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Lee & Low Books New Voices Award

Cash prize of $1,000 and a publishing contract.

— No Entry Fee
Prize: $1,000.00.
Entry fee: $0.00.

Deadline: 09-30-2014

WRITING CONTEST WEBSITE

To recognize the talents of children’s picture book authors, Lee & Low Books (est. 2000) is inviting U.S.-based authors of color to submit manuscripts (up to 1500 words) to its 15th Annual New Voices Award for a chance to win a cash prize of $1,000 and a publishing contract with the company.

A second-place winner will receive $500.

The judges accept unagented, original, unpublished children’s stories only. Categories include fiction, poetry, and non-fiction appropriate for kids, ages 5-12.

Submissions should focus on the necessities of children of color and engage young readers with relatable stories. You can submit up to two entries per application.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Last month we brought together past New Voices Award winners to see what it was like to publish their first books. Today, in our final installment in the series, we ask these talented authors to share what they have been doing since entering the contest. 

This year marks our 14th annual New Voices Award writing contest. Every year, LEE & LOW BOOKS gives the New Voices Award to a debut author of color for a picture book manuscript. The submission deadline this year is September 30, 2013, so get those manuscripts in!

Q: What have you been up to in the time since your book won the New Voices Award or Honor?

Linda Boyden, The Blue Roses  (our first New Voices Award Winner)

Winning the first New Voices Award for The Blue Roses gave me something I didn’t have before: confidence in myself as a writer. I had had a distinguished teaching career, but as a fledgling writer, it seemed I’d never get out of the slush pile. After the New Voices Award, my book also garnered the Paterson Prize and Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers Children’s Book of the Year. Buoyed by this incredible good luck, I wrote more and queried more. Though not represented by an agent at that time, I was lucky again and found a publishing home with the University of New Mexico Press for my next two picture books. The UNMP editor I worked with, W. Clark Whitehorn, convinced me to do my own illustrations for both Powwow’s Coming and Giveaways: An ABC Book of Loanwords from the Americas. Recently I’ve written and illustrated my fourth picture book, Boy and Poi Poi Puppy from Progressive Rising Phoenix Press and signed with Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary for my YA novel. I’ve been very lucky and thank Lee & Low Books for believing in me and for the wonderful jump-start!

Paula Yoo, Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story

I won the New Voices Award in 2003 for Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story. Since then, I have had the honor of having two more books with Lee & Low Books. My second book came out in 2009. Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story, illustrated by Lin Wang, was a biography about Chinese American Anna May Wong’s rags to riches life from a laundryman’s daughter to an international Hollywood film star. I also have a third book picture book biography coming out with Lee & Low soon, too. Stay tuned for more details! I also had a YA novel published in 2008 (Good Enough from HarperCollins) and I’ve worked on a bunch of TV shows as a TV writer/producer, most recently with SyFy’s EUREKA. But most exciting of all… ever since winning the New Voices Award, I adopted three cats. Hmmm… now how can I sneak my three cats into my next Lee & Low book?

Glenda Armand, Love Twelve Miles Long

Since I won the Award, I have retired from my “day job” as a teacher and school librarian. While working part-time, I have been able to spend a lot more time writing.  I love it. I am also happy to say that, next year, Lee & Low will publish my second book about a very talented man with an unlikely dream who I discovered while researching Love Twelve Miles Long.

Don Tate, It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw

As a longtime children’s book illustrator, I have several new books out that I painted. But winning the New Voices Honor award launched my writing career. Winning the award boosted my confidence with words. Since then, I’ve written several more picture books. My next authored book will publish in 2015. I will also illustrate this book. I have another authored book under contract, and I can’t wait to share that news, too. I’m thankful that Lee & Low recognized and nurtured my writing talents.

Jennifer Torres, Finding the Music  (2011 New Voices Winner)

The most significant thing I’ve done since my book won the New Voices Award was have a second daughter! Soledad Daisy was born in March of this year. She and her big sister, Alice, are truly delightful people and it is a joy to watch them grow.

