Author Margi Preus, Illustrations by David Geister Minnesota Historical Society Press (September 15, 2016) $16.95 Did you know that flowers, insects, and birds can help predict the weather? Near her lighthouse home, Sophie reads the signs and sounds a warning: “Storm’s coming!” Description WATCH: MNHS Storytime Video Attentive young Sophie lives with her family at a lighthouse on the shore of Lake Superior. At this essential outpost, everyone has a job to do, whether baking bread, fishing for dinner, or caring for the light. And in this isolated place, in a time long before smartphones and Internet connections, news arrives only by ship, and information is sometimes gathered in unexpected places. Sophie is attuned to her natural surroundings, and she reads signs in a dandelion bloom, a spider’s web, seagulls in flight, and even a squeaky door. All these clues lead her to one conclusion: a storm is brewing. Sophie scurries to spread the word—to family members tending the garden, hanging laundry, and picking blueberries. Most important, though: she needs to warn Papa of the impending change in the weather. As the lighthouse keeper, Papa maintains the foghorn, checks the light, and polishes its lens, his chores focused on keeping the signal working properly to warn ships away from treacherous rocks. Will Sophie reach Papa in time to alert him about the storm? And will the lighthouse be ready to guide nearby ships as the sky darkens and rain begins to fall? Author information Margi Preus is the author of several award-winning books for young readers, including Heart of a Samurai, West of the Moon, and Enchantment Lake. David Geister has illustrated twenty picture books, including Riding to Washington, The Voyageur's Paddle, and Alan and His Perfectly Pointy Impossibly Perpendicular Pinky. Reviews and news Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly blog post on books about lighthouses Play off the Page Looking for a Good Book Story time video Images 32 pages Fully Illustrated 10x10 inches ISBN: 9781681340180
