I’m still crying.
Nadia, after reading time ended and I requested she brush her teeth.
Last week, I listed three of the girls’ favorite books. Here are just a few of mine. Enjoy!
I Like Myself!
Written By Karen Beaumont
Illustrated by David Catrow
I wish this little book had been around when I was a child. My thin frame and long hair made me an easy target for bullies. Mom and Dad boosted my self-esteem at every turn. This book, though, could have stood in when they weren’t available.
Simone and Nadia giggle at the silly pictures, while I recognize the serious subject behind this ode to confidence. That is why I am filing this book in the resources section of our library for those times when Simone and Nadia need a lift.
Girls Hold Up This World
By Jada Pinkett Smith
Photographs by Donyell Kennedy-McCollough
A wonderful picture book based on a poem by Jada Pinkett Smith. Simone and Nadia love pointing to the pictures. Donyell Kennedy-McCullough’s images show girls of all different ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds. The colorful pages and pictures get a thumbs up from the girls, while I applaud the message that girls can do anything. This is a Reading Time staple in our home.
Hip Hop Speaks To Children: A Celebration Of Poetry With A Beat
Edited by Nikki Giovanni
Hip Hop Speaks to Children takes readers and listeners on a lyrical journey, with stops at school, church, and home. The list of contributors is long and impressive from Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Gwendolyn Brooks to Queen Latifah, Tupac Shakur, and Mos Def. Altogether, there are 51 poems from 42 poets, with 42 tracks on the CD.
Simone and Nadia danced to many of the song excerpts on the CD. Simone even tapped a beat on the cover of books as poets performed their work.
The title of this book is true. Hip Hop does speak to children. As a result, I won’t let this one leave the house because it may not ever find its way home.
Scenes like this one are ridiculous.
Thank goodness, the Transportation Security Administration has come to its senses when it comes to children and pat-downs. From now on, TSA personnel will try to avoid intrusive pat-downs of children. Children may not understand or find the whole matter very scary.
We took a road trip earlier this year so that we wouldn’t have to weather security issues with two children in tow. I don’t know if the change in policy will change my mind, but it is a step in the right direction.
The instructions: Choose two of your favorite children’s books. Arrive at school on this day at this time. Check-in at the school office. Walk down the hall to the appointed room. Knock on the door three times. Wait until a little person answers.
The task: I had been signed up to be the Mystery Reader for Simone’s class. Each week a new parent would knock on the door and read to the class. I wanted to make a good impression and read something diverse and fun. I picked My Name is Celia for my diversity and fun read and Olivia … And the Missing Toy for my plain old fun read.
The result: I walked inside the classroom and wasn’t sure what to say or do. The children immediately started to guess who I belonged to. Was it the black girl over there? She shook her head. Was it the black girl over there? Nope. She had an expression painted on her face that seem to say: Look, I’ve never seen this lady in my life.
I stood at the door for what seemed like forever, before the teacher called the students to the reading section. There were two rocking chairs and a rug. I took a seat in the big rocking chair, and Simone took a seat in the small rocking chair. I had been claimed. I was Simone’s Mom. Mystery over.
We had a blast. They asked a whole bunch of questions, more questions than most adults ask all day. They rolled on the floor when I mimicked a baby in the Olivia book and said ,”woo-she-ga-ga.” Say it again, they demanded. Each time I did the class fell out laughing.
The thoughts: At first didn’t know what to make of the little game the kids had played. Then I remembered when my mom would show up on the playground, all of my friends would try to figure out who was in trouble. (Back in those days, parents didn’t show up at the playground, unless someone was in trouble.) The kids in Simone’s classroom were curious and maybe a little confused. I asked Simone what she thought of me being the Mystery Reader. What I really wanted to know was if any of the kids had asked her about me.
“It was fun,” she said. I had to agree. “I had a ball.”
Walmart: Barbie House – Viad.TV by viadtv
I have no proof, but I bet this commercial was inspired by a real event. Enjoy!
What does ‘take it under advisement’ mean?
Simone, being an excellent journalist and asking me for clarification.
Young people like to read their favorite books over and over again. These are three of our favorites. Enjoy!
The Other Side
Written by Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by E. B. Lewis
A writer told me to read this book because it’s about racism, but there’s no mention of the word in the manuscript. A friendship develops across a racial divide. Clover, a black girl, lives beside a fence that segregates her town. Her mother tells her never to climb over to the other side because it isn’t safe.
On the other side, is a little white girl, Annie. Her mother also has told her not to climb over the fence.
The two girls see each other and introduce themselves one day. They don’t climb over the fence; they sit on it instead.
The last words leave hope that someone is going to tear down the fence one day. The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. I saw a presentation by E. B. Lewis, and he pointed out that the girls appear on separate pages at first and are separated by the seams. After they introduce themselves, they are always on the same page. Beautiful.
Zen Ties
By Jon J. Muth
This is another library find, and it has so many messages within its pages. When summer arrives, Koo visits his uncle, Stillwater. Koo, a haiku-speaking panda, learns how to conserve resources and help those in need. Stillwater encourages Koo, and his friends Addy, Michael, and Karl to help an elder neighbor, and their kindness is rewarded in ways they could never imagine.
Zen Ties is a story about thoughtfulness and shows children how they can touch lives.
Simone and Nadia always point out how Stillwater, the elder panda, is so much larger than Koo and the children in the book, and I can’t get enough of the haiku.
My favorite:
Nearing my visit’s end
summer now tastes of apple tea
I will keep my cup
My Name is Celia/Me Llamo Celia
Written by Monica Brown
Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Boom boom boom! beat the congas.
Clap clap clap! go the hands.
Shake shake shake! go the hips.
This is one of the many musical lessons Simone and Nadia learned when they attended a bilingual reading of My Name is Celia/Me Llamo Celia. Author Monica Brown and illustrator Rafael Lopez entertained a diverse crowd of parents and children with this vibrant book about the Cuban-born Queen of Salsa. Brown read in English, while Lopez read in Spanish. Azucar, or sugar, was one of the many Spanish words Simone and Nadia understood.
The book’s lyrical writing reveals the life of of Celia Cruz. She learns as a child in Havana that she has the gift for song, rhythm and dance, and she rises to worldwide musical acclaim. Celia shows how hard work overcomes adversity. For example, Cruz couldn’t participate in some singing contests because of the color of her skin. She didn’t let that stop her and was honored by presidents. In the end, she sold gold records, won Grammy awards and earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
I fell in love with the book, because the lines read like those often heard at poetry slams.
Close your eyes and listen, the book begins. My voice feels like feet skipping on cool wet sand, like running under a waterfall, like rolling down a hill. My voice climbs and rocks and dips and flips with the sounds of congas beating and trumpets blaring.
