“As people of color, we can turn what the dominant culture deems our weaknesses into sources of strength for our art. We know different kinds of fear than they do, which gives us a different understanding of true courage. Write that. We’ve been hated on more than they have, so we have a different understanding [ Read the full article… ]
Blog
Blog
Brave. Black. First: Guest Post by Cheryl Willis Hudson
Co-founder of Just Us Books, Diversity Jedi, artist, quilter and award-winning author, Cheryl Willis Hudson brings intention, meaning and magic to everything she touches. Her latest book, Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World (Crown, 2020), is her latest outstanding project. Beautifully illustrated by Erin K. Robinson and published in collaboration [ Read the full article… ]
Read Alouds, Lessons and Plans…Oh My
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash The artistic community has really stepped up to help keep folks engaged, entertained and informed during the Covid-19 outbreak. There are author read-alouds, writing and illustrating exercises,live dance classes and free concerts everywhere I turn. It makes me proud to be a member of this community, who sprung into action even [ Read the full article… ]
Announcing the 13th Class of 28 Days Later Honorees
We have a list! Our signature campaign, 28 Days Later, is designed to celebrate Black children’s book creators and raise awareness of those who may be under the radar of librarians, educators and families. The list is created through considering nominations posted on our site and internal research. Each day of Black History Month, we [ Read the full article… ]
28 Days Later Call for Nominations
Kwame Alexander. Renée Watson. Derrick Barnes. Just a few of the outstanding Black children’s book creators we showcased here before they received well-deserved, industry-wide acclaim. Put your thinking caps on. Help us identify under-the-radar and vanguard Black children’s book creators we should consider profiling. Let us know who we should check out so we [ Read the full article… ]
The Voice Method of Book Talking
The “Where Are The Books for 8th Graders?” panel at NCTE was packed. Who knew that educators were so hungry for books catered to their middle school readers? We did. Authors knew. One of the suggestions was a new way to Book Talk, specifically with 8th graders in mind. But, of course, this can be [ Read the full article… ]
Stop and Think Reading List and Resources
Thank you to everyone who attended Stop and Think: The Brown Bookshelf Examines Representation in Children Literature. Your support meant so much. Our mission is to center and celebrate Black children’s book creators. Here are resources from our NCTE program: Book evaluation questions: In what ways does Black joy shine in the story and art? [ Read the full article… ]
#NCTE19 We Are Here
Is there any atmosphere more euphoric than the National Council of Teachers of English conference? It gets no better than pairing educators, dedicated to nurturing the love of reading and writing, with authors who…well, are dedicated to nurturing the love of reading and writing. Match made in heaven, we think. And we’re here! Friday, Nov. [ Read the full article… ]