I’ve also been working hard at editing and revising my book, Finding the Music. Though it can be challenging, this is honestly one of my favorite parts of the writing process. To hear a professional’s insights on what you’ve written is illuminating and so helpful. I’m really proud of the way the book is shaping up and of how far it has come since I submitted the manuscript.

Otherwise, I continue to write – I am finishing a book for middle-grade readers, and I contribute regularly to newspapers and magazines as a freelance journalist. I also work for University of the Pacific, helping to lead an early literacy campaign. This is exciting – and so important. We know that the ability to read proficiently by the end of third grade is a make-or-break benchmark in a child’s education. Kids who aren’t strong readers when they leave third grade tend to fall behind, and it can be very difficult to ever catch up. Unfortunately, in my community, only 34 percent of third graders can read at grade level. For children of color, and for kids whose first language isn’t English, that percentage is even smaller. That’s one of the reasons it’s such an honor for me to work with Lee & Low – it’s crucial for all of us to support the literacy of all children.

More from our past New Voices winners:

Advice for New Writers from our New Voices Award Winners

New Voices Award Winners: “How I Started Writing”

New Voices Award Winners: Publishing Your First Book

4 Stars Drummer Boy of John John Mark Greenwood Frané Lessac Lee and Low Books Pages: 32         Ages: 4+ Jacket:  Carnival is coming and the villagers of John John, Trinidad, are getting ready to jump up and celebrate with music dancing, and a     parade. Best of all, the Roti King has promised free rotis—tasty friend [...]

5 STARS Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building Christy Hale Lee and Low Books January 2013 32 Pages     Ages: 4 to 8 ……………….. Children building— Concrete poetry— Inside Jacket:  Pair them with notable structures from around the world and see children’s constructions taken to the level of architectural treasures. Here is a unique celebration of [...]

Happy 10th Birthday PaperTigers!

I’ve been blessed to be a part of the PaperTigers’ team since December 2006 when I took on the role of Eventful World Coordinator just prior to the launch of the PaperTigers blog. As the years passed and PaperTigers continued to grow, evolve and expand (most noticeably with the launch of our Spirit of PaperTigers Book Sets and Outreach Program) my role within the  organization changed too. In 2010 I was offered the job of Associate Editor and since then have worked closely alongside our wonderful and very talented editor Marjorie Coughlan to produce PaperTigers’ three components: the website, the blog and the Outreach site .

I consider myself so lucky to be doing a job that I love in a field that I love! Children’s literature has always been my passion and during my years with PaperTigers I’ve not been the only one in my family to benefit from the pile of  books that just have to be read for work. (Insert a big smiley face here because really…how wonderful is it to have to read books!) When I started working at PaperTigers my children were in elementary school so naturally we focused a  lot of our reading time at home on children’s and junior books. However as PaperTigers and my kids grew I found myself developing more and more interest in Young Adult books. Now I have to say that although children’s picture books will always hold a very special place in my heart , Young Adult books tug strongly at my heart too!  So when it came time to do a Top 10 list for PaperTigers’ anniversary celebration, it only made sense for me to select my favorite Young Adult books. Drum roll please….in random order I present:

1.  Secret Keeper  by Mitali Perkins (Delacorte Press, 2009)

When her unemployed father leaves India to look for work in America, Asha, her mother and sister move in with family in Calcutta. When news comes that her father is accidentally killed in America and her family’s financial difficulties intensify, Asha makes a heartwrenching, secret decision that solves many problems and creates others.

2.  Borderline by Allan Stratton (Harper Collins Children’s Books, 2010)

When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious as does the FBI who descend on his home, and Sami’s family (the only Muslims in the neighbourhood) becomes the center of an international terrorist investigation.

3. Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth (Hyperion Books for Children , 2008)

12-year-old Leela’s husband unexpectedly dies and custom requires her confinement at home for a year, “keeping corner.” Prohibited from ever remarrying, Leela faces a barren future: however, her brother has the courage to buck tradition and hire a tutor to educate her. This powerful and enchanting novel juxtaposes Leela’s journey to self-determination with the parallel struggle of her family and community to follow Gandhi on the road to independence from British rule.

