Ann Armbruster

Education

Ann Armbruster attended the Justin Morrill College at Michigan State University.

Career

Ann Armbruster is the author of books on science, history, and geography for young readers, as well as the author of the 1995 "The Life and Times of Miami Beach" for general readers. Working with Elizabeth A. Taylor, Armbruster authored her first two books, "Tornadoes" and "Astronaut Training", both aimed at children in the fourth to seventh grades. "Tornadoes" offer a comprehensive look at twisters, from their formation and movement to the safety precautions one can take to avoid injury when caught in the path of such a weather pattern. The book is illustrated with color photographs, as are all of the Armbruster's works, and has an extensive bibliography. Booklist's Carolyn Phelan found "Tornadoes" a “useful resource for school projects or general interest." Similarly, Jonathan Betz- Zall, writing in School Library Journal, felt that the book “should appeal most to children living in tornado-affected areas, but will attract readers elsewhere. as well.” Astronaut Training describes the selection and training of astronauts in a work that may, according to a Kirkus Reviews critic, “turn the thoughts of younger or less practiced middle readers towards careers in astronautics.”

Armbruster's first solo book, "The American Flag", is a “brief history of the stars and Stripes” according to Marilyn Long Graham in School Library Journal. Graham also felt that Armbruster’s “writing is clear and matter-of-fact.” In the book, Armbruster also deals with the manufacture of flags and the use of the flag “to symbolize both patriotism and protest,” according to Booklist's Stephanie Zvirin.

"The Life and Times of Miami Beach" examines that city from the turn of the twentieth century to the end of the millennium. The book surveys the glory days of the Florida town, tilled with wealthy entrepreneurs, movie stars, and gangsters, all of whom came to Miami for some warmth and rest. Armbruster further traces the city's decline from the 1970s to the 1990s and the contemporary attempts at rejuvenation. Library Journal reviewer Ann E. Cohen found the title a “delight for young and old.” while Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, writing in Entertainment Weekly, called it a “thoroughly entertaining historical account.”

In 1996 Armbruster returned to children's nonfiction with a series of titles in the “True Book” series on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, all of which include history, sailing tales, and a look at the social and mercantile aspects of each body of water. She wrote Floods and Wildfires, two books in the “First Books” science series, each of which is “well researched, clearly and concisely written, and nicely organized,’' according to Lauren Peterson in Booklist. Both books offer historical perspectives on their respective subject and draw from sources such as myths as well as from scientific publications.

Achievements

• Ann Armbruster did a great job publishing educational books for children, and also managed to publish several solo-made books, including "The Life and Times of Miami Beach."

Works

More photos

• book

  • Wildfires

    ("Wildfires" explains wildfires and their causes, explores...)

    1996
  • Tornadoes

    ("Tornadoes" describes the causes, different parts, and mo...)

    1993
  • The United Nations

    (Discusses the United Nations, from its inception in 1945 ...)

    1995
  • The American Flag

    ("The American Flag" discusses the history of the American...)

    1991
  • Floods

    ("Floods" explains the various types of floods, provides a...)

    1996
  • Lake Superior

    ("Lake Superior" discusses the history, nautical stories, ...)

    1997
  • Lake Michigan

    ("Lake Michigan" Discusses the history, nautical stories, ...)

    1997
  • Lake Ontario

    ("Lake Ontario" discusses the history, nautical stories, a...)

    1997
  • Lake Huron

    ("Lake Huron" discusses the history, nautical stories, and...)

    1997
  • Lake Erie

    ("Lake Erie" discusses the history, nautical stories, and ...)

    1997
  • Astronaut Training

    ("Astronaut Training" describes the selection and training...)

    1990
  • St. Lawrence Seaway

    ("St. Lawrence Seaway" tells the story of the construction...)

    1997
  • Life and Times of Miami Beach 1995

Connections

colleague:

Elizabeth A.Taylor

Elizabeth A.Taylor is an author and Ann Armbruster's colleague.

References

• Contemporary Authors vol. 233