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?

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

 

As the Song Says...They've Got To Be Carefully Taught

I'm back this week to give a shout-out to another Nerdy Book Club post, this one by Sherry Hall on March 23. From the count of comments, Twitter, and Facebook forwards it generated, I'm not the only one who was touched by her moving story of the power of reading to and with our children.

Parents (and teachers) often question our individual decisions, but it is the message delivered by our day-to-day examples, encouragements, and even casual comments that filter into young lives and shape them, for better or for worse.

With that in mind, and in honor of March Madness, I'll illustrate my point with a picture book from the year 2000- SALT IN HIS SHOES: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream, by his mother, Deloris Jordan and sister Rosalyn M. Jordan, illustrated by the incomparable Kadir Nelson. If you don't know this title and share my automatic skepticism when it comes to the quality of "celebrity" publications, let me assure you this one is worth a closer look.

It's likely the current generation's Michael Jordan can be seen among the many amazing athletes we are witnessing on the journey from the initial 64 to the final four face-offs during March Madness. If so, he has no doubt devoted his young life to the love and practice of basketball, but also was born with physical gifts far beyond the norm.
This was true for young Michael as well. If you read the acknowledgements in this book you'll find among them his mother's appreciation for Michael's own efforts and his siblings' support, all of which contributed to his success.

This is the story of Michael's frustration at being shorter than the older kids on his brothers' team. The beauty of this episode is not in his mother's advice, but in the success generated by practice, faith, his mother's encouragement, his father's confidence, and his siblings' trust. Detailed reviews of the book can be found at Miss Ladybug's blog and Excellent Kids' Books blog.

Much like the message in Sherry Hall's post, Michael absorbed the rich benefits of his family's support not in a single episode, but over the course of his lifetime.

Since this is still Women's History month, I'll dip back into my bookshelves and take a look at WILMA UNLIMITED: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman, by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by the also incomparable David Diaz. Born the twentieth child of a poor black family in Clarksville, Tennessee, Wilma was sickly, struggling, then stricken with polio. Her innate independence was bolstered by a mother who never gave up and siblings who recognized and appreciated her strength. Once again, not a single incident but a lifetime of love supported Wilma as she learned to play basketball by watching, won a track scholarship by playing basketball, and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.

Beneath the weakness of her early years Wilma, like Michael, no doubt had a genetic package that allowed her efforts to reach that high achievement. But, oh, imagine the invaluable contribution to her success that can be attributed to her family's love and values.

At the risk of becoming preachy (which none of the above references do) I'll share the lyrics of a song from South Pacific. I do so with one eye toward Sherry's reminder about reading with children, and another aimed at the current and upcoming political venom that fills the airwaves, social media, and our conversations. Let's remain aware of young listeners in our families and classes who are learning by the way we read, speak, act, and react.

You've Got To Be Carefully Taught

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!



Please, read to and with children every day, every age. See in them our future. And stay mindful of the seeds we plant day by day.

Non-fiction Notes: KID ATHLETES and Other Biographies

We've reached the final stages in our CYBILS fiction picture book evaluations. From now until the first of the year, when finalists are announced, I'll limit posts to nonfiction and poetry. There are plenty of titles to praise and celebrate in those categories, but I'll start here:

Kids really have a hard time picturing adults as babies, or even as kids. How could a mom, dad, teacher, coach, or any adult driving a car, mowing the lawn, or cooking dinner, ever have been a kid? Could they have hated homework? Pouted, teased, been bullied, or caused trouble? It stretches the imagination, to say the least.

It’s even more difficult to picture famous adults as kids. Sports stars are perhaps the hardest of all. Weren’t they just born into the world talented, superior, poised, confident, popular? Rich?

Nope.

