The early life of Benjamin C. Holmes who was born a slave in South Carolina in the 1840s is told in this story. Ben secretly learns to read, a skill tThe early life of Benjamin C. Holmes who was born a slave in South Carolina in the 1840s is told in this story. Ben secretly learns to read, a skill that was forbidden to slaves, and he eventually shares the news that slaves have been set free with the Emancipation Proclamation to a group of other slaves. It is a triumphant moment....more
For a long time now, I’ve felt like I’ve somehow woken up and found myself on the bad side of It’s a Wonderful Life, thaWhat’s going on in my America?
For a long time now, I’ve felt like I’ve somehow woken up and found myself on the bad side of It’s a Wonderful Life, that I’ve lost my wonderful Bedford Falls and ended up trapped in Pottersville.
Call me naive. I grew up in the fifties and sixties. I lived in a small town. When an elderly person in our neighborhood took sick, the neighbors took in meals. My dad saw the end of the road at the sulfur company he worked for, and he was able to go back to school at night, get his degree, and get a great job that supported him all his life as an accountant. My grandfather was a union leader and he helped lead several strikes at Dow for more money and benefits for the workers. Adults in the neighborhood kept an eye on kids but didn’t helicopter-parent them. Our schools and workplaces and places of business were swiftly integrated with people of color and both men and women and we grew up with a diverse variety of friends and acquaintances...
Above all, there was a feeling of hopefulness, that even if things weren’t perfect, they were getting better, that people cared about each other and about the world. To paraphrase JFK, our motivation was to ask not for what the world could do for us, but for what we could do for the world.
Now let’s move forward forty years.
I look around now and what do I see? Bold out-and-out lying in public discourse. A huge sector of the population that feels it has no part in the conversation. Elected officials who head to warmer climates during an emergency in the state in which they serve. A president who asserts, against all evidence, that the election was stolen from him, and who riles up common people to the extent that they invade the buildings where people meet to form the laws, threatening to kill the leaders of our government. And then lawmaker after lawmaker turns her head from doing what is right, after letting this man say and do anything he wants for four years, and allows this president to walk away. People who ignore scientists and refuse to wear a mask to protect themselves and the vulnerable. Black people who are killed at an extraordinarily high rate by police officers. Immigrants who do most of the hard work in our country and yet are being shut out.The preacher in my town who buys a home in the next community instead of among the people of his congregation because it will have “better resale value.” I could go on and on…
I’ve sought out books to help me sort all of this out.
Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse by Timothy P. Carney
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam
Our Towns: A 100,000 Journey Into the Heart of America by James M. and Deborah Fallows
Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt by Arthur C. Brooks
I shared my thoughts on these books here.
These books were extremely helpful in my understanding of the anger I sense in others as well as in helping me to have good conversations with others. But it’s more than just my conversations with others that need help, I think.
I look to these two books:
The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It by Robert B. Reich
The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel
By page six, Robert B. Reich in The System has already shared this quote from New York magazine’s Frank Rich: “Everything in the country is broken. Not just Washington, which failed to prevent the financial catastrophe and has done little to protect us from the next, but also race relations, health care, education, institutional religion, law enforcement, the physical infrastructure, the news media, the bedrock virtues of civility and community.” Reich goes on to say, “He might have added the environment and our democracy.”
Wow.
Reich looks at the roots of all these problems and he finds the source of the problem in those who control money and, consequently, power, in our country. He quotes activist Greta Thunberg: “If everyone is guilty, then no one is to blame. And someone is to blame. Some people---some companies and some decision-makers in particular---have known exactly what priceless values they are sacrificing to continue making unimaginable amounts of money.”
Reich shares some horrifying wealth inequality statistics. “ Between 1980 and 2019, the share of the nation’s total household income going to the richest 1 percent more than doubled, while the earnings of the bottom 90 percent barely rose….the share of the total wealth held by the richest 0.1 percent...own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent of households combined.” And, worse, “All this has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in the political power of the super-wealthy and an equally dramatic decline in the political influence of everyone else.”
Whew. Can we go on? I feel we must.
