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Field Trip Friday – book review and a visit to the jail

November 18, 2016 Claire Annette Noland 4 Comments

 

I normally read and review kid lit but at least once a month I enjoy reading and sharing an adult book with my book club. Carmen, my November co-hostess, and I decided to include a field trip with our selection:

Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2015)

jail-1

Based on a true story and set in 1914, Girl Waits with Gun, follows sisters Constance, Norma, and Fleurette Kopp, whose isolated farm life changes drastically when their horse drawn buggy is hit by a reckless driver. When Constance, the eldest sister, attempts to obtain reimbursement for the damages, she finds herself facing a formidable foe, Henry Kaufman, the son of a silk magnate. Instead of payment, Kaufman and his mobster buddies send threatening letters, attempt to burn down their house, and try to kidnap Fleurette, the youngest of the sisters.

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Six foot, 180 pound Constance is not about to let Kaufman get away.  She enlists the aid of Sheriff Heath who arms Constance, Norma,and Fleurette with revolvers. Constance uncovers more of Kaufman’s schemes and eventually aids in his arrest and conviction.

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The news media had a field day during the unusual trial and author Amy Stewart came across a number of newspaper articles that were written at the time. She learned that following the trial, Sheriff Heath appointed Constance Kopp as Under Sheriff, making her the first woman to hold such a position and she based her novel on this interesting but little known woman.

jail-constance

Our book club had a lively discussion about the amazing Kopps, their relationship to each other, and the influence that their deceased mother had on them.

Amy Stewart’s website and pinterest page contain great photos and information about the Kopp sisters. The author even developed a cocktail based on the events in the book which she named the New Jersey Automobile.

jail-cocktail

 

As a bonus, you can download paper dolls of the Kopp sisters!

jail-constance

jail-norma-kopp

jail-fleurette-paper-doll

After our delightful lunch at Bella Rosa Bakery and Cafe in Kingsburg, CA, we wandered a few blocks to visit the old Kingsburg Jail which is open every day for a self guided tour. It is located behind the main fire station at the base of the coffee pot tower.

jail-kingsburg-2

We tried to become part of one of the murals:

jail-kingsburg-1

 

There are inhabitants in the cells – check out the creature on the bunk:

 

jail-gambler-and-hayseed

 

The bulletin boards display a number of newspaper articles. I thought this one was interesting:

jail-kingsburg-3

 

 

jail-plaque

The day was a success and we were all happy to learn that Lady Cop Makes Trouble,  the sequel to Girl Waits With Gun, has recently been released.

Do you belong to a book club? If so, do you ever take book related field trips?

Filed Under: Books, Field Trips, Places Tagged With: Constance Kopp, Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart, Kingsburg Jail, Kopp Sisters

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor says

    November 18, 2016 at 9:47 am

    That book sounds fascinating. I love the cover art and the paper dolls. Takes me back to playing with paper dolls when I was a kid.

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      November 18, 2016 at 5:33 pm

      I also loved playing with paper dolls as a girl. Aren’t book character paper dolls a great idea?

      Reply
  2. evelyne holingue says

    November 20, 2016 at 8:56 pm

    What a great topic for a book! Love how a true old story can turn into a book for a contemporary kid. Yoru field trip sounds fantastic too.

    Reply
  3. Cynthia says

    January 5, 2017 at 7:01 am

    I like hearing stories about strong women and that this is a true story makes it even sweeter.

    Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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claireannettenolandbooks

Author | teacher | Field Trip Planner
books that take you places
Raven’s Gift
Nancy Bess Had a Dress
Evie’s Field Day
Out and About w George series

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Today’s the day! I’m the featured author on to Today’s the day! I’m the featured author on today’s Summer of Stories! Take a look and let me know what you think. The link is in my bio.

And then check out all the other great stories!

#summerofstories #floursackdresses #floursack #makedo #picturebookreadaloud 

@angelac.hawkins @gnomeroadpublishing @eringreneaux
I'm excited to share that the Crystal Kite Award v I'm excited to share that the Crystal Kite Award voting continues until July 18th for members of SCBWI. Our book, Nancy Bess Had a Dress, is in the Southwest Division (where illustrator @angelac.hawkins lives)

Members, you can vote for books in all of the regions.
Cast your vote at this link: 

https://www.scbwi.org/crystal-kite/CK8

I will be sharing Nancy Bess July 11th online for the Summer of Stories https://summerofstories.substack.com/

and I'll be doing story time and craft at the Three River Public Library on July 11th at 10:30

@gnomeroadpublishing @pbspree @eringreneaux @tularecountylib 
@scbwicencal #crystalkiteaward
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We are enjoying a lovely summer’s day with CARL’S SLEEPY AFTERNOON thanks to our friends @laughingelephantbooks who sent us a copy signed by Alexandra Day and Carl!
Happy 40th Anniversary, Carl! You are such a good dog 🐾❤️
Carl has an opportunity to have a quiet and sleepy afternoon but does he rest? Not our Carl!
We’re on our 3rd generation loving this noble good dog and look forward to reading about his adventures for many more years!

