Young Americans Books

I've purchased several copies of "Authors By Request: An Inside Look At Your Favorite Writers," as gifts for my children's teachers and student teachers. It's a wonderful gift for educators because it profiles the popular authors our kids are reading, plus offers writing tips and activities. I also bought a copy for my sister, a teacher, and for our family bookshelf. We love books at my house and this paperback really highlights some terrific writers. It's a good book at a good price.

I've purchased several copies of "Authors By Request: An Inside Look At Your Favorite Writers," as gifts for my children's teachers and student teachers. It's a wonderful gift for educators because it profiles the popular authors our kids are reading, plus offers writing tips and activities. I also bought a copy for my sister, friends that are moms, teachers, and for our family bookshelf. We love books at my house and this paperback really highlights some terrific writers. It's a good book at a good price.

I stumbled across this book at a thrift sale. Having first heard of Bayard Rustin about three years ago by way of a documentary film, I quickly snatched up the book at the bargain price of twenty-five cents! What started as a casual perusal of the text at the sale turned into a focused absorption of the life of one of the least acknowledged civil and human rights activist in the country's history. I'm still amazed that throughout high school and college history classes, some of which designed to highlight the African American experience, I don't recall ever encountering acknowledgement of his work in the movement. Well this book is an excellent start to making Rustin's story accessible to a mass reading public. The book is written for readers of the middle school age but it's not dummied down in content. The large font makes for fast reading at the adult level and its easy on the eyes for seniors.

The book is organized in ten chapters and chronologically moves through Rustin's life and his involvement in various movements and organizations aimed at equality and freedom for the human race. Chapter titles are:

* Growing Up Quaker
* College and Communism
* Conscientious Objector
* Greater Militancy
* The Civil Rights Movement Begins
* The Southern Christian Leadership Conference
* To March or Not to March
* March Organizer
* The March on Washington
* International Organizer

Although an older publication, I think this is a powerful addition to the classroom. A little leg work may be able to turn up copies at a great discount. I certainly plan on telling all of the educators that I know about the book. Highly Recommended!

Here is a fine biography for "Ages 10 and up" - - the "UP" being any age. "Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement" is about Bayard Rustin, a behind-the-scenes guy who not only lived in exciting times, he was a pivotal figure in the U.S. civil rights movement for decades. He was known as a "genius for organization" & the MARCH ON WASHINGTON happened in large part because of his skills. The 1963 March was the largest gathering of people 'of like mind' who had ever demonstrated peacefully, AND successfully.

Bayard Rustin was a controversial young man, raised by Quaker grandparents who influenced his strong beliefs in nonviolence. Well-known author Jim Haskins describes Rustin's college days when he discovered he was a homosexual, and became interested in communism. Not much later a meeting with A. Philip Randolph (the famous organizer of black railroad porters) began a life-long influence on Rustin's thinking and direction. Bayard Rustin was a conscientious objector to war and chose to be imprisoned for those beliefs. After World War II he became involved and very influential regarding issues of protest marches and reconciliation.

He died at age 75, still actively working for justice and human rights. At his funeral one of his recorded spirituals was played, "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen". Bayard Rustin had a tenor voice which might have taken him successfully to a career as a musician but his compassion for people called him to a different road in life. Reviewer mcHaiku recommends this portrayal of an important worker toward change in American life; it is of particular value for young people to hear different views about 'service for the greater good' and about patriotism, and to weigh their own instincts against the pressures exerted by peers and the media.

Adults everywhere should have the wisdom Jason Summey displayed as a young teenager. High school dropouts are a terrible problem for society in general, but the perspective this young man presents in his little book is the unique view of a peer who sees and hears, first hand, the problems and difficulties that cause young people to make such a destructive decision. The way he describes the difficulties he encountered while trying to help is classmates is well worth the read. His compilation of reasons to stay in school that other students submitted, range from funny to serious to sad to just plain common sense. The value of this little book is evident by the fact that it is endorsed by everyone from Jason's principal, to his school superintendent, his congressman, the governor of his state and even President George Bush, Sr. It's a must read for anyone interested in education.

Knowing Jason Summey personally, i can tell you he is a great guy with a true passion for his work. I heard him give a speech on his program with his school and he is a truly amazing person. This book is the proof that there really is a spectacular reason to stay in school. Jason Summey has saved multiple pepole's careers, and this book is the proof. Thank you Jason Summey, you've helped me.

