Carter Reads the Newspaper

Carter Reads the Newspaper 
by Deborah Hopkinson; illus by Don Tate
36 pages; ages 6-10
Peachtree Publishing, 2019

theme: biography, black history,

Each February we celebrate Black History Month. It’s a time to honor heroes like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But there’s one hero we sometimes forget.

That hero is Carter G. Woodson. He didn’t help people escape from slavery. He didn’t protest in the streets or lead bus strikes. Instead, he changed the way people think about history. When told that Black people had no history, Carter was appalled. Of course they did! His parents, born into slavery, had shared their family stories. He listened to stories of Civil War veterans who had fought for their freedom. He read the newspapers and discovered more stories of black men and women – people who were left out of the history books.

So in 1926, Carter began his own fight: to include Black Americans in the history books. He established Negro History Week – which later became Black History Month.

What I like about this book: I always love true stories about empowerment and perseverance. I am drawn to heroes who fight for truth, freedom, and justice. And because I’m a journalist, I’m a bit partial to stories that show the power of information.

I like Don Tate’s illustrations, beginning with the end papers. Open the front and you see sketched portraits of historical Black people: Nat Turner, Phillis Wheatley, Elijah McCoy. Back end pages feature more recent Black Americans: Mae Jemison, Katherine Johnson, Colin Kaepernick.

I like the back matter: resources for learning more, notes from the author and the illustrator, a list of Black leaders pictured throughout the book (with a snippet of bio facts), and a timeline of Carter Woodson’s life and accomplishments.

If you are looking ahead for books to feature this coming February, put this one on your list.

Beyond the Books:

Newspapers provide the first draft of history. So challenge yourself to read the print edition of a local newspaper each week. I read mine at the library.

Ask your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents to share stories of when they were kids. Write your own newsy article about them.

Visit a local history museum, or find a local history book in the library. What was your town like 50 or 100 years ago?

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Sweet Dreams, Sarah

Sweet Dreams, Sarah

by Vivian Kirkfield; illus by Chris Ewald

32 pages; ages 7-11

Creston Books, 2019

themes: nonfiction, women in history, inventor

Before the Civil War, Sarah obeyed her owner. 

Hurry up. 

     Eyes down. 

          Don’t speak.

But Sarah dreamed of a different life: a family and work she loved. When the war ended, she moved north with “hope in her heart, and dreams swirling in her head.” She married and helped run the family furniture store. And dreamed of creating something new: a bed that folded up when it wasn’t being used.

What I like about this book: I like how Vivian Kirkfield shows us Sarah’s perseverance:  when things don’t work the way she wants them to, she tweaks her design and rebuilds. She applies for a patent. Gets rejected. Tries again. What a great example of the drive and commitment it takes to create something new.

I like that Sarah builds more than a bed that folds into a desk. She builds a life of freedom, where she can realize her dreams.

I like the back matter: an author’s note about Sarah Goode and what a patent is. There’s also a timeline so we can put her life and invention into broader historical context. And… ta-da! There’s a timeline of black women patent holders from Sarah Goode (1883) to Janet Bashen (2006, web-based software program).

Beyond the book:

Meet some other black women inventors - click here.

Invent something! Have you ever thought, "gee, someone should make a _____________?" Inventors are the ones who say, “this would be better if....” Here's a video from Kid President about his inventions.

Can kids be inventors? You bet. Here's 10 inventions dreamed up by kids.

We're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It's a weekly event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Waiting for Pumpsie

This book, published a couple years ago, is as timeless as ever. And now, author Barry Wittenstein has created curriculum materials to go along with it. So I can't think of a better way to kick of Black History month than with a story about baseball - plus spring training has already started, so .... batter up!

Waiting for Pumpsie
by Barry Wittenstein; illus.by London Ladd
32 pages; ages 5-8
Charlesbridge, 2017

themes: equality, biography

I'm Bernard, and I'm crazy, crazy, crazy about the Red Sox. Everybody in Boston is. It's just something you get born into.

