How to use this Page

Today I'm happy to share in the celebration for the publication of Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became the Beatles, written by Susanna Reich, illustrated by Adam Gustavson, and published by Macmillan.

Author Susanna Reich has written an inspiring book chronicling the early years of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Each is highlighted in turn with a focus on the events and people that shaped his future and his interest in music.

The final pages feature the band's early successes.  Readers will be impressed by the boys' dedication to their musicianship and their ability to overcome family tragedy, illness, and in John Lennon's case - a lack of musical training and a guitar that his mother taught him to tune like a banjo.

John attacked the guitar, strumming as fast he could.  He didn't give a fig about wrong notes.

Eventually Paul traded in his trumpet for a guitar.  From then on, his brother said, "he didn't have time to eat or think about anything else."

At school, George sat in the back and drew pictures of guitars. But when it came to practicing, no one was more serious.

Back home, Richy [Ringo] couldn't stop his hands from tapping.  Listening to all kinds of music—country and western, jazz, blues, skiffle—he'd rap on the back of a chair, bang on a box, or pound an old bass drum with a piece of firewood.

The text is small and in simple font on a plain background, leaving ample room for Adam Gustavson's stellar illustrations in "oil paint on prepared paper."  It is a difficult task to render likenesses of these four men who are known and revered the world over.  Gustavson has done a remarkable job in capturing their youth, signature expressions, and intensity of mood. In quiet acknowledgement of the post-war era that engendered the rise of rock and roll, the book opens with double-spread illustration of "a dark October night in 1940," the night when John Lennon was born in the midst of war with Germany. The final double-spread is the one that appears on the book's jacket.

More illustrations from Fab Four Friends are on the publisher's site.

Rounding out Fab Four Friends are an Author's Note, Glossary (I'm sad that phonograph needs to be in the glossary!), Notes, and Sources.

I asked only one interview question of author Susanna Reich. With so many songs to choose from and her obvious love of her topic, I knew it would be a tricky question:
Q: "What's your favorite Beatles tune?"

It sent her to her headphones for an hour of listening. Her final answer:
A: "Let it Be."
It's certainly hard to argue with that.

The publisher's site lists a suggested age range of 6-10.  I think older kids, particularly those with musical inclinations will be interested in this one as well.


Note:
 A book's case and jacket are often (usually) the same.  Library books are typically processed with protective coating on the jacket that secures it to the cover. So, if you're a librarian, or a library user, you may never see the books' case.  If possible, however, take a peek under the jacket of Fab Four Friends. The front cover features individual portrait style paintings of Paul, John, George, and Ringo.  They appear youthful and suited and are presented in square frames reminiscent of yearbook photos or 1970s era Beatles posters. They are joyful and boyish - four fab friends.

My copy of Fab Four Friends was provided by the publisher.  You can find yours on a library or bookstore shelf, beginning today, August 18, 2015.

Follow the blog tour for Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became the Beatles.  Tomorrow, the tour will stop at UnleashingReaders.com .

• Mon 8/17  Booktalking 
• Tues 8/18  Shelf-Employed 
• Wed 8/19 UnleashingReaders.com 
• Thu 8/20 Elizabeth Dulemba 
• Fri 8/21 Maurice on Books
• Tue 8/25 Kidsbiographer's Blog
• Wed 8/26 Gail Gauthier 
• Thu 8/27 Tales from the Rushmore Kid
• Fri 8/28 Alphabet Soup

Add a Comment

On this day in 1984, musical aficionados from the worlds of pop and rock came together to record the iconic ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ single for Band Aid. The single has gone down in history as an example of the power of music to help right the wrongs in the world. The song leapt to the number one spot over the Christmas of 1984, selling over a million copies in under a week and totalling sales of three million by the end of that year. The Band Aid super-group featured the cream of eighties pop, including David Bowie, Phil Collins, George Michael, Sting, Cliff Richard and Paul McCartney.

