ROOTS AND BLUES, A CELEBRATION by Arnold Adoff, paintings by R. Gregory Christie Arnold Adoff, an American scholar of Black America blues and poets, sings words, taps out images, stumps and fiddles with ideas. His new book of poetry is one to read and re-read: Each Word A Hammer Hit. Each Word The Solid Tip… Read more »
Beyond Boundaries
True Stories: The Mysterious and Amazing
Two intriguing and satisfying tastes in nonfiction are books that present culture and – very different – an “arm-chair” experience of natural disasters, past and current. MIRACLE: The True Story of the Wreck of the Sea Venture by Gail Karwoski. Readers may feel a bit seasick while reading about the storm that almost sunk the… Read more »
People of Courage, Persistance, and Dreams
How big is the ocean, how high is the sky? Old lyrics but new meaning – just how big is this genre of NONFICTION? Creative, quirky, unusual, interesting – informative, and truly the sky isn’t the limit regarding subject, form, structure or illustrations. How big is the ocean of topics? It is indeed vast and… Read more »
Series That Celebrate History and Diversity
Historical fiction may sound stuffy, but THE AMERICAN GIRL series is anything but. This series, as well as the DEAR AMERICA books, have brought both history and diversity to a new level of authenticity, and plain good story-telling to readers plunging into “long” chapter books. Take a look at the adventures of ADDY from the… Read more »
Make Way for Series…
THE BURGLAR WHO BIT THE BIG APPLE from the series, FIELD TRIP MYSTERIES by Steve Brezenoff, illustrated by C.B. Canga Imagine finding between the covers of an (inexpensive, colorful) book, not just pages and words but a MYSTERY, plus a bit of the old boardgame, CLUE, and more – graphics, story, illustrations and taped messages…. Read more »
Rodeo and More!
Rodeo, a sport? Yes, indeed. Rodeo is the United States only “home-grown” sport. Interest and participation in rodeo competition has been soaring. RODEO by Robin Johnson will bring readers right into the arena where the dust is swirling and cowboys and cowgirls are getting ready to ride a rearing-kicking bronco or a twisting, spinning Brahma… Read more »
Athletes With the Courage to Excel
Many world-recognized athletes have had to overcome prejudice and other obstacles as children. Swimming pools only open to them one day a week. Tennis courts declared off limits. Sports leagues closed to them because of their color. Barriers of every kind. The following books tell the stories of several of them in ways young readers… Read more »
