Coretta Scott King or King Honor Books

Coretta Scott King or Coretta Scott King Honor Books

Annotated Bibliography 

1.  Woodson, J. (2012). Each Kindness. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

There is a new girl in Chole's class. She has older worn clothes. Chloe and her friends act rudely towards here not inviting her to play with them and ignoring her attempts at initiating a friendship. Pretty soon the new girl Maya just plays by herself. Then one day she doesn't show up to school. Chloe's teacher teaches a lesson on kindness and Chloe realizes she has been less then nice to the new student. She waits to make it up to Maya but she never returns and the teacher later informs them that Maya's family has moved. Chloe realizes she will never get a chance to make it up to Maya.

This book is told from the  first person point of view. Young readers will be able to identify with the narrator having regrets about her behavior. Most children have done something to someone that they wish they could take back. Some young people may identify with the other character Maya because they were once a new person in a class. Even though we don't get to see Maya's thoughts we can sympathize with someone being rejected by others. This would be a good book to read aloud during Kindness week at elementary schools. Counselors could find it useful when teaching lessons on how to make friends or how to be a good friend.

This was an Coretta Scott King Author Honor book. Ms Woodson tells a important story in a way that children can understand. The pictures are pretty also. The cover shows a girl standing by herself. She looks alone and sad. The readers can tell this won't be a happy story. Using the title and cover, teachers can have a good discussion on predictions. "Why is the girl alone? What does it mean by Each Kindness? Was someone unkind to the girl on the cover?" Some illustrations are a two page spread but there isn't a lot going on in the picture. I think this helps narrow the readers focus on the subject. For instance on the page where Maya is jump roping, she is the only thing on the two pages. This exemplifies that she was really alone. No one was playing with her. The last page as well has one character in a scene spread over a double page spread. Chloe is small compared to the whole scene of the pond and trees around her. This helps the reader understand how lonely she feels while remembers how unkind she treated Maya. I thinks it shows her in a state of self reflection and that she is not happy with herself.

2.  Rohmer, H., Chow, O., Viduare, M. (1988). The Invisible Hunters/Los Cthwesazadores Invisibles (Stories from South America). New York, NY: Children's Book Press

This book was a honored due to the illustrations. The artwork is bold and reminds me of art that would be found in a museum. After looking at it longer, I think the illustrations remind me of cave drawings.  The pictures don't include detailed faces. Just dark silhouettes going through motions.

The story focuses on a group of hunters in Nicaragua. They are looking for wild pig to hunt. They run into a magical vine that they discover can make them invisible if they are holding it. The hunters realize they can use this to their advantage while hunting. The vine said they may use pieces from it to help hunt as long as they promise not to sell the meat and only use sticks to hunt not guns. They promise. Their hunt goes well and the people of the village are fed well. They come to understand the power of keeping their promises to help others prosper.

Then the Europeans come and influence the hunters to sell them the meat. Soon their greed at getting meat for the Europeans gets the better of them and they forget what they promised the vine and begin to hunt with guns to get more meat quickly. The meat supply runs scarce and there isn't enough to feed the village. The hunters turn ugly to the villagers they use to help.  The hunters have forgotten their promise to the Dar and have forgotten that there are more fortunate if they help others in their community rather than looking out for themselves. 

One day they return from a hunt and the villagers turn from them. The elders tell them they are invisible even though they are no longer holding on to the vine. They return to the vine and ask for help but get none. Now they are invisible and are kicked out by the village as the elders tell them they are no longer welcome. They now are said to roam up the river begging to be visible again.

Other than the obvious message on how it is not good to be self serving, this story also explains the negative influence the Europeans had on native or indigenous people. The natives had survived for many years by living in a community that relied on different people to do different roles. When people do not do their roles the community does not survive. The Europeans coming in and changing the religion, beliefs, and rituals of the people in these groups caused them to weaken. When Europeans came in and invaded those groups already weak could not survive. 

Teachers could use this to teach citizenship lessons as well as show history. It makes it real simple to see how a change in people can affect others. This book is also bilingual. It would be nice in a school or classroom library at a dual language, ESL, or bilingual school.

3.  Steptoe, J. (1987). Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. New York, NY: Amistad, Harper Collins.

A take on the traditional Cinderella. This one is based in an African village. Mufaro has two daughters Manyara and Nyasha who are both very pretty but opposites in every other way. Manyara is mean to her sister, making sure to only do it when her dad is not watching. She teases her telling her that one day she will be queen and her nice younger sister will be her maid. Nyasha, the nice younger sister, is unbothered by her sister's negativity. She sees the good and beauty in everything even in a snake that shows up in her garden one day. 

One morning a message comes from the nearby city that the king is looking for a wife. Mufaro believes either one of his daughters are worthy to be queen. He tells them to prepare to go to the city tomorrow.  Manyara sneaks away during the night trying to get to the king first. In a forest, she runs into a small boy and refuses to give him food when he asks. She then meets a woman who tries to give her advice. Manyara doesn't care to take the woman's advice to heart and laughed at a grove of trees and ignored a man with his head under his arm. 

