This is one that would be perfect as an introduction to a history unit discussion on slavery and reconstruction. I would recommend and consider it be This is one that would be perfect as an introduction to a history unit discussion on slavery and reconstruction. I would recommend and consider it be perfect fit for grades 3rd and up. While I wouldn't necessarily use this as a read aloud, I would highly recommend it for classrooms, homeschoolers, and parents/caregivers that are looking for more materials to discuss history in an accessible way. The physical book doesn't follow the song that is on YT (they seem to be in different orders); however, they are both great and insightful. I wish that things like this existed when I grew up. Rhiannon Giddens has a beautiful voice and Monica Mikai did a wonderful job creating illustrations that align with the text in the book and the original song....more
I fell in love with this one as soon as I opened the book. Not only are the illustrations breathtakingly beautiful, but they are magical and transportI fell in love with this one as soon as I opened the book. Not only are the illustrations breathtakingly beautiful, but they are magical and transport the reader into a world of wonder. I'm so happy that both Wedlick and Uchendu drew upon their experiences going to Nigerian markets. It's books like this that showcase the power of literature to give children experiences from the comfort of their homes and/or schools. I highly highly recommend this one....more
The intention of this one was good and Gladys Jose did a wonderful job with the artwork; however, I feel like it lost a little bit of its steam towardThe intention of this one was good and Gladys Jose did a wonderful job with the artwork; however, I feel like it lost a little bit of its steam towards the end and the writing became clunky....more
Oof...I wanted to like this one so much more because of it's potential; however, I genuinely do think that this one suffers from marketing issues.
DearOof...I wanted to like this one so much more because of it's potential; however, I genuinely do think that this one suffers from marketing issues.
Dear Dad: Growing Up with a Parent in Prison caught my attention because publishing is doing more to publish books that address the impact of having an incarcerated parent. I thought that this graphic novel would do the same; however, this felt more like an advertisement for the app that Jay Jay created with her father. Don't get me wrong, I think that what they have done is brilliant and has impacted so many lives; however, I think that people will go into this book expecting something a little different than what's provided. Personally, I wish it would have explored the emotional and mental impact that comes with having an incarcerated parent just a little more. The artwork was good, but it will leave some readers yearning for more....more
From the artwork to the storytelling. I'm so happy that younger generations are getting to experience the life and greatness tThis was so beautiful...
From the artwork to the storytelling. I'm so happy that younger generations are getting to experience the life and greatness that is Toni Morrison....more
I’ve known the music of the Staple Singers for as long as I can remember. I grew up listening to “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’The title says it all!
I’ve known the music of the Staple Singers for as long as I can remember. I grew up listening to “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again.” Ironically, I knew absolutely nothing about the Staple family or Mavis Staple in particular. I feel so rewarded when I dive into an informational picture book and end up learning so much more. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing, I appreciate the history and connection to so many others in the entertainment industry. The illustrations by Steffi Walthall were beautiful! ...more
Not the mix of magic and food!!! This was such a good read and I can't wait to pick up the sequel.Not the mix of magic and food!!! This was such a good read and I can't wait to pick up the sequel....more
Lisa Stringfellow is not only a master storyteller, but she's quickly becoming an auto-read author for me. The whole concept of this novel and utiliziLisa Stringfellow is not only a master storyteller, but she's quickly becoming an auto-read author for me. The whole concept of this novel and utilizing griots as the foundation was thrilling, unique, and what I like to see in middle grade fantasy. I can't wait to see what she writes next....more
Have you ever been blown away by an authors ability to beautiful capture such a dark, but true part of history? Two years ago, I was blown away Wow...
