I Have a Dream ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Paintings by Kadir Nelson

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I Have a Dream 

Interest Level: Grades K-5

Hardback: 40

Publisher: Random House Children's Books









"This beautiful and powerful illustrated edition brings my father's inspiring messages of freedom, equality, and peace to the youngest among us- those who will one day carry his dream forward for everyone." 
~Dr. Bernice A. King

Kadir Nelson does an extraordinary job painting life into the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's famous I Have a Dream speech. First given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963, this historical speech is just as relevant a half century later. Nelson not only captures the profound quotes of Dr. King's words, but through these16 beautiful paintings, he expresses the passion and sincerity that moved a nation during the Civil Rights Movement. The theme of this story is freedom for all and equality. Although this speech is reflective of one of the darkest moments in US history, Kadir Nelson created a bright and spirited artistic representation of what courage, faith and perseverance looked like during this time. This book is perfect for introducing, highlighting and reviewing this era.  

There is one image of Dr. King's face on a black background. He is quoting, "from every mountainside, let freedom ring." I could feel the intensity and hear Martin's words as I looked at this image. Powerful would be an understatement. The illustrations are so crisp, it was almost like the speech was playing while I read through the book. I loved it! Not only will the images pull in any reader, but the speech is also edited in a way that make it easy for younger children to follow and understand. 

This book also includes an audio recording of the speech on cd. 


~behind every GREAT man, is an EXTRAORDINARY woman.

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Coretta Scott

Written by Ntozake Shange 

Interest Level: Grades K-5

Hardback/Paperback: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers 

Coretta Scott was born in Alabama on April 27, 1927. This story captures a glimpse into her childhood and touches on her experiences growing up in the south. It opens with her walking 5 miles through the dark, damp woods  in the dark to the "colored school" with her siblings while the school bus heading toward the "white's only school" blows a funnel of dust on their faces. A story of quiet strength and perseverance, the author shares what brought Coretta and King together...  faith, prayer and a mutual sense of determination to overturn hate with peace and moral power. This story's theme is one of determination and resilience..."ain't gonna let nobody turn me round gonna keep on walkin', keep on talkin', walkin' up to freedom land."  It never mentions Coretta Scott's greatest lost, instead it highlights how she never gave up on her faith. 

This picture book was also illustrated by Kadir Nelson, one of my FAVORITE illustrators!  The artwork is eye catching and life-like. His images almost look like photographs. 

Read more about Martin Luther King. 

Ellen's Broom Written by Kelly Starling Lyons (including an author Q/A)

Ellen's Broom

Interest Level: Grades K-3

Hardback: 32 

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

What to expect: A heartfelt story highlighting a unique family tradition found in the African-American culture.

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Ellen's Broom is a "rare story about family and the meaning of freedom". Growing up, I've been to several wedding where "jumping the broom" was a part of the ceremony. I assumed it was just what people did when they got married. It wasn't until I read a short story by one of my favorite authors, J. California Cooper, that I learned the meaning behind the unique African American tradition. Kelly Starling Lyons captures this tradition as Ellen explains the significance behind the broom that hangs above her family's fireplace. She explains that during the time of slavery, enslaved couples would have small wedding ceremonies. They would place a broom on the ground and jump over it together to solidify their union. Although this was not recognized as a "legal" marriage, it is what enslaved Africans in America did to seal their marital bond. Told during the reconstruction era, Ellen's and her parents learned in church that families now have the opportunity to register their marriages, making them legal. In this heartwarming story, Ellen and her sister excitedly watch as their parents and other former slaves joyfully make their way to the courthouse. As Ellen's parents register their marriage they celebrate this freedom with a a symbol from their past, a decorated broom. 

This is an enjoyable love story that shares the journey and the strength of African Americans and the power of love and family. It is a great way to talk about a difficult time in a comfortable manner. Ellen's Broom touches on a part of history that is rarely shared when discussing the dark side of slavery. Told through a child's voice this story shows the love and faith that kept families going during this time. I recommend this book as a classroom treasure and as an addition to any child's personal library. I always give books as gifts...no matter the occasion. This will definitely be a wedding gift this spring; I believe this is not only a children's book, but also a sweet part of history! 

                              Watch on Youtube

I had the opportunity to catch up with Kelly Starling Lyons. She was more than willing to answer a few questions that I could share with my readers and aspiring writers! She has two new books that were recently released, Tea Cakes for Tosh  and Hope's Gift. Read her mini Q and A session below and get the journey behind the stories:

Do any of the characters in the stories reflect yourself, your children or any other family members when you write?

