Fact Friday: The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Tim Madigan. Adapted for young people by Hilary Beard

Image: Macmillan Publishers

The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Tim Madigan. Adapted for young people by Hilary Beard. 302 p. Henry Holt and Company/ Macmillan Publishers, May, 2021. 9781250787699. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Happy Friday TMS Readers! As we head into the Independence Day weekend, take some time to read and reflect on the history of the U.S. and the democracy that the colonists fought to achieve. Read deeply, past the mythology and understand that "We the people" need to work toward a more perfect union every day by becoming informed participants.

Fact Friday features The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Tim Madigan. Adapted for young people by Hilary Beard. Back in the beginning of April, Fact Friday featured Unspeakable by Carole Boston Weatherford. This picture book was a gentle introduction to a tragedy that history book writers tended to ignore at best and misrepresent at worst. Teen readers who want to learn more about the Greenwood community and how it thrived during the Jim Crow era will receive cogent and comprehensive information gleaned from a variety of primary sources. Peppered throughout the narrative are personal stories of a variety of residents.

This book was adapted from a book written for adults. Just as Jason Reynolds did when he adapted Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning work for adults, Stamped from the Beginning, Ms. Beard gently but honestly guides teen readers through the complex factors surrounding this tragedy. Make no mistake though, there will be pain. Segregation is painful and dehumanizing. Lynching was a fairly common form of vigilante justice and the violence that rained down on the community of Greenwood was swift and devastating. Back matter includes copious chapter notes, followed by several pages of books and websites for readers/ researchers wanting to read more.

The Burning is an important addition to any library serving young readers. 

Fact Friday: Port Chicago 50: disaster, mutiny and the fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

Image: Roaring Brook Press

Port Chicago 50: disaster, mutiny and the fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin. 200 p. Roaring Brook Press/ Macmillan, January, 2014. 9781596437968. (Own.)

Fact Friday features Port Chicago 50: disaster, mutiny and the fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin. If you think you dislike narrative non-fiction, you have probably not read anything by Steve Sheinkin. He has the research chops and the narrative skills to take the reader back in time in an intense, immersive reading experience. It is not surprising that he won the Edwards Award this past January for his body of work. 

In Port Chicago, he relates the story of a little-known military disaster from World War II. Port Chicago was a naval base in the San Francisco bay where mostly Black soldiers loaded bombs onto the vessels under dangerous conditions. On July 17, 1944, a huge explosion killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds more. The men were ordered to report back to duty the following day. Two hundred men refused, citing the dangerous conditions. They were charged with treason and threatened with the firing squad. Sheinkin delves into the racism that kept troops segregated and allocated the most dangerous jobs to soldiers of color. 

Fact Friday: Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan

Image: Simon & Schuster

Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan. Illustrated by Ashley Bryan. 112 p. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/ Simon & Schuster, October 15, 2019. 9781534404908.

Fact Friday features Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan. Beloved award-winning author/ illustrator Ashley Bryan was an art student attending Cooper Union when the United States joined the fighting in World War II. He faced discrimination while applying to art school but came face-to-face with segregation as soon as he hit boot camp. White recruits and black recruits trained and lived separately. Black recruits were also shunted into service positions and dangerous assignments. Bryan coped by drawing on whatever he could get his hands on. When the packet of drawings got too large, he would mail them home. This handsomely designed memoir uses his letters and his drawings as primary source illustrations to accompany Bryan's eloquent narrative. 

Infinite Hope belongs in every library collection and I hope it gets some nice shiny medals on Monday. It's powerful, gorgeous and important. 

Audio Non-Fiction Monday: Courage Has No Color, the True Story of the Triple Nickles: America's first black paratroopers

by Tanya Lee Stone. Unabridged book on 1 MP3-C, 3 hours and 1 minute. Read by JD Jackson. Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, January, 2013. 9781469262581. (Purchased.)

Tanya Lee Stone opens her brilliant book with a compelling hook, "What is it like to jump out of an airplane?" After asking the reader to imagine, she recounts a typical paratrooper jump, from pre-jump inspection to the thwap of a parachute opening. I got dizzy just listening and know for sure that I would've made full use of more than one of the nearby puke buckets had I been there. That's what Stone does so well here and in all her writing. You see, not only is she is a meticulous researcher, she is a storyteller. She digs up all this great stuff and makes it interesting.

I was not unaware of the rampant racism in the military during WWII, of the segregation and marginalization, but Stone's matter-of-fact and concise narrative lays it out so painfully and clearly that I got angry and felt ashamed for my country as I listened. I love reading books like this. I continue to appreciate the efforts of those brave souls who stood up and spoke out and continue to do so. Thank you for writing this book.

I chose to read this one with my ears instead of my eyes when I learned that it had been done as an audio. I thought I could focus more intently on the narrative as I have a tendency to get distracted by the photos when reading non-fiction. I have somewhat solved that problem by "reading" the photos first then reading the text, but I've had good success with listening to non-fiction and then going back to read the photos. I've also enjoyed audiobook performances by the narrator as well, so I was sold.

There are two stories here, the story of racism and segregation in America and the U.S. Military and the story of the "Triple Nickles." Stone gets up close and personal with a few of the major players, most notably, Walter Morris. The historical context is valuable to young readers who are most likely new to the subject. Indeed, this older reader appreciated it. 

