Fact Friday: Unspeakable: the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

Unspeakable: the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. 32 p. Lerner Publishing Group, February, 2021. 9781541581203. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features Unspeakable: the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. This year (May 31 - June 1) marks the hundredth anniversary of a sad, significant and shameful event in American history that, before last summer, many were probably unaware. Ms. Weatherford begins her blank verse with the words, "Once upon a time" and she uses the repetition effectively to instruct readers about the thriving Black community neighborhood in segregated Tulsa, Oklahoma one hundred years ago. Greenwood, also known as the "Black Wall Street" was home to two movie theaters, several Black newspapers and many Black professionals such as doctors and lawyers. 

While this community enjoyed their prosperity, many in the white community resented it. When a white female elevator operator accused a young Black man of assault, it did not take long for racial tension to erupt in violence. A white mob headed to the jail with the intention of lynching the suspect, but was confronted by Black men intending to protect him. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of two Black men and ten whites. The next day, mobs of white men invaded Greenwood intent on burning the neighborhood to the ground. Three hundred Black residents were killed and more than eight thousand were left homeless as police stood by and did nothing to protect them. The incident was labeled a "race riot" and no investigation was done until seventy-five years later.

Floyd Cooper's erasure illustrations celebrate the thriving community, then somberly stun. Readers learn in the illustrator's note in the back matter that Mr. Cooper has a personal connection to Tulsa - his grandfather escaped the massacre. Ms. Weatherford provides more information in her author's note. Back matter includes black and white photos from the time. 

Unspeakable is a must-read, must-discuss book for anyone, adult or young adult wishing to deeply understand American history warts and all. It's a book that will prompt uncomfortable questions and necessary, but uncomfortable conversations in classrooms and around dinner tables. Lerner has provided a helpful twelve-page teaching guide on their website.

ETA: I had the opportunity to tune into a webinar hosted by Frugal Book Store featuring an interview of and reading by the author. 

Teen Tuesday: We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Hudson

Image: Penguin Random House

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson. 96 p. Crown Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, September, 2018.9780525580423. (Own.)

Teen Tuesday features We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson. Wade Hudson and his wife, Cheryl Willis Hudson know a thing or two about rising, resisting and raising voices. They founded Just Us books to promote and cultivate #ownvoices and diverse voices. This collection of short stories, poems and art showcases the talent of both well-known and new-to-me artists of color. This collection is inspiring, reassuring and provocative, you can read these straight through or jump around. If you'd like to awaken the activist, the ally or the anti-racist in you, read and ponder this collection.

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Image: Penguin Young Readers

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera. 310 p. Dial Books/ Penguin, September 17, 2019. 9780593108178. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher, ALAAC19)

Juliet Milagros Palente took a women's studies class at college because she had a crush on a girl. She fell in love with the girl and the writings of Harlowe Brisbane, feminist author, as well. She wrote to Brisbane asking for a summer internship. When she got it, she packed her bags for Portland, Oregon and came out to her family just before leaving for the airport. Things did not go great. Additionally, Lainie, her first love, on an internship of her own in D.C. isn't returning her texts. As a self-proclaimed "Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx," Juliet has a lot to learn, about Portland, feminism, and being a queer poc. And it isn't from Harlowe, who, though she considers herself an ally, often can't get past her white privilege and fragility. 

I fell in love with Juliet on page one and gobbled this story up in two sittings. Juliet is a joyous character, so open and honest and curious and enthusiastic. It hurt to watch her bump up against unkindness. I also loved that the many Spanish words and phrases were not translated for outsiders like me. It's up to me to look them up. I would love to reread this with my ears. 

There were one or two teeny-tiny things that niggled, tiny things like, "Can you hear a click when someone disconnects a cell phone call?" that were mostly lost under the rest of the awesomeness. 

This is the author's debut novel but it was published as a paperback a couple of years ago. It was an Amelia Bloomer finalist, but this got by me. Hopefully, Dial/ Penguin will bring readers to this not-to-be-missed story. It's a tad mature for my middle school crowd, having more to do with serious discussions of feminist theory and intersectionality than language, drug use or sex. Smart teen fans of edgy, hilarious, thought-provoking novels will love it.

Arc Review: My Papi has a motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

Image: Penguin Young Readers

My Papi has a motorcycle by Isabel Quintero. Illustrated by Zeke Peña. unpgd. Kokila/ Penguin Young Readers, May, 2019. 9780525553410. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

The pair who brought us the beautiful Photographic: the life of Graciela Iturbide slides down the age grouping from YA to the very youngest of readers to celebrate a sweet bonding activity between father and daughter. In this story based on the author's own memories, Daisy knows all about the workings of a motorcycle engine thanks to her Papi. She awaits the sound of his truck pulling into the driveway of their modest home and greets him with a huge hug. The two strap on their helmets and hop on Papi's electric blue motorcycle to cruise the neighborhood. 

Family and community are important to Daisy. She notes landmarks with pride and mourns the loss of stores and the citrus groves that brought many of her neighbors to the area for work. 

This picture book, though not a graphic novel, has speech bubbles, the occasional panel and artistic elements and details that give it a graphic novel feel. Daisy seems to be a graphic novel fan. Don't miss the shout out to Low Riders in Space. Is it my imagination or did Peña also borrow an image of Raul the Third's for Daisy's brother's tee shirt? 

The palette, while colorful is a tad muted but maintains energy through the use of swooshes and zig-zag lines and onomatopoeia. The dialogue incorporates both Spanish and English. The mood is celebratory yet contemplative. 

My Papi has a motorcycle belongs in every school and public library and would make a terrific read aloud. 

Picture Book Review: The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander. unpgd. Versify/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2, 2019. 9781328780966. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Two of my absolute children's literature favorite talents got together and produced a masterpiece. This! This, folks needs to be read and shared. The words alone, originally performed for ESPN, are incredibly powerful. Combined with Kadir Nelson's portraits of African Americans famous and unknown, along with a stunning and moving use of white space, the poem's emotional impact increases exponentially.

I was privileged to hear it performed by the poet at Words last week, and to hear the artist state that while he has taken to only illustrating his own work, he made an exception for this poem. 

I teared up several times during Alexander's reading. I do so every time I reread it. I shared it with one of my classes and they all leaned in to listen. We took some time to identify some of the people in the portraits. Detailed backmatter will help with some less familiar faces and an author's note rounds out what should be a first-purchase for all libraries. 

The Undefeated is already on the NYT bestseller list. It's getting starred reviews all over the place. It doesn't need my stinky little blog review. But, man, how I loved this book. I purchased it with the intention of donating it to my school's library, but am keeping it for my own library. 

#tbt: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Monster by Walter Dean Myers. 288p. HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. 9780060280772. (Own.)

#tbt features Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Monster was published in 1999 and is a story told partly as a diary and partly in screenplay format. It was a National Book Award Finalist in 1999, was given a Coretta Scott King Author Honor and won the very first Printz Award in 2000. 

Steve Harmon is on trial for felony murder in a robbery that went bad. While he was coerced into participating in the robbery, he did not pull the trigger. Myers explores themes of peer pressure, race and justice in this short, riveting docudrama. Fun Fact: the cover was illustrated by his son, Christopher, who often collaborated with his father along with writing and illustrating his own books.

Teen Tuesday: Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac

Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac. 400 p. Killer of Enemies #1. Tu Books/ Lee & Low Books Inc., October, 2013. 9781620141434. (Own.)

Teen Tuesday features Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac. In a dystopian near-future, Lozen's world is divided into Haves and Have-nots, with the Have-nots being virtually enslaved to the whims of the Haves and the Ones -people who genetically and technologically augmented themselves and other creatures until they are barely human and the creatures are monsters. Then came the Cloud, which wiped out all technology and most of the Ones. The monsters are on the loose and Lozen is sent to hunt them. You will need to buckle up here because the action is fast and furious. Suspense is high and the pace is non-stop.

Fact Friday: Seeing into Tomorrow: haiku by Richard Wright by Nina Crews

Seeing into Tomorrow: haiku by Richard Wright. Biography and illustrations by Nina Crews. Unpgd. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing, February, 2018. 9781512418651. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher via SLJ Leadership Summit.)

Happy Friday TMS readers! Fact Friday features Seeing into Tomorrow: haiku by Richard Wright. Photographic-artist, Nina Crews learned of a collection of thousands of haiku that African American author, Richard Wright wrote in the years prior to his untimely death at age 52. Crews sifted through them and chose twelve to illustrate with her signature photo-collage technique. The result is a joyous celebration of the curiosity, hope and potential of black boys. Crews also introduces readers to the famous writer in the way of a short biography at the end of the collection.

Haiku by their nature, are accessible. This is a perfect introduction of an important writer for young readers.

Fact Friday: Twelve Rounds to Glory: the story of Muhammed Ali by Charles R. Smith Jr.

12 Rounds to Glory: the story of Muhammed Ali by Charles R. Smith Jr. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. 80 p. Candlewick Press, November, 2007. 9780763616922. (Own)

Fact Friday features 12 Rounds to Glory: the story of Muhammad Ali written by Christopher R. Smith and brilliantly illustrated by Bryan Collier. Muhammad Ali never backed down from a fight. He fought just as hard against prejudice out of the boxing ring as he boxed opponents in it. He won Olympic gold in 1960 as an eighteen-year-old named Cassius Clay. By age twenty-two, he was the heavyweight champ, an outspoken Civil Rights activist and a convert to Islam. From then on, he was Muhammad Ali. It is apt that this biography is written in poems as Ali was also a poet. He would trash talk his opponent in poems but he would also write serious spoken word poems, which, it could be argued, were the precursors to rap. 

Teen Tuesday: Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older. Shadowshaper Cipher series #1. 304 p. Scholastic Inc., 9780545591614. (Own)

Older made his YA debut with this series beginner set in Brooklyn, New York. Summer's coming and Sierra, our take-no-prisoners heroine looks forward to spending it painting a giant mural on the walls of an ugly high-rise in her neighborhood. She lives with her extended family, including a grandfather who is bedridden and non-communicative after a stroke. When he suddenly starts speaking, his words make no sense but he is definitely warning Sienna about the many murals around Brooklyn and the fact that they are fading. Turns out, Sienna descends from the Shadowshapers, artists who are able to channel friendly spirits into art. Evil, is infiltrating Brooklyn and it's up to Sienna and the remaining Shadowshapers to rise against it. Beautiful world-building and gripping suspense will leave readers eager for the next installment. 

Teen Tuesday: Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford

Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. 116 p. Wording/ Boyd's Mills Press, October, 2008. 9781590785072. (Own)

This fictionalized biography in verse covers Billie Holiday's life from her birth, through her troubled childhood to age 25, when she cemented her stature as a premier interpreter and singer of jazz. Holiday's life was not easy. Weatherford does not sugarcoat it, but stops the novel at a high point in the singer's life. The accompanying illustrations are beautiful, sepia toned and compelling. Readers will want to pause to savor the portraits as well as the words. Cooper's subtractive art is a marvel.

Fact Friday and Review: Marley Dias gets it done: and so can you! by Marley Dias

Marley Dias gets it done: and so can you! by Marley Dias. 200 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., January, 2018. 9781338136890. (Review of finished pbb courtesy of publisher.)

When Marley Dias was eleven, she lamented to her mother about the fact that all her class novel assignments were about white boys and their dogs or about dogs. She wondered where the girl main characters were, especially girls of color. Her mother challenged her to find them and helped her launch #1000blackgirlbooks. The hashtag went viral and gained the attention of other media, such as Ellen, who donated to the cause. Marley has raised money and collected over a thousand books featuring black girls. Her platform is the importance of seeing oneself reflected in the literature we read.

