Black History Month 2012
RSSSchool Library Journal staff & reviewers
Looking back over the past year, we were impressed with the number and quality of children's and young adult books published on African American history and culture. So, in celebration of Black History Month 2012, we'll be tweeting a review of one of our favorite titles each day. We'll stack the reviews, so today's title is on top; to read about our previous selections, just scroll down. By the 29th, you'll have an impressive list of books to share with your patrons and colleagues and a super collection development tool.
CLINE-RANSOME, Lesa. Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass. illus. by James E. Ransome. unpaged. bibliog. chron. CIP. S & S/Paula Wiseman Bks. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-5903-8. LC 2011013323.
Gr 2-5—"I may not have known how to read, but I knew that if learning made me no longer want to be a slave, then I would secure my freedom one letter at a time." These are the determined words of eight-year-old Frederick Douglass. This powerful, eloquent first-person narrative provides a moving account of his early life. Born and raised on plantations, he spent his formative years in Baltimore in the 1820s and 30s. His thirst to learn to read never waivered; he practiced writing with a brick and a lump of chalk, by copying the letters of poor white children, and by stealing a copybook from his master's son. At 12-years-old, Douglass bought his first newspaper with tips he had earned. He copied words like "liberty," "justice," "freedom," and "abolition" and was inspired. Though this account ends with a hopeful plan to escape, an author's note reveals that he was unsuccessful but that he did escape in 1838 to New York, where he began his new life as an abolitionist leader. This talented team has created a concise, accessible, beautifully illustrated book based on Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Rich acrylic and oil paintings depict plantation life (poorly clothed slave children kneeling before troughs, devouring cornmeal mush like livestock) and the strong emotions of the characters (a young Frederick being transported with hands tied behind his back, lest he escape). This handsome volume is recommended for slightly older audiences than William Miller and Cedric Lucas's Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery (Lee & Low, 1995).—Barbara Auerbach, P.S. 217, Brooklyn, New York
MITCHELL, Margaree King. When Grandmama Sings. illus. by James E. Ransome. unpaged. CIP. HarperCollins/Amistad. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-688-17563-4. LC 2008034353.
Gr 2-4-Set in the segregated South of the 1950s, Mitchell's poignant story features eight-year-old Belle and her loving, stalwart African-American family. When Grandmama, who can't read but whose singing voice captures the hearts of all who hear her, joins a jazz band for a tour of the South, Belle pleads to go along. Thrilled to expand her world beyond Pecan Flats, MS, she experiences firsthand the difficulties her people face: hotels marked "White Only," diners that refuse them service, police who search their cars and luggage for no reason. Through it all, Grandmama sings to growing crowds, believing in the power of music to bring people together. When, at the story's end, a recording contract beckons her "up north," Grandmama tells Belle to believe in herself and "sing her own song." Ransome's full-page images, rich in color and feeling, portray the landscapes of the South and the individual emotions of the characters with equal aplomb. Placed in the past, the message is still relevant to children today.-Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA
ARETHA, David. Black Power. 128p. (The Civil Rights Movement Series). photos. bibliog. chron. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Morgan Reynolds. 2011. PLB $28.95. ISBN 978-1-59935-164-3. LC 2010046103.
Gr 9 Up-Aretha's history of the Black Power movement begins where many Civil Rights accounts leave off, with the formation of organizations that rejected nonviolence as too slow and ineffectual a means of achieving racial equality. Black Power is often associated with militancy, and both sides of that image are presented here. Aretha examines the foundations of the movement and the backlash against it, the Black Pride and Black Arts movements, and the state of Black Power in the age of Obama. Illustrations are mainly photographs, both historical and contemporary; the one exception is a page from a coloring book put out by the FBI to discredit the Black Panthers. The caption is slightly unclear, but the text resolves the matter. Back matter includes a time line and a few websites. This is a solid introduction to a subject that readers may have read about in fiction like Kekla Magoon's The Rock and the River (S & S, 2009).-Rebecca Donnelly, Loma Colorado Public Library, Rio Rancho, NM
CROWE, Chris. Just as Good: How Larry Doby Changed America's Game. illus. by Mike Benny. unpaged. bibliog. Web sites. Candlewick. Jan. 2012. Tr $0. ISBN 978-0-7636-5026-1. LC 2010047678.