“As long as they control the purse strings, the oligarchs know there will be no substantial tax increases for them. Instead, their taxes will fall. There will be no antitrust enforcement to puncture the power of their giant corporations. Instead, their corporations will grow larger….Government will provide even more corporate subsidies, bailouts, and loan guarantees. It will continue to eliminate protections for consumers, workers, and the environment. It will become a government for, of, and by the oligarchy.”
Oh dear.
“If democracy were working as it should, government officials would make the rules roughly according to what most citizens want them to be. They would also take into account the interests of the poor and of minorities, and give them a fair chance to make it as well. The system would be working for all of us. In a vicious cycle, though, the rules are made mainly by those with the power and wealth to buy the politicians, regulatory heads, and even the courts (and the lawyers who appear before them). As income and wealth concentrate at the top, so does political leverage.”
Reich asserts that America is not “suffering a breakdown in private morality. To the contrary, it’s burdened by a breakdown in public morality.”
How does Reich suggest that we get out of this mess? He dreams of a multiracial, multiethnic coalition of Americans in the bottom 90 percent of the population who come together based on “a common understanding of what it means to be a citizen with responsibilities for the greater good.” He goes on to say, “The reason to fight oligarchy is not just to obtain a larger share of the economic winnings; it is to make democracy function so that we can achieve all the goals we hold in common.” His call to action is, “Democracy will prevail, if we fight for it.”
Michael J. Sandel is also quite bleak in his assessment of America. He arrives at his conclusions about the state of the nation from his years of experience teaching at one of our nation’s most revered institutions. Sandel looks at the turbulence among our people, and he, like Reich, believes the problems stem from the divisions between those who control the money and power in our country and those who seem to have none. Sandel shows how our fundamental philosophy of belief in a meritocracy, in a system where those who are smart and powerful deserve to be smarter and more powerful, is flawed. He convincingly shows how closely SAT scores and IQ points are tied to income, how coming from wealth leads to more wealth, how few people in our society move from poor to affluence. It’s not enough, he tells us, to simply open the door a little wider, to let in a few more of the poor into opportunities to obtain wealth. It’s the underlying philosophy, he says, that must be changed, to strip away both the unwarranted hubris of the haves and the sense of inferiority and failure from the have-nots. Sandel and Reich agree that we need to recenter ourselves on the idea of a common good. Sandel hopes to promote the idea of people as producers rather than consumers, to restore the idea of the dignity of work, and to create policies that allow workers to find good jobs that support strong families and communities. Sandel strongly condemns the financial industry, noting that “much financial activity hinders rather than promotes economic growth.” He would act by “discouraging speculation and honoring productive labor.”
I’m no politician; I’m simply a regular citizen who would like to make things better. These books have helped me understand (a bit) the workings of our complex economy and government and have given me ideas about ways to act to promote our common good. My sense of hopefulness is growing.
For a long time now, I’ve felt like I’ve somehow woken up and found myself on the bad side of It’s a Wonderful Life, thaWhat’s going on in my America?
For a long time now, I’ve felt like I’ve somehow woken up and found myself on the bad side of It’s a Wonderful Life, that I’ve lost my wonderful Bedford Falls and ended up trapped in Pottersville.
Call me naive. I grew up in the fifties and sixties. I lived in a small town. When an elderly person in our neighborhood took sick, the neighbors took in meals. My dad saw the end of the road at the sulfur company he worked for, and he was able to go back to school at night, get his degree, and get a great job that supported him all his life as an accountant. My grandfather was a union leader and he helped lead several strikes at Dow for more money and benefits for the workers. Adults in the neighborhood kept an eye on kids but didn’t helicopter-parent them. Our schools and workplaces and places of business were swiftly integrated with people of color and both men and women and we grew up with a diverse variety of friends and acquaintances...
Above all, there was a feeling of hopefulness, that even if things weren’t perfect, they were getting better, that people cared about each other and about the world. To paraphrase JFK, our motivation was to ask not for what the world could do for us, but for what we could do for the world.
Now let’s move forward forty years.
