Nov. 1 & 2: Snowshoe Kate Book Launch Parties! Come for the storytime; stay for the parade!

Join Margi in celebrating her new book — and the amazing life of Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb!

Dr. Kate would do anything to help her patients in the snowy Northwoods of Wisconsin. In the mid-1900s that could mean canoeing on an icy river, hitching a ride on a snowplow, or strapping on snowshoes! 

Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb traveled long distances and delivered more than 3,000 babies over the course of her career, and she knew a nearby hospital was desperately needed. But where would the money come from? 

When some of her “babies” reached school age, they hatched an idea to help Dr. Kate. As students sent letters asking for donations to build a hospital and saved their allowances, their grassroots efforts caught the world’s attention, and the pennies started pouring in. 

Saturday, Nov. 1 at 11:00 am Zenith BookStore

Browsing and shopping at Zenith Bookstore in Duluth is a unique experience. Walk through the door, past colorful murals, and stop and smell the books! High ceilings, exposed brick walls, and hardwood floors – the vibe is warm, comfy, and inviting, but also quirky and fun. Join Margi for a family-friendly storytime and penny parade!!
Details at zenithbookstore.com/events >

Sunday, Nov. 2 at 2:00 Pm Big Hill Books

Big Hill Books is located Bryn Mawr, one of the most charming and eclectic neighborhoods in Minneapolis As a general interest bookstore, it provides customers with an engaging and inclusive inventory of books. Meet Margi, learn more about Snowshoe Kate, march in a penny parade, and more! Details at bighillbooks.com/events >

Merci, Alliance Française!

Margi had a wonderful time at the Alliance Française on Sept 20!

Here a crew of volunteer voyageurs demonstrated their paddling techniques (which were all rather unique!)

Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge (a red squirrel and the littlest voyageur) introduced himself, and we learned about his challenges traveling 1200 miles with a crew of French Canadian voyageurs, and his horror when they arrived at the trading post and he learned that they had gone all that way to trade for the skins of his brethren!

Paddling a pretend canoe is not as easy as you might think!

The voyageurs and the assembled crowd sang a hearty rendition of Allouette (while trying to keep up their pace)

And we discussed The Village of Scoundrels, a novel based on a real place, a real time, and real people—a group of teens in a village in WWII France who sheltered and smuggled to safety many 100’s, perhaps 1000’s, of Jewish children and teenagers rescued from French concentration camps.

Sept. 20: Francophile Book Fair

Margi will be parlez-ing with literary luminaries on Saturday, September 20 at the Francophile Book Fair!

At 12:15, she will be discussing The Village of Scoundrels, the timely true story of teens who stood up to fascism in WWII France (now in paperback), and The Littlest Voyageur, in which a red squirrel, Jean Pierre Petit le Rouge, stows away in a voyageur canoe. What could go wrong?

This program is free and open for all. Learn more at more at Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul >

Paperback of Village of Scoundrels comes out Oct. 21

Based on the true story of the French villagers in WWII who saved thousands of Jews, this novel tells how a group of young teenagers of Les Lauzes stood up for what was right. Among them is a young Jewish boy who learns to forge documents to save his mother and later goes on to save hundreds of lives with his forgery skills. There is also a girl who overcomes her fear to carry messages for the Resistance. And a boy who smuggles people into Switzerland.

But there is always the threat that they will be caught: A policeman is sent to keep an eye on them, German soldiers reside in a local hotel, and eventually the Gestapo arrives, armed with guns and a list of names. As the knot tightens, the young people must race against time to bring their friends to safety.

Wonderful reviews for "Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for Pennies"

Margi fell in love with the story of Snowshoe Kate and is excited that others are, too!

early reviews

“An engaging narrative showcasing an exceptional woman, a time, and a place not often featured in picturebook biographies." 
— Booklist

"Preus and Zollars excel at anchoring both human and numerical stories, conveying via first-person prose and crisp, digitally colored graphite images the expansive impact of both one doctor and all those pennies."  
— Publisher’s Weekly

"Memorable pictures of what a worthy life, and a million pennies, might look like."
— Kirkus   

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb (or "Dr. Kate," as she was known to her patients) was a doctor in rural northern Wisconsin during the early 1900s, a time when very few women practiced medicine. Because the nearest hospital was over two hours away and the snowy roads were often impassable, Dr. Kate sometimes used snowshoes to reach her patients, which lead to her nickname, the "Angel on Snowshoes." She also traveled by snowmobile and even the snowplow!

In her years as a doctor, she delivered an astonishing 4,000 babies, and those same children later played a key role in the "Million Penny Parade," a massive grassroots fundraiser inspired by Dr. Kate's lifelong efforts to build a hospital in her community. Dr. Kate's dreams of being able to better serve her community finally came to fruition in 1954 when Lakeland Memorial Hospital opened — with Dr. Kate serving as chief of staff.

Jaime Zollars is the illustrator of the middle-grade novel Wicked Nix and the artist behind the iconic covers of the Greenglass House series. She is also the author-illustrator of the picture book The Truth About Dragons. Her art has been recognized by American Illustration, Communication Arts, the Society of Illustrators, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, among others. She lives in Southern California.

Release date: October 28, 2025