Pamela Tucker, author of the picture book As Fast As Words Could Fly is the Day 9 featured author. Read more about Pamela Tucker here:
The Brown Bookshelf 28 Days Later Day 8: Lamar Giles
Lamar Giles, author of Fake ID, a YA thriller. Read more about him and his work by clicking here:
Visit Lamar Giles’ website: http://www.lamargiles.com
The Brown Bookshelf 28 Days Later Day 7: Zetta Elliott
The Brown Bookshelf 28 Days Later Day is author Zetta Elliott. She was first featured in the 2009 28 Days Later with her book, Bird. Her other books include A Wish After Midnight and Ship of Souls. Her most recent book is The Deep. Read about her and see the book trailer on The Deep on The Brown Bookshelf.
The Brown Bookshelf 28 Days Later Day 4: Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is the Day 4 featured author of The Brown Bookshelf’s 2014 28 Days Later. He is the author of two books, My Name is Jason and Mine Too: Our Story, Our Way. His debut novel is When I Was The Greatest. Read more about Jason Reynolds and his work on The Brown Bookshelf.
The Brown Bookshelf 28 Days Later Day 3: Octavia Spencer
Award winning actress Octavia Spencer is now a children’s author. Read about her and her book, Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective, on The Brown Bookshelf.
The Brown Bookshelf 28 Days Later Day 2: Colin Bootman
Colin Bootman, award winning author and illustrator is Day 2’s feature of the 2014 28 Days Later hosted by The Brown Bookshelf. His has illustrated many books. Some of his famous books include: Almost To Freedom, In Momma’s Kitchen, A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Dad, Jackie, and Me.
For more information about Bootman, check out The Brown Bookshelf
His website is http://www.colinbootman.net
2014 African American Read-In
The National Council of Teachers of English is celebrating its 25th Annual African American Read-In. Information about this event can be found by clicking here.
Churches, community organizations, schools, libraries and bookstores can participate in this event. The event can be simple or elaborate, with the focus on literacy, using any works written by African Americans. The event must be held during the month of February. After the event, a brief report must be submitted to NCTE.
The Brown Bookshelf Day 1 of 28 Days Later
The Brown Bookshelf, a group of African American children’s and young adult authors and illustrators, hosts it annual 28 Days Later. 28 Days Later showcases some of the best African American children’s and young adult authors and illustrators.
Day 1 features Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of human rights activists, the late Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz. She is the author of Growing Up X and a children’s book, Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X. Read more about Ms. Shabazz by clicking here.
Zora and Me
This week, the Zora Neale Hurston Organization is hosting its annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival in Eatonville, Florida. This is the 25th year of the festival and it is a week-long celebration with workshops, activities, and other events. I mention this festival as a segue into my review of the children’s book, Zora and Me.
Zora and Me, written by Victoria Simon and T.R. Simon, imagines the childhood of Zora in Eatonville, Florida. The story is narrated by Carrie and Zora’s storytelling gives Carrie plenty to say. When a decapitated body is found on a railroad track, Zora creates a believable yet scary story that she is willing to tell anyone who wants to hear it. In fact, Zora also believes she knows the murderer, and, recruiting Carrie and her friend Teddy, goes to many lengths to prove her theory.
Zora and Me is beautifully written, with Carrie’s voice that draws one into the mystery. Carrie and Teddy are fully developed characters and just the right friends for the imaginative Zora. Other characters are developed, too, and the issues of race, particularly passing, racism, poverty, and equality are woven carefully in the story as the mystery unfolds and reveals the killer.
Zora and Me has won a few awards, including the The Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award.
A discussion guide and lesson plans are available for this book. The discussion guide can be accessed by clicking here: http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763643009.bdg.1.pdf
The lesson plan, and other resources can be found on The Teaching Books.Net: http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=21622&a=1
Zora and Me, 192 pages. Hardcover: 978-0763643003; Paperback: 978-0763658144 Grades 5 and up.
ALA Youth Media Awards You Might Not See Elsewhere
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I’m still at ALA with one more day for Best Fiction in Young Adult committee meetings. We have a few more books to discuss, then we vote on what books to add to the list and what books need to be in our Top Ten. Flights are getting canceled all over the country, so I’m hoping one more day here will get me home with no delays.
In the meantime, I’m finding out that a few of the books awards just aren’t getting posted to ALA sites. I’m excited about these well deserving titles and am going to post all the Ethnic Awards right here in one place. Much congratulations to all the winners that I’m so happy to mention.
The organizations sponsoring awards announced yesterday have varying relationships with the American Library Association. American Indian Library Association, Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, Black Caucus of ALA,
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