#gooddogcarl #picturebookdogs #summerreading @mrernierecommends @christinabeeghly @laurennolandhajik @roxannenoland @gn705
Summer is the best time to beat the heat by taking Summer is the best time to beat the heat by taking your young ones to a museum. And I suggest, before you go, you share the delightful picture book, MousterWorks, written and illustrated by @angelac.hawkins
Young mice, Cosette and Pépin, join Grand-mère on a splendid adventure through a mouse hole into a museum. They gaze at brilliant interpretations of well-known painting by famous artists such as Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, and Edward Banister. Cosette excitedly engages with the art while her brother, Pépin, searches for cheese in the art and eventually realizes that he can be an artist and paint his favorite things.

The final photo is 2.5 year old Alice at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. She was captivated by "Home Sweet Home" (after Seurat, Manet, and Pippin) painted by Wangari Mathenge

Art is for all ages.

To read my full review, visit my blog https://afieldtriplife.com/mousterworks-lets-go-to-a-museum/

@gnomeroadpublishing #mousterworks #artmuseumswithkids
@laurennolandhajik
Looking forward to simple unscheduled days! #july Looking forward to simple unscheduled days!
#july #afieldtriplife #summer
Look what we found featured at the library! #nancy Look what we found featured at the library! #nancybesshadadress 
Thank you @tularecountylib 
#summerreading #picturebooks #librarylove 
@angelac.hawkins @gnomeroadpublishing
Happy Summer! At the top of our summer "to do" lis Happy Summer! At the top of our summer "to do" list is visiting libraries where I love to see staff recommendations. SUMMER: A Solstice Story written by @kelseyegross and illustrated by @renataliwska is such a lovely picture book.
Owl, Squirrel, Raccoon, Bear, Sparrow, Rabbit, Woodpecker, and Deer gather to celebrate the arrival of summer with its gifts of light and new life. The friends share sprouts, fresh water, flowers, and fruit each accompanied by special wishes for the little ones to shine, glow, shimmer, gleam, and blaze bright with solstice light. They spend the day with festivities as they dance, splash, hop, and savor a forest feast.
I shared this with a group of children the night before the Solstice so that they understood how special this date is. Then, we read it again as the sun set on the longest day of the year after partaking of many of the same activities done by the woodland animals. They really enjoyed the center pages that fold out.
This is a soft, gentle, and breathtakingly beautiful picture book that should be enjoyed all summer long. @pbspree #summersolstice #summerasolsticestory
We have been Good Dog Carl fans for almost 4 decad We have been Good Dog Carl fans for almost 4 decades so we are excited to celebrate 40 years of our favorite picture book series! I love the book mom and Carl’s adventures are the best!
So let’s raise a toast to Carl, the very good dog, and to  @laughingelephantbooks Here’s to many more wonderful years of ❤️ filled stories.
#wewon #gooddogcarl #afieldtriplife #picturebookdogs @laurennolandhajik @christinabeeghly @roxannenoland
Military families are made up of heroes, those who Military families are made up of heroes, those who leave home to serve and those who stay behind. It isn’t easy to find books featuring military families, so I was excited to discover when AS MUCH as the STARS: A Story of Love Across the. Miles – A Child’s Goodbye/ AS MUCH AS THE STARS: A Story of love across The Miles: A Mother’s Farewell. I love flip books because they are clever and provide a fun way to read two stories told from different perspectives. AS MUCH AS THE STARS does an exceptional job of showing the love and emotions surrounding a deployment and then a joyous return. In this authentic, well-written story, one half follows a young girl and her relationship with her military father. The other half features the viewpoint of that girl, now grown, whose son leaves home to serve. warm and colorful illustrations add to the text showing the love that is shared even when they are separated by great distances.
This is a wonderful book for all families and will help everyone understand the sacrifices that our brave service members make. I just wish this book had been available when I was teaching children in military families.
Written by Forrest Zenone, Skyler Zenone, and Tricia Stone-Shumaker
Illustrations by Penny Weber
@poppysadventures1 @pennyweberart @laurennolandhajik #militaryfamilies #asmuchasthestars
#mrernierecommends
FYI… sweet peas are blooming on Old Creek Road a FYI… sweet peas are blooming on Old Creek Road around Whale Rock Reservoir
The story of how they got there reminds me of Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” 
Read how these delicate blossoms came to grace the highways in San Luis Obispo County: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/johnny-appleseed-sweet-peas-planted-120000196.html

Lupine, poppies, and wild mustard are also blooming.

#sweetpeas #jackcreekfarms #roadtrip #afieldtriplife #missrumphius
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