Some reading suggestions for this month, as the country attempts to heal. This has been quite a month. As the tide turns, and America (and Americans) begin to face the past, teachers and parents are looking for reading recommendations to help understand how racism has affected Blacks in this country. Lists of Black books are popping up all over the internet. I believe, as writers who create stories for children, we have a significant responsibility to those who read our books and fall in love with our characters. Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite books (both non-fiction and fiction) that I think are important reading for everyone. I’ve mentioned many of these in previous posts but wanted to consolidate them here. You’ll notice, not all of these books feature Black protagonists facing down racism. I think it’s important that readers also see Black characters just being people. It’s one important way that books can help us see that we’re not so different from one another after all. Picture Books THE BEAUTITUDES – FROM SLAVERY TO CIVIL RIGHTS written by Carole Boston Weatherford illustrated by Tim Ladwig THIS IS IT written and illustrated by Daria Peoples-Riley WE SHALL OVERCOME: THE STORY OF A SONG written by Debbie Levy illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson SATURDAY written and illustrated by Oge Mora Middle Grade Books MARCH, BOOK 1,2,&3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell GARVEY’S CHOICE by Nikki Grimes THE PARKER INHERITANCE by Varian Johnson NEW KID by Jerry Craft CLAYTON BYRD GOES UNDERGROUND by Rita Williams-Garcia One last thought: I fell in love with both magic and books at an early age, mainly because of their ability to transport me to worlds I never thought possible. These are trying times, but I truly believe that what readers read and, therefore, what writers write, will make a difference in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Happy writing and have a magical month.
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We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our awesome bloggers!!
Here's our lineup: 1st Mondays begin with awesome Aussie debut author and former student Amanda Lieber who will be focusing on Aussie kidlit. 2nd Mondays will feature super smart Melissa Stoller whose career is taking off with several new books. 3rd Mondays will feature STEM, STEAM & SEL obsessed author Kourtney LaFavre sharing delightfully dorky, quirky, and fun info. 4th Mondays will be a mystery for right now. And 5th Mondays we'll be taking a break Archives
September 2023
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