4. I am a Taxi by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, 2006)

12-year-old Diego is deep in the Bolivian jungle, working as a virtual slave in an illegal cocaine operation. As his situation becomes more and more dangerous, he knows he must take a terrible risk if he ever wants to see his family again. As well as being a great read, I am a Taxi  packs in a store of information about Bolivia and the exploitation of children in the drug-trade, and raises polemics about the growth of the coca plant.

5. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (Harper Collins, 2011)

During the Vietnam War  Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.

6. Karma by Cathy Ostlere

On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi is gunned down by two Sikh bodyguards. The murder sparks riots in Delhi and for three days Sikh families are targeted and killed in retribution for the Prime Minister’s death. It is into this chaos that fifteen-year-old Maya and her Sikh father, Amar, arrive from their home in Canada. India’s political instability is the backdrop and catalyst for Maya’s awakening to the world. Karma is the story of how a young woman, straddling two cultures and enduring personal loss, learns forgiveness, acceptance and love.

7. Orchards by Holly Thompson

After a bullied classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg – a half-Japanese, half-Jewish American- is sent to her family’s home in Japan for the summer. Kana wasn’t the bully, not exactly, but she didn’t do anything to stop what happened, either. As Kana begins to process the pain and guilt she feels, news from home sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again.

8. Tall Story by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books, 2010)

Andi hasn’t seen her brother  for eight years and when he steps off the plane from the Philippines, she cannot believe her eyes. He’s tall. EIGHT FOOT TALL. But Bernardo is not what he seems. Bernardo is a hero, Bernardo works miracles, and Bernardo has an amazing story to tell. In a novel packed with quirkiness and humor, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures.

9. Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Lee and Low Books, 2011)

As the oldest of eight siblings, Lupita is used to taking the lead—and staying busy behind the scenes to help keep everyone together. But when she discovers Mami has been diagnosed with cancer, Lupita is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother, the anchor of her close-knit Mexican American family. Suddenly Lupita must face a whole new set of challenges, with new roles to play, and no one is handing her the script.

10. Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan (Groundwood Books, 2009)

Set in war-torn Afghanistan, post-Taliban and just after the American invasion in 2001, Wanting Mor brings a ravaged landscape to life and portrays the effects of war on civilians caught up in conflict, especially on children. Based on a true story about a girl who ended up in one of the orphanages Rukhsana sponsors in Afghanistan through the royalties of her book The Roses in My Carpets.

Children’s book illustrator Don Tate never thought of himself as a writer, despite his many children’s author, publishing and librarian friends — a small army’s worth — and being surrounded by journalists all day in his work as a graphics reporter for the Austin American Statesman.  He’s illustrated more than 40 educational books and 11 children’s [...]

Crystal Hubbard, illustrated by Randy DuBurke,
Catching the Moon: The Story of A Young Girl’s Baseball Dream
Lee & Low Books, 2005.

Ages 6 to 10

Could there be anything better than the sting of the ball in your palm, the taste of dust sliding into home base, the thrill of tagging someone out? Not for Marcenia Lyle. She loves baseball more than anything in the world. She dreams at night of playing professional ball, and lives for afternoon games on the playground, despite initial objections from the boy players and constant disapproval from her parents.  They want her to focus on school, and on traditional jobs for girls: teacher, nurse, or maid.

Then one day, Gabby Street comes to visit. Mr. Street is the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. He wants kids for his baseball camp! Marcenia has never run so fast, thrown so hard, or hit so far as she does that day. But despite proving herself the best player out there, Mr. Street says no. Girls don’t play baseball.  If she’s ever going to achieve her dream, she has to find a way to convince both Mr. Street and her father that girls should be able to play baseball, too.