Gr 1-4-Eleven weeks after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier with the National League Brooklyn Dodgers, Doby signed with the Cleveland Indians, in the American League. While his achievement has not been as celebrated as Robinson's, the need for him to succeed was just as important. It validated Robinson's Rookie of the Year accomplishment, proving that he wasn't a fluke, and that African-American players could succeed in baseball just as well as white athletes. Doby's story-and particularly his 1948 season with the World Champion Indians-is seen through the eyes of Homer, an African-American child who is crazy about baseball. He, too, faces disappointment when his Little League coach tells him he can't play because he is black (an abruptly cruel moment in an otherwise uplifting book). Homer and his father follow Doby's every move, fully aware of the history they are witnessing. It is the familial context that gives the book its punch. Period details, such as hurrying to the local drugstore to listen to the World Series games on the radio, combine with play-by-play drama to flesh out a compelling story. Benny's acrylic paintings focus on the characters-Doby, Homer, his mother and father-placing them in the spotlight at various moments. Baseball fans and historians will appreciate this look at one of the game's trailblazers.-Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA
WINTER, Jonah. Jazz Age Josephine. illus. by Marjorie Priceman. unpaged. S & S/Atheneum. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-6123-9. LC number unavailable.
Gr 3-6-Born into poverty in St. Louis of 1906, Freda Josephine McDonald, aka Josephine Baker, met her surroundings with humor, entertaining dance moves, and an unshakable belief in happy fairy-tale endings. She left home while just a teen and her natural gifts led her to the New York City stage where the clownlike dances of her childhood evolved into the signature moves of polished adult expression. Eventually she went to Paris where enthusiastic followers of the Jazz Age praised her dark, exotic beauty and her talent. While the rhyming text echoes the blues, Priceman's swirl of watercolor images capture the story's various moods. A multipage tribute to Parisian nights and the Eiffel Tower is electric with bold reds, pinks, oranges, and purples in a series of movements reminiscent of the entertainer's vibrant performances. While the text rhythm of scat accompanies smoky shadows, images of jazz musicians flit past angled approximations of Baker's original dance moves. Images and text present an introduction to the terminology and style of early jazz. This heartfelt tribute to Baker serves as a marvelous introduction to the era.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX
BAUSUM, Ann. Marching to the Mountaintop: How Poverty, Labor Fights, and Civil Rights Set the Stage for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Final Hours. 106p. photos. bibliog. chron. further reading. index. notes. Web sites. National Geographic. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-4263-0939-7; PLB $28.90. ISBN 978-1-4263-0940-3; ebook $19.95. ISBN 978-1-4263-0945-8. LC number unavailable.
Gr 6 Up—It is common knowledge that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN on April 4, 1968. What is less generally discussed is the reason he was there-his involvement with the sanitation workers' strike. This beautifully illustrated, clearly laid out recounting of King's involvement with the strike presents the precipitating causes as well as the course of the action. Eight chapters cover the deaths of two sanitation workers, which triggered protests that morphed into the strike; the impasse between the city and the workers; the impact of larger movements, such as Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movement; the series of protest marches; King's last days and assassination; and the resolution of the strike and the denouement of the Civil Rights Movement. A pictorial guide to the people who figured in the action precedes the subsequent chapters, which use spiritual verses as epigrams and feature perfectly placed photographs that extend the lucid text. While the vocabulary is relatively advanced, the combination of pictorial presentation with informative text should draw in adolescent readers. Research notes, a resource guide (listing books, music, documentary films, places to visit, and websites), an extensive bibliography, citation list, and index conclude this fine and informative look at the crossover between labor actions and civil rights. With a narrower focus than Milton Meltzer's There Comes a Time: The Struggle for Civil Rights (Random, 2001), this is an excellent source for curricular extension in American history courses.—Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA
EVANS, Kristina. What's Special About Me, Mama? illus. by Javaka Steptoe. unpaged. Disney/Jump at the Sun. Jan. 2011. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7868-5274-1. LC number unavailable.
PreS-K-A child's need to know that he or she is special is a common concern that has been addressed in various forms in picture books over the years. Here, Evans and Steptoe provide a warm and touching version, showcasing an African-American family. Evans's dialogue swings with an easy back-and-forth rhythm between a mother and her son, and Steptoe's collage illustrations, in deep rich colors, effectively position characters, harmoniously connecting the two. In taking full advantage of the pages and spreads, the artist achieves an intimacy between the boy and his mother that melds well with the story. Hand-lettered text emphasizes the woman's words to her son-"Amazing," "Perfect," "Beautiful" in large bright colors and her answers to "What else, Mama?" connect with the child's everyday world. "Tell me AGAIN, Mama."-Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA
MCKISSACK, Patricia C. Never Forgotten. illus. by Leo & Diane Dillon. unpaged. CIP. Random/Schwartz & Wade Bks. Oct. 2011. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-84384-6; PLB $21.99. ISBN 978-0-375-94453-6; ebook $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98387-0. LC 2010024789.
Gr 4-7—This story-in-verse begins centuries ago, when an African blacksmith named Dinga loses his wife in childbirth. Against the advice of others in his village, he decides to raise the baby himself. When his son, Musafa, grows up, he becomes an apprentice blacksmith, but before long, the slave ships come: "Beware/Of pale men riding in large seabirds/With great white wings." What happens after that makes for a moving story of loss and transcendence, and a loving tribute to the power of memory. McKissack's writing is as rhythmic and sure as the sound of the drumbeats she describes in the narrative. The Dillons' acrylic/watercolor paintings feature beautifully soft colors and heavy yet fluid lines. The pictures demonstrate the miracle of superb book illustration: how something that lies flat on the page can convey such depth, texture, and feeling. This will not be easily accessible to many kids, but here's hoping that there are a lot of patient and appreciative adults (teachers, parents, librarians) to introduce them to this sad but powerful tale.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
TOUGAS, Shelley. Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight For Integration. 64p. (Captured History Series). photos. reprods. bibliog. chron. further reading. glossary. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Compass Point. 2012. PLB $33.99. ISBN 978-0-7565-4440-9; pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-0-7565-4512-3. LC 2010054303.
Gr 5-9-When Will Counts snapped a photo on September 4, 1957, Elizabeth Eckford reluctantly became the face of the fight for school integration in Little Rock. In it, Eckford is poised and stoic as Hazel Bryan, shouting violently, follows behind her. This book explores the photo in depth, providing the perspectives of the two subjects and the photographer and discussing what the image meant in the struggle for school integration. Tougas works with this premise and provides readers with a full account of this troubling time in American history. The author makes good use of quotes throughout the readable text, enabling today's students to imagine walking in the shoes of one of the Little Rock Nine. Each page includes an archival photo, primary-source document, or biography of a key player in the event. A testament to the power of the press and the bravery of all who fought for equal rights, this book should be required reading.-Heather Acerro, Rochester Public Library, MN
BRIMNER, Larry Dane. Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor . 112p. photos. further reading. index. notes. Calkins Creek. Nov. 2011. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-1-59078-766-3. LC number unavailable.
Gr 6 Up-The relative fame and stalwart characters of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks tend to obscure other primary, important players in the Civil Rights Movement. One of these was the Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth, a Baptist minister who served churches in Alabama from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Committed to his belief in the equality of all people before God, he was the driving force in bringing about the integration of Birmingham; and in this endeavor, he had help from a most unexpected source. Eugene "Bull" Connor was the Birmingham Commissioner of Public Safety and strong proponent of the city's segregation ordinances. His enforcement techniques are legendary: dogs, fire hoses, brutality. Klan supported and driven by a set of beliefs as strong as, but counter to, Shuttlesworth's, Connor was in large part responsible for turning the tide of public opinion in favor of civil-rights progress. In this highly pictorial book, Brimner limns the characters of both men and the ways in which their belief systems and personalities interacted to eliminate segregation from the Birmingham statutes. The use of black-and-white pages and interspersed red sidebars containing supporting information on topics such as the murder of Emmet Till and Autherine Lucy's attempt to integrate the University of Alabama makes this a visually arresting treatment. The writing style is lively and informative. A brief bibliography, excellent source notes, and a sound index round out this volume, which can stand alongside Russell Freedman's Freedom Walkers (Holiday House, 2006) and Brimner's own Birmingham Sunday (Calkins Creek, 2010) as fine examples of both civil-rights history and photo-biographies.-Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA
SHANGE, Ntozake. Freedom's a-Callin Me. illus. by Rod Brown. unpaged. CIP. HarperCollins/Amistad. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-133741-3. LC 2010050515.
