These Hands

This February, celebrate all that your hands are able to do - things not all hand were able to do prior to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Mason, Margaret.
These Hands.
March 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When a grandfather shares all of the things his hands could and couldn't do when he was younger, children learn of a very different time in history - a time when African American hands weren't able to mix bread dough in the Wonder Bread factory, weren't able to touch the bread dough in the Wonder Bread factory. The only things those hands were able to do were sweep the floors, work the line, and load the trucks - lesser work that did not involve touching bread, as white people would not want to eat bread touched by African American hands. The grandfather then shares of the actions taken by African Americans (writing petitions, carrying signs, raising their voices) to enable future generations of African Americans to "mix the bread dough" no matter the color of their hands.

This is a wonderfully written book that shares the tribulations and triumphs African American's faced during times of racial discrimination. While the Wonder Bread factory is specifically mentioned here, it is merely representative of nearly all means of employment African American's faced. The story is simply told and easy to understand, making it perfect for children as young as age 5. Definitely worth sharing this February as part of Black History Month.

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Take a picture of the hands of your child(ren). Discuss the things they are able to do. Discuss things they aren't able to do or wouldn't have been able to do prior to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Have them then share something that they feel fortunate that their hands are able to do! Mat their photo and response on colorful construction paper and create a bulletin board to share their work!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Ruth and the Green Book

Experience the challenges of growing up in the early 1950's through the eyes of Ruth, a young African-American girl.

Ramsey, Calvin Alexander.
Ruth and the Green Book.
August 2010.
Lerner Publishing Group.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Ruth's father has just bought the family's first car - intended to use for his new job. However, before he starts the new job, the family plans to take a trip to visit Grandma in Alabama. It all sounds good and easy enough. However, as the family sets off on the adventure, they learn first hand what being "black" in the south meant, facing daily prejudices and hardships along the way to Alabama. When an attendant at an Esso station provides the family with information about "The Negro Motorist Green Book" which is quickly purchased to assist them in their travels. Apparently, "The Negro Motorist Green Book" was a guide to help traveling black people reach places where they would be welcome to eat, shop, sleep, get a haircut and more. Ruth is quickly put in charge of being the navigator and helping the family make it safely to Alabama by relying on the assistance of those who would willingly provide it!

This is a wonderful story, as it seems to realistically portray what African Americans faced during the Jim Crow years. For more information about the Green Book or to access the actual 1956 Green Book (all found to download on the right hand side of the page), visit Lerner Publishing Group's website for Ruth and the Green Book. There's a ton of interesting info here on the topic and it's definitely worth checking out before Black History Month ends!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Slapdash Saturday - Black History Month Titles

I've had these titles hanging around for a while now, awaiting review. Black History Month seemed to be an appropriate time to feature these titles, so hopefully you'll find something you and your family can enjoy together!

Ingalls, Ann and Maryann Macdonald.
The Little Piano Girl: The Story of Mary Lou Williams, Jazz Legend.
January 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Mary Lou Williams, an African American woman, taught herself to play organ at a very young age after listening to and then repeating the keys she'd heard her mother play. However, when the family had to move north to Philadelphia from Georgia when her step-father was seeking work during the war, Mary's family had to leave the organ behind... there just wasn't room to take it. Meeting much resistance as an African American girl in a new city, Mary felt left out with no friends. However, after being befriended by a lady from church, Lucille, Mary is once again in her element, drawing neighbors to Lucille's house where she can now play the piano, being deemed the "little piano girl." Mary eventually overcomes her hardships in life to go on to become a songwriter for Duke Ellington, Bennie Goodman, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. She is also known for being one of the most powerful women in the history of jazz.

This is a very inspiring children that will hopefully enable children to see that they should search out their dreams... with persistence, determination and hard work, they too can accomplish what they wish!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Purchase or borrow from your local library some of Mary Lou Williams' favorite tunes. Listen to the CD with your children and perhaps even research if the songs have special meaning or if they were written based on true-life experiences.
  
• The Zodiac Suite
• My Mama Pinned a Rose on Me
• Free Spirits
  

Golenbock, Peter.
Teammates.
March 2010.
Harcourt, Inc.
Guided Reading Level: N
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Another wonderful work for Black History Month, Teammates, offers readers an outlook on a slightly less featured aspect of African Americans in history... their role in sports throughout the years. Here, readers will learn about Jacking Robinson becoming the first African American ball player to depart the Negro League and enter the Major League after being recruited by Brooklyn Dodgers' manager Branch Rickey.

Readers will likely be intrigued at learning all of the hardships and prejudices Robinson faced in his first year on the team. This book is a perfect read for Black History Month, as it discusses in some detail the prejudices that Jackie Robinson, a baseball hero, faced alongside other African Americans.

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Read this book in addition to completing the Jackie Robinson, A Black Hero lesson plan.
• If your child(ren) is a fan of baseball, extend learning about Jackie Robinson and the trials he overcame by reading In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson and completing some activities found in A Guide for Using 'In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson' in the Classroom.
  

