🎃 The Most Haunted House in America by Jarrett Dapier, illustrated by Lee Gatlin 🎃

The Most Haunted House in America by Jarrett Dapier,

illustrated by Lee Gatlin

Abrams BFYR, 2022, 32 pages

One night in October, an invitation arrived underground inviting the Skeleton Drummers to the White House for an Halloween celebration. And what a fun place to be invited to. Not only is it the president's home, "[b]ut there's one more thing you might not know./ The White House is HAUNTED from top to toe!" A little bit scared, but nevertheless undaunted, the Skeleton Drummers head to the nation's capital and the North Lawn of the President's home.

There, kids dressed up as "wizards and witches and robots and more/ line up the drive and step up to the door." President Obama and First Lady Michelle give out treats to everyone accompanied by the haunting sounds of the Skeleton Drummers. 

Then, when all the treats have been handed out, the President and First Lady invite the Skeleton Drummers into the White House where "...inside the doors, something's not right./ A chill in the air and a prickle of fright/ grab hold of our band. Our sticks start to shake/ our bones start to shudder, then rattle and quake!" Room by room, the drummers encounter all kinds of ghosts and spirits, some historical figures who are still roaming the halls and haunting the rooms of the White House. And what a rollicking Halloween those spirits are having.  

But when they stumble on the Terror Ball, where the living and the dead are partying together, maybe it is time for the Skeleton Drummers to make a hasty exit from the White House out onto the Mall. But ultimately, as they leave at dawn to go back underground, all they can only say "Thank you, First Lady - this night was the BEST!

This is a fun story, told completely in rhyme, and based on a real Halloween celebration in 2009 at the White House during the Obamas' first year living there, when they invited the author to drum along with others drummers while 2,500 kids and their grownups trick or treated there. And, of course, it it believed that the White House is indeed haunted, so together these two things made for a fun Halloween story. 

I loved the pencil, ink, and digital illustrations, done in a bright palette of seasonal colors. And though there are lots of what could be scary beings, both dead and living, throughout none of them are done so that they are too frightening for kids. I would recommend this book for kids over 6 years, and you might find yourself having to explain who the Obamas are. 

There is some back matter consisting of books and online resources where you can find more information about the nation's haunted White House. 

The Most Haunted House in America is a lighthearted picture book perfect for the Halloween season.

How War Change Rondo written and illustrated by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv, translated by Oksana Lushchevska

 

How War Changed Rondo

written and illustrated by

Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv

translated from the Ukrainian by Oksana Lushchevska

Enchanted Lion Books, 2021, 40 pages

I originally posted this on my other blog, The Children's War, but given the current situation in the Ukraine, I thought I would repost it here.

Three friends, Danko, a bright light with a shiny transparent heart, Fabian, a red balloon dog with a knot for a nose, and Zirka, a paper origami bird covered with notes and sketches of his journeys, loved living in Rondo. Rondo was a place with clear air, where residents grew and tended flowers everywhere, and where they all lived in distinctive houses. In other words, Rondo was a pretty great place to live. 

Rondo was especially famous for its flowers and the thee was a large greenhouse which housed a collection of rare plants and flowers that could sing. Concerts were often held in the greenhouse and the town anthem, Mozart's Rondo alla Turca, was always played for residents and visitors alike.

One ordinary day, Danko and Fabian were on their way to meet Zirka, who had just returned from a trip with new stories. But whispers has begun...war was on its way to Rondo and leaving a path of death and destruction everywhere it went. No one in Rondo knew what war was, but once it arrived, everything there was dark and ugly. War planted "black flowers" (bombs) and prickly weeds that no light could shine through, causing Rondo's beautiful flowers to stop singing. 

The three friends resisted war, but Danko, Fabian, and Zirka were all hit by the "stones" (bullets) that war sent out. How could the three friends ever defeat war, especially now that they were all wounded - Danko's heart had cracks, one of Fabian's legs were pierced by a prickly weed, and the edges of Zirka's wings were burned? When Danko decides to try to provide light to the flowers in the greenhouse, he realizes that war is afraid of light and so he, Fabian, and Zirka rally the other residents of Rondo in an effort to produce a powerful enough light to finally defeat war. 

War is finally defeated, and Rondo is repaired and rebuilt. The flowers in the greenhouse begin to sing again, but the poppies that had grown all around town no longer grew in different colors. Now, they only grow in one color - red.

The interesting thing about How the War Changed Rondo is that war itself isn't the focus of the story, but rather how it impacts Rondo and the lives of its residents during and after the fighting is over. Here we see the lasting effects of injuries received in the war. Because, even though Rondo is repaired, its residents are forever changed. Now, they know what it is like when their beloved flowers stop singing, now they will have to live with sad memories of loved lost friends and relatives, as well as with the physical wounds that were inflicted on them by war, including Danko with his cracked heart, Fabian with his injured leg, and Zirka with his burnt wings.

