Human Geography course.

Sleeping Bear Press Chelsea, MI : 2006

The sounds of autumn include the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot and the thump of the kickoff starting the first home football game. Sleeping Bear Press is proud to continue our bestselling sports series with Tis for Touchdown: A Football Alphabet. Sports writer Brad Herzog's easy-to-read-aloud rhymes engage even the youngest of readers, while hardcore fans can devour the detailed expository that covers the sport of the pigskin, from A-Z and end zone to end zone. Plays and players are just a few of the topics covered. Brad Herzog's first job as a newspaper sports reporter allowed him to travel with the Cornell University football team. He has been writing about the game ever since. A past Grand Gold Medal Award winner from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Brad has written more than a dozen fiction and nonfiction children's books. Brad lives on California's Monterey Peninsula. Mark Braught's sixteen years of professional experience has earned him prestigious awards from The American Advertising Federation (ADDY), Communications Art, the NYArt Directors Club, and the Society of Illustrators, to name a few. He lives in Commerce, Georgia. Touchdown is his third book with Sleeping Bear Press.

Macmillan General Reference New York, NY : 1996

Profiles one hundred important athletes who have changed the face of American sports, including such legends as Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus, Billie Jean King, and other less-notable figures. Original.

Why Not Books 2016

It all began with an invitation to a college reunion, leading Brad Herzog to take stock: How has he measured up to his youthful aspirations? What constitutes a heroic life? So this modern-day Odysseus in Kerouac clothing embarks on a cross-country quest for insight. But instead of a voyage home to Ithaka following the Trojan War, this would-be hero is making his way toward his alma mater in Ithaca, New York. Starting with a view of Washington's Mount Olympus, Herzog makes his way eastward, delving into his own psyche and the lives of everyday heroes along the way. He meets a teacher in a rural one-room schoolhouse in Troy (Oregon), a lifelong hobo in Iliad (Montana), a bomb-diffusing soldier from Sparta (Wisconsin) and an 87-year-old paragon of reliability in Pandora (Ohio). TURN LEFT AT THE TROJAN HORSE is a philosophical, historical and conversational trek across America and through the universal truths embedded in ancient myths. However, in the end it is simply the story of one man trying to find his way.

Sleeping Bear Press 2018

2018 Eureka! California Reading Association Honor Book Award Following the alphabet this book uses poetry and expository text to celebrate America's diverse population and showcase the remarkable achievements and contributions that have come from the many people who have chosen to make our country their home. Topics include well-known landmarks and institutions (the Statue of Liberty and the White House, our national parks system) and famous citizens whose talents helped make the United States a world leader (Albert Einstein and Madeleine Albright). In addition to celebrating America's history and development, key concepts such as naturalization and steps to citizenship are explained in easy-to-understand terms for the young reader.

Sleeping Bear Press 2013

What is the oldest ballpark in the National League? Whose famous scoreboard is still operated by hand? Whose outfield has ivy-covered redbrick walls ready to snatch home run dreams away from a batter? If you’re a baseball fan and live anywhere in the Midwest, you know the answer. It’s Wrigley Field in Chicago! Just in time to celebrate the April ’14 centennial of its opening day comes W is for Wrigley: A Friendly Confines Alphabet, an alphabetical tribute to the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. As one of only two major league stadiums to host baseball for at least 100 seasons, Wrigley Field has seen a lot of baseball history, including memorable Crosstown Classics and pitching feats by Kerry Wood, Ferguson Jenkins, and Greg Maddux. From the fans’ chant of “Go, Cubs, Go!” to the “Hey, Hey” home run call of longtime announcer Jack Brickhouse, baseball fans will enjoy reading about the field’s history, features, and momentous events.