Stolen Justice: The Struggle for African American Voting Rights
by Lawrence Goldstone | Read by James Shippy
Scholastic Audiobooks 2020
Following the Civil War, ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments was intended to guarantee civil rights to formerly enslaved people. It quickly became apparent, however, that many states were scheming to systematically erode these rights. Ironically, the justice system was the most effective instrument to dismantle African American rights.
I have only read two A.S. King books to date (the phenomenal Glory O'Brien's History of the Future being the other), but I feel that I've read enough to know that A.S. King is a writer like no other. As such, her books are difficult to parse into a review that accurately captures the spirit of the book. You can find many reviews of this book that has garnered starred reviews from Bookpage, SLJ, Horn Book, BCCB, Booklist, and SLC. I instead, will offer a haiku review:
Girl appears. Helps weirds. Twisted stories buried deep. What truths does earth keep?
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is a book that defies categorization, and is one of the
most unique and affecting books that I've read this year.
Harry Black is a conscientious objector to the war; he is
also an artist. His brother Ellis is a soldier; he is also a writer. They don't
see eye-to-eye, however, both risk his their lives for his country. Harry is a
firefighter—tasked with responding to the fires that break out during the
devastating air raids on the city of London. In a rare wartime opportunity,
Harry and his brother meet up for a beer at a London pub. Soon after they
separate, the block where the pub stood is bombed to obliteration. Harry finds
himself in the hospital in a hazy, surreal state of shock. Ellis' whereabouts
are unknown. There is also a curious young German girl in the
hospital—Agatha.
It is in this otherworldly scenario that Harry draws and
thinks, and digs to the tune of an unknown musician who plays with great beauty
amidst the horrors. The reader has the benefit of understanding the musician's
purpose. The story is told in prose, in Harry's sketches, and in the haunting
speech of the musician, whose words turn often to song,
I've a story to tell of Harry Black,
who went to the Underworld and how he came back;
of the love for his brother, who'd pushed him away.
Of London by starlight, under attack,
of bombs falling, of people calling
through darkened streets,
of sirens and wayfarers, of lost souls,
of vicious women and mindless dogs.
These are the things of which I'll sing.
There are many books about WWII, the
Kindertransport, the bombing of London. None are like this one. Read it.
My copy of Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black was provided by the publisher.
SYNC
is a free summer audiobook program for teens. Returning April 25, 2019,
SYNC will give away two complete audiobook downloads a week - pairs of
high interest titles, based on weekly themes. Sign up for email or text
alerts and be first to know when new titles are available to download at
www.audiobooksync.com.
Remember, these are completely free with no strings attached. Download now, listen whenever, keep forever. You can't beat that!
The complete lineup with available dates is below.
I'm particularly excited about this book, because it includes my story, "All the News That's Fit to Chew," featuring my dog, Annie! My story recounts Annie's desire to maintain her sense of purpose and duty after our family was displaced during Superstorm Sandy.
I hope you'll have an opportunity to read it. If purchasing the book is not in your budget, ask your library if they can acquire a copy.
If you're fond of dog videos and photos, I've included one below, but there will plenty to see on Twitter at the launch party for Life Lessons from the Dog, today at 2pm. Search for the hash tag #CSSLifeLessonsfromtheDog to follow along.
I'm so thankful to Chicken Soup for the Soul for including my story.
In A History of Pictures, art critic Martin Gayford teams up with artist David Hockney to deliver an enlightening and entertaining discourse on art. The Introduction explains the book's format. It is an illustrated discussion between the artist and the art critic, each offering commentary on what he knows best. Gayford offers a more scholarly look at the history of an artistic period or work of art—the what and when, while Hockney offers an artists' perspective on the same—the why and the how.
Their conversations are accompanied by photos of actual art pieces, and cartoon illustrations by Rose Blake. Blake's playful illustrations add a lightness to the book and advance the conversation, showing simple explanations of concepts like depth and perspective, as well as explanations of early artistic tools like 16th century pinhole projectors, 18th century silhouette machines, and 19th century zoetropes. The authors and the illustrator appear in cartoon format throughout the book. The topics of each chapter are listed below.
Engaging and educational, A History of Pictures for Children should be in every school and public library. The suggested age range is 10-14 however, it will likely appeal to older kids with artistic interests as well. I would go so far as to suggest that adults will find it interesting also. I found it thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Well done!
Chapters:
Thinking About Pictures: Why do we make pictures?
Making Marks: What makes an interesting mark?
Light and Shadows: What is a shadow exactly?
Watch this Space: How do artists set the scene?
Mirrors and Reflections: How do artists play with light?
Painting and Photography: What tools do artists use?
Moving Pictures: Can pictures really move?
The Story Goes On: What's next for pictures?
Back matter includes an illustrated Timeline of Inventions, Glossary, Bibliography, List of Illustrations, and Index
Librarians are always trying to ensure that all people are able to find people like themselves in books—people with disabilities, people of color, people from all nations and religions—it’s not only important that we see ourselves in books, but it’s important that others see people like us so that they may learn that while we may be different, we also have much in common. But I’ve often wondered…what about those who are depressed? Do they want to see themselves in books too, or does it painfully reinforce the depression from which it is so often difficult to emerge?
I asked a dear family member who suffers from depression. She told me that it all depends on how the story is told. I think Maggie Thrash has told her story well in the graphic memoir, Lost Soul, Be at Peace.
Eleventh grader, Maggie is depressed,
“It’s like, you're falling into a deep cave on a moonless night, and there’s no escape, and suddenly you realize: it’s not a cave, it’s your soul.”
Maggie is failing school, her brother has left home for college, her father is an introverted, workaholic judge, and her mother is a socialite with whom she has little in common. She’s fairly certain that she’s a lesbian, but contrary to what she thought, coming out at school didn’t make things any better or worse. She finds comfort in her cat, Tommi. When Tommi goes missing, Maggie’s search for her turns up something else entirely.
Maggie tells her story in graphic novel format with the emphasis on dialogue. Back story information is handwritten in memoir style, or provided in illustrations of newspapers, computer screens, notes, or other drawn realia. The panel style varies and includes full spreads, three-per page, classic comic book style, and gutterless panels. My review copy is in black and white, but judging from the cover, the colors in the finished book will be dark and rich. Even without color, emotion is clearly visible in Maggie’s large eyes and expressive face. That she is ill-at-ease in most situations is painfully obvious throughout most of the book, but yet, her position as person in charge of her dance group offers a hint that Maggie has an inner spirit that is only awaiting an opportunity to soar. She is not a girl without hope; she is only a girl searching for her opportunities. She will find them.
The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge
by M.T. Anderson
Illustrations by Eugene Yelchin
Candlewick, 2018
You may think that you view the world (and imaginary worlds) with an unbiased eye, but The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge may change your mind.
In a diplomatic mission of the greatest importance between the kingdoms of elves and goblins, you may be surprised to find that the elvish historian, Brangwain Spurge is a bit of a supercilious twit, while Werfel, his goblin host, is well-mannered, conscientious, and kindly, as well as a historian in his own right.
M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin combine to tell this epic story of adventure, politics, and diplomatic disasters in three distinct mediums: prose, letters, and illustrations. In the manner of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, parts of the story are relayed solely in black and white illustrations, often wryly humorous. Letters from the Lord Spymaster to the king of the elves supplement the written and illustrated adventures of Spurge and Brangwain and fill in the grand clandestine plans of which the two historians are blissfully ignorant.
So, in this story of intrigue, perception, and the politics of kingdoms, which kingdom will prevail and how will history record it? Readers will not want to put it down until they find out. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge is coming next month. Make sure you have a copy in your library.
You can read my complete review on the AudioFile site. Without giving too much away, I can safely say that this one is definitely mind-blowing. Loveable, quirky Noah Oakman has a relatively good life with his parents, his little sister Penny, and his twin best friends, Val and Alan—until the night when everything (except his strange fascinations) changes. This first-person narrative will take you deep into the suddenly changed world of the kind and introspective Noah Oakman. Even strings of text messages between Noah, Val, and Alan crackle with emotion or humor. Every one of the lesser characters is a star in his own right. Stellar writing, stellar narration! I could listen to it again!
