Coretta Scott King
No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.16, 2014, under Biography or Autobigraphy, Coretta Scott King, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone interested in Harlem or the history of Blacks during the Civil Rights Movement and beyond.
The goods on this book: This book is significant both for the historical events that it includes and for the format in which it is presented. The author meticulously researched the life of her great uncle, Lewis Michaux, through conducting interviews, digging into family archives, and combing through library records. Nelson focused on how Michaux, in 1939, responded to the racist comments of a white banker by starting a bookstore in Harlem with five books and $100. This bookstore, the National Memorial African Bookstore, became the center of intellectual life in Harlem for decades, frequented by leaders such as Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. Instead of presenting these events in a nonfiction format, the author presents the story as a documentary, giving a series of first-hand narratives by Michaux and a broad range of other voices. This technique, along with the striking illustrations by R. Gregory Christie, paints a vivid picture of Michaux, his bookstore, and Harlem from the 1930s through the 1970s. It’s a fascinating presentation of historical events and biography in a fictional format.
The details: 188 pages; 2012
Claudette Colvin: Twice toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.28, 2012, under Battle of the Books 2012-2013, Biography or Autobigraphy, Bullying, Coretta Scott King, Newbery, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone with an interest in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, especially the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks, definitely needs to read this book. It would also be great for anyone looking for the life story of a courageous teenager who stood up for her beliefs.
Why? Do you think that one person – one teenager – can’t make a difference? Read this book and think again. Claudette Colvin grew up in the segregated South in the 1950s. Raised by her great aunt and uncle in a poor area of Montgomery, Alabama, she was intelligent and proud. She hated the unjust treatment that the people of her color suffered, and she could not figure out why the adults put up with it. The bus system of Montgomery was especially unfair; when she was 15 (in 1955), she had reached her limit. She refused to give up her seat to a white woman and was arrested and taken to jail. Nine months later, Rosa Parks did the same action and sparked the bus boycott that eventually ended segregation on the buses. Claudette also played a crucial role in this ending: the landmark court case, Browder v. Gayle, that made segregation illegal got much of its punch from the courageous testimony of Claudette and three other women. Before this book, her role in these events had been unrecognized. Phillip Hoose waited a long time for Claudette to be ready to share her story. She finally did, and he masterfully combined her moving narrative with historical background presented through text, photos, and documents. This book won the 2009 National Book Award and was a 2010 Newbery Honor Book, underlining its value and significance. It’s a powerful 150 pages!
The details: 150 pp. 2009 Review by Samrarian
Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Sep.15, 2011, under Coretta Scott King, Real life, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? This book is great for anyone, but I think girls or women would especially enjoy it.
Why? This book gives you a new perspective on life in prison for teens and women and some issues girls reading this might relate to. I think you would be suprised how many women don’t fully deserve to be in prison. Don’t believe me? Read this book and you will know what I’m talking about. I am almost positive you will cry when you’re on Shovonne’s emotional roller coaster, so join the ride and end with hope.
The details: 193 p. 2011 Review by Abbey F.
The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.17, 2011, under Coretta Scott King, Grief, Historical Fiction, Real life, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone interested in the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panthers, and/or a riveting story about justice and loyalty.
Why? Sam’s father is a well-known civil rights leader in their city of Chicago who expects Sam and his older brother Stick (Steven) to behave and follow the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. When Sam and Stick leave a demonstration without permission, they get caught up in a fight and Stick is injured. The racism at the hospital is just one example of the many reasons that Stick is sympathetic with the ideas of the Black Panthers, a stance that is forbidden by their father. As tension mounts at their house, Sam finds romance with Maxie (whose older brother is a Panther). Narrated by Sam, the story of his efforts to navigate the minefields in his life – his family, his girl, racist society – is moving and riveting. Through his eyes, readers learn about the racism of the time and the different ways of fighting that racism. This book is important reading for anyone looking for insight into 1968.
The details: 290 p. 2009 Review by Samrarian
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.05, 2010, under Adventure, Coretta Scott King, Historical Fiction, ORCA, Real life, Sam's Reviews, War, YRCA
Who would like this book? Anyone who wants a perspective on war, specifically the war in Iraq in 2003, through the eyes of an 18-year-old soldier.
