A Likkle Miss Lou:
​How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice
by Nadia L. Hohn ill by Eugenie Fernandes

A picture book brimming with poetry, rhythms, and song, A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice introduces young readers to the early years of a native poet and performance artist.  Nadia L. Hohn describes Louise's fascination with the speech she that was an integral part of her daily life. Jamaican patois, an English-based creole language with a West African influence is spoken by the most Jamaicans. At school, she was required to restrict her language to what was considered "proper" English. Louise was reprimanded by her teacher when she included words and phrases from Jamaican dialect in her assignments. ​Fortunately, she became a student at Excelsior College, where acceptance and appreciation for her native tongue was encouraged. ​Hohn's narrative is rich and colorful. She captures the flavor and cadence of the language in this sumptuous feast of poetic expression.

Fernandes' illustrations tell their own tale. Louise's face moves from doubt and discouragement to wonder and joy. The animated faces of her classmates and native storytellers feature a variety of warm shades of brown. Back matter includes an extensive Note from the Author with details on the life and works of Coverley. Hohn describes her own introduction to the works of this poet. A glossary, with photos of peanut drops and water crackers, is helpful. References contains a citation list.

Spread out youself deh, Liza. Dress ooman a come.

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Uber-talented Raina Telgemeier has done it again. She has created a companion volume to her endearing and enduring classics Smile and Sisters. Guts is also autobiographical. It recounts Telgemeier’s bouts with stress and the mental, social, and emotional costs of anxiety. This may be her most personal book to date, detailing her childhood panic attacks, phobias, and anxiety. She opens up about the distress that she experienced and her body's responses to these fears. ​ Beginning in the fourth grade, Raina begins worrying about vomiting, an experience that assaults all of the senses: sight, sound, taste, and smell. The possibility of throwing up, even hearing the word vomit becomes a trigger, sending her to the bathroom. ​Stress-provoking factors multiply. They include crowded living conditions, fear of speaking in public, the possibility of contracting the flu, and eating contaminated food. The result: this young girl spends her days and nights in a state of continual turmoil.

Raina brilliantly uses the graphic novel format to tell her story. She knows when to over-fill a panel or page with people and actions, reinforcing her suffocating claustrophic feelings. Panel placement is an integral part of the story, at times horizontal bands move from the top of the bottom of the page.  Full page panels set the scene and provide important background information.  A full page is a significant statement which invites readers to pause. One of my favorites is the full-page image of her sneakers.  As readers pause to consider what it feels like to look down at shoes and become "grounded" they can experience the value of this technique. Facial expressions and body language are a hallmark of her work. She effectively captures fear, frustration, and eventually, self-confidence. Panels which are predominantly green signal her moments of extreme distress. A swirling mass of worry and doubt encircle Raina in various shades of green.

​ ​Thanks Raina. It takes courage to relive painful childhood experiences. It takes talent to accurately record your experiences in comic format. It takes empathy to share your journey through dark moments with young readers. It takes intention to seek help through therapy. You are a woman of courage, talent, empathy, and guts. Readers are fortunate that their beloved author has shared her story. Thank you.

Telgemeier Treasures

Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins
by Michelle Meadows ill Ebony Glenn

​Echoing the rhythmic quality of dance, Meadows uses rhyming couplets to tell the story of Janet Collins.  The cumulative syntax traces her story from early beginnings to prima ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera House. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1917 and raised in Los Angeles, California, Janet displayed not only talent, but a love for dance. ​ In a time when dance opportunities were limited for a youngster of color, Collins found ways to realize her dream. Whether it was finding teachers or studying and performing other forms of dance including Spanish, Caribbean, and African, she continued to pursue her passion.

Young Ballerinas

Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson ill Don Tate

Deborah Hopkinson introduces young readers to an important historical figure: Carter G. Woodson. ​Born in 1875, the son of a formerly enslaved father and mother, young Carter grew up hearing the stories of his Virginian parents' struggles. Times were hard for this family. As a result, Woodson left school in his early teens to labor as a farm-hand, garbage collector, and coal miner. He and other West Virginia coal miners were often invited to the home of Oliver Jones, a Civil War veteran. Carter would read the newspapers to Jones and the other miners, researching and answering their questions.

Carter Reads the Newspaper is an excellent introduction to African American History Month. Use this poster with a display of books featuring biographies, historical accounts, historical fiction, and other works by Black authors and illustrators.  Download a copy of the poster featuring an inspiring quote and art by Don Tate.