The sales target for the single was £70,000, all of which was to be donated to the African famine relief fund. With support from Radio 1 DJs and a Top of the Pops Christmas Special, sales sky-rocketed and Geldof, feeling the strength of public opinion behind him, went toe-to-toe with the conservative government in an attempt to have tax on the single waived. Margaret Thatcher initially refused the plea, but as public outcry grew, Thatcher caved-in to public demands and the tax on sales worth nearly £9 million was donated back to charity.

Bob Geldof and a host of artists old and new have re-recorded the single to help raise funds to stem the Ebola crisis. Our infographic marks the 30th anniversary of the original recording and illustrates the movers and shakers that made this monumental milestone in pop history possible.

To view free articles examining the cause, the people, and the music, you can open the graphic as a PDF.

Headline image credit: Live Aid at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, 1985. CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Band Aid (an infographic) appeared first on OUPblog.

Add a Comment

Richards, Keith. 2014. Gus & Me: The Story of my Granddad and my First Guitar. Hachette Audio.

Keith Richards, the rough-edged, raspy-voiced, Rolling Stones guitarist, is hardly the man that comes to mind for a picture book writer and narrator, but then again, who better to tell the story of his first guitar?

Richards wins the listener over immediately with his folksy, working class Estuary English accent (think dropped h's and "intrusive" r's) and unmistakable fondness for his topics - his first guitar and his beloved Granddad, Gus. It was the musically talented Gus who introduced a young Keith Richards to the guitar, teaching him how to 'old it, and suggesting the classical Malagueña(r) as the pinnacle of guitar mastery.

I have yet to see the print version of this story, but I don't believe it could surpass the audio book.  A story with music at its heart needs music to be understood. Richards plays bits from Malagueña in appropriate spots throughout the story, and during a visit to a music shop in London, we hear Steve Jordan on drums.  Once, the listener even hears a little chuckle - not musical, but surprisingly sincere.  Richards collaborated with other authors, but this is obviously his story, and he delights in telling it.

(Run time: about 7 minutes)

My review of Gus & Me for AudioFile Magazine appears here with a small excerpt.  Take a listen!

Add a Comment

This video has been around for a while, but every now and then I love to watch it again and see if it still gets me all misty-eyed as soon as the violins come in. Yes, it does. And by the end I’m always in full-on happy tears. See if it doesn’t do the same for you:

Add a Comment

Marino, Nan. 2013. Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace. New York: Roaring Brook.
(Advance Review Copy provide by NetGalley)

Due on shelves April 16, 2013

Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace 
(a booktalk)


Cecilia has no rhythm, and not too many friends; but she has something special - a story. A story of a song that connects her to New Jersey's wild Pine Barrens as firmly as the roots of its Pygmy Pines and Atlantic Cedars. Everyone in Wares Grove knows the story of the song played by the forest on the night of Cecilia's birth. Only the story of the Pineland's most famous inhabitant, the Jersey Devil, is known more widely.

But two unexpected things occur as Cecilia's 12th birthday approaches. Cecilia's mother begins to doubt the song, and a young boy, a boy who has perhaps lost a song of his own, has arrived in the middle of the night under suspicious circumstances - and he's hiding out at Piney Pete's Pancake Palace.

A song, a secret, and the legendary tale of the Jersey Devil are entwined in this imaginative story of discovery set on the fringes of New Jersey's Pine Barrens, a natural wonder.

Find out who's Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace.

• a Kirkus, starred review book

Note:
Lest you think that the Pine Barrens is a made-up place, or that New Jersey is nothing more than exits off the Turnpike or Parkway, be assured that the Pine Barrens are in fact, one of the world's most interesting places. The Pinelands cover 1.1 million acres, or 22 percent of New Jersey's land area. (from the official NJ tourism site - see below)

Learn more about the Pine Barrens and other locations in Nan Marino's new book at these sites:

• Pinelands Preservation Alliance
• VisitNJ.org , the official tourism site of New Jersey
• Albert Music Hall
• Weird NJ (for information on The Jersey Devil, namesake of NJ's professional hockey team)
• New Jersey Historical Society (for more on the Leeds Devil)

If I didn't have a sore throat, this one would have been a podcast.  Look for a podcast or video booktalk for Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace soon.