I look around now and what do I see? Bold out-and-out lying in public discourse. A huge sector of the population that feels it has no part in the conversation. Elected officials who head to warmer climates during an emergency in the state in which they serve. A president who asserts, against all evidence, that the election was stolen from him, and who riles up common people to the extent that they invade the buildings where people meet to form the laws, threatening to kill the leaders of our government. And then lawmaker after lawmaker turns her head from doing what is right, after letting this man say and do anything he wants for four years, and allows this president to walk away. People who ignore scientists and refuse to wear a mask to protect themselves and the vulnerable. Black people who are killed at an extraordinarily high rate by police officers. Immigrants who do most of the hard work in our country and yet are being shut out.The preacher in my town who buys a home in the next community instead of among the people of his congregation because it will have “better resale value.” I could go on and on…
I’ve sought out books to help me sort all of this out.
Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse by Timothy P. Carney
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam
Our Towns: A 100,000 Journey Into the Heart of America by James M. and Deborah Fallows
Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt by Arthur C. Brooks
I shared my thoughts on these books here.
These books were extremely helpful in my understanding of the anger I sense in others as well as in helping me to have good conversations with others. But it’s more than just my conversations with others that need help, I think.
I look to these two books:
The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It by Robert B. Reich
The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel
By page six, Robert B. Reich in The System has already shared this quote from New York magazine’s Frank Rich: “Everything in the country is broken. Not just Washington, which failed to prevent the financial catastrophe and has done little to protect us from the next, but also race relations, health care, education, institutional religion, law enforcement, the physical infrastructure, the news media, the bedrock virtues of civility and community.” Reich goes on to say, “He might have added the environment and our democracy.”
Wow.
Reich looks at the roots of all these problems and he finds the source of the problem in those who control money and, consequently, power, in our country. He quotes activist Greta Thunberg: “If everyone is guilty, then no one is to blame. And someone is to blame. Some people---some companies and some decision-makers in particular---have known exactly what priceless values they are sacrificing to continue making unimaginable amounts of money.”
Reich shares some horrifying wealth inequality statistics. “ Between 1980 and 2019, the share of the nation’s total household income going to the richest 1 percent more than doubled, while the earnings of the bottom 90 percent barely rose….the share of the total wealth held by the richest 0.1 percent...own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent of households combined.” And, worse, “All this has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in the political power of the super-wealthy and an equally dramatic decline in the political influence of everyone else.”
Whew. Can we go on? I feel we must.
“As long as they control the purse strings, the oligarchs know there will be no substantial tax increases for them. Instead, their taxes will fall. There will be no antitrust enforcement to puncture the power of their giant corporations. Instead, their corporations will grow larger….Government will provide even more corporate subsidies, bailouts, and loan guarantees. It will continue to eliminate protections for consumers, workers, and the environment. It will become a government for, of, and by the oligarchy.”
Oh dear.
“If democracy were working as it should, government officials would make the rules roughly according to what most citizens want them to be. They would also take into account the interests of the poor and of minorities, and give them a fair chance to make it as well. The system would be working for all of us. In a vicious cycle, though, the rules are made mainly by those with the power and wealth to buy the politicians, regulatory heads, and even the courts (and the lawyers who appear before them). As income and wealth concentrate at the top, so does political leverage.”
Reich asserts that America is not “suffering a breakdown in private morality. To the contrary, it’s burdened by a breakdown in public morality.”
How does Reich suggest that we get out of this mess? He dreams of a multiracial, multiethnic coalition of Americans in the bottom 90 percent of the population who come together based on “a common understanding of what it means to be a citizen with responsibilities for the greater good.” He goes on to say, “The reason to fight oligarchy is not just to obtain a larger share of the economic winnings; it is to make democracy function so that we can achieve all the goals we hold in common.” His call to action is, “Democracy will prevail, if we fight for it.”
Michael J. Sandel is also quite bleak in his assessment of America. He arrives at his conclusions about the state of the nation from his years of experience teaching at one of our nation’s most revered institutions. Sandel looks at the turbulence among our people, and he, like Reich, believes the problems stem from the divisions between those who control the money and power in our country and those who seem to have none. Sandel shows how our fundamental philosophy of belief in a meritocracy, in a system where those who are smart and powerful deserve to be smarter and more powerful, is flawed. He convincingly shows how closely SAT scores and IQ points are tied to income, how coming from wealth leads to more wealth, how few people in our society move from poor to affluence. It’s not enough, he tells us, to simply open the door a little wider, to let in a few more of the poor into opportunities to obtain wealth. It’s the underlying philosophy, he says, that must be changed, to strip away both the unwarranted hubris of the haves and the sense of inferiority and failure from the have-nots. Sandel and Reich agree that we need to recenter ourselves on the idea of a common good. Sandel hopes to promote the idea of people as producers rather than consumers, to restore the idea of the dignity of work, and to create policies that allow workers to find good jobs that support strong families and communities. Sandel strongly condemns the financial industry, noting that “much financial activity hinders rather than promotes economic growth.” He would act by “discouraging speculation and honoring productive labor.”
