WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 2003. What My Mother Doesn’t Know. New York, NY: Simon Pulse. ISBN 9780689855535

B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sones delightfully offers an amazing novel with an intriguing title, “What My Mother Doesn’t Know.” Written in the style of free verse poetry, this novel captures the universal voice, thoughts, and emotions of teenage girls. "Sones poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy. The author keenly portrays ninth-grader Sophie's trajectory of lusty crushes and disillusionment." (Publishers Weekly)
This novel offers universal themes of friendship, heartache, and the desire to be loved. Sones protagonist, Sophie, is a believable character that young adults with be drawn to. Sophie longs for her mother and fathers attention. She wishes with all her heart her mother would show, “half as much interest in my life as she does in Luke and Laura’s.” (p.22) Further into the novel Sophie declares I Hate Her on page 149. The poem affirms what many girls have felt about their mother at one point or another:
I hate her
I hate her
I hate her

But I hate hating her.
I hate it.
This statement wraps up the thoughts of many young teens who know that as much as they hate their mom, they dearly love them as well. As the novel progresses Sophie and her mother’s relationship begins to change.
And I head to my room feeling all mixed-up,
Because there’s a part of me
that resents her for being so nosy,
But another part of me
That’s glad she cares. (p. 199)
As much as young adults resent the nosy part of their moms they do appreciate that they care. Many young adults are seeking that attention. Sophie secretly desires to know that when she steps out of the boundary mom will be there to bring her back, hold her, and let her know it will be alright.

Sophie has two wonderful friends. "Best friends Rachel and Grace provide anchoring friendships for Sophie as she navigates her home life as an only child with a distant father and a soap opera-devotee mother." (Publishers Weekly) Their friendship offers the story a giggly sense of being young and carefree. The girls are there for Sophie as she falls for Dylan, breaks up with him, and then falls for her Cyber Soul Mate. When she accidently falls in love with Murphy, the class dork, she’s not sure how she will tell her friends. “I feel so totally in love and so totally miserable.” (p. 251) Sophie starts the novel with a poem called “Sixth Sense” on how she just “knows” things. The torment of telling her friends that she loves Murphy ends with Sophie declaring: “everything’s going to be all right, sometimes I just know things.” (p. 259)
Sones novel offers young adult girls a perfect opportunity to: “glimpse through a peephole many teens may be peering through for the first time, unaware that others are seeing virtually the same new, scary, unfamiliar things.” (SLJ) Sones is an amazing writer! This book is so addictive it will have you begging for more!

C. REVIEW EXCEPTS
ALA 2002 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
ALA 2002 Best Book for Young Adults
A Booklist Editors’ Choice
School Library Journal: Sones's book makes these often-difficult years a little more livable by making them real, normal, and OK.
Publishers Weekly: Sophie's honest and earthy story feels destined to captivate a young female audience, avid and reluctant readers alike.

D. CONNECTIONS
*Which poem caught your attention and how did it affect you?
* When Sophie tells Robin, “I knew you but I didn’t know you” what exactly does she mean? Do we tend to do that to those we think we know.
*Choose a song that you believe would represent Sophie. Why did you chose that particular song.

Visit Sonya Sones at her website: http://www.sonyasones.com/

Other novels by Sonya Sones:
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. 2001. ISBN: 9780064462181
What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know. 2008. ISBN: 9780689876035
One of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies. 2005. ISBN: 9781416907886


HEART TO HEART: NEW POEMS INSPIRED BY TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN ART

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Greenberg, Jan. 2001. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth Century American Art. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN: 9780810943865

B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Heart to Heart is a beautiful compilation of poems inspired by twentieth-Century American Art edited by Jan Greenberg. Included in this collection are 48 wonderful poets such as: Angela Johnson, Naomi Shihab Nye, Janet S. Wong, and Jane Yolen. “The story, poems, and artwork hold something fresh and extraordinary with each rereading. Each piece of art shines with its own brilliance, enhanced by the carefully crafted text.”(Book Report) The book is divided into four categories: Stories, Voices, Impressions, and Expressions.