Set in 1959, more than a decade after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, the Sox still field an all white team. The Giants have Willie Mays, Bernard points out to his parents, so how come Red Sox don't have a black player?

Like any other fan, Bernard wants the Sox to win. They're having a dismal season (no news to regular fans....) and fans want to know why the team won't bring up Pumpsie Green from the minors.

If you're a SOX fan, you already know the ending to this story. He plays. They lose - that game.

What I like about this book:
There is great writing to be found within these pages. Like when Pumpsie smacks the ball and "rounds first base and runs like his own uniform can't keep up." It probably doesn't hurt that Barry Wittenstein grew up a fan of the game and wrote for Major League Baseball. There are plenty of verbs in this book. I like the wonderful. illustrations by London Ladd. And I really like that there's back matter. Wittenstein points out that by the time Pumpsie was called up from the minors, Jackie Robinson had already been retired for two years!

But this story is about more than baseball, he says. "It's about moving toward equality and how sports can help change society for the better."

Beyond the book:

Learn more about Pumpsie Green. Look for information in books, and online. One place to find info is the Society for American Baseball Research.

Create a Baseball Card. You can make one for Pumpsie - or your favorite player. Of course, you'll need some stats: information about the team they play for, the positions they play, and their batting record.

You can find more activities about Pumpsie at Barry Wittenstein's website. Look under "downloads"  for the curriculum guide.

And head over to Archimedes Notebook today to check out another book by the same author - about accidental inventions! We're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It's a weekly event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by Blue Slip Media.

Two more books for black history month

The Underground Railroad: navigate the journey from slavery to freedom
by Judy Dodge Cummings; illus. by Tom Casteel
128 pages; ages 9-12
Nomad Press, 2017

This book opens with an explanation of what slavery is and what the abolitionist movement was. It will help readers glimpse what life was like for enslaved people, and how they fought the system that shackled them.

The cool thing about this book: it's like going on a field trip into the past. As with any expedition, you'll want to grab your notebook and pencil to record ideas, observations, and reactions as you work through the activities.

There are 20 activities, starting with how to interpret statistics. Though graphs and statistics help put huge numbers into perspective (11.3 million enslaved men, women, and children brought to the Americas) they are impersonal. So how do you put a human face on the people who suffered?

Other activities include making a hoe cake, creating your own abolitionist broadside, writing coded messages, and learning navigation skills. Through the reading, we get to know Frederick Douglass, Isaac Hopper and his society of abolitionists, black businessmen who put themselves in danger to help fugitives, and Harriet Tubman. Excerpts of primary sources and links to online primary sources help connect readers to historic events.

 Shackles From the Deep: tracing the path of a sunken slave ship
by Michael Cottman
128 pages; ages 10 & up
National Geographic Children's Books, 2017

Michael Cottman is an African-American journalist and deep sea diver. So when he learns of artifacts found in a shipwreck off the coast of Key West, artifacts from a slave ship, he wants to dive right in and learn more. His curiosity takes him on an excellent adventure to uncover the mystery surrounding the ship, Henrietta Marie.

The ship sank in the early 1700s, but it wasn't until 1972 that anyone had found it. And that discovery came about when a treasure hunter was seeking a different wreck. Instead of gold, he found shackles small enough to imprison a child.

When Cottman was invited to help with the underwater memorial at the site of the slave ship, he decided he wanted to learn more: who owned this ship? Who made the shackles and cannons? Who was the captain? The crew?

He wanted to retrace the route the Henrietta Marie took from London down to the west coast of Africa, and then to the Americas. He came to realize that slavery, for a ship captain back in the 1600s - 1700s was simply a business. African people weren't referred to as humans but as cargo. Not only is this a great adventure and mystery - it's a true story.

On Monday we'll join the roundup over at the Nonfiction Monday blog where you'll find even more book reviews. Review copies provided by publishers.