Mixed-media illustrations in this picture book for older readers harmonize brilliantly with the text, going from pale green and an golden yellow to darkness followed by that same pale green with buildings tinged in a sooty black - another physical manifestation of the lasting impart of war. Interestingly enough, there are only two illustrations where a human arm is seen - first dropping bombs, then later retreating, yet none of Rondo's citizens are depicted as human. It really brings home the point that only humans start wars. 

FYI Enchanted Lion Books, the publisher of How War Changed Rondo, has added this to its website: 

ALL PROCEEDS FROM WEBSITE SALES ON HOW WAR CHANGED RONDO WILL BE DONATED TO UNICEF'S RELIEF EFFORTS IN WKRAIN, FOR AS LONG AS THE CONFLICT IS ON GOING

Breaking Through the Clouds: The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

 

Breaking Through the Clouds:

The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson

written by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

Abrams BFYR, 2022, 48 pages

Available March 8, 2022

Who among us hasn't spent time as a child laying in the grass, looking up at the sky and gazing at the clouds floating by? I know I have and so did young Joanne Simpson. For Joanne, the cloud watching offered an a respite from her mother's cold, harsh words, criticizing her for being so stubborn. But, it was that stubbornness that carried Joanne through to achieve her dream of studying clouds. Attending college at the University of Chicago finally gave her a real escape from her mother, and just before WWII, famed meteorologist Carl-Gustaf Rossby arrived in the US and taught Joanne enough about weather to allow her to teach officers about it for the war effort. 

After the war, Joanne wanted to study more about clouds but she was laughed at by the men at the university. Clouds weren't really that important. In fact, Rossby even told her to go home, saying "No woman ever got a doctorate in meteorology. And no woman ever will." But Joanne was stubborn. She continued to study clouds, discovering some surprising properties about them. Finally, after presenting her finding to the professors at the university, Joanne had indeed earned a doctorate of meteorology, the first woman to do so. 

Returning home to Wood's Hole, Massachusetts, Joanne continued to study clouds, discovering more and more surprising things about them. Unafraid, she would fly under, over and through all kinds of clouds, including the scary cumulonimbi clouds filling with gusting winds and rain, eventually coming to understand the power of these massive clouds. 

Joanne continued to work and study clouds for the rest of her life. And eventually, even Rossby knowledged her work as valuable, and giving her access to his massive computer.  

This picture book biography for older readers is a fascinating and inspiring look at the life of Joanne Simpson. Faced with all kinds of negativity that might have prevented someone a little less stubborn from achieving their dreams, Joanne is a shining example of determination and persistence. In other words, stubbornness. 

One of the things I really liked about the way Joanne's life was presented were the many weather related metaphors that the author used. It's a wonderful way to get kids to understand not just metaphors, but also a topic about which they may have no other knowledge. For example: "By the time Joanne was ten, she had learned her mother's words could be icier that the coldest winds." 

Nickel's text is accompanied by detailed layered and textured gouache illustrations, some full page, other spot images, but all done in a complimenting brightly colored palette. 

Back matter consists of an Author's Noted, accompanied by photographs of Joanne Simpson at work, a Selected Bibliography and a Timeline of Joanne Simpson's Life.  

Meet the Author: 

Sandra Nickel says that story ideas are everywhere; you just have to reach out and grab them.  She holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her first book, Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack, was awarded a Christopher Award and was a Golden Kite Award finalist. Sandra lives in Chexbres, Switzerland, where she blogs about children’s book writers and illustrators at whatwason.com. To learn more, visit https://sandranickel.com/. 

 

Twitter:  @senickel

Facebook: @sandranickelbooks

Instagram: @sandranickelbooks

 

Check out the trailer and other cool resources here!

Thank you, Barbara Fisch @BlueSlipMedia for providing a copy of this book.

Inspiring words from Joanne Simpson, perfect for Women's History Month:

Guitars (Made By Hand Series #4) by Patricia Lakin

 

Guitars by Patricia Lakin

(Made by Hand Series #4)

Aladdin, 2021, 32 pages

Available November 9, 2021

Guitars are such a popular instrument, but have you ever wondered about their history or how they are made? Well, just as she did in her previous Made by Hand books, author Patricia Lakin takes readers behind the scenes to learn all about both acoustic and electric guitars.

The first section begins with a definition a guitar as a long-necked, flat-backed string instrument with pear-shaped incurved sides, readers are introduced to the different parts of the two kinds of guitars. Not surprisingly, the acoustic guitar is a much simpler instrument than the electric guitar, which has so many more parts to it. And who would have guessed that the sounds a guitar makes is really just a matter of physics? But I leave that to the author to explain, who does a far better job than I could.