Add a Comment

By Terza S. Lima-Neves

For a relatively unknown small island nation in West Africa with a population of half a million people, Cape Verde enjoys a rich and lively music scene. This archipelago of ten islands and former Portuguese colony is a nation historically affected by drought and famine, leading to a very sizable global immigrant community. Many of Cape Verde’s musicians either live abroad or were born in countries such as Portugal or the United States, the host country of the largest community of Cape Verdeans outside of Cape Verde. Because of its mild weather year round, it plays host to numerous international music festivals that attract millions of tourists from all over the world.

Surely Cesaria Evora, known for her sultry, Billie Holiday-like voice, rings a bell for world music fans. The barefoot diva elevated this unknown country and its traditional music to the world stage. Cesaria made famous traditional styles of music like the morna and coladeira with her powerful voice, gaining fans worldwide, even those unfamiliar with Cesaria’s native language, Portuguese Crioulo. Lura, another artist gaining worldwide recognition, credits Cesaria for paving the way for younger Cape Verdean female traditional artists. Lura and other female musicians such as Mayra Andrade, Sara Tavares, Nancy Vieira, and Maria DeBarros, along with male artists such as Michel Montrond, Dani Santoz, Tcheka, Princezito, and Vadu, and bands like Ferro Gaita and Cordas do Sol have all taken Cape Verdean music to new heights.

In addition to morna and coladeira, traditional Cape Verdean music includes the styles of batuque, finacon and funana. Although Cesaria is likely the most widely recognized of Cape Verdean musicians, other artists such as Luis Morais, Ildo Lobo, Orlando Pantera, and Nacia Gomes have penned well-known lyrics that have become national symbols of the struggle for independence, the resilience of the people amidst adversity, and sodade, a deep nostalgic longing for loved ones lost through emigration or death.

As contemporary genres of music like zouk and kizomba become more popular among the youth and club-goers, however, there is concern that the country’s traditional music will become either less authentically Cape Verdean or just simply a thing of the past due to a perceived lack of interest in traditional music. Nevertheless, there is evidence that younger musicians committed to learning more about their cultural roots are showing increased interest in traditional Cape Verdean music. A recent national music competition similar to American Idol presented young artists who only performed traditional songs, and the nightlife for many young people in the cities of Mindelo and Praia includes stopping at local bars for drinks and live traditional music performed by new artists before continuing to trendier nightclubs.

Guelas, an internationally-known DJ of African music, believes in the exceptional talent of traditional artists like Mayra Andrade, Tcheka and Lura, but says he worries about a fan base that doesn’t show support for the music.

“At this moment, Cape Verdean… artists compete with Brazilian music, American music, house, techno, and others. Cape Verdeans in Cape Verde have access, via internet/TV, to so many choices of music that they’re forgetting their own. I have witnessed this first hand when in Cape Verde. Clubs won’t even play a lot of contemporary Cape Verdean music, never mind traditional. At the Cape Verdean Music Awards, a DJ was awarded the best DJ award for playing non-Cape Verdean music. If something isn’t done, the future of traditional Cape Verdean music doesn’t look so bright. There will be a disconnect from the younger generation of Cape Verdeans with their culture and some identity will be lost.” (Source: Written interview with DJ Guelas, 20 November 2012)

Cape Verdean American hip-hop artist Shokanti, however, is optimistic about the direction of the music in the hands of a new generation of traditional artists. He shares,

“This year a coladeira song was awarded song of the year during the Cape Verdean Music Awards. In a country where most of the population is young people, this is a clear sign that traditional music is far from diminishing. Just as oral tradition is passed on through generations, the fighting force behind the progression of Cape Verdean traditional music has been the descendants of musicians who choose to continue the legacy and traditions of their ancestors.” (Source: Written interview with Shokanti, 21 November 2012)

Shokanti also speaks of the critical role of education, saying that, “the future may be perilous if the government does not take the approach to institutionalize arts in the educational system. This will guarantee that the traditional music of Cape Verde will flourish in the future.”

