March is Women’s History Month so I’ve started off with a video of a musician that is new to me, Hazel Dorothy Scott, a jazz prodigy who was prominent during the 1930s and 1940s. I could not find a picture book biography on her (yet) but here’s hoping that someone will write out. In the…
Parks at the Civil Rights March on Washington, 1963 from Wikipedia I had seen a photography exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts last year and had taken a few photos of Gordon Parks photos because they seemed really important somehow. I knew nothing about Gordon Parks then. In researching female pioneering musicians, I came…
Please welcome my guest blogger today, Glenda Armand, the author of Ira’s Shakespeare Dream. If you agree about #OscarsSoWhite now in 2016, imagine how difficult it would be for people of color to succeed in theater more than 1oo years ago! #OscarsSoWhite analysis by Time Magazine: See the Entire History of the Oscars Diversity Problem in…
In honor of Martin Luther King, Junior day, I wanted to share my son’s 4th grade Civil Rights Movement project. His teacher created a really great timeline that I hope will be helpful as well. I am Jackie Robinson (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos I’m not sure if I…
5 Wonderful Picture Books on Africa I know very little about the continent of Africa so today I wanted to explore it through picture books. These five books show different perspectives from the story of young Masaii girl who wants to touch the moon to visiting family in Tanzania and The Gambia. I was surprised to…
Februray is Black History Month and I’m celebrating with a round up of books that I hope teach and inspire for different reasons. I have two biographies on Sun Ra, a jazz legend and Malcolm X, the great civil rights leader. I chose Lend a Hand for the inspiring poems and inclusive illustrations that urge…
Valarie Budayr and I were so excited to meet Children’s Africana Book Awards at the National Social Studies Meeting.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr image from Wikipedia To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20th, I thought I would compile my previous posts on MLK day and the Civil Rights Movement. I hope these lists will be helpful if…
Today, when I searched for a perfect picture book for Picture Book of the Day, a picture book on Civil Rights for kids found me. As Fast as Words Could Fly had been sitting on my pile waiting patiently. A long while. But just yesterday, I had the honor and privilege of bringing Civil Rights…