Heaven

Angela Johnson

ISBN: 0689822901
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 144pp
Pub. Date: July 2000 (originally published August 1998)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Edition Description: 1 ALADDIN
Age Range: 12 and up

Winner of the 1999 Coretta Scott King Author Award. Marley has lived in heaven with her parents and her brother for 12 years since the accident. She can't imagine her life any other way, but she may have to. Does Marley have the perfect life, or is her life the perfect lie?

What makes a person who she is? Is it her name, the people she lives with, or is blood the only link to identity? Marley, 14, suddenly plunges head first into these complex questions when she discovers that the people she's been living with her entire life aren't her real parents. Butchy is not her real brother, and her mysterious Uncle Jack, who has been writing her short but beautiful letters for as long as she can remember, turns out to be her real, very absent father. In spare, often poetic prose reminiscent of Patricia MacLachlan's work, Johnson relates Marley's insightful quest into what makes a family. Her extreme anger with her supposed parents, who turn out to be her aunt and uncle, for not telling her the truth, for not being the perfect family that she'd always thought them to be, wars with her knowledge that not even her friend Shoogy Maple's model family is as perfect and beautiful as it seems. The various examples of "family" Marley encounters make her question what's real, what's true, what makes sense, and if any of that really matters as much as the love she continues to feel for her parents in spite of their seeming betrayal. Johnson exhibits admirable stylistic control over Marley's struggle to understand a concept that is often impossible to understand or even to define. -- Linda Bindner, formerly at Athens Clarke County Library, Georgia

Jazmin's Notebook

Author:   Nikki Grimes
Format: Hardcover, 1st ed., 102pp.
Pub. Date: June  1998 (Dial)

Gr 6-10 With exuberance, passion, perception, and wit, 14-year-old Jazmin Shelby fills her notebook with glimpses of her life, neighborhood, family, and dreams in Harlem in the 1960s. Rescued from a series of foster homes and makeshift living arrangements by her older sister, CeCe, Jazmin draws strength and wisdom from her devoted sibling when their alcoholic mother is institutionalized. Jazmin is an observer and a thinker. From her apartment stoop, she savors the rhythm and blues that drifts out of the Garden of Eden Bar & Grill next door and watches customers come and go. At school, she avoids a fight by locking herself in the bathroom and scribbling her anger in verse. When a high-school guidance counselor suggests pursuing a vocational career, Jazmin clings to her aspirations of being a writer and demands a college-prep schedule. Despite her "second hand" appearance, the girl's goals are high and her attitude is positive. The sadness in her life comes from watching her gentle father die after a car crash and being unable to connect with her troubled, aloof mother. However, Jazmin is resilient. Her lyrical journal is a treasure of sensory observations, intellectual questioning, and moral decision-making. Secondary readers will delight in her candor and imagination. Her gritty determination to survive and succeed is inspiring and heartwarming.-Gerry Larson, Durham Magnet Center, Durham, NC (School Library Journal)

Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence: The Story of New York's African Burial Ground

Describes the discovery and study of the African burial site found in Manhattan in 1991, while excavating for a new building, and what it reveals about the lives of black people in Colonial times.

Gr 5 Up  The painstaking care with which archaeologists unearthed graves from a rediscovered cemetery in 1991 is reflected in the detailed research that frames this account of the African Burial Ground that has become a National Historic Landmark in New York City. Men, women, and children of African descent, both enslaved and free, have been a part of the city's history since the arrival of the Dutch in 1623. Drawing on a variety of scholarly resources and primary-source documents, Hansen and McGowan relate what is known about the experiences of the earliest members of the black community in Manhattan. Through black-and-white photographs of uncovered artifacts and reproductions of archival records and maps, a fascinating picture emerges. As the narrative states, analysis of skeletal remains have shown the signs of trauma caused by lives of hard labor, and in some cases perhaps, the effects of punishment for resisting slavery. An excellent portrayal of how archaeology helps to re-create and affirm the past.Janet Woodward, Garfield High School, Seattle, WA (School Library Journal)

Title:  The Other Side, The: Shorter Poems
Author:  Angela Johnson

Gr 5-7 These verses by the versatile African-American writer give readers glimpses at her years growing up in the small town of Shorter, AL. Through prose poetry and colloquial speech, Johnson recalls skinny-dipping, the soft Alabama breeze, dirt roads, and red dusty porches. She presents vivid images-mothers stripping their children in the Wash-a-Teria to launder their clothes; houses smelling of "cinnamon and dead flowers;" getting up enough nerve to ask the secret of growing old. She touches on topics such as Vietnam, racism, and the Black Panthers, but also recalls dancing in the woods with a "boom box blasting through the trees." This slim volume just may open up increased awareness and understanding about the way things were-and how they sometimes still are.-Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI (School Library Journal)

Title:  I See the Rhythm

A pictorial timeline of African-American music from the 1500s to the 1990s. The text, made up of free verse and music lyrics, incorporates different font sizes, shapes, and colors to underline the mood of each genre. A chronology gives a historical perspective and a context for young readers. It invites them to learn more, mentioning parallel historical events and the well-known singers, songwriters, and recording artists of the time. The first three double-page spreads, "Origins," "Slave Songs," and "Birth of the Blues," seem purposely more subdued and somber. With ragtime, the joy of music predominates. Through the eras of jazz, swing, bebop, cool jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, rock `n' roll, funk, rap, and hip hop, the music is the message. The repetition of "I see" to open each genre gives the book an action and a rhythm particularly apt to its subject. The colors of each full-page scenario underline the mood. Golds and blues dominate the stained-glass scene from the gospel pages. A green-hued patchwork underscores the scenes of rhythm and blues and soul music of the `60s. For cool jazz, broad stroked, defined skyscrapers fill the deep blues of a night city sky as white or black text flies at various angles against a gray-blue page. This book celebrates music with art and words and successfully blends all three. -- Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, New York

