Category: Black Lives

Let Freedom Ring

7/22/2021

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom
by Angela Johnson art by E. B. Lewis

And nobody knew, as the sun was rising, that soon it would be all different.

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom takes a fresh approach to the story of Juneteenth, a United States federal holiday celebrating African American freedom and achievement.

Johnson, recipient of several Coretta Scott King Awards and a MacArthur Fellow, sets her story in a Texas community, when the day begins like every other day. People rise early, preparing to toil in the cotton fields. Gradually, word of the Emancipation Proclamation spreads throughout Texas, eventually reaching a young girl and her family. The narrative builds momentum as the day unfolds.

Immediately the family gathers to share news of freedom with spontaneous celebrations. This declaration of freedom marks a turning point for formerly enslaved people. Life will be forever changed.

Evocative illustrations by multiple award-winning (Coretta Scott King, ALA Notable, Caldecott Awards) Lewis convey emotions with body language and facial expressions. His use of light is particularly noteworthy. The book opens with light streaming through an open window, illuminating the face of a young girl. A family group remains in shadow as they prepare for a day of grueling labor. Flames from an oceanside bonfire highlight girls joyously dancing and singing against the nighttime sky. The cotton fields remain in shadow.

Back matter includes a wealth of resources including: an Author's Note, Illustrator's Note, Timeline of Important Events, Juneteenth Then and Now, Online Sources, and Key Terms.

Poetic language and exquisite art make this an excellent choice for story time. Value will be added to the experience by including background information and extension activities, teaching youngsters the legacy of this historic event. Thanks Black Children's Books and Authors for a complimentary copy.

Join in the Celebration

Juneteenth for Mazie

Juneteenth Jamboree

Curated list of suggested books.

Meaning of the Juneteen flag.

Copy provided by Black Children's Books and Authors, Inc.

Pub date: May 6, 2021 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers ISBN: 978-0689873768

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Jane Austen Remix

5/27/2021

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a popular classic with witty commentary on society, expectations and romance is an interesting starting point for a retelling. Example: GoodReads lists 440 adaptations, variations, and continuations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Several of these stories are available in audiobook format. Pop in the earbuds and chill with two engaging reimaginings of a timeless rom-com.

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix
by Ibi Zoboi read by Elizabeth Acevedo

Well, there goes the neighborhood!
Zuri Benitez is appalled when wealthy Darius Darcy and his family move into her predominantly African American/Latino working class community.

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix maintains several elements of Austen's novel: five sisters, a scoundrel who initially appears charming, a family with an uncertain financial future, and a younger sister who makes a troubling choice.

Zoboi sets this version in a contemporary urban environment with a sensory-rich description of life in Bushwick and the Haitian-Dominican culture. Zuri also confronts racism, gentrification, and stereotyping. The expectation of higher education for students of color is a welcome addition and includes a nice shoutout to Howard University.

Listen to a sample.

This refreshing adaptation with numerous misunderstandings, awkward situations, and heartbreak eventually arrives at a satisfying conclusion. No one will walk down the aisle, but there is mutual attraction and admiration.

Acevedo's narration is spot-on, injecting the text with an intonation and rhythm which brings the story to life.

Audiobook accessed via Hoopla.

Release date: September 18, 2018 Publisher: Harper Audio

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price read by Morag Sims

What happens when the daughter of a barrister decides to solve a murder? Welcome to the 19th century world of Lizzie Bennett. Price and Premeditation is a mystery that preserves Austen's setting and cast of characters along with several of their idiosyncrasies.

Price moves the story away from Longbourn and to the law firm of Mr. Bennett. He employs Lizzie, Charlotte, and the odious Mr. Collins who does little work but takes all the credit. Lizzie hopes to expand her role from quietly working behind the scenes to taking an active role in a case of murder.

To her dismay, she learns that haughty Fitzwilliam Darcy will be representing the defendant. Undaunted, Lizzie soldiers on: interviewing witnesses, uncovering evidence, and eventually trying the case before a judge. While this aspect of the story is historically inaccurate, it fits neatly with her personality.

Listen to a sample.

This tale of manners takes a modern twist, focusing on women's empowerment. Lizzie's jurisprudential skill and courage are admired by her father and Mr. Darcy. Her future as a barrister seems assured. However, Miss Bennett has a mind of her own and surprises everyone with an interesting decision about her prospects.

Sims' uses a variety of speech patterns to distinguish various characters, while retaining her "proper" British narration.

Audiobook accessed via NetGalley.

Release date: April 6, 2021 Publisher: Harper Audio

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Heroic Women

3/23/2021

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Standing on Her Shoulders
by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman

Mother and grandmother share with a young daughter/granddaughter her awe-inspiring legacy. For generations the women in her family have been trailblazers, creating a noble foundation for their progenitors. Due to their efforts, their descendants face the possibility of a bright future. As the narrative progresses, a vision of the reach of influential women expands beyond family to encompass a broad range of American women who have made significant contributions to arts, sciences, athletics, and activism. Individuals such as Shirley Chisholm, Serena Williams, Chloe Kim, Frida Kahlo, Mary Church Terrell, Ynes Mexia, and Megan Rapinoe are singled out.
Clark-Robinson's succinct text consists primarily of rhythmic rhyming couplets. Alliteration packs a powerful punch. Excellent read aloud.

For we are standing on the shoulders
of the strong, smart, sage, and soulful
ones who have gone before us.

