Alana+Knight

Alana Knight ECD 418 Margo Dahlstrom October 10, 2013 Children’s Fiction This story starts with the small story about a magic kente cloth and how important it was to the African people. It was worn by the tribe’s story teller and once the African people were sold, so was the kente. The book fast forwards to a little poor boy who lives in the city named Jacob. He is depicted as an angry boy who is ashamed of being black. In the story him and his little brother build a black snowman out of dirty snow and dress him in a kente cloth they found in the trash. The magic kente cloth brings their creation to life. Shortly after Jacob is visited by African Warriors who the black snowman introduces as his ancestors. At the end of the story Jacob uses the kente cloth as a shield to save him and his brother from a burning building and the African Warriors led the way. After this Jacob is proud of his family and who he is. I could use this book in my classroom in many ways other than African American Studies. The object of focus in this story was the magic kente which held a great importance in the African culture. So one of the other areas I would recommend for this book would be traditions. My second choice would be culture or self-acceptance.
 * African American History **
 * 1) 1. Mendez, Phil. 1989 //The Black Snowman//. New York: Scholastic. 45 Pages. Tempe Public Library.

This book introduces a young black girl named Tricia Ann. On this day she asked her grandmother for permission to take the bus to her “someplace special”. Her grandmother seemed reluctant but granted her permission. After entering the bus Trisha Ann walked to the back of the bus past the sign that said “colored section”. She did not understand why the Jim Crow laws existed. Throughout the book she was faced with the limitations of these laws. She was not able to sit on a park bench, not allowed in a hotel, only allowed to enter through the front of the theatre, and not allowed to eat in a restaurant. Even through these trials Tricia Ann continued on her way to her ‘someplace special’. Finally when she reaches her destination the sign reads “Public Library: All are Welcome”. I chose this book because it brought to light many of the limitations African Americans faced due to the Jim Crow Laws. This book would be a great source for teachers who are looking at the area of Civil Rights. The story supports the fact that African Americans at this time did not receive the same rights as Whites. Segregation would also be an area for which this book could be used. The story has beautiful illustrations and writing that show the many ways African Americans were kept separate from Whites.
 * 1) 2. McKissack, Pat, and Jerry Pinkney.  2001 //Goin' Someplace Special//. New York: Atheneum for Young Readers. 40 pages. Scottsdale Public Library.

Momma and Pappa Love are two slaves who were just told they are having a baby girl by the Great Lady of Peace. They were afraid that if they had a child that their master Captain Pepper would sale her. So the day the day the baby was born the Prince of Night covered the baby in his cloak and flew her away. One day while playing in the fields Captain Peppers blind daughter ran to him and told him how she had seen a beautiful invisible princess. Upon hearing this Captain Pepper knew this must be Mamma Loves baby who had disappeared, if so she belonged to him. He made it known that if they tried to hide her he would separate and sale Momma and Pappa Love. The Great Lady of Peace, the Prince of Night, and the Queen of bees decided they would free all the slaves by having them eat the honey biscuits, get stung by bees, and get to live in the invisible village of peace. The story ends with Captain Pepper repenting and being allowed into the invisible village of peace. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is a good book to use if you wanted to cover slavery in your class. It shows how the slaves took care of each other as family and the fear they had of separation. Folktales would also be an appropriate area of study that this book could be used for. The story mentions a handful of “gods” along with the main character the invisible princess.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. Ringgold, Faith. 1999 //The Invisible Princess//. New York: Crown Publishers. 32 pages. Scottsdale Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book is about a slave who is determined to escape from freedom. He has run before so his master has put a ball and chain on his foot. Even though he is weighed down he decides to run. On his journey toward freedom he finds a small slave child who the other slaves tell him to leave behind. He refuses and the child gives him motivation to get them both to freedom. Eventually the both make it out of slavery and the child frees him of his ball and chain. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book is filled with beautiful illustrations that show the slaves journey to freedom. Slavery and Family are two other topics that this book can cover. The story shows how much being free meant to slaves and how loving they were to one another. The slave in this story created a strong bond with this boy and made him family which was very common among slaves.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">4. Slate, Joseph. 2009 //I Want To Be Free//. The Penguin Group. 28 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hannah is a small slave girl who decides to escape slavery with her father. On the run she uses a quilt given to her by her mother to guide her to freedom. The book shows the different meanings of the patches that act as a map to safety. Although frightened, Hannah and her dad use the quilt and the Underground Railroad to gain their freedom.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">5. Stroud, Bettye. 