Have you ever been blown away by an authors ability to beautiful capture such a dark, but true part of history? Two years ago, I was blown away by the first book in this series The Door of No Return. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the sequel, but it did not disappoint. Although I can't say much, Black Star is just as beautifully crafted as it's predecessor. Alexander is a literary genius. I thought it was interesting that he utilized the same rhyming scheme in the second book as he did in the first book when both of the character reach a rather dark climax. Although Kofi makes appearances in this one, it does center the story of Charley. Not only are readers getting another realistic portrayal of Black history, but they are also getting the opportunity to know a really dynamic character who wants to challenge gender norms and her role in society. With such a real, yet heartbreaking ending, I'm looking forward to seeing how Alexander wraps up this trilogy....more
If I could give this book a million stars, I would. As of today, this is my favorite Jason Reynolds book. CW: death of a family member, grief
Twenty-FoIf I could give this book a million stars, I would. As of today, this is my favorite Jason Reynolds book. CW: death of a family member, grief
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now is a love story. A love story that features a Black boy not only falling in love, but also experiencing all of the emotions and thoughts that come with a person's first time. This book was written with so much care, passion, honesty, and sincerity. I applaud Jason Reynold's for continuing to break the mold.
What Worked: There wasn't a thing about this book that didn't work. Not only did Jason give us dynamic characters, but also heartfelt moments that I wish could be experienced by every single teen. This tackled sexual health in such a positive and reaffirming way. Though the side characters weren't super developed, there served as catalyst for Neon's perception of sex and relationships. His mother served as a reminder to recognize that he, too, is a whole person with feelings that deserve to be acknowledged. His sister, Nat, helped deconstruct the incorrect information provided by a peer and Neon's own internalized toxic masculinity. Both Neon's father and grandfather encouraged him to consider what type of partner he would choose to be when it came to Nia. It was crafted and woven into the story so seamlessly. These are the very conversations I wish my parents would have had with me growing up. These are the very conversations I plan on sharing with my own child.
Though it is a quick read, Twenty Four Seconds From Now packs a punch unlike any other YA book that I've read this year. I genuinely can't thank Jason Reynolds enough for writing this book. He is a gem to the literary community and I'm so glad that our children get to experience representation that sheds such a positive light on them and their experiences....more
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me is a book that I've been meaning to read for a long time. While it didn't necessarily live up to my expectI Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me is a book that I've been meaning to read for a long time. While it didn't necessarily live up to my expectations, I appreciated what the author was attempting to do with the content. 3.5 Stars CW: racism, body horror, parental abandonment
What Worked: The realistic portrayal of the quiet racism and anti-Blackness that many people experience was done well in this one. Many people presume that racism must be overt and in your face; however, there are moments when it's more subtle and quiet and can be experienced in the way that Laure deals with it first hand via the ballet company. It's the presumptions that you'll never be good enough, that no matter the effort and level of skill acquired you'll never match your peers. I've dealt with this type of behavior before as both a young adult and adult, so it was rather refreshing to see a main character who navigated this type of environment. Additionally, I appreciated the manner in which Shea portrayed the cutthroat nature of the ballet industry. The disregard for the humans who put their physical, emotional, and mental health on the line for the creation of art is astonishing. Not only is Laure experiencing discrimination, but she also is reminded of how replaceable she is to those who are supposed to value her. The gritty and gory moments were also great!!
What Didn't Work: I wasn't a huge fan of the pacing of this one. There were moments where the book moved at a pace that was enjoyable for me while there were other moments where it moved incredibly slow. I also felt as though there were some unanswered questions in regard to the entities involved. While they may have simply been allegorical, they felt like they served a bigger purpose and I wasn't clear on that purpose. There was also a lack of shock from some specific characters when encountering these beings and I'm wondering if there is a bigger back story.
Overall, this was a solid read. The sequel is due to release in November so I'm interested in seeing how the story will be expanded in that book....more
This is the second work that I have read by Rivers Solomon and I found it to be interesting. There are trigger warnings for gore, traumaInteresting...
This is the second work that I have read by Rivers Solomon and I found it to be interesting. There are trigger warnings for gore, traumatic childbirth, death, violence, suicide. This short story focuses on the experiences of Sully a young girl who makes the decision to kill her slave owners thereby opening the doors to another world where she can resurrect the dead. I like that the narrative focused on necromancy. I think I got lost in the middle of the book when it began to focus more on rebuilding and reconstruction and that mystical element was lost a little bit. There was great conversation around the fact that sometimes revenge doesn't give us the feeling of fulfillment that we're looking for. And I think that this happens because when people do things that are bad they still leave their mark. Basically this means that when someone harms us the damage is already done whether we are able to harm them in return or not. I think that the main character struggled greatly with this when she expected to feel better after killing her Slave masters. But instead of feeling better she ends up more engulfed in her unhappiness. I would be interested in seeing where the story could go if Rivers Solomon was able to turn the short story into a full length novel. Overall I thought this was a good short story but The Deep is definitely still my favorite.
