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Windows and Mirrors Book Review – I Am Loved: A Poetry Collection by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Ashley Bryan

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© 2016, Logo by L. M. Quraishi

“if i were a poet/I’d kidnap you” – “Kidnap Poem”

I Am Loved: A Poetry Collection, by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Ashley Bryan, Atheneum Books, 2018

This collection of old and new poems by renowned poet Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by poet and painter Ashley Bryan speaks perfectly to readers of all ages, but particularly to the read-aloud duo of adult and child, or the classroom teacher of music and poetry.

Read this book because the language and rhythm will delight your speech and the meaning will capture your audience. The poems range from the weighty “Quilts” (addressing aging and death) to the lighthearted “Paula the Cat.” This collection speaks to all people, with a deeper layer of meaning and call to African American children.

Add this book to your collection because this landmark collaboration of Nikki’s words with Ashley Bryan’s dynamic, vibrant and healing art is uniquely transcendent. Every bookshelf for children should include this book, because it’s

Nikki

Ashley

and POETRY!

Classroom teachers in particular need to get their hands on this book. Giovanni’s use of metaphor, 2nd person address, enjambment and rhyme all invite young poets’ examination and imitation. Several poems could prompt interesting comparisons to other famous poets (ee cummings and Lewis Carroll, for instance). And in particular, the poems “Three/Quarters Time” and “Do the Rosa Parks” jim and jam off the page, keeping time for lessons about movement, song, dance and social history.

Other children’s books by this author:

Other books by this illustrator:

“do the rosa parks/say no no/do the rosa parks/throw your hands in the air/ do the rosa parks/ say . . . no no/ do the rosa parks/tell them that’s not fair”

YouTube video of Nikki Giovanni doing the Rosa Parks – Sadly, I could not find videos of children doing the Rosa Parks, which means it hasn’t yet caught on! Teachers everywhere, we have work to do with this poem.

Time to Listen Tuesday: #KidLitWomen

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By Brocken Inaglory, via Wikimedia Commons

You may have heard the roar – #kidlitwomen are having their say this month.

Head over to the #kidlitwomen Facebook page to read more about their focus on improving the climate of gender equality in the world of children’s literature.

Illustrator Mishka Jaeger is graciously compiling all the essays by #kidlitwomen luminaries – Check  out the complete list of essays here. 

Publisher’s Weekly wrote about the movement here, and the School Library Journal shares its take here.

Author-illustrator Joyce Wan created a Pinterest board of women who illustrate children’s books which you will find here.

Please read and retweet and share. We are all part of the solution!

Windows and Mirrors Book Review – Ruth Bader Ginsberg: The Case of R. B. G. vs. Inequality

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© 2016, Logo by L. M. Quraishi

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: During this trial, you will learn about a little girl who had no clue just how important she would become.”

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: The Case of R. B. G. vs. Inequality, by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Stacy Innerst, Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2017

Jonah Winters presents Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s life story as a case before the court of the next generation, including such memorable details as how she studied in the bathroom at Cornell and wasn’t allowed into the periodical room, as well as chronicling such major accomplishments as her scintillating dissents.

Add this book to your collection because the author does not shy away from igniting readers’ indignation over the “outrageous nonsense” of racial prejudice and sexism in our society, while showing examples of how one can respond positively and proactively to the “disrespect” that happens “right here in America.”

Writers will appreciate this book because the author’s masterful use of thematic court language throughout the book elevates the genre of the picture book biography to a whole new level, e.g. “Here are the facts of her case;” and “We now offer into evidence…Exhibit A…” Superb back matter includes a glossary of legal and rights-related terminology, as well as an author’s note. But this book wins its case by establishing an intimate, authoritative and persuasive tone right from the beginning, exactly as Justice Ginsburg must have done in her landmark cases for women’s rights.

Illustrators will admire Innerst’s evocative use of watercolors to depict characters’ emotions, such as Ruth’s mother’s luminous intellect and determination, her husband Martin’s devotion, and her own implacable righteousness.

Other books by Jonah Winter include:

Other books by Stacy Innerst include:

“There can be just one verdict: Because she did not give up, because she refused to let other people define her limitations as a person, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has herself become a symbol of justice in America.”

Time to Listen Tuesday – The Black Panther

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By Rute Martins of Leoa’s Photography, via Wikimedia Commons

Seen the latest Marvel movie? Whether you’re a Marvel fanatic (like me) or not, GO SEE BLACK PANTHER. This is a movie with a lot to say, packaged in Marvel’s movie magic, so it’s really worth your time.

Does this movie signal positive change for our society? Does it address the deep inequities, racism and sexism in which we steep our children? I leave those questions to better minds than mine. Check out these reviews:

See the movie for yourself. What do you think?

After the Writing Conference – Just One Thing

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Asilomar Conference Grounds, © L. M. Quraishi, 2017

If you’ve just gotten yourself to a writing conference, you are already on the right track. You probably already have the mindset and the practices in place that will help you accomplish your writing goals. Rather than returning from such an event feeling like you have to change everything, choose JUST ONE THING to add or change. Every conference is a rebirth, and the first thing every newborn needs to do is rest, and suckle. Set your writing aside for a day or two, inhabit your life and allow it to fill you, the way life does.

