Booker T. Washington by Thomas Amper

 

This book tells the story of Booker T. Washington’s childhood following the end of slavery, his struggle to get an education, and his journey at age sixteen to the Hampton Institute.

This is a realistic/historical fiction picturebook that uses text features to guide readers through the journey of Booker T. Washington’s life events.

The illustrator, Jenni Reeves, uses painterly style art that readers could easily relate to with the events in the time line. The vibrant artwork adds color and life to the story.

A great motivational activity I would include after reading this book with my students would be a history lesson. I would use this book during Black History Month and include a creation of time lined events as an activity. I would also suggest a writing piece for older students to express their relation to Booker T. Washington's  list of struggles he endured while coming of age.

 

 

Questions I would include to prompt a discussion would be:

1.       How would you feel if you had to travel alone to an unknown place by yourself at a young age?

2.       How long did Booker T. Washington attend Hampton Institute?

3.       Was Booker T. Washington allowed to attend school at an early age?

 

This book is great for learning the biography of a motivational character and the events that had taken place in their past.

Thank You, Sarah

 

 

Thank You, Sarah is written by Laurie Anderson and illustrated by Matt Faulker. The book is about a then magazine editor and author that persuaded President Lincoln to transform Thanksgiving Day into a national holiday. The genre of this book would be realistic fiction. Realistic fiction are events or things that could actually happen in modern times today that may have happened differently in the past, which in retrospect could easily turn into historical fiction. The events that happened in the book during the 18th century are actual events that has made it possible for the country to have a national holiday, Thanksgiving Day!

 

The illustrations are full of dynamic, drawn with water colors and Indian ink. Warm toned colors are used to give readers a feel of just how fall and Thanksgiving is today. The multicultural and historical images are very warm and eccentric as well.

 

 This is very good picturebook to use in the classroom also with a variety of activities. A motivational activity I would use is a standing for what is right activity! I would discuss how powerful determination and believing in the right thing could change the world. I would include a persuasive writing activity that would allow students to persuade their audiences about a change they would like to see within their community or schools.

Some questions I would include in the classroom would be:

1. What are some things other than Thanksgiving that Sarah help fight for?

2. What type of literature did Sarah write during this time?

3. What were the names of the other Presidents that Sarah wrote? What year were they in office?



This book is presented in a creative way that explains how one woman helped change the mindset of a major figure with fight and determination! The concept of the book is very powerful yet illustrated in a very interesting manner where children would like to learn about history!

Great picturebook!

Satchmo's Blues

Satchmo's Blue written by Alan Scroeder and illustrated by Floyd Cooper is based about the famous musician Louis Armstrong. When Louis was just a small child he saw a little cornet in a pawn shop and vowed to save fifty cents a week until he had five dollars to purchase it! Louis loved music so much that he pretended to have the horn when he didn't. 

Satchmo's Blues is a non fiction picturebook that includes factual information about Louis Armstrong's childhood while in New Orleans. It gives an accurate account of how much Louis loved the art of music and how his interest in music as a child manifested in his adult life. Satchmos's Blues is Dell Dragonfly Book which are made to inspire children to discover talented artists and writers! 

 How can we connect this book to learning?

One motivational activity I would include is a learning the importance of sharing lesson. In the book, Louis struggled with giving his mom a portion of the money he had been saving to help with his sister's birthday dinner. This lesson would be for smaller children that may not understand the value in sharing! Another activity would be a compare and contrast activity. I would encourage students to find another artist that Louis could compare with and note their similarities and differences. 

Questions I would include are:

1. How important was music to Louis Armstrong?

2. How long did it take Louis to earn the money to buy his born? 

3. Are there any other artists from New Orleans that you know of? Where is New Orleans on the map? 

The painterly style of art the illustrator Floyd Cooper used gave readers a taste of that New Orleans flavor, as some may know! The pictures were full of life and happiness with the variety of instruments and dancing illustrated! The illustrations were definitely in line with the story and readers could easily relate to the events in this book 

This is a great book for ages 4-8 years. 

The Girls in the Circle ( Just for You!)

The Girls in the Circle is written by the well-known Nikki Giovanni. This book of poetry gives readers a dose of what may be their own reality. It is about a group of young African American girls playing dress-up with clothing from their grandmother’s closet! The girls are having an exciting time putting on lipstick and perfume but they have absolutely nowhere to go! How many young African American girls can relate to this in some way? I know there are many!

This book would fall under the realistic fiction genre. The events in this book are actually events that are realistic and very well may take place or have taken place in real life. While poetry is often treated as a separate genre, Nikki Giovanni is an award winning poetry writer and has always been a favorite to most readers which is why this book is full of rhymes with motivational activities that could possibly be included. One motivational activity that could be included as an activity used with this book is a self-esteem activity for young girls who may be experiencing difficulties in their childhood. Many young African American girls are faced with those issues in school and at home. Another activity may be a family together time when parent and other family members can join in with the girls and dress up. I find that to be a perfect way to bond with children and to discuss things that may be bothering them or upsetting them in school or at home.

 

Questions I would include after reading this book would be:

What words did the author use to rhyme with bows?

How can you tell if the girls are having an excited time?

What do you think the girls were getting dressed up for?

 

 

 

This book is a great book illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson. The illustrations gave readers a vivid picture of beautiful little girls having a great time with each other and their family members. The colors are eye capturing for young readers and the words could easily grab the attention of young listeners with the right tone and with the same excitement as the girls, if you use your imagination!

 

Below is an example of an activity that I would do with my children or students to engage them!

 

( While we are in the circle, after reading the book, I would ask the girls to get up and I would make my own poetry and dance session.)

 

Get up! Join in! Move around! Let's bring this book to life! 

 

Hey guys!

The girls in the book want to have some fun with you!

Let's put on grandma's scarf and pretty pearls too!

Don't be shy and don't be blue.

You are beautifully made, smart, intelligent, and simply wonderful!

-Comec'ko Webber

 

Enjoy! :)

 



 

Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia, written by Katherine Paterson and illustrated by Donna Diamond is about a special friendship between a boy and a girl. Jess and Leslie create an imaginary land, Terabithia, where their own wonderful adventures are brought to life. The two friends were from different backgrounds who learned so much from each other. The tragedy in this friendship was the death of one of the characters which left the other character to cope and move on.



Bridge to Terabithia would fall under the fantasy genre. In this book the illustrations allow readers use the writer's idea of similes to enhance their own writing. Motivational activities I would include in a lesson with this book, is how to positively deal with death and fear. For example, readers could discuss with each other how Jess deals with the death of his friend Leslie and categorize those feelings. When dealing with fear, readers could possibly discuss how Jess's friendship with Leslie helps him face his fears.  

One positive writing activity that could be included with this book is writing a letter to someone who would be a special friend and include how they have changed their life. Questions I would ask during and/or after each chapter as reading responses are:

1. Why does Jess stand up for Leslie?
2. Why is Terabithia so important to Jess?
3. How would you feel if you were Jesse right now?

This book has so many themes that includes friendship, family, revenge, peer pressure, and death. There is so much that you could learn from reading this book in so many ways both positive and negative depending on the way readers interpret it. I would likely recommend this book for motivation and imagination.

Enjoy!