Garvey's Choice

Garvey's Choice
by Nikki Grimes
120 pages; ages 8-12
WordSong (Highlights), 2016

Garvey is a jokester, a bookworm, the loyalist of friends. He loves reading about space and listening to blues. (extra credit for loving Mr. Spock of Star Trek)

Garvey's dad wants to toss a football with his son. Or a basketball. Or even just spend time talkin' sports. He'd rather see Garvey running out for a pass - or just running around the block - than head in a book. Why can't Garvey be an athlete like his sister?

Garvey's mom understands; when things are quiet she pulls out the chess set and teaches him moves that will "make his brain strong". Joe understands - they've been buddies since they were little kids. Even the new kid, Manny, understands.

So when Garvey discovers his voice, will his family come to the concert?

This is a sweet story of growing up. It's told in a verse form that is short and sweet: tanka. Five lines, 31 syllables, like this: 5/7/5/7/7. Here's one that I particularly like:

Stories are breadcrumbs.
Just follow the trail of books
and you will find me
lost among the galaxies
of scorched stars and ships to Mars.

Photo credit: Aaron Lemen

Nikki Grimes is a poet and artist; she's written so many books that if you wrote down all their titles it would take nearly five pages! She was recently awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her body of work which has, over a period of years, made a lasting contribution to children's literature.

Check out her gallery of artwork at her website. And definitely check out some of her books from your library.

We'll be hanging out on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

A Spy Called James - Black History and the American Revolution

A Spy Called James: the true story of James Lafayette, Revolutionary War double agent
by Anne Rockwell; illus. by Floyd Cooper
32 pages; ages 7-11
Carolrhoda Books, 2016

We know the names of those leaders who led our emerging country through the Revolutionary War: Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Franklin, Jefferson... But, as Anne Rockwell writes, "America would not have won independence without the courage of thousands of people whose names never became famous."

One of those people was James, enslaved by a farmer named William Armistead. James had heard that an enslaved man could win freedom by fighting for the colonies, so Armistead allowed him to join Lafayette's army. Under orders, he dressed in tattered clothing and presented himself to Cornwallis and Benedict Arnold as a runaway slave. He would gather information and sneak it back to Lafayette.

James was so good at "serving" Cornwallis that the British general asked him to spy on the Americans. And so James began the dangerous job of being a double agent.

The war officially ended in 1783, but for James there was no victory. While blacks who served as soldiers were granted freedom, James's work as a spy didn't earn him that reward. Eventually Lafayette heard about this gross injustice and wrote a letter to the US government. James adopted the last name Lafayette and became a farmer.

There is great back matter, including a note in which Rockwell mentions that, as a free black man, James bought slaves to work his farm. I wanted to know more...

A thicker, heavier volume includes stories of more black men and women who played a role in America's Revolution:

Answering the Cry for Freedom
by Gretchen Woelfle; illus. by R. Gregory Christie
240 pages; ages 9-12
Calkins Creek, 2016

Gretchen Woelfle has gathered 13 stories of little-known African American preachers, writers, soldiers, organizers, and enslaved workers. Some escaped to freedom with the British; others fought for freedom at home.

Stories include James (the spy), poet Phyllis Wheatley, Ona Judge who was owned by Martha Washington, and John Kizelle who escaped to Nova Scotia and later worked to end the slave trade in Africa. After reading these stories you'll ask: Why haven't we heard about these courageous people before?

On Monday we'll join the roundup over at the Nonfiction Monday blog where you'll find even more book reviews. Review copies provided by publishers.

In the Shadow of Liberty

In the Shadow of Liberty
by Kenneth C. Davis
304 pages; ages 10 - 14
Henry Holt, 2016

"Most of us learn something about the US presidents," writes Kenneth Davis. "But this book is about some people who are not so famous."