She recounts her story here, but says the purpose of the book is not all about her. She offers advice to teens who may have an interest in activism. They can find advice on starting their own grassroots movement here in easy to follow steps including staying on message, safety and relying on trusted adults. 

Her voice is an infectious combination of poised and sassy. She's a straight-A student who loves her fashion. The slim volume is loaded with pictures of Marley sporting a variety of outfits, hairstyles and specs as well as photo ops with celebrities at a variety of speaking engagements. Brilliant colors border most pages and some pages feature a colored background with white font. While this will be appealing to young eyes, these old ones had trouble reading white font on bright yellow. Backmatter includes a list of 500 of her 1000 titles curiously listed by author's first name. 

This is a timely, engaging, important addition to any library serving children and young adults. 

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Orïsha Legacy Series #1. 600 p. Henry Holt and Company, March 6, 2018. 9781250170972. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher.)

Happy book birthday Tomi Adeyemi and Children of Blood and Bone!

This arc landed in my mailbox back in December but another very busy month would pass by before I could crack it. I fell in love with the cover immediately and the premise definitely intrigued. When I finally started it, I made it my "bedside stand book," meaning it was the book I read the last thing each night, one that I sip instead of devour. I needed to keep it on the bedside stand to savor the incredible world-building and lovely language but I definitely wanted to dive in and devour. And, I definitely want to reread this one with my ears to hear the proper pronunciation of the names and places.* 

I was unaware of the hype surrounding this debut. I'm glad I was since I usually have a knee-jerk reaction to hype. Believe it. Folks, this debut is impressive. The characters are brilliant and memorable. This world is immersive. I simply cannot wait to return to it.

Zélie Adebola remembers the night the magic disappeared from Orïsha, a fictional kingdom in Nigeria. That night all the adult maji were rounded up by the king's forces and massacred. Her own mother was beaten and hung from a tree, leaving behind a bereft husband, Zélie and her brother, Tzain. Marked with the white hair of a diviner, but having no magic, Zélie trains with Mama Agba to learn the art of combat. She's brash and headstrong and prone to getting in trouble with the guards whose usurious ways keep Zélie's family and village on the brink of survival.

She rashly decides to shelter a runaway noble and is stunned to discover that this trembling rich girl is none other that the king's daughter. Amani has fled the palace with a magic scroll and now she is hunted by her own father's army led by her brother, the prince and heir to the kingdom or Orïsha. Could this scroll be the key to awakening the magic? Zélie and her brother agree to protect Amani and the three set out to find an ancient temple to learn more about awakening the magic. They are doggedly pursues by Inan, who is hiding a terrible secret of his own.

It is no surprise that the book has already been optioned for a movie. This superb debut is sweeping and cinematic, featuring brilliantly flawed and complicated characters, brutal violence, betrayal and nail-biting suspense. This is a first-purchase for all teen collections. Give it to your patrons with stamina and maturity who love high fantasy and brilliant writing.

*I was thrilled to learn that the audiobook will release at the same time as the book and was narrated by the incredible Bahni Turpin. Can. Not. Wait. To. Reread. This. With. My. Ears!

Fact Friday: The March Trilogy by John Lewis

 

The March Trilogy by John Lewis. (March: Book One; March: Book Two and March: Book Three) Illustrated by Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell. IDW Publishing, September, 2016. (Own)

Fact Friday features The March Trilogy, written by Congressman John Lewis. These three graphic novel memoirs chronicle John Lewis' coming-of-age during the Civil Rights Movement. Deeply moral and religious, John Lewis believed in the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King's teaching on non-violent protest. But protest he did, suffering beatings and arrests. For fifty years, the congressman has stood up (or sat down) to protest injustice. The volumes were released over several years, with the last, March: Book Three, receiving an unprecedented number of literary awards starting with the National Book Award. 