Next, the history of guitars in introduced. Interestingly, earliest guitar-like instrument dates back as far as 1490 BC, where it was found in Thebes, Egypt. In fact, cousins of today's guitars can be found throughout history and in various countries. 

Nowadays, electric guitars might be more popular than the acoustic guitar, but readers will learn exactly who an electric guitar works and it is way more complicated than I would have thought. But just how are these instruments made? To get a good idea about that, Lakin turned to Meredith Coloma, a luthier from Vancouver, Canada. A talented violinist since the age of 9, Meredith toured with a Celtic rock band. Once she graduated high school, she traveled to New York City and, instead of performing, apprenticed with an elderly violin maker there. Returning to Vancouver, Meredith took a course in guitar making, but something in her guitars was missing. She began an apprenticeship with luthier Roger Sadowsky in NYC, and began making guitars with just the right tone that she wanted. But Meredith wasn't quite satisfied, and apprenticed with luthier Michael Dunn in Vancouver. Now a luthier in her own right, Meredith makes unique guitars back in Vancouver. 

In the next section of the book, Meredith takes readers on a detailed tour of her workshop where she gives a step by step demonstration of how both an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar are made and it is fascinating to see. I had no idea just what went into producing a guitar that looks good and has great sound quality.

Finally (and this is one of my favorite sections of the books in the Made By Hand series), young readers can learn how to make their own telephone and harmonica using the science behind instruments like guitars or violins that vibrate when played by plucking strings. 

Guitars is a wonderfully informative book for budding musicians or really, for anyone interested in music, particularly guitars. The writing is accessible and there are lots of photographs and illustrations to help readers understand some of the finer, perhaps more complicated aspects of guitars (like the physics part that even I understood). Back matter consists of a list of great guitarists, a time line, and a glossary and list of resources.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+

This book was an eARC gratefully received from Casey Blackwell at Media Masters Publicity

# IMWAYR Summer Reading: A Picture Book Roundup 📚

Reading is Fun

Last week was a busy week for me, but I still had time to share some summer books with my young readers, even though we are not officially together until September. 

Sweet Pea Summer

written and illustrated by Hazel Mitchell

Candlewick Press, 2021, 40 pages

A young girl goes to stay with her grandparents during summer vacation while her mom is in the hospital. A few days after her arrival, her Grandpa asks if she would like to help out in his garden, which was full of flowers and vegetables, including his prized sweet peas and would she like to care for them and then enter them into the flower show at the end of the summer. But, as she learns about caring for the plants, all kinds of things go wrong so that the plants don't bud. The girl studies her Grandpa's gardening books looking for solutions, while she and Grandpa also work hard to solve the problems. Meanwhile, the girl keeps in touch with her Mom and Dad, to see how Mom is doing. Finally, she figures out what is going wrong and sure enough, new buds begin to appear. This is a gentle intergenerational summer story that shows the valuable of patience and nurturing - for both child and plant. The graphite and watercolor illustrations are done in an array of summertime colors, and kids will enjoy seeing the little marmalade kitty by the girl's side in most images. It's a happy ending story, with Mom and Dad both coming just in time for the flower show and to bring their daughter home.  

Free

written and illustrated by Sam Usher

Templar Books, 2021, 40 pages

I thought we had seen the last of Boy and his Granddad after the final book in the Seasons with Granddad series, but, I am happy to say, they are back. Free is the first book of a quartet in which Boy and Granddad explore the wonders of nature. One morning Boy wakes up to find a sick bird outside his window. He and Granddad care for it, and when the bird is better, put it outside. But the bird comes back in, and again they put it outside. This goes on all day. Boy of course wants to keep bird, but Granddad says it will be happier outside and free. They read that this particular bird needs a particular kind of tree to call home, so they gather up their expedition equipment and head off to find the right tree. And what an expedition it is - full of happiness and birdsong. The ink and watercolor illustrations are done in the same style as the previous Boy and Granddad books so it feels like visiting old friends. There's always an element of learning in these book, and here there is an charming element of the fantastic when the pair reach the tree at the top of a mountain that kids will surely think is fun. I just love the wonderful intergenerational relationship between Boy and Granddad, and how easy they are in each other's company.

