Knoxville, Tennessee by Nikki Giovanni; ill. by Larry Johnson Scholastic, 1994 38 pages Just a few weeks ago, I watched Thomas Balmes's documentary Babies with my husband and daughter. The film follows four babies “from first breath to first steps,” offering a mostly unadorned view into their daily lives. The babies are from very different … Continue reading Knoxville, Tennessee
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 