The artist uses two distinctive styles. Classic portraits depict each woman from history who made her mark on the world. A modern stylized view of a dewy-eyed youngster contrasts with the more formal rendering of each historical figure.
Freeman captures the warmth of a multigenerational family. Hope is poignantly expressed by the glimmer in the girl’s eyes as she views portraits of heroic women. As she remembers these extraordinary individuals, they become her role models. She will want to build a better world for her posterity. Her actions come full circle when she reaches out to support her younger sister.

Back matter includes beautiful portraits and brief biographies of twenty-six women representing a variety of races, cultures, achievements, and time periods.

Text and images combine to create a stellar picture book. Outstanding resource for African American History and Women’s History studies. This book would make a wonderful gift to celebrate any achievement in a young child’s life.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: February 2, 2021 Publisher: Orchard Books ISBN: 978-1338358001

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One Fateful Night

2/10/2021

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Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall

There was no good choice to make. Everything was a dark corner.

Franklyn is not aimlessly wandering through life. Frankie has a plan to escape his dead-end existence in Jamaica. With hard work and determination, Frankie has earned a scholarship to study engineering at a university in the United States. He will be the first in his family to attend college. His deceased mother would be proud. His dream is about to become a reality.

Then one fateful night everything changes. His father is struck by a stray bullet and critically wounded during an altercation between warring political factions. An expensive treatment may save his father, but where will Frankie come up with an exorbitant amount of cash? He tries every possible stratagem to pay for needed treatment. Ultimately he reaches this heartbreaking conclusion:

The scholarship dream had to die
so that his father could live.

The only way for Frankie to get enough money for his father’s care is to join his uncle’s posse, the local syndicate which completely dominates life in the community and controls everything from garbage collection to local politicians.

Frankie is plunged into a sordid life of drugs, violence, and corruption. He is required to carry a loaded gun, serve as protection and lookout on posse raids, package and transport shipments of marijuana. Membership in his uncle's posse lasts a lifetime. He may never op out. Things are further complicated when he is attracted a beautiful and talented student, an artist whose work serves as pointed social commentary. To make matters worse, her father is a police sargeant.

Frankie’s father dies. His mother and best friend are dead. The dream of studying in the United States has evaporated. His uncle’s syndicate requires him to kill and commit other horrendous acts. This is his current existence.
Frankie considers his future as a posse member and knows that can't go on living like this. The stress has become unbearable. He wonders: Is there a way out?

Hall keeps readers on tenterhooks. Will Frankie find a way to extricate himself from the posse? Can he salvage his dream of attending college in the United States? What will become of the relationship with his girlfriend? And ultimately, can he save his own soul? Is there hope?

Your Corner Dark depicts a world of poverty, desperation, and organized crime with an intensity and immediacy that doesn’t let up until the last paragraph on the final page. I couldn't put it down.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: January 19, 2021 Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books ISBN: 978-1534460713

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Wishes and Waves

2/4/2021

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The Old Boat by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey

Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey, the team of brothers who celebrated the life of a well-used pickup truck are back with another picture book. The Old Boat chronicles the life of a small boat, a family, an island, and the ocean.

A young boy and his grandmother set out on a fishing expedition. Their time together on the water is filled a sense of awe at the expanse of water and myriad sea life. It’s an ode to the mesmerizing mystical quality of the ocean.

"waves and wishes, wants and wonders"

Time passes. The boy has grown. The pristine waters of childhood have become an underwater junkyard, filled with dirt and debris. A violent storm smashes the old boat and washes the vessel and it’s captain ashore. He surveys the seascape and knows that it is time to return the ocean to its former state.

While text is limited, poetic language and the accompanying illustrations convey an eloquent storyline. Aquatic plant and animal shapes are repeated across each two-page spread. Artful graphic design with a muted primary-colored palette hint at the passage of time. Attention to detail is evident. Watch the changes in the young man and his world as the tale progresses.

There is so much to see and experience here. The book is replete with themes: tides, time, renewal. One of the fascinating aspects of this book is the study of the effects of time, both positively and negatively. Time takes its toll on the boat. It slowly deteriorates. In the intervening years the effects of pollution take a toll on the condition of the seashore.
The boat rides the tide. It is the undertow and current that determine the boat's fate.
A new sailor turns the tide: People act, reversing the gradual destruction of coastal life. With time and effort the beaches and ocean return to the abundant aquatic life it once nurtured.

The Old Boat tells a tale of generations. This is not a "once and done" book. Each reading reveals more little gems.

Electronic copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March 2, 2021 Publisher: Norton Young Readers ISBN: 978-1324005179

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Let Freedom Ring

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom
by Angela Johnson art by E. B. Lewis

Join in the Celebration

Jane Austen Remix

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix
by Ibi Zoboi read by Elizabeth Acevedo

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price read by Morag Sims

Heroic Women

Standing on Her Shoulders
by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman

One Fateful Night

Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall

Wishes and Waves

The Old Boat by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

Let Freedom Ring

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedomby Angela Johnson art by E. B. Lewis

Join in the Celebration

Jane Austen Remix

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remixby Ibi Zoboi read by Elizabeth Acevedo

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price read by Morag Sims

Heroic Women

Standing on Her Shoulders​by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman

One Fateful Night

Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall

Wishes and Waves

The Old Boat by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom
by Angela Johnson art by E. B. Lewis

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix
by Ibi Zoboi read by Elizabeth Acevedo

Standing on Her Shoulders
by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman