Katherine House

Lighthouses for Kids:
History, Science and Lore with 21 Activities
Chicago Review Press, 2008
ages 9 to 12, ISBN 978-1556527203

Bringing to life an era when rivers, lakes, and oceans were the nation’s highways and lighthouses served as traffic signals and maps, this comprehensive reference provides children with an in-depth history of lighthouses and firsthand stories of the challenges faced by lighthouse keepers. Filled with engaging activities such as learning how to tie a bowline knot and building a model lighthouse, this unique book also includes a field guide to U.S. lighthouses, places to visit, a time line, glossary, websites to explore, and a reading list for further study.

Katherine L. House is the author of Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science and Lore with 21 Activities (Chicago Review Press, 2008). A nonfiction book aimed at ages 9 and up, Lighthouses for Kids grew out of Katherine’s life-long fascination with lighthouses. In addition to her book, Katherine has written several articles for children that have been published in Appleseeds and Cobblestone magazines, as well as The Goldfinch, which was published by the State Historical Society of Iowa.

Katherine is passionate about making history interesting and relevant for young people. She loves to do historical research, especially when primary source documents are involved, and has spoken about research techniques at writers’ conferences. A writer of several award-winning business articles for adults, she served as editor of a trade magazine for several years.

Katherine grew up in Arlington, Va., about 10 minutes from the White House. As a result, she became fascinated by the lives of presidents and their families and often writes about White House history. In Lighthouses for Kids, she combined her interest in lighthouses and presidential history when she described a meeting between President Calvin Coolidge and a young lighthouse keeper’s son. Katherine lives in Iowa City, Iowa, with her family.