How Big Can a Little Girl Dream?

ROSE Blog: Rikki's Open Source Exchange

Normally I wouldn't write about children's books on this blog, but today I'm making an exception. My 14-year-old daughter and I listen to NPR each morning as I take her to school. This morning we listened to the Fresh Delivery: Indie Booksellers Pick 2010 Favorites piece. Several books on the list sounded intriguing, but one title stood out: My Name Is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can A Little Girl Dream? (Ok, two titles: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating also sounds interesting, but that's a different post entirely.)

According to her site, the book's author, Jennifer Fosberry "... is a science geek turned children’s book writer. Born and raised in Upstate New York, Fosberry moved to the Bay Area in the 90’s to work in the high-tech electronics field."

On her site, Fosberry says that she wrote My Name Is Not Isabella for her own daughter, everyone else's daughters, and that even sons can like it. She says, "It’s the story of a little girl with a huge imagination who imagines herself as other women. Famous women. Important women. Women that make a difference." These women include Rosa Parks, Annie Oakley, and Marie Curie.

My own daughter is no longer interested in reading books with Mom, but I still think I'll need to add this book to my collection and gift some copies to some children I know. I also think this book is the newest addition to my "Books I Wish I'd Written" list.