Title:  I Have Heard of a Land

K-Gr 4 All who gave their hearts to Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea (HarperCollins, 1993) will have to clear a spot for I Have Heard of a Land. Thomas and Cooper shine again in this powerful tribute to the African-American pioneers who participated in the Oklahoma land runs of 1889 and 1893. This gem reveals some hidden facets as it singles out a lone woman who hears of a place where she has only to "Lift up her feet running for the land/As though running for her life/And in the running claim it," a place where "Her possibilities reach as far/As her eyes can see/And as far as our imaginations can carry us." Thomas's evocative poem is exalted by Cooper's warm, joyous, and majestic paintings of people living out their dreams. The layout and design of the book capture the expanse of the prairie with full double-page spreads and carefully placed text. In an author's note, Thomas provides some historical and personal context. Both she and Cooper demonstrate a love for the raw beauty of the land. Though good readers can enjoy the book alone, this lyrical poem sings when read aloud.--Jody McCoy, Lakehill Preparatory School, Dallas, TX  (School Library Journal)

Title:  The Bat Boy and His Violin

Reginald is more interested in practicing his violin than in his father's job managing the worst team in the Negro Leagues, but when Papa makes him the bat boy and his music begins to lead the team to victory, Papa realizes the value of his son's passion.

Gr 1-4 This picture book offers readers many things: an interesting look at life in the Negro National Baseball League of the 1940s, a wonderfully delineated father-son relationship, and a gentle advocacy of the sometimes intangible value of culture. Reginald is serious about playing his violin but his father, who coaches "the worst team in the Negro National League," the Dukes, believes his son would use his time more wisely by serving as bat boy for the team. After a couple of humorous disasters, the child becomes an unusual bat boy who plays his violin in the dugout to urge the players on, while his father takes care of the equipment. Ultimately, the Dukes' success and appreciation for Reginald's talents make his father alter his view of violin playing and find pride in his son's achievements. Lewis's soft watercolor illustrations portray the characters with depth and beauty, resulting in a very special book.--Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (School Library Journal)

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra
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by Andrea Pinkney and Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Jump At The Sun; 1st edition (April 29, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786801786
ISBN-13: 978-0786801787
Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches

Grade Level: K and up
Awards, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books, Caldecott Honor Book

The award-winning author/illustrator team of Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney--creators of the popular picture book "Alvin Ailey"--now present a swinging, vibrant picture book about the jazz composer Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as "Duke" Author/illustrator publicity .

A brief recounting of the career of this jazz musician and composer who, along with his orchestra, created music that was beyond category.

A royal introduction to the piano prince. Told in a swingy conversational tone and highlighting the musician's childhood, early ragtime days, and stellar rise to popularity, playing at the Cotton Club and, later, Carnegie Hall, this is a jazzy treat. It is rare to find text that describes music so well. Phrases such as "sassy ride on his cymbal," "musical stream," and "purple dash of brass" carry the auditory experiences of the Duke's music right off the page. Young readers will find more than just a few facts here. They will learn what Duke Ellington did for the jazz world, how his music was played, and the legacy he left behind. Brian Pinkney's distinctive scratchboard, gouache and oil paintings are a harmonious complement to Andrea Pinkney's text. Bright, wild colors on soft neon backgrounds are beautifully balanced with black-and-white highlights. It is the blending of words, symbols, and pictures that bring this subject to life. A page of biographical information and impressive source notes conclude the presentation. This book swings. Don't miss it. Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY (School Library Journal)

Title:  The Skin I'm In

Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark, meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries about how to love who she is and what she looks like.

Gr 6-8  Seventh-grader Maleeka Madison is miserable when a new teacher comes to her depressed inner-city school. Miss Saunders evidently is rich, self-assured in spite of the white birthmark across her black skin, and prone to getting into kids' faces about both their behavior and their academic potential. Black and bright, Maleeka is so swamped by her immediate problems that Miss Saunders's attentions nearly capsize her stability. The girl's mother has just emerged from a two-year period of intense mourning for her dead husband, during which time her daughter has provided her with physical and moral support with no adult assistance. At school, Maleeka endures mean-spirited teasing about the darkness of her skin and her unstylish clothing. She seeks solace in writing an extended creative piece, at Miss Saunders's instigation, and also in the company of a powerful clique of nasty girls. Told in Maleeka's voice, this first novel bristles with attitude that is both genuine and alarming. The young teen understands too well that her brains aren't as valuable as the social standing that she doesn't have. In the end, she is able to respond positively to Miss Saunders; she also becomes socially anointed through the affections of the most popular boy in the school. This message rings true in spite of the fact that Maleeka's salvation isn't exactly politically correct. Young teens will appreciate Flake's authenticity and perhaps realize how to learn from Maleeka's struggle for security and self-assurance.-Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA (School Library Journal)

Related Links

Check out all the Coretta Scott King Award Winners since the Award's inception in 1969

AALBC Children's Book Section
http://aalbc.com/children.htm

The children's Literature Web Guide - Newberry, Caldecott and other ALA Awards - 1999 Winners
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/ala99.html