One Summer Up North

written and illustrated by Sam Usher

University of Minnesota Press, 2020, 32 pages

A family of three set off on a summer vacation, canoeing and camping in the wilderness of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) in northern Minnesota in this lushly illustrated wordless picture book. At first, the child is bored and uninterested, trailing slumped shouldered and not looking around.By the first night, even in the pouring raid, the glimmering of enjoying the trip begins show on the child face and demeanor. Pretty soon, the child is totally onboard with the trip and readers can focus on the wonderfully detailed and accurate illustrations. When I shared this with my young readers, one the child begin enjoying the trip, we had to go back to the beginning of the book and comb through the illustrations. They loved spotting the different insects, animals, and birds throughout. We talked about the abundant lily pads, trees and blueberry picking, the kinds of food people eat while camping, and then we came to the two-page spread of the milky way - WOW! I love a book that gets my kids talking and this was perfect. We did have some debate about whether the child was a boy or girl, but decided it didn't matter. My young readers also noticed that the father is white, the mother is brown, so the child is biracial. The illustrations are colorful and nicely textured, done in a palette of greens, browns, and blues. Owens has really captured the wonder of nature and there is nothing to match the peaceful feeling of floating quietly though water in a canoe. This book has a special place in our small library of books my young readers love. 

Ferry Boat

written and illustrated by Michael Garland

Holiday House, 2021, 32 pages

This isn't really a summer story, but I include it here because of my own personal memory of all the times my friends and I took the ferry on hot summer Sundays  because it was such a cool ride - in more ways than one. In this book with minimal text, Garland gives a blow by blow account of taking a ferry ride from lower Manhattan to Staten Island. Once on the ferry, riders can look out the window, watch as Manhattan recedes and sights come into view - Ellis Island, Castle Fort, the Verrazano Bridge, and of course, the Statue of Liberty. The ferry also sells food and souvenirs. Once it arrives in Staten Island, some people get off, new people get on and the ferry sails back to Manhattan. What makes this book so special are the detailed illustrations created with pencil and charcoal, scanned and digitally colored in digi-woodcut and the level reading text for beginning readers. The ferry can get crowded and I love that the diversity of New York and its visitors are captured in these images. And yes, NYC's ferry boats are just that orange.

William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream

retold by Georghia Ellinas, illustrated by Jane Ray

Candlewick Press, 2021, 32 pages

Introducing kids to Shakespeare can be difficult, but thanks to Georghia Ellinas it has become easier and this retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream is a perfect summertime read. Full of mischief making, love, mistaken identities, this comedy of errors is narrated by Robin Goodfellow and called Puck, a sprite who likes to play tricks on fairies. Oberon and Titania, the King and Queen of the fairies, are fighting over a young boy Titania has adopted and Oberon wants as a page. At the same time, Lysander and Hermia have run away from Athens to Puck's enchanted forest in order to get married. But Hermia is supposed to marry Demetrius, whom she doesn't love and who has followed Lysander and Hermia into the forest. Helena, who is in love with Demetrius and who does not lover her back, followed him into the forest. Meanwhile, Oberon has sent Puck to fetch a magical flower that will cause a person to fall in love with the first person they see, intending it to be used on Titania. Returning with the flower, Oberon tells Puck to use it on Demetrius so he will fall in love with Helena. But a case of mistaken identity happens and, well, mayhem ensures. Not surprisingly, none of the original flavor or humor of the story is lost in this retelling. Georghia Ellinas really knows her Shakespeare, after all, she is Head of Learning at the Globe Theater in London. The text of this picture book for older readers is perfectly matched with the colorful watercolor illustrations, done in a palette of blues, with plenty of details on each page for exploration and conversation. And to really add to the flavor, and introduce young readers to Shakespeare's writing itself,  there are plenty quotes from the actual play interspersed throughout. 

I also read

The Hollywood Spy (A Maggie Hope Mystery #10) by Susan Elia MacNeal

The Seventh Raven by David Elliott

Bartali's Bicycle by Megan Holt

It's Monday! What are you reading? is the original weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.  It's Monday! What are you reading? - from Picture Books to YA is a kidlit focused meme just like the original and is hosted weekly by Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. The purpose is the same: to recap what you have read and/or reviewed and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week.

A Day for Rememberin': Inspired by the True Events of the First Memorial Day written by Leah Henderson, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

 

A Day for Rememberin'

Inspired by the True Events of the First Memorial Day

written by Leah Henderson, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Harry N. Abrams, 2021, 40 pages

Most of us don't really know much about Memorial Day except that it's a time when we honor those who lost their lives in combat defending United States and the democratic principles upon which it was founded. And maybe some of us know that it was originally called Decoration Day, a day when families would go to the cemetery with flags and flowers to place on the graves of their fallen loved ones. But how many of us know about the origin of Memorial Day?

Well, now Leah Henderson has explored this question and has written a picture book for older readers that tells the story of one such origin and has chosen Eli, the ten-year-old son of formerly enslaved parents, as the narrator. It's 1865 and the Civil has ended with the Confederate surrender. And for nine days, Eli has wondered where his Papa goes to so early every day. Eli imagines him doing all kinds of things, but he isn't allowed to follow Papa because he is going to school, and as his mother reminds him, "...you have the hard earned right to learn...Masters locked away learning 'cause knowledge is its own freedom." 