Davis introduces us to five enslaved people who lived with and worked for four famous founding fathers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Andrew Jackson. These enslaved people were bought and paid for by the writers of the Declaration of Independence, the very same men who declared that all men are created equal and fought for their own freedom from another master, the king.

William "Billy" Lee, Ona Judge, Isaac Granger, Paul Jennings, and Alfred Jackson witnessed extraordinary events in America's history. Because they were "owned" by men we consider great presidents, we know their names and part of their stories, says Davis. Because of their connections to these presidents, there are records about who they were and how they lived - records that help us understand what being enslaved meant in early America.

It is fitting that this book hits the shelves this week, as September 22, 1862 is the day that President Abraham Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Under the War Powers act, Lincoln warned that he would order the freedom of all slaves in any state that did not end its rebellion against the Union by January first 1863.

Davis begins his history with a look at how slavery began, and the importation of slaves to the colonies. By 1700, he notes that enslaved people are being imported into Virginia at the rate of 1,000 per year. Each subsequent chapter focuses on the story of one enslaved person and his (or her) connection with a president.

Billy Lee was George Washington's valet, a personal manservant who attended Washington at home and on the battlefield. He was entrusted to deliver notes and letters, he rode in hunts, he accompanied Washington when the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. Davis points out that Washington, having seen black soldiers fight against the British, began to question slavery. "The contradiction between the ideals he had fought for and the enslavement of people like Billy Lee was now obvious," writes Davis. And yet, when Ona Judge escaped to find her freedom, Washington posted a reward for her return.

At the end of each chapter is a timeline of slavery in America. These points in history - British banning the slave trade (1804), Thomas Jefferson signing a ban on importing slaves (1807) put the personal stories into a national and international context. Historic photos, cartoons and illustrations from the archives add to our understanding of the history. I appreciate the chapter notes, bibliography, and index.

"The history we learn is often about dates, battles, famous speeches, and court decisions," writes Davis. "But in the end, history is not just about wars and constitutional amendments, facts we memorize. It is about people. This book tells the real story of real people—all of them born in slavery’s shackles—who were considered the property of some American heroes." You can read an excerpt from the book here.

On Monday  we're joining the roundup over at the Nonfiction Monday blog where you'll find even more book reviews Review copy provided by the publisher.

Exploring the North Pole

Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole
by Debora Hopkinson; illus. by Stephen Alcorn
36 pages; ages 6-10
Peachtree, 2009

I realize this book was published a few years ago - but this seems like the perfect time of year to read about Arctic explorers. Most people, if you ask who discovered the North Pole, will say "Robert Peary". They might not realize there was another explorer whose courage, skills, and fluency in Inuit language contributed to the success of Peary's expedition.

Matthew Henson was born in 1866, just after the Civil War. It was a time, writes Hopkinson, when poor black boys had few chances of visiting another country - much less the top of the world. But at the age of 13, Matt set out to look for a job - and adventure - and was taken on as a cabin boy aboard ship. He learned history, math, navigation, how to tie knots and fix most anything.

Later, he had the opportunity to join Peary on Arctic expeditions. Matt had to learn about surviving in the harsh climate. He took the time to get to know the Inuit people and learn their language, how to dress and hunt and build a dog sled. As with any grand venture, there are failures and Peary's team didn't make it to the North Pole until their last expedition in 1909.

Hopkinson details the rough, tough life of Matt, his brush with death and determination to reach the top of the world.

"The fact that Matthew Henson's name is not widely known even today reveals much about the times in which he loved and the prejudices he faced," writes Hopkinson in her author's note. That changed in 1945, when the Navy recognized the surviving members of the expedition.

This is a great book to put in the hands of an adventure-hungry kid any time of the year, but particularly suited for reading on a cold day when you can bundle up and explore your own frosty neighborhood. Also a good pick for Black History month.

