Untitled -by A, 13 Strove through strife A motto for Black children Blackness is excellence We are not too dark to be noticed It is not a reason for abuse Blackness is beauty Community Magic Love Hardships Strength. They tried to shape our hands To fit only chains We made a fist. To show love [ Read the full article… ]
Author: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Voices of Change: A New Series on the Brown Bookshelf
“As we struggle to bridge the chasm and search for common ground, we must remember our strength, show our resilience and think of the children.” Those were the words of the Brown Bookshelf’s Declaration in Support of Children in November of 2016, and we reaffirm that commitment. In the wake of continued violence, bigotry, and [ Read the full article… ]
Sweet Blackberry: Karyn Parsons Is Sharing Stories We All Need Now
It seems like Karyn Parsons was born to start Sweet Blackberry, the non-profit organization dedicated to bringing little known stories of African American achievement to light. Her mother was a librarian, and “I did grow up in libraries,” says the star of the long-running hit show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. “The advantage of having [ Read the full article… ]
Nicola Yoon on #BlackGirlMagic, How Love Changes Everything, and Showing the Possibilities
Nicola Yoon is the #1 NYT bestselling author of Everything, Everything, which is now a major motion picture, and The Sun Is Also a Star, a National Book Award finalist, Michael L. Printz Honor Book and a Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. She grew up in Jamaica and Brooklyn, and lives in Los [ Read the full article… ]
Where Do We Go From Here? Continuing the Conversation With Pat Cummings
Here at the Brown Bookshelf, we’ve spoken often and long on the issues and ideas expressed in the Open Declaration. We do this work to lift up our young readers and show them how they can survive, thrive, and soar in this world. For many of us, the way forward might be clear, for others, [ Read the full article… ]
Throwback Thursday: Alice Randall and Caroline Williams
We first featured Alice Randall and Caroline Williams in 2013, after the publication of the joint debut middle grade novel, The Diary of B.B. Bright, Possible Princess, with illustrations by Shadra Strickland. Kirkus offered high praise: “Sweet, sassy and mystical, this novel deftly melds an old-fashioned story of princess preparation with the modern twist of [ Read the full article… ]
Bringing Books Back Home, Part Two: More with Elaine Dickson of Reading Owls International
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part One of my conversation with Elaine Dickson of Reading Owls International. Here, she tells us more about the work and future of the organization and its impact. Where/when have you seen the impact of your work? Part of our strategy for “creating readers for life” [ Read the full article… ]
Bringing Books Back Home: A Chat with Elaine Dickson of Reading Owls International
I was e-introduced to Elaine Dickson through a friend who is one of those people who know, you know what I mean? If Shelly Ann refers someone, you *know* they’re good people. So I was ready to be blown away, and I was not disappointed! Ms. Dickson and her husband founded Reading Owls International, a [ Read the full article… ]