Merged review:
Interesting...
This is the second work that I have read by Rivers Solomon and I found it to be interesting. There are trigger warnings for gore, traumatic childbirth, death, violence, suicide. This short story focuses on the experiences of Sully a young girl who makes the decision to kill her slave owners thereby opening the doors to another world where she can resurrect the dead. I like that the narrative focused on necromancy. I think I got lost in the middle of the book when it began to focus more on rebuilding and reconstruction and that mystical element was lost a little bit. There was great conversation around the fact that sometimes revenge doesn't give us the feeling of fulfillment that we're looking for. And I think that this happens because when people do things that are bad they still leave their mark. Basically this means that when someone harms us the damage is already done whether we are able to harm them in return or not. I think that the main character struggled greatly with this when she expected to feel better after killing her Slave masters. But instead of feeling better she ends up more engulfed in her unhappiness. I would be interested in seeing where the story could go if Rivers Solomon was able to turn the short story into a full length novel. Overall I thought this was a good short story but The Deep is definitely still my favorite....more
Great Sapphic romance and I thoroughly enjoyed the emphasis on postive representation of sex workers! It's needed! 3.5 Stars. CW: (view spoiler)[attemGreat Sapphic romance and I thoroughly enjoyed the emphasis on postive representation of sex workers! It's needed! 3.5 Stars. CW: (view spoiler)[attempted suicide (hide spoiler)]
Treasure is a book that I decided to read for Blackathon. It focuses on two characters, Alexis and Trisha and their budding romance after the two meet at a bachelorette party where Trisha strips. The two end up meeting again at the local college when they are both enrolled in a computer science class. One of the most endearing things about this romance was the innocence of their relationship. Neither character had been in a relationship so it was fun watching them figure out their own emotions and their definitions of what it meant to be in the relationship. While this book does not necessarily focus on either character coming out, there are some familial dynamics that are hard for Alexis to get past in regard to her sexuality and gender expression. Weatherspoon did an excellent job illustrating a positive perspective of sex work. There was a conflict involved; however, there was constant positive reinforcement and respect regarding those involved in sex work. There was a level of respect for those involved in sex work. This is definitely something I would love to see more of in romance books or I need to find more romance books that do this.
There were two aspects of this book that I didn't completely enjoy. The first involved some light petting that occurred between the two main characters while they were babysitting. Though it took place out of the sight of the children and no sexual climax was reached it still technically occurred while the children were in the same room. It was just a little awkward for me as a reader. Secondly, I did not enjoy the conflict resolution at all. Trisha had every right to handle the situation the way that she did. I thought it was fairly interesting the way that Alexis attempted to confront her parents. It didn't match the intense rift that was described earlier in the book between Alexis and her father so it felt weird when he simply moved on from the situation. I'm not saying that Alexis or Trisha shouldn't have gotten their happy ending, but I think there could be some misleading aspects regarding how bad the relationship is between Alexis and her father. I also wish that there could have been more exploration of Black women in computer science. It was a small, side conflict; however, I would have loved to see this developed more.
Overall, I thought that this book was sweet, endearing, and HOT (closets, bathrooms, oh my). This is my first Weatherspoon book so I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from her.
Merged review:
Great Sapphic romance and I thoroughly enjoyed the emphasis on postive representation of sex workers! It's needed! 3.5 Stars. CW: (view spoiler)[attempted suicide (hide spoiler)]
Treasure is a book that I decided to read for Blackathon. It focuses on two characters, Alexis and Trisha and their budding romance after the two meet at a bachelorette party where Trisha strips. The two end up meeting again at the local college when they are both enrolled in a computer science class. One of the most endearing things about this romance was the innocence of their relationship. Neither character had been in a relationship so it was fun watching them figure out their own emotions and their definitions of what it meant to be in the relationship. While this book does not necessarily focus on either character coming out, there are some familial dynamics that are hard for Alexis to get past in regard to her sexuality and gender expression. Weatherspoon did an excellent job illustrating a positive perspective of sex work. There was a conflict involved; however, there was constant positive reinforcement and respect regarding those involved in sex work. There was a level of respect for those involved in sex work. This is definitely something I would love to see more of in romance books or I need to find more romance books that do this.