When I write, I draw inspiration from my experiences, relationships and observations. There are pieces of me and people I love in many of the characters I create. In One Million Men and Me, Nia feels proud to see the men standing tall at the Million Man March. I felt like that too. In Tea Cakes for Tosh, Tosh loves his grandma Honey and her golden tea cakes. I was close to my grandma too and her tea cakes were some of my favorite treats.

But I make sure my characters don’t follow my path. They have their own journeys. They are informed by feelings I’ve had, but they’re not me.

How long does it take to write a book?

It all starts with writing the story. The time for that varies. Some drafts take weeks. Others take years. After I do my best on a story, it’s time for the submission process. That can take a long time too. When I’m blessed to get a deal, the work isn’t over. It’s time for revising and making tweaks per my editor’s suggestions. Then if it’s a picture book, the illustrator’s process begins.

So for me, going from idea to finished book has ranged from two to 10 years.

What do you want children to walk away with after reading your book?

I want children to feel affirmed by the stories I write. When I was in elementary school, I rarely saw books for kids featuring characters who looked like me. I rarely read books that celebrated African-American history. I write to help give kids today a different reality. I want them to know that they matter. Their family relationships matter. Their history matters.

How much research do you do prior to writing a book? What type of research do you do?

It depends on the story. When I wrote Ellen’s Broom, I had to research a lot because I didn’t know much about 1866. I looked at cohabitation registers and old photos and illustrations, read slave narratives, letters from Freedmen’s Bureau officers and reference books that explored that era. I tried to make sure the story rang true to the time.

With Tea Cakes for Tosh, the story travels back and forth through time from present to past. I didn’t have to do research for the present-day parts, but I had to double-check the history I was including.

What was one of the most surprising, or most interesting things you have learned while writing a book?

Ellen’s Broom was inspired by a cohabitation register I saw while researching family history. That document was a record of the marriages of freedmen and women.  I was so moved to learn how much registering their marriages meant to them. I knew families were split apart during slavery. But I hadn’t read how much they celebrated the right of having their marriages made legal. It meant everything to them because no one could forcibly separate them again.

How many books have you written?  Out of all of your books, which is your favorite? Which one do you have the deepest connection to?

I have five books. It’s tough to name a favorite. They’re all special to me. But Tea Cakes for Tosh is the one that hits closest to home. It’s inspired by my relationship with my grandma. It means a lot to me to honor her memory and share some of what she gave me in a children’s book. 

For someone aspiring to write full time, what advice would you give them?

I would tell them that building a full-time writing career takes time. Focus on learning about the art of writing for kids. Work hard and create the best story you can. Then, send your baby into the world with a heart full of faith. Believe this is what you’re meant to do.

                                                          Watch on Youtube 

Visit Kelly’s site for discussion and activity guides for her books, printables for kids and information about her author visits: www.kellystarlinglyons.com

Join her FaceBook author page for updates about her writing journey and multicultural children’s book recommendations: www.facebook.com/kellystarlinglyons.com.

Purchase Kelly Starling Lyon's books here:

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Enemy Pie Written By: Derek Munson

Enemy Pie  

Interest Level: Grades K-3

Hardback: 40 

Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC. 

What to expect: An excellent book for providing students with a sweet lesson on how to make new friends and get along with others. 

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Let me begin by saying....I love the illustrations in this book! Overall, this is an excellent story to use with children when talking about how to make friends. "It should have been the perfect summer. My dad helped me build a tree house in our backyard. My sister was at camp for three whole weeks. And I was on the best baseball team in town. It should have been the perfect summer. But it wasn't." This is how the story begins. The narrator, whose name is never mentioned, is absolutely devastated that his one and only enemy moved in next door to HIS best friend. Now what? Well, Dad has a solution, "Enemy Pie". Dad promises to make the little boy and his one and only enemy his secret enemy pie. The only thing the little boy has to do is play with his enemy all day, then he will invite him over to eat the secret enemy pie. The little boy wonders what is in the pie....he also follows Dad's directions and plays with Jeremy Ross all afternoon. Well, he actually enjoys himself! They rode bikes, played ball, threw water balloons and jumped on Jeremy's trampoline. At the end of the day Dad calls the boys for dinner....uh oh, Jeremy Ross isn't as bad as the little boy thought. In fact, maybe he is a friend and not his enemy. Does Jeremy eat the pie?? Find out in this amusing story told in a typical child's voice. Children will be able to relate to the little boy's thoughts while also learning a simple lesson: The best way to get rid of an enemy is to make them your friend. 