On Monday we're joining the roundup over at the Nonfiction Monday blog where you'll find even more book reviews. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Oscar Lives Next Door

Oscar Lives Next Door ~ A story inspired by Oscar Peterson's Childhood
by Bonnie Farmer; illus. by Marie Lafrance
32 pages; ages 4-8
Owlkids Books, 2015

theme: friendship; history; music

Opening: Daddy is a Pullman porter on the railway. He is dog-tired by the time he gets off the train at Windsor Station. "It's good to be home," he says softly as he lays his head on his pillow. But he doesn't fall asleep, because Oscar lives next door.

Oscar root-a-toot toots on his trumpet and daddy says, "We're moving!" But Millie and her family never do - and it's a good thing, because Oscar is her best friend. They do everything together, until Oscar gets sick. So sick that when he finally recovers his lungs aren't strong enough to blow on his trumpet. But he finds another way to make music and becomes a jazz legend.


What I like about this book: The author makes it clear in her notes that this is a work of fiction inspired by the story of jazz great Oscar Peterson. Millie is fictitious, and so are some of the antics she and Oscar get into. But the story of Oscars battle with tuberculosis and his music are all based on fact. Not only that but she presents the flavor of the period - the early 1900s - and the neighborhood of Montreal so well that you feel like you're there.

I love the way she uses sounds: bing bang bops and pitter patters and rolling thunder and neighing like horses...  and I like the feel of the illustrations. They're warm, welcoming, filled with life.

Beyond the book: Oscar Peterson died in 2007, but his music lives on. You can head out for a virtual "night on the town" -  Here's a recording from a 1964 performance in Denmark . Want to hear more? then head over here.

Jam Session for little ones: Join an online "jam session" game where you can add instruments to the mix.

Make your own instruments. Line up some bottles with different amounts of water in them and blow across the top, turn a bucket upside down and start drumming, or make your own didgeridoo. Or slide some jingle bells onto a ribbon, tie it around your ankle, and make music while you dance.

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copy from the publisher.

Freedom's Price ~ Blog Tour

Freedom's Price (Hidden Histories)
by Michaela MacColl & Rosemary Nichols
288 pages; ages 9-12
Calkins Creek, 2015

Freedom's Price is the second book in the Hidden Histories series, and it's every bit as good as the first. In this one, authors Michaela MaColl and Rosemary Nichols dive into the history of the Dred Scott decision and pre-Civil War America. It's a coming-of-age story about a young girl, and maybe a young nation as well.

Eleven-year-old Eliza Scott hates doing laundry. She wants more out of her life than to lug smelly shirts to the river's edge and scrub them... day after day after day. She's tired of being in limbo - not a slave, but not quite free. And she's really tired of living in the town jail wile waiting for the court to decide her family's status.

Her father, Dred, has sued for freedom, and until the court decides their fate, he and his family live in a gray zone. As long as they remain on this side of the river, in this town - they are safe... unless they're kidnapped and sold into slavery. But there are unscrupulous people... and Eliza learns that "almost free" isn't "free", and freedom is no guarantee that one will be accorded respect and civility.

What I like about this book are the questions it raises about race, society, and whether our society has progressed from those pre-Civil War times. I like the way the authors worked in the cholera epidemic and the St. Louis Great Fire of 1849. I also love that there is back matter about the Dred Scott decision. While the book is fictional, the story is true: Dred Scott did sue for freedom and won. That decision was overturned by the US Supreme Court - a decision that not only lit the fuse for the Civil War, but provided the underpinnings of the 14th Amendment: that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens. You can read more about Dred Scott here and here.

This book - this series - is a great way to sneak in history for kids who love stories but "hate" history. It's also a great way to slake the thirst of kids who love history but think they don't like fiction. If I had stars to give out, I would.

Today is Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and we're hanging out with other MMGM bloggers over at Shannon Messenger's blog. Hop over to see what other people are reading.  Review copy provided by publisher.