Gr 4-8—The team who created We Troubled the Waters (HarperCollins, 2009) now presents a series of poems and paintings that express the hope and frustration of enslaved people trying to navigate the Underground Railroad. Using dialect to convey a Southern cadence, Shange's poems communicate powerful emotions. Fear, resolve, anger, and hope all show up at various times. The book depicts a variety of experiences, from a slave who wants to escape, to a loved one who tries to convince him to stay; a man who changes his mind midway, to others who survive the journey. Along the way, the escapees meet white people who hurt or kill as well as those who help in large and small ways. These poems are a cry from the heart. They express the spirit that compelled people to take desperate measures to find freedom, people who viewed death as preferable to bondage. The expressive impressionistic paintings capture attention with their bold strokes and vivid coloring. Generally indistinct faces and dramatically posed bodies command the eye. A few graphic images make this book best suited to upper elementary or older readers. This is an excellent resource to use with fiction such as Patricia Polacco's January's Sparrow (Philomel, 2009) or Christopher Paul Curtis's Elijah of Buxton (Scholastic, 2007).—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
LYONS, Kelly Starling. Ellen's Broom. illus. by Daniel Minter. unpaged. Putnam. Jan. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25003-3. LC number unavailable.
K-Gr 3—According to an author's note, while Lyons was researching family history, she learned of the role played by the Freedmen's Bureau in authenticating the unregistered marriages of former slaves. This Reconstruction-era story imagines what that experience would be like. After their preacher announces the opportunity to register and be considered legally married, Ellen's parents and siblings gather around the broom hanging above their hearth. Papa explains the custom of "jumping the broom"—the ritual enacted by slaves to signify marital commitment: "we put this here broom on the ground, held hands and leaped into life together." The family then walks to the courthouse where Mama and Papa are married, with Mama holding the broom, which is later hung above the fire place. Minter's striking hand-painted linoleum block prints create a range of physical and emotional settings as the parents reflect on their past and celebrate the significance of being "legal." Warm brown faces reflect the brilliant golden rays filling the church in a colorful opening imbued with joyous reverence. A muted palette with softer borders is employed for flashbacks, such as that of a husband and wife being cruelly separated by a master. The pink of the protagonist's dress connects to the flowers she and her sister gather to decorate the broom, as it becomes a link between their heritage and futures. Lyon's homespun and heartfelt dialogue combines with Minter's exquisite use of line, color, and composition to produce a story that radiates deep faith and strong family bonds.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
LEVINE, Kristin. The Lions of Little Rock. 304p. Putnam. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25644-8. LC number unavailable.
Gr 5-8-In this stunning piece of historical fiction, Levine sheds light on the little-known period immediately following the Little Rock Nine's integration of Central High School in 1957. In September 1958, Governor Orval Faubus ordered the closure of all public high schools in the city. This novel depicts the tumultuous era through the eyes of 12-year-old Marlee Nisbett, who is painfully shy but eventually reclaims her voice by having the courage to do the right thing. On her first day at West Side Junior High, Marlee meets Liz, a new girl unafraid of speaking her mind. Emboldened by her friendship with Liz, Marlee begins talking and interacting more with her classmates. When Liz abruptly disappears amid rumors that she is a black girl-"Can you believe it....A nigger at our school?"-passing for white, Marlee is bereft but determined to uphold the friendship, at great cost to both girls' safety. In trying to sustain her relationship with Liz, Marlee ultimately realizes that there is a bigger cause at stake. With remarkable depth and clarity, Levine unflinchingly portrays racial tensions in the 1950s Deep South; her descriptions of the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools (WEC) and the Stop This Outrageous Purge (STOP) campaign further lend an air of historical authenticity to the book. Readers will be moved by Marlee and Liz's strong bonds and inspired by Marlee's unwavering tenacity in the face of what seems like insurmountable adversity.-Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA
MARZOLLO, Jean. The Little Plant Doctor: A Story About George Washington Carver. illus. by Ken Wilson-Max. unpaged. photos. CIP. Holiday House. 2011. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-2325-5. LC 2010024064.