Finally, though, on day ten, Papa wakes Eli up early and they join a procession of other formerly enslaved men and boys and head to the Charleston, South Carolina racetrack, once used for the entertainment white plantation owners. During the Civil War, the racetrack had become a prison where Confederates put captured Union soldiers, who were starved and treated so badly that even the enslaved women would try to sneak the men whatever morsels they could spare. 

Eli discovers that the men have been working to create a cemetery for the 257 dead Union soldiers who had been held in the racetrack. And it's here that Eli has a paintbrush put in his hands to help whitewash a fence with the other children. 

The next day, Eli is up early again, and heads out with his parents to join the procession other Black families heading to the racetrack, now a cemetery. Eli proudly carries the American flag, and the women carry flowers with which to decorate the newly dug graves. 

While this may be a work of historical fiction, the cemetery, called the Martyrs of the Race Track that was created in Charleston, South Carolina by formerly enslaved men, women, and children, is considered by some scholars to be the first observance of Decoration Day, later renamed Memorial Day. In her Author's Note, Henderson writes that she was inspired to write to story after seeing a photograph of about "200 Black children getting ready for what looked like a parade." Curiosity sparked, research led Henderson to the cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, where she learned that the Decoration Day parade to the former racetrack included over 10,000 newly freed enslaved people were led by about 3,000 Black children. Henderson chose the fictional Eli and his parents to tell their story.

A Day for Rememberin' is such a poignant story about how one community honored the men who they believed fought for them, but also, as Eli reminds readers, about the fear that enslaved people lived with every day, wondering if their loved one would come home at the end of the day, or be sold to someone without their knowing. 

And who better to illustrate this moving, affective story than Floyd Cooper. Using his signature method of oil erasure in earth tones of yellows and browns seems somehow so perfect for this story. The hazy effect of this method doesn't diminish the details and the closeups of people faces really captures their different emotions. 

Besides the Author's Note, back matter includes a short essay on The Roots of Decoration Day, a Timeline of Decoration Day/Memorial Day, a list of other cities claiming to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, Endnotes, and a Select Bibliography. 

David W. Blight a scholar who believes that the birthplace of Decoration Day is Charleston, South Carolina. You can read two of his interesting articles about this HERE and HERE.

Full disclosure: I read a digital watermarked ARC received from the publisher.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+

Bruno the Beekeeper: A Honey Primer written and illustrated by Aneta Františka Holasová

Bruno the Beekeeper: A Honey Primer

written and illustrated by Aneta Františka Holasová,

translated from the original Czech by Andrew Lass

Candlewick Press, 2021, 80 pages

There is something about bees and beekeeping that has always fascinated me. But since we have begun to hear so much about hive collapse and the dire predictions of what would happen if there were no bees to pollinate plants and flowers, my interest has grown. Bruno the Beekeeper is a book just right for kids who may be interested in bees, too.

It is the story of Bruno the bear beekeeper and his grandma, who helps him. The book begins with some basic bee facts, such as detailed drawings of bees and similar flying insects that will help kids sort through a world of lookalikes. This is followed by pages devoted to the worker bee, whose important role is hive maintenance and security, guarding the hive; the drone who keeps the hive stocked with bees by passing on sperm to the queen bee; and the queen, whose main job is to lay eggs that she then fertilizes with the sperm she received from the drone. There is also a detailed illustration for each bee showing their metamorphosis as well as a labeled anatomical closeup of each adult bee.

Also included in this section is a two page spread showing the hive a beekeeper uses and it parts, with a brief explanation of of what each part is and why it is needed, a two page spread showing the beekeeper's clothing, and a two page spread showing bee parasites and predators. 

Once these basics are understood, Bruno's beekeeping activities begin in Late Summer and Fall, which I thought was odd but once I read through this section, I understood why the author began here. This is when a good beekeeper like Bruno removes the supers and the honey frames that contain the honeycombs. These are cleaned of residue wax and put away for the winter, and all Bruno has to do until Spring is check that they bees are buzzing.

Come spring, Bruno reverses the process and supers up, putting the hives together. This is also the time when you might hear about bees swarming and a number of reasons why this happens is given.

Once summer comes, and the flowers are in bloom, honey making is in full swing and Bruno and grandma being harvesting the honey-filled combs using the honey extractor. When that is done, the honey is put into jar to be used and Bruno beings the yearly cycle all over again, beginning with taking apart the supers.

