READ SOME NEW BOOKS TO HONOR

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.'S BIRTHDAY

  

       

Rudine Sims Bishop once said “Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created and recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books." 

This is a small sampling of a few books I have read recently that gave me mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors. Books like these can also provide an easy introduction to conversations that your family may not be having. It's never too early - you can start talking to babies about differences in skin color as soon as you start reading to them - which, for me, was as soon as they were born!  Point out everyone you see in the book - not just the children of color. And affirm that everyone is beautiful.

A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan; illustrated by Floyd Cooper.   

If I had to pick just one book to read on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, it would be this one because I think it will resonate with so many people. Who doesn't like to ride - or watch others ride - on a carousel? I have seen the carousel on the National Mall dozens of times -- but never knew it's story until I read this book. This is such a great story to help explain the unfairness of segregation and discrimination to younger kids. A young Sharon asks, "But what about the Golden Rule? What about treating other people the way you want to be treated?" Her mother wisely answers, "I guess some people forgot that the Golden Rule is supposed to include everyone."

It also presents a positive illustration of peaceful protest. The amusement park's refusal to sell tickets to black people  was changed because of a peaceful protest (over several days) and the publicity that resulted from over 400 people who protested being arrested. The park changed their rules and opened to everyone on August 28, 1963 - the day Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.  Sharon Langley and her parents were the first African-Americans to purchase tickets to the park and Sharon was the first African-American child to ride the carousel at the park. Today, the still operational carousel sits on the National Mall and has a plaque that tells its story. Plus Sharon's name is on the horse she rode back in 1963. 

 

Overground Railroad by Lesa-Cline Ransome; illustrated by James E. Ransome.  

The Overground Railroad explores what it was like to be part of the Great Migration from rural areas of the Southern states to the urban areas of the Northern states probably sometime between 1920 and 1940. Ruth Ellen, her mother and her father must leave town early to head to New York on the train. Her father is a share cropper and the man he works for would not want them to leave. Ruth Ellen marvels at the vistas presented to her as they travel north. This is a lovely picture book and the text is in verse. The Great Migration is such an important but often overlooked part of American history - I encourage everyone to read this book.

William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad by Don Tate.        When you think of the Underground Railroad, you probably think of Harriet Tubman. And a lot of white people who helped black people escape slavery. But have you heard of William Still? I had not - but I am thankful Don Tate decided to write a book about him. He has a fascinating story.  

Swish!: The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters by Suzanne Slade; illustrated by Don Tate. 

 Learn all about the history of the Harlem Globetrotters!  And what they players had to go through in the early days of the team because they were not white. They played because they loved the game but also because professional teams would not recruit black players. 

Class Act by Jerry Craft (companion book to the award-winning New Kid).  

New Kid focused on Jordan and his new friends as they navigate 7th grade at Riverdale Prep. Jordan and Drew are both new kids.   Class Act focuses on Drew as the friends begin 8th grade at Riverdale. There is a lot of humor in these graphic novels as Craft also discusses serious topics such as racism, jealousy, and economic disparity. Jerry Craft explains it much better than I could so take time to check out his YouTube video. Be sure to notice how Craft uses other popular graphic novels to introduce each chapter in Class Act. See how many you recognize!

The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann.
This is a good introduction to graphic novels AND camping! A win-win for sure! Ernestine (or E) has never been camping but she KNOWS she will love it. And she does - though there are some things that initially are not so great. For one things - she misses her dad. And there are FISH in the lake where they are supposed to swim! But E learns a lot and by the end of the book, she can't wait to go camping again! Every camping trip is different. And there are a lot of kids that may not have the opportunity to go camping in a tent out in the woods. But this is a nice introduction to what you might expect if you do get to go camping!

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone. 

I love this book. It's about a grandmother (G'Ma) who sort of kidnaps her grandson (William but she calls him Scoob) and takes him on a wild ride through the south in an RV. It's a trip that William's G'Ma wanted to take with her husband back in the 1960's. The problem was that William's G'Ma is white. His grandfather was black. And that made life very difficult for them. So she invites William to come along as she revisits all of the places - many that played an important role in the Civil Rights movement. But there are a few things that G'Ma isn't telling him. And William's dad may not know exactly where they are- and so there's a bit of a mystery to solve on this wild ride through black history in the South. A warning though -- this is a bit of a tear-jerker.