Set in the 1930s, Catching the Moon tells the true story of Marcenia Lyle, the African-American girl who grew up to become the first woman on an all-male professional baseball team. Named one of Bank Street College’s Children’s Books of the Year, Catching the Moon is an inspiring tale of grit, heart, hope, and most of all, determination to dream.  Randy DuBurke’s luminous ink and acrylic images vibrate with Marcenia’s energy on the field, while the soft blues and browns of his color palette channel her sadness when it appears she has no options left. An afterward explains how Marcenia Lyle, under the name Toni Stone, became the first female member of an all-male baseball team, and even went on to fill in Hank Aaron’s place in the Major Leagues. Crystal Hubbard captures both the irrepressible obsession of the baseball fan and the challenges of being young and dreaming big, even if it means defying adult expectations.  Children will cheer for Marcenia as she succeeds despite the odds, in turn encouraged to follow their own dreams of greatness.

Sara Hudson
April 2011

Hannah Ehrlich and her colleague, Miriam, work in Marketing & Publicity at LEE & LOW BOOKS, INC. They got caught reading two authors of color’s books.

“I’m reading G. Neri’s new graphic novel YUMMY, and Miriam’s reading her perennial favorite, WHERE ON EARTH IS MY BAGEL by Frances and Ginger Park.

The great thing about working at a publishing house is when you need to take a break from staring at a computer, you’re never at a loss for something to read!”

One of the few minority-owned publishing companies in the United States, co-founded in 1991 by Tom Low and Philip Lee, LEE & LOW BOOKS is an independent multicultural children’s book publisher whose goal is to publish stories all children can relate to. Since its first list, in 1993, LEE & LOW has published an impressive lineup of over 200 titles, many of which have been translated to Spanish and won a number of major awards and honors.

Jason Low, son of founder Tom Low and Lee & Low’s editor-in-chief, answered our questions about Lynne Barasch’s  First Come the Zebra, one of the seven books selected for inclusion in our Spirit of PaperTigers Book Set Donation Project; the company’s new developments; and other topics related to multicultural children’s literature.

PT: How did Lynne Barasch’s First Come the Zebra come about as a project for LEE & LOW?

JL: LEE & LOW has enjoyed a long relationship with Lynne since publishing her two other books Knockin’ on Wood and Hiromi’s Hands. Lynne had returned from a trip to Kenya, which planted a seed in her mind about the story that would become First Come the Zebra. The rest of the story came from Lynne’s own research on Africa and the harmful effects of tribalism in particular.

PT: Are there any plans to create a classroom guide/lesson plans for the book?

JL: We usually bring out a classroom guide when the book comes out in paperback so teachers can fully utilize both the book and the guide with their students.

PT: Can you please say something about working with Lynne on this and other projects?

JL: Lynne is a pleasure to work with. She is a true professional. She possesses a unique, spare style of writing and illustration that conveys sophisticated themes in such a way that children can enjoy and understand them.

PT: What can you tell us about LEE & LOW’s new imprint, Tu Books?

JL: Tu Books represents a chance for us to bring diversity to the science fiction and fantasy genres for middle grade and young adult readers in the same way LEE & LOW has brought more diversity to picture books since we began publishing in 1993. Since announcing the acquisition of Tu, we have received a substantial amount of positive feedback and I am anxious to see how our debut list is received in 2011. More details about this new venture can be found in an interview with Tu Books Editorial Director Stacy Whitman, posted on Cynsations.

PT: About your New Voices Writers Award, given annually for a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer of color, who are some of the voices you have published so far, and what has the reception to both the award and these new voices been?

Some

The Middle Country Public Library in Centereach NY, USA, currently has an exhibition entitled “The Creative Worlds of Lynne Barasch” . Ongoing until May 2010 the exhibit features several of Lynne’s books with interactive stations relating to each title. Lynne will appear at the library this Saturday, January 16th, at 1 PM for lower school age children and at 2PM for teens. Click here to read PaperTigers review of Lynne’s most recent book First Come the Zebra and here to read our review of her book Hiromi’s Hands, published in 2007 by Lee and Low Books.