This is a great overview of Beat Poetics. Check out Ted Joans, who remains the most lucid of the Beat poets and who still writing and reading strong. He has just published a new collection of poetry called Our Thang, also available on Amazon. He and Bob Kaufmann are possible the two most extraordinary writers of this extraordinary generation.

after reading this selection many times, i have become enthraled the lives of kerouac, cassady, and ginsburg. for a new fan of these great poets, this book is a must. it will give you a great work of information that can allow you to discover the works of many innovative poets

This picture book legend from the Salish people of Montana tells how the animals worked together to use fire to prepare the earth for the first humans. This book is part of a Fire History Project that includes a video, DVD, lesson plans and web site. The story is retold by Salish elder Johnny Arlee and illustrated by tribal artist Sam Sandoval. Information on the Salish alphabet is included. Extensive Note to Teachers and Parents contains excellent information on the importance of fire to Native peoples.

Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story is a picturebook rendition of a story directly from the cultural tradition of the Salish people of Montana. Retold by Salish elder Johnny Arlee, and wonderfully illustrated in full color by tribal artist Sam Sandoval, Beaver Steals Fire recounts how the animals worked together to obtain fire and help prepare the world for inhabitation by human beings. Beaver Steals Fire is presented with the full support of The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Division of Fire; a note to the reader at the beginning asks those who use Beaver Steals Fire in the classroom or others who read it aloud to orally tell or discuss the story only in winter, when snow is on the ground, as this is a strongly ingrained part of tribal seasonal tradition. A beautifully presented legend, highly recommended.

Wowie, wow, wow. This little beauty just leapt to the top of my wish list. I've had my eye on Carole Boston Weatherford ever since she wrote Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (Caldecott Honor Book), but as far as I'm concerned she's topped it with Becoming Billie Holiday.

The writing is killer and the format unique: an illustrated fictional verse memoir. And get this -- the title of each poem is a Billie Holiday song. I know next to nothing about Billie Holiday's life, but fictional or not, I'm perfectly content getting all my information here. My sense is that Weatherford was true to her subject; regardless, I don't care to break this book's spell with plain old facts. Straight non-fiction would be hard pressed to duplicate the imagery and sense of character Weatherford's poems convey.

To crown it all, I don't think you even have to be a Holiday fan to dig this book. Lady Day had it rough, and her childhood makes for compelling reading. Among other things there's prostitution, rape, racism, and reefer in here -- none of it tawdry, but gritty enough to rule out the elementary school crowd.

Billie Holiday does not have a happy life story. After all, she sang the blues for a reason. A biography written in verse seems only appropriate for a woman who lived her life in song -- whose only reliable escape was via music.

Weatherford uses Holiday songs as poem titles throughout the book, which, in addition to the first person perspective, serves to bring the reader close to the narrative. While the story of Holiday's life is disturbing, Weatherford does a fantastic job of pulling readers in for an occasional close-up, and in giving them much-needed distance -- room to breathe.

Subtlety is key, and both author and artist seem to realize the delicate balance.

Floyd Cooper used a subtractive technique for the gorgeous illustrations, meaning he used erasers to make shapes and then enhanced them with mixed media. The heavily textured, sepia tones flow seamlessly into the verse.

Then we have the book itself, smooth to the touch, but grainy and old school. Billie Holiday all over. This publisher, Wordsong, created a perfect marriage of author & artist, then packaged the work brilliantly in a book for the ages.

Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince

Although photos were uncommon back in 1860 this book located dozens of them. The story is told in a vivid and fair portrayal.

After reading several adult books on the Civil War for research, I began this book by Delia Ray (I like to read children's books as well). I simply need to say that this book is excellent. Civil War reading can be very dry, but not this book. Delia Ray takes us on a soldiers journey beginning with enlistment and ending with a soldiers life after the war, using quotes from actual letters and diaries strategically placed throughout the book. She covers such interesting items as what soldiers ate, how they drilled, their various living quarters, what they did for enjoyment, their attitudes toward their commanders, soldiers of other nationalities, and the enemy. She discusses individual battles, medical treatment, hospital and prison life, with such empathy that when you finish this book you will actually feel as if you were there yourself. The photographs in this book each tell a story in themselves, as well. They are some of the most moving photos I've seen of the Civil War. I simply couldn't put this book down onced I picked it up. I highly recommend this book to both children and adults because like my title says, it's not a book... it's a journey. An all inclusive journey that seems to leave no question concerning the Civil War soldiers life unanswered.

I grew up in the 1960's and early 1970's reading every Matt Christopher book that came out. I was always curious ....who was Matt Christopher???
Now I really know, as his son Dale does an excellent job describing how Matt became the most prolific sports writer in the United States for young readers. A must read for all Matt Christopher fans.
From a long time reader near Cleveland

Perhaps more than any other children's author, the prolific Matt Christopher reminds kids that in order to succeed in life, you must work hard and never give up. After entertaining youngsters for more than forty years with dozens of stories that contain this important message, his son Dale now tells his story.