I really liked this book and recommend this as a classroom read. Students can enjoy this story during a whole group read aloud,  or they can read it independently using my Reader's Companion for the Book: Enemy Pie. This is a resource kit that is perfect for center/ workshop time. This reader's companion includes are a variety of activities that will reinforce important comprehension skills (summarizing, making connections, building vocabualry, sequencing events, etc.).  The best thing about this resource kit is that there are enough activities included that can be used to differentiate instruction. You can choose from a variety of activities to teach/reinforce important skills or, use all of the activities over a period of time. Check this resource out in my TPT store! 

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The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill and Lauara Huliska-Beith

The Recess Queen 
Interest Level: Grades K-3
Hardback: 32 
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
What to expect: A great book for teaching students about bullying and how they can use their  "voice" (and not their hands) when faced with challenging situations on the school yard. 


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Mean Jean was the RECESS QUEEN... and nobody said any different! Nobody swung until Mean Jean swung. Nobody kicked until Mean Jean Kicked. Nobody bounced until Mean Jean Bounced.......UNTIL, Katie Sue arrives!

I loved reading this book to a group of second graders last week. Mean Jean's personality bounced off of the pages as students listened to how she reigned as the RECESS QUEEN! As I read they pointed out the rhymes, they laughed at the made up verbs, and they enjoyed her roaring personality. When Katie sue arrived, I loved her carefree personality. I loved the fact that she wasn't loud or tough or extra sassy....she was just a regular kid who enjoyed playing and wanted a friend to play with. Despite Mean Jean's roaring personality, Katie Sue set the example and reached out to Mean Jean; she asked her to play and made light of the situation until Mean Jean gave in......THEN the magic happens. Mean Jean isn't so mean after all! All of the kids can relax and actually enjoy recess. I loved this story!! It is a great read. One time will not be enough for your students so you will be able to get several follow-up activities in with this story. 

Here are some easy to use follow-up printables to use with this book. DOWNLOAD HERE. 

A BULLY FREE GIVEAWAY!!

Enter the NO BULLY ZONE Giveaway and WIN the NO BULLY ZONE BOOK PACK (hard copy of The Recess Queen and paperback copy of The Juice Box Bully)! 

All you have to do is make sure you are following my new blog NOT SO WIMPY BOOK REVIEWS @ http://notsowimpybookreviews.blogspot.com/ as well as leave me a comment on this post sharing with me a children's book you love using to teach positive social interactions with your students. 

This is my FIRST of many planned giveaways!! 

To read a book review on each of the featured titles as well as download a variety of follow-up activities follow the links below: 

The Juice Box Bully

The Recess Queen (scheduled for 11/1)

Visit the Not So Wimpy Book Store by clicking HERE. 

CONTEST ENDS 11/14~ 

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R.L. Stine's Phantom of the Auditorium (Goosebumps Series)

You want to talk about ending the year with a GREAT BOOK!! Last week I started one of my favorite books, Phantom of the Auditorium by R.L Stine. Let me just tell you that I bartered with a fourth grader to get this book back in my library!! I first started reading this book in 2001. I came across it a school library and figured since I loved R.L. Stine when I was growing up, my students would enjoy it too. MY STUDENTS LOVED IT!! And I read it every year after that......until it finally fell to pieces and could no longer be taped back together. Every year I read this book, it got passed around the classroom by almost every student. They all wanted to read it again. I even had a few parents request to read it because their child talked about it so much!! Well in 2008, my poor little book had been passed aound so much that it just gave out and fell apart. I took this great book for granted and figured that once it was totally damaged I would just order another. WRONG!!! When I went to order a replacement, it was out of print! I searched every online bookstore and could not find it at the time. I searched for a few days and then just gave up. I started reading a new book in its place but it wasn't the same. Fast forward to April of 2012....I walk into a teachers classroom and the pink part of the cover and purple writing catches my eye. I asked her if that was The Phantom. She had never really noticed the book before, it was her son's. I immediately pick the book up and low and behold, it was THE PHANTOM. I first ask her to borrow the book and of course that wasn't a problem. Then I remembered how hard it was for me to find the book so I turned my inch into a yard and asked her if I could HAVE it. Of course that wasn't her decision to make so she directed me to her son. To make a long story short, after her son spent about 15 minutes picking through my class library....the book was MINE!

