Learning as we climb: stories about the Civil Rights Movement for young readers.Black Issues Book Review's editor for children's books, Suzanne Rust, chose several books to provide a range of choices for young readers this season, as well as the sampling for young-adult readers that follows: Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison Noun 1. Toni Morrison - United States writer whose novels describe the lives of African-Americans (born in 1931) Chloe Anthony Wofford, Morrison , Houghton Mifflin Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational publisher in the United States. The company's headquarters is located in Boston's Back Bay. It publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers Company, May 2004, $18.00 ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-618-39740-X, all ages This collection of poignant and powerful archival photographs captures the mood and events of school integration. The images, accompanied by Morrison's fictional dialogue, give the reader a feel of this chapter of American history and help children grasp what a tumultuous time it was. Morrison dedicates her book to Addle ad·dle v. ad·dled, ad·dling, ad·dles v.tr. To muddle; confuse: "My brain is a bit addled by whiskey" Eugene O'Neill. See Synonyms at confuse. Mac Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, the four little girls who died during the infamous bombing of their Birmingham church in 1963. Morrison writes: "Their lives short, their deaths quick. Neither were in vain." Malcolm X Malcolm X, 1925–65, militant black leader in the United States, also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, b. Malcolm Little in Omaha, Neb. He was introduced to the Black Muslims while serving a prison term and became a Muslim minister upon his release in 1952. : A Fire Burning Brightly by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Leonard Jenkins, HarperCollins January 2000, $16.99 ISBN 0-060-27707-6, ages 5-8 Because of Malcolm X's controversial messages, children's books about him are not nearly as plentiful as they should be. Myers skillfully approaches Malcolm X from early childhood through a troubled youth and finally to his rise as an important and complex leader. Myers weaves quotes from Malcolm's fiery speeches against the backdrop of Leonard Jenkins's strikingly bold paintings. The combination captures Malcolm's spirit and his changing beliefs. I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Leonard Jenkins, Amistad Press December 2003, $15.99, ISBN 0-060-27703-3, ages 5-8 Unlike books about Malcolm X, titles about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. abound, especially for children. Once again, Myers's approach to his is special. Here, he takes the life and words of Dr. King and mixes them with an overview of the Civil Rights Movement to create a stirring portrait of the man who guided American society towards the ideals of fairness and freedom. Jenkins's vibrant collage-like illustrations help set this book apart from the pack. Both of these biographies should be on every child's bookshelves. Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Noun 1. Jackie Robinson - United States baseball player; first Black to play in the major leagues (1919-1972) Jack Roosevelt Robinson, Robinson Changed America by Sharon Robinson Scholastic Press February 2004, $16.95 ISBN 0-439-42592-1 ages 9-12 Written with a loving hand by his daughter, this book on Jackie Robinson, the first African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. to add some color to the great American pastime, is refreshing. Ms. Robinson shares with readers all of her father's trials, tribulations and triumphs, and her closeness to the subject gives a new perspective of the baseball pioneer. Promises to Keep is chock-full of great photos, both personal professional, as well as memorabilia. Other Selections God Bless the Child by Billie Holiday, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, HarperCollins Children's Books January 2004, $16.99, ISBN 0-060-28797-7, all ages Free at Last! Stories and Songs of Emancipation by Dorren Rappaport illustrated by Shane W. Evans Candlewick can·dle·wick n. 1. The wick of a candle. 2. a. A soft heavy cotton thread similar to that used to make wicks for candles. b. Embroidery made of tufts of this thread. Press, January 2004 $19.99, ISBN 0-763-61440-8, age 9-12 In this colorful history book, covering the years from Emancipation in 1863 to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) (1954) U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. , songs, poems, stories and brilliant illustrations aim to educate youngsters about a few of the significant people and moments that display the proudness and determination that is characteristics of the black experience in America. Billie Holiday's signature song is put to the page with Jerry Pinkney's lush paintings to depict one family's move from the rural South to the urban North during the Great Migration of the 1930s. The Legend of Buddy Bush by Shelia R Moses Margaret K. McElderry Books January 2004 $15.95, ISBN 0-689-85839-6 ages 12 and up After living in Harlem, Uncle Goodwin "Buddy" Bush returns home to a small town in North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. and shakes things up. It is 1947, but Buddy doesn't act like the local folks and he quickly finds a fan in his niece Pattie Mae Sheals, a precocious and spirited child. When Buddy winds up in jail for a crime he didn't commit many lesson s are learned. Powerful Words: More Than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans by Wade Hudson, illustrated by Sean Qualls, Foreword by Marian Wright Edelman Marian Wright Edelman (born June 6, 1939, in Bennettsville, South Carolina) is an American activist for the rights of children. She is president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund. Scholastic, February 2004 $19.99, ISBN 0-489-40969-1 ages 9-12 Edelman writes in her foreword: "But even in those difficult times and places, black people have always found ways of putting our dreams into words." Powerful Words is a fine collection of writings by more than 30 remarkable people, including Ida B. Wells Ida B. Wells, also known as Ida B. Wells-Barnett (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931), was an African American civil rights advocate and an early women's rights advocate active in the Woman Suffrage Movement. Barnett, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, Toni Morrison and Lauryn Hill among them--all displaying the range of emotions and ideas that have come to express the various aspects of being black in America. Adults, too, will find these words inspiring and uplifting, worthy of rereading over and over. Papa's Mark by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert illustrated by Colin Bootman Holiday House, February 2004 $16.95, ISBN 0-823-41650-X Set circa 1870, when blacks had just been granted the right to vote through the Fifteenth Amendment The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: , rids is a moving tale of a son teaching his father to write his name just in time to cast his ballot. Bootman's warm-toned oil paintings enhance the mood. Wilma Rudolph: Olympic Runner by Jo Harper, illustrated by Meryl Henderson, Aladdin Library, January 2004, $4.99, ISBN 0-689-85873-6 ages 9-12 From the Childhood of Famous Americans series comes a biography of track-and-field legend Wilma Rudolph. Once we learn about her challenging childhood and how she overcame double pneumonia double pneumonia n. Pneumonia affecting both lungs. double pneumonia 1. An obsolete term for bilateral lobar pneumonia, a now rare condition 2. , scarlet fever scarlet fever or scarlatina, an acute, communicable infection, caused by group A hemolytic streptococcal bacteria (see streptococcus) that produce an erythrogenic toxin. and polio, and then being unable to walk normally until the age of 11, Rudolph's determination and accomplishments shine all the brighter. Some Friend by Marie Bradby Atheneum ath·e·nae·um also ath·e·ne·um n. 1. An institution, such as a literary club or scientific academy, for the promotion of learning. 2. A place, such as a library, where printed materials are available for reading. Books for Young Readers January 2004, $16.99, ISBN 0-689-85615-6 ages 9-12 An engaging story of a young girl's search for and discovery of friendship. No Laughter Here by Rita Williams Garcia Amistad Press, December 2003 $15.99, ISBN 0-688-16247-9 ages 12 and up Two young girls, from different backgrounds, explore each others' heritages and traditions. Shooter by Walter Dean Myers Amistad Press, May 2004 $15.99, ISBN 0-680-29519-8 ages 9-12 Myers tells the gripping story of a high-school student and his involvement in a school shooting. |
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