The Post-Conference Gem: Think about it right now. What is the one piece of advice, or the one idea, that struck you most during the conference? Consider that to be your message and your mission.

Gem in hand? Set it on an altar on your writing space. Mine looks like this, both tool and reminder that every minute counts; when I make my writing time sacred, I create the space for my craft to gain momentum.

Timer cube, © L. M. Quraishi, 2017

The Post-Conference List: After a dreamy weekend spent at the SCBWI Golden Gate Conference in Asilomar, even with the clear gem of WRITING TIME in hand, I still needed a plan to transition myself back to regular life, and back to my writing. So I did what writers do: I made a list. If you’re like me, you want writing to be your whole life, and a list will help you pretend it can be. But here’s the caveat: You have to remember to treat your list like a map, not an expectation. Go ahead – list all the things you want to add to or change or do in your writing life. Then, choose JUST ONE THING to start. And don’t begin the day after the conference. Take some time to bask in the luminous glow of community, to bank the coals of inspiration, to tend the lantern of your ambition.

Three weeks later, here’s my list, as always separated into the categories I always use to think about my writing life. Community. Craft. Draft/Revise. Career. Practice.

Community

  • Thank your organizers! SCBWI organizers are volunteers, making it happen for all of us. Offer feedback and gratitude.
  • Look at the business cards you collected. Read the names and notes you (hopefully) made on the back of each card to remind you about the people you’ll only get to see every once in a while, but who are on this journey with you. Try the World Card App for scanning and collecting contact info.
  • Connect with people. Let people know what meeting them meant to you. Follow your new contacts on Twitter and Facebook. Look up their blogs and like a post. There’s nothing more encouraging to writers than connecting with a new reader.
  • Meet with your critique group. Debrief your experience with writers who know your writing and know you. If you had a critique during the conference, find out what your partners think about the feedback you received. You will all learn from this. If you don’t have a critique group yet, reach out to a few people you liked from the conference to see if you can get something started.

Craft

  • Read. Start with the books written or created by presenters and colleagues at the conference. What craft lessons can you extend from the conference by closely examining the language and structure of each book? Keep a reading journal about what you’ve learned. Take your study to the next level by writing a review, a great way to offer something back to those who shared their expertise at the conference.
  • Review your notes. I like to type my conference notes into a Scrivener file, often including photos of presenters pulled from the web so I can remember those I’ve met and what they had to say. Remember that conference presentations and handouts are copyrighted material, and can only be shared with permission.

Draft/Revise

  • Journal. What did you learn from the conference? What struck you the most deeply? What are your hopes and goals?
  • Write in your project logs. Talk to your stories and characters. If you heard a tip at the conference that spoke to a writing dilemma you’ve been facing with a particular project, tell your characters about the new plan. List goals and revision strategies you’d like to apply to each project.
  • Compost. If you got feedback from a 1:1 critique at the conference, give yourself some time to absorb its possibilities before attacking your manuscript. Put that project in the drawer for 2-4 weeks and work on something completely different.

Career

  • Research. Investigate the agents and editors you met at the conference. Follow them on social media, learn about their lists.
  • Submit. But not immediately. Agents and editors want your best work, not your fastest work. They are busy people, too; after a conference, they also have to unpack and pay the pet-sitter and sift the unsorted mail. Let your manuscripts compost for 2-4 weeks, work on your cover letters, research thoroughly before taking advantage of those post-conference submission opportunities.

Writing Practice

  • Evaluate. What’s working about your writing life? What would you like to eliminate, change or add? When you’re at a conference, it’s easy to feel like everyone else is doing it right. But what matters is what’s right for YOU.
  • Choose JUST ONE THING to focus on next. Let a list be your guide, not your dictator. What action on this list (or off it) spoke to you with the greatest urgency? Highlight that item, and make that the ONE THING you will do.

Got a list or a gem? I’d love to hear about it. May your writing thrive.

Weather Update: Storystorm is Coming

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That’s right, I’m registered! This will be my fourth year participating in the online online writers’ event of the year, formerly known as PiBoIdMo. Originally invented as a way for picture book writers to participate in the November NaNoWriMo frenzy, the event was conceived in 2008 when successful children’s book author Tara Lazar challenged a group of her friends to come up with one new picture book idea a day for one month. Her blog supports participating writers with daily posts from professionals in the field, offering ideas about getting ideas, recording ideas, chasing ideas, developing ideas, taming ideas…By the end of the month, you’ll feel like the Newt Scamander of picture book ideas.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. Prizes are available on nearly a daily basis when people check in, and again at the end of the month for people who complete the challenge with 30 new ideas. Now, we’re in for even more fun. Tara has moved the event from November to January, which means we’ll end up with ONE EXTRA IDEA, and also means that novelists can also more easily participate. She’s also expanding the challenge to include ANY kind of writer, not just picture book writers and illustrators, although I see her calendar of guest bloggers is still packed with picture book luminaries. Best of all, this event is still completely FREE! Thank you, Tara, for giving so generously to our community. Especially for those of us still honing our craft, meeting our colleagues, and looking for that first contract, this means a LOT.