I’m no politician; I’m simply a regular citizen who would like to make things better. These books have helped me understand (a bit) the workings of our complex economy and government and have given me ideas about ways to act to promote our common good. My sense of hopefulness is growing.
Helene Hanff---she of 84, Charing Cross Road fame---recounts her life pre-84, Charing Cross Road, sharing stories of her other writing endeavors (mostHelene Hanff---she of 84, Charing Cross Road fame---recounts her life pre-84, Charing Cross Road, sharing stories of her other writing endeavors (mostly disappointing) with plays and children's history and magazine articles, as well as post-84, Charing Cross Road, with her visits to London and books about those visits....more
If you are a Texas beginning backyard birder, and if you are looking for your first field guide to birds in your area, you cannot do better than to stIf you are a Texas beginning backyard birder, and if you are looking for your first field guide to birds in your area, you cannot do better than to start with this book.
The birds are organized by color, and that's the recommended order for a first field guide. The number of birds is comprehensive but limited to those who reside and/or migrate to Texas, and that's helpful for a beginner....more
I first discovered Gary Clark through his weekly article in the Houston Chronicle. As a beginning birder and the librarian for our Texas Master NaturaI first discovered Gary Clark through his weekly article in the Houston Chronicle. As a beginning birder and the librarian for our Texas Master Naturalist chapter, I wanted to look closely at the birding books that would best suit the needs of our naturalists.
I like this book. It focuses on a small subset of all the birds of the world, those of Texas, and that is helpful for those of us who are just learning to recognize birds in our area. The writing is conversational, and the reader feels as if Clark is sharing information and stories about each bird with him/her. The photographs are bold and helpful, beautifully done....more
Sojourner Truth relates the story of her life, from her childhood and early adulthood as a slave to her spiritual awakenings as a young person and finSojourner Truth relates the story of her life, from her childhood and early adulthood as a slave to her spiritual awakenings as a young person and finally to her role as a spokesperson for both the rights of African-Americans and spirituality. There's an underlying honesty to the text as if she is working things out as she goes along that is true and refreshing....more
Twenty-eight poems and prose pieces about twenty-eight important moments in the lives of black people in America, including the acceptance of the 14thTwenty-eight poems and prose pieces about twenty-eight important moments in the lives of black people in America, including the acceptance of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution; Plessy v. Ferguson decision of the Supreme Court (just reading those words will make you cry); and historic days of magnificent accomplishments by African-American athletes, entrepreneurs, scientists, social activists....more
Kadir Nelson. He's the best. I could look at his paintings all day.
Nelson takes on the persona of an elderly African-American woman sharing stories oKadir Nelson. He's the best. I could look at his paintings all day.
Nelson takes on the persona of an elderly African-American woman sharing stories of her family from the time of their arrival in America through the era of Martin Luther King Jr. to write this mesmerizing history of America and African-Americans.
There was terrible violence in many cities as integration began to take place in schools, at lunch counters, in public swimming pools, in movie theateThere was terrible violence in many cities as integration began to take place in schools, at lunch counters, in public swimming pools, in movie theaters. But not in Huntsville, Alabama.
I was happy to read this story of the way citizens took action peacefully to spark change in this city in Alabama. Huntsville, Alabama was a city of many firsts in change toward social justice....more
A family arrives at the cotton field before the sun is up, and all day they work, picking cotton. Only when it is dark does the family climb aboard thA family arrives at the cotton field before the sun is up, and all day they work, picking cotton. Only when it is dark does the family climb aboard the bus and go home.