For two decades Laurie Halse Anderson has been speaking out, giving voice to teens who have experienced horrific trauma. Speak has brought the shame and humiliation experienced by rape victims out of the dark recesses of suppressed memory. Acknowledging the suffering, the rage. Initiating the first steps to healing. In my early years as a youth librarian, Speak was constantly requested, always checked out. The story is as relevant to a fourteen-year-year-old girl from a small Texas town in 2000 as it is to a teen living in urban New York in 2019.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson It all started in 1999. Laurie Halse Anderson published her first book: a ground-breaking young adult novel chronicling the story of fifteen-year-old Melinda Sordino. Beginning her freshman year, this young student is ostracized by her former friends and classmates. She is singled out at a school pep rally for calling the police at a summer party. What Melinda cannot say is that she was raped at that party. School becomes unbearable. She is constantly confronted with the shame and agony of that night, as the boy who raped her is a student at her school. Shunned by her friends,

Speak: The Graphic Novel ​by Laurie Halse Anderson ill by Emily Carroll Publishing a graphic novel version of Speak is both an obvious choice and a brilliant decision. This visceral narrative translates to striking visual imagery. Anderson chooses to update the original story, including references to cell phones and Instagram. This gives the narrative a fresh, contemporary vibe. Her Author's Note serves as an introduction. A helpful list of organizations which support victims of sexual assault contains descriptions and contact information can be found in the back matter.

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson Told primarily in verse, this memoir covers a wide range of events and emotions. Part One shares moments from Laurie’s difficult and conflicted childhood, her rape at age thirteen and subsequent reliance on drugs to mask the anguish, the slow ascent from depression during tenth grade, her year as a foreign exchange student in Denmark, and her foray into writing for teens. Part Two explores the publication of Speak and the impact it has had on her and a world-wide audience. Part Three returns to recurring symbols and themes: trees, blood, family, and stories. She acknowledges her parents’ personal troubles, but is willing to maintain a relationship with each. What a generous heart!

Bonus: Additional Resources

Since my early draft of this post, a twentieth anniversary edition of Speak​ has been released. It includes a new introduction by Ashley C. Ford as well as an afterword by Jason Reynolds. This edition also features an updated Q&A, resource list, an essay, and poem by Anderson. I look forward to reading this updated edition. I’ve Talked With Teenage Boys About Sexual Assault for 20 Years. ​This Is What They Still Don’t Know  Laurie Halse Anderson Time January 15, 2019

Laurie reads "Me,Too" from Shout. Laurie reads "Listen" from the 20th edition of Speak.

Fearless Mary:
The True Adventures of Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver
by Tami Charles ill Claire Almon

Mary Fields was a stagecoach driver in Montana during the 1890's. Her story is fascinating. This former slave defied racial, gender, and age-related prejudice, serving as a mail carrier to Saint Peter's Mission. She successfully took on what was considered "man's work." Being "first" is hard. Not everyone likes the idea of a woman driving a stagecoach. Tami Charles weaves together incidents from Field's life to create a compelling tale: protecting mail from thieves, unleashing her trained eagle on would-be marauders, standing guard overnight to save her cargo from a pack of wolves. Remarkably, during her eight years of mail delivery she never lost a horse or a package.

Meet Mary Fields

Mary Fields, also known as Stagecoach Mary, is a dynamic individual. While much of her life are unknown, a few documents survive which chronicle her personal history.  Charles limits the book's narrative to Fields’ years as a contract driver. She softens her portrayal of Mary, referring to her rifle as an "iron weapon." It is seen only in shadow on her back.

Photos and biographical information History Stories website.

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

Twinkle feels that she is a "nobody." Ignored by her parents, she longs to be noticed at school. An opportunity to shine comes when Twinkle is asked to direct a movie for the local arts festival.  Film geek Sahil has offered to help produce her filmmaking debut. They brainstorm an imaginative story concept, turning the classic Dracula into a gender-reversal version. But Sahil clearly wants more than just a business relationship. Twinkle has an ongoing crush on Sahil's athletic superstar twin brother Neil. When she begins receiving anonymous emails from a secret admirer, Twinkle assumes (hopes) that the sender is Neil. Menon uses a series of imaginary emails that Twinkle sends to famous women of filmdom in this story of finding where one's heart lies.

