THREE-for-0ne-Reviews: Exploring Justice and History

Bushel and Peck Books. 2023

 The first of these three featured recent picture book titles offers a tree-mendous way to introduce significant global history to young readers through their connection with trees that might have borne witness to the moments in those significant events. It is a grand intention that is executed really well. THE WITNESS TREES: Historic Moments and the Trees Who Watched Them Happen is written by Ryan G. Van Cleave and illustrated by (new to me) Dom Dom. 

Side note, but not an unimportant one, this publishing company dedicates its work to youth literacy and has pledged that for each book purchased they will donate a book to children in need. 

Van Cleave is a poet by career, as well as helping celebrities to write and revise picture book text for children. In this case he has written through the voice of "celebrities" we can all respect, the various trees that  have stood watch on human history over time. His precise, unrhymed-but-lyrical main text assumes the voices of trees (r descendants of trees) to provide objective insights to the ways in which human events and decisions have taken place. One line on the opening spread that reveals that voice well is this:

"Our roots run deep--/ they grip history/ a restless forever."

In addition, double spreads featuring specific moments in history, like the one below, provide brief smaller -font passages about the event pictured. This first one suggests King john of England conducting an emergency session of parliament  under a massive thousand-year-old oak in nSherwood Forest in the year 1212.

The times and places are not chronological nor dothey trace a geographic path around the globe. Ranging widely, including scenes off Gettysburg, Anne Frank in hiding, Hiroshima, the 9/11 attack, and so many more. A few pages at the back provide concise notes about each species of tree noted, and the endpapers include even more valuable content. Opening endpapers feature a global map with icons for each tree/passage, with a map key naming the type of tree and whether the original tee(s) are still there it only their descendants. The closing endpapers include a timeline, bibliography, and brief notes about the dangers to existing trees from climate change or direct human intervention. I highly recommend this book for young readers and the adults in their lives.

HARPER/Imprint of HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS, 2023

Next up is THAT FLAG, but it's not the one you might assume. Author Tameka Fryer Brown and illustrator Nikkolas Smith provide a message on the title page: "We hope the words and images in this story foster transformative conversations that lead to change."

"This story" features neighbor/best firiend/almost twins Keira and Bianca, pictured on the cover. Kera, the Black friend, is allowed to interact in every place except Bianca's home, where a confederate flag flies. Keira's mom calls it a hate flag, but Bianca insists tthat it is a heritage flag. 

I will not subvert any more of this well-told and powerful story by providing further details or summarizing. Please, though, trust my recommendation that this story about this seldom-presented contemporary issue is worthy of everyone's time, of any age. Classrooms, libraries, homes, clubs,msports teams, and in every imaginable situation calls out to you to share and launch these discussions that the creators request.

CANDLEWICK BOOKS, 2023

The final book ion this post is certainly last, but not least. This soon-to-be-classic account about talent and injustice will resonate with anyone, school age or adult, who has ever attempted to take part in a spelling bee. Veteran poet/author and illustrator, Carol Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison respectively, have provided a historically accurate account in How Do You Spell Unfair?: Macnolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee. This important and little-known story rises to the level of classic storytelling in their masterful hands. With each word and visual detail revealing layered aspects of the time, place, events, and emotional power of this, somehow recalling to me the dignity and bravery that resonate on every page of the original picture book  on the topic, THE STORY of  RUBY BRIDGES, written by poet Robert Coles and illustrated by George Ford. Macnolia Cox deserves to become as well known for her role in breaking barriers as Ruby does, not competing for a spotlight of awareness but expanding that general public attention by magnitudes. Please take my advice and read this new release, soon, with attention to the front matter and back matter, as well as to every element on every page. History comes alive there, and it is a story we ALL should know. Learn it, then share it, gift item talk about it with young and old. 

Happy First Day of SPRING, 2021: Some Gardening Books to Love!

I'll return to feature a portion of the 2021 Notable Trade Books for Young People by NCSS list that's geared to older readers. Soon, I promise. If you haven't a clue what I'm referring to, check out an earlier post that launched this series, HERE.

Before that next summary-and-link post happens, I'm plowing through the stacks of titles from those lists that came through on my library hold list. There are few things in life that i enjoy ore than discovering well-curated lists of recommended books, finding among those titles many favorites, but also finding new-to-me titles!

 With Spring sprouting on our calendars and outdoors, these three recent picture books snagged my attention for this post. All three are on the NOTABLE TRADE BOOK list from NCSS.

