When I retired, I started writing book reviews for my friend and fellow librarian, Edi Campbell.
Here are a list of my reviews:
The Rhythm of Time
Last Chance Dance
The Davenports
Wade in the Water
As You Walk You On By
DSA Bookclub
Before the pandemic, I received a grant from Community Connections, a local grantmaking agency, to host a book club discussion. The goal of this grant was to engage students in book discussions and develop and/or enhance work skills. With this grant, I was able to purchase books for anyone who wanted to read and participate in the discussion. In addition, our DSA multimedia students applied their classroom skills. They recorded, edited, and posted video recorded the bookclub videos to fulfill the grant requirements.
These were the videos we were able to record and post to youtube:
“With the Fire on High” by Elizabeth Ascevedo
“This is my America” by Kim Johnson
“Not so Pure and Simple” by Lamar Giles
“Island Games” by Clint Chico
“Love Radio” by Ebony LaDelle
2023 28 Days Later The Brown Bookshelf Day 1: Kacen Callender
If you are unfamiliar with The Brown Bookshelf, then you need to get know this resource. Every February, this team of African American authors/illustrators feature an author or illustrator each day for the month of February. This year will be their last for a moment, as they are taking a hiatus to determine their next step.
For now, let us enjoy the authors and illustrators they are featuring this year.
Day 1: Kacen Callender: https://thebrownbookshelf.com/28days/throwback-posts-day-1-kacen-callender/
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature 2022 Best Books List has been released
The Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) has released its 2022 Best Book list. This list represent the best fiction and nonfiction books published in 2022 that are historically accurate, authentically represent the culture, and well-written. The entire list can be found by visiting the site:
book review: all my rage by sabaa tahir — Book Noted
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. Format: Physical book + Audio Book Page Count: 384 Release Date: 03.01.2022 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary synopsis. Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and […]
book review: all my rage by sabaa tahir — Book Noted
Latinxs in Kid Lit’s June 2022 Newsletter — Latinxs in Kid Lit
. In our June 2022 newsletter, we have a guest post by author Cynthia Harmony about the importance of community, June releases, and recent reviews. Click here to access it: https://mailchi.mp/dad1785cd1d7/ziik0z85vf To get future newsletters in your inbox, you will need to subscribe. Click here: http://eepurl.com/hzptzX . Photo credit: TheoP Photography . .
Latinxs in Kid Lit’s June 2022 Newsletter — Latinxs in Kid Lit
Throwback Thursday: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
For Throwback Thursday, I chose Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl, written by Harriet Jacobs (or Linda Brent). Initially classified as fiction, a few historians finally acknowledged that this book is an authentic autobiography. In this book, Harriet Jacobs shares her pain and burden of being an enslaved girl, including being sexually harassed by her master. This book may be one of the first books that writes about sexual harassment. Although enslaved African Americans were considered property and masters had the power and control over them, Harriet Jacobs was one slave who refused to submit to her master’s sexual advances. How she manages to do this is worth reading and finding out for yourself.
History Maker Olympic Medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad
Disclaimer. This book is in my “to be read” pile. Although I have yet to read this book, Ibtihaj Muhammad’s story fascinates me.
“At the 2016 Olympic Games, Ibtihaj Muhammad smashed barriers as the first American to compete wearing hijab, and she made history as the first Muslim American woman to win a medal. But before she was an Olympian, activist, and entrepreneur, Ibtihaj was a young outsider trying to find her place.
Growing up in suburban New Jersey, Ibtihaj was often the only African American Muslim student in her class. When she discovered and fell in love with fencing, a sport most popular with affluent young white people, she stood out even more. Rivals and teammates often pointed out Ibtihaj’s differences, telling her she would never succeed. Yet she powered on, rising above bigotry and other obstacles on the path to pursue her dream.”–from the jacket cover.
Connecting Women’s History and Reading Month
Anytime of the year is a good time to honor people of color and their achievements. With March designated as both Women’s History and Reading months, I decided to select a book that definitely honors both. Tonya Bolden’s Changing the Equation 50th US Black Women in STEM is an excellent read and a great introduction to African American pioneers in the STEM professions. From Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first woman to earn her MD in 1864, to contemporaries like Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black Girls Code, the women included in this book have paved the way for more young women to claim a spot in the STEM profession. Award-winning Tonya Bolden is a both a thorough researcher, using primary and secondary sources. and a skilled storyteller, writing these women biographies in a concise, warm, and easy to read style.
This is How We Move From Black History Month to Women’s History Month — CrazyQuiltEdi
Bridge February and March — Black History and Women’s History– by reading the Black women who write Black stories. These women imagine, document, speculate and create. Some, like Janet McDonald are an important part of the history while many like Leah Johnson, and Kaylynn Bayron are just getting started. A complete list of names is […]
This is How We Move From Black History Month to Women’s History Month — CrazyQuiltEdi
The Eclectic Kitabu Project 