For the first time in more than 10 years, the University of Tennessee Press is publishing books for young readers this year—two of them, in fact!
In September, the press will release Nora T and the Champion Tree, a chapter book for kids age 8 to 12 by retired librarian Mona Martin Batchelor with illustrations by Maggie Latimer. Batchelor’s story follows 11-year-old Nora T as she discovers an enormous tulip poplar on her grandparents’ property and works to nominate it for the Tennessee Champion Tree program. Along the way, she learns a lot about trees, the environment, activism—and patience!
The National Champion Tree Program (nationalchampiontree.org) is headquartered right here at UT, in the School of Natural Resources. The program works across the country “to protect, preserve, and keep record of the largest trees in the United States of America.” Through this engaging new book, UT Press is pleased to help the program get young people involved.
In July, the press will release a picture book that’s sure to delight Volunteer fans of any age. My Magic Tux: A Big Orange Story of Courage and Confidence by J. R. Greene and Joe Shands, illustrated by Nicholas Child, is a charming tale based on the extraordinary true story of Greene himself—aka the Big Orange Tux Guy. In January 1999, Greene wore a hand-colored orange tuxedo to the Vols’ national championship game—a getup so striking he wound up running onto the field with the team before kickoff. The stunt earned Greene the title of college football’s ultimate party crasher. With My Magic Tux, he and coauthor Joe Shands immortalize the story to inspire courage and confidence in the next generation of Vol fans. What’s more, proceeds from the book will be used to support a new foundation that aims to give Knoxville area kids free tickets to Volunteer games.
Historically, the University of Tennessee Press has specialized in publishing scholarly books, so this expansion into children’s literature represents a new way UT Press can reach all Tennesseans.
“UT’s land-grant mission includes a commitment to lifelong learning,” noted UT Press Director Katie Hannah. “We’re super excited about this foray into children’s literature that, combined with our traditional program of scholarly and regional-interest publications, allows us to cultivate the Volunteer experience for readers of all ages.”
For more information about UT Press, visit utpress.org.