Grades 6-9
This biography explains, in simple terms, what exactly Buffalo Bill Cody did in his day. The author explains both what Buffalo Bill said about himself as well as what is known about him historically. The book is filled with photos, memorabilia from shows and drawings to illustrate Cody’s shows.
Ages 16+
This book sheds light on what it’s like to teach in city schools. The author combines his real life experience as a teacher in New York City with the research he did in order to present a new approach to teaching in an urban setting. As a man of color who felt invisible in his own school days, Emdin encourages teachers to respect the background of each child and to get students involved in their own learning. He presents his theory of Reality
Pedagogy and provides tools that teachers can use to build a community-like structure inside the classroom.
Grades 1-3
This biography of Jesus focuses on the miracles He performed in His lifetime. These include healing the sick, feeding the poor and walking on water. People of all Christian denominations will want to share this beautifully illustrated book with the children in their lives.
Grades 1-3
This nonfiction book tells the hopeful story of how hard-working slaves got through their week by looking forward to Sunday, when they could relax and have fun in 19th century Louisiana’s Congo Square. The book narrates what they had to do each day of the week in a poetic manner.
This is a 2017 Caldecott Honor book.
This is a 2017 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book.
Grades 3-6
This book is set in Harlem in the 1950s, and Art Kane, a graphic designer, decided to invite as many jazz musicians as he could to take a photograph for the Esquire magazine. Intriguing poems tell the story of how Kane did just that.
Ages 16+
Blink is a book that examines how we analyze and make decisions in an instant – in the blink of an eye. We are thinking without thinking, but are things really as simple as they seem? There is a cast of characters in Blink who are able to understand and predict things about people while only having assessed the situation for a few seconds. How are they able to do this? Gladwell explains that it has to do with the art of “thin-slicing,” or picking the variables that matter from the ones that don’t.
Ages 14+
This book was fascinating to read because it had the history of Hamilton’s life and what was going on in the country at that time as well as what was going through Lin-Manuel Miranda’s head while he was writing the musical. Anyone who enjoys history, musicals or theater in general should read this!
Grades 2-3
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson tells the true story of how the National Memorial African Bookstore came to be. The narrator, Louie, tells the story of how his father, Lewis Michaux Sr. opened the bookstore. He did it so that people would be able to read, talk and learn from books and each other. Read The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson to find out how one very special bookstore changed lives.
Grades 9-12
Following F For Effort and F In Exams by Richard Benson comes F This Test, a hilarious book of more real test answers students have given when they have no idea what the real answer to a test question is. Read this for a good laugh!
Ages 16+
I recently opened a Pinterest account for fun and was playing around with it. I wanted to learn more about the ins and outs of Pinterest, and I definitely did! I would recommend this book for anyone who is just starting out with Pinterest and wants to get more acquainted with the site and how it works. Very helpful!
Michelle’s Bookish Life 