Charlesbridge, 2020

A natural place to begin is with ONE LITTLE LOT: The 1-2-3 of an Urban Garden, written by Diane C. Mullen and illustrated by Oriol Vidal. Before text begins, readers are faced with a full page spread of a miserable, trashy lot, fronted with a rusted fence and smushed against the wall of a high rise that's covered with fading graffiti. The title page introduces a curious bee, leading to a page-turn, bees'-eye-view of that lot. The count-up to success begins with the count of "One little lot"- with nothing to offer those bees, or the busy, diverse folks who pass it by. "Two helping hands" launch the changes that invite others to transform, to dream, to develop, to celebrate the potential of this space.

By the count of ten, readers have witnessed the necessary steps to achieve that success, to grow a community, provide fresh local  nutrition, and to create a hub of urban life. Back matter informs us that the author's little 10X10 plot in Minnesota was the inspiration, but the lessons can apply anywhere. Two other short passages explore the necessity of bees, and ways to attract bees into urban gardens.

Paula Wiseman Books, S&S BYR, 2020

Travel now from Minnesota to Harlem for another look at urban gardens. HARLEM GROWN: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood is written by Tony Hillery and illustrated by Jessie Hartland. The similarities are many, including the contemporary, diverse folks who invested their curiosity, energy, faith, and persistence to transform an urban wasteland into gardens of promise- promise of health, exercise, nutrition, and community. Both narratives use simple direct languege and realistic steps to follow. In this case, though, author Tony HIllery is sharing an actual retelling of the original  HARLEM GROWN GARDEN, across from PS 175. The public school across the street from that miserable "haunted" lot provided the inspiration for volunteer Tony to "plot" big changes. Together, Tony and the four hundred students at PS 175 made that bedraggled lot into their own farm, then invited the neighbors to share their adventure. This first successful project led to an organization of twelve Harlem gardens, sustained by their communities but supported by full time staff. Author Tony includes back matter that shares more details of the origin story, honors some of those who helped it happen, and provides simple but helpful steps to follow for those who have the heart and hands to try their own urban garden magic. 

 

Katherine Tegen Books, 2020

The last of these nonfiction features is THE SECRET GARDEN of GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER, written by Gene Barretta and illustrated by Frank Morrison. In this case, the intense, lush illustrations contrast with the lively simplicity of the first title and the bouncing comical energy of the second. Here, from front to back cover and through every page turn, the illustrations enfold readers, wrap us in the sounds and scents and secrets of a hidden green space. The focus remains fixed on an individual who is called to discover nature's secrets as surely as he was called to the heart nurture and learn from his verdant hidden spaces.

I’ve read a dozen or more books about Carver, but this lush and enlightening approach makes it the most appealing and kid-friendly of all. The post Civil War era, the limitations on a black child, and the familiar drive of any child to pursue beloved interests will win the hearts of kids while the illustrations invite their eyes to linger and explore every page.
No matter how many Carver titles you’ve read before, read this one.

These three nonfiction picture books will certainly entertain, inform, and intrigue you. My guess is that they will also get your green thumbs itching to start growing things, even if that is simply a seed in a cup on your kitchen counter. It's the first day of spring- have at it!

2017 NCSS NOTABLE BOOKS: An Interview with author Pat Zietlow Miller

I'm especially excited to include an interview with the very talented author, Pat Zietlow Miller in this post. You'll want to read what she has to say about writing The Quickest Kid in Clarksville. This is a longer post than usual, so after reading the interview,  if you don't have much time , you may want to bookmark this post and come back to it later for further suggested titles and links. In fact, even if you read all the way through, clicking on all the links, you may want to bookmark this post. I'm not suggesting that my words are particularly brilliant, but this post offers a valuable resource you'll want to remember and use. Sooner or later, I hope you'll spend time on it and click through to all of the links, because these books are too good to miss. 


This annual NCSS notable list will be worth knowing about year after year.

First, here's that valuable resource for everyone interested in quality literature for kids. You simply MUST know about the National Council for the Social Studies annual NOTABLE SOCIAL STUDIES TRADE BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. For the full list for 2017, click here. 

Each year I've used the current and prior annual lists as a teacher, as a writer, as presenter, and  as a reader. I remain a member of this professional organization even though I've retired from the classroom, but anyone can access the lists on the site linked above. Titles are grouped  in broad categories, are selected in collaboration with the Children's Book Council (CBC), and include picture books targeted to a wide age range, along with nonfiction and novels. 

I was particulary excited to see THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Frank Morrison, was on the 2017 list. It's that delightful achievement of a winning story that incorporates historic information and individuals.  The author, Pat Zietlow Miller, is a favorite of mine (and a writing friend). The inspiring athletic figure embedded in the story, Wilma Rudolph, is also a favorite of mine.  I've written about this terrific book in several posts, and on Goodreads. The NCSS Notables categorizes it with other  titles involving social interactions and relationships.

Find my previous blog post about this book here. 

Below Pat's interview I've featured (with links) several of the other titles on the notable list that I've reviewed and/or featured in prior posts. 