Hopkinson, Deborah.
First Family.
December 2009.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Just over a year ago, President Obama was sworn into office as the nation's first African American President. This was a huge feat for the African American population! In part due to the historical importance of this event, and in part due to the fact that this is the first time in many years that there have been young children in the White House, there seems to be an abundance of children's literature about the Obama family. This book give readers an insight into the life of this "historical" family - sharing their daily routines, as well as all that living in the White House provides for the family. The book is full of fun trivia and children will likely to be eager to learn about the White House and the First Family with this book!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Moving can be a hard experience for some children - leaving behind friends and family for the unknown. Malia and Sasha were encouraged to feel more comfortable in their White House home by being allowed to decorate their new bedrooms however they wanted. Here, you will find a game that will allow your child(ren) to "virtually" create a bedroom of his/her own (although it does seem to be a bit on the feminine side). The Sims 3, albeit a bit pricey is also another great game for such simulations - the whole family can enjoy this one!
• The White House Garden is something else that has been in the news over the past year! Talk about the role of gardening in this family. What are the purposes and the importance of gardening to Michelle Obama and her family? Here, you will find a layout of the White House Garden and a blog entry with information about the garden.
• The White House website is full of information and interesting photos that your family can enjoy!
  

Shange, Ntozake.
We Troubled the Waters.
October 2009.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

I think this might just be one of the best poetry books that focuses on all aspects of Black History! The poems and artwork is so revealing of the emotions experienced by African Americans that it's almost scary. The poems would be wonderful to share one per day throughout February to open a daily discussion about African Americans were treated in history. I've opted to share a few that especially touched me!

WATER FOUNTAINS
it's lucky for them
they could read
"colored" & "white"
signified who could
drink water from where
they were a bit puzzled
it was just water
but it was against the law
to get confused & have the
white boy drink from the
colored or the colored drink from the white
a serious crime under Jim Crow

• Discuss and describe the ways in which this poem and artwork could be considered ironic.

EAGER TO LEARN
bright eyes/books in hand
they simply want a place to learn
but who'll take two little negro girls
they're no danger/no threat
why threaten they right to learn

• Talk about why the rights of negro children to learn were threatened when they were no threat to other children.

Reading/Learning Activities:

• After reading and discussing the poems in this book, assign each child/student a different aspect of African American history. Ask each child to compile a poem and then illustrate the poem to accurately depict that even in Black History.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

February *Black History Month* Giveaway

I had hoped to have this post up last weekend, but, as luck would have it, I was sick all weekend - so sick in fact, that I slept away the entire weekend! However, that left me somewhat mended and the rest of the week allowed me the chance to recover, so here's your February *Black History Month* Giveaway - better late than never!

Sanders, Nancy I.
D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet.
September 2007.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Throughout the course of many years, African Americans have had a significant impact in history. From the Great Migration to the Harlem Renaissance to Kwanzaa and the Olympics, there isn't a topic untouched in this wonderful book that shares with the youngest (to the oldest) of readers important aspects of African American and their lives in history! The book is more than appropriate for readers of all ages, as the side notes provided extensive details about the "story" that allow readers to expand their knowledge as deemed appropriate for their ages. I'm so glad to be able to add this title to my history shelf!

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Since this is an alphabet story, there are 26 topics covered. During the month of February, Black History Month, explore one of these topics each day, reading the appropriate page from the story and then completing some additional activity that coincides with that topic. A list of possible activities can be downloaded here!
  

Raven, Margot Theis.
Let Them Play.
April 2005.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Telling the story of real 11 and 12- year old boys from Charleston, SC in 1955, readers take a step backwards in time to see just how unfairly African Americans were treated in the years of the Civil Rights Movement. This book will really hit home for children who are avid baseball fans, as they likely can't relate to the fact that African American children were being segregated on the ball field as well as in public schools. While their families bound together to do everything in their power, these children ultimately had to stand up for themselves upon actually arriving for the Little League World Series, in which they would not be allowed to play. However, they found triumph and support in the Northern states and won the hearts of many Americans while overcoming their struggle during that fateful summer.

What sealed the deal for me in this title (and almost made me cry) was the epilogue on the last page that shares with readers the pride that these same fourteen boys felt returning to Philadelphia forty-seven years later for the Little League World Series in 2002. This was a truly wonderful, inspiring story!

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Discuss with your child(ren) how they would feel if they were unable to participate in sporting events for different reasons.
  

Swain, Gwenyth.
Riding to Washington.
January 2008.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Young Janie hops aboard the bus with her father and sets off to Washington, D.C. She's not really sure why she's going, but she quickly learns as along the way she and other passengers (white and black) on the bus experience segregation first hand due to their race or their association with the African American race. Janie quickly learns to stand up for what she believes in and learns that she too, despite her young age, can make a difference in the lives of others, even just for showing them support!

This book is wonderfully written and seems to accurately portray the mixed feelings and confusion of children during the Civil Rights Movement. Being told through the eyes of a child enables children of similar ages to easily connect with Janie's feelings and to gain an understanding of such a difficult concept to grasp (especially in today's day and age).

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Sleeping Bear Press has provided a teacher's guide (free of charge) to use in collaboration with Riding to Washington. My personal favorite activity in the guide is "Beware of Prejudice," found on page 16. However, the entire guide can be downloaded here.

***Giveaway Details***

Sleeping Bear Press has generously offered up one copy of each of these three titles to one lucky blog reader. To be entered in the giveaway, simply follow the steps below!

1. Leave a comment on this post no later than 11:59pm EST on Saturday, February 20.
2. Give your favorite topic to learn about during Black History Month.
3. Make sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win!
   

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!