The story, related by one of the children in the family, beautifully tells the hard work children and their parents put in to pick the cotton....more
Poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil closely examines some of the wonders of nature that fascinate her including the corpse flower, the cactus wren, the axolotiPoet Aimee Nezhukumatathil closely examines some of the wonders of nature that fascinate her including the corpse flower, the cactus wren, the axoloti, the catalpa tree, the flamingo, and fireflies, and, in her examination, she shares with us ways these wonders spoke to her in her life as well as how they can illuminate our own lives....more
If you are a primary school teacher, write this title, and probably the whole series, down for your classroom library. This is the inspiring story of If you are a primary school teacher, write this title, and probably the whole series, down for your classroom library. This is the inspiring story of Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress. It's perfectly readable to a strong second grader or an average third grader, and it's filled with text about the life of Chisholm and with helpful illustrations.
Kids love a good biography, and it's hard to find biographies that kids can read and enjoy by themselves....more
James Madison Hemings, the son of enslaved person Sally Hemings and US president Thomas Jefferson, tells the story of his life in this historical fictJames Madison Hemings, the son of enslaved person Sally Hemings and US president Thomas Jefferson, tells the story of his life in this historical fiction picture book. James Madison Hemings is born into a precarious world, the son of both a slave and the slave's owner, and he walks a fine line between the cruel and difficult life of a slave and that of privilege. Jonah Winter tells the story based primarily on an interview Hemings granted a few years before his death, and many of the details of the story are deeply poignant. ...more
If I were a braver sort, I'd reply to the recent FB post of my old friend, Terry. Here's what Terry recently posted: [image] And under it he wrote: WheIf I were a braver sort, I'd reply to the recent FB post of my old friend, Terry. Here's what Terry recently posted: [image] And under it he wrote: Where's the app for white-owned restaurants?
What would I say to Terry, a sixty-five-year-old white man who grew up in the American South?
I'd say: Terry, read Ruth and the Green Book.
Ruth and the Green Book is the story of a black Chicago family who heads off to visit their extended family in the South in their brand-new car. But when they try to stop on their trip to use the restroom or eat in a restaurant or find a place to spend the night, the family is turned away. Finally, hey are directed to buy a green book, a book that lists places where people can eat and sleep and use the facilities without regard to their race.
So, if I were a braver sort, I'd tell you, Terry, to please read this book. And maybe a few more like it. Would someone tell Terry for me? ...more
It has been announced that former slaves living as man and wife can now be legally married, and Ellen's parents, who jumped the broom as slaves, the oIt has been announced that former slaves living as man and wife can now be legally married, and Ellen's parents, who jumped the broom as slaves, the only legal way slaves were allowed to be united, have gone with many other couples to the courthouse to register their marriage. The family keeps the broom as a symbol in their home.
The block print illustrations are striking in this book, and the story is beautifully told....more
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews tells the story of his life in music from his childhood when he found and made do with a tattered trombone to his firstTroy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews tells the story of his life in music from his childhood when he found and made do with a tattered trombone to his first step onto the stage as a child with music great Bo Diddley to his adult musical career.
A perfect book for my virtual Mardi Gras celebration....more
Freedom Summer is the story of the friendship of John Henry and Joe, two boys who both want to grow up to be firemen and who both enjoy swimming. TherFreedom Summer is the story of the friendship of John Henry and Joe, two boys who both want to grow up to be firemen and who both enjoy swimming. There's something that divides the boys, and that is the ramifications of being of different races during a time in America that creates the ramifications. The boys swim together in the creek because John Henry is barred from swimming in the whites-only pool in town. And then comes a break in the laws that divide the boys, and they hear the pool will now be open to everyone.
It's a powerful story that should not be missed....more
The only way slaves on the farm know what is going on is to set their children under the windows of the house and have them listen to the white househThe only way slaves on the farm know what is going on is to set their children under the windows of the house and have them listen to the white household talking among themselves. In this story, three young children listen at the windows each night to learn momentous events taking place within on the farm and in the larger world.
I love this story, and I love these illustrations....more
We March tells the story, in simple language and vivid illustrations for our youngest readers, of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. TWe March tells the story, in simple language and vivid illustrations for our youngest readers, of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The story centers on a family with young children, and that draws the reader into the heart of the story. ...more
You'll all wind up porters and waiters. Gordon's white teacher tells this to her all-black class.
And he grew up toThis is the story of Gordon Parks.