2005 //The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom//. Candlewick Press. 29 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Underground Railroad would be a great area of study to use this book for. It shows the journey and fear that slaves endured in order to gain their freedom. In the story the quilt was used to guide Hannah and her father through the Underground Railroad. I think tradition is also a good topic for this book because it shows the art, care, and importance a quilt played in a slave’s life.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This story takes you through the journey of Harriet Tubman. It starts with her decision to leave her family and slavery behind. Throughout the story she hears the voice of God encouraging her to keep going. On her travels north she was frightened and didn’t know who to trust, but she met abolitionists who helped her reach the North. One she acquired her freedom she realized that she missed her family. So Harriet made her way back to the south and brought her family back to the north but she still wasn’t happy. She had horrible dreams about all the slaves she had left behind. She went back and forth 19 times leading her people to freedom. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">If I wanted to do an assignment with my class about important people in history I would use this book. Harriet Tubman is known for her role in freeing many slaves. The Underground Railroad and Slavery would be two good topics that this book could help support. This is another great book that depicts the trials slaves were willing to go through in order to be free.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">6. Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2006 //Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom//. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">New York: Hyperion for Children. 42 pages. Scottsdale Public Library.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Connie is a young African American girl who lived in the South during the Civil Rights movements. Every week her and her mother would go downtown to shop and get cokes from the snack bar. The story mentions multiple ways the Jim Crow Laws limited the actions of African Americans. The main injustice in the book was Connie and her mother not being able to sit at the lunch counter. Due to the sit ins, protests, and marches the book ends with Connie and her family being able to order food at the lunch counter.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">7. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2005 //Freedom on the Menu//. Dials Books for Young Readers. 29 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> This would be a great resource if you wanted to cover the Civil Rights Movement. It talks about the four A&T college students who started the sit ins, Doctor Martin Luther King, and the marches. Segregation would be another good topic this book covers. It goes through some of the Jim Crow Laws like separate water fountains as well tactics used to overcome those laws. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">During the Great Migration many African Americans traveled from the South in search of better opportunities. This is a story narrated by a little girl who inherited a rope passed down from her grandmother. Her grandmother found it underneath a tree before migrating and all the ropes uses were described in the book. After her grandmother it was passed down to her mother and then to her. It showed how something so priceless can hold much value. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Migration would be a appropriate topic that this book can be used for. The story is all about an African American family who had to migrate in order to obtain a better life. My second area of study this book could be used for is Tradition. The rope was passed down from generation to generation and gained value becoming a tradition in their family.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">8. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Woodson, Jacqueline. 2013 //This is the Rope//. Nancy Paulson Books. 29 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 22pt;">Children’s Non Fiction

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Joe Louis was a boxer during the Great Depression through WWII. He became a boxer at a time when White boxers weren’t all willing to fight a boxer of color. Through his career in boxing Joe Louis faced many boxers, white, black, amateurs and champions. He won many fights but his most important victory was against a German fighter during WWII. This fight was not white against black but Germany against the USA. His triumphs made him a hero to the American people. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">If I wanted to do an assignment of the history of sports I could use this book. It shows the beginning an African American boxer during a time of turmoil. American heroes would also be a acceptable area of study for this book. Joe Louis was not only a fighter in boxing but also in WWII. He didn’t let his career in boxing deter him in fighting for his country.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">9. Adler, David. 2005 //Joe Louis: Americas Fighter//. Gulliver Books. 28 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ruby Bridges was the first African American child to attend an all white elementary school. The first day she attended school she was met by a crowd of angry whites who refused to send their children to school with a child of color. Every day she was escorted to school by the marshals and every day before going to school she would pray for the crowd. Eventually the crowd died down and white parents began to send their children back to school. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book would be a good resource if you want to cover the Civil Rights Movement. This shows just one of the rights African Americans fought for, to give their children the same education as white children. Segregation would be another area this book could be used for. The segregation of children in school was the main topic of this book. Even thought the crowds were angry Ruby Bridges stay strong so that she could receive a good education.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">10. Coles, Robert. 1995 //The Story of Ruby Bridges.// Scholastic inc. 24 pages. Navajo Elementary School Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book was written by Martin Luther King’s sister. She writes about her accounts of the March on Washington and her brother’s speech. Many people of all colors and creeds came together to hear him speak. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us the power that words can hold. His speech in Washington that day had an incredible impacted on our nation.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">11. Farris, Christine King. 2008 //March On! : The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World//. 24 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Civil Right Movement would be a good area of study based on this book. This book shows Doctor Kings preparation for the March on Washington and his speech. People filled buses and thousands gathered to participate in the march and to her Martin speak. The second area this book could be used for is famous people in history. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most widely known men in history. He is known for his participation in the Civil Rights Movement as well as his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Claudette Colvin was an African American teen who made two courageous decisions in the fight against segregation. One was refusing to give up her seat on a public bus, but unlike Rosa parks the public’s opinion on her actions were divided. Her second act was as a plaintiff in the Browder v. Gayle lawsuit which argued that segregation on buses were unconstitutional. This book takes you through many events that went on during the Civil Rights Movement. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book documents many important events like the bus boycotts, and the story of Emmett Till. Segregation, important moments in history, and the Civil Rights Movement are all areas that this book can cover. It describes the Jim Crow Laws and the people and events that fought against them.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">12. Hoose, Philip. 2009 //Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice//. Melanie Kroupa Books: New York. 103 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is a book about the life of our nation’s first black president, Barack Obama. It starts with a mother telling her son the story of Barack Obama. It talks about his childhood and his family background. Throughout the story it mentions how he kept hope and worked hard to get a good education. He stayed hopeful and became a senator and later, President. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">It was very important for me to pick a current book that depicts an important part of African American history. This book would be great for the study of Presidents. Our nation has had many presidents over the years and it’s important for students to research them. Culture and family could also be an area this book can be used for. The book talks a lot about his parents and family as well as his family in Africa.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">13. Grimes, Nikki. 2008 Barack Obama Son of Promise, Child of Hope. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. 40 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Frederick Douglas was a slave who was determined to gain his freedom. This book is based on his own narrative of his life. It details events in his childhood and what it was like to be a slave. The master’s wife taught Douglas how to read and write so he was able to document his life story. It also shows the strength of writing because him becoming literate led to him acquiring his freedom.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">14. Ransome, Lesa Cline. 2012 //Words Set Me Free.// Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 28 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book was based on one of my favorite books //The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas.// The book does a wonderful job at showing the reader the life of a slave. This is why Slavery would be an area of study that is fitting for this book. This book is more appropriate for younger children and his actual narrative would be appropriate for older readers. Another area this book can be used for is Narratives. This can help teach students about famous narratives in history.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">John Parker was a slave who was also a conductor of the Underground Railroad. He had purchased his freedom in Ohio but on the other side of the river was the slave state Kentucky. In the story he tried to help one slave and his wife and baby escape to freedom. Their first attempt failed and the master took their baby at night to sleep at the foot at his bed. John Parker snuck into the master’s house and took the baby and led the family to freedom. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The first area of study that I would choose for this book is the Underground Railroad. John Parker helped free many slaves by getting them across the Ohio River and using the Underground Railroad to get them further North. The second area I would choose is Slavery. This book talked about struggles slaves faced and the fear that was imbedded into them by their masters.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">15. Rappaport, Doreen. 2000 //Freedom River//. Hyperion Books for Children: New York. 21 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 22pt;">Teacher Resources

