Fairytale retellings are a sweet spot for me and they are hard to resist. Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham is a retelling that is emotional and dark considering what Beauty has endured before even meeting the Beast. I found the plot to be surprisingly fast-paced, especially considering that there aren’t many characters to drive it […]
As an educator in a district with many students who have moved from and/or have family central America, I am always looking for novels that give them representation. When I came across the debut novel, Saints of the Household by Ari Tison, I immediately requested it on NetGalley. At the NCTE annual convention, I was […]
Do you know a high school senior or a college student who is wondering what their next step is going to be? Are they concerned about their first job or internship and how they might fit in as their first time in the workplace? I recommend that they check out the story of Shavone Charles […]
Mood reading seems to be the theme that has started my month of March Madness. So I’m going to keep this post short. Essentially, I don’t really have a pull towards any particular set of books right now. But I keep coming across interesting books that I hadn’t thought about in a while that I […]
As an 80s baby who was inventing ways to bring recycling to my classmates and my own home, I loved this book! I still cannot physically let a soda can six pack plastic ring go into the recycling bin without cutting it up because of the discussions and studies I did about the environment when […]
February was a short, but busy month. Between my birthday and other things going on I didn’t finish as many books as I would have liked. I actually spent a good chunk of time setting up my reading journal for the year. So I’m happy about that and will hopefully share more in future posts. […]
I love soul food! I recently checked out a few soul food cookbooks from the library. So I thought I would put together a quick list of old and new cookbooks by Black chefs. Soul food recipes are steeped in tradition. They include knowledge handed down through generations. As a traditionalist when it comes to […]
Have you ever wanted to engage in reading time with your child where you both read something about the same topic but in a book that on each of your own levels? This week I have put together a book pairing based on the life of Black Fashion Designer Ann Lowe. Parent-Child Book Pairings are […]
Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens and illustrated by Monica Mikai is a lyrical book about the triumphs and tribulations embedded in the history of Black people in the United States. The story illustrates the journey of a family from when they are enslaved to when they are freed and then to the challenges they face once they […]
We Are Here by Tami Charles and illustrated by Bryan Collier is a beautiful celebration of Black joy and accomplishment through history. The lyrical style of the book lends itself to a beautiful read aloud. I love the musical catch phrases, like “cool like that!” that are spread throughout the book. It made it fun […]