Happy Birthday, Voting Rights Act!

Fifty years ago today (August 6, 1965) the landmark VOTING RIGHTS ACT (more here from NPR) was signed into law. 



I remember the day. 
I was an adolescent during a decade experiencing its own extreme social adolescence. Within a span of ten years we were whiplashed through unforgettable events, amazing accomplishments, and unimaginable losses. Emotions didn't ebb and flow, they ricocheted between extremes depending on the events and the impact they had on polarizing beliefs that make today's differences look moderate by comparison. 

In fact, a surprising number of current  issues are deeply rooted in those tide-turning events, laws, and shifts from the sixties. To learn more about those years, check out this quick look at the decade via HISTORY.COM. (here).
Or explore this timeline of voting rights in our country.

Among the many stories of that era, those in a two-volume graphic history, in my opinion, tell it best. The primary author is Congressman John Lewis, a pivotal figure of those times and events.

Top Shelf Productions, 2013

MARCH: BOOK ONE, by John Lewis,  Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, released in 2013 and takes the reader through the March on Washington in 1963.  

Top Shelf Productions, 2015

Planned as a two volume set from the start, MARCH: BOOK TWO, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, released earlier this year. 

Both offer intense, realistic,and accessible entry to those times and issues for younger readers, but offer the same  benefits to adult readers who may have an intellectual awareness of that history but no emotional investment or connection to the reality of these events.

Schwartz and Wade, 2015

For even younger readers the story is brought to life through an even more recent release. I'm anxious to read Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, by Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans. 

I've read excellent reviews about it written by people I trust, like librarian Alyson Beecher on her blog, Kid Lit Frenzy. I hope you'll read the book, and her review, including this truth:

"Unfortunately, we do not seem to learn from our past mistakes.  Consequently, it is books like this that can help keep awareness alive in new generations."

Let's hope that books like these and their readers (of any age) will provide a perspective on current actions to undo voting and other rights. 

Summertime, and the READING Is EASY! Book Recommendations from the BEST!

The blogosphere is alive and well with summer reading suggestions for all ages. That relieves some of my guilt about not posting recently and allows me to indulge in the summer pleasure of exploring new titles myself.

I've been writing intensely for several weeks, but that doesn't mean I'm not reading. I keep notes on those titles on Goodreads, where I'm accumulating a pool of favorites to feature here once my head gets above water on the writing front. If anyone is curious about my recent reads, follow me on my GOODREADS account, here. 

If you're looking for summer suggestions (and you should be!), I'm more than happy to direct you to a variety of outstanding blog posts.
Tops on my list would be Mary Ann Scheuer's GREAT KID BOOKS posts promoting #FAMILIESREAD. She features appealing titles for all ages, quick "booster" tips to make shared family reading a treasured habit, and sidebar links to organize the VAST array of previous reviews for every age and taste.
This blog has been one of my favorite reliable sources for quality recommendations for several years. Do yourself a favor and read this and other recent posts, then subscribe for yourselves.

I feel just as enthusiastic about Alyson Beecher's KID LIT FRENZY blog. This link is to a recent nonfiction Wednesday post, but you can't go wrong checking what she has to say any day of the week. The titles she features include ones getting lots of "buzz" as well as those slipping under the radar but well worth reading. Her recommendations make me feel I'm not missing out on the best of the best. 

Speaking of the best of the best, one final resource you won't want to miss, especially for summer choice reading: iNKThinkTank. Created by premier, award-winning, INTERESTING NONFICTION picture book AUTHORS, the site includes links to nonfiction minutes, a nonfiction database, and the authors themselves.
Summer is the ideal time for family reading of titles that both answer and stimulate questions, books that invite further reading and real-world exploration. Books that are just plain COOL.

So what are you waiting for? 
Click the inks to these amazing sites and get your summer reading underway!

2013 Wrap Up- Is It 2014 Already?

This is the time of year when blogs offer wrap-up and best-of lists. I've avoided that in the two years I've been doing this, for several reasons. Although  I'm excited to sing the praises of books I love, I dread naming "favorites" of anything, let alone books.

Perhaps it's a result of teaching for so many years, but I simply can't name one (or ten) as favorites-- for any reason-- without feeling I've neglected to mention stellar qualities in all the others. I'm not a "feel good", "empty praise" kind of teacher, one who treats all results as equal, denies quality or encourages excuses. (To tell the truth, I don't even know any teachers like that!)
I believe to my very core that self-esteem is innate, but needs to be nurtured and developed in the same way any other skill or talent should be. People of every age slide quickly into self-protective patterns, guarding themselves against injury of any kind. This often results in adopting a sort of flinching, comfort-zone approach to life.

Authentic self-esteem, however, allows us to assess and take reasonable risks, to tolerate and learn from criticism and failure, to value and take pride in our own willingness to push the envelope of what is and explore what could be. It fosters objective self-assessment and goal setting. Confidence and self-respect open us up to appreciation and genuine joy for the success of others without feeling diminished or compared by their time in the spotlight. 
I adore reading the lists offered by others, nodding along in agreement or racing to post library holds when an occasional unfamiliar title pops up. 

I don't doubt that my experience and education are an adequate basis for stating my own selections and offering justification for my choices. I recognize that "favorites" indicate personal taste, a subjective standard by definition. 
Yet I can't seem to get past my belief that books are judged best by their readers. I'm haunted by thoughts that I could list a thousand and one titles and somehow not include the one book that changed the life of a child. Who am I to say that book is NOT the best book of the year? 

That question guides me when I consider books for these posts, or review and rate titles on Goodreads. I assume that even when I can't find things to recommend about a title, it just might be the one book that will unlock a child's heart. If I can't say something good, sincerely, I pass.
There are countless great things to say about the 2013 crop of picture books, but once again, I will not be offering my own list of favorites or most-recommended titles. 

Having said all that, I'm more than willing to point you toward a few of the lists created by others. Some titles will pop up on multiple lists, many that have been featured in posts on this blog, and all are more than deserving of your attention. If you stop by and leave a comment, tell them I sent you!

There's no better place to start than with Alyson Beecher's KidLitFrenzy blog. Alyson is a self-described  "...educator, writing mentor, book geek, and blogger." Her opinions are always worth reading.
Speaking of reliable sources, you can't go wrong with recommendations by the followers of the Nerdy Book Club. Here's the post for their 2013 Fiction Picture Book survey. 
Hot off the presses, here's the Nerdy Book Club announcement of their 2013 Non-Fiction Book Survey, too!

Some folks, like THE BOOK AUNT, clearly feel comfortable taking a position on lists such as this. In fact, she dares to name the ten best picture books of all time. (This blog title would have been mine, except it was taken before I got to it!) 

Then, if you're up for it and interested in books for all ages, check out the New York Public Library's 100 Children's Titles for Reading and Sharing-2013. 

The above links provide evidence that others are doing such an outstanding job,  my contributions aren't needed. Check these out, and if you offer lists (or individual titles) of your own, please add them in the comments and link to your own post, too!