But first, here's that interview with Pat:

Congratulations, Pat, on having QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE named to the NCSS Notable Books for Young Readers list for 2017. Your books have garnered many awards in the past, but how are you feeling about this specific honor and how do you hope it will impact the use of this book by young readers and their parents and teachers?

I’m excited about having THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE on this list because I love the story of Wilma Rudolph and want to make sure more kids know who she was and what she accomplished.

I’m also excited because being part of this list shows that fiction books can educate and inform readers as much as nonfiction texts.

QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE provides important information about the amazing and inspiring athlete, WILMA RUDOLPH, but it does so indirectly, embedded in the fictional story of Alta and Charmaine. Can you share a bit of the origin story of this book? Did you start with an interest in writing about Wilma Rudolph, or a story about young characters and their competition, cooperation, and friendship?  Which came first, the chicken or the egg so to speak?

Alta and Charmaine came first. I started out writing about two modern-day girls who competed in everything to see who was the best. They ran. They jumped. They skipped rope. And, the story was fine, but it didn’t have the spark I wanted. Something was missing.

An editor suggested I add a historical element, and I immediately thought of Wilma Rudolph, someone whose story I knew and admired. So I had both girls look up to Wilma and want to be just like her.

But I didn’t think to set the story in Wilma’s hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee, until a writing friend of mine suggested it. Once I did that, and learned Clarksville’s history with segregation and how Wilma helped the town take its first steps toward integration, the story finally came together properly.

Although set in the historical context of the segregated south, the social dynamics between the girls feel familiar and authentic for contemporary situations. I imagine you were able to find specific historic details about Wilma Rudolph’s triumphant return to her hometown, and the conditions she set to participate, but how did you arrive at specific details within Alta’s story? The economic differences and interpersonal challenges were very credible; in particular, Alta’s awareness of Charmaine’s new shoes as compared to her worn ones.

The shoes were inspired by a personal story. When my twin sister and I were in middle school, we really wanted white, low-top, canvas Nikes with a colored swoosh. It seemed like all our classmates had them, even though, as I look back, I’m sure that wasn’t the case. Oh, we wanted those shoes. My sister, who now has a Ph.D. in math, even made a chart showing how many kids in each of our classes had those Nikes.

We already had perfectly fine shoes, without holes, but I remember how much we wanted those Nikes. And then, when my parents relented and got them for us – a true act of love because we certainly didn’t need them – I remember how proud I was to wear them.

So that story of shoe envy totally played a part in deciding how Alta and Charmaine each felt.

Not all of your books are in rhyme, but they all have a lyric, rhythmic lilt to the text. Reviewers point that out and I admire the natural flow of your writing, especially knowing how much effort it requires to make it seem effortless. What led you to the use of Alta’s training chant (Wil- ma Ru- dolph) within her running routines, how do you see it benefiting the story?

I wanted some kind of a running beat in the book and having Alta chant Wilma’s name seemed like the perfect thing. I experimented with a few different ways of her using the name before settling on this one. Again, my critique group helped me determine which version worked best.

And, thank you, for talking about the story’s rhythmic lilt.  Flow and rhythm are very important to me whether the story I’m writing rhymes or not, and I spend a lot of time working on them.

One of the coolest things that happened after this book was published was that a school took words from the book and turned them into a chant that students performed. You can see it here.

Your books have generated many eager-reader connections (Sophie’s Squash “adoptions”, Wherever You Go for graduates). Whose idea was it to generate make-your-own athletic trading cards? (link here). Have you heard from readers, families, and teachers about how these are being used? 

That idea came from the Chronicle Books, the publisher. It was ingenious, but alas, I can take no credit for it.

What types of responses and feedback have you had about this particular book, and from whom? Is there something about this book that holds a special place in your heart?

I’ve heard from lots of schools who have used the book with gym classes or paired it with WILMA UNLIMITED, a great, straight nonfiction picture book biography of Wilma Rudolph written by Kathleen Krull.

And, I got to Skype with a classroom of kids in Clarksville, Tennessee, which was so very cool.

This book is special to me, because of how it evolved from initial idea to the finished product and because of how much I learned writing it. 

Here’s a blog I wrote outlining the book’s journey. It’s called “It takes a village … to write a book.” But it just as easily could have been called, “Why writing a picture book might make you lose your mind.”

To make it work, I had to be like Wilma and never give up.

Thanks, Pat, for taking the time to share your journey with readers here. 

Click on Pat's name above, or HERE, to learn more about her and her other books. Stay tuned for her upcoming picture books, WIDE-AWAKE BEAR, and  BE KIND in early 2018. 

Now here are quick connections to a few of the other NCSS Notable Books I've written about in previous posts: 

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING, written by Arthur A. Levine and illustrated by Katie Kath. 

