This week’s reading was dedicated to the Coretta Scott King Award:
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.
Here are a few:
This first book was adapted from a West African Folktale in which the black sheep of the family dreams of becoming a musician and therefore his family has to ban him from their village because music can’t help any of the villagers in a traditional sense. Once Banzar is out on his own he meets an old mentor named Sholo who teaches him that it is their job to tell the history of the African people so that they can have a better future. In the end Banzar returns to his village to show them how successful he has become and the importance of music.
“Yams fill the belly and trade fills the pockets, but music fills the heart.”
The Great Migration is a poetic narrative about the courage of those who were suppressed by segregation in the South to make a change and move North. These beautiful stories are accompanied by a collage style artwork in bold colors that really reflects the many families coming together in a journey of bravery to make a better life for themselves.
This book was true, and by true I mean real. No matter why this boy’s father is absent, whether he chose to leave or he is incarcerated (which is what I believe to be the case) this is a great story to explain any parents dream for their child to succeed, whether they had any dreams for themselves or not.
Pinkney’s art work in this book is just beautiful and accompanied by Aston’s prose this book will bring tears to your eyes. Mae’s grandfather believes in his granddaughter and her dreams to one day be an astronaut just like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. A great way to bring a little bit of history into children’s reading.
Two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan praises three favorite spirituals: “This Little Light of Mine,” “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” The fun illustrations of brilliant colors along with the the songs real make reading this book aloud a lot of fun.
Jaycie Cheatham 