There are hundreds of talented musicians, unknown to the world, who continue to play in the local music scene, hoping to be discovered by international talent scouts. It may be too early to predict whether or not Cape Verdean traditional music is destined for greatness in the hands of a younger generation. But it is safe to say that this developing African nation and its diaspora community continue to produce exceptionally talented musicians who bring joy to the ears of music fans throughout the world. As Cape Verdeans say, “our richest resources are our people and our music.”

Terza Lima-Neves is an assistant professor of political science at Johnson C Smith University. She is a lover of music and all things Cape Verde, and has written many articles for the Dictionary of African Biography, published by Oxford University Press and available online at the Oxford African American Studies Center. Follow her blog, Tizu’s Other’s World.

The Oxford African American Studies Center combines the authority of carefully edited reference works with sophisticated technology to create the most comprehensive collection of scholarship available online to focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American and African history and culture. The Oxford African American Studies Center provides students, scholars and librarians with more than 10,000 articles by top scholars in the field. Over 2,500 images, more than 450 primary sources with specially written commentaries, and nearly 200 maps have been collected to enhance this reference content. More than 150 charts and tables offer information on everything from demographics to government and politics to business and labor to education and the arts.

Subscribe to the OUPblog via email or RSS.
Subscribe to only music articles on the OUPblog via email or RSS.

Add a Comment

I haven't seen this entire series, but I think that the American Graphic biographies by Capstone Press may fill two needed niches.  The first, and probably the intended purpose is to fill the need for easy reading biographies that will interest older kids.  A secondary benefit, however, is that these books can bring complex historical figures to a level where they can be understood by young elementary schoolers who so often express interest in people and things way "beyond their years."
Collins, Terry. 2012. King of Pop: The Story of Michael Jackson. Ill. by Michael Byers. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Written largely as a first-person account, ten short chapters chronicle Michael Jackson's life, focusing both on his genius and his pecularities, though not going in to great detail regarding the latter.  A two-page illustration of tabloid headlines offers the reader a glimpse into Michael's personal life, but "Thriller" and "Billy Jean" are also illustrated expansively - including his famous moonwalk. The book concludes on a positive note with a collage of the many faces of Michael Jackson and the following summation,

And in his heart, he was still a little boy who never grew up ...
... and the world is all the richer for it.

The panels are easy to follow and have easy to read text. This graphic novel biography concludes with two pages of standard text titled, "The Legacy of Michael Jackson," followed by a Glossary (which includes eccentric and surrogate, as well as innovation and mourn), sites and books where more information can be found, and a small index.

I predict this one will be popular.

 Next up, Hip-Hop Icon: Jay-Z


This book never even made it onto the shelf!  Within minutes of receiving it, a young adult male spotted it on my desk and asked to borrow it.  Sometimes, a little bit of information is enough - perhaps that's a third niche for these easy-reading comic style biographies.

Other titles in the American Graphics series include: ELVIS: A Graphic Novel, Obama: The Historic Election of America's 44th President, Sara Palin: Politcal Rebel, The Bambino: The Story of Babe Ruth's Legendary 1927 Season. A complete list of the American Graphic biography collection is available on Capstone's site.

Also on the site are complete readability statistics - ATOS, Lexile, and GR.  These high-interest, low-level biographies are suggested for grad

Display Comments Add a Comment

Woods, Brenda. 2011. Saint Louis Armstrong Beach. New York: Nancy Paulsen (Penguin Group)

It's hard to believe that I'm labeling a book about Hurricane Katrina "historical fiction," but to middle-grade readers, that's exactly what it is.  While memories of  Katrina are still fresh in the minds of New Orleans and Gulf Coast residents, 2005 is a lifetime ago for a 5th grader, born in 2001.

This first-person fictionalized account of 11-year-old Saint Louis Armstrong Beach (named for his grandfather King Saint and the famous trumpeter), tells the brief story of the run-up to Hurricane Katrina, the storm (in which he is trapped with an elderly neighbor), and its aftermath.  With freakish good luck and a family with money and decent jobs, Saint will fare better than many, if not most, New Orleanians actually did.  However, Saint Louis Armstrong Beach: A Novel (a boy, a dog, and the hurricane that almost separated them) serves as an excellent middle-grade introduction to this important page in American history.  The plight of the less fortunate provides a backdrop for Saint's story.  When he wonders why others are not evacuating to shelter in other cities, his father reminds him that not all people can leave,

"And who's gonna pay for that?  Some people got no jobs, others got no money, and when I say no money ... I mean no money.  Some people got nuthin' except the clothes on their backs, Saint."
"Money's real important, huh?"
"Yep, but what you do with it is even more important.  Most a the people who claim money's not important are folks who have plenty of it.  You remember that."