K-Gr 3-Marzollo's sweet, simple biography begins, "I'm a very old tree. I live in Diamond, Missouri. Old trees like me have stories to tell." Told from the perspective of a tree on the grounds of the George Washington Carver National Monument, the story is a heartfelt testimony to Carver's innate curiosity and delight in the natural world. The book is written conversationally, an engaging tactic that draws readers in. Although some might find the fictionalizing off-putting, the nonfiction elements are blended seamlessly with factual details about the man's desire to attend school and his subsequent accomplishments in botany. The vivid, full-bleed illustrations add much to the story; the vibrant, painterly strokes are visible throughout. This lovely book is worthy of a place on most shelves.-Nicole Waskie-Laura, Chenango Forks Elementary, Binghamton, NY
OSBORNE, Linda Barrett. Miles to Go for Freedom: Segregation and Civil Rights in the Jim Crow Years. 118p. map. photos. reprods. bibliog. chron. index. notes. CIP. Abrams. Feb. 2012. RTE $24.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0020-0. LC 2011022854.
Gr 6-10—This companion to Osborne's Traveling the Freedom Road: From Slavery and the Civil War Through Reconstruction (Abrams, 2009) painstakingly documents a period of "widespread discrimination, cruel prejudice and daily humiliation" from the late 19th to mid-20th century. The book showcases pieces from the Library of Congress's African American history collection, including photographs, drawings, and documents. Each page is laid out in a restrained scrapbook style with dynamic black-and-white photos and reproductions offset by jewel-toned frames. The text is elegant and understated. Drawing on personal interviews, the author provides anecdotes of everyday racism that young people will be able to grasp and relate to immediately. One man recalls growing up in North Carolina, where African Americans were served hot dogs through a 12-inch hole in a wall at the back of a restaurant rather than served face-to-face. One striking photograph shows a man in profile climbing steep stairs to a separate "colored" entrance to a movie theater, while another depicts a burned-out, broken-down school bus for black children. A letter from 1926 contains a one-sentence letter: "I am sorry, but no colored students are accepted at the Peabody University." Osborne's archival and storytelling talents are equally powerful. Her clear-sighted narrative does not hold back from exposing cruelty, but she never lets sorrow overwhelm it.—Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard H.S. Early College, Queens, NY
HARVEY, Jeanne Walker. My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey. illus. by Elizabeth Zunon. unpaged. bibliog. further reading. Web sites. CIP. Marshall Cavendish. 2011. RTE $0. ISBN 978-0-7614-5810-4; spiral $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7614-6063-3. LC 2010016849.
Gr 2-5-Bearden was one of the great artists who came out of the remarkably fertile Harlem Renaissance. His collages invoked many images that represented the struggle of African Americans as they sought to live productive lives after generations of repression and bondage. Inspired by his painting, Watching the Good Trains Go By, this homage to the artist incorporates his love of the blues and jazz and takes the shape of a standard blues song with its repetition and varying rhythms. It tells the story of Bearden's childhood and how his experiences ultimately shaped his art. Practicing it as a read aloud is a must to ensure conveying the flow of the "song" to the audience. The accompanying artwork is beautifully done in oil paint and mixed-media collage and will introduce the medium to those children not already acquainted with it. Seeing how a story can be told through bits and pieces of paper or fabric that are cut and glued together is a wonderful message sure to inspire budding artists. Pair this book with Me and Uncle Romie: A Story Inspired by the Life and Art of Romare Bearden (Dial, 2002) to fill out the artist's life story. A great addition to an existing collection of art books and certainly to the books for children on Bearden.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
RAMSEY, Calvin Alexander & Bettye Stroud. Belle, The Last Mule at Gee's Bend: A Civil Rights Story. illus. by John Holyfield. unpaged. Candlewick. 2011. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4058-3. LC 2010048132.
Gr 2-3—In this true story from the 1960s, a poor African American community in Alabama becomes a microcosm for the Civil Rights Movement itself. While waiting for his mother to finish shopping, Alex occupies himself by watching a mule snack on a field of collard greens. He is surprised when an old woman walks by and tells him it is fine for Belle to eat as much as she wants. Miz Pettway explains by telling him a story. The people of Gee's Bend (or "Benders") were thrilled when the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., came to speak to them. No black person from their county had ever dared to vote, but after Dr. King suggested that they register in nearby Camden, they were empowered to do it. When local authorities closed the ferry, the Benders arranged their own transportation. The same was true when the time came to vote. When several people lost their jobs as a result, they banded together and began making beautiful quilts as a means of support. In the sad days following Dr. King's assassination, the Benders were called upon again. Dr. King had wanted mules to pull a farm cart bearing his burial casket through the streets of Atlanta. The Benders sent Belle and another mule and once again succeed in spite of the barriers put in their way. Expressive acrylic illustrations in rich colors help make the story child-friendly and accessible. Belle is depicted with an appealing personality, but she is not anthropomorphized. This low-key, unsentimental story is a great vehicle for showing children how ordinary people can make a great difference.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
NELSON, Vaunda Micheaux. No Crystal Stair: A Novel in Documents, Based on the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller. illus. by R. Gregory Christie. 192p. photos. reprods. bibliog. further reading. index. notes. Web sites. Carolrhoda Lab. Feb. 2012. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-6169-5; spiral $12.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8727-5. LC 2011021251.
