Using Black Children’s Literature to Amplify All Student Voices

Today, we lead a session at NCTE called Using Black Children’s Literature to Amplify All Student Voices. We’d love for you to join us. The program is from 9:30-10:45 a.m. in Room 352C. Our signing at Blue Willow Bookshop booth #321 follows from 11:30 a.m.-noon.

You can also catch us at these signings throughout the conference:

Friday, November 16

3-3:30 p.m. Kelly Starling Lyons signs Jada Jones: Rock Star @ Penguin Booth #700

4-5 p.m. Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich & Audrey Vernick sign Naomis Too at HarperCollins Booth #600

4-5:30 p.m. Tracey Baptiste signs The Jumbies and Rise of the Jumbies @ Workman Booth #237

Saturday, November 17

Kelly Starling Lyons signs Going Down Home with Daddy posters at Peachtree Booth #322

Here’s our book list and links to resources, activities and discussion guides:

Historical Fiction Picture Books:

Light in the Darkness: A Story About How Slaves Learned in Secret by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome

Brick by Brick by Charles R. Smith, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

All Different Now by Angela Johnson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

We March by Shane W. Evans

When Grandmama Sings by Margaree King Mitchell, illustrated by James E. Ransome

Memphis, Martin & the Mountaintop by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Hope’s Gift by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Don Tate

Ellen’s Broom by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Daniel Minter

Non Fiction Picture Books:

My Story, My Dance: Robert Battles Journey to Alvin Ailey by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome

A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by Xia Gordon

Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks, illustrated by Colin Bootman

Leona Mitchell: Opera Star by Gwendolyn Hooks

Someday is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma Sit-Ins by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, illustrated by Jade Johnson

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate

Contemporary Picture Books:

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James

Hey Black Child by Useni Eugene Perkins, illustrated by Bryan Collier

Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings by Francie Latour, illustrated by Ken Daley

The Field by Baptiste Paul, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Ebony Glenn

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day by Tameka Fryer Brown, illustrated by Charlotte Riley Webb

My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood by Tameka Fryer Brown, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Humorous Middle Grade:

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia

P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia

The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Show Down by Crystal Allen

The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Wall of Fame Game by Crystal Allen

The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Mya in the Middle by Crystal Allen

Contemporary Middle Grade:

Jada Jones: Rock Star by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

Dyamonde Daniel: Rich by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Akissi: Feline Invasion by Marguerite Abouet

The Way a Door Closes by Hope Anita Smith, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Liccle Bit by Alex Wheatle

8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Two Naomis by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich & Audrey Vernick

Naomis Too by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich & Audrey Vernick

So Done by Paula Chase

You Got This! By Maya Penn

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade & Cheryl Hudson

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Middle Grade Fantasy:

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor

Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith

Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

The Rise of the Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

Black Panther: The Young Price by Ronald L. Smith

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

The Dark Fantastic by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas

Zero Degree Zombie Zone by Patrik Henry Bass, illustrated by Jerry Ctaft

Contemporary Young Adult:

Pointe by Brandy Colbert

Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis

Kendra by Coe Booth

The Swoop List: Back That Thing by Stephanie Perry Moore

So Not the Drama by Paula Chase

Don’t Get it Twisted by Paula Chase

Activities, Discussion Guides & Lesson Plans:

All Different Now

http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/tagged_assets/14605/all%20different%20now_cg.pdf

Angel’s Grace

https://traceybaptiste.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/angels-grace-readers-guide.pdf

Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day

http://tamekafryerbrown.com/activities/around-our-way/

Crown

http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2018/02/crown-an-ode-to-the-fresh-cut/

http://www.thecurriculumcorner.com/thecurriculumcorner123/wp-content/pdf/reading/bookstudy/crown.pdf

https://www.comprehensionconnection.net/2018/10/teaching-context-clues-with-crown-ode.html

Each Kindness

https://www.rif.org/literacy-central/material/each-kindness-guide-educators

Hope’s Gift

http://www.kellystarlinglyons.com/books/onemillion/documents/Discussion_and_Activity_Guide_for_Hopes_Gift_000.pdf

Jada Jones series

http://www.kellystarlinglyons.com/books/onemillion/documents/JadaJonesDiscussionGuide.pdf

Jumbies: A Field Guide (How to Recognize, Trick and Outmaneuver Them)

https://traceybaptiste.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/jumbie-fld-gde-lores.pdf

Light in the Darkness

https://books.disney.com/content/uploads/2013/09/Light_in_Darkness_DG_Æ’.pdf

My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood

http://tamekafryerbrown.com/activities/cold-plum-mood/

My Story, My Dance & A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks

Using Compare and Contrast to Encourage Higher Order Thinking Skills: Have students read or read to them the picture book biographies, My Story, My Dance – Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin Alley by Lesa Cline-Ransome and A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Alice Faye Duncan. Give them time to study the art and the layout of the book.

Lead a brainstorming discussion on how the two books are similar and how they are different. Or this can be a written assignment with students working with a partner or in groups. Sharing the results with the class will allow students to see ideas they didn’t notice themselves.

The Field

https://northsouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/The-Field-Teachers-Guide-2P.pdf

The Jumbies

https://traceybaptiste.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/jumbies-reader-guide.pdf

The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Showdown

https://texasbluebonnetaward2018.wordpress.com/the-magnificent-mya-tibbs-spirit-week-showdown/

Teaching Fantasy Lesson Plan

https://traceybaptiste.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/teaching-fantasy-lesson-plan.pdf

Tiny Stitches

https://www.leeandlow.com/uploads/loaded_document/380/Tiny_Stitches_Teacher_s_Guide_PDF_2017.pdf

Resources:

The Brown Bookshelf

http://thebrownbookshelf.com

Coretta Scott King Book Award

http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards

Just Us Books

http://justusbooks.com

Black Children’s Books and Authors

http://bcbooksandauthors.com/

Helping Kids Rise

https://www.helpingkidsrise.org/

Teaching Tolerance

https://www.tolerance.org/

Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment

Social Justice Books

https://socialjusticebooks.org/

African American Literature Book Club

https://aalbc.com/books/children.php

#educolor hashtag on Twitter

@thesweetpeagirls & @booksthroughmyeyes on Instagram

3 thoughts on “Using Black Children’s Literature to Amplify All Student Voices

  1. As an aspiring teacher, I love this blog because it sites a lot of books that can project minority students’ voices. It is very important for students to see themselves in literature and everything they encounter because they soak everything up like a sponge. This website is great for current teachers and future teachers to buy these kinds of books for their in class libraries. I believe students would read more once they see themselves in the classroom, hence this site is amazing!!

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