Author Profile
Yona Zeldis McDonough
10 Books
Yona Zeldis McDonough is a celebrated author who writes engaging historical fiction and biographies for young readers. Her popular books include captivating stories about famous figures like Benjamin Franklin, as well as compelling historical adventures like The Bicycle Spy. She frequently collaborates with illustrators, including her mother, Malcah Zeldis, to create beautiful picture books and chapter books.
Anna has two exciting things on her mind: the stray cat behind her family’s doll shop is about to have kittens, and her cousin Tania is coming all the way from Russia to live with them. Anna imagines instant friendship, shared secrets, and plenty of time together.
But Tania arrives shy and uneasy, and Anna’s sisters are not sure how to welcome her. Papa also has a firm rule: no pets. As Anna worries over the cats and tries to understand her cousin, she begins to see that kindness sometimes takes patience, creativity, and a careful heart.
The Cats in the Doll Shop is a gentle historical chapter book set on New York’s Lower East Side during World War I. Blending family, immigration, dolls, and cats, it offers young readers a warm story about making room for someone new.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
92 Pages
Nelson Mandela grew up in South Africa at a time when unfair laws separated people by race and denied Black South Africans basic rights. Instead of accepting injustice, he chose to speak, organize, and keep working for change, even when the cost became painfully high.
Peaceful Protest introduces young readers to Mandela’s journey as a civil rights activist, political prisoner, and later president of South Africa. The book explains his fight against apartheid in clear, age-appropriate language, showing how patience, courage, and moral strength can shape history.
With vivid folk-art illustrations and a direct biographical style, this picture-book biography offers an accessible entry point into one of the world’s most important modern leaders. It is especially useful for readers learning about social justice, leadership, and the long struggle for equality.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
40 Pages
In Anna’s family, dolls are more than toys. Downstairs from their home in New York City, her parents run a doll repair shop, where broken dolls are carefully mended and returned to the children who love them.
Anna and her sisters enjoy helping in the shop, especially when their chores lead to time with the beautiful dolls waiting to be fixed. But when World War I begins, German-made doll parts become hard to get, and the family business is suddenly in trouble. Anna may be young, but she has an imagination strong enough to search for a solution.
Inspired by the history of Madame Alexander, The Doll Shop Downstairs is a gentle historical chapter book about family, creativity, and problem solving. Young readers will enjoy its cozy setting, sisterly warmth, and glimpse of life during wartime New York.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
146 Pages
A Biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Before Laura Ingalls Wilder became the author of the Little House books, she was a real girl traveling with her family across the American frontier. Her childhood included log cabins, covered wagons, prairie homes, hard work, and moments that later found their way into her famous stories.
Little Author in the Big Woods explores the life behind the books, helping readers see where Laura’s fiction matches her real experiences and where it differs. The biography follows her family’s journeys and shows how memory, hardship, and adventure became part of a beloved writer’s work.
With a clear narrative style and charming illustrations, this biography is a strong choice for readers who enjoy pioneer history, author stories, and the world of Little House. It offers a thoughtful bridge between historical fact and the fiction many children already know.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
177 Pages
Kate’s grandmother has a very special gift for her: Dora Anne, a porcelain doll that has belonged to their family for almost 150 years. Dora Anne has shiny black hair, a painted face, a trunk of handmade clothes, and a history that makes her feel almost alive.
Kate is excited to care for the doll, but her mother is not sure she is ready for something so fragile and important. To keep Dora Anne, Kate must show that she can be careful, thoughtful, and responsible.
A Doll Named Dora Anne is a gentle early reader about family treasures, patience, and earning trust. With a clear Level 3 style and a warm story centered on responsibility, it is a good fit for young readers who enjoy dolls, family stories, and books about growing up.
6-8 Years
48 Pages
Benjamin Franklin was never just one thing. He was a printer, writer, inventor, scientist, patriot, diplomat, and statesman, always curious and always looking for a better way to understand the world.
Life of Benjamin Franklin introduces young readers to the many sides of this important American founder. The book follows Franklin’s work with words, ideas, experiments, public service, and the nation’s early history, including his role in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Written in clear prose and paired with vibrant folk-art illustrations, this biography presents Franklin as both a famous historical figure and a person full of questions, energy, and invention. It is a strong choice for readers learning about American history, leadership, science, and the people who helped shape the United States.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
37 Pages
Can you imagine writing your very own song before you even learn how to read? Born in Austria in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a true musical genius. He composed his first piece of music, a beautiful minuet, when he was just five years old!
This fascinating biography takes you back in time to explore the incredible life of history's most famous child prodigy. You will learn how young Mozart traveled across Europe, performing his brilliant music for wealthy kings and powerful emperors. Even though he lived a short life, dying at the age of thirty-five, he left behind a massive legacy of more than 600 musical works.
Step into the exciting world of eighteenth-century Europe and discover the history of opera, the evolution of musical instruments, and the extraordinary career of a boy who changed classical music forever.
6-8 Years
112 Pages
Hank Greenberg could hit a baseball with astonishing power, but his story is about more than home runs. In the 1930s, when many people treated Jewish athletes as outsiders, Greenberg stepped onto the field and proved that talent, discipline, and pride could not be pushed aside.
Hammerin’ Hank introduces readers to Henry Benjamin Greenberg, one of baseball’s greatest right-handed batters and the sport’s first Jewish superstar. The biography follows his rise in Major League Baseball, the prejudice he faced, and the achievements that eventually led to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
With vivid illustrations and an accessible style, this picture-book biography is a strong choice for young readers who enjoy sports history and true stories of courage. It shows how one athlete became a hero both on and beyond the baseball diamond.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
36 Pages
Lila and Jane cannot pass Miss Whitcomb’s house without stopping to look at the beautiful dollhouse in the window. During the Great Depression, their family has little money, and a dollhouse like that feels far beyond reach.
Then Miss Whitcomb invites the sisters inside, and what begins as curiosity becomes a special friendship. The tiny rooms, careful details, and changing decorations give the girls something bright to look forward to during a hard time. When sadness comes, Lila and Jane must find comfort in the kindness their friend shared with them.
The Dollhouse Magic is a warm early chapter book about sisters, friendship, and hope during the Depression. With a gentle historical setting and a tender emotional center, it is well suited for young readers moving into chapter books.
6-8 Years
108 Pages
Listen to the vibrant sounds of early jazz through the incredible life of a true musical genius. Growing up in a tough neighborhood in New Orleans, young Louis Armstrong found himself in a reform school, where a kind teacher handed him a cornet. That single instrument changed his life forever. You will follow his journey from playing in local brass bands to becoming a world-famous trumpet player and band leader. With his unique voice and brilliant improvisations, Louis pushed music into exciting new directions that no one had ever heard before. This inspiring biography shows how a young boy with a passion for rhythm overcame massive obstacles to shape American music and become one of the most beloved entertainers in history.
6-8 Years
112 Pages
