In Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech he presses the American people to confront racism, to recognize “the fierce urgency of now” at that juncture of history. “This is no time to engage in the luxury of …
Tag: slavery

powerful picture books…read Black History!
Remember last year in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death when we all sat up and listened more urgently to Black voices and recognized how much we had to learn, to grow, to unlearn, to understand? Time runs along. If …

Riches for All: It’s Black History Month
February is Black History Month, a time when we purpose to read and learn about the Black experience and about gifted Black individuals in our world. As I read to gather titles for this post, I was struck by how …

contagious courage…Black History
I sat down to read a stack of Black History titles on a day my heart was weary and sad. I don’t often not feel like reading, but that day, even reading felt gray and blah. In store for me …
freedom and fashion…two stunning black history titles + book giveaway!!
February is Black History Month so here’s a heads-up to grab both of these fantastic titles now! To help with that, I’m giving away my copy of one of them — Fancy Party Gowns! Details are at the end of today’s …
Read More "freedom and fashion…two stunning black history titles + book giveaway!!"
the wonder of learning…books for back-to-school days
Some of you have already begun the new school year; some are just gearing up; There are many rich ways for each of us to learn and grow, an untold variety of approaches to education spanning the centuries and regions …
Read More "the wonder of learning…books for back-to-school days"
Black History Month: The Arts
This week, I’m celebrating the rich contributions to the arts made by courageous, persevering African Americans, starting with dance: My Story, My Dance: Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin Ailey, by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome published in 2015, …
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 …
five for that smell of newly sharpened pencils
My household is quieter today after two of my daughters returned to college. How about you? Has school begun in some form for you or your kids? I find it interesting that our calendars seem to revolve around education schedules …