Bruno the Beekeeper is a interesting look at so many different aspects to beekeeping including all kinds of useful information about bees and their life cycle. I did find it a little disconcerting at first that Bruno is an anthropomorphized bear while grandma is an elderly woman, but the two work so well together that I quickly got past that and focused on their activities and the information at each step in the honey making process.

The writing may feel a little stiff at first, but remember, it was translated from the Czech into English, and there is a lot of technical information included which may account for that, but the translator did keep the humor of the original book. And it really isn't Bruno story as much as it is the story of bees and how we get honey. The author did the watercolor illustrations in various shades of honey browns and beiges with touches of humor throughout (check out the bee faces). 

All in all, this is a very nice STEM book, and one that you might want to consider including in your Earth Day library at home and/or in the classroom. There is much to be learned and appreciated in this picture book for older readers.

Be sure to check out the recipe for gingerbread cookies at the end of the book. They sound sooooo good!

This book is recommended for readers 7+

I received this book from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

 

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

written by Carole Boston Weatherford,

illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Carolrhoda Books, 2021, 32 pages

This year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre on May 31st and June 1, 1921, when a armed white mob swarmed the town of Greenwood, Oklahoma, killing up to 300 Black Americans over two days and burning the prosperous town to the ground. The what massacre, you may ask? Exactly. When did any of us ever learn about this heart wrenching event in American history? If you're like me, the answer is never. I hadn't heard about the Tulsa Race Massacre until just a few years ago when I read Dreamland Burning, a YA novel by Jennifer Latham.

Now, however, Carole Boston Weatherford has made the events of the Tulsa Race Massacre accessible to younger readers. Written in measured, lyrical free verse, she begins her narrative as though it were a fairytale - "Once upon a time near Tulsa, Oklahoma..." painting an idyllic picture of life in the all Black prosperous town of Greenwood. She continues the use of "Once upon a time..." as she introduces the achievement of the citizens of Greenwood in building their own community. 

Click to Enlarge

Segregation laws made it impossible for Blacks to vote, and demanded that they have separate neighborhoods, their own schools, streetcars and railroad coaches. The residents of Greenwood may have been separate, but they were very prosperous. Not surprisingly, there were almost two hundred business in Greenwood, earning it the name the "Negro Wall Street of America." Greenwood had everything a town could want - a school system, a post office, a hospital, several libraries and churches, a theater named Dreamland. 

Click to Enlarge

But not everyone was happy about Greenwood and its flourishing citizens. Midway through Unspeakable, Weatherford drops the fairytale phase "Once upon a time... " and introduces a stark reality on a black page with white writing - "But in 1921, not everyone in Tulsa was pleased/ with these signs of Black Wealth..." A 17-year-old white elevator operator accusing a 19-year-old shoeshine man of assault was all it took to inflame an angry white mob to descend on Greenwood, killing, destroying, burning it down until nothing remained but ashes. 

Carole Boston Weatherford does an outstanding job in making difficult and/or little known subjects or events available and understandable for young readers and this picture book for older readers is no exception. Her language is clear and musical, and she never talks down to her readers, writing in such a way that respects their intelligence, no matter how tragic the circumstances. Dividing Unspeakable between what went into making Greenwood so successful for the African Americans living there and the destructive mob that destroyed their years of achievement really drives home her message - "...to realize the responsibility we all have/ to reject hatred and violence and instead choose hope."

Weatherford's words are beautifully born out in Floyd Cooper's sepia-toned paint and erasure illustrations. I once saw him do this method in person once and I was amazed by it. Perhaps because he has a personal connection to Greenwood, Cooper has really captured both the community in all its bustling activity and the hatred and anger of mob violence. And as we have witnessed recently, it's so easy to destroy the trust and faith we have in our communities when people are motived by hate and jealousy.

Back matter includes an important Author's Note and an informative Illustrator's Note. Be sure to check out the front and back endpapers to see was Greenwood really looked like before and after the mob destroyed it. 

This is a book that should be in every school library, classroom or home school library. If you are thinking about using Unspeakable with your classes, you can download an extensive Teacher's Guide courtesy of Lerner Books HERE. 

This book is recommended for readers age 9+

This book was an eARC gratefully received from NetGalley

The Teachers March!: How Selma's Teachers Changed History by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, illustrated by Charly Palmer

 

The Teacher's March!: How Selma's Teachers Changed History

by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace,

illustrated by Charly Palmer

Calkins Creek, 2020, 44 pages

Imagine teaching your African American students that freedom and equal rights are guaranteed in the United States Constitution, but not for them. That was one of the dilemma's faced by science teacher  Reverend R. B. Reese in 1965 Selma, Alabama. Selma was a segregated city and the white people there intended to keep it that way, and one of the ways they did it was by denying black citizens the right to vote.