Schools of Hope ~ changing African American education in the early 1900s

A couple weeks ago I ran a give-away contest for The Girls of Gettysburg. Clara Bowman-Jahn is the lucky winter. Congratulations!

Schools of Hope: How Julius Rosenwald Helped Change African American Education
by Norman H. Finkelstein
80 pages; ages 10-16
Calkins Creek, 2014

Jacket flap intro: "Julius Rosenwald's life was forever changed when he met Booker T. Washington, the well-known black educator. Washington introduced the president of Sears, Roebuck and Company to the deplorable conditions of African American schools in the South..."  and, as they say, the rest is history.

In the early 1900s, Rosenwald led Sears to become the largest retail establishment in the world. He became a wealthy man, but felt that people should share their wealth during their lifetime. In addition to charities, Rosenwald became involved in the education of blacks - from offering college fellowships to matching funding for building schools in communities for their children.

The schools that black children attended during that time, 1895 - 1914, were deplorable. Courts had held that education could be separate but equal - but there was little equal about the quality of the education black children received. Rosenwald was inspired by Booker T. Washington's book, Up from Slavery, and more than that, Washington's philosophy of self-help. When he got to meet the great man, they talked about the need for better schools.

The first school Rosenwald helped build was in Loachapoka, Alabama in 1913. It wasn't far from Tuskegee. Rosenwald donated $300 towards the cost of the school. The entire cost to build it was just under $950. Rosenwald insisted that communities be part of the building projects, raising funds and maintaining the schools so they had ownership. Families, both black and white, contributed.

In this book, Finkelstein weaves together a story about two men with vision - Washington and Rosenwald - and a time of great change. He also includes a neat section on how to build a school, from site selection to construction. He talks about fundraising, and the sacrifices families made to see their children educated towards a better future.

Where did the graduates from these schools end up? They were the parents of the generation who marched and sang and pushed this country towards civil rights. For more on schools and equality, check out reviews here and here.

Today we're joining the roundup over at the Nonfiction Monday blog where you'll find even more book reviews.  Review copy from publisher.

Because they Marched

Because they Marched: The People's Campaign for Voting Rights that Changed America
by Russell Freedman
96 pages; ages 10 & up
Holiday House, 2014

If you are looking for a book to read this week, then put this one in your book bag. The photos and stories will take you back 50 years to the Selma march. In fact, the book begins with a story of the day the teachers marched - January 22... only a few days from now. It was a scary decision for them, because marching for the right to vote could mean losing their jobs. But they had to stand up for right, and stand up for their student's futures.

If you listen to the news, you know that some states are making all kinds of rules about what people need to do to vote: have drivers licenses, or special voter ID's. Those rules, they say, will keep "illegal" people from voting - people who aren't citizens. But if you live in a rural area, the drive to a state office where you can get those IDs could be a long one. And there's usually no public transportation. And if you are poor, then you might not even be able to drive. So the rules end up hurting many people who are citizens, depriving them of their right to vote for congressmen and the president.

Back in the 50s and early 60s there were a number of obstacles to voting as well - but they were intended to prevent black American citizens from voting. Obstacles like requiring a reading test, or cutting office hours to only a couple days a week for limited time.

Eventually the protests culminated in a people's march from Selma to the capital of Alabama, Montgomery. People flooded in from across the country, and Martin Luther King, Jr. led the march. Or marches - because it took three tries. Finally, on March 25 the marchers arrived after walking 54 miles, to be greeted by 25,000 supporters. A long walk may not sound very exciting - especially in the rain and cold - but this march put the spotlight on injustice and paved the way to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was a great achievement.

Unfortunately, voter ID laws created by states over the past couple years are undermining the progress this country made to ensure that every citizen born in this country, regardless of gender or skin color or religion, has a say in how we govern ourselves. This is an important book not only because of the past history, but also because of the time in which we find ourselves.

 Today we're joining the roundup over at the Nonfiction Monday blog where you'll find even more book reviews. Today is also Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday round-up. Drop by Shannon's blog to see what other reviewers are talking about. Review copy provided by publisher.