The son of Italian immigrants, Matt Christopher was born in 1917. A good student, and a better athlete, he had hopes of becoming a major league ballplayer. He actually played in the minors for a time before realizing he didn't quite have what it took to make it all the way. Perhaps it was this experience that made him sympathetic to the yearnings of his readers and more realistic in their eyes.

His family could not afford to send him to college, so Christopher held many jobs as a young adult. But in the back of his mind, he always wanted to be a writer. As any member of that profession can tell you, it's a very difficult career, one that can be quite harsh in bursting dreams of aspiring authors. Christopher suffered many drawbacks in the form of rejections for his stories, but it never stopped him. His persistence was rewarded fifty years ago when his manuscript for THE LUCKY BASEBALL BAT was accepted by Little, Brown and the book was published in 1954.

Following this debut, Christopher kept coming up with new ideas, updating his stories with the changing times to incorporate other sports as they became more popular, such as soccer and skateboarding, and using girls as his main characters rather than in supporting roles. (He also published mysteries for young readers, although his publisher insisted he do so under a pen name.)

Christopher also wrote several sports biographies for kids, including such inspirational favorites as Lance Armstrong, Wayne Gretzky, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Michael Jordan, Mark McGuire and Tiger Woods, among others.

Dale Christopher's examination of his father --- who passed away in 1997 --- is affectionate, proud and honest. Things weren't always easy for the Christopher family, but they stuck together and were favored with a degree of fame within the children's literary community. At the conclusion of this tribute, the son cites the father's philosophy, which was the focal point in many of his stories:

"Don't ever stop doing what you believe. Don't ever let anyone stop you from realizing your dream."

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (ronk23@aol.com)

Dean Young's poetry book "Beloved Infidel" seeks truth in the strangest places, like the men's restroom. The poems in this book are both witty and poignant. It is a good collection to begin with if you are not familiar with Young's writing because it is essentially his first book of poems where as he states on the back of the book" I really think of it as my first because it's in this book that I felt like I was throwing off my (perfectly good) education and beginning to write the poems I didn't know how to write."
You will get an idea of how his writing style began. You will find yourself reevaluating what poetry can be. He uses strong images and tone to bring the reader closer to what he is trying to say about life. One of the best things about his poetry is how he ties an ordinary thing like "rain filling a crack" or a situation where "I didn't know how alone I was until they brought out more chairs" to create a building of emotional exigency. It is these things he highlights in the poem that make the reader see the greater picture he is trying to paint about life.
This book contains a lot of poems about the dynamics between men and women like "Marriage" and " What Does Us In." In his poem "Shades" he writes about the difficulty of helping a friend deal with his wife's suicide in a very tender way. This tenderness is also revealed in "Another Ocean" and "The Soul" where he discusses watching his friend deal with a deadly illness. He also has some very erotic poems like "Storms" and "The First Time & The Time Before That" that show the vast contrast between two inexperienced lovers and two people that have many dynamics in their sexual relationship.
When you read this book it will make you examine how you see the relationships in your own life and whether you notice the things that make them special. Young's ability to make the reader aware in an understated way by throwing a surprising detail in the middle of the poem is what makes reading his poems so exciting. His poems are sewn together by their tone which is created by tender language or brash language and images of things in life we don't often focus on.
Young uses a lot of association in his poems and strengthens the connections with parallelism. A good example of this is found in his poem "The Fine Arts" where he uses the different pieces of art in his life to describe the stages of a relationship. He uses the art as the object of parallelism with pieces by Bonnard, a table, and a Chagall painting.
Dean Young's poetic voice is distinctive and unpretentious which is highly appealing because he is not afraid to admit he doesn't have all the answers. His questioning makes the reader feel like she isn't the only one bumbling around trying to figure out this life.

I'm glad they re-issued this book. I tried for over a year to get a used copy and finally found one in the discard pile at the Phoenix library. I'd say that it's definetly one of the best books of poetry written in the 90's. So, the moral of this review is: never trust librarians, try to do things over a course of a year (at least), look for things in dumpsters, and judge everthing by the decade in which it first appeared.

Are you interested in a great bioagraphy on a phenomenal free African American? Well, then this book is for you. It is worded simple enough to really understand and challenging enough to keep you interested. With great pictures, this non-fiction is a must read for informational purposes(reports, etc.) and for pleasure!

Banneker is such a great role model for middle-schoolers! And Ms. Litwin has done a superb job of recreating life in his time. Any young person, but especially an African-American, will be thrilled by this fine and historically accurate biography of a self-taught free black man who helped create our nation's capital and who corresponded with Thomas Jefferson about slavery.