Gr 7 Up-This well-documented biographical novel presents the life and work of a man whose Harlem bookstore became an intellectual, literary haven for African Americans from 1939 until 1975. Through alternating voices of actual family members, acquaintances, journalists, and the subject himself, Michaux's independent spirit, determination, and perseverance are revealed. Despite family pressure to conform to a religious life, he was restless, controversial, and questioning. Influenced by the nationalism of Marcus Garvey and the intellect of Frederick Douglass, he believed that black people needed to educate themselves as to who they were in order to improve their own lives. He opened the National Memorial African Bookstore with "five books, a building, and one hundred dollars." He accumulated works by black writers and talked to customers and passers-by about cultural awareness and self-improvement. His bookstore attracted Harlem residents, civil-rights activists, including Malcolm X and Muhammed Ali, and political attention. But in 1968, this renowned Harlem landmark fell victim to a new state office building complex. He moved his bookstore once, but facing age and another forced move in 1974, he sold his massive collection. Black-and-white photos add depth to the fictionalized biography. Detailed source and bibliographic notes depict the research process while the text reflects Nelson's skill of blending fact and fiction. Using extensive interviews, magazine and newspaper articles, church publications, books, and FBI files (tracking Michaux's political activities), Nelson recounts her great-uncle's enterprising and unflinching efforts to enrich and empower fellow African-Americans. The storytelling format, candid perspectives, supplemental images, and historic connections bring to life an unheralded individualist whose story will engage readers.-Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC
BRADLEY, Kimberly Brubaker. Jefferson's Sons. 368p. further reading. CIP. Dial. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3499-9. LC 2010049650.
Gr 6-9-This well-researched fictional look at the lives of the sons of Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings, echoes with the horrors of slavery and the contradictions within the author of the Declaration of Independence and an admired champion of liberty. Bradley's Sally Hemings is a determined woman who accepts her life as a slave and secret lover of the president while she focuses on the promised freedom for her children and the chance to leave slave life behind. The story is told mainly by her three sons, Beverly, Madison, and Eston. Hemings never allows her children to forget that they are slaves while they live at Monticello and makes sure that they are aware of slavery's repulsiveness, despite their somewhat special status. She plans to have her light-skinned son Beverly and daughter Harriet to go out in the world and "pass" as white people, but this will require that they never acknowledge her or their darker family members again. Eventually financial difficulties grow, and Jefferson is forced to sell many possessions, including 130 slaves. Maddy and Eston are given their freedom at the age of 21, but Sally Hemings was never set free. Bradley's fine characterization and cinematic prose breathe life into this tragic story.-Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
GRADY, Cynthia. I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery. illus. by Michele Wood. unpaged. further reading. CIP. Eerdmans. 2011. RTE $17. ISBN 978-0-8028-5386-8. LC 2011022481.
Gr 4-8-Grady combines the tradition of American folk-art quilting with a series of original poems written in unrhymed verse that depict the hardships of American slaves. On each spread, a full-page illustration on the right depicts a scene from a slave's life, while a corresponding poem appears on the top left-hand page, with corroborating historical facts listed below. Fourteen traditional quilt patterns are used, and the name of the particular pattern appears above each poem. Some selections are more powerful than others. In particular, the last poem "Basket" poignantly describes the feelings of tiredness and oppression as well as the solace and hope that embody the slave's harsh existence, "I lay my stitches down and troubles fall away...I'm breathing with the rhythm of my quilting...the threads that weave the fabric of my life." The author notes that she has included a biblical, spiritual, and musical reference in each poem to reflect the three layers of a quilt and used 10 lines of 10 syllables to mimic the square shape of the quilt block. Using acrylics on canvas, Wood has created striking illustrations that add a masterful visual component to the volume. She successfully draws readers in and brings the characters and their stories to life. She presents the strength and determination of people who have endured unspeakable injustice and hardship with a grace born out of spirituality. This ambitious work offers a bit of poetry, history, folk art, quilting, religion and more. It will successfully fill a niche in libraries.-Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY
CELENZA, Anna Harwell. Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite. illus. by Don Tate. unpaged. w/CD. CIP. Charlesbridge. 2011. RTE $19.95. ISBN 978-1-57091-700-4. LC 2010023060.