As a side note, many will appreciate Alan, not because he is a gay character, but because he is a fully-developed and integral member of the cast of characters who just happens to be gay, the perfect foil to his dry, iconoclastic sister Val.
The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York
by Peter J. Tomasi
Illustrated by Sara DuVall
Abrams Comic Arts, 2018
If you've never watched the Ken Burns documentary, "Brooklyn Bridge," you may not fully grasp the truly marvel qualities of the Brooklyn Bridge. Besides being an engineering masterpiece, it is an architectural beauty, and the result of a heroic and lengthy commitment by the Roebling family and countless workers. The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York is the true story in graphic format of the epic task of building the bridge.
The book begins in 1852, when the bridge was just a dream in the mind of John Augustus Roebling and his son Washington. Washington Roebling's father was a non-nonsense man, who doled out praise sparingly, but had great faith in his son. In 1862, after designing the bridge and receiving approval for its construction, John Augustus Roebling died and the young Washington Roebling became the chief engineer—a job that he eventually shared with his wife, Emily, after he contracted what was then an unknown disease.
Peter J. Tomasi tells this heroic story with little need for explanatory text, employing artistic license to recreate dialogue that rings true and gives a real feel for the political and personal dramas that unfolded throughout the fourteen years that passed during the bridge's construction.This is not an entirely personal story however, Tomasi includes ample description of the actual engineering of the bridge—a process with many failures and tragedies on the road to eventual success.
This is Sara DuVall's first graphic novel and the style is simple and appealing. The colors are bright and engaging, but background details are minimal, allowing the reader to focus on the expressions, the emotions, and the individual episodes that tie this epic story together.
The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York is well researched and accurately captures in graphic format this engineering marvel and the personal triumphs and sorrows associated with it.
Enjoy these actual photos from the New York Public Library's digital collection.
"View of Manhattan waterfront and Brooklyn Bridge under construction; temporary footbridge "
The New York Public Library Digital Collections.
1877
Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy,
The New York Public Library. "View of Manhattan waterfront and Brooklyn Bridge under construction; temporary footbridge "
New York Public Library Digital Collections.
Accessed May 18, 2018.
http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/75c1c390-9f35-0132-e3a4-58d385a7b928
View of Manhattan from Brooklyn; men working on bridge cables; Fulton ferry boat "Hamilton"; sailboats, 1885
Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History,
Local History and Genealogy,
The New York Public Library. "View of Manhattan from Brooklyn; men
working on bridge cables; Fulton ferry boat "Hamilton"; sailboats"
New York Public Library Digital Collections.
Accessed May 18, 2018.
http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/7c0ce5f0-9dc2-0132-d343-58d385a7bbd0
"Pedestrians on the Promenade (copy of #23:7)"
The New York Public Library Digital Collections.
1895.
Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy,
The New York Public Library. "Pedestrians on the Promenade (copy of #23:7)"
New York Public Library Digital Collections.
Accessed May 18, 2018.
http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bfc671e0-9f3a-0132-96cc-58d385a7bbd0
Note: My copy of The Bridge was provided by the publisher.
As youif you read my blog often, you know that I occasionally post adult books in addition to children's literature. This is a powerful graphic novel that is also suitable for young adults, and I think it deserves attention.
Alpha: Abidjan to Paris is a tragic, graphic novel account of one man's
attempt to flee a life of misery in Côte d'Ivoire and follow his wife
and child to Paris. After numerous attempts to depart legally, Alpha
discovers that the process to obtain a visa is corrupt and impossible
for an impoverished man. He researches his options carefully and strikes
out with a group of other would-be emigrants. Although he knows the
trip will be dangerous, he is nevertheless hopeful that he will be
reunited with his family and his relatives in France. He fancies himself
an "adventurer." His first-person account of his "adventures" devolves
into a living nightmare as the journey drags on with a constantly
changing group of companions. The prose is simple, and the story is told
without embellishment—there is no need for embellishment; the facts are
gruesome enough,
"Very quickly, I learn to avoid the barricades.