Rent Party Jazz

Author: William Miller
Illustrator: Charlotte Riley-Webb
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, June 2008
Reading Level: Ages 4-8

How could this bright, colorful book not grab your attention? The illustrations are amazing and fun, and truly capture the allure of New Orleans Jazz. But what it also offers is a look into Rent Parties. Rent Parties started out as fund-raising events, but they also played a major role in the development of jazz and blues music.

Even though the illustrations are what drew me to this book, the story is a powerful one with people coming together to help others in a time of need. In New Orleans in the 1930s, young Sonny Comeaux has to work before school to help his mother make ends meet. When Mama loses her job, Sonny is worried. Rent day is coming soon, and if they miss paying by just one day, the landlord will put them out on the street and sell off their belongings.

Sonny wanders sadly through Jackson Square after school one day. His attention is caught by Smilin' Jack, a popular jazz musician. Sonny returns day after day, and soon finds himself explaining his problem to Smilin’ Jack. What Smilin' Jack offers Sonny then—how to raise money for the rent while having the world’s best party—changes both their lives forever.

The afterword of the book explains how rent parties originated and that they were common in African American neighborhoods during the 1920s and 1930s. I thought it was interesting how Miller explains that national events like Farm Aid are contemporary versions of the rent party on a much larger scale. This is a fun and educational read that would be a wonderful way to celebrate Black History month!

Check out the Classroom Guide for Rent Party Jazz and read BookTalk with William Miller at Lee & Low Books' website.

Bird

Author: Zetta Elliot
Illustrator: Shadra Strickland
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, Oct. 2008
Reading Level: 9-12

Young Mehkai, better known as Bird, loves to draw. With drawings, he can erase the things that don't turn out right. In real life, problems aren't so easily fixed. As Bird struggles to understand the death of his beloved grandfather and his older brother's drug addiction, he escapes into his art. Drawing is an outlet for Bird's emotions and imagination, and provides a path to making sense of his world. In time, with the help of his grandfather's friend, Bird finds his own special somethin' and wings to fly.

Don't you wish life was a lot like drawing? It would be fantastic if you could erase the things that didn't turn out right. Unfortunately, that's not possible, so instead we all need to face our troubles head on and rise above them. This touching story of a young boy coping with real-life troubles is a great way to show young readers that art can be used as an escape from life. Some people have drawing, others have music. Whatever our escape, we're all caught up in this crazy thing called life. I really like how the text and illustrations all touch on the main character's nickname, Bird. Birds take to the skies and soar high above the clouds. Again, it all ties back to the uplifting theme of resilience. Sometimes, we all wish we were able to fly away from our problems, right?

Many children have faced the problems in Bird, and this is a great way to help them understand and hopefully get them to open up about their feelings. It's a great book to facilitate discussions on life, loss, and love.

What I really like about this book is that it's real. There are no dragons, princesses, or dinosaurs. What it does is tell a real story in a unique voice of a boy who likes to draw. The illustrations really struck me. No doubt it struck others, too, as it was awarded the Coretta Scott King/ John Steptoe Award for New Talent in Illustration from ALA. Strickland has a unique touch portraying how Bird escapes into his art. With a delicate touch in watercolor, goauche, charcoal, and pen, Strickland's illustrations reveal Bird's resilience and generate the mood of the text with Bird's reality, dreams, and drawings.

Watch the Bird Book Trailer.



Visit Lee & Low's website for Booktalk with Zetta Elliott where she discusses how African American literature and her own experiences shaped Bird, and what she hopes readers of all ages learn from it.

Visit Just One More Book for an interview with Zetta Elliott.

The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby: The Story of Jimmy Winkfield

Author: Crystal Hubbard
Illustrator: Robert McGuire
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, September 2008
Reading Level: 4-8

I'm a firm believer that young readers see sports as fun, not as a history lesson to be learned. That's why I think books like The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby: The Story of Jimmy Winkfield are so important for young readers. Hubbard has created a fun sports book that shares the history of the first black horse racing jockey to win two Kentucky Derby's.