There were two aspects of this book that I didn't completely enjoy. The first involved some light petting that occurred between the two main characters while they were babysitting. Though it took place out of the sight of the children and no sexual climax was reached it still technically occurred while the children were in the same room. It was just a little awkward for me as a reader. Secondly, I did not enjoy the conflict resolution at all. Trisha had every right to handle the situation the way that she did. I thought it was fairly interesting the way that Alexis attempted to confront her parents. It didn't match the intense rift that was described earlier in the book between Alexis and her father so it felt weird when he simply moved on from the situation. I'm not saying that Alexis or Trisha shouldn't have gotten their happy ending, but I think there could be some misleading aspects regarding how bad the relationship is between Alexis and her father. I also wish that there could have been more exploration of Black women in computer science. It was a small, side conflict; however, I would have loved to see this developed more.
Overall, I thought that this book was sweet, endearing, and HOT (closets, bathrooms, oh my). This is my first Weatherspoon book so I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from her....more
Read for the HHR (Historical Romance Readathon 2021). This was everything! And proof that there are historical romances that exists outside of Europe Read for the HHR (Historical Romance Readathon 2021). This was everything! And proof that there are historical romances that exists outside of Europe that feature romance between Black characters
This was really good! I've heard about the Men of Valor books on a couple of blogs so I thought that I would read it for the historical romance readathon. It focuses on a woman named Adaku who is completely and totally against her arranged marriage to Obinna. However, they've been married for ayear and she hasn't had any children yet which looks bad within her community. Little does she know, Obinna is attracted to her and really wants them to live together as husband and wife, but patiently waits for her to fall in love with him.
This book was hot! Hotter than I expected it to be because Adaku is initially against any form of a relationship with Obinna. However, he had so much respect for her and no matter how much he desired her he waited until she wanted to be with him or until she fell in love with him. I commend him because after a year I would have given up, but something in his heart/soul told him to wait and be patient for her. And their journey in getting to that point is absolutely beautiful. To be so short I was so connected to their partnership and was rooting for Adaku to get out her feelings and see what a good man Obinna was being to her. I took off a star because I think that the drama at the end was a bit unrealistic and could have been developed in a more affective way. I understood where the author was going with it but I almost felt like it didn't need to happen. I was content as a reader with the book solely focusing on the relationship. Neverthless, the story was great and I enjoyed Taye's writing. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
Merged review:
Read for the HHR (Historical Romance Readathon 2021). This was everything! And proof that there are historical romances that exists outside of Europe that feature romance between Black characters
This was really good! I've heard about the Men of Valor books on a couple of blogs so I thought that I would read it for the historical romance readathon. It focuses on a woman named Adaku who is completely and totally against her arranged marriage to Obinna. However, they've been married for ayear and she hasn't had any children yet which looks bad within her community. Little does she know, Obinna is attracted to her and really wants them to live together as husband and wife, but patiently waits for her to fall in love with him.
This book was hot! Hotter than I expected it to be because Adaku is initially against any form of a relationship with Obinna. However, he had so much respect for her and no matter how much he desired her he waited until she wanted to be with him or until she fell in love with him. I commend him because after a year I would have given up, but something in his heart/soul told him to wait and be patient for her. And their journey in getting to that point is absolutely beautiful. To be so short I was so connected to their partnership and was rooting for Adaku to get out her feelings and see what a good man Obinna was being to her. I took off a star because I think that the drama at the end was a bit unrealistic and could have been developed in a more affective way. I understood where the author was going with it but I almost felt like it didn't need to happen. I was content as a reader with the book solely focusing on the relationship. Neverthless, the story was great and I enjoyed Taye's writing. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series....more
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