When my oldest learned to read she became obsessed to the point where I would dread parent-teacher conferences because we knew we would be chastised with stories of her inappropriate reading. I am not sure reading can ever be truly inappropriate, but it impacted her attention in the classroom. If she had two minutes of free time, she read for thirty. It was a problem. Still, how lucky that she could so easily be transported into the world of books and so engrossed that everything around her disappeared.
Stories are important in my house. My youngest didn’t read as much as my oldest, but no one did. Instead, she was enthralled by the other side of stories. She became my writer. She is looking into creative writing programs at college now. It is an exciting time.
I know little of the publishing world but it makes me happy to know there are some locally based companies focused on telling stories connected to where my roots are planted. For this post, I am going to focus on one Maine based publisher, Islandport Press. Maybe someday my daughter will become one of their authors.
The mission of Islandport Press, as outlined on their website, reads:
“Islandport is a dynamic, award-winning publisher dedicated to stories rooted in the essence and sensibilities of New England. We strive to capture and explore the grit, heart, beauty, and infectious spirit of the region by telling tales, real and imagined, that can be appreciated in many forms by readers, dreamers, and adventurers everywhere.”
While they had many titles that looked interesting, I was going to a triple baby shower and thought it was the perfect time to pick up my gifts while also supporting a local company.
I bought three selections from their children’s line. Below are the books I bought as gifts along with descriptions from the Islandport Press website.
Halfway Wild
By Laura Freudig
Illustrated by Kevin M. Barry
“Debut children’s author Laura Freudig pairs with award-winning illustrator Kevin Barry to create a poetic and playful picture book that investigates feelings, emotions, and imagination, exploring the connections we have with the animals around and within us. “
My First Impression: I enjoyed seeing all the creative creatures the children became as they moved through their day. The Puffin was my favorite transformation.
Albert’s Almost Amazing Adventure
By Marty Kelley
“Albert’s vacation was amazing—or so he thought. To friends, his time in Maine was boring. Dull. Lame. They’ve got a more vivid and exciting idea of what Albert could—and should—have done on his trip. But Albert might just have a surprise for his friends, after all.“
My First Impression: I enjoyed the way the book bounced from black and white to vibrant colors as Albert told his friends about his trip to Maine, although I’d have to say that Albert’s “boring” adventures sound like a perfect trip to Maine to me.
Adventures in Vacationland
By Mark Scott Ricketts
Winner of the 2015 Maine Literary Award for Children’s Literature
“Young Joe Livingston has a very active imagination! And when his favorite Aunt goes missing, he and his family journey through the wilds of Maine to rescue her from the clutches of Cracker—The Beast of Briney Bay!”
My First Impression: I enjoyed the child’s point of view on this one and especially loved that the “monster” was defeated by a fire hose of streaming butter. Butter is my downfall too.
All three books were beautifully illustrated and my absolute favorite thing was that they were all set in or connected to Maine in some way. I’m looking forward to checking out other books published by Islandport Press.
Do you have a favorite book whose story is set near where you live?
| things to know | |
|---|---|
| Name | Islandport Press |
| Location | P.O. Box 10, Yarmouth, Maine 04096 |
| Phone | 207-846-3344 |
| info@islandportpress.com | |
| Website | Islandport Press |
| Favorite ♥ | New England Stories |
Weekends in Maine 
‘halfway wild’ looks interesting, & the illustrated cover looks fun, certainly draws me in
thanks for your visit, have a lovely day.
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Halfway Wild was fun. All three had wonderful illustrations. They were different from one another but all interesting.
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I used to have so many such books like this when I was a kid. I am actually happy to see they still have a decent market. I was afraid at some level, the present generation of kids had moved on to the Kindle versions.
Godyears.net
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It’s true that so much has moved to electronic options but there’s still nothing like holding a book in your hands.
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How fun! I love that you chose books set local to your area to give for a baby shower!
I can’t think of any books set local to my area, but I will definitely consider looking next time I’m shopping for books for children. 🙂
With Love,
Mandy
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I was so excited to find some books with a local connection.
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What a great idea for a shower gift – I always love to buy from local companies. I think I was a lot like your oldest daughter when I was a child. I read whenever I got the chance and often ended up in trouble at school for not paying attention because of it!
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I’m a big fan of the buy local movement. You can find some amazing things. My daughter’s reading was challenging when she was younger but it’s a good problem to have.
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There was a book set in the neighborhood next to mine we read in elementary school – but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was. I remember at the time thinking it would have been better had it been in my neighborhood, which was clearly the superior of the two.
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Maybe they’ll write a sequel set in your old neighborhood. There’s something wonderful about reading a book that references places you know. Of course, it’s fun to read about far away places too. Basically, it’s fun to read.
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I could not agree more!
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Steve Hamilton is a Michigan author and though his books are usually set in the UP, his main character is from Detroit. In one of the stories he talks about the area in the city where I used to work. Those books you mention look great. I will have to check them out.
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It’s fun to read books that reference places and landmarks that you know.
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