Check out these Recommended Products from Amazon.com!
At DiversityWorking.com, we make sure the jobs we post are open for all minority groups, especially to African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, the disabled, war veterans, women, and gays and lesbians. Our jobs database is kept up-to-date and with a variety of employment opportunities at top Fortune 500 companies in America. Your future looks brighter with DiversityWorking!
Visit us now and post your resume for top managers and recruiters to find you.
African American Book
African American Book Clubs
African American Literature Book Club AALB
Founded by Troy Johnson in 1997, AALBC.com, LLC is a widely recognized source of author profiles, book recommendations, intriguing on-line discussion boards, writer's resources, articles, and critical reviews of books written by and about African Americans.
HomePage: http://aalbc.com/
Black Expressions Book Club
Black Expressions focuses on contemporary and classic African-American fiction plus a wealth of titles in key areas such as heritage & culture, inspiration/religion, health and beauty, relationships, cooking and home, career and personal finance, self-help, kid's books and more!
Black Expressions was voted "Book Club of the Year" at the 2004 African American Literary Awards Show held in Harlem, New York.
HomePage: http://www.blackexpressions.com/doc/full_site_enrollment/fse_homepage.jhtml
The Sisters and Brothers of HotLanta Book Club
The Sisters and Brothers of HotLanta Book Club was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in May 1997. Our mission is to increase appreciation of the African American culture through its literature while forming lasting friendships among readers. Our motto is : Reading to uplift, understand, and celebrate the Black experience. The book club also focuses on empowering African American communities, businesses and people socially through community outreach programs.
The Sisters and Brothers of HotLanta Book Club believes that literary discussion is a tremendously effective vehicle for facilitating the exchange of ideas about topics that are of issue to the Black community. Literary dialogues provide neutral ground upon which we can share our frustrations, joys, triumphs, and sorrows. The Sisters and Brothers Book Club also believes that reading and discussing literature written for, by, and about us is very therapeutic, serves as an excellent networking tool, and leads us to better understanding of ourselves.
HomePage: http://www.sistersbrothers.com/
R.A.W.SISTAZ (Reading and Writing SISTAZ)
R.A.W.SISTAZ (Reading and Writing SISTAZ) focuses on reading, writing, and discussing books primarily by African-American Authors. Our groups (both online and off) are not only book clubs, but resources to readers, writers, and literary enthusiasts; thus our founder's motto of "Keeping You in the Know Regarding the African-American Literary Community."
Our main goal is to provide information to the African-American Literary Community regarding books, authors, events, and other industry news. We offer our services and our sites free of charge, as avenues to promote literacy, to encourage our authors to continue following their dreams and to facilitate the open exchange of literary information; basically connecting both readers and writers.
HomePage: http://www.rawsistaz.com/
Go On Girl! Book Club
Founded in 1990 in New York City by three office friends, the Go On Girl! Book Club is the largest African-American women's book club in the country. Today the organization has grown to more than 30 chapters and over 300 sisters nationwide and supports the literary works of authors of the Black African Diaspora.
HomePage: http://www.goongirl.org/
African American Child Books
The Best in Children's Books: African-Americans in Literature
Major changes have occurred in African-American literature within the last 25 years. Before 1970, books of this genre were few, and those that existed often were filled with stereotypes. Since then, many outstanding African-American authors and illustrators have given voice and vision to the African-American experience through biographies, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and poetry. Here are some of my favorite titles worth sharing with your students.
* Aardema, Verna. Half-A-Ball-Of-Kenki: An Ashanti Tale.
Illustrated with colorful blocked pictures, this double why-story explains why a leopard has spots and why flies always sit on leaves in which kenki has been wrapped.
* Aardema, Verna. Tales From the Third Ear: From Equatorial Africa.
Nine folktales retold from original sources; full of action and humor-an excellent source for storytelling.
* Agard, John and Nichols, Grace. A Caribbean Dozen: Poems from Caribbean Poets
A diverse and joyous collection of poems by a dozen Caaribbean poets.
* Armstrong, William. Sounder. Newbery Medal
The grim and moving story of a black sharecropper's family whose father is jailed for stealing food for them.
* Belton, Sandra. From Miss Ida's Porch. Four Winds, 1993.