Then next morning the wedding party that Mufaro put together notices that Manyara has disappeared. They go on towards the city to meet the king without her. Nyasha encounters the same people her sister did earlier but she being nice reacts differently. She gives the young boy food, gives the old woman some sunflower seeds, and doesn't have the same encounter the same reaction from the grove of trees. When she sees the city she is in awe of its beauty. Then her sister runs up to her and their father horrified. Manyara tells them there is a five headed snake who scared her by telling her of all her rudeness.  Nyasha continues on anyway and sees the snake from the garden. He tells her that he the king and he was the young boy in the forest as well as the old lady. Because Nyasha had been kind to them, the king would marry her. 

The wedding preparations were made. Nyasha married the king and Manyara became her maid. 

This was also a recipient of the illustrator award. The pictures are gorgeous and would delight young children during a read aloud. They help tell the story.  As a teacher, I have used this story when teaching how to compare and contrast different text. Teachers can also use it to show how authors include evidence in text to show character traits. It as a good story that has stood the test of time of being a worthy story that entertains young people. It is also a worthy book because of its diversity in characters. The African characters and setting offer diversity to children's literature.

4.  Hruby Powell, P. (2014) Josephine The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. San Francisco, CA Chronicle Books.

This books takes readers through the life of the star Josephine Baker. I will admit I am a little bias with this subject I even named by dog after her. The book starts with her being born poor in St. Louis and moves on to her fame in Europe. She helped her mother wash clothes but was fascinated with the black vaudeville shows. She became part of the act when she joined The Jones Family and then at thirteen became a part of The Dixie Steppers touring with them. She was relegated to being their dresser. They traveled across the racial divided south and Josephine got to see segregation and experience in by performing not being able to visit white only theaters. After The Dixie Steppers stopped touring, she went to New York to be part of the first all-black show on Broadway. However she did get picked to be part of the show. She ended up being a dresser again. Josephine still learned all the dances and waited for an opportunity. When a dancer didn't show up she filled in and stole the show. She went on to dance in other shows but still was upset at the laws in the United States that wouldn't let her eat with white people and made her enter through back doors. Eventually she was invited to go to Paris and be part of La Revue Negre. Josephine found success in Europe charming everyone. She fame brought wealth. She still could not get respect in America. During World War II Josephine helped by joining the Parisian Red Cross and eventually became a spy to help defeat the Nazis. She performed for US soldiers and demanded that the black troops be allowed to sit in the front with the white troops. She married three times and during her third marriage she adopted twelve children from across the world. Showing how strong of a believer she was in in loving all. Raising the large family and extravagant spending led to her becoming broke. Josephine had to begin to tour again. This time she was welcomed in America. She still loss her house and had to depend on the the kindness of some of her friends to help her and her family. She ended up dying after celebrating a return to the Paris stage.

Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis poor and not expected to rise to much. This story is illustrates how her determined nature was the catalyst to her to overcome racism. The book includes direct quotes along with text written in verse. This biography is an easy read aloud for primary grades to understand and it's written in a manner that will keep their attention. I like the change in font between the author's verse and the direct quote. Putting Josephine's words in cursive seems appropriate since she was such a elegant figure. Like all Coretta Scott King Award winners and honorees this is a worthy book to include in a library that strives to be inclusive.

The book was an Illustrator Honor book.  The pictures are rather simple and "elementary" in nature. But it would appeal to younger students. There isn't a lot of other details added to each page.  And if Josephine is the focus of the text then she is the main picture also.  I like this style of drawings. They are sophisticated but still a little goofy just like the real Josephine Baker.

5.  Andrews, T. (2015). Trombone Shorty. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

An autobiography on the life of Troy Andrews. Troy writes how he became known as Trombone Shorty. He was born in New Orleans raised in the Treme neighborhood known for its rich culture. He got his musical talent honestly. Many in his family were musicians.  He found a old trombone and began to use it. He and his friends joined in the parades through out the city. A chance encounter with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival set the course for Andrews' stardom. He now has his own band and helps other kids with musical dreams like he once had. 

This book was honored for its illustrations. It is no mistake that Bryan Collier used different mediums to create the illustrations. There are drawings, cut outs, magazine or newsprint clipping all put together to make one picture after next. New Orleans' food and music were created by combining different styles to make something new.  Consequently,  I think the illustrator made a conscious choice to create the pages by combing different elements. Thus making the pictures a tribute to what makes New Orleans great.

6. Nelson, M. (2014). How I Discovered Poetry. New York, NY: Dial Books.

This is a collection of poems written as a narrative of the author's or poet's life as a young girl in the 1950s trying to find a place to fit in; trying to find her purpose in life. At first, I thought they were all true but in her note at the end she says some of the poems are fictionalized but still based on her life experiences none the less. They read like a young girl going through military moves and daydreaming about life possibilities. They also read like a young black girl going through what life is life for an educated young a black girl; too black for white kids not black enough for the black kids. She doesn't miss anything in her memories of growing up black. It is hard being the only black student or child surrounded my white children. Almost every black child has been asked to have their hair touched.  Dealing with uninformed children and "well meaning" teachers is a hard task and it stays with young African-Americans; proof shown in that Nelson was still affected by it enough to write about it as an adult.