Why? Robin Perry, a teenager from Harlem, goes against his father’s wishes and joins the army after September 11, 2001. This book starts in February of 2003 with a letter from Robin to his uncle describing his deployment to Iraq as part of the Civil Affairs Unit. Through first-person narration and letters and e-mails to his uncle and his mother, “Birdy” (his nickname in the unit) describes the day-to-day events of this war. Birdy exults over Operation Iraqi Freedom’s early successes, but slowly falls apart as random danger and confusion escalate. As Birdy’s unit experiences gnawing boredom, small triumphs, and huge tragedies, I felt as if I were there. The dialogue and descriptions place the reader in the middle of the unit – I could almost feel the grit of the sand. As I read, I had to adjust to the structure of the plot which follows the rhythm of the soldier’s life, bouncing from tedium to sudden action and back to tedium without any resolution. Myers’ award-winning 1988 book set in the Vietnam War, Fallen Angels, would be a good follow-up read. Its main character is Richie Perry, Robin’s uncle, who had his own coming-of-age on the battlefield. Sunrise Over Fallujah is a 2011 YRCA Nominee and 2011 ORCA Nominee.
The details: 290 p. 2008 Review by Samrarian
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on May.30, 2009, under Coretta Scott King, Historical Fiction, Horror, Newbery, Sam's Reviews, YRCA
Who would like this book? Anyone aged 9 and up who has an interest in a community in Canada for former slaves during the mid 1800s. It’s also a perfect book for anyone who has read and liked other books by Christopher Paul Curtis or if you like books that will make you laugh and cry.
Why? Elijah is known in Buxton as the first baby born in this Canadian settlement founded in 1849 for former slaves. (He is also locally famous for an incident involving Frederick Douglas.) Elijah narates the story with humor, honesty, and empathy. Christopher Paul Curtis uses Elijah’s dialect, making this book a great choice for a read aloud. In the first chapters, Elijah tells funny, meaningful stories about his family and the Buxton community, including their tradition of welcoming new runaway slaves to their settlement. Elijah also shares about a raucous adventure to a traveling circus with the preacher, a man of questionable character. When this preacher is too eager to help one of the Buxton neighbors to buy his family out of slavery, we have been amply forewarned to brace for the worse. Through the series of subsequent events, the horrors of slavery are made clear. Elijah’s discovery of what his parents had experienced as runaway slaves is powerful and moving. This book deserves its many awards: Newberry Honor 2008, Coretta Scott King Award 2008, and a Young Reader’s Choice Nominee for 2010 in the Junior Division.
The details: 352 p. 2007 Review by Samrarian
Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Dec.01, 2007, under Coretta Scott King, Free Verse, Grief, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Real life, Sam's Reviews, Spiritual, YRCA
Who would like this book? Teens who like novels written in free verse with two storylines, one ancient and one contemporary.
Why? Nikki Grimes sets the story of Sam, a contemporary teenager who is angry at his father for leaving his mother for a younger woman, against the ancient story of Ishmael. Sam’s pain over his father’s actions, his rejection of his step-mother, and his faith come across in a compelling manner with Grimes’ free verse. Sam’s sense of being abandoned by his father parallels Ishmael’s experience when Abraham turns him out with his mother Hager. Faith is an integral part in the journey of both young men. This element is presented in an even way that respects all beliefs. It’s not a surprise that this book is a Young Reader’s Choice Nominee (Senior Division, though it could have fit in the Middle Division just as easily) and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book.
The details: 216 p. 2005
Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.13, 2007, under Abuse, Adult Read, Coretta Scott King, Grief, Historical Fiction
Who would like this book? Teens or adults who want a work of historical fiction that depicts the slave trade and plantation life in the South from the point of view of an African teenaged girl who becomes enslaved and a Southern white girl who is indentured.
Why? Copper Sun opens with an idyllic portrayal of Amari, a young Ashanti teenager who delights in the rhythm of life in her tribe and anticipates love with Besa, her betrothed. When her tribe welcomes the white visitors with warm hospitality, she is shocked when they respond with brutality. The book follows her story as she is enslaved, shipped to the colonies, and sold to a plantation owner in the Carolinas. At this point, the point of view of Polly is introduced. Polly, close in age to Amari, is a white girl whose family hs landed on hard times and who has been indentured to the same plantation owner for 14 years. The stark, unflinching presentation of the brutality and injustice of their lives is shattering, but their perseverance and growing friendship keeps hope alive and kept me spellbound. The other characters are well-drawn, giving insight into how and why people react differently to terrible situations. This book would be an excellent way to study this period of history and is well-deserving of its place as the winner of the 2007 Coretta Scott King Award.
The details: 306 p. 2006
