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Marsha Wilson Chall has published a children's chapter book and five picture books, including Up North at the Cabin and Sugarbush Spring. Born and raised in Minnesota as an only child, she amuses herself in daydream and longs to discover new settings for those dreams. Her stories germinate in that mix of character and landscape. She hopes her books invite the reader to explore new destinations, both outward and inward. Chall enjoys teaching Writing Children's Literature at Metropolitan State University as well as presenting writing workshops throughout the area. |
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Prairie Train
illustrated by John Anderson
Harpercollins Juvenile Books, 2003
all ages, ISBN 978-0-688-13433-4
Reading Guide available through Minnesota Storytime
All Aboooard!
During the first half of the twentieth century, the legendary steam engines of the Great Northern Railroad ruled the American northwest from Seattle, Washington, to St. Paul, Minnesota. Riding the Empire Builder was the safest, fastest, and most comfortable way to travel, as it chugged over wide rivers, across the Great Plains, and through snowbound mountain passes with such regularity you could set your watch by it.
But for a small girl travelling by herself for the first time, a trip from her country home to visit Grandma in the city of St. Paul is anything but routine. With words rich in the rhythm of the rails and paintings both beautiful and authentic, Prairie Train welcomes you aboard the Great Northern for a memorable journey across the country and into the past. |
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Bonaparte
illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
DK, 2000
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7894-2617-8
What's a hound who misses his boy to do? Bonaparte is devastated. His boy, Jean Claude, has been sent away to La School d'Excellence. And the first rule is no dogs allowed. But Bonaparte is determined to see his beloved Jean Claude again. Perhaps they'll believe he's a student or a drummer in the school band or a lunch lady. With magnificent drawings, full of details to discover with each new reading, Bonaparte is a cold-nosed, warm-hearted tale.
Awards
Smithsonian Notable Book for Children, 2000; Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award, 2000; Minnesota Book Award Finalist, 2001 |
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Happy Birthday America
illustrated by Guy Porfirio
HarperCollins, 2000
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-688-13051-0
A family reunion, a parade, a Jell-O mold in the shape of the United States, fireworks—it must be the Fourth of July! From picnic preparations to the final starburst floating down through a midnight blue sky, Marsha Wilson Chall and Guy Porfirio serve up a happy, hometown Independence Day celebration with all the trimmings. So grab a sparkler and come join the fun! |
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Sugarbush Spring
illustrated by Jim Daly
HarperCollins, 2000
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-688-14907-9
In the month of the Maple Sugar Moon, the snow's too wet for angel making, icicles rain from Grandpa's porch roof, and something is stirring in the woods. It's sugarbush spring—time to tap the trees, prepare the bottles, then gather round the cook fire to eat chicken and dumplings, roast marshmallows, and tell stories while the cold sap heats through, thickens, and boils to make syrup.
Awards
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Award for Children's Literature, 2002
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Rupa Raises the Sun
illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger
DK Publishing, 1998
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7894-2496-9
For 21,954 mornings, old Rupa has roused herself from bed to tromp around her cookfire in the dark and bring on the dawn. So when she develops a blister and asks the elders for some time off, they are naturally flummoxed. Who else in the village but Rupa can get the rooster crowing, the goats giving milk? Both sly and silly, Rupa will be recognizable to any child who understands the power game.
Awards
1999 Minnesota Book Award Finalist |
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Up North at the Cabin
illustrated by Steve Johnson
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1992
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-688-09732-5
Reading Guide available from Minnesota Storytime
A perennial favorite of those who live and play in the Great North, Up North at the Cabin weaves a tale dear to many. The magic of summer, the call of the north woods, and the exuberance of childhood imagination combine to create a book that will be treasured long after the last autumn leaf has fallen.
Awards
American Booksellers Association Pick of the Lists; International Reading Association Teachers' Choice Award; 1993 Minnesota Book Award Finalist |
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Mattie
illustrated by Barbara Lehman
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1992
ages 4 to 8, out of print
Second-grade Mattie exchanges a series of Valentine gifts with her "secret friend," Jeb the class clown, who is her secret admirer. She finds a way to have someone else babysit her brother Emmett during spring vacation—and then realizes she misses him. Mattie and Jeb build a treehouse in the glorious summertime. A fun early chapter book. |
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