STORIES include poems that conjure up memories by the poet matched to a piece of art. I particularly loved, “Woman at the Piano” by William Jay Smith. Here’s a small excerpt:
“Everything in you went loose inside
And the world of a sudden became so wide
And open and joyous and free…” (p. 8)

VOICES contain poems in which the poet writes a voice for the painting he or she is writing about. My favorite is titled “From Above” by Angela Johnson.
“—And I am happy in
the coolness
as I am in the warmth,
Because I can fly as
Free as I feel
And watch my people
With love
From
Above.” (p. 25)

IMPRESSIONS offers the poets fresh take of how the art made an impression on them through poetry. I particularly enjoyed “Grant Wood: American Gothic” by Jane Yolen.
“Look behind the eyes,
to see who looks out at you.
We are not what we own.
We own what we would be.” (p.39)

EXPRESSIONS explores art. It depicts how the poet felt the art spoke to them in visual terms. The poem that stood out to me was “The Painting Comes Home” by Stephen Corey.
“So many paintings seem to be
Somewhere else
In space and time: people are lost
In a background
Or nowhere in sight, the buildings
Are like foreign castles.
But here we have home and
Suppertime, the air on that edge between day and evening,
The family gathered as the wall of dark grows hard.” (p. 58)

The book offers biographical notes on the poets and the artists as well as an index to find the author or art work quickly. "Concluding with biographical notes on each poet and artist, this rich resource is an obvious choice for teachers, and the exciting interplay between art and the written word will encourage many readers to return again and again to the book." (Booklist) It is a beautiful poetry book that begs to be read and to be seen. "If a picture book is defined as a marriage of word and art, then Heart to Heart is not only a wonderful poetry collection, but also a picture book of the highest quality." (SLJ)

C.REVIEW EXCEPTS
Michael L. Printz Honor Book
Booklist: the exciting interplay between art and the written word will encourage many readers to return again and again to the book.
Kirkus Review: The color reproduction of the works from museum slides is excellent, and the varied arrangements of text and art on the page lends interest. Some of the works are accessible to young children; others are more sophisticated.
Book Report: A wonderful integration of art, literature, and diversity, it includes biographical notes on the poets and artists.

D. Connections
*Offer various works of art for students to select from. Have students select a piece and write their own poem about it.
*Have students select their favorite poem and create a piece of art or match a piece of art to the poem.
*Discuss art. Discuss poetry. How are the two alike?

*Other related books
Greenberg, Jan. Side by Side: New Poems Inspired by Art from Around the World. 2008. ISBN: 9780810994713
Rowden, Justine. 2005. Paint Me a Poem: Poems Inspired by Masterpieces of Art. ISBN: 9781590782897


MAKE LEMONADE

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wolfe, Virginia Euwer. 1993. Make Lemonade. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 059048141X

B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Virginia Euwer Wolfe composed a free verse novel that highlights the life of poverty for a fourteen year old girl named LaVaughn. “The tale is told in natural first-person, and in rhythmic prose arranged in open verse. The poetic form emphasizes the flow of the teenager's language and thought.” (SLJ) LaVaughn’s mother so desires that La Vaughn make her way out of poverty that she emphasizes homework, college, and determination or “take hold.” La Vaughn states, “Homework is a completely required thing like a vaccination.” (p. 4) “It’s why I do all the homework all the time. It’s what will get me out of here.” (p. 11) To earn money for college she takes on a babysitting job from seventeen year old mother, Jolly. As she babysits she becomes personally involved in the lives of the children and of Jolly. She describes mixed feelings, emotions, and the rawness of this difficult life. “There's humor as well as anguish in the tableaux she sets before us, with some of the funniest and most stirring scenes revolving around Jolly's children, both fully realized characters.” (Booklist) As the story progresses Jolly learns from LaVaughn. She begins to understand what she must do to move out of her circumstances. LaVaughn on the other hand learns from Jolly as well. Jolly retells a story of a blind woman that was robbed of her orange and given a lemon in place. Although she was victimized she makes the best of this circumstance and makes lemonade. (p. 173) LaVaughn eyes are opened and she finally understands what she herself needs to do. “The four become something akin to a temporary family, and through their relationship each makes progress toward a better life. (Horn Book) The book demonstrates to young adults the importance of making a better life for you. It emphasizes the importance of college while highlighting the importance of reaching out to one another. “That education is the bridge to a better life is the unapologetic, unmistakable theme, symbolized by the sprouting of the lemon seeds.” (Booklist)

C. REVIEW EXCEPTS
Booklist: At once disturbing and uplifting, this finely nuanced, touching portrait proudly affirms our ability to reach beyond ourselves and reach out to one another.
Horn Book: The four become something akin to a temporary family, and through their relationship each makes progress toward a better life.
School Library Journal: The dynamics between the two young women are multidimensional and elastic--absolutely credible. Make Lemonade is a triumphant, outstanding story. --
Publishers Weekly: Radiant with hope, this keenly observed and poignant novel is a stellar addition to YA literature.

