Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry Houghton Mifflin, 2000 215 pages Lois Lowry is easily one of my favorite children's authors, and Gathering Blue is my favorite Lois Lowry novel. Set in a future, post-apocalyptic dystopia reminiscent of the early Middle Ages, the book tells the story of a teenage girl named Kira. In Kira's ruthlessly … Continue reading Finding Community in the Midst of Dystopia
Open Doors, Open Hearts
The Story of Rosa Parks by Patricia A. Pingry; ill. by Steven Walker Candy Cane Press, 2007 26 pages In the late 1980s, my parents moved our family from a suburb of Los Angeles to a small town in the American South--and the color of my life changed overnight. From my earliest memories, I had … Continue reading Open Doors, Open Hearts
“A matter of exultant pride to any race”*
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”*
Read Like a Girl 