The Storystorm challenge is both social and personal. Participants do not share ideas, we just keep track of them ourselves, and at the end of the month report on the honor system whether or not we met our goal. Speaking personally, this practice of focusing on ideas for one month in the company of other writers with a sense of accountability drives my craft for the entire year. This is where I get my ideas, this is where I learn to get ideas, and these are the ideas that shape my next year of writing.

Registration is open now. Check out past PiBoIdMo posts to get an idea of the creative wealth you’ll be invited to savor (scroll down for a link to guest bloggers from past years). Ask to join the Facebook group to meet the wonderful writers and illustrators who will jumpstart your own practice with their momentum. Storystorm starts next week, and my umbrella is upside down, ready to catch all those ideas.

Windows/Mirrors Book Review: Each Kindness

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© 2016, Logo by L. M. Quraishi

This bi-weekly #Windows/Mirrors series of book reviews, inspired by the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement, offers children’s books created by or about people of diversity.

“And every day after that…I looked away and didn’t smile back.”

Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis, Nancy Paulsen Books (An Imprint of Penguin Group), 2012, winner of a Coretta Scott King Honor and the Jane Addams Peace Award

This atypical story about unkindness at school centers on the bully and not the bullied.

Read this book because the narrator’s journey from complicit cruelty to regret at missed opportunities will open the eyes and hearts of children, allowing them to examine their own treatment of peers critically, and yet with compassion.

Writers will enjoy the way every word counts, builds and repeats, creating a vortex around the lonely eye of the storm, where the new girl waits to be loved.

Artists will savor E. B. White’s watercolor palette of light and the way he uses expression and perspective to reveal the tensions and center of the story. From the new girl’s downcast eyes or hopeful smile, to a classmate’s sneer or the main character’s scowl, children’s faces draw a painful story to our attention and into our hearts.

Add this book to your collection because we live in a time where each kindness matters.

More books by Jacqueline Woodson:

 

More books illustrated by E. B. Lewis:

“Every little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world.”

 

Time to Listen Tuesday: Jacqueline Woodson

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This interview of Jacqueline Woodson for the September/October 2016 issue of Poets & Writers magazine highlights the deliberate and courageous choices she has made as an artist to tell the “invisible” story.

A Great Good: An Interview with Jacqueline Woodson

Windows/Mirrors Book Review: Harvesting Hope – The Story of César Chávez

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© 2016, Logo by L. M. Quraishi

© 2016, Logo by L. M. Quraishi

This weekly #Windows/Mirrors series of book reviews, inspired by the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement, offers children’s books created by or about people of diversity.

I am so proud of the American people at this time in history. It seems that nothing can silence the dialogue we want to have about equity, oppression, privilege and inclusion. Although at times we may find it difficult or impossible to find common ground in our conversations with each other, we are talking and we are listening.

Join the conversation! Read a diverse book to a child in your life, and tell us what you talked about. Head over to #TimeToListenTuesday to read a perspective you might not normally seek. Leave a comment and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!

“Nearly every crop caused torment.”

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Harvesting Hope: The Story of César Chávez, by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, Scholastic, 2003, Pura Belpré Honor Book

Highlighting the fierce spirit and warm purpose of César Chávez, this book tells the story of his life from childhood to death, highlighting the birth of La Causa, the 1965 march to Sacramento, and the signing of the first contract for farmworkers in American history.

Read this book because it will evoke a deep empathy for the struggles of migrant workers to put food on America’s tables, and live with dignity and prosperity. From the mockery and punishment that César Chávez endured for speaking Spanish in school to the hunger strikes that changed the fortunes of huge produce companies, the story of César’s vision and determination will inspire all of us to fully inhabit our own power for change.

Writers will enjoy the language that quietly reveals the evolution of César from a beloved child to a fierce fighter for the rights of his fellow farmworkers. As a child, “César thought the whole world belonged to his family” when they still owned their ranch in Arizona. Later it becomes clear that this personal point of reference helped César develop his sense of injustice, first realizing that “farm chores on someone else’s farm instead of his own felt like a form of slavery,” then developing his conviction that “farmwork did not have to be so miserable.”

Artists will enjoy the warm palette and hopeful brushstrokes of Yuji Morales’ luminous artwork, as well as the thoughtful details of every spread. On a page where César’s mother cautions him against physical violence, her dress flows like the land beneath her child, embracing and connecting. When the family loses their ranch to drought, a stubborn horse and looming bulldozer in the background allude to the much larger conflict between family farms and industrial farming. The rounded body shapes in a spread describing the backbreaking conditions of farmworkers evoke Diego Rivera, and on a page where César begins recruiting people to join his fight “one by one,” a single farmworker makes eye contact with him from across the field as she hefts a flat of strawberries.

Add this book to your collection because like its title, this book grows hope that as individuals and as a people, we can make changes in our world for equity and humanity.

More books by Kathleen Krull:

More books by Yuyi Morales:

“In a fight for justice, he told everyone, truth was a better weapon than violence.”