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The Mermaid Princesses

7/1/2025

Review by

Charlene
Johnson-Boyd

The Mermaid Princesses is a beautifully illustrated picture book of three lovely young sisters. Each has their own strengths that will be very useful in the end. However, their only focus is on being the next queen. It wasn’t until the three were faced with a challenge of rescuing what they thought was a trapped dolphin. The three princesses used their attributes of singing, planning, and courage to free the dolphin. It was this display of kindness that the girls became aware of their strength in working together. The Queen was pleased and the Princesses became the next Queen together.

Ty's Travels: Winter Wonderland (First Reader-Level 1)

12/1/2024

Review by

Voncille Wratee

Ty is so excited about the snow and he and his mom go on an adventure of sorts. What will ensue? Gather your little one and find out! This book is filled with beautiful African American characters that will make the adults reading smile as well.

Uncle John's City Garden

5/24/2023

by

Voncille Wratee

"Uncle John's City Garden" by Bernette G. Ford and illustrated by Frank Morrison, a Coretta Scott King Award Winner, is a city garden. It brings up memories of visiting family during the summer when school is closed.

Three siblings get a lesson on tending to a garden and watching growth of their chosen foods from seed to table. The pictures are captivating, the story simple yet grasping. This book would definitely be one that would encourage city children to have a place where the garden grows right in the heart of the city.

Astrology for Black Girls: A Beginner's Guide For Black Girls Who Look To The Stars

5/1/2022

by

Voncille Wratee

Oh my lucky stars! This book took a vast subject and narrowed it down to even a fifth grader can understand the message. The authors covered all the basics of Astrology and how it relates to the individual. Even though the book is geared for young black girls, young black boys, old black boys and old black girls would benefit greatly if interested in an initial understanding into Astrology.

This guide is a quick read, very simple to understand and also directs the reader to resources for next steps of understanding. I thoroughly appreciated the chapter on Astrology and Religion and the authors explanation of the two. This book was definitely written in the stars!

The Stars Are Scattered

6/27/2021

by

Ginaya Donnette

When Stars Are Scattered is a gripping true story graphic novel about two brothers orphaned during a Somalian War living in a refugee camp in Kenya. Author Omar Mohamed tells the account of his time as a child forever waiting for resources and a chance. Then finally being gifted a place in school. There are many blocks that prevent students in the refugee camp from finishing school. These include hunger, family responsibilities, lack of menstruation hygiene products, extreme heat, and even having to study in the dark without a lantern. Not to mention that in Kenya students don't continue on to middle school unless they have high grades and pass a rigorous test. Usually not very many students pass on to a higher level past primary school. However, with the support of his community Omar not only passed to middle school but continued to excel to university.

Publishing this story as a graphic novel enables the reader to see the characters emotions in a way that makes you feel like you were there. The houses and community, even the feeling of waiting and hopelessness all translate in the book so that anyone who may never know what it is really like to be in a refugee camp can see parts of it that may not be easy to understand in written words alone. You watch Omar struggle with the question of how can he work so hard to improve himself and still take care of his younger brother who is disabled and needs him? When so many don’t have to enhance to follow their dreams and be educated Omar wonders is it selfish to go to school or is it selfish to not? Omar’s life is filled with disappointment and grief but also hope and love. He lives a one in a million dream but in the end he uses his blessing to be a blessing to others. Now Omar continues to give through his nonprofit refugeestrong.org helping other refugee students get the support and push they need to be successful.

Navigate Your Stars by Jessmyn Ward

5/1/2021

by

Ali Jamal
Akofena.blog

The book is small and to the point, and you can read in 20 minutes! But don't be fooled, this book is so encouraging and inspiring and has some wonderful lessons. It is a quick tale of life and the decisions that we all must make.

At one point in Navigate Your Stars, Jessmyn Ward felt that, in her family, the decision for most of them to leave school at an early age, "led to their downfalls". She very quickly realized that there are much bigger and deeper issues that influence our lives, such as intergenerational poverty and trauma. These types of issues had a lot to do with her family members decision making ability - and she soon understood how not to judge people because life is not nearly as simple as it seems.

She continues on to talk about her one perfect choice in life - the decision to attend Stanford University - and how that quickly became a bit of a joke. She was not very successful after college and was not able to write the way she wanted to or find the job that she wanted. And then tragedy struck. Her brother was killed in an accident, and everything changed.

Ward makes it clear that you have to find something meaningful in life in order to find your successful path and that success is not the result of making just one good choice. You have to make many choices and take many, many steps to find your path in life.

Think Before You Act

4/4/2021

Origin: Baoule' People, Cote D'Ivoire

Meaning: Wait until you're on the riverbank and out of harm's way before you make a crocodile angry! You probably don't have to battle crocodiles, but you can apply this to any situation: always think before you act!

Keep an Open Mind

9/13/2020

Origin: Sukuma People, Tanzania
Meaning: Don't Focus on the small things or just what's in front of you - look around and see the bigger picture. If you have an open mind, you will see and learn so much more.

-From the Heart of Africa, collected by Eric Walters

SHUT DOWN MEANS SHUT IN!

5/11/2020

SCHOOL HAS BEEN OUT FOR A LONG TIME!

HOW ARE YOU KEEPING UP WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY?

HOW DIFFERENT IS YOUR CONVERSATION?

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THESE MASKS?!?

Anansi "black Spider-Man" -a poem

1/6/2020

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