I started talking about the book with my students and told them how much I LOVED it. But I always do this before I read a book. I showed them the book, read the back, and got them all excited about hearing our new story. I made it known that this book is an exclusive read aloud meaning, after I read it goes back on my desk and not on the chalkboard (the students can't read ahead or choose this book for reading concentration). Don't you know the next day when I started reading it one of my students brought in a copy of the book from his local library and started reading along with us during the read aloud (I let that slide)!! Then the next day, another student also found a copy in our school library and he brought that copy in. The book got so interesting for my students and they are enjoying it so much, that I actually started taking the "floating" copies of the book away from them after I read a few chapters each day. They were good sports about it. I did this because I love the excitement and anticipation that they have for the morning read aloud. Not that they weren't looking forward to hearing the other stories that I've shared in the past but at the end of the read aloud for The Phantom they start chanting READ IT! READ IT! READ IT!! They beg to borrow the book, they write longer than usuall in their reading logs, they talk about it with a great sense of eagerness! I just wanted to preserve the moment and I want them all to share it together instead of allowing them to read ahead. Now I am in search  mode for the movie, I love watching the movie after the book (just so I can prove that the book is always better!).

While reading a few chapters today (some of them are really short), one of my students informed me that this reminds him of how when he enters his house after school, the first thing he does is check for vampires! (teachable moment: text to self connection!)

I did a search today and saw that there are actually some used AND NEW copies on Amazon.com! If you are interested in buying a copy, you might want to hurry up!

DOWNLOAD HERE! 

Chase the Shark: Hungry as a Bear

This week my class was visited by local author Mr. Wiley "Chase" Griffin. Mr. Griffin, a parent of one of my students and former student of our school, came in this afternoon to share his experiences as an author and to help motivate some of my reluctant writers. It was a success! He read his book Chase the Shark: Hungry as a Bear, and my class was very into it, especially the boys. It was amazing; the experience totally transformed my students. By the end of the presentation, my students had folded up several sheets of lined paper, stapled them like a book and began writing their own stories. Seriously! What is even more amazing is that the book had been in my classroom, sitting on the chalkboard, for the last month. It wasn't until  Mr. Griffin read the story to them that they actually "got into it". My students were able to relate to Mr. Griffin. He shared with them his experiences as a child and young adult and really drove home the message: FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET OUT TO DO. At the end of his presentation he passed out several copies of his book and told the students to share (we're still working that part out!!)


This was the first author visit I've ever hosted in my classroom and I look forward to hosting more in the future! 

It all begins with Chase the Shark who lives in the Philadelphia Aquarium with his friends, Herman Hammerhead and Sara Sand shark. When Mr. Kirby, the night time security officer, realizes that Chase and his friends have once again escaped from the tank he sets out to find them immediately. After an evening of searching for Chase and his friends, Mr. Kirby ends up paying a hefty fee! Fortunately he was able to get Chase the Shark back home before he created any major trouble. Once he was settled in for the evening, Chase didn't waste any time planning his next big adventure! 


Purchase the book: Chase the Shark: Hungry as a Bear

Principal's Book of the Month: Giant Steps to Change the World

I can not tell you enough how refreshing it is to work with an administrator that is truly committed to student success. This year I have the privilege of working with a principal who not only makes it a point to walk around to each classroom daily to greet the students, but he also visits classrooms at random to read his chosen book of the month. There was a time when I was told (by a different principal at a completely different school) that a read aloud was (and I quote) "a waste of time" and that I needed to stop doing them daily and to instead focus on test taking strategies..... Needless to say, the purpose of this post is to share with you a great morning lesson that was presented to my classroom by my principal. 


The Principal's Book of the Month for February is Giant Steps to Change the World by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee. The authors set the tone of their story by beginning with "On some days your dreams may seem too away far to realize… Listen to the whispers of those that came before you...". Throughout the story they share many triumphs of people who fought through fear and difficult obstacles to reach their goals. My principal began the lesson with first talking to my students about what they can do to change the world. He asked them to think about what positive contributions they can make to our school and our community so that they could make a difference. He then shared that he was going to read a book AND that we were going to participate in an informal school-wide contest (I LOVE competitions!!). So he had each student take out a piece of paper. The challenge was, as he read this great story to them, they had to figure out who the authors were describing. Using notable events and descriptive language the Lee's described great contributors to American history. BUT, they never mention the name of who it is they are talking about. One of the first descriptions began with "The road won't be easy. People will try to exclude you. But you must leap over hurdles-like the Olympic athlete who won the gold even though he had been relegated to second-class status by the very country he was representing." (<<Jesse Owens). As my principal read the story, my students were writing the names of the person who they thought was being described. At the end of the story they were eager to see if they were right but they first had to share again what their goals for the future were. There are a total of 11 trailblazers described in this story and my students were able to identify 8 of them correctly! And, the ones they did not recognize they were familiar with once we discussed them. 