Find my prior blog post here.

It is listed among titles involving social interactions and relationships.

FIRST STEP: How  One Girl Put Segregation onTrial, written by Susan E. Goodman and illustrated by E. B. Lewis.

Find prior blog post here.

Category: History/Life and Culture in America

FREEDOM OVER ME: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life, written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan.

Find my previous blog post here.

Category: History/Life and Culture in America

MOUNTAIN CHEF: How One Man Lost His Gorceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service, written by Annette Bay pimento, and illustrated by Rich Lo.

Find my rating and review on Goodreads here.

Category: Biography

MISS MARY REPORTING: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber, written by Sue Macy, illustrated by C. F. Payne.

Previous blog post here.

Category: Biography

IRENA'S CHILDREN: Young Reader's Edition, A True Story of Courage. Written by TIlkar J. Mazzeo, Adapted by Mary Cronk Farrell. 

See prior review on Goodreads here.

Category: Biography

THE TREE IN THE COURTYARD: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window, written by Jeff Gottesfeld and illustrated by Peter McCarty.

Category: World History and Culture.

Find my previous post here, which includes a review of the next title.

I DISSENT: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Makes Her Mark, written by Deby Levy, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley.

Category: Biography

 

Navigating Tough Turf: Fiction/Nonfiction

At a recent school visit I worked with sixth graders on the craft of writing historical fiction. In that genre a writer's goal is to know and share facts through storytelling that SEEMS as real as history. Only then can a story achieve its goals of entertaining, educating, and stimulating curiosity while not misleading or confusing readers. Most historical fiction books offer back matter resources to verify sources, indicate points of accuracy/divergence from facts, and suggest further explorations. 
That requires research. 
Extensive research.

Chronicle Books, 2016

This challenge is even important in picture books. 
Perhaps especially important. 
The youngest readers have limited background knowledge and are, developmentally, less able to sort out reality from imagination. Both the author and the illustrator must apply their best talents in order to bring to life the time, place, and social forces of history within a powerful and appealing story. 
This challenge was well-met in the recent picture book written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Frank Morrison, THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE.  
In a recent interview with TIME FOR KIDS, Pat indicated she did extensive research on her subject  even though the only direct text references to Wilma Rudolph involved just a couple of lines in the book.

I encourage young readers to "reverse engineer" the writing process by reading this recent book, then other nonfiction titles on the subject. Insights can be found into comparing sources, sorting details, and decision making about what is the "just-right" amount of factual content within historical storytelling to enrich but not overwhelm.

Harcourt Children's Books, 1996

On this subject, the book I'd recommend above all others is WILMA UNLIMITED: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's fastest Woman, by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by David Diaz. During the 2012 summer Olympics I wrote about this book (and others, here) and will undoubtedly do so again at some point. 
The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin have been the focus of literary and film attention in recent years. In 1936 the Olympics were politicized and orchestrated by Hitler in an attempt to prove his theories of white supremacy. The talent and dedication of Jesse Owens and others denied Hitler his national sweep and false claims. The movie trailer for Jesse Owens's story, RACE, is here.

Wilma's story in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome played out in high drama, too. Even so, her first-time-ever triple GOLD MEDAL for a woman can't outshine the drama of the personal story revealing how she reached that international stage. WILMA UNLIMITED captures that perfectly. This narrative and  fully illustrated picture book makes Wilma's story seem as if it could be entirely fiction, a tall tale, or a superhero story. That's why comparison to more traditional sources allow young readers to verify and answer questions.

Teacher Created Materials, 2010

 WILMA RUDOLPH: Against All Odds, by Stephanie E. Macceca is, is an excellent example in traditional nonfiction-information text format. This easy-to-read biography sets Wilma's life in context of the times, incorporating information about polio and politics. Its design includes the expected elements of photography, archival images, picture captions, simple illustrations, table of contents, index, and direct-to-reader back matter.
Readers could easily compare the books point-for-point with very kid-friendly text.

Capstone Press, 2006

Graphic text provides another approach to nonfiction for young readers. WILMA RUDOLPH: Olympic Track Star (Graphic Biographies) written by Lee Engfer, illustrated by Cynthia Martin is an excellent example. The accessibility of paneled text and illustration format has been proven successful with the youngest readers and with older, established readers. 
Dismissive attitudes toward "comic book" content has been receding among teachers, librarians, and parents as the quality of information and literary prose in this format steadily rises.

Opportunities to read and discuss a variety of research materials like these examples offers readers a digestible version of the process writers use to make history come to life. This exploration might lead to writing a fictional story incorporating  historical characters and events. In the realm of nonfiction, athletes have been the subject of a wide variety of books in various formats. A project like this just might hook some otherwise reluctant writers.
Why not give it a try?