Amid all that was happening last month, I took great joy in learning that Super Soaker inventor Lonnie Johnson — subject of my and Don Tate’s book Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions — would be engaging with students in Portland, Oregon, on MLK Day.
His appearance followed a reading of Whoosh! to elementary students by a local high school basketball team, and a donation of 150 copies of the book by the Multnomah County Library.
This spring will mark the tenth anniversary of the publication of what has become my best-known nonfiction book, and I was planning to celebrate then with a giveaway of Whoosh!
Instead, let’s do it now.
For my February 2026 giveaway to subscribers to my monthly Bartography Express newsletter (folks can sign up here), I’m giving away four signed copies of Whoosh!
If you’d like to be one of the winners, by the end of this month either say so in the comments below or contact me directly, and you’ll be in the running. (Subscribers with U.S. mailing addresses only.)
Hi Chris –
What a beautiful post. I was so sorry to hear about your mother passing AND your cancelled school visits. It would be ridiculous if it weren’t so insidious. Glad you’re receiving lots of support.
I took my husband to a screening of “The Librarians” last month is Colorado – what a doc! So glad it’s on PBS now so everyone can see it.
Keep up the amazing work!!!
Thank you so much, Cindy!