But when Reverend Reese led marchers to the Selma courthouse to register to vote, they were stopped by Sheriff Clark and his white policemen wielding billy clubs and they didn't hesitate to use them. Realizing he needed a "triumphant idea" that would make the voices of the black citizens of Selma heard, Reverend Reese came up with the idea he needed - what if the teachers marched? After all, they were leaders, but would teachers march? Since judge had declared marching and talking about civil rights against the law in 1964, Selma's teachers might not be so willing to put themselves on the line.

How to convince the teachers to march anyway? After all, they could be arrested, go to jail, loose their jobs. Reverend Reese invited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to come and speak to them.

After listening to Dr. King's inspiring talk, one hundred and four teachers signed up to march. Packing a sandwich and a toothbrush in case they were arrested, and led by Reverend Reese, the teachers marched to the courthouse and were twice repelled by Sheriff Clark and cops, but the teachers went back despite their bumps and bruises. 

This time, the school superintendent came out, realized what it would mean to arrest so many teachers and next thing he knew, the police had put away their billy clubs and handcuffs: "Reverend Reese and his triumphant idea had gained a glorious victory". 

Reverend Reese's marchers may not have been able to register to vote that day, but in 1965 the Voting Rights Act was passed and there were no one on the courthouse steps to stop black people of Selma from registering to vote and yes, in the next election, they voted Sheriff Clark out of office.

One of the interesting things about this nonfiction picture book for older readers is that the story, though basically focused on Reverend Reese, also shows the impact the teachers march had on one teacher, Too Sweet Parrish, and her 15-year-old daughter, Joyce, and to a lesser extent on Coach Lawrence Huggins. And the authors were fortunate enough to be able to interview Reverend Reese shortly before he passed away, as well as Joyce Parrish O'Neal and Coach Huggins to get first hand accounts of that day.

Though the Teachers March was a smaller, lesser known protest, the teachers showed so much courage and determination that they inspired others to march, too. And it shows how people can make a difference. 

The book is well-written and well-researched. I find that the Wallace's always seems to make a complicated event more accessible to young readers, and more personal so kids really get a sense of what it was like to be present during the events they write about. 

Charly Palmer's emotional illustrations are painted in bright, bold acrylic colors with thick brushstrokes, adding texture and depth to the text. 

Be sure to read the Authors' Note in the back matter for more information about the Teachers March and the participants. You will also find a Timeline relating to the Voting Rights Movement, and a Selected Bibliography for further investigation. 

You can download a very extensive and useful Educator's Guide HERE, courtesy of the publisher   

This book is recommended for readers age 7+

This book was an EARC gratefully received from Edelweiss+

BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Michele Wood

 

BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom

written by Carole Boston Weatherford,

illustrated by Michele Wood

Candlewick Press, 2020, 56 pages

In BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, a picture book biography for older readers, Carole Boston Weatherford offers a heartbreaking personal look at the life of on enslaved man who decided that he had nothing to lose by attempting to mail himself to freedom after everyone he loved - his wife and children - were sold:

"What have I to fear?

My master broke every promise to me.

I lost my beloved wife and our dear children.

All, sold South. Neither my time nor my body is mine.

The breath of life is all I have to lose.

And bondage is suffocating me."

Henry was born to an enslaved mother in 1815 in Virginia and put to work as a young child, along with his seven sisters and brothers. By the time he was 33-years-old, he had been moved from the farm to a tobacco factory in Richmond. There, he met his wife Nancy and soon there were children. But Nancy and the children were sold over and over. Finally, Henry manages to struck a deal to try to get her back - if he would chip in $50. of the $650 asking price for Nancy, he was promised that she would not be sold again. But when Henry couldn't meet demands for more money, his family is taken to be sold.

With nothing left to lose, Henry paid a carpenter to build a box to mail himself to freedom with the help of trusted friends. And difficult and physically painful as the trip north was, he succeeded in arriving at the Philadelphia headquarters of the Anti-Slavery Society and freedom.

Using Henry Brown's 1851 Narrative of the Life of Henry Brown written by Himself as her guide, Boston Weatherford begins Henry's story with a concrete poem called "Geometry" in the shape of the number six, and asking the question: how many sides to a box? The answer, of course, is six sides and from then on, the number six dominates each page.

Each of the 48 poems are written in sixains, six line stanzas, here done in spare free verse poems with each poem replicating the six-sides of a box and with the boxes arranged on the pages like packing crates carelessly stacked one on top of the other and giving the reader a claustrophobic feeling of confinement and lack of freedom, whether referring to Henry's enslavement or to the confines of his box to freedom.