D. CONNECTIONS
*LaVaughn’s mother states that “You make a bed you have to lie in it.” What does she mean by this and is it true?
*Recount a time when you were given a lemon and make lemonade.
*Did this story move you? How?

To learn more about Wolff check out the bio at: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=1943

Read a question and answer interview by Publisher’s Weekly at: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6634519.html

Other books in the trilogy by Virginia Euwer Wolff:
True Believer. 2002. ISBN: 9780689852886
This Full House. 2009. ISBN: 9780061583049

MODULE 5: HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY, AND NONFICTION

Hattie Big Sky

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Larson, Kirby. 2006. Hattie Big Sky. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780440239413

B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Kirby Larson has written a wonderful historical novel that will capture the attention of its reader. Sixteen year old protagonist, Hattie Inez Brooks, has been an orphan since she can remember. While living with her Aunt Ivy and Uncle Holt, she receives a letter from her Uncle Chester who has passed away leaving her with his land claim and its contents. When she arrives in Montana she has 10 months to cultivate 40 acres and set 480 rods of fence in order to keep the claim she inherited. The plot follows a historical sequence of events. The actions of Hattie are not romanticized. Instead the plot reveals the difficulties of a homesteaders life.

The setting takes place in rural Montana. Hattie, a homesteader, works in hard conditions in effort to keep the land. In a letter to Uncle Holt she states: “You asked me to tell you more about my everyday doings. Such a life of glamour, you cannot imagine!” (p. 49) She compares her life to the story of David and Goliath. Hoping her ending will be as victorious. The winters are extremely cold, with blizzards and below freezing temperatures. Spring brings about mud so thick her books get stuck in the mud. Summers are harsh and the heat produces drought and fires. Hattie lives in an era of transition. Some rich people have vehicles but most still ride horses such as Hattie. Some have indoor plumbing but living so far out in the country Hattie has to rely on her outhouse. “I’d gotten awfully spoiled at Aunt Ivy and Uncle Holt’s with their indoor plumbing. One more thing to get used to in Montana.” (p.44)

Larson developed a female character with grit and strength. She is far from perfect and admits that her, “pridefulness was a constant source of sorrow and agitation for Aunt Ivy. She’d worn out many a switch trying to cure me of it.” (p.11) She admits to herself that life is tough and she will, “have to rely on that painful teacher, Experience, until I get my homestead legs.” (p. 14) Hattie has a great sense of humor. She is able to laugh at herself as readers will discover reading the letters she pens to her school pal who is fighting in the war. “Evocative yet straightforward language ably depicts Hattie's joys and struggles.” (Horn Book 2007) Hattie, an orphan, rises above her challenges and finds inner strength. She also relays the message to young adults that family is more than just DNA. Her family were the friends who embraced her, taught her, loved her, and supported her through hard times.

Two central themes stand out: frontier life and patriotism. While the story relates the hardships of frontier life and how Hattie "proved up" to the challenge, it also tells of World War I bigotry and discrimination toward German Americans (SLJ 2006). Hattie is pressured to “Join the Montana Loyalty League…it hunts home huns, checks class conflicts, promotes pure patriotism.” (p. 112) Speaking of the war,“This evil is so big. The fight has spread far beyond the battlefield. (p. 217) Pressures to be a "loyal" American complicate her situation after she befriends a German couple. (Horn Book 2007) Despite the serious pressures placed on her she remains friends with Karl and Perilee.

At the end of the book the author notes how this novel came to fruition. She also states parallels of 1918 to the present. Relating how people have reacted to the war of Iraq and how they reacted during WWI. Larson goes on to offer recipes and further suggested readings if desired.