Rain is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith

​Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Rain Berghoff, still mourning the death of her best friend, agrees to photograph the local newspaper's story of this summer's Indian Camp, organized by her Aunt Georgia. Prominent members of this mostly white Kansas community protest the use of public funds for Indian Camp. Rain's heritage includes Muscogee Creek-Cherokee, Scots-Irish and Irish-German-Ojibway.  Her mother refers to the loving, close-knit family as her "patchwork tribe."  ​After introductory pages detailing her friend's  tragic death, readers follow Rain's  chronological description of nine days: June 26 to July 4.  Smith begins each chapter with a journal excerpt which gives the narrative intimacy and poignancy. ​​Rain uses her camera to help her face the world after her heartbreaking loss, acknowledge her heritage, and bring closure and peace to her heart.

Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide
​by Isabel Quintero ill Zeke Peña

Quintero and Peña employ a mixed media approach to this biographical graphic novel illuminating the life and work of  Graciela Iturbide.  The pastiche of eloquent text, artfully arranged sequential panels, and photographs blend together seamlessly. Quintero's glorious text is rich with layers of meaning. Peña's realistic line drawings combined with black and white photographs and artful panel and page design provide a stellar reading experience. This biography is much more than a chronology.  It is a celebration of art, creation, and culture.  "I photograph and exist in the in-between: those spaces where unknown worlds, real and imagined intersect."

Turning Pages: My Life Story 
by Sonia Sotomayor ill Lulu Delacre

Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, has penned a tribute to the power of books and the pivotal role that they have played in shaping her life. Born and raised in New York City, Sotomayor is the product of a vibrant Puerto Rican culture.  Books played an integral role in her young life. Superhero comic books encouraged her to be brave in the face of daily insulin shots. The local library provided solace following the death of her father. Mystery books meant searching for clues and figuring out puzzles. Novels invited her to discover the importance of law. The Bible gave her an appreciation for the importance of distinguishing right from wrong. A set of encyclopedias, science fiction, and the university library opened new vistas. Books became her maps, mirrors, lens for viewing the world, and loyal friends. Turning Pages: My Life Story highlights the importance of reading and the value that knowledge from books can have in attaining one's goals.

Bonus

Pasando páginas: La historia de mi vida, the Spanish edition is also available.

Meet Justice Sotomayor in this interview conducted during the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.

Pocket Bios by ​Al Berenger

"You would need a big pocket to hold one of these." commented an adult when first encountering one of these micro-biographies. Measuring 5 3/4" tall by 7 1/4 " long, these little gems fit nicely into a small space and are perfect for small hands. Think ultra-thin board book. For such a small package, Berenger manages to pack in a sizable amount of information. Arranged chronologically, each page highlights in simple text a significant life event. Dates are boldly centered on the page's  bottom. A facing page illustrates the event in full color. Illustrations feature cartoon-style figures with proportionately large heads. Arresting bold color covers with a single cartoon image catch the eye. The unique size, shape, and color of the series presents an interesting shelving consideration. For the purposes of my users, I will shelve these tiny volumes as a series.

Path to the Stars:
​My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist 
by Sylvia Acevedo

Meet Sylvia Acevedo, daughter of a Papa, Texas chemist originally from Mexico and Mami, a native of Mexico who didn’t speak English. She recalls this story of her birth: ​Some of the babies had blond hair. Some had brown hair or no hair at all, and nearly all of them had fair skin. Only one baby had very dark hair. “That was me!” Acevedo grew up in Las Cruses, New Mexico, surrounded by a close-knit family. Young Sylvia had the desire to learn about her world and the drive to excel in a wide variety of endeavors. She credits the Girl Scouts with helping her learn to set goals and work to achieve them. From childhood she realized that she had an affinity for numbers and a curiosity to learn how things work. By the age of thirteen, she assumed the responsibility of maintaining the family vehicle, including changing the oil. In junior high school, she opted out of home economics class, choosing instead to take an additional math course. Interestingly, one of the most challenging Girl Scout badges for her to earn was the cooking badge.

​I was nine years old, living in a small desert town. And on that day I decided I would go to Stanford someday.

They'd never had a woman engineer, so they didn’t even have a bathroom for women in the test labs.

From Brownie to NASA scientist. Still the same winning smile!

My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist (English edition)   ​is also available in Spanish:  Camino a las estrellas: Mi recorrido de Girl Scout a ingeniera astronáutica This autobiography is enhanced with liberal use of personal and family photographs inserted throughout the text. The author's "Note about Girl Scouts Yesterday and Today" provides context.

Companion Reading

Super Women: ​Six Scientists Who Changed the World

First Girl Scout: ​The Life of Juliette Gordon Low

Hidden Figures: ​Young Readers Edition