I am a little jealous. And i admit it. 
​Benjamin's poem I am Odd, i am New was turned into a picture book. 
I have written many poems that could be turned into picture books - but haven't been, at least as of yet. 
I met Benjamin Giroux at the Family Book Festival held this past summer at the John Brown Farm in Lake Placid. The above picture is of Ben signing books. 
I do want to laud this young man's success. ​This heartfelt poem that Ben Giroux wrote when he was just ten describes what it feels like to be on the autism spectrum. Roz MacLean beautifully illustrates the book. WELL DONE, BEN! 

I usually review children's books here, but i was captivated by these two novels of World War 2 by Elaine Stock - and can't wait for the third. My Mom, a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Holocaust, enjoyed the books. Mom's story of survival is chronicled in Good in the Midst of Evil, co-authored by Mom and me.
The first title, We Shall Not Shatter, is set in Poland and Mom found the facts true to what she recalls. In the sequel, Our Daughter's Last Hope, the story of friendship between two women, one Jewish, the other Polish, moves from Poland to Holland. Mom and I are eagerly waiting for the third book in the Resilient Women series! Go, Elaine!
These stories of friendship, love, and resilience are a great addition to historical fiction.