Riding Freedom (Scholastic Signature)

Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and New York Times bestselling author Brian Selznick graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with the intention of becoming a set designer for the theater. However, after spending three years selling books and designing window displays for a children's bookstore in Manhattan, he was inspired to create children's books of his own. His books have received many awards and distinctions, including a Caldecott Medal for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a Caldecott Honor for The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, and a Robert F. Sibert Honor for When Marian Sang. Selznick travels extensively to research his books. He spent six months in Washington, D.C. for Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, he traveled to England for The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, and he visited Walt Whitman's childhood home in West Hills, New York, for Walt Whitman: Words for America. He visited the city of Paris three times to research The Invention of Hugo Cabret. When he's not traveling to research his next book, Brian Selznick lives in Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California. For more information about Brian Selznick, visit: scholastic.com/tradebooks and theinventionofhugocabret.com

Narrator Melissa Hughes captures the spirit and determination of heroine Charlotte Parkhurst. This fictionalized account of a real girl growing up in the 1800s to become a renowned horsewoman and stagecoach driver resonates with pluck and can-do spirit. You just know as you listen to Hughes's portrayal of this cheerful character that whatever hardships knock her down, Charlotte will pick herself up and find another way to make her dreams come true. Charlotte chooses while still young to become "Charley," realizing that the obstacles she faces will be more easily overcome if she appears to be a boy. Charlotte's special gift for working with horses will be sure to appeal to many a horse-crazy young listener. D.G. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine