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Welcome to First Book’s celebrity blog series. Each month we will be connecting with a powerful voice in education and hearing their suggestions for books to use in the classroom, all of which are available on the First Book Marketplace.
This month we hear from David J. Johns, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, on the importance of literacy among African American youth.
A love of reading is crucial for increasing achievement among African American students and, consequently, for closing persistent achievement and opportunity gaps. Any student who picks up a book is exposed to adventures, life experiences, and characters that help cultivate voice and agency, and contribute to developing a strong sense of self. Since many students depend on books as their primary method of learning beyond the confines of the classroom, African American children are uniquely challenged when the majority of characters in the literature available to them do not affirm their experience, identity or culture.
The availability of texts reflective of the interests and experiences of African American students, schools and communities is critical – powerful books, such as Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and Richard Wright’s Native Son. These books depict African American boys leveraging skills cultivated from their life experiences to negotiate racial, class, and historical tensions. The need to negotiate these tensions continues to this day and these lessons apply regardless of the child’s family wealth, home language, zip code, identity, expression, race or gender. Both Frederick Douglass, as he reflects upon his experiences in the autobiography, and Bigger Thomas, Wright’s protagonist, are examples of resilient and intelligent young boys who struggle to learn, grow, and pursue a better life.
Strong female protagonists, like Cassie Logan from Mildred D. Taylor’s The Road to Memphis and Pecola Breedlove from Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eyesupport young women in developing a strong sense of agency as well as the strength to persist in pursuing post-secondary opportunities. These books can also help young men understand how to relate to, and engage with, strong women. The poetry collection In Daddy’s Arms I am Tallcelebrates fatherhood and promotes the importance of family in a way that all children can relate to. The stories and images in this important text disrupt and supplant negative stereotypes about absent fathers, reminding us of the tremendous opportunities male mentors and engaged fathers provide.
Additionally, reading about characters who are disabled, children of veterans, English language learners, children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning, can help all students mature, develop empathy, awareness, and appreciation for diversity. InGo Tell It on the Mountain, James Baldwin describes the experiences of his protagonist, John, in ways that enable readers from all backgrounds to grow in their understanding of the challenges faced by their peers—at home, in school or at church. The book is a powerful lesson of the role that faith and family play in supporting young people through adversity and is a seminal text for all students searching to find their voice.
Literacy is essential. Individuals without the skills to read or fully comprehend written text or without access to written text at all (including books and other materials that are inclusive, diverse, and affirming) are constrained in their ability to engage in our global society. For these reasons, The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans supports efforts to increase literacy and encourage diversity within the publishing industry.
By David J. Johns, Executive Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. The Initiative contributes to closing the achievement gap for African American students. For additional information on ways to support African American educational excellence, please visit http://www.ed.gov/AfAmEducation and follow the initiative on Twitter at @AfAmEducation.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was the legendary civil rights leader whose strong calls to end racial segregation and discrimination were central to many of the victories of the Civil Rights movement. Every January, the United States celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to honor the activist who made so many strides towards equality.
Let’s take a look at the demographics of the legendary man’s hometown then and now to see how it has (and has not) changed. King was born in 1929, so we’ll examine Census data from 1930, 1940, and the latest Census and American Community Survey data.
His boyhood home is now a historic site, situated at 450 Auburn Avenue Northeast, in Fulton County (part of Atlanta). In 1930, Fulton County had a population of 318,587 residents. A little over two thirds of the population was white (68.1 percent) and almost one third of the population was African American (31.9 percent). Today, the 920,581-member population split is nearly even at 44.5 percent white and 44.1 percent African American, according to 2010 Census data. Fulton’s population is more African American than the United States as a whole (12.6 percent), but not as as much as Atlanta (54.0 percent).
A closer look at 1940s Census data of the Atlanta area offers more detail about where the black and white populations lived. The following map shows the distribution of the black population in the Atlanta of King’s youth. Plainly, African Americans lived together, largely apart from whites.
African American Population in Fulton County, GA, and Surroundings, 1940 (click map to explore)
For comparison, the following map shows where the black population lives today. Now the black population has expanded in the metro area, but still seems to be quite segregated.
African American Population in Fulton County, GA, and Surroundings, 2010 (click map to explore)
Reflecting on a century after the end of slavery, King said in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech of 1963:
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
The quest for equal rights and freedoms made up part of a larger vision. In 1967, he spoke of aspiring for full equality at a speech at the Victory Baptist Church in Los Angeles:
Our struggle in the first phase was a struggle for decency. Now we are in the phase where there is a struggle for genuine equality. This is much more difficult. We aren’t merely struggling to integrate the lunch counter now. We’re struggling to get some money to be able to buy a hamburger or a steak when we get to the counter…
He went on to say that this would require a commitment of not only political initiative but also money: “It didn’t cost the nation one penny to integrate lunch counters. It didn’t cost the nation one penny to guarantee the right to vote. The problems that we are facing today will cost the nation billions of dollars.”
In 1968, King and other activists launched the Poor People’s Campaign, advocating for economic justice to address these imbalances in opportunity and resources. A few months later, he was assassinated.
We can look at different socioeconomic indicators to measure the country’s progress towards equality. According to 1940 Census data, more than a third (36.5 percent) of housing units in Fulton County where whites lived were owner occupied, compared to less than a seventh (14.0 percent) of the housing units where African Americans lived.
Today, home ownership increased for both groups, but the gap remains. Two thirds (66.6 percent) of white households are owner-occupied, compared to two fifths (41.7 percent) of all black households.
Home Ownership Comparison in Fulton, GA, by Race
Let’s examine other measures of equality to see examples of additional gaps.
The unemployment rate is nearly twice as high among African Americans (17.9 percent) compared to among whites nationwide (9.5 percent). That gap is even more pronounced in Fulton County, where the unemployment rate for whites is 7.7 percent, while the unemployment rate for African Americans is 20.4 percent.
The percent of those living below poverty is also higher in the black community (27.2 percent) than in the white community (12.5 percent). While both groups are better off in Fulton County than the rest of the US, the poverty rate gap is even larger (8.2 percent among whites and 26.6 percent among African Americans in Fulton).
Similarly, while both groups are better educated in Fulton County compared to the rest of the US, nearly two thirds (62.4 percent) of white adults in the county have BA degrees or more, while just one quarter (25.3 percent) of the black population have the same level of education. The college attainment gap is 11.6 percentage points nationwide, but 37.1 percentage points in Fulton County.
While much progress towards freedom and equality has been made since King’s time, chronic gaps persist, even in his own backyard. The data show that 50 years after the “I Have a Dream Speech,” equal opportunity and socioeconomic status continue to lag behind equal rights.
Sydney Beveridge is the Media and Content Editor for Social Explorer, where she works on the blog, curriculum materials, how-to-videos, social media outreach, presentations and strategic planning. She is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. A version of this article originally appeared on the Social Explorer blog. You can use Social Explorer’s mapping and reporting tools to investigate dreams, freedoms, and equality further.
Social Explorer is an online research tool designed to provide quick and easy access to current and historical census data and demographic information. The easy-to-use web interface lets users create maps and reports to better illustrate, analyze and understand demography and social change. From research libraries to classrooms to the front page of the New York Times, Social Explorer is helping people engage with society and science.
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I had to get up and turn the heat up before starting this post. It is definitely getting colder outside. Yesterday was Cookies and Cocktails and I spent the day baking cookies with my sister. No doubt it was a long, long day but it’s a tradition we do not want to give up any time soon. I’ve boxes wrapped and ready to ship off to family and friends who I hope will enjoy eating them as much as we did baking them! I’ve also contacted several people for my annual Cookie Traditions posts and hopefully those will begin rolling in soon.
In doing this work, Zetta urged me to collate my list according to ethnicity so that we can see how many books were compiled by Native Americans, Asian Americans and Latino/as as well. I cleaned up my list removing nonfiction titles and a few that I decided are too young for MG readers and categorized the books I found. I added the titles I didn’t have that Zetta found and some from Debbie Reese as well. I am sure there are books written by authors of color and published by traditional publishers that I have missed, and hope that you will mention them in the comments.
Does this matter? Of course, it does. I’ve been saying for months the numbers and dropping and I’d like to figure out why, particularly since the overall number of children’s books is up this year. This year we say Neesha Meminger, L. Divine and B.A. Binns all self publish. Don’t you think its time for another YA from Cindy Pon? Alex Sanchez? Medeia Shariff? Dia Reeves?
“In the Margins Committee
What is it? A group of librarians creating a committee to seek out and highlight books: preschool through adult fiction and non-fiction titles of high-interest appeal to boys or girls, ages 9-18 who may fit into one or all of the following categories:
multicultural (primarily African American and Latino) from a street culture in restrictive custody reluctant readers What does it do? The committee will select and review the best books of the year, specifically for the population listed above. Titles of interest will be unusual, possibly unreviewed, have multicultural characters, dealing with difficult situations including (but not limited to) street life, marginalized populations, crime, justice, war, violence, abuse, addiction, etc. The first year we will also review a few older titles that may not have been reviewed previously but which are deserving of attention.
Committee membership and requirements: research and nominate titles that are self published, independently and published by small presses provide written review of books, and read for special content for detention facilities read all nominated titles work with or do outreach to teens in custody and/or from street culture. get feedback from at least 3-10 teens on each title actively participate in email discussions meet 1-4 times a year via video conferencing and/or in person opportunity to blog in column about your and your youth’s experiences with a certain title or author Don’t delay – Apply today!”
No doubt incarcerated teens need books which will interest them as these teens often have incredibly poor reading skills. And I think the intent of this committee is to review books for those who work with incarcerated teens. If I read correctly, these reviews will appear in SLJ as the chair of the In the Margins Committee now has a blog on SLJ’s site. Will this blog be balanced with one that gives a wider representation to African American and Latino (and Native American and Asian American) literature? What effort will SLJ make to educate readers about the vast contrtibutions writers of color make to teen literature and the even broader reading preferences of teens of color?
This is what the CCBC reported for 2011: We received approximately 3,400 books at the CCBC in 2011. Of those,
• 123 books had significant African or African American content
• 79 books were by Black authors and/or illustrators
• 28 books had American Indian themes, topics, or characters
• 12 books were by American Indian authors and/or illustrators
• 91 books had significant Asian/Pacific or Asian/Pacific American content
• 76 books were by authors and/or illustrators of Asian/Pacific heritage
• 58 books had significant Latino content
• 52 books were by Latino authors and/or illustrators
This is what I found so far for 2012.
MULTI-ETHNIC
1. Diverse Energies edited by Tobias Buchnell and Joe Monti; Tu Books, November
NATIVE AMERICAN
1. Chronal Engine by Greg Leitich Smith, illus. by Blake Henry;Clarion Books, Feb. 22
2. Outcasts of River Falls: sequel to Belle of Batoche by Jaqueline Guest; Regina Coteau Books for Kids, 1 Apr
3. Diabolical by Cynthia Leitich Smith; Candlewick Press; 14 Feb
ASIAN AMERICAN
1. The friendship matchmater by Randa Abdel-Fattah; Frances Lincoln, 6 Sept
2. What’s Left of Me: The Hybrid Chronicles, Book One by Kat Zhang; Harper Collins, 18 September MG
3. Adaptation by Malinda Lo; Litte, Brown Books for Young Readers 18 Sept
4. Ash Mistry and the savage fortress by Sadwat Chadda; Harper Collins, October
5. The girl who lept through time by Yasutaka Tsutsui and David Karashima; Alma Books 1 Sept
6. Bobby the Brave (Sometimes) by Lisa Yee and Dan Santant; Scholastic, 1 Aug
7. A beautiful lie by Irfan Master; Albert Whitman & Company, 1 August
8. The choke artist: confessions of a chronic underachiever by David Yoo; Grand Central, 19 June
9. Reincarnation (Legend of Snow Wolf series) by Fred Lit Yu; China Books, 1 June
10. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons; Tor, 2012
11. Dumpling Days by Grace Lin; Little Brown Books for Young Readers; 2 Jan
12. Tina’s mouth: an existential comic diary by Keshni Kashyap and Mari Araki; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 3 January
13. The whole story of half a girl by Veera Hirandandani; Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 2012
14. Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani; HarperTeen; 17 Jan
15. Fair Coin by E. C. Myers; Pyr, 27 March
16. Another Jekyl another Hyde by Daniel and Dina Nayeri; 27 March, Candlewick
17. The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda; St Martin’s Griffin, Apr. 19
18. The mapmaker and the Ghost by Sarvenaz Tash; Walker Book Childrens, 24 April
LATINO/A
1. A Thunderous Whisper by Christina Diaz Gonzalez; Knopf Books for Young Readers 9 October
2. Summer of the Mariposas by Guadelupe Garcia McCall; Tu Books, October
3. BorderTown #4: No Second Chances by Malin Alegria; Scholastic Nov.
4. The revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano; Scholastic, 1 Sept
5. Con carino/Love Amalia by Alma Flor Ada; Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 10 July
6. Choke by Diana Lopez; Point; 12 July
7. Border Town #2: Quince Clash by Malin Alegria; Scholastic, 1 July
8. Bordertown #1 Crossing the line by Malin Alegria; Scholastic, May MG
9. Body Slammed! by Ray Villareal; Pinata Books, 30 Apr
10. Border Town#1: Crossing the line by Malin Alegria; Scholastic 1 May
11. Prom dates to die for by Kelly Parra; Buzz Books; 1 May
12. Irises by Francisco X. Stork; Authur A. Levine; Jan 2012
13. Facts of life: stories by Gary Soto; Graphia, January
14. The glass collector by Anna Perera; Albert Whitman and Co. 1 Feb
15. Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz; Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 21 Feb
16. The girl who could silence the wind by Meg Medina; Candlewick, 13 March
17. The Temptation: A Kindred Novel by Alisa Valdes; HarperTeen, Apr. 4
AFRICAN AMERICAN
1. Hollywood High by Ni Ni Simone and Amir Abrams; Kensington 12 Sept
2. No Boyz Allowed by Ni-Ni Simone; Dafina Books, 31 July
3. Hollywood High by Ni-Ni Simone and Amir Abrams, Dafina Books, 25 Sept
4. Pinned by Sharon Flake; Scholastic, 1 October MG
5. Time to Shine by Nikki Carter; Dafina Books, 30 Oct
6. Crazy Love by Amir Abrams; Dafina Books, 27 Nov
7. Dork Diaries 5: Tales from a not so smart miss know it all by Rachel Renee Russell; Aladdin, October
8. Fading Amber: The cambion chronicles #3 by Jaime Reed; K’Teen Dafina 26 December
9. Kiki doin’ it (Juicy Central) Saddleback, 1 Sept
10. Marnyke: the fake date (Juicy Central); Saddleback
11. Tia Diva, (Juicy Central) Saddleback Sept
12. Sherise Stalked,(Juicy Central) Saddleback, Sept.
13. Nishell Tempted by Stephanie Perry Moore (Juicy Central); Saddleback, 1 Sept
14. Settle down/be real Cheer Drama/Baller Swag; Lockwood High Series by Stephanie Perry Moore; Saddleback
15. The diary of B. B. Bright possible princess by Alice Randall, Caroline Randall Williams and Shadra Strickland (illustrator); Turner Publishing 4 Sept
16. Charly’s Epic Fiasco by Kelli London, Dafina Books, 28 Aug
17. A Certain October by Angela Johnson; Simon and Schuster; August
18. Denim diaries 6 Lying to live by Darrian Lee; Urban Books, 28 August
19. Fire in the Streets by Kekla Magoon; Aladdin, August
20. The Cruisers 3: A star is born by Walter Dean Myers; Scholastic 1 Aug
21. Dork diaries 4: Tales from a not so graceful ice princess by Rachel Renee Russell; Aladdin, June
22. Back to me by Earl Sewll; Kimani Tru 1 July
23. Always upbeat Cheer Drama (Lockwood High Series)by Stephanie Perry Moore; Saddleback, 1 June
24. Keep jumping/no hating Cheer Drama (Lockwood High Series) by Stephanie Perry Moore; Saddleback 1 June
25. Settle down/be real Cheer Drama (Lockwood High Series)by Stephanie Perry Moore; Saddleback 1 June
26. Yell out/Do you Cheer Drama (Lockwood High Series) by Stephanie Perry Moore; Saddleback 1 June
27. Back to me by Earl Sewell; Kimani Tru; 19 June
28. Lone bean by Chudney Ross; Amistad, June
29. Download Drama by Celeste O. Norfleet; Kimani Tru, May 20
30. 37 Things I Love (In No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon; Henry Holt, May 3
31. Happy families by Tanita Davis; Knopf Books for Young Readers, 8 May
32. Burning Emerald: The Cambion Chronicles #2 by Jaime Reed; K-Teen/Dafina; May
33. Creeping with the enemy (Langdon Prep)by Kimberyly Reid; Dafina, 24 April
34. Black Boy White School by Brian F. Walker; HarperTeen 3 Jan
35. The mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis; Wendy A. Lamb Books, January MG
36. The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards; HarperCollins, 17 Jan
37. Best shot in the west: the adventures of Nat Love by Patricia C. McKissack, Frederick L. McKissack and Randy Duburke; Chronicle Books, 18 January GRAPHIC NOVEL
38. Mesmerize by Artist Arthur; Kimani Tru, January
39. The clone codes #3: the visitors by Patricia C. McKissack, Fredrick McKissack and Pat McKissack; Scholastic, 1 February
40. Beneath a meth moon by Jacqueline Woodson; Nancy Paulsen Books, February
41. No crystal stair by Vaunda Michaux Nelson; Carolrhoda Press, February
42. DJ Rising by Love Maia; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 6 Feb
43. Power Hitter by M. C. Higgins; Darby Creek Pub, March
44. Boyfriend season: Cali boys by Kelli London; K’Teen, 27 March
45. Creeping with the enemy (Langdon Prep)by Kimberyly Reid; Dafina, 24 April
46. All the right stuff by Walter Dean Myers; Amistad, 24 April
47. The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson; Margaret K. McElderry Books , 17 April
48. On the flip side: A fab life novel #4 by Nikki Carter; KTeen Dafina; 28 February
49. Ship of souls by Zetta Elliott; AmazonEncore, 28 Feb
50. Bad boy by Dream Jordan; St. Martin Griffin, 28 Feb
51. The Agency 3: Traitor in the Tunnel by Y. S. Lee; Candelwick, 28 Feb
Thank you for the links and lists. You’ve given me future books to read.
elliottzetta said, on 12/10/2012 6:48:00 AM
Thanks, Edi! Wow–as bad as things are for African Americans, it’s sad to see how much worse they are for other racial groups. YS Lee is Asian, I believe (#51) and Hollywood High is listed twice on your AfAm list. If you had to guess, how many AfAf PB are published each year?
Edi said, on 12/10/2012 7:42:00 AM
Zetta,
Thanks for the catch! I worked through the list a couple of times, both times late at night. Not a good way to catch errors.
You know, I’ve not really paid much attention to paperbacks but I think it would be important to keep track of how many books by authors of color make it to paperback, ebook and even have booktrailers made by their publishers.
Alice Randall is the only Black woman in history to have written an number one country song. She’s a produced screenwriter and a successful author of contemporary adult fiction. Caroline Randall Williams, her daughter, is an award winner poet and the great-granddaughter of Arna Bontemps. Shadra Strickland won the Ezra Jack Keats Award and the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent in 2009 for her work in her first picturebook, Bird, written by Zetta Elliott. Strickland co-illustrated Our Children Can Soar, winner of a 2010 NAACP Image Award.
Yesterday, I posted a review of their soon to be released collaborative children’s book, The Diary of B. B. Bright Possible Princess. Today, I’d like you to spend a little time getting to know these talented women!
Interview: The Diary of B.B. Bright Possible Princess
What a wonderful, precious book! How did you ladies decide on this collaboration?
Well, Caroline and I began this collaboration literally 25 years ago, August 24, 1987 when she was born. Before she saw daylight I was telling her stories. By the time she turned three, she was editing the stories, adding characters, suggesting events. Eventually we both fell in love with a black fairytale princess that we invented by telling stories back and forth to each other for years. When Caroline graduated from college we decided it was time to share our princess with the world. We eventually started looking for the perfect artist to give. B.B. physical life and found Shadra.
My awareness of the collaboration understandably begins a little later than my mothers, but I think she’s absolutely right; at about three, I distinctly recall beginning to chime in with my ideas about a princess that looked something like me. I had princess books, and historical books about brown children, but with very few exceptions, no fairy stories with girls of any color! That’s why it’s exciting for me that even though B.B. is brown, she meets queens from all over– China, Russia, Greece, Japan, Egypt– it’s time to see princesses from around the world, and I’m so pleased my mother and I are able to answer that call.
I didn’t realize that you’re a mother/daughter team! That makes the story even more special but, it makes me wonder if it was difficult to not to have more of a presence of BB’s mother in the story?
Someone told me a long time ago, when you become a mother you step out of the picture and become a
Alice Randall & Carolyn Randall Williams
frame. I think that is something the Raven Queen understands. And B.B.’s story is the Raven Queen’s story–because it is every girl’s story. We are all called upon to one day start taking care of ourselves and encounter the world unsheltered by family but sustained by family love as well as our own courage, creativity, and curiosity.
This B.B.Bright is so very different from books we typically find for tweens. How difficult was it to get the book published?
A bit. People would love our princess but not quite know what to do with her. Caroline and I were steadfast. As women who had both been black girls searching the shelves for a book we didn’t find–one with an intrepid black princess– We knew what it was we wanted to create. Eventually we found a publisher who believed that we could have a book that worked on multiple levels—as an amazing book for every girl but as a especially wonderful book for girls of color, as a tween chapter book and as a book Mamas and Aunties can read to the little girls they used to be even as they read to their children.
I really hope that people realize that this book about a beautiful brown-skinned girl is an empowering story for ALL girls! Are you planning a sequel? There are things I still need to know!
We are absolutely planning a sequel that will take B.B. to Raven World. And we’ve also have more possible princesses to introduce to the world. Each of them will have her own quilt and Godmommies but they will be different quilts and different Godmommies.
Shadra: How did you resist just turning this into a picture book and illustrating the entire
Shadra Strickland
story?!
Ha! My schedule, mainly. From what I understand, the story will be turned into a picture book soon.
When Christina, our editor approached me about illustrating the book, I originally turned her down. I was in the middle of my first year of teaching and two picture book manuscripts. But, when I read the story I was hooked. There was no way I could pass up the opportunity to contribute to such a unique story.
Illustrating a picture book is like running a marathon. Many, many months of work go into it before you begin to see any real results. Chapter books, middle grades, and YA novels allow slightly more instant gratification. It’s also a nice a nice way to add some variety to my picture book work.
The story was just too delicious to turn down. A young, spunky black princess coming into her own…it was right up my alley.
Are the images going to be in color in the hardback?
Just as the text of the novel is presented as diary entries B.B. has written, the interior drawings are presented as B.B.’s pen and ink or pencil and paper creations. Shadra has done such a terrific job of creating drawings that convey a sense of how B.B. thinks and creates as well as images that delight the eye. But Shadra’s work does delight the eye! I like to think of the cover painting as a portrait one of the Godmommies painted of B.B.
It was a pleasure meeting all of you, including B.B.! Thank you for the interview!
Living the Dream » Blog Archive » Happ said, on 9/4/2012 5:47:00 AM
[...] and enjoy it. For a great interview with the authors and myself, check out Edi Campbell’s blog post over at Crazy Quilts! Here are a few reviews to whet your [...]
B.B. Bright is an orphan girl who lives on an island with her three godmommies. As she faces her thirteenth birthday, she begins to realize that she wants more than the protection of the island. She wants to meet boys, wear stylish clothes and have friends. But, to get off the island, she must pass the princess test. As she writes in her diary, we learn what her preparation requires.
No doubt, this book has a slow start. I thought I was going to be stuck in the world or preteen angst as scenes of complaints lasted just a bit too long. I am so glad I didn’t let that deter me from continuing to read. I was quickly lost in B.B.’s fantasy world which was framed in an expert use of language, crafted in master storytelling techniques and decorated with darling drawings. The authors took care to define each character and to underline their uniqueness, an essential element in the story’s message. Readers who may not even have ever wanted to be a princess will realize the everyday, the ordinary specialness in princesses and indeed in themselves. Being a princess here is more a euphemism for being a woman than for living on a glass pedestal.
In writing this story with its positive messages, Randall and Williams use this brilliant young black girl to show all girls their potentials. Both women (who are mother and daughter) are accomplished writers in their own right and this is their first published novel collaboration. Tomorrow, I’ll have post a recent interview with them.
Handcrafted quilts play an important role in this story. In fact, when I saw the octagon that B.B. drew, I
Click for directions
thought about octagonal quilt pieces. I would invite young girls who read this book to stitch an octagonal block and to either write or embroider one facet of their personality on each of the eight sides of the piece. Backs can be sown onto the individual quilt squares or they can be sown together to create a group quilt. What did B.B. see in herself? What do you see in you?
Shadra Strickland (@ShadrasArt) said, on 9/3/2012 9:23:00 AM
Thanks for sharing B. B. with your readers Edi! I’m so glad you enjoyed the book~
Edi said, on 9/3/2012 6:14:00 PM
Shadra,
It is such a wonderful book! I didn’t mention in the review how I just smiled when B.B. asks her readers what they think of her and then, you turn the page… I hope it has the same effect in the final edition!
Living the Dream » Blog Archive » Happ said, on 9/4/2012 5:49:00 AM
[...] “I was quickly lost in B.B.’s fantasy world which was framed in an expert use of language, crafted in master storytelling techniques and decorated with darling drawings.” – Edi Campbell [...]
While I was on Facebook this morning, I read a short conversation that took place yesterday between two of my closer friends; one from years past and close to my heart, the other newly formed and also close enough to hear my heartbeat.
What struck me as interesting was the subject of their discussion. They talked about poetry. Not just any poetry, but about well-known Sufi poets, both those of many decades or more past, as well as those of more contemporary times.
That subject isn’t one you can find lying around the average library when seeking good reading material. It struck me as relevant, too, that my older friend hasn’t been reading from these poets for very long. He’d discovered them after taking a recommendation from a newer acquaintance. An early morning discussion of Sufi philosophy isn’t usual FB fare, but it happens sometimes between educated people.
I realize that this doesn’t seem significant to the average reader. What makes it significant is that it came on the heels of a report I read this past week on the Illiteracy Reality that was released recently. The numbers on that report would make anyone stand up and protest or sit down in total discouragement.
According to the latest and greatest research, the current number of American adults, classified as functionally illiterate increases by 2.25 million each year.
Stop and think about that for just one second. It equates to having an equivalent population to the city of St. Louis joining the ranks of those who’re reading below a 5thgrade level. The number of people who are able to do routine math is even more dismal.
Here’s another factoid for you. When I worked corporate, albeit many years ago for one of the Fortune 500, I was asked to simplify my internal memos. Why? Because, my informant replied, the language structure accepted by upper echelon never exceeds 8th grade reading level. Everyone else, used 5th grade level to communicate.
I was stunned, to say the least. I suppose it comes from jargon needs. Jargon? Oh yeah. Every industry as its own jargon/language. Even fast food joints. This verbal shorthand makes communicating between employees faster, easier, and less likely to confuse the employees.
My question i
0 Comments on Discouraged and Disjointed as of 5/9/2012 9:47:00 PM
In celebration of African American History month, I discovered some especially moving books to share with The Children’s Book Review. Fighting for justice and equality through solidarity and courage, these books uncover the truth of the African American experience whether it’s during the time of the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement or even today.
In truly stunning paintings, Nelson follows the trajectory of the African-American experience in all of its harrowing and haunting glory. Beginning with slavery and ending with the civil rights movement, he gently describes the events to enlighten and as he explains in his gentle prologue, “make some things known before they’re gone for good.” You’ll find more details on Nelson’s remarkable book in these two stories from NPR and The New York Times and additional notes from the publisher. (Ages 8-11. Publisher: HarperCollins)
It’s almost incredible to recall that Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were not allowed as audience members in many of the theaters where they performed sold-out, standing-room-only shows. In Mitchell’s story, a small-town woman with a magnificent voice decides to bring her granddaughter along on tour. Although they are harassed, refused service and even payment from one stage manager, Grandmama keeps singing to inspire and bring people together with courage and the power of her conviction. (Ages 5-9. Publisher: HarperCollins)
In this eloquent book by Shane W. Evans, author of Underground, he recounts the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. His bold illustrations depict families as they make their way to the Lincoln
It’s Black History Month, and that means another giveaway from Lee & Low Books! We’re giving away three sets of three books featuring African Americans, and the contest will run through February 29, 2012.
You may have noticed that the winners won’t get their books until after Black History Month. We think Black History Month is important, but black history is part of American History, and shouldn’t get relegated to one month out of the year. So enter below to win three great books to enjoy all year long!
Here’s how it works:
Author Glenda Armand (Love Twelve Miles Long) gave us food for thought in her BookTalk when we asked her if she thought her book could only be used during Black History Month. Here is her response:
“I think it can be read at any time of year: it is a story about mother-child relationships, about slavery, about American history, and about a great statesman. It is a story about family and tradition. And it’s a bedtime story.
I can think of two aspects of Love Twelve Miles Long that give it timelessness and universality: one is the mother-child relationship and the other is separation anxiety. There are many reasons that a parent might have to be separated from a child: divorce, financial problems, illness. Children in circumstances such as these can relate to Frederick’s situation. And they can learn that there are ways—traditions, rituals—that can strengthen the bond with the absent parent.”
To enter this contest, answer this question: What do you think about Black History Month? -or- How do you celebrate Black History Month? -or- How do you call Black History Month to the attention of your kids (students or otherwise)? Write your answers in the comments section below to enter, and we will select a winner* at random. All answers have to be in by midnight on February 29th. You can also gain additional entries by subscribing to our blog, following us on twitter, and liking us on facebook. If you’ve done any of these, please note it below in your comment, otherwise your additional entry will not be counted.
I teach at the college level and when I am teaching, I exhort my students to learn about, know, and follow Banks & Banks’ 5 stages of multiculturalism. I urge my students to not read books about a person or culture only during a certain month, but to truly integrate all cultures during the whole school year, work to educate themselves and teach including various lenses (for example “American History,” which includes that of blacks, women, Chinese, Native Americans and others), as well as addressing racism, sexism, economic injustice, and social issues including homophobia.
I liked Lee & Low on Facebook.
LaQueshia said, on 2/8/2012 8:22:00 AM
While Black History Month is still an essential educational process in America, the experiences of Afro-Americans needs to be included in curricula throughout the year.
I currently volunteer as a librarian for my children’s school and I include books about African Americans, Indians, Asians, and women year-round.
There is no way to encapsulate a peoples’ story in 29 days. The information must be ongoing.
Donna McDine is an award-winning children’s author. Her stories, articles, and book reviews have been published in over 100 print and online publications. Her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids, Publicist for the Working Writer’s Club, and owner of Author PR Services from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY.
TCBR: Can you share a little on your background and how you became a children’s book writer?
Donna M. McDine: I was at a crossroads in my professional career longing to challenge myself outside of computers. At that time I came across the Institute of Children’s Literature aptitude test in a magazine and I took the plunge and completed it. I was happily accepted and graduated from the Writing for Children and Teenagers course in 2007 and haven’t looked back since.
What inspired you to write The Golden Pathway?
I have always been intrigued by American history and I live in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY – which was an integral part of the American Revolution.
What age group did you write the book for?
The Golden Pathway is written for ages 8-12. After discussing curriculum needs with several middle-grade teachers, they all expressed interest in books with illustrators for the visual learners in their classrooms.
Slavery is a topic that can make many people uncomfortable. However, it is a topic that certainly requires attention and discussion and should be approached with sensitivity. What was your approach when telling this particular story?
Even though the main character in the story is a boy, I wrote The Golden Pathway with my daughter in mind. She had come across a television documentary of human trafficking and it shocked her (please know she was 13 at the time). In discussing the documentary our conversation evolved into African slavery. And from there I took her feelings on the subject matter and it flowed into the story.
What would you say is the most important lesson that readers will take away from reading your book?
Children can make a difference even if an adult around them is negative.
The main character, David, is extremely brave considering the era in which he was raised. From where do you think he draws his inner strength?
From his upbringing by his mother, she taught him how to be sensitive to other people’s needs and he just knew what was right and what was wrong.
You have received Honorable Mentions in the 77th and 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. What does it mean to you to have received these honors?
These awards provided me with the confidence in my writing to keep going and not to let rejection get in the way of the next story fighting to get o
and defies his father to help his new friend attain freedom
(TAPPAN, NEW YORK) – The Golden Pathway is a richly illustrated work of historical fiction that allows children to comprehend the horror of slavery as well as the courage of the people who risked their lives to help slaves escape via the Underground Railroad. Told from a child’s perspective, the story begins with David, who is raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily. David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David attempts to lead Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.
Additional resources at the end of the book include a glossary of the code words used and a list of websites with information about the Underground Railroad.
About the author: Donna McDine is an award-winning children’s author, with Honorable Mentions in the 77th and 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Her stories have been published in many print and online publications and her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has two more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey. Learn more at www.donnamcdine.com.
What they’re saying about The Golden Pathway:
“Once children have read about David and the part he played in the Underground Railroad, they’ll be eager to find other stories to enhance what they’ve learned in The Golden Pathway.”
~ Beverly Stowe McClure, author of Rebel in Blue Jeans, Just Breeze, and Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines
Jeanne Walker Harvey is the author of a fascinating new children’s book My Hands Sing the Blueswhich traces the childhood migration of young Romare Bearden as he leaves his grandparents in Charlotte, North Carolina and then moves to New York City to eventually become a great painter during the Harlem Renaissance. Her remarkable book is filled with striking collages and poetic, jazz-inspired lines that mimic perhaps what influenced Bearden most as an artist: his childhood home and music. Harvey is also the author of Astro the Steller Sea Lion and she blogs about children’s narrative nonfiction books at True Tales & A Cherry on Top. She lives in Marin County, California with her husband and an adorable black Lab who sleeps at her feet while she writes.
Nicki Richesin:Congratulations on your exquisite children’s book My Hands Sing the Blues. I fell in love with the dreamy artwork and your rhythmic poetic telling of Romare Bearden’s childhood story. I read that you were first inspired by Bearden’s paintings while working as a docent at the San Francisco Museum of Art. What about his artwork captivated you and moved you to create your book?
Jeanne Walker Havery: Thank you so much, Nicki, for your kind words. It’s truly been an amazing experience to be part of this creative journey. And I really appreciate the opportunity to be interviewed by you as I think The Children’s Book Review is a terrific site and resource for families, teachers, librarians AND writers!
Yes, my docenting work at SFMOMA is exactly what inspired me to write this book. I was giving tours to school groups of the comprehensive Romare Bearden’s exhibit organized by The National Gallery when I fell in love with his art. As a teller of stories, I loved that his paintings told stories, especially the stories of his childhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. I found that I could hardly get the students to move on to the next painting in my tour because they were so engaged and drawn to his art, especially the huge vibrant collages. That’s when I decided that I would love to write a picture book about Bearden and the “people and the places” of his Charlotte childhood which he said was such an inspiration for his art.
Although Romare Bearden worked in different media, how important was it to you that the illustrator Add a Comment
Photographers Tribble & Mancenido photographed nine artists for CODE Magazine. Check out the other eight artists here. Many thanks to Tracey and James for including me and Peter Duhon for the interview.
0 Comments on Code Magazine Interview - Blacks in the Age of Obama as of 1/1/1900
here is my final fairy for the 'petal pixie' series i designed. lila is a sweet little fairy who loves the heady fragrance of lilacs....and so does her little bumblebee friend;) lila can be found FOR SALE as a REPRODUCTION here http://www.etsy.com/listing/63938868/lila-petal-pixie-reproduction in my etsy shop. also available in my shop are the rest of the series of 'petal pixies'... now, onto making some christmas gifts...
0 Comments on lila~the lilac petal pixie as of 1/1/1900
In my own representative national survey, I found that only 42 percent of black youth 18-25 felt like “a full and equal citizen in this country with all the rights and protections that other people have,” compared to a majority (66%) of young whites. Sadly, young Latinos felt similarly disconnected with only 43 percent believing themselves to be full and equal citizens.
In the video below, Cohen further discusses the involvement of black youth in American politics.
Posted with permission. (c) 2010 University of Chicago
Cathy J. Cohen is the David and Mary Winton Green Professor of Political Science and the College at the University of Chicago. She is the author of The Boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the Breakdown of Black Politics and co-editor of Women Transforming Politics: An Alternative Reader. Her most recent book is Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics.
0 Comments on Black Youth, the Tea Party, & American Politics as of 1/1/1900
Each story must be a minimum of 10,000 words but no more than 30,000 words.
Each story must be centered around a piece of African-American heritage like the Nala necklace or the Khanga or be set in a place that is rich in African-American History. Both the hero and the heroine must be African-American. The possibilities are endless, and we leave the choice up to each individual writer.
Any genre or time period is acceptable. Be creative and don’t limit yourself.
NO ENTRY FEE
Deadline August 15, 2010.
Judging will begin on August 16, 2010 with the top three winners and two honorable
mentions notified on or before October 15, 2010.
First Place Prize winner will receive $500, an award certificate,
and a contract for electronic publication of the winning entry.
Second Place Winner: $25, an award certificate, and a contract for publication of the winning entry.
Third Place Winner: $10, an award certificate, and a contract for publication of the winning entry.
Requirements:
Entry must not have been published in any format, including the author’s website.
Entries exceeding 30,000 words will be disqualified.
Entries should not include any subject matter which Whispers Publishing does not currently accept. Please visit our submission guidelines for further information.
Hope this provides another opportunity for someone reading this.
Press Play to hear Brother Wolf speak with Tejumola Ologboni on Walking the Talk with Street Storytelling.
A little more on the Artist…
Teju of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a master storyteller and folklorist of international renown. He draws listeners into stories with gestures and movements, and sometimes with music made on traditional Africa instruments. Some of his stories are filled with magic and mystical characters, like “the Possum and the Hare;” others are fact like the story of Joshua, a runaway captive who escaped to Wisconsin, and whose case went all the way to the Supreme Court, when a bounty hunter tried to capture and return him to being enslaved. Serious or humorous, political or festive, Teju’s stories reflect on longstanding and contemporary cultural perspectives to capture and return him to being enslaved. Serious or humorous, political of festive, Teju’s stories reflect on longstanding and contemporary cultural perspectives to give listeners greater understanding of the profound influence of African heritage on our traditions and identities. Come listen to this culture keeper and be enlightened and inspired.
He is also an author, teacher, consultant, poet, writer, actor, dancer, percussionist, and “verbal illusionist.”
“Storytelling is the most ancient of ancient arts.” -Tejumola Ologboni
Whether in your schools, concerts, festivals, libraries or community centers, bring Teju the Storyteller to your stage for a memorial cultural experience.
Tejumola F. Ologboni
P.O. Box 16706
Milwaukee, WI 53216
(414) 344-6656
Press Play to hear Brother Wolf speak with Tejumola Ologboni on Walking the Talk with Street Storytelling.
A little more on the Artist…
Teju of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a master storyteller and folklorist of international renown. He draws listeners into stories with gestures and movements, and sometimes with music made on traditional Africa instruments. Some of his stories are filled with magic and mystical characters, like “the Possum and the Hare;” others are fact like the story of Joshua, a runaway captive who escaped to Wisconsin, and whose case went all the way to the Supreme Court, when a bounty hunter tried to capture and return him to being enslaved. Serious or humorous, political or festive, Teju’s stories reflect on longstanding and contemporary cultural perspectives to capture and return him to being enslaved. Serious or humorous, political of festive, Teju’s stories reflect on longstanding and contemporary cultural perspectives to give listeners greater understanding of the profound influence of African heritage on our traditions and identities. Come listen to this culture keeper and be enlightened and inspired.
He is also an author, teacher, consultant, poet, writer, actor, dancer, percussionist, and “verbal illusionist.”
“Storytelling is the most ancient of ancient arts.” -Tejumola Ologboni
Whether in your schools, concerts, festivals, libraries or community centers, bring Teju the Storyteller to your stage for a memorial cultural experience.
Tejumola F. Ologboni
P.O. Box 16706
Milwaukee, WI 53216
(414) 344-6656
Would you like to be a part of a storytelling conference call that supports you in your use of storytelling? If so, then enter your name and email address and you will receive personal invitations to participate in The Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Conference call – most Tuesdays at 8pm Eastern.
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This book is such a great book, and should be read in the classroom. My granddaughter Celeste of course asked me several questions, in her little lifetime she does does not know about segregation. In my own lifetime (I was born in 1964) I vaguely remember when integration began in school (1st grade for me). My father--age 87 remembers well segregation. I am so proud of my father, he told me that he would on purpose sit in the back of the bus just to make a point that he was no different than people of color. I love my daddy more and more everyday. Back of the Bus is based on the true historical story of Rosa Parks a woman that was tired from her day at work, and she sat down in a seat on the public transportaion bus in Montgomery, Alabama. When she was told to move to the back of the bus where people of her color sat, she refused, and then she was arrested.
http://www.rosaparks.org/bio.html The fictional part of the story that the author weaves in to the real story, is of a little boy and his mother that are sitting in the back of the bus traveling to their home observing what is happening to Rosa Parks. The little boy does not understand and his mother is concerned about what this act will mean for them. The illustrations and words are full of the immensity of the little boy's world. The facial expressions are evocative and demanding from the reader to grasp the importance of this act. This is a world---and a prejudice---that I cannot grasp, it sickens me. Yet, this act (what Rosa Parks in courage did) was a beginning, that even through today should incite us to not allow prejudice and hatred and segregation to happen ever again. (I guess I'm preaching) This is a great book, be prepared to explain to the child on a level that they will understand about this story.
Blissful Reading! Annette
1 Comments on Back Of The Bus by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Floyd Cooper, last added: 6/16/2010
by Catherine Clinton, illustrated by Shane W. Evans Katherine Tegen Books An Imprint of Harper Collins Publisher's Published 2007, 32 pages, for ages 5-7 Non-Fiction Biography
This book was borrowed from the library for the purpose of reading/reviewing.
This is the story of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth. Both were born into slavery and both fought for freedom! When Sojourner Truth was born in 1797 she was given the name Isabella Bomefree. She was a slave to Dutch immigrants in the Hudson Valley area of New York. Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland in 1825, and the name given to her at birth was Araminta. Both women were abused by their slave masters, both women were fiercely independent and outspoken, and both were determined to end slavery. The story all through the book is placed on the right page, while the left page is the illustrations. The pages where the story is written is placed within a quilted image. The pictures of Harriet and Sojourner express large soulful eyes, arms reaching up to grasp freedom, and strength within their determined faces. I feel that this would be an excellent book to read and teach children about slavery in America. This is above all a wonderful book about two heroic women in African American history.
Blissful Reading! Annette
1 Comments on Review-When Harriet Met Sojourner, last added: 4/22/2010
My name is Arielle and I work with a small publicity company that partners with Christian authors trying to get their books off the ground. I read through many blogs to find the best possible readers for our authors. I am very eager to add you to my list of reviewers. I'd like to send you a pdf. of our newest releases, if this is something you'd be interested in please let me know. I hope to be hearing from you soon.
Arielle Roper [email protected] Bring It On! communications www.BringItOncommunications.com
Frances Smith Foster is Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Women’s Studies and Emory University’s 2006 Scholar/Teacher of the Year. In her new book, ‘Til Death or Distance Do Us Part, Foster draws from an array of documents to reveal a new picture of love and marriage for African Americans in the antebellum South. In this excerpt, she explicates evidence found in Freedom’s Journal to unearth African Americans’ own feelings on love and marriage within their community. We thought it would be fun to share with Valentine’s Day this weekend.
SPEAKING FOR (AND TO) OURSELVES
We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the publick been deceived by misrepresentations, in things which concern us dearly…
-Freedom’s Journal (March 16, 1827)
The front page of the first edition of Freedom’s Journal contains a description of the paper’s purpose. It says that African Americans have no formal medium in which they can counter the stories coming from other quarters with the stories they tell and know themselves. Freedom’s Journal proposes to fill this void. Organized by a committee of African Americans from several cities and states, the paper will be “devoted to the dissemination of useful knowledge” and to facilitating the “moral and religious improvement” of African Americans. The editors invite African Americans to subscribe and to contribute. They vow the paper will not advocate any particular religious or political views but will communicate “whatever concerns us as a people.” The first issue contains many different elements, including the first installment of the serialized “Memoirs of Capt. Paul Cuffee”; a poem–”The African Chief”; and a variety of news, fiction, and essays. Later editions display a similar variety of forms. Virtually every issue discusses love, marriage, sexual morality, gender roles, family, and community ethics. Produced for African Americans by African Americans about their own stories as they were– or as they wanted them to be known. And clearly, family relationships were a central concern.
Like Jacob’s narrative, Freedom’s Journal and the magazines and newspapers that followed it are treasure troves of ideas, experiences, and ideals that can have a great impact on twenty-first-century readers’ understanding of the history of marriage in African America. Much of the earliest writing by African Americans for themselves portrays marriage as natural, necessary, and of “God’s design.” The pages of black newspapers and magazines illustrate that contrary to popular belief, African American marriage, even during antebellum times, was frequent, that family ties were strong, and that love was both an adolescent fantasy and a fulfilling adult reality.
The details sketch the whole. An 1828 article in Freedom’s Journal argues that love can compensate for many deprivations and much oppression. The writer suggests that a loving marriage may be more important than financial gain or possibly even “freedom”:
And without domestic peace and harmony, what are any, or all of the blessings of life?… When love unites hearts and gracious principle is the guardian of conjugal love, how many of the
0 Comments on Love and Marriage in Antebellum African America as of 1/1/1900
I began telling stories as a member of an acting ensemble in 1976, presenting storytelling as a major part of our repertoire. We worked primarily in park and recreation centers and schools. As members moved away or went into other fields, we evolved into‐ and I cofounded ‐ the Black Storytellers Alliance (BSA) in direct response to the demand for storytelling to deliver the inspirational and cultural lessons embodied in our stories.
Early on I encouraged members of the audience to share the storytelling space by becoming a part of the story and one of the characters in the story. On many occasions, I was unable to use all the audience members who wanted to participate! It was wonderful to have so many trying to join in the storytelling process and reinforces oral storytelling as a powerful medium. Therefore, I decided to use a kind of birthday system for who I would choose:
• I start with participatory stories in mind
• I ask the audience who had a birthday in the prior month
• Depending of the number of positive responses, I decide on the story to
present.
One example is Ananse and His Six Children. If I receive more than six positive responses, I make some twins or triplets and sometimes quadruplets! I may use the age of the participant to determine the specific role of each participant. In the story Ananse and The Moss Covered Rock, Little Miss Bush Deer has to be at least a third grader, to understand and answer “No” to each of the questions asked by the Ananse character. When the participant is younger, (s)he may miss the concept and answer in the affirmative.
Audience participation is fun and most effective when the storyteller has extensive experience with audience inclusion.
Breif Bio Nothando Zulu is a Master storyteller who has been sharing stories with audiences for over 30 years. She shares stories that entertain, educate, motivate and inspire. She has performed at many venues locally, nationally and internationally. She draws from an extensive resource of colorful, often funny characters whose antics and follies leave audiences pondering their own life’s lessons. As Director of Black Storytellers Alliance, she and her husband with the help of the Board of Directors has produced a three-day storytelling festival celebrating the art of Black storytelling called, “Signifyin’ & Testifyin’” (now in the 17th year). Nothando is also a wife, mother, grandmother, community and political activist who believes in the power of stories.
Press Play to hear Nothando Zulu speaking on participation on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.
Nothando Zulu writes..
Participation, Participation, Participation...
I began telling stories as a member of an acting ensemble in 1976, presenting storytelling as a major part of our repertoire. We worked primarily in park and recreation centers and schools. [...]
Brother Wolf said, on 1/13/2010 8:00:00 AM
Press Play to hear Jimmy Neil Smith about the future of the International Storytelling on the Art of Storytelling Center with Brother Wolf.
Photo Curtsey of Fresh Air.
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Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of
Interview #096
Jimmy Neil Smith
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The Future of the International Storytelling Center
Jimmy Neil Smith writes...
In the early 1990s, I attended [...]
Press Play to hear Baba Jamal Koram speak the responsibility of being a storytelling on the Art of Storytelling with Children.
Baba Jamal Koram is a storyteller in the African American Griotic TraditionsÔ he is a dedicated practitioner and teacher of the spoken word traditions and is a respected leader in the world of storytelling. Baba Jamal is a groundbreaking storyteller, educator, folk drummer and organizer. He is a past president of the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. and is a 2001 recipient of its prestigious Zora Neale Hurston award. Called a storyteller’s storyteller, and a Griot’s Griot he continues to travel across the nation sharing his stories and his presence with thousands of school children and their families. Baba Jamal holds the B.A., M.S. and Ed.S. degrees, and is married and the proud father of children, grand children, and godchildren.
This master storyteller uses his stories to inspire, encourage, and to uplift the positive growth of our children and in our communities.
He has said:
“My South Carolina great grandmother Mary would say to her grandchildren, “Bring me a cool glass of water, and I’ll tell you a story. Then she would proceed to tell them one of those traditional African American Gullah stories, about Bruh Rabbit or one of the many folkloric characters. . . I follow in her storytelling footsteps. . .Call me if you have a cool glass of spring water.”
0 Comments on Baba Jamal Koram on the Power of Story as of 1/1/1900
Brother Wolf said, on 6/28/2009 11:01:00 PM
Press Play to hear Baba Jamal Koram speak the responsibility of being a storytelling on the Art of Storytelling with Children.
Baba Jamal Koram is a storyteller in the African American Griotic TraditionsÔ he is a dedicated practitioner and teacher of the spoken word traditions and is a respected leader in the world of storytelling. Baba Jamal is a groundbreaking storyteller, educator, folk drummer and organizer. He is a past president of the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. and is a 2001 recipient of its prestigious Zora Neale Hurston award. Called a storyteller’s storyteller, and a Griot’s Griot he continues to travel across the nation sharing his stories and his presence with thousands of school children and their families. Baba Jamal holds the B.A., M.S. and Ed.S. degrees, and is married and the proud father of children, grand children, and godchildren.
This master storyteller uses his stories to inspire, encourage, and to uplift the positive growth of our children and in our communities.
He has said:
“My South Carolina great grandmother Mary would say to her grandchildren, “Bring me a cool glass of water, and I’ll tell you a story. Then she would proceed to tell them one of those traditional African American Gullah stories, about Bruh Rabbit or one of the many folkloric characters. . . I follow in her storytelling footsteps. . .Call me if you have a cool glass of spring water.”
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Professional Storyteller 43%
Educator 43%
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Storytelling Organizer 34%
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Audience Member 31%
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1 Comments on Listener Survey April 1st till April 14th, last added: 4/10/2009
The Art of Storytelling with Children podcast successfully fuels the rebirth of the storytelling community in a new technological format. The podcast has created a format where anyone can learn the ancient art of storytelling.
“Storytellers can reach children in ways that other forms of education fail,” says storyteller Eric Wolf. Mr. Wolf has told stories professionally since 1993. “I have seen it again and again. The art of storytelling is essential to the development of moral and ethical behavior in children. Ethics and storytelling walk hand and hand into our children’s lives. You cannot have one with out the other.”
The Art of Storytelling with Children is not just for children. This program is for anyone who wants to learn how to use storytelling with children. Want to know how to be an amazing storyteller? How to use storytelling to hold audiences of all ages in rapt attention? How to get an audience to give you a standing ovation? Why thirty second stories are so useful? How storytellers are able to tell such great stories? All these questions on the art of storytelling are answered in considerable detail at www.storytellingwithchildren.com.
The Art of Storytelling with Children podcast has had a total of over 41,000 downloads from 140 different countries worldwide with 12,000 unique listeners and several hundred regular fans. This is a feat made more amazing because each show is over an hour long. More than 80 storytellers from all over the world have been interviewed. While long believed dead by many, the ancient art of storytelling is alive and well at www.storytellingwithchildren.com.
The Weeping Willow: Encounters With Grief collects real-life stories which teach lessons about coping with grief, I have excerpted one of the stories below. Lynne Dale Halamish and Doron Hermoni the authors of this volume, share how they work with a person to get at the truth of their grief.
What Is The Gain?: Cost Versus Benefit
It had been months since Shai’s disease first showed itself. This disease would kill this small boy. By the lost look of his father, Benjamin, it appeared that it might kill him too.
This illness was vicious, taking any small gains Shai had managed in his four years of life and slowly reversing them, until this child who had run and played with all his friends was now bedridden. He had only power to slightly move the ends of his fingers. He couldn’t even breathe unassisted. It was as if all his muscles had melted away. His life would probably be over within the year. In the meantime, the struggle was with the pain and with his father’s hopelessness. Shai somehow managed to enjoy every small attention. Could it be that he didn’t remember that less than half a year ago, he had been running with his friends?
Benjamin and I met, as we did weekly, to talk about setbacks, frustrations, and how to plan your life, your week, your day . . . or only your hour, when your only child was living in the deep shadow of death.
After about twenty minutes the words ran out, as often happened in these meetings. There was not always a way to mold pain into syllables. We sat in silence for a while. Then Benjamin turned and looked at me without speaking.
‘‘Benjamin,’’ I began, ‘‘What have you gained from Shai’s illness?’’
‘‘What?!’’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘‘What could I have possibly gained?’’
I waited a moment before continuing. ‘‘Benjamin, for everything in life—everything—there is a price and a possibility of profit. Everything.’’
‘‘I don’t understand.’’
‘‘Every situation, however horrible, carries with it a possibility of a gift, a gain, a benefit. The price and the benefit are not usually equal. Sometimes, as with Shai, the price is unspeakable and the gain may be small. Sometimes, the price is small and the gain large or any combination in between.
‘‘The difference between the price and the benefit is that the price is fixed. You cannot change it. You cannot avoid it. The benefit is optional. You usually have to look hard just to find it. It is frequently hard to agree to take the gain because it seems somehow profane to benefit from, for example, Shai’s pain or illness.’’
He continued to look at me silently, waiting for me to continue.
‘‘There is always the possibility of a gain. It is an option—you can take it or leave it. Whichever you choose, it doesn’t affect the price in any way.’’
‘‘So what should I do?’’ Benjamin asked helplessly.
‘‘First look for the benefit. Then decide.’’
‘‘What possible benefit could there be?’’
‘‘It could be anything. Changes you have had to make to accommodate your son’s illness—changes that could be good.’’
He thought for a few moments.
‘‘All my life, I’ve been shy, afraid, really, of any confrontation. I made sure I was always in the background, or I would agree with everyone. Anything to avoid confrontation.’’ He looked down at the floor for a moment and then looked up.
‘‘And?’’
He paused. ‘‘I have had to fight with everyone. It took a long time to figure out what was happening to Shai. I knew something was wrong, but everyone insisted I was being hysterical. I insisted on a second opinion, then a third opinion. I brought him to the best doctors in the country, insisted on medical coverage. I had to fight for him. I learned to fight! I learned to fight. ‘‘ He began to cry. ‘‘I learned to fight . . . ’’ he murmured.
I waited until Benjamin’s tears subsided and his eyes met mine.
‘‘Benjamin,’’ I said, ‘‘This is a gift from Shai. Don’t lose it.’’
Conclusions
_ With every situation comes a price and the possibility of a benefit.
_ The price is fixed, and the benefit is optional.
_ If you are already paying the price, it is wise to take the benefit.
_ Whether you take or leave the benefit, the price remains the same.
Autism confounds researchers but one way of understanding it is to look through the lens of stress and coping. That is exactly what editors M. Grace Baron, June Groden, Gerald Groden and Lewis P. Lipsitt do in their book Stress and Coping in Autism. Contributions by researchers, clinicians, teachers, and persons living with autism illustrate how it is possible to reduce the impact of stress in autism by understanding both the science and the experience of it. Below we excerpt part of the introduction. To learn more be sure to visit our morning post, Helping Children With Autism Learn.
The construct of stress has expanded our understanding of both typical and atypical human development in a revolutionary way. Research into a number of disorders that are often comorbid with a diagnosis of autism, such as anxiety, shyness, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and thought disorder, already include a systematic theoretical and applied analysis of the contribution of stress to the disorder. Autism, in its own right, might also benefit from such a focus for a number of reasons.
Anxiety, an indicator that someone is experiencing stress, was associated with autism as early as Kanner’s (1943) first description of the syndrome. A few early clinical and research reports (e.g., Marks, 1987; Matson & Love, 1990) examined the correlation between fear and anxiety and autism. In 1994, Groden, Cautela, Prince, and Berryman presented the first systematic framework for using the concepts of stress and anxiety to describe and treat autism and proposed that those with autism may, in fact, have a special vulnerability to stress. We now have a better understanding that the clinical problems often associated with stress, such as anxiety, are more prevalent among people with pervasive developmental disabilities than in the general population.
Autism has long been seen as a problem of faulty or different arousal responses to environmental intrusions (Dawson & Levy, 1989). This has given rise to continued speculation about the role of such patterns of arousal as diagnostic markers or even indicators or subtypes of autism. As early as 1979, Piggott’s review of selected basic research in autism suggested that, “Children called autistic probably represent a complex of clinically similar manifestations in a variety of difference physiological disturbance[s]. Objective markers are needed as to allow the demarcation of subgroups of autistic children for further study” (p. 199). More recently, Tordjman, Spitz, Corinne, Carlier, and Roubertoux (1998) offered a stress-based model of autism, integrating biological and behavioral profiles of individuals wish ASD. They propose that stress and anxiety may be core problems of autism and that an analysis of differential responses to stress can lead to the identification of different subtypes. Similarly, Porges’s The Listening Project (2002) documents hyperarousal and vagal disruptions in children with autism and offers a biologically based behavioral intervention designed to stimulate the social behavior of children with autism.
Some of the known biological or behavioral effects of stress (see McEwen, 2002; Sapolsku, 1998) can be seen in persons with autism. For example, there is recent evidence (Krause, He, Gershwin, & Shoenfeld, 2002) of suppressed immune system function in some persons with autism. Under- or oversentivity to pain is a hallmark behavioral symptom for many with autism, and turbulent sensory and perceptual experiences are documented regularly in first-hand reports (e.g., Jones, Quigney, & Huws, 2003). Fur
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A love of reading is crucial for increasing achievement among African American students and, consequently, for closing persistent achievement and opportunity gaps. Any student who picks up a book is exposed to adventures, life experiences, and characters that help cultivate voice and agency, and contribute to developing a strong sense of self. Since many students depend on books as their primary method of learning beyond the confines of the classroom, African American children are uniquely challenged when the majority of characters in the literature available to them do not affirm their experience, identity or culture.
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AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE WRITING CONTEST
Scholar/Teacher of the Year. In her new book, 
Thank you for the links and lists. You’ve given me future books to read.
Thanks, Edi! Wow–as bad as things are for African Americans, it’s sad to see how much worse they are for other racial groups. YS Lee is Asian, I believe (#51) and Hollywood High is listed twice on your AfAm list. If you had to guess, how many AfAf PB are published each year?
Zetta,
Thanks for the catch! I worked through the list a couple of times, both times late at night. Not a good way to catch errors.
You know, I’ve not really paid much attention to paperbacks but I think it would be important to keep track of how many books by authors of color make it to paperback, ebook and even have booktrailers made by their publishers.