You'll all wind up porters and waiters. Gordon's white teacher tells this to her all-black class.
And he grew up to be a busboy, a piano player, and, eventually, a porter and a waiter.
But that wasn't the end of his story. He bought a used camera and learned to take pictures and he became a world-famous photographer, using the lens of his camera to right the wrongs of segregation and racism.
There's something about that little word "too" in the title that tugs at my heart. I'm here, too, the poem says. Don't forget about me.
It's a beautifThere's something about that little word "too" in the title that tugs at my heart. I'm here, too, the poem says. Don't forget about me.
It's a beautiful little poem, the way all the poems of Langston Hughes are. It's completely touching and completely poignant.
The illustrator, Bryan Collier, uses the poem to share the story of the railroad porters, most of whom were African-Americans, in their quiet and humble way, made things better for others....more
The Highest Tribute tells the story of the amazing Thurgood Marshall, a man who knew even as a young child that he wanted to fight for justice for allThe Highest Tribute tells the story of the amazing Thurgood Marshall, a man who knew even as a young child that he wanted to fight for justice for all in the world. He became a lawyer and then a judge, and he finally ended up as America's first black Supreme Court justice.
Recently I've become interested in America. All the nasty conflicts between the major political parties, the incessant greed even among those who are Recently I've become interested in America. All the nasty conflicts between the major political parties, the incessant greed even among those who are inordinately rich, the racism against black people and immigrants and Muslims, the spread of lies, the denial of science---all of these things have made me conscious of wanting to better understand my country and its past.
And that's the reason I picked up Main Street. And I think I did learn a lot about America of today from this book set in the 1910's.
The central character is Carol. She develops lots of ideas about how she wants to improve the world in college and during her time working in big cities, and she married Will and moves with him to start a life in his small town in the Midwest. She tries to improve the town by joining groups and pushing for art and poetry and discussion. She tries to get the schools and city hall improved. She tries to form a dramatic society. Everything she does ends in failure, and Carol is in despair.
It is startling to me to see how contemporary the people she associates with seem, with their self-satisfaction, their pettiness, their tendency to gossip cruelly about anyone who goes against their norms. The town's elite has little to say about the poorer elements of the town, except derision. Political movements to empower women or to unite the farmers to work together for change are quickly squashed.
It's only after Carol leaves and takes a job in Washington D. C. that she is able to return and find a new way to approach change, from within the existing structure.
I'm now inspired to look for other American novels like Winesburg Ohio. I'd love to hear other recommendations....more
"I often wonder if we are living the wrong life in the wrong country."
And that's one of the thoughts that went through my head all through this story."I often wonder if we are living the wrong life in the wrong country."
And that's one of the thoughts that went through my head all through this story. What does it mean to belong to a place in which you live? How important is it to respect the laws regarding borders when your family is split apart? How can you make a place your home? What is worth risking to be able to be together with those you love? And why does it have to be this way?
The story centers on five members of a family, and each gets a chance to take center stage and tell his story. There are the parents, both born in Colombia, in a time of war and violence there. There are the three children, one born in Colombia, and two born in the US after the parents go there for more opportunity.
There are no heroes in this story, no Edens in which to live, no people who are able to follow all the rules, and that's one of the deepest, truest parts of this book.
There's an intermingling of the story with the old tales of Colombia, too, and that adds much depth to the book.
This is one of those stories that gets better and better, and richer and richer the more you reflect upon it....more
A picture book is generally a taste; this picture book is a gourmet meal.
Rio Cortez writes a poem sharing the sadnesses as well as the celebrations ofA picture book is generally a taste; this picture book is a gourmet meal.
Rio Cortez writes a poem sharing the sadnesses as well as the celebrations of black history for each letter of the alphabet. I was amazed at how much Cortez packed into a picture book. She covers the a wide range of people and places and events and movements and ideals. The pictures are delightful, too....more
Jacqueline Woodson tells the story of a family's move up north through the connections made with a rope. Woodson tells this story like she tells all sJacqueline Woodson tells the story of a family's move up north through the connections made with a rope. Woodson tells this story like she tells all stories, with a beautiful rhythm and a wonderful sense of importance in the smallest of things. And James Ransome's pictures are amazing, too....more
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