Quirk Books, December, 2015

Just in time for holiday gifting, here's a book that will reveal some childhood truths and hook young readers in the process: Kid Athletes: TrueTales of Childhood from SPORTS LEGENDS. (Quirk Books, December, 2015). Kids will love discovering the details of REAL kids who grew up to become famous athletes in this thoroughly researched new book for middle grade readers.:

The stories are written by David Stabler,  with illustrations by Doogie Horner. This pair also created Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America’s Presidents.

At two hundred pages, KID ATHLETES is meaty but accessible for even reluctant readers: large font, wide line spaces, text packed with wry humor and action, and nearly every page featuring colorful, comic illustrations.

The athletes span two centuries, many sports, both genders, and the globe. Although primarily focused on American athletes, even those won't all be familiar to young readers. The childhood experiences and societies these athletes inhabited provide real exposure to historic periods and changes. For kids who can't imagine a world without portable screens, these biographies are valuable opportunities to take steps back through time.

The stories of athletes are grouped by themes: Not Easy Being a Kid, Family Matters, and Practice Makes Perfect. They offer examples of hardships overcome, but also depict troublemaking kids, bullying, pranksters, frustrations, and failures. Each takes only a short time to read, with additional resources and readings provided in back matter.

This blog focuses on picture books, but this two hundred page, non-fiction picture-ish book offers intriguing biographies that pair well with picture books.

My favorite picture book pairing is featured among the recommended titles. It's by award-winning biographer Kathleen Krull:   Lives of the Athletes: Thrills,Spills (and What the Neighbors Thought). 

Some of the same individuals are featured, offering a great opportunity to compare and enhance the details of their lives from the two sources. It offers additional names to learn and lives to explore. 
Krulls website includes an introduction here, and a page with links to further information here.

Kathleen Krull is the author of one of my all-time favorite picture books (review here), illustrated by none other than award-winning David Diaz. WILMA UNLIMITED: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman. 

I'll slide two steps back from my pledge to stay with nonfiction when I tell you about a book that will release in February, 2016. Wilma Rudolph is the legendary figure who inspired THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE, by Pat Zietlow Miller. Truth be told, I haven't read this one yet, but a story created by Miller and about the inspiration provided by Wilma Rudolph to a kid in Clarksville will be in my hands the minute it becomes available.

After all, every legend started off as a kid. And every kid can grow up to become a legend. Reading these books could be just the inspiration they need to make it happen.

Olympic Inspirations

With much of the country sweltering through the hottest summer in memory, and many of us enduring a punishing drought, it's refreshing to turn our thoughts to London and the summer Olympics. The opening ceremonies are less than two weeks away, and I still haven't packed. 

Oh, that's right, I'll be viewing the events and festivities virtually, so I have plenty of time to prepare with picture books, instead.

 

The last time the Olympics were held in London, in 1948, Sammy Lee was 28 years old. By then he had fulfilled his father's dream by becoming a doctor and was working in the US Army medical corps. The story of how he overcame racial discrimination and restrictions to achieving his own dream of becoming a championship diver is told in SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS - THE SAMMY LEE STORY, by Paula Yoo, illustrated by Dom Lee.
Dr. Sammy Lee won the US National diving gold in 1946 and qualified to represent the USA in London in 1948.
Yoo and Lee do full justice to Lee's inspiring story of personal vision and persistence, with additional information about Dr. Lee's further accomplishments provided in the author's notes. He continued diving, repeating his ten meter gold medal in 1952, and coaching notable divers to win gold medals, including Greg Louganis. Scroll down this link to view a video of the ten meter platform dive by Louganis in the 1988 Olympics. Notice the final frames in which Dr. Lee congratulates him on his win.

An excellent and detailed review, additional links, and a video interview with Dr. Sammy Lee can be found at Maw Books Blog. Apart from the remarkable sports achievements of Dr. Lee, the story is even more inspiring in depicting the discrimination and restrictions that he experienced and overcame without giving up, retaliating, or reflecting back the hatred he experienced. Instead, he used those barriers as motivation to prove his father's words true: "In America, you can achieve anything if you set your heart to it."
**Winner of the 2005 Lee and Low New Voices Award.

