Read Online Meg Mackintosh Solves Seven American History Mysteries by Lucinda Landon - Free Book Online

and crafts of the 1700s — and then use their research to plan and hold a Revolutionary Days Fair.
    Witness at Washington — Town Time Capsule
    Many people had a hand in designing our nation’s capital. Who was instrumental in founding, designing, and building the reader/student’ own community? They can research for the information and then, for example, create a time capsule that records their community’s history.
    The Camouflage Clue in Ohio — Portrait of Harriet Tubman
    Who was Harriet Tubman? What prompted her to help others? Young readers can be encouraged to research the life of Harriet Tubman and then present their findings in the form of a short story, a play, a poem, or a song.
    The Warning at Scottsbluff — Obstacles on the Oregon Trail
    What geographical obstacles stood in the way of settlers on the Oregon Trail? Students can make physical maps showing the route of the Oregon Trail and then consider how geography would have affected travelers — and how warning signs might have been placed.
    The Puzzle at Pecos — Family Artifacts
    Young readers may be urged to think of artifacts that have been passed down in their own families. Then they may write descriptions of their artifacts and tell about their importance to them and to their families.
    The San Francisco Riddle — Strike it Rich
    Encourage young readers to imagine that they had joined the gold rush to California. Ask them to choose a number: 1 or 2. Explain that 1 means they struck it rich, but 2 means they went broke. Suggest that students write letters home describing their successes or their lack of luck.

About the Author
    Lucinda Landon at about the same age as Meg Mackintosh.
    Author and illustrator Lucinda Landon was born in Galesburg, Illinois. Her family moved to Schenectady, New York, where she and her three sisters grew up. She comes to children’s books with a background in art and design, having attended the Sir John Cass School of Art in London, St. Lawrence University, and Rhode Island School of Design. She has worked as an art museum guide, children’s librarian, and special education teacher.
    The first book she illustrated, The Young Detective’s Handbook by William Vivian Butler, received a special Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1981. A character from that handbook evolved into Meg Mackintosh. Meg was also inspired by a childhood friend named Meg, but Landon admits that Meg Mackintosh is also a bit like her.
    Landon has always loved reading mysteries and remembers that there weren’t many for middle readers when she was growing up, especially with girl detectives and clues in the pictures.
    â€œWriting the Meg Mackintosh series,” says Landon, “gives me the opportunity to combine my love of drawing and mysteries. It’s fun to design books with the clues hidden in both text and the black-and-white illustrations.”Landon says she likes to keep her mysteries fast paced, with intriguing clues and questions posed to the reader to see if they can match wits with Meg.
    Lucinda Landon is married to photographer Jim Egan and has two sons, Alex and Eric, two dogs, one cat, and two horses. They live in an old house in Rhode Island that was built in 1709. The house has a hidden trap door to the basement and a secret hiding place behind the chimney. “It’s a great place to write mysteries,” says Landon.

Learn more about
Meg
Mackintosh
at www.megmackintosh.com