When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan; ill. by Brian Selznick Scholastic Press, 2002 40 pages I'm not sure when I first heard of Marian Anderson, the legendary black American contralto--probably in high school, when my younger sister started studying opera. But I remember being instantly fascinated by this photo of her performance at the … Continue reading “A matter of exultant pride to any race”*
“I could do something really big”
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill Aladdin Paperbacks, 2002 113 pages It's a common scenario in juvenile literature: misunderstood, marginalized kid meets sympathetic, unconventional adult, and epiphanies/personal growth/life changes ensue. In The Year of Miss Agnes, the kid is 10-year-old Fred(erika), an Athabascan Indian living in a 1940s Alaskan bush village. The adult … Continue reading “I could do something really big”
Eleanor Roosevelt, Leader-in-Waiting
Eleanor by Barbara Cooney Viking, 1996 32 pages As a child, I spent a great deal of time with my maternal grandparents, both of whom were members of Tom Brokaw's "Greatest Generation." Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the salient figure of their early adulthood, a fixture of an unforgettable time. They mentioned him often, and I … Continue reading Eleanor Roosevelt, Leader-in-Waiting
Read Like a Girl 