One of the great benefits for me in writing Orange Marmalade has been a greater exposure to children’s literature covering Black History and the Civil Rights Movement. I’ve learned a lot about these tremendously important subjects, compellingly addressed by talented …
Tag: civil rights
we shall overcome…five to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song, written by Debbie Levy, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton published in 2013 by Disney, Jump at the Sun Books Music is a mover and a shaker, a transformer, an uplifter. The soul-stirring melodies …
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Women’s History Month…marching to our own heart-beats
So many women are told their dreams “simply can’t be done.” Today, meet a drummer, a mathematician, a primatologist and others, who persisted and realized their dreams. Plus a tribute to mothers: In our heart of hearts, we often feel overwhelmed …
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Women’s History Month…frailty, thy name is not woman!
So many misconceptions about the frailty of women’s judgement, stamina, intellect have been invalidated over the years. What fallacies do you still encounter? Here are five more biographies to help set the record straight: Elizabeth Started All the Trouble, by …
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Black History Month: Slavery
There’s been a storm of conversations recently in the children’s literature world over carefulness and truthfulness in our depictions of slavery. The good news in all of this is that we are having these conversations. This week, I’ve got seven strong …
three middle-grade novels; three kids wrestling with life and loss
I’ve met a bunch of awesome kids recently in the three novels highlighted today, all of whom I’d love to introduce to you. They’re coming from widely different locations — a farm in the American South, an island off the …
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truth, freedom, change…three history titles for all of us
February is long gone, but does this mean we don’t read black history titles? No, it does not. March is Women’s History Month. And what do you know — there’s a sweet overlapping of these emphases… … in these three …
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a surprising musical chameleon
My Country ‘Tis of Thee: How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights, by Claire Rudolf Murphy, illustrated by Bryan Collier published in 2014 by Henry Holt and Company Okay, you musicians and history buffs. What do… George Whitefield …
fiction favorites…Revolution — Part Two of the Sixties Trilogy
Revolution, by Deborah Wiles published in 2014 by Scholastic Press 544 pages Of all the new novels I read last year, Revolution is definitely in my top three. It’s the superb, second installment in Deborah Wiles’ Sixties Trilogy, coming on …
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still walking toward that dream…five to celebrate MLK Day 2015
A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream, by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Floyd Cooper published in 2014 by Philomel Books “On November 13, 1951, four years before singer Marian Anderson’s Metropolitan Opera debut, dancer Janet Collins became the first African …
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