Boston has tight control over her poems and yet, there is a musicality that never gets lost - even in the few 1 line, 6 stanza poems she includes. Each of the poems creates it's own image: clear, affective, detailed, and each connects to the poem that comes before and after it to ultimately paint a complete picture of Henry's life as well as the events of the time, in which he lives, such as the Nat Turner revolt and his subsequent murder. And most importantly, the poems do not shy away from the inhuman brutality of enslavement.

Complimenting and continuing the theme of the six sides of a box are Michele Wood's boldly dynamic mixed media illustrations in a palette of blues, reds, pinks, greens and browns. Illustrations are often set against a background of six-sided quilt patterns. 

Back matter includes a Time Line of Henry's life as well as important national events, a Bibliography, A Note from the Illustrator and A Note on Numbers  and Language used. 

You can download a useful Teacher's Guide courtesy of the publisher, Candlewick Press

This book is recommended for readers age 10+

This book was gratefully received from NetGalley

Remember:

Marjory Saves the Everglades: The Story of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

 

Marjory Saves the Everglades: The Story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas

written by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

Paula Wiseman Books, 2020, 56 pages

By now, most of us recognize the name Marjory Stoneman Douglas because of the tragic 2018 shooting that happened in the high school named in her honor just east of the Everglades. But few of us know why the school was named after Marjory. Now, thanks to the excellent research by Sandra Neil Wallace, we have our answer. 

In this richly illustrated picture book for older readers, Wallace begins her biography with Marjory's first trip to Florida to visit her dad where she fell in love with the sunshine. Returning home, Marjory grew up, attended Wellesley College, got married and divorced, until finally she headed back to Florida to work as a reporter for her father's newspaper, the Miami Herald. It was there that Marjory found the voice she would need later as an activist.

During WWI, Marjory enlisted in the Navy and went to Europe with the Red Cross. But when she retuned to Florida after the war, she was absolutely dismayed to see how much of the Everglades had disappeared as developers dynamited, dug and drained it to expand post-war building. 

But dismay wouldn't save the destruction of the Everglades, It would take a visit by Ernest Coe, a landscape architect, and a meandering trip with him through the glades that made Marjory realize that the Everglades needed to become "a national park to save the birds, the plants, and the other wildlife."

But how to convince the National Park Service, who felt that 'a swamp is a swamp.' Other people just wanted to drain the Everglades to expand the land and build. But, Marjory wondered, were the Everglades really just a swamp, or were they something else? Something beautiful, living and unique? By now middled aged, Marjory was determined to find the answers to her questions, and dedicated the rest of her life to saving her adopted home from hungry developers, including the U. S. Army. 

And although the area became the Everglades National Park in 1947, it didn't stop developers. But through activism and organization, Marjory and the group she formed, Friends of the Everglades, managed to get developers to reverse their destructive building, restoring this unique ecosystem back to what it once was. 

Marjory Saves the Everglades is a such an inspiring story for young readers, showing them what a difference one dedicated voice can make in the world. Marjory lived to be 108 years old, but was an early activist, a suffragette and feminist, before she became involved in saving the Everglades and Wallace has really captured her independent spirit. The book is written in accessible language, and includes quotes by Marjory from various sources including her own work River of Grass. Marjory Saves the Everglades would make a wonderful addition to any STEM classes learning about ecosystems and the environment. 

Rebecca Gibbon's folk-art style illustrations, done with acrylic inks and colored pencils, are the perfect compliment to a book about the Everglades, done in shades of brilliant greens and blues, and including lots of vibrant birds, grasses and flowers throughout.  

Wallace's back matter includes an Author's Note, a page of creatures and plants indigenous to the Everglades, a Timeline of Marjory Stoneman Douglas and the Everglades, some tips for protecting the environment, as well as additional resources for learning more about this amazing, but overlooked woman. 

You can find an in-depth Discussion Guide courtesy of Sandra Neil Wallace HERE

You can also download an Activity Kit courtesy of Sandra Neil Wallace HERE

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sandra Neil Wallace hope that her stories inspire readers as much as they inspire her. Her book The Teachers March! How Selma's Teachers Changed History was written with her husband, Rich Wallace, and has received three starred reviews to date. Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went From the Football Field to the Art Gallery received the Orbis Pictus Book Award, was an ALA notable Book and a Booklist Top 10 Biography for Youth. Formerly, Sandra was an ESPN reporter and was the first woman to host an NHL broadcast. She continues to break barriers as co-founder of DailyGoodNH.org and lives with her family in New Hampshire. You can find Sandra at

Website: Sandra Neil Wallace

Facebook: Sandra Neil Wallace

Twitter: @SandraNWallace

Instagram: @sandraneilwallace

IMO, Marjory's life and work become even more important these days as we hear about developers eyeing National Parks for their natural resources. 

This book is recommended for readers age 7+

This book was gratefully received from Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media