Frida

Frida: Long Live Life!
By  Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Published by Marshall Cavendish Corporation (2007)

This unique book tells the story of Frida Kahlo, a 20th century painter from Mexico, through poems and Frida's own artwork. I love the different perspective it takes on the biography of her interesting life. It is great to see the use of poetry and art together to create a piece of children's literature. This has many classroom applications. It could be used in a poetry unit where students must write poems about pieces of art they see in museums. They could also write a poem about their own lives and create self-portraits like Frida Kahlo. This is also a great multicultural book to have in your classroom library.

Bernier-Grand, C. T. (2007). Frida: Viva la vida = long live life. New York: Marshall Cavendish Children/Marshall Cavendish Corp.

Rosa

Rosa
By Nikki Giovanni
Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Published Henry Holt and Company (2005)
Caldecott Honor Book

Rosa Parks is an influential woman in American history, especially civil rights history. We have all heard her story countless times, but this book really makes you think and hear her story in a new light. The narrative keeps the reader engaged and eager to read more. It presents history is an easy to understand fashion. I love this version of the story, and I think students would also really enjoy it. It makes a connection to the Emmett Till case which is unique and important historically. At the end, there are two fold out pages that expand on the impact that Rosa Parks had on the United States. She is one inspirational woman!

The illustrations are a mix of collage and water color. In the illustrators note at the beginning, Collier said he wanted it to appear as if Rosa Parks is glowing or illuminating throughout because she is such a light of the world. I thought this was a beautiful tribute to a leading civil rig
hts leader.

This book would get great use in your classroom, whether through social studies, writing, or even art. This is an excellent piece of children's literature.

Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt.

Brave Girl

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909
By Michelle Markel
Pictures by Melissa Sweet
Published by Blazer + Bray (2013)

Brave Girl is all about girl power, something we at Saint Mary's love! This inspirational tale shows what life was like for many immigrants in the early 1900s. Clara, a young girl arrives and begins to work in a garment factory because her father can't get a job. The conditions are horrible, but she powers through. Not only does Clara work long hours, she loves to kern and spends any free time she has reading. The men that work at the factory say they want to form a union to protest the working conditions, but don't think the women are tough enough to do it. Clara leads the effort and starts a strike. She puts herself in major danger, but that doesn't stop her. She continues to fight and starts the largest walkout of women workers in U.S. history. Clara is an American hero. My favorite passage from the book goes as follows:

"And the strike convinces Clara to keep fighting for the rights of workers. her throat is hoarse, her feet are sore, but she has helped thousands of people. Proving that in American, wrongs can be righted, warriors can wear skirts and blouses, and the bravest hearts may beat in girls only five feet tall."

I am so glad I discovered this amazing book! The illustrations are wonderful. They are filled with different textile prints with sticking on each page to resemble the work of Clara and the other garment factory workers. The watercolor pictures enhance the powerful story and make the setting and tone clear. This is an excellent resource when teaching about strikes and factories in the the 1900s. It also emphasizes the role of women and women's rights. The book provides additional information about the movement at the end. I highly recommend this book!

Markel, M., Sweet, M., Zegar, R., Balzer + Bray,, & HarperCollins (Firm),. (2013). Brave girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909.

The New Big Book of U.S. Presidents

The New Big Book of U.S. Presidents
By Marc Frey and Todd Davis
Published by Running Press Kids (2013)

I believe every classroom library needs a book about U.S. Presidents. It can have so many uses! This book in particular has a page on each President with a substantial amount of information. There is biographical information and facts along with pictures and short boxes with information about an important event during that time or an influential person of the time. There is a running timeline that goes all throughout the pages giving great context information. This book is an amazing resource for your students. It can be used during any history lesson or time period study of the United States. Unfortunately, one cannot fit all the information in this one book, but this is a great start. This book is organized well and will be easy for students to navigate. If we want students to like history we have to make it interesting and easy to understand, just as this book does.

Check out Pinterest for great ideas when teaching about the U.S. Presidents.


Davis, T., & Frey, M. (2013). The New Big Book of U.S. Presidents 2008. Philadelphia: Running Press Kids.

My Brother Martin

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By Christine King Farris
Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2003)

My Brother Martin tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood from the perspective of his sister Christine. A unique take on his life, the book gives student's a perspective of how he began his journey in the Civil Rights Movement. My one critique would be that the story had a few additional pages on his adult life, but overall I love this book. The illustrations are beautiful, with very realistic images and vibrant colors. This would be a helpful piece in learning about the civil rights movement in social studies, or writing from different perspectives in language arts. Because many students have siblings, they would easily relate to the story and its look at siblings and childhood.

Farris, C. K., & Soentpiet, C. K. (2003). My brother Martin: A sister remembers growing up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.