Monday, October 17, 2011

Heart and soul : the story of America and African Americans, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

A simple introduction to African-American history, from Revolutionary-era slavery up to the election of President Obama. Written in the voice of an "Everywoman," an unnamed narrator whose forebears came to this country on slave ships and who lived to cast her vote for the first African American president, "Heart and Soul" touches on some of the great transformative events and small victories of that history.





Publisher: Balzer and Bray, 108 p.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Ghetto Cowboy, by G. Neri

Twelve-year-old Cole's behavior causes his mother to drive him from Detroit to Philadelphia to live with a father he has never known, but who soon has Cole involved with a group of African-American "cowboys" who rescue horses and use them to steer youths away from drugs and gangs.








Publisher: Candlewick Press, 218 p.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

With the Might of Angels, by Andrea Davis Pinkney

In 1955 Hadley, Virginia, twelve-year-old Dawnie Rae Johnson, a tomboy who excels at baseball and at her studies, becomes the first African American student to attend the all-white Prettyman Coburn school, turning her world upside down. Includes historical notes about the period.








Publisher: Scholastic, 324 p.

Friday, October 14, 2011

My Uncle Martin's words for America, by Angela Farris Watkins, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

In this inspirational story about Martin Luther King Jr.--told from the perspective of his niece Angela Farris Watkins--readers learn how King used his message of love and peace to effectively fight for African Americans' civil rights. Focusing on important words and phrases from his speeches, such as justice , freedom , and equality , Watkins uses King's language to expose young readers to important events during the civil rights era.





Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 39 p.