My students were so engaged and so eager to share what they knew that a simple 30 minute lesson turned into about an hour! My principal discussed one of his favorite poets, Langston Hughes, and offered my students P-Point (school-wide behavior incentive) if they could name 2 poems that he had written.....MY students named FOUR! (proud moment, we just did a genre study last week and I was happy they retained the information!!). It was also great to see my students engaged in rich dialogue about things that have happened in our past (they get it....they really get it). They were able to answer questions and even add to what the principal was saying. They were able to recall speeches made by Martin Luther King and reference the constitution (AND NO I did not prep them!). 








We had a great morning. Having our principal spend some time with us was refreshing : ) 

Dear Mr. President.....

I will never forget election day 2008. It is a moment that will forever be carved in memory. Leading up to this monumental election I followed every debate, read every article, and whenever asked, openly shared who I thought should be elected President of the United States and why I felt this way. Aside from his political platform, his personal appeal, and the undeniable fact that HE was THE best candidate for this position, there were so many connections, or more like signs, that made me believe from day one that President Barack Obama was going to be elected as our nations first African American President. For one, I remember the Democratic Convention falling on the same weekend as the anniversary of the March on Washington in (August of 1963). I remember the then-senator giving (another) mind-blowing speech that brought my entire family to tears. I felt like when giving certain speeches, President Obama was channeling the great orators in history. He was speaking from a place much deeper than wanting to win a political office. He was always filled with so much.....passion. There were also the many similarities to our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln; the ability to captivate a crowd with charming wit or a compelling speech, the need to preserve the rights and freedoms for those who have gone unspoken for in the bigger scheme of our government, and the "common" background (just a strong-willed intelligent man  paving his own path) that painted a picture of honesty and sincerity when speaking for the American people. Not to mention they both served as top political leaders in the state of Illinois. (President Obama was sworn into presidency using the same Bible that President Abraham Lincoln used when he was sworn into office). It just felt right, like it was time.

The night he won the election I was in complete shock. Yes it was great that we finally had a president that was about doing something for "the people". But it was also personal for me. I was ecstatic and I was proud to see that an African American man, one who would have been denied the right to vote less than 50 years ago, was now going to be the leader of our country. I felt like major progress had been made. Despite the many struggles we still face to become a more unified nation, I felt like that moment was as powerful as the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation (signed by who.....President Abraham Lincoln).

With that in mind, I feel compelled to integrate the celebration of Black History Month with the acknowledgement of the upcoming holiday, Presidents' Day. How can you not tie the two together? It is the perfect marriage of struggle, hope, strength, perseverance, education, and PROGRESS. It doesn't mean that I don't highlight the other presidents and their accomplishments.....but like Black History, American history is taught year round. Since January we have been studying the US Constitution and how it is the law of the land. We have also discussed how equality/liberty/justice for all was not given, it had to be fought for. We've learned about the Revolutionary War  and the Civil War. We've also talked about why the Civil Rights Movement was necessary 100 years later. My students are currently learning about how life was in the 60's (segregation laws, injust treatment, and harsh living conditions for many African Americans). This is necessary. It is necessary for them to understand how far America has come so that they can fully appreciate things that are said to them about hard work and success. Also, so they have a stronger understanding of the importance of education and  purpose.

So, here is an activity that my students are working on this week. It is a follow-up activity to the story Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Children of Hope. It requires them to read about the childhood of President Obama and make connections, ask questions, and write a friendly letter. We've been talking about the roles and responsibilities of presidents and what they have to do to qualify for the position. By reading about the childhood of President Obama, students get to see that he was once a young boy that has gone through some of the things they may be going through now. They will see him as a person and not a super hero, and it will plant the seed that they too could become president if they wanted to. I love this book! My students are enjoying it as well : ) Please download this activity and feel free to share your thoughts below. I look forward to reading your comments!

                                                       Enjoy : )