If it's a tad didactic and Saint is a tad too saintly, so be it.  Sometimes we need the obvious lesson. A short (136 pages) and accessible book for young readers. Light on scientific information, pair this one with an appropriate nonfiction title.

Brenda Woods is a Coretta Scott King Honor Award winner for The Red Rose Box.

Other reviews @
Kirkus Reviews
Waking Brain Cells
Bermuda Onion's Weblog

Teachers, there's a Reader's Companion for Saint Louis Armstrong Beach.

Add a Comment

Filed under: songs

Display Comments Add a Comment

Tweet

By Michelle Rafferty

How real is the HBO series Treme? Here John Swenson reflects on what it was like watching the first season as a resident of New Orleans (he has yet to comment on the second, which premiered last night), as well as what the culture of the city means to its people.

As a writer for OffBeat Swenson has written about the musicians returning to NOLA after Katrina, and in his forthcoming book New Atlantis: Musicians Battle for the Survival of New Orleans he talks about their crusade to save the endangered city. Swenson himself suggested the song in the video “Dogs Chase Cats” from Andy J. Forest’s NOtown Story (2010).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Add a Comment

Add a Comment

A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS
John F. Kennedy
Introduction by Edward M. Kennedy
Foreword by Abraham H. Foxman
Harper Perennial, January, 2008

Harper Perennial has announced the publication of John Kennedy's important essay about the immigrant core of the U.S. Here's the publisher's blurb:

"At a time when the issue of immigration and immigrants has taken center stage in this country, the message of President John F. Kennedy’s classic essay A Nation of Immigrants is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. That is why the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and publisher Harper Perennial have reissued this landmark essay on the contribution of immigrants to American society.

"With a new introduction by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, A Nation of Immigrants (Harper Perennial) offers inspiring suggestions for immigration policy and presents a chronology of the main events in the history of immigration in America.

"Written by Kennedy in 1958 after ADL reached out to the then-junior senator from Massachusetts asking him to highlight the contribution of immigrants at a time when the country was locked in a debate about the direction its policy should take, it is the last manuscript President Kennedy ever wrote, and the book was first published posthumously.

"Throughout his presidency, John F. Kennedy was passionate about the issue of immigration reform. He believed that America is a nation of people who value both tradition and the exploration of new frontiers, people who deserve the freedom to build better lives for themselves in their adopted homeland. This modern edition of his posthumously published, timeless work -- with a new introduction by Senator Edward M. Kennedy and a foreword by Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director -- offers the late president’s inspiring suggestions for immigration policy and presents a chronology of the main events in the history of immigration in America.

"As continued debates on immigration engulf the nation, this paean to the importance of immigrants to our nation's prominence and success is as timely as ever."


LAS CHICAS DEL 3.5" FLOPPIES



Our friends at Su Teatro sent us the following notice about an upcoming theatrical event that sounds exciting and too good to pass up.

"El Centro Su Teatro proudly presents an innovative new work from Mexico City: Las Chicas del 3.5" Floppies, one weekend only, February 14, 15, and 16. The Las Chicas production represents a unique opportunity for Denver audiences to experience original and exciting international theater right in their own backyard.

"Written by acclaimed young playwright Luis Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio (LEGOM)—dubbed by the press as the enfant terrible of contemporary Mexican theater, Las Chicas del 3.5" Floppies is a funny, edgy, and slightly unsettling story in which traditional mores meet the modern age. Dangerously skirting the boundaries between existential comedy, Mexican telenovela, and social documentary, this play exposes the human repercussions of globalization and poverty with incisive humor and relentless honesty.