Born into an African American sharecropping family in 1880s Kentucky, Jimmy Winkfield grew up loving horses. The large, powerful animals inspired little Jimmy to think big. Looking beyond his family's farm, he longed for a life riding on action-packed racetracks around the world. At age 16 while working as a stable hand and exercise rider, Wink attracted notice from a horse trainer who asked him to race one of his horses in Illinois. Unfortunately Wink's first race resulted in a collision involving multiple horses and jockeys, and he was suspended from racing for a year. But that didn't stop Wink from pursuing his goal. Along the way he carved out a lasting legacy as one of history's finest horsemen and the last African American ever to win the Kentucky Derby.

Young readers will enjoy learning as I did that African-American jockeys dominated the early years of the Kentucky Derby. Thirteen of the 15 riders in the first Derby in 1875 were black, and blacks won 15 of the Derby's first 28 runnings. James Winkfield was the last black jockey to win the Derby, riding consecutive champions in 1901-02. By the early 1900s, the presence of black riders and trainers in the Derby began decreasing, largely because of resentment from the white racing community and the migration of blacks from Southern farms to Northern cities. Nowadays, there aren't many black exercise riders and supposedly, that's how many successful jockeys start.

I think this book stands out from the rest of African-American history books because one often thinks that when the first African-American breaks into something, it paves the way for others, but this was not the case in horse racing. By 1903, African American jockeys had become obsolete and Wink's 1902 victory would be the last Derby win ever by an African American jockey. The writing is superb, putting you right on the track in "the clouds of dirt and the spray of horse sweat." In the illustrations, you can feel the horses kicking up the dirt and the triumph when Wink wins the Derby! I can't say enough positive things about this book and highly recommend it, even if you're not a horse-racing fan.

Read an interview at Lee & Low Books with the author.
Learn about African Americans in the Derby.

Howard Thurman's Great Hope (Lee Low)

Author: Kai Jackson Issa
Illustrator: Arthur L. Dawson
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, September 2008
Reading Level: 9-12 (32 pages)

At the White House Rose Garden on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., but it's been said that, "I don't believe you'd get a Martin Luther King, Jr. without a Howard Thurman." Howard Thurman's Great Hope is a wonderful read any day of the year, but especially to help celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In fact, civil rights leader, theologian, and educator Howard Thurman was an early influence on King. In quiet moments before a civil rights march, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., used to read from Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited--a book that laid much of the philosophical foundation for a nonviolent civil rights movement.

We all know the story of King, but what about Thurman? Kai Jackson Issa is the managing editor with The Howard Thurman Papers Project at Morehouse College in Atlanta, so what better source to tell the story of the man dreaming of a better life?

"From that first bell to the last, each day Howard spent at school was magical. With every new idea he learned, the world opened wider."

Howard Thurman was born in segregated Daytona, Florida. In 1899, Howard Thurman grew up dreaming of a better life- a life where his mother and grandmother would not have to cook and clean for other people; a life where he could become a college man, honoring his late father’s wishes and his own dreams. In Daytona, there was just one public school for African-Americans and the school only went up to the seventh grade, but Howard dreamed of going to college and determining his own destiny. This picture-book biography tells Thurman's story of hard work and perseverance. Howard not only graduated from Morehouse College as valedictorian, he also went on to become an ordained minister, a prolific writer, and an influential spiritual leader in the U.S. civil rights movement. I think it's a wonderful reminder of what so many of us take for granted- the power of education, the support of friends and family, and the power of faith. It illuminates a man that many of us probably don't know much about, and a man that helped lay the foundation for what will take place this Tuesday- the inauguration of the first African-American President.

Also, visit Anastasia Suen's picture book of the day blog for more great nonfiction selections at the Nonfiction Monday roundup!

Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Duane Smith

Continuing with this week's theme of nonfiction children's books for classrooms, today, I'm bringing you a biography of a hero about whom I'd never heard until I read Betsy Bird's review at Fuse #8. So, when I saw this book sitting on the "new nonfiction for kids" shelf at my library last week, I immediately picked it up.