Blog Tour: As Fast As Words Could Fly

Welcome to the blog tour for:
As Fast as Words Could Fly
by Pamela M. Tuck; illus. by Eric Velasquez
32 pages, ages 5 - 8
Lee & Low Books, 2013

A quick overview: Trouble is brewing in Greenville, North Carolina. That's where fourteen-year old Mason Steele lives. It's the sixties, and Mason has an important job - he writes letters for his father's civil rights group. When the group gives him a typewriter, he teaches himself where every letter and symbol is located on the keyboard.

That is the year schools are integrated, and Mason and his brothers are bussed to a formerly all-white high school. Despite his fears, and injustice from some students and faculty, Mason does well. He works in the library and joins the typing team. His skill lands him a place at the county tournament where he chooses to type on a manual machine because, he says, "it reminds me of where I come from."

The story, though fiction, is based on the real live experiences of author Pamela Tuck's father, Moses Teel, Jr. He used his typing talent to defy the prejudices of people who considered him inferior, she writes in her author's note.

Pamela, winner of Lee & Low's New Voices award, graciously answered Three (and 1/2) Questions about her new book:

Sally's Bookshelf: How did your father's writing experiences influence your path to becoming a published author?

Pam: I actually wrote for my dad, for his business, and that strengthened my confidence in my writing ability. But my love of writing - I trace that back to being raised by southern storytellers. I loved to recite stories, but once I learned how to write - that was it! I give some credit to winning a second-grade poetry contest; that empowered me and gave me proof that I was a "poet". Then in high school I joined the drama club and wrote a couple of plays - they really showed me how words affect the viewer. I kept on writing after high school and created a home writing business, writing short poems for people and framing them.

SB: Why did you choose to tell this story as fiction rather than biography? And did you have to do research?

Pam: I chose fiction mainly because my father couldn't remember all the details from some of his experiences, and there were lengthy time lapses between some events.  Biographies require accuracy in dates, sequence of events and quotes, and I felt I had more control of the flow of the story and the direction of my plot if I wrote my father's story as a work of fiction. Most of the events in the story actually took place as written, but I created dialogue and creative transitions to connect one event to the other.

(It turns out that writing fiction can take quite a bit of research)... In the book I feature a civil rights activist, Golden Frinks, so I did research on him to get a better feel of his character beyond what my father could tell me. Although I may not use all of my research in my stories, I want to know my characters well enough to talk about them like family members. I researched school names in Greenville, NC during the 60s, to add authenticity. 

SB: You are the winner of the New Voices Award. Talk about your evolution as a children's writer.

Pam: I got into writing children's stories through a family storytelling night we held. When I decided to get serious, I realized that I didn't know the first thing about queries. Someone told me about SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and I attended the 2007 SCBWI conference in NJ. I returned home a bit overwhelmed - but my husband, Joel, encouraged me to submit this story to the New Voices. So I called my father and then sat down and wrote.

SB: You have eleven children - how do you manage to get your writing done?  

Pam: Being a homeschooler, I'm used to structuring our time - and that actually helped me schedule writing time into my day. Everyone has some individual quiet time in the evening, so that's when I write. Also - when you know you're limited on time, you make the most of it!

And make the most of it she will. Pam says she has two more projects in the works: a mid-grade novel on the civil rights era and a historical fiction picture book.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

 The Blog Tour continues next week with stops at:

Monday July 1:  True Tales and A Cherry on Top

Wednesday, July 3:  ProseandKahn

Monday, July 8: Wrapped In Foil Blog

So be sure to drop by and visit.

NF Monday - Women in History: Phillis Wheatley

Welcome to Nonfiction Monday, a round-up of cool books readers are reading and bloggers are reviewing. Check below for links to reviews.

As for me, I'm continuing my celebration of Women's History month and women writers. Today, a look at a young poet who, despite all odds, discovered her strong voice.

