Skip to main content

Jacqueline Woodson wins the National Book Award

Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming has won this year's National Book Award in the Young People's Literature category. Here is a review:

Woodson tells the story of her life against the backdrop of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in this fictionalized memoir. Beautifully written in verse, it shows the difficulty of not feeling at home in any one place. Jacqueline was born in Ohio but moves to South Carolina with her mother, brother, and sister at age one, when her parents split. Her grandparents become like mom and dad, especially when her mother moves to New York looking for work. Just as she feels she has found her place in Greenville, her mother moves them to New York with her, where she feels she does not quite belong. When she goes back to South Carolina for the summer, she does not feel quite at home there anymore either As she grows, Jacqueline finds her purpose in the telling of stories, despite her early difficulty with reading. Her proudest moment is when a teacher identifies her as a "writer." Poetry is an excellent vehicle for illustrating her emotions while she tries to make sense of the world that is changing so rapidly around her. She conveys a genuine feel for the experience of African Americans in the era where they are moving from the back of the bus to being accepted everywhere, especially from a child's point of view.

The other four finalists include: Eliot Schrefer's 'Threatened,' Steve Sheinkin's 'The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights,' John Corey Whaley's 'Noggin,' and Deborah Wiles's 'Revolution: The Sixties Trilogy' (book two).


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Useful Websites to Encourge Student Creativity

The following websites are wonderful in terms of supporting your little student's creativity. 3D Printing for Dummies http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/3d-printing-for-dummies-how-do-3d-printers-work-8668937.html Andrew Walker explains how 3D printers work. Activities for Kids from Smithsonian http://www.mnh.si.edu/education/studentactivities.html This site provides activities for young people. Building Big http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/index.html Students learn what it takes to build big as they explore structures such as skyscrapers, tunnels, domes, among others. Code Monster www.crunchzila.com/cide-monster This site contains 58 short lessons that teach kids to program, from basic resizing objects to more complex animation. Crypto Kids www.nsa.gov/kids/ At this site from the National Security Agency, you can learn all about codes and ciphers and even create your own. Many games and activities are included. Kids Science E

Poll Reveals All-Time Best Board Books

An online poll of readers produced the 100 best board books according to School Library Journal. You can find them all at the following address: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/03/28/announcing-the-top-100-board-books-poll/ Here are the very best of the best, a Top 10 of titles that are likely very familiar to every parent, educator, and child. 10. Moo, baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton 9.    The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton 8.    The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats 7.    Freight Train by Donald Crews 6.    Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann 5.    Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell 4.    Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See ? by Bill Martin, Jr. 3.    Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton 2.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 1.  Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown We have copies of all these titles, located in the Children's Playroom. My favorite is Good Night Gorilla. What's yours? ~ Miss Elena Enjoy!

How to Ease Your Child’s Separation Anxiety from healthychildren.org

Separation anxiety varies WIDELY between children. Some babies become hysterical when mom is out of sight for a very short time, while other children seem to demonstrate ongoing anxiety at separations during infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool. To All You Working Moms & Dads The trick for surviving separation anxiety demands  preparation , brisk transitions, and the evolution of time. I would suggest we parents suffer as much as our children do when we  leave . Even though we are often reminded that our children stop crying within minutes of our leave-taking, how many of you have felt like you’re “ doing it all wrong ” when your child clings to your legs, sobs for you to stay, and mourns the parting? As a  working mom , separation anxiety creates questions for me. Although it is an entirely normal behavior and a beautiful sign of a meaningful attachment, separation anxiety can be exquisitely unsettling for us all. Here are facts about separation anxiety and tips to improve