The book tells the story of Robert Smalls, who was born a slave in 1839 on a South Carolina plantation. All his life, he dreamed of freedom. When his daughter, Elizabeth was born in 1858, he worked out a deal with his master to buy his wife's and daughter's freedom for $800 even though he would remain a slave. It would take a long time, but when the Civil War begins and Robert becomes a wheelman on a Confederate steamer, he devises a plan to escape, knowing that if he's caught, he, his entire family, and every other slave on the steamer would be killed. The rest of the book focuses on Smalls' daring escape that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. The back of the book includes an afterword with more information about Smalls, including a photograph, as well as a list of sources.

I really love Lee & Low's books because they choose to publish books that tell the stories of virtually unknown heroes and role models. I've been impressed with every one of their biographies that I've read: A Song for Cambodia (my review), Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer (my review), Hiromi's Hands (my review), Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku (my review).


Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story is no exception. From the moment I opened the book, I was drawn into Smalls' story, and by the time, I got to the escape, I was tense and nervous and almost afraid to turn the page. What if he got caught? What if his wife and children were killed?

On my first read, I was so entranced with the story that I didn't even look at Duane Smith's oil paint impressionistic illustrations, and as I looked at the book a second time, I have to say that they really aren't my favorite. Don't get me wrong. They're not bad; it's just that I couldn't really tell what the story was about by just looking at the illustrations. They merely accompanied the story rather than tell it.

Image courtesy of Lee & Low

• This would go nicely with units on biography, the Civil War, African American history, heroes, slavery, US history, and more
  
• While it's a true account, the story itself is an excellent example of building excitement and tension and developing conflict and could be used in a writers' workshop or creative writing class
  

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (April 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600602320
• ISBN-13: 978-1600602320
• Source of book: Local Library

Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku by Ellie Crow, illustrated by Richard Waldrep

Reading level: Grades 3-4
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Lee & Low Books (October 31, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1584302763
ISBN-13: 978-1584302766
Source of book: Review copy from publisher


Duke Kahanamoku was born in Hawaii in 1890 and learned how to swim when he was four years old. He could be found in the ocean swimming and surfing nearly every day from that point forward. Though he struggled in school, his swimming talent was extraordinary. So much so that he went onto win Olympic gold and became a hero and role model to people all over the world.

Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku chronicles Duke's story in a manner approachable to children. Through a chronological account of his life, Ellie Crow presents Duke as a talented, courageous, kind, and humble person. His courage and determination especially shine through as he is faced with racism when he travels to different US cities to qualify for the Olympics. The main focus of the book, however, celebrates the life of Duke Kahanamoku and introduces him to young readers who may have never heard of him before.

Richard Waldrep's brilliantly-colored "art-deco like" illustrations perfectly compliment the story, giving it a nostalgic feel. A time line and world map in the back highlight key events in Duke's life.

This would make a great choice for children who are interested in biographies, swimming, and surfing, and for boys who are looking for strong male role models. Social studies and language arts teachers can also use it as a supplemental resource in lessons about the Olympics, notable Asian/American figures, WWI, and discrimination.

Visit the Nonfiction Monday roundup at Picture Book of the Day.

What Other Bloggers are Saying:

Papertigers.org: "At a time in American history when racism was widely acceptable, Duke Kahanamoku overcame the dual stigmas of being both poor and dark-skinned to achieve athletic excellence and to earn the respect and admiration of people all over the world. Ellie Crowe's lovingly crafted biography should inspire many readers to follow his example." (Read more...)

BookMoot: "Duke's Creed of Aloha is a fitting ending to an excellent biography of a man who always exhibited good sportsmanship and Olympic ideals. Richard Waldrep perfectly illustrates the story with wonderous full color illustrations that evoke vintage art deco travel posters." (Read more...)

If you have a review of Surfer of the Century, leave a comment with the link, and I'll post it here.