Reading this novel was enlightening. To hear about such harsh conditions and the grit it took to work the land one will marvel at those who made it. Although Hattie does not accomplish what she set out to do, the reader understands that nature wrote Hattie’s unfortunate outcome. “I felt as if I was at a funeral. And in a way it was. A funeral for a dream. How could months of work be destroyed in a few minutes?” (p.241) Young adults will come to see that life is challenging. We must all face difficult circumstances at some point in our lives. The choices we make will ultimately write out the chapters of our lives. Hattie rises from her challenges stronger and declares, “One thing I’d left behind: Hattie here –and –there, I want’ going to miss her. Not one bit.’ (p. 283) Readers will be find encouragement from Hattie’s perseverance to face their situations head on.

After reading this novel I felt like I knew more about the life of those who forged forward and were the pioneers of the west. What a struggle they faced daily due to a lack of conveniences we know today. I was surprised to learn of the similarities in fears Americans had in 1918 to the fears we have today. German Americans were watched with caution and fear since the country was fighting a war with Germany. Today people of Muslim faith or Arab American are treated with suspicions due to our war with the Taliban. I had no idea censors scanned mail sent between the soldiers and civilians. I was also surprised to learn how Day Light Savings came to be. “President Wilson says it will save millions of tons of coal and thus help the war effort.” (p.92) How fascinating.

C. REVIEW EXCEPTS
Newbery Honor Book
Horn Book: Evocative yet straightforward language ably depicts Hattie's joys and struggles. Recipes and an author's note are included.
Booklist: Writing in figurative language that draws on nature and domestic detail to infuse her story with the sounds, smells, and sights of the prairie, she creates a richly textured novel full of memorable characters.
School Library Journal: Larson relates a heartwarming yet poignant story about homesteading in early-20th-century Montana. Larson's vivid descriptions of the harshness of the work and the extreme climates, and the strength that comes from true friendship, create a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered. Hattie's courage and fortitude are a tribute to them
Kirkus Review: Based on a bit of Larson's family history, this is not so much a happily-ever-after story as a next-year-will-be-better tale, with Hattie's new-found definition of home. This fine offering may well inspire readers to find out more about their own family histories.

D. CONNECTIONS
*Write a poem that depicts nature as told by Hattie in Montana.
* What similarities can you find between how Germans were treated in this book during WWI and how we treated Arab Americans after 9/11.
*What lessons can be learned from Hattie?
*Research your family history.

Visit Kirby Larson’s Website at: http://www.kirbylarson.com/

Check out this other work by Kirby Larson:
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival. 2008. ISBN: 9780802797544



Copper Sun

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Draper, Sharon. 2006. Copper Sun. New York, NY: Antheneum Books. ISBN: 9780689821813

B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sharon Draper wrote a novel that will tear at the heart. Copper Sun unmistakably will make the reader hurt, scream at the injustice, and ache for those who suffered so. It is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of slavery with no bars held. It vividly describes the gruesome and atrocious injustices of slavery. Fifteen year old Amari is stolen from her village, shipped overseas to America, and sold to the highest bidder.

The setting first takes place in Amari’s beloved village Ziavi in Africa. She describes the rusty brown dirt, sweet smell of mango trees, thatched roof homes, and of villagers soaking up the wonderful sunshine. Then the setting takes a grave turn as “pale, unhealthy looking men who carried large bundles and unusual-looking sticks” marched into their village. (p.7) “The story begins in Amari's Ashanti village, but the idyllic scene explodes in bloodshed when slavers arrive and murder her family.” (Booklist 2006) The setting is then moved to a holding cell, the harsh sea, and finally to their final destination, Charles Town, South Carolina, in America. The story will then take place on a plantation where slaves are bought and sold with no regard for life.