A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet

By Kathryn Lasky; illus by Paul Lee

40 pages, ages 8 – 12

Candlewick Press 2003

“At first there was blackness. Complete blackness. Then the blackness dissolved into darkness, and the world in the creaking hold of the slave ship slid with shadows…” So Kathryn Lasky introduces us to a seven-year old slave without a name until she is sold to the Wheatley family in Boston in 1761.

“We’ll call her Phillis,” says Susannah Wheatley, naming the slip of a girl after the ship in whose hold she’d traveled. It turned out that Phillis has a passion for learning, and her owners encouraged her to read, write, learn Latin, Greek, geography, math. But what Phillis loved best was poetry; so she wrote.

She documented the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre … the tumultuous beginnings of a country seeking independence. She read her poetry in fancy parlors for teas, traveled abroad, gained freedom and, in 1774, saw her book of poetry published. But most importantly, she reclaimed something that had been taken away from her and slaves everywhere: a voice of her own.

This book is sure to inspire young writers looking for a voice of their own. It's also perfect for Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday - where you'll find other books for the mid-grade age, both fiction and non. Review copy provided by publisher.

 

Nonfiction Monday Roundup

Leave a comment; I'll check throughout the day & post links:

 Over at True Tales & Cherry on Top, Jeanne reviews Emily & Carlo.

At NC Teacher Stuff, Jeff reviews Ocean Counting.

Tara at a Teaching Life reviews Master George's People.

 Laura Purdie Salas posted a review of Too Hot? Too Cold?

Mary Ann celebrates Women's History with Annie and Helen at Great Kids Books.

Loree Burns reviews Ocean Sunlight.

Over at Kidlit Celebrates, Alexandra celebrates women in history with a collection of nonfiction addressing the question of what made them who they became?

Ms Yingling is reading ICE.

Check out Mrs Harkness and the Panda over at Perogies & Gyoza.

 Ami's posted three great picture books on black history over at A Mom's Spare Time.

Jennifer is ready for spring with a review of It's Our Garden at Jean Little Library.

Tammy posted three books about forensic science at Apples with Many Seeds.

Over at All About the Books, Janet's reviewed Cars on Mars.

Got kids interested in their rights? Guide them to A Kid's Guide to America's Bill of Rights at Liz's kid lit about politics site

Lynn and Cindy review The Price of Freedom over at their blog, Bookends.

Check out nature's Zombie Makers over at Proseandkahn .

Stacking Books reviews Even an Ostrich Needs a Nest.

Last-minute addition:  Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, reviewed at Challenging the Bookworm

Alice Coachman Had a Dream

Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman, Olympic High-Jump Champion

By Heather Lang; illus. by Floyd Cooper

40 pages, ages 5 and up

Boyds Mills Press, 2012

 

“Alice Coachman was born to run and jump,” writes Heather Lang. “…Alice skipped through the fields. She hopped on rocks, She vaulted over anything that got in her way.” But in the 1930’s, running and jumping weren’t considered very ladylike. And besides, Alice had lots of chores to do after school. But she found time to run.

Alice grew up in the South at a time when black people didn’t have the same rights as white people. There were no parks or gyms or tracks where Alice could practice running and jumping – but she didn’t let that stop her. She ran barefoot on dirt roads. She collected sticks and tied rags together to make her own high jumps. Because Alice had a dream… she wanted to run in the Olympics.

With a record-breaking leap, Alice became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. This is her story – the story of a girl who dreamed of running and who never took her eyes off the prize. Alice once told a New York Times reporter, “When the going gets tough and you feel like throwing your hands in the air, listen to that voice that tells you, ‘Keep going. Hang in there.’ Guts and determination will pull you through.”

Check out photos of Alice here. And check out other books that celebrate nonfiction at Nonfiction Monday, hosted this week by TheLibrariYAn. Review copy provided by the publisher.