Gr 2-5—When Ellington is asked to sign a recording contract in 1960, he teams up with fellow musician Billy Strayhorn, and the two composers create a new spin on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. The classical masterpiece is a holiday favorite and tinkering with something so well known has to be taking a bit of a chance. Ellington's band is not keen on tackling it, but he is not dissuaded. Even the record executive is skeptical until he hears the band recording in the studio. The story of Ellington and Strayhorn's daring collaboration is well told, and the illustrations convey the hip, cool feeling of the time. An author's note provides more information, and a CD of the piece is included. Anyone who pops the CD in for a listen is sure to see Ellington as the jazz giant he was. Music teachers will love this package to compare and contrast versions of the Nutcracker, thereby helping children understand what the classical and jazz genres are. Pair this with Jack Prelutsky's The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns (Knopf, 2010) for more insight into interpreting another artist's work.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
WRIGHT, Barbara. Crow. 296p. Random. Jan. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86928-0; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96928-7; spiral $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98270-5. LC number unavailable.
Gr 5-8-In this moving, first-person narrative, Wright draws attention to the lesser-known historical events of the 1898 Wilmington, NC, race riots and coup d'etat where racist insurrectionists overthrew the local government and perpetrated widespread attacks on black citizens. Crow depicts the harrowing events leading up to the riots through the eyes of Moses Thomas, an 11-year-old African-American boy. On his last day of school, he narrowly avoids coming under the shadow of a buzzard, a harbinger of bad luck according to his grandmother, Boo Nanny. Indeed, the bird's ominous appearance foreshadows several racist acts against Moses as well as horrific tragedy for the Thomas family. Moses is a studious boy, and deeply inspired by his father, a Howard University graduate and reporter for the Wilmington Daily Record, the only black-owned newspaper in the South. However, Boo Nanny feels that her grandson is too focused on school to notice the effects of the pervasive racism surrounding him and tries to educate him on the harsh realities of life. The boy's education comes at a price, when he risks his life to help the Daily Record's editor escape, and later when he's trapped in the newspaper's building during the insurrectionists' attempt to burn it down. Wright adroitly charts Moses's emotional growth from a self-involved boy into a poised, socially aware young man. The expert blending of vivid historical details with the voice of a courageous, relatable hero makes this book truly shine.-Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA
NELSON, Kadir. Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. illus. by author. 108p. bibliog. chron. index. CIP. HarperCollins. Sept. 2011. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-06-173074-0. LC 2010046236.
Gr 5 Up-Expanding his focus from the close-up view of history applied in previous books, Nelson here uses his formidable skills for the larger landscape: the black experience in America from slavery to the presidency. Like most surveys, the book is organized by struggles and wars; unlike traditional overviews, the facts are filtered through the eyes of a black woman with attitude to spare. This invented narrator, whose "Pap" was kidnapped as a child in Africa and whose brothers fought in World War II, does not suffer fools. Her colloquial commentary, addressed to "honey" or "chile," introduces and interprets the events. Occasionally her voice drops out, and a more textbooklike tone prevails, but mostly her presence provides the heart and soul of the story; readers will care about this information because they care about her. Nelson's oil portraits and tableaux consistently display technical virtuosity, drama, and dignity. From single-page compositions of historic personalities (Frederick Douglass, Joe Louis, Rosa Parks) and representative characters (a Revolutionary War soldier, students at Woolworth's) to full-spread, murallike scenes of a slave ship, a battle, a big band, Nelson varies the viewpoint and contrasts light and darkness to tell a riveting tale. The purpose is presented in the prologue and re-cast in the epilogue and author's note: "You have to know where you came from so you can move forward." Provocative and powerful, this book offers a much-needed perspective for individuals of all ages seeking to understand America's past and present.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