Draper’s theme and characterization are woven together throughout the book. The theme is one of perseverance and her character Amari is one that lives out this determination to preserve. Draper tells the story of slavery with realistic gruesome detail. She also describes the resilience of mankind. The novel exemplifies that those who survived were strong, courageous, and admirable people. Amari’s journey was as one who must live. “You know, certain people are chosen to survive. I don’t know why but you are one of those who must remember the past and tell those yet unborn. You must live.” (p.37) There are many times that Amari will wish she could fly away or die but yet throughout the novel she continues to fight and live. A woman who befriends her in the holding cell in Africa tells her, “Find beauty wherever you can, child. It will keep you alive.” (p.64) The theme of perseverance continues as Draper introduces an indentured white servant into the life of Amari. Polly, who has not suffered a tinge of what Amari has, does understand difficulties as well. She has learned that, “tears fixed nothing. As far as she was concerned crying showed weakness and was simply a waste of time.” (p.80) Teenie, a slave on the plantation Amari lives on declares, “Everybody got hard times at one time or t’other.” (p.101) Amari continues to find inner strength and reminds herself, “she must concentrate not on what was lost, but on what must be found.” (p. 225) “Balanced between the overwhelmingly brutal facts of slavery and Amari's ferocious survivor's spirit, will leave readers breathless, even as they consider the story's larger questions about the infinite costs of slavery and how to reconcile history.” (Booklist)

I recommend this novel with caution. “The narrative wears its research heavily. Every bad thing that befell an African slave either happens to or is witnessed by Amari.” (Publishers Weekly) The novel can feel at times so burdened with atrocities that it is difficult to keep reading. I recommend this novel be read as a class where young adults can work through the difficulties and have questions answered. “It is a great story that will increase students' knowledge of slavery and indentured servitude and its impact on the young people of that time period.” (LMC) Amari’s life will challenge young adults who constantly feel that there life is “terrible.” They will learn from Amari that things can definably be worse but that in the midst of darkness there is light. You can find beauty if you chose to see it.

At the end of the novel the author offers an afterward that states that although this novel is a work of fiction the story is based on facts about slavery. The author also offers resources such as many website addresses and a list of books for further research on this subject. I have seen movies about slavery but not one gave me the realistic view that this novel provided in words. Draper vividly describes the pain in such a way that enlightens the heaviness of this painful time in history. Readers will come away with heavy lessons about the toll slavery played in the life of slaves.

C. REVIEW EXCEPTS
Coretta Scott King Award Winner
Booklist: Balanced between the overwhelmingly brutal facts of slavery and Amari's ferocious survivor's spirit, will leave readers breathless, even as they consider the story's larger questions about the infinite costs of slavery and how to reconcile history. A moving author's note discusses the real places and events on which the story is based.
Horn Book: Draper succeeds in dramatizing the slave experience.
School Library Journal: This action-packed, multifaceted, character-rich story describes the shocking realities of the slave trade and plantation life while portraying the perseverance, resourcefulness, and triumph of the human spirit.
Kirkus Review: poignant and harrowing, this narrative of early America alternates between the voices of enslaved Amari and indentured servant Polly, building a believable interracial friendship centered on the common goal of freedom.
Library Media Connection: This character-rich, moving story of two young women facing overwhelming odds will catch the interest of many readers who have a love of history. It is a great story that will increase students' knowledge of slavery and indentured servitude and its impact on the young people of that time period. Highly Recommended.

D. CONNECTIONS
*What does Afi mean when she tells Amari, “You know, certain people are chosen to survive”(p.37)
*Does slavery exist today? Back it up your answer with research.
*Is it possible to find light among dark?
*Write a poem that describes your feelings about slavery.

Visit Sharon Draper’s Website at: http://sharondraper.com/books.asp

*Other novels by Sharon Draper:
Just Another Hero. 2009. ISBN: 9781416907008
November Blues. 2009. ISBN: 9781416906995
The Battle of Jericho. 2006. ISBN: 9780689842337



We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN: 9780786808328

B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Kadir Nelson has beautifully accomplished writing the history of Negro League Baseball in such a smooth readable manner. As the unnamed narrator accounts the story you feel as you are in a living room hearing the tales of the good ole days. “Nelson offers a readable account that is infused with an air of nostalgic oral history.” (SLJ 2008) The narrator speaks to the reader directly saying, “Now let me tell you something or did you know…” (p.5 &51) Young Adults will enjoy hearing the narrator speak directly to them.