We stop a lot. Abebi is vomiting froth. She has no bile left. She's
spitting bubbles of saliva. We've been on the road for nine hours, and
we still haven't covered a hundred miles. Darkness falls. Perhaps Abebi
will feel better tomorrow. Augustine sucks his fingers in silence. It's a
cold night. We sleep huddled together, forming a sort of human
radiator. We can't even make a fire—the smoke would betray us."
The
illustrations—one or two panels per page, are also spare—mostly shades
of black and greys with an occasional splash of color—Alpha's red shirt,
the striped soccer jersey of an emigrant hoping to land in Spain and
play for Barcelona, a flowered dress. The illustrations set a mood of
haste and simplicity, appearing to be marker sketches - almost as if
they could have been made on the journey.
An epilogue provides
the outcome of the trip from Abidjan to Paris. It will be difficult to
look upon the plight of any refugees without reflecting on Alpha's
journey. This is a short and powerful, award-winning graphic novel.
With the movie A Wrinkle in Time, set to release on March 9th, I thought it was a great time to revisit the book and highlight the new book, Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by her Granddaughters.
I recently reviewed Becoming Madeleine written and narrated by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy (Listening Library, 2018)
At less than 3 hours, you can easily fit this in before the movie release. Becoming Madeleine covers Madeleine L'Engle's early years up to the point when she sold the Wrinkle in Time manuscript for publication. (It originally had a different title!) She had always planned to be a writer, and the book relies heavily on L'Engle's own words—in addition to books, she was a prolific writer of letters, journals, and postcards. Well worth a listen!
And here's a re-posting of the A Wrinkle in Time audiobook review that I featured in 2011, on the eve of the book's 50th anniversary:
L'Engle, Madeleine. 1993. A Wrinkle in Time. Read by Madeleine L'Engle. New York: Listening Library.5 hours, 17 minutes.
It's been many, many years since I've read A Wrinkle in Time,
and actually, I'm not sure that I liked it as a kid. I was never much
of a sci-fi fan. In any case, after reading last year's, When You Reach Me, I was inspired to read it again, but forgot about it until recently, when I downloaded the audiobook version.
I remembered some of the story, but had forgotten much. I didn't
remember the religious overtones in the latter half of the book (or
perhaps I never realized that Mrs. Who was quoting 1 Corinthians);
I certainly can't understand why this book has been challenged by
various groups over the years. I remember A Wrinkle in Time as
a sci-fi, fantasy, time-traveling book, which, it is. Although it was
written in 1962, Madeleine L'Engle did not record the audiobook until
the 1990s, when she was well into her seventies. At first, I wasn't
sure that I would like her narration - the voice perhaps too old, too
flawed - but that initial perception quickly faded. There is something
special about hearing an author read her own book. There is less room
for personal interpretation, but the listener can be sure that she is
understanding every nuance that the author wishes to convey. Minor
details cannot be misconstrued as important ones. Ambiguity only exists
if the author wishes it so. It was great to revisit this old classic.
I'm not permitted to share my full reviews for AudioFile Magazine, but here are snippets and links to my recent reviews. It's quite a disparate collection of titles!
Narrator Karen Chilton echoes the determination of Civil Rights
activists in Mississippi's often overlooked but hugely influential March
against Fear in 1966.
Award-winning narrator Simon Vance has the perfect English accent for
this 1908 classic featuring four anthropomorphized friends: Mole, Rat,
Toad, and Badger. The Wind in the Willows was one of my childhood
favorites.It's a perfect book for
shared family listening in the car.I've
listened to excerpts of several other versions of this audio book, and I
believe that Simon Vance's recording may be the new standard by which others
are judged.
Once Genie Lo's only concerns were college applications--that is, until
the ancient Chinese Monkey King leapt upon her Silicon Valley school
desk in the form of the scandalously handsome rebel Quentin Sun.
Stolen Justice: The Struggle for African American Voting Rights
