Marty Rhodes Figley

Email: pflashmart@cox.net
Website: martyrhodesfigley.com

I grew up in Springfield, Missouri, "the Queen City of the Ozarks." As a child, I loved visiting my grandparents who lived in the Mississippi river town, Hannibal. It was the boyhood home of the famous author Mark Twain. Every summer the town celebrated his books with a lively festival called "Tom Sawyer Days." That literary tribute taught me about the power of books and how they can stick in people's minds.

I started my career as a writer at age ripe old age of six with the authorship of a story about the horse that I would never have (my rusted swing set was the only thing that graced our family's unfenced yard). The Black and Whit Pony is proof that correct spelling is not a requirement for creativity, though it is certainly something to be desired.

Now, as a grown-up author of children's books, I celebrate writing and all the rewards it can provide. After majoring in American Studies at Mount Holyoke College, history has remained one of my passions. I love sharing with children some of the exciting stories of our country's past. If I can write a book that illuminates, educates, and makes my reader say, "I know just what she means," then my job is done.

To learn about Marty's visits to schools, see our Speakers' Bureau.

My Books

John Greenwood's Journey to Bunker Hill

Millbrook Press Series - History Speaks: Picture Books Plus Reader's Theatre (2010)

John Greenwood walks 150 miles to see his family in Boston and ends up fighting at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

President Lincoln, Willie Kettles, and the Telegraph Machine

Millbrook Press Series - History Speaks: Picture Books Plus Reader's Theatre (2010)

The story of Willie Kettles, the youngest telegrapher in the War Department, and how he helps President Lincoln end the Civil War.

The Night the Chimneys Fell

Lerner (2009)

Nine-year-old Marie and her family survive the mega-earthquakes that shook New Madrid, Missouri in 1812.

Prisoner for Liberty

Millbrook/Lerner Publishing Co. (2008)

The story of James Forten, who is captured by the British during the Revolutionary War.

In dramatic words and vivid paintings, this entry in the On My Own History series celebrates the heroism of an African American teen in the Revolutionary War. Born free, 15-year-old James Forten joined the crew of the Royal Louis as a sailor. When the British captured the ship, he refused the chance to escape to help a sickly white friend. An impressive bibliography suggests that the narrative’s dramatized passages have been thoughtfully reconstructed, and a foreword and afterword frame the incident. This inspiring, personal story will help draw early readers into U.S. history.

-Booklist

Figley's accessible account will prove useful in studies of the American Revolution and African-American history.

-School Library Journal

The Schoolchildren's Blizzard

Carolrhoda/Lerner Publishing Co. (2004)

Tells the story of the Great Blizzard of 1888 which swept across America's Heartland.

The realistic interplay between Sarah and Annie will draw young readers into this simple, vivid story of natural catastrophe and native courage.

-Booklist

The early-reader format and lovely watercolors by Shelly Haas help make the tale accessible to beginning readers and show how important it is to keep a cool head in emergencies.

-Children's Literature

In dramatic words and vivid paintings, this entry in the On My Own History series celebrates the heroism of an African American teen in the Revolutionary War. Born free, 15-year-old James Forten joined the crew of the Royal Louis as a sailor. When the British captured the ship, he refused the chance to escape to help a sickly white friend. An impressive bibliography suggests that the narrative’s dramatized passages have been thoughtfully reconstructed, and a foreword and afterword frame the incident. This inspiring, personal story will help draw early readers into U.S. history.

-Booklist

Well-painted, realistic watercolors depict their struggle to find a safe haven and blend well with the exciting text. A good choice for newly independent readers, this story can be used in conjunction with the study of 19th-century prairie life.

-School Library Journal

Awards

- 2005 IRA/CBC Children's Choice List - Bank Street College - Best Children's Book of Year

Saving the Liberty Bell

Carolrhoda/Lerner Publishing Co. (2005)

Spanish adaptation available: ediciones Lerner/Lerner Publishing Co (2005)

How a farm boy helps save the famous bell from destruction by the British army.

The easy-reader format will bring history alive for young readers, and the dramatic paintings, some full page, reflect the action and the characters' emotions.

-School Library Journal

… a stirring story aptly illustrated.

-Children's Literature

Two thumbs up!

-Recommended by First Lady of Pennsylvania, Judge Marjorie O. Rendell

Thank you for writing such a superb book!

-Joshua Fink, Curator, Liberty Bell Museum, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Washington is Burning

Millbrook Press/Lerner Publishing Co. (2006)

The British set fire to Washington in 1814 while Paul Jennings, President Madison's slave, helps save America's most important picture.

This book brings one important episode vividly to life, in language children can read for themselves.

-Children's Literature

Notable for telling a historical event from the viewpoint of a slave. . . realistic paintings in vibrant colors illustrate these easy readers.

-School Library Journal

Additional Books by Marty Rhodes Figley:
The Story of Zacchaeus
Mary and Martha
Noah's Wife
Lydia
All of these published by Eerdmans Publishing Co.