#tbt; We are the Ship: the history of Negro League baseball by Kadir Nelson

We are the Ship: the story of Negro League baseball by Kadir Nelson. 90 p. Disney-Hyperion, January, 2008. 9780786808328. (own)

#tbt features We are the Ship: the history of Negro League Baseball written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Nelson, a multiple award-winning illustrator made his authorial debut with this stunning book. It was published in 2008 and won Nelson not only a Sibert Medal but both a Coretta Scott King Author and Ilustrator award! It is oversized and generously as well as gorgeously illustrated with full- and double-page spreads that leap to life. The narrator is "Everyman." In conversational tone, Everyman relates the history of the league, which started in the 1920s and ended shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. These players were playing for the love of the game, not for the money. He tells of famous players like Satchel Paige as well as players who didn't achieve his fame. He also speaks to the racism that caused baseball to be segregated as well as the racism they faced while traveling to play the game they all loved. We are the Ship is a must-read for anyone, but especially anyone who considers themself a baseball fan.

Waiting on Wednesday: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. 350 p. HarperCollins Publishers, June 5, 2018. 9780062498564.

Publisher synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least get some streams on her mixtape. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. But when her mom unexpectedly loses her job, food banks and shut-off notices become as much a part of her life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are, and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working class black families.

Brilliant, insightful, full of heart, this novel is another modern classic from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation.

I am very eager to read Angie Thomas' sophomore effort.

Teen Tuesday: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. 464 p. HarperCollins Publisher, February, 2017. 9780062498533. (Own)

Teen Tuesday features The Hate U Give is Angie Thomas' debut novel and what a year she is having. The novel hit the New York Times Bestseller list and pretty much stayed on it all year. It was optioned for a feature film that is now in post-production and was long listed for The National Book Award. Then, it won big at the Youth Media Awards in Denver a few weeks ago, garnering the Morris Award, a Printz Honor and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor. Oh, and the fantastic audiobook won the Odyssey Award. 

It it the first-person narration of sixteen-year-old Starr Carter who lives in two worlds and inhabits two personas. She and her two brothers live in low-income area in a city but attends an expensive private school outside of it. She keeps the two worlds separate until she's a witness in a shooting. She was with her childhood friend when he was shot and killed by a police officer. As she prepares to testify before a grand jury, Starr begins to question some harsh realities in her life.

This is a long book but doesn't feel like one. The story is riveting and pages fly. 

Fact Friday: Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers

Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers. 214 p. HarperCollins Publisher, May, 2002. 9780756910495. (Own)

Revered children's author and former Ambassador of Children's Literature admits he was a handful as a child. He suffered from a severe speech impediment, had a bad temper and was prone to fighting. His father and stepmother sent him to live with a foster family in Harlem in the the 1940s. Though bright, he did not do well in school and often cut classes. He loved to read and wanted to become a writer. This slim volume vividly describes life in Harlem and is sure to please fans of Myers' many books. It's a great choice for the eighth grade memoir unit.

#tbt: First Part Last by Angela Johnson

First Part Last by Angela Johnson. 144 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, June, 2003. 9780689849220. (Own.)

#tbt features First Part Last by Angela Johnson. This is book two of the Heaven trilogy but can stand alone. It was published in 2003 and won both the Printz Medal and Coretta Scott King Author Award. First Part Last is told in the first-person by sixteen-year-old Bobby as he tries to care for his infant daughter. The prose is spare in this brief yet impactful novel. Bobby is a bright, thoughtful teen who loves his girlfriend and his daughter and wishes to right by both.

Waiting on Wednesday: Gone to Drift by Diana McCauley

Gone to Drift by Diana McCauley. 272 p. HarperCollins Publishers, April 3, 2018. 978062672964.

Publisher synopsis: From award-winning Jamaican author Diana McCaulay, Gone to Drift is a powerful voice-driven middle grade novel about family set in Jamaica.

Lloyd comes from a long line of fishermen. Growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, Lloyd feels most at home with the sea and his grandfather, Maas Conrad, at his side.

When his grandfather doesn’t return from a fishing trip, Lloyd fears he has gone to drift. The sea may be in Lloyd’s blood, but as he searches for his grandfather, he discovers a side of the ocean—and the people who use it—that he’s never known before.