"Su Teatro brings Las Chicas to Denver as part of the Performing Americas program of the National Performance Network (NPN) with additional support from the Western States Arts Federation. El Centro Su Teatro is one of six NPN partner organizations chosen as curators for the program, whose aim is to encourage interaction between U.S. and Latin American theaters. Su Teatro Organizational Manager Mica Garcia de Benavidez has traveled to Brazil, Venezuela, and Uruguay as part of the Performing Americas program, meeting with other theater professionals and targeting the strongest performances for international exchange.

"The Mexico City theater company DramaFest, featuring actors Aída Lopez and Gabriela Murray, will take Las Chicas from Denver to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and then on to 7 Stages in Atlanta on this NPN sponsored tour.

"Performed in Spanish with English surtitles, Las Chicas del 3.5" Floppies is accessible to Spanish-speaking, English-speaking and bilingual audiences—particularly those interested in an exclusive and contemporary slice of life from one of the world’s largest urban communities.

"This production marks Su Teatro’s second international collaboration in a year and a half (Grupo Zero, June 2006), and is part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to bring Denver audiences the most innovative cultural performances—from the local Chicano community to the Latino world.

"Las Chicas del 3.5" Floppies, February 14 – 16 at El Centro Su Teatro, 4725 High Street. Tickets are $18 general and $15 students/seniors. Special comadre group rates are available. The Saturday, February 16 performance is featured as part of Su Teatro’s annual Dia de San Valentin dinner. For tickets and information call El Centro Su Teatro at (303) 296-0219 and visit www.suteatro.org and www.myspace.com/elcentrosuteatro.

NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL DISTRICT BANS HOW THE GARCIA GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS
Julia Alvarez's highly acclaimed and universally respected novel, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents ((Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 1991)), has been banned by the Johnston School District in North Carolina. According to an article at mydailyrecord.com, by Leslie Parnell, the book was "taken out of the school district after a West Johnston High School student's parents challenged its sexual content and profane language to the school board. The county schools staff has now launched a district-wide book title review." The same article includes Ms. Alvarez's response: "Alvarez said she is dismayed over the banning of her book in Johnston County schools. Literature is about story telling to human beings and story telling is rich because humans come from many different tribes, she said.

...
"Johnston County probably made its decision to ban the book based on selected passages, Mrs. Alvarez said, and as a result, the school system may have deprived all students of a positive learning experience.

"'(Parents) have their concerns. I do think they are misguided. I think they are out of context,' Mrs. Alvarez said.

"The National Coalition Against Censorship sent a letter to the Johnston County Board of Education dated Dec. 21, 2007, expressing concern about the ban and that school administrators are now checking commonly challenged books.

"'This isn't just an issue of my particular novel's merit, but a bigger one about the curtailment of civil liberties and an erosion of the best values and principles of this free country,' Mrs. Alvarez said."

There's also an article by Lisa Sorg about the ban at the Independent Weekly entitled Banned Books, Blank Minds.

THE SERIE PROJECT AT REGIS UNIVERSITY
The Serie Project, Inc., of Austin, Texas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Latino arts organization that produces, promotes, and exhibits serigraph (silk screen) prints created by established and emerging artists.

A collaborative workshop format is the setting used to foster diverse artists’ development and creativity through exposure to the serigraph technique. Each participating artist creates a limited edition serigraph print and The Serie Project, in turn, is able to make the fine art available to the public through these affordable, signed and numbered prints.

The prints are also exhibited throughout the year at various museums and galleries in and outside of Texas. All of this is accomplished at no cost to the artist.

Such an exhibit is scheduled for Denver from January 15 - February 22 at the O'Sullivan Art Gallery on the campus of Regis University. The Opening Reception is set for January 24, 4:30 - 7:00 PM and a gallery talk by George Rivera, Ph.D. on the topic of Deconstructing the Chicano Visual Experience, will take place on February 7 at 7:00 PM.

Regis University is on West 50th Avenue between Federal Boulevard and Lowell Boulevard. For information: 303-964-3634 or this website.

Image: Gravity by Jimmy Peña.

Later.

Display Comments Add a Comment