February is Black History Month

In celebration of African-Americans I am sharing some great books that will teach children about the contributions of African-Americans to our wonderful country.  There are many great books out there, too many to count, so I will highlight three of my favorites.

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story of the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, illustrator Kadir Nelson

This beautiful picture book is based on the true story of Henry Brown who mails himself in a box to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When I have read this story to children in the past, they become very enamored with how that was even possible. The main question they ask was how Henry Brow able to breath. The illustrations by Kadir Nelson are beautiful and so realistic.

Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman.

Russell Freedman gives an accurate account of what really happened during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Was Rosa Parks the first person not to give up her seat to a white passenger? Was she actually sitting in the white section or was she following law and sitting in the colored section? Who was E.D. Nixon? Did Martin Luther King, Jr. volunteer to lead the boycott or was he asked? These questions and many more will be answered in this book. My eyes were really opened about how the Montgomery Bus Boycott was strategically planned, not just a random event that just magically happened.

Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration by Shelley Tougas

When I share this book with fifth grade students, one of the things I talk about is how our actions have long lasting effects and we must always be aware of what we do as human beings. This photo is almost 60 years old and it still has a negative effect on both of the young women who were teenagers at the time. This book is a great resource to teach children that our actions have consequences especially in the age of the internet, because the internet does not forget.

Newbery and Caldecott Medal Books

During the month of January, I always teach my students about Newbery and Caldecott medal books. For those of you who do not know, the Newbery and Caldecott awards are the Academy Awards of the children's literature world. Every year in January, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA) gives out the awards to an American children's author (Newbery) and an American children's book illustrator (Caldecott). The 2017 awards were announced this month in Atlanta and the winners are:

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill for the Newbery Award

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe

I can't wait to share these two books with our students at Spring Valley. Right now, I am reading 

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear (winner of the Caldecott Medal in 2016) and one of my all time favorites, The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (winner of the Newbery Medal in 1987)

For more information about Newbery and Caldecott medal books, check out ALSC website for all of the past winners from 1922 and 1938, respectively.