Peggy Thomas

OK
About Peggy Thomas
I am the author of more than 25 books for children and teens. I write both fiction and nonfiction, but have to confess that I love the thrill of finding a fascinating true story that kids have not heard yet. It is like uncovering a gleaming gem in a mineshaft.
I learned the art of children's writing watching my mother Margery Facklam, author of more than 40 books, as she typed at the kitchen table while my 4 brothers and I played with Play-doh.
When I am not writing or researching a book, I like to visit schools and talk to kids about books and writing. I also enjoy throwing pots on a pottery wheel, singing with my husband in the Middleport Community Choir, and spending time with my kids, Kate and Dan. We have two dogs, Lily and Bertie, and 6 cats - Roy, George, Gracie, Charlie, Leo and Tig. Visit me at my website: www.Peggythomaswrites.com
Author Updates
Books By Peggy Thomas
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a type of anxiety disorder, can happen after a deeply threatening or scary event. Even if you weren't directly involved, the shock of what happened can be so great that you have a hard time living a normal life.
People with PTSD can have insomnia, flashbacks, low self-esteem, and a lot of painful or unpleasant emotions. You might constantly relive the event -- or lose your memory of it altogether.
This book reveals what it took to live through those moments and somehow rebuild his life into something meaningful. Fighting against excruciating headaches, mental health demons, depression and hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, and addiction, he learned to face a new foe, Chaos.
Buy this book now.
As a boy, Abraham Lincoln helped his family break through the wilderness and struggle on a frontier farm. When Lincoln was a young man, friends made it easier for him to get a better education and become a lawyer, so as a politician he paved the way for better schools and roads. President Lincoln cleared a path to better farming, improved transportation, accessible education, and most importantly, freedom. Author Peggy Thomas uncovers Abraham Lincoln's passion for agriculture and his country while illustrator Stacy Innerst cleverly provides a clear look as President Lincoln strives for positive change.
With a mind for ingenuity, Henry Ford looked to improve life for others. After the Great Depression struck, Ford especially wanted to support ailing farmers. For two years, Ford and his team researched ways to use farmers' crops in his Ford Motor Company. They discovered that the soybean was the perfect answer. Soon, Ford's cars contained many soybean plastic parts, and Ford incorporated soybeans into every part of his life. He ate soybeans, he wore clothes made of soybean fabric, and he wanted to drive soybeans, too. Award-winning author Peggy Thomas and illustrator Edwin Fotheringham explore this American icon's little-known quest.
NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Education Recommended Book
Besides being a general and the first president of the United States, did you know that George Washington was also a farmer? Here's a look at America's first President as he's rarely seen.
George Washington was the first leader of our country—but he was also an inventor, scientist, and the most forward-thinking farmer of his time. As he worked to make the new country independent, he also struggled to create a self-sufficient farm at Mount Vernon, Virginia. Excerpts from Washington's writings are featured throughout this nonfiction picture book, which also includes a timeline, resource section, as well as essays on Washington at Mount Vernon and his thoughts on slavery. Both the author and illustrator worked closely with the staff of Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens to render an accurate portrait of Farmer George at work.
Nebraska Farm Bureau Children’s Agriculture Book of the Year
Ohio Farm Bureau’s Children’s Book Award
A Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Book of the Year
Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List
“From the moment the first boat floated down the Erie Canal, people living along its banks have told strange stories. It was as if mixing the waters of the Hudson and the Erie made mysterious things happen.”
—Joshua the Giant Frog
An astonishing feat of engineering and human labor, the Erie Canal had enormous impact on New York and the rest of America after it opened to great fanfare in 1825. In Joshua the Giant Frog, the town of Empeyville sits alongside this modern wonder, which, due to a recent drought, is “nothing more than a wet rag lying across the state.” A line of barges stranded between the cities of Syracuse and Rome has been stuck all summer, and no amount of mules or oxen can move them. However, thanks to the ingenuity of young Red McCarthy, the boats are hauled all the way to Albany, pulled by his amiable amphibian friend, Joshua.
This turn-of-the-century tall tale shows that even a giant frog can be friendly and helpful, when given a purpose and embraced in a spirit of collaboration and community. The townspeople of Empeyville have plenty of work for Joshua, and he is happy to oblige, since every day ends with swimming and playing in the local pond. Amusing illustrations depict small-town life in nineteenth-century upstate New York, and history hops ahead in this Americana tribute to hard work, teamwork, and resourcefulness.