This was an Author Honor book. It is beautifully written. I wouldn't include it in a primary library, but I would in a middle and or high school library.  Teachers of fourth and fifth graders could read some of the poems to show examples of narrative poetry or poems written from the first person point of view.

7. Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York, NY: Henry Holt.

Rosa is an historical account of the day that Rosa Parks was arrested. Many student read a short blurb about her refusing to give up her seat to a white man but this gives more to her story. It may be fictionalized but it does explain her motivations as well as the motivations of others that lead the civil rights movement.

Rosa was a seamstress who was on her way home to cook dinner for her husband. She was sitting in a seat she had every right to sit in. She was arrested for standing up for what she felt was unjust. This book shows how such a simple gesture had a ripple effect on the city, state, and country.

Teachers could use this book for the obvious black history connection. As a civics lesson, teachers can show that just because something is a law doesn't make it right. It also is a good mentor text to show personal narratives. Every body has a story on a event from their life. Students do not need to write their whole life story to have something interesting to share.

I also think it is interesting that Nikki Giovanni left the actual arrest out of the story. She doesn't need to include it since her audience knows what happens and how Rosa's story ends. It is an interesting way to introduce to young student writers to not spend so much time on what the reader already knows.  Get to the point of the story.

This was a Illustrator Award Winner. Each picture takes about 3/4 of the two page spread. The text runs down the left or right side of the edge. This allows the pictures to be the focus if the book is used as a read aloud. The colors are not bright. They are rather muted with a lot of mustard and earth tones. The subject matter isn't a happy point in the Untied States' history so maybe that is why bright colors were not used.

Towards the end, two pages fold out to extend the size of the book. The content of these pages is the the nonviolent protest of bus boycott. The pages stretch to show how long the walkers stretched through the city.

8. Copeland, M. (2014). Firebird. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

2015 must have been the year to celebrate dance. Books on Misty Copeland and Josephine Baker won awards or honors. This book is a story meant to motivate. The subtitle explains Ballerina Misty Copeland Shows a Young Girl How to Dance Like the Firebird. Misty convinces a brown skinned dancer that she can be a star dancer just like herself. She explains that it takes hard work, practice, and determination to rise to the top of your field. 

The pictures stretch across the page. Christopher Myers shows the dancer with extended legs and arms emphasizing the long lines of a dancer. The text is short on each page. This book would be good for students to read themselves. Teachers could use this to show figurative language in stories. 

9. Weatherford, C. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

While the title implies this book is about Harriet Tubman leading slaves to freedom, it is more about her own escape. Harriet was born a slave, and one night the Lord tells here it is time for her to be free. She risks her life and health hiding from slave catchers and dogs and walking for long periods of times through tough terrain sometimes barefoot. Harriet's strength and faith keep her going even when she doubts herself and ability. There are people that help her along the way, but we never see them as Harriet is the focus of the book. Once she arrives to her destination, she comes to the conclusion that she must return to help free her family. We know that she returns many times to free others. She becomes a conductor in the Underground Railroad. 

The pictures are gorgeous. But I wouldn't expect anything else from Kadir Nelson. This is why he won the Illustrator Award for this book.  What I noticed is that with the exception of 2 pages, most of the  pictures are dark. Harriet is shown predominately in the dark or in shadows. This makes sense because she was escaping from slavery and that usually wasn't done in the daytime. Slaves had to sneak out in the cover of darkness. It is not until Harriet reaches Philadelphia that we see her drawn in bright colors. 

It is written in narrative mixed with verse. The words of Harriet are in italics much like they are lyrics. Which may imply that she is singing them. Slaves did sing quite a bit to hide their plans from slave masters. The words of God are large and written across the page. This shows the reader the importance of the message and the messenger.

Moses is another book suitable intermediate grades for African American History month. Primary teachers may find it good for read alouds but they will have to do a lot of explaining. 

10 McKissack, P. (1992). The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural. New York, NY: Alfred K Knopf, Inc.

This is a collection of spooky stories set in the backdrop of the southern states. Most of the stories deal with a protagonists, who are black, exacting revenge on antagonists, who are white.  The revenge comes after the black characters have died due to the white characters' selfishness or evilness. It comes in the form of hauntings by the ghosts of these protagonists.  Slaves escaping from plantation, men being wrongly blamed by the KKK, slaves creating voodoo dolls to harm their masters, these are some of the plots in these stories. There are some stories that deal with childhood fears like haunted chicken coops, evil spirits entering houses, and imaginary conjured brothers. The settings take the readers from pre emancipation to the civil right era.  This book won Author's Award for the year. The writing isn't that spectacular. It is pretty straight forward with not a lot of build up but they are short stories. If they were longer they could be their own novel.  I was expecting something a lot more suspenseful but this was written over twenty-five years ago.  My expectations for spooky have been shaped by a lot of paranormal and horror films over the years. It is a change to see African-Americans get revenge on racist characters.