WILMA UNLIMITED: HOW WILMA RUDOLPH BECAME THE FASTEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD, by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by David Diaz, was featured in a post earlier this year, but deserves mention here in connection with outstanding Olympic achievements, overcoming limitations of health and society, and service to her community. (In addition, if think you're feeling overheated, the Rome Olympics in which she won her medals took place during a record heat wave.) This title was also featured on the Sports Heroes blog, where you can click to read the text in Spanish.

If you are weathering the summer heat under a shady tree, a breezy porch, a blistering beach, or an air-conditioned library, here are more links with inspiring Olympic stories and other sport titles you'll enjoy:

• Reading Rockets page featuring  Sports/Olympic picture books
• Heather Lang Books blog post of favorite Sports biography books.
• Mr. Ken the Librarian blog post featuring books about London.

You can view a video biography which includes interviews with Dr. Lee.


As always, I welcome comments about what inspires you, especially if it is in a picture book!

Olympic Stories, Dreams, and Inspiration

Olympic fever is building.

I mentioned in the last post that I'll be a member of the virtual audience, but no less enthusiastic about the competition and stories than if I were in the seats in London. I'm certain, though, that my excitement will be minuscule compared to that of the competitors from each and every country in each and every event. Along with the various contests, I'm eager to follow the personal stories of individual participants and the dreams, preparation, and obstacles overcome in achieving the honor of participating.

Just as Dr. Sammy Lee and Wilma Rudolph spent years and years preparing for their moments of Olympic success, so did Michael Jordan. His name and accomplishments may be more widely known for everything from shoes to NBA records, but his childhood definition of success in basketball was being on the US Olympic team.

DREAM BIG: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Olympic Gold, by Deloris Jordan, illustrated by Barry Root was released this spring. It is the story of Michael as a boy who grew up loving basketball and dreaming of representing the USA in the Olympics. Told by his mother, it's filled with  the voices that shaped his widely admired work ethic and determination: his mother's, his brothers', and his coaches'. I can imagine how often he heard some of the lines in this book: "homework before play", "it's one thing to want something, it's another to work for it", "keep your promise to yourself", and "with hard work anything is possible".
One rainy day Michael and his brothers watched the Olympic basketball game in which the USA lost to USSR with a score of 51-50, which only fired his desire to grow up and compete for his country.
Michael first led the USA team to a gold medal in 1984 when only amateurs could compete. Then in 1992 he earned a second gold medal as a member of "The Dream Team" when professional players were allowed to compete. His lifetime of accomplishments fill record books and web pages, but I have no doubt that memories of that first Olympic gold medal hold a special place in his heart.

An earlier title about Michael, written by his mother and sister, describes his desperate desire to be taller. SALT IN HIS SHOES: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream, by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn Jordan is illustrated by the award-winning Kadir Nelson and was featured in a previous post.

For even greater inspiration,  explore the stunning profiles of paralympic athletes. In many cases  elite athletes benefit from physiques and constitutions well-suited to their sports. Yet birth and life events  that make one's height, build, health, or circumstances  less than ideal have been overcome time and again to allow for record-making success. The common ingredients appears to be unstoppable determination and heart.
This site links to thirty incredible Olympic success stories. Tabs on this resource site will also take you to the stories of others with impressive  potential to watch for in the weeks ahead.

Whether an Olympian's personal story is depicted in a television profile, website feature, news article, or picture book, it most certainly should be heard. With few exceptions the privilege of representing one's country in the Olympics can be traced back through years of dreams, preparation, successes and setbacks. Some  benefited from privilege, community support, and unlimited resources. Others struggled against discrimination, poverty, and unrelenting obstacles.

Whatever the case, their stories can and should inspire all of us, most especially the Michael Jordans, Sammy Lees, and Wilma Rudolphs of tomorrow.

Schedules of events for the paralympic competitions can be found here.