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.

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.

One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer
By Rita Williams-Garcia
Published by Amistad (2010)

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award in 2011
Newberry Honor Book in 2011
(plus many many more!)

Our class read this award winning novel and created lesson plans based on the story. The moving story takes place during the civil rights movement in Oakland, California. Three young girls, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern fly out to visit their long lost mother. With few memories of her, it leads to an adventurous and crazy summer involving the Black Panthers. I can see why this book won so many awards. Rita Williams-Garcia keeps you engaged and laughing even during heavy topics.

It is a great way for young readers to see the civil rights movement from a child's perspective. Not all students may be ready for the hot topic, but it is important for all students to learn about. The book would be a great class read to connect to social studies. Thanks to my wonderful classmates I have some great lesson ideas too!

Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.

A Wreath for Emmett Till

A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson
Illustrated by Philippe Lardy
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company 2005

Coretta Scott King Honor Award
Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature from the American Library Association

This book takes on an important issue of the civil rights movement: Emmett Till and his lynching. I feel the author's explanation of her purpose for wiring this story into poetry is best explained through her own words. Regarding the writing of the poem she says, "I was nine years old when Emmett Till was lynched in 1955. His name and history have been a part of most of my life. When I decided to write a poem about lynching for young people, I knew I would write about Emmett Till. he was lynched when he was the age of the young people who might read my poem. After revisiting what I knew about lynching, reading more about it, and growing increasingly depressed, I also knew that I would write this poem as a heroic crown of sonnets. A sonnet is a fourteen- line rhyming poem in iambic pentameter. The rhyme scheme I chose to use in these sonnets is called Italian, or Petrarchan. A crown of sonnets is a sequence of interlinked sonnets in which the last line of one becomes the first line, sometimes slightly altered, of the next. A heroic crown of sonnets is a sequence of fifteen interlinked sonnets, in which the last one is made up of the first lines of the preceding poem".

This novel was difficult to read, but it gave a new perspective on an important issue of America's history. It would be a great mentor text or contributing text for a study on the civil rights for older students. The novel contains abstract imagery with colors that set the mood for each of the sonnets. At the end, an acrostic poem is formed, showing another type of poetry that students can utilize. It also provides notes on each of the sonnets she references in her poetry along with a brief story of Emmett Till.

I found a great online resource for using this piece of poetry in the classroom!

This piece of literature shows that poetry has the power to express even the darkest of things in a new light.

Nelson, M., & Lardy, P. (2005). A wreath for Emmett Till. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.