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Slave spirituals hold many meanings. Singing these songs was a way to pass messages among slaves, as celebrations, storytelling, grieving, and to show hope. Slave spirituals were a way of expressing themselves and their feelings. The book has many songs and a story of how they came to be. Towards the end the reader is introduced to the Jubilee singers. After the abolition of slavery a group of students from Fisk University created a singing group called the Jubilee singers. They were a very popular group at this time that performed to raise money for their school. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Tradition would be a good topic for this book. Songs like //Swing Low, Sweet Chariot// are songs that have been carried on from generation to generation, not just in the African American community. Slavery would be my second choice. The book tells about songs create during the Civil War and slavery.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">16. Cooper, Michael L. 2001 Slave Spirituals and the Jubilee Singers. 71 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book documents important events in the Civil Rights movement starting with slaves arriving in North America in 1619 all the way up until 1995. Early on in the book the reader learns about the root of the Civil Rights Movement. Even after the abolition of slavery blacks had nothing because the Civil War had destroyed everything. The book talks about the Jim Crow Laws and other ways vigilantes tried to keep African Americans segregated. It has a lot of information on the NAACP and its members who began to break through the barriers of segregation. The Freedom Riders, boycotts, and marches are all described in this text. More current events like the Rodney King and the OJ Simpson trials are mentioned. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">I chose this book as a teacher resource because it has many events documented during the Civil Rights, some of which I had never heard. This book also has photographs of the actual events which is always something I find fascinating. It shows that if our nation comes together for a cause we can make great achievements. This is why I think Unity would be a great topic to use with this book. The African American people stayed united and fought for their right to equality. The second area of study I would choose is segregation. The book goes into detail about the injustices that blacks faced and the people who fought to make sure our nation kept it that way.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">17. Dunn, John M. 1998 //The Civil Rights Movement//. Lucent Books. 115 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is a book of small biographies of African American women who made a difference. It documents journalists, educators, artist and even the first black female astronaut. These are women who paved the way for black women today. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Women in history would be a good area of study for this book. It gives a short bio about these women and there is even a page at the back of the books with more names the reader can research. This is a great resource because it had many women I didn’t know as well as some of my favorite women like poet Maya Angelou.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">18. Hansen, Joyce. 1998 //Women of Hope: African Americans Who Made A Difference//. Scholastic Press. 31 pages. Tempe Public Library.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Toni Morrison is an African American study who wrote amazing books about black history. This book is biography about her and her career as a novelist. Before she became a writer she was an English professor at Howard University. She was very passionate about civil rights and black history. Her book //Song of Solomon// is about the Civil Rights Movements. She wrote many books about African Americans like //Beloved and The Bluest eyes,// receiving the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book could be used in many areas of study. The first area I would choose is the history of literature. Toni Morrison was a 18th century novelist who captured historical events like the Civil Rights Movement and the story of Emmitt Till in her writing. The second area I would choose is segregation. The book talks about segregation during the Civil Rights Movement. Toni even writes a book called Paradise that describes how people saw events like the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement differently because of segregation. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 1955 Rosa Parks an African American woman refused to give her seat up to a white passenger on the bus. This was a time when the Jim Crow Laws were still in effect. Her actions sparked the beginning of the bus boycotts. African Americans refused to ride the segregated city buses. The book also talks about Dr. Martin Luther King and his contribution to the boycotts. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Segregation could be used as an area of study for this book. The book talks about the Jim Crow Laws and segregation on public buses. Civil Rights and Race Relations could also be a topic covered with this book. Tension between whites and blacks were high during the boycotts. Many whites were angered by the actions of blacks and their tactics to gain equal rights.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">19. Jones, Amy Robin. 2002 //Toni Morrison// //Journey to Freedom//. The Child’s World. 40 pages. Tempe Public Library.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">20. Stein, R. Conrad. 1993 //The Montgomery Bus Boycott//. Children’s Press. 30 pages. Tempe Public Library.