Nelson uses descriptive language to celebrate the history of Negro League Baseball. “Negro baseball was fast! Flashy! Daring! Sometimes it was even funny. But always very exciting to watch.” (p. 17) Nelson produced high quality writing that is age appropriate for the reader. The book reads smoothly and kids of all ages will enjoy his tone of writing. "The back roads of those little towns were so bumpy they’d have us bouncing around the bus like popcorn on a hot stove.” (p. 23) In the book young adults will learn about segregation black players suffered trying to enter restaurants, hotels, and bathrooms. “It’s a hurtful thing when you’re starving and have a pocket full of money but can’t find a place to eat because they ‘don’t serve Negroes.’ ” (p. 24) "The narrative showcases the pride and comradery of the Negro Leagues, celebrates triumphing on one’s own terms and embracing adversity, even as it clearly shows the “us” and “them” mentality bred by segregation." (Booklist) Readers will also come away from the book understanding the strength, commitment, dedication, and love the players had for the game. “We loved the game so much we just looked past everything else. We were ball players. There was nothing we would have rather spent our time doing.” (p. 29)

Nelson cleverly formatted the book into innings instead of chapters. Each chapter provides enlightening and informative information from his research. "Nelson's extensive research (including interviews with former players) yields loads of attention-grabbing details: how much money players made; where, when, and how often." (Horn Book) I was amazed to learn how there were no rules to baseball at first, and how shin guards, and face masks came to be out of necessity! “Too many times he (Bud Fowler) was forced to leave the field on crutches…good came out of it. His scarred shins gave him the idea to attach wooden staves from a barrel to his legs for protection.” (p.2) Hence, the first shin guard was born!

As wonderful as the writing is in this book, the art is even more incredible! “His grand slam, though, is the art: Nelson's oil paintings have a steely dignity, and his from-the-ground perspectives make the players look larger than life.” (Horn Book) It’s amazing to visually see the strength, grit, determination, and camaraderie each illustration displays. “Nelson's muscular paintings serve as the true draw. His larger-than-life players have oversized hands, elongated bodies and near-impossible athleticism. Their lined faces suggest the seriousness with which they took their sport and the circumstances under which they were made to play it.” (Publishers Weekly) This book is incredible and begs to be read by all. “Along with being absolutely riveted by the art, readers will come away with a good picture of the Negro Leaguers' distinctive style of play, as well as an idea of how their excellence challenged the racial attitudes of both their sport and their times.” (Kirkus Review)

Readers of all ages will enjoy this celebrated book. It is a tribute to all those who forged forward to unleash the spirit of the game. “Unfortunately, most of them will never receive the recognition they deserve.” (p. 51) I believe Nelson has taken the first important step of addressing this gap in history and telling others the true story of how many courageous men stepped up to the plate and played such as Jackie Robinson. “He received death threats… Pitchers threw at him, pushed him…he didn’t say anything because he knew it would ruin the chances of any other Negro playing in the majors.” (p. 74) These men deserve to be remembered and Nelson has done a superb job of relighting their legacies. "One need not be a baseball fan to enjoy this book, because it's more than a sports story. It's a story of real people enduring more than many of us can imagine, playing a game they love." (LMC 2008)

The book offers supportive evidence of how this book and the research were established. Nelson offers a list of Negro Leaguers, a bibliography, filmography, endnotes, and an index for readers to access information quickly and effectively. “It is an engaging tribute that should resonate with a wide audience and delight baseball fans of all ages.” (SLJ)

C. REVIEW EXCEPTS
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
Booklist: The stories and artwork are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers, who were much more than also-rans and deserve a more prominent place on baseball’s history shelves.
Horn Book: Imagine listening to baseball legends Willie Mays and Ernie Banks swapping stories about their Negro League days as they sit in the stands, munching on peanuts and watching Ken Griffey Jr. launch a curve ball into the stratosphere. That kind of easygoing, conversational storytelling is exactly what Kadir Nelson achieves in this pitch-perfect history of Negro League baseball.
Kirkus Review: Nelson continues to top himself with each new book. Here, working solo for the first time, he pays tribute to the hardy African-American players of baseball's first century with a reminiscence written in a collective voice.
Publishers Weekly: In his first outing as author as well as illustrator, Nelson delivers a history of the Negro Leagues in a sumptuous volume that no baseball fan should be without.

D. CONNECTIONS
*What does “We Are The Ship-All Else The Sea” mean?
*Write a biopoems for one famous black player named in this book.
*How did rules change the game of baseball?

To learn more about Kadir Nelson and his work check out his website at: http://www.kadirnelson.com/

Other biographies Kadir Nelson has illustrated:
Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln. 2008. ISBN: 9781423104087
Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson. 2009. ISBN: 9780545052511
Coretta Scott. 2009. ISBN: 9780061253645