JD Jackson's narration was well-paced. He modulated his voice when narrating direct quotes. I don't know how he managed not to choke up or get angry during some passages, but he maintained a fairly matter-of-fact tone and let Stone's facts speak for themselves.

Listening only is not an option though. Do check out the book. It is beautifully designed and chock full of black and white photos. There is a timeline and suggestions for further reading at the end. Surely a must-have purchase for all school libraries. 

Non-Fiction Monday is hosted this week by Bibliolinks.

Blog Tour: As Fast As Words Could Fly by Pamela M. Tuck

Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. 32 p. Lee & Low Books, April 28, 2013. 9781600603488. (Finished copy provided by publisher)

Fourteen-year-old Mason Steele is just as dedicated to his father's civil rights group as he is to his homework. Mason is the unofficial secretary/ letter writer for his father and the group. He is able to parse his father's ramblings and turn them into beautifully handwritten business letters. His work for the group is so valued that they purchase a typewriter for Mason, who after typing out a thank you note, methodically teaches himself to type, even after working all day picking tobacco with his brothers.

The following fall, Mason started high school but three weeks into the term, he and his brothers learn from their father that a lawsuit was won and the schools in North Carolina now had to integrate. The three brothers would now attend the all-white high school closer to their home.  

     "P-P-Pa, you, you know them white folks ain't gonna like us going to their school not one bit," Willis Jr. stammered.
     "Like it or not, y'all's going," Pa replied. "Somebody's got to make a change."
    The boys stared at one another in disbelief. (~p. 10)

But they were at the bus stop the following Monday only to have the driver refuse to stop and pick them up. The same thing happened on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the bus stopped, but the angry driver yelled, "And get to the back!"

They arrived at the school and were met by the principal, who threw their schedules at them and refused to show them around. Despite being stuck in the back of classrooms and basically ignored, Mason did well in school. He applied for a job through the Neighborhood Youth Corps and received a job in the school library, where he was not welcomed warmly by a nasty librarian who barely took the time to teach him how to type a catalog card. 

Yet Mason persisted. 

I am sure that the Steele boys endured much more than just being ignored. They must have been made of steel indeed. This lovely, understated picture book is a work of fiction that is based on the "real-life experiences of my father, Moses Teel Jr., during the 1960s." (Author's Note)

"My father's fears of attending a formerly all-white school stemmed from a combination of the challenges of high school and the rejection he anticipated. Starting a new school meant more than leaving friends. It meant braking barriers and making history." (Author's Note)

Words fail me whenever I read about such bravery, especially when it is a child who stands up to evil. I have a particular interest in reading children's books about the Civil Rights Movement. There are many outstanding titles that have come out in the past few years, but those that focus on the youngest Civil Rights activists astound me. Where did they find the strength?

I knew that this beautiful debut would fit my middle school collection of picture books perfectly as soon as I finished the first reading. I grow more excited about the possibilities with each successive reading. I can imagine a middle school social studies teacher reading it aloud to introduce a Civil Rights unit. I can imagine a language arts teacher using it as a writing prompt, a class discussion or to introduce family stories. I can imagine an upper elementary teacher using it to encourage empathy. As Fast As Words Could Fly is a must-purchase. Pair it with other picture books depicting the Civil Rights Movement, such as We March by Shane Evans or with non-fiction titles such as Marching for Freedom: walk together children, and don't you grow weary by Elizabeth Partridge. 

There is great power in the simplicity of this story and that power is reinforced by the art of Eric Velasquez. The oil on watercolor paper paintings absolutely glow. In painting after painting, the three brothers are depicted standing tall and together as they confront the angry bus driver, endure being ignored by two white boys who were previously friendly, and finally face down the angry principal. The strong bond between them leaps from the pages. 

But then, it is the depiction of Mason's lonely journey that causes tears to threaten as he maintains a dignified presence each time he quietly stands for what is right. Oh, the anger I felt towards that librarian, the typing teacher and the school principal! There are lots of sideways glances aimed at Mason from all sides. While his triumph is undercut by the roaring silence and condescending compliments of his principal and typing teacher, the final portrait redirects the focus, the strength of Mason's family.

I also appreciated certain design aspects, namely the end-pages that feature old typewriter keyboard keys and the occasional use of a keyboard key as a capital letter. The choice of cover illustration will lure students who are most likely unfamiliar with a manual typewriter.

I was thrilled to learn that Pam was signing the book at ALA Annual and, rather than schlep my gifted copy of the book out there, I decided to buy a copy to give to the elementary school. But then I had Pam sign that copy for my students. The elementary school will get my review copy. (Teehee) Here's the photo that the rep took of us. I actually got the last copy of the book! Talk about nick of time!

One last injection of the personal into this very personal review: My husband is so supportive of all the reading and blogging that I do. I often find him nosing around the stacks of books that spring up around our house like mushrooms. He was hovering behind me this morning as I was trying to do justice to the book and asked to take a look. He took his time paging through and when he finished, quietly said, "Strangely moving for such a simply told story." Long pause, head bent. "I don't know whether to be angry or inspired," he said with a slight break in his voice. "Both, I think."

Visit Pamela M Tuck's website here.
Visit other stops on the blog tour here:
Shelf-employed for a beautiful interview.
Booktalking #kidlit for another lovely interview.
True Tales & a Cherry on Top.
Wrapped in Foil (tk)