Miss Ida's porch is a place where the neighbors gather to share stories. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
* Collier, James Lincoln and Christopher. With Every Drop of Blood: A Novel of the Civil War
Grades 5-9
Two young men are caught up in the Civil War: Johnny is on a bold mission to supply Rebel troops, while Cush, a Yankee, is a runaway slave. They form an unlikely alliance during the final days of the war.
* Douty, Esther M. Charlotte Forten: Free Black Teacher.
Biography
* Douty, Esther M. Forten the Sailmaker: Pioneer Champion of Negro Rights.
A carefully written and researched biography.
* Fox, Paula. The Slave Dancer.
* Greenfield, Eloise. Daydreamers.
A wonderfully warm poem that admires and celebrates daydreaming. The single ssubject drawings of young children render African-American children daydreaming.
* Greenfield, Eloise. First Pink Light.
A young boy awaits the arrival of his father hiding in a cardboard box.
* Greenfield, Eloise. Grandpa's Face.
* Greenfield, Eloise. Nathaniel Talking.
A nine-year-old thinks in raps, poems aand chants and questions his life and times in his city neighborhood.
* Greenfield, Eloise. Night on Neighborhood Street.
In this book of poetry about the nights in a city neighborhood, Greenfield's writing vibrates with authenticity and sensitivity. The poet lets the reader experience the neighborhood-its children, families, friends, and feelings-through the eyes of a child.
* Greenfield, Eloise. She Come Bringing Me That Little Baby Girl.
Kevin wanted a little brother, but his mother brought home a baby girl. In this story of sibling rivalry aaand the disruption of a boy's life by his baby sister, Kevin adjusts to the new arrival with the help of two loving parents.
* Grifalconi, Ann. The Village of Round and Square Houses. Brown and Company, 1986.
In the village of Tos, located in the hills of the Cameroons in Central Africa, women live in round houses and men live in square ones. A young girl who grew up in this remote village tells how this came to be.
* Grimes, Nikki. Meet Danitra Brown.
* Hansen, Joyce. The Captive.
Grades 5-9
This novel chronicles the life of a young Ashanti boy from his captivity in West Africa to his life as a slave in Salem, MA, aand then to freedom with African-American ship captain, Paul Cuffe.
* Haskins, James. The Life and Death of Martin Luther King.
Haskins probes thoughtfully into King's philosophy and convictions.
* Hoffman, Mary. Amazing Grace.
Grace loves acting out stories. She dresses up in costumes, drmatizes fairy tales and imagines all the different things sshe might be when she grows up. One day, the teacher announces that the class will put on a play. Grace volunteers to be Peter Pan, but some of the children say she cannot be Peter Pan, because Grace is a girl. They also tell her she cannot be Peter Pan because she is black. Upset, Grace tells her mother and grandmother. They tell her she can be anything she wants to be. Graace tries out for the part and wins it. She is a terrific Peter Pan and believes again in her abilities.
* Igus, Toyomi. When I Was Little.
Primary
During the summer, Noel visits his Grandpa Will, who takes him fishing. They enjoy each other's company. Grandpa Will shares stories of his life when he was a young boy.
* Johnson, Dolores. Seminole Diary: Remembrance of a Slave.
Libbie, a slave, tells of the peaceful coexistence of African-American slaves and the Seminole Indians. In the Seminole villages, runaway slaves found a haven of mutual respect.
* Johnson, James Weldon. Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Scholastic, 1995.
* Johnston, Tony. The Wagon.
Born into slavery, the young narrator in this story has a dream of freedom, but he must struggle with the harsh realities of his life. When his family is freed after the Civil War, they begin ther new life by taking their wagon and mules to attend the funeral of Abraham Lincoln.
* Lester, Julius. The Last Tales of Uncle Remus. Dial, 1994.
The fourth book in a series; southern black dialect preserves the richness of this collection of folktales.
* McDermott, Gerald. Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale From West Africa.
Grades K-6
* McKissack, Patricia and Fredrick L. Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters. Scholastic, 1994.
Historical accounts of Christmas on a southern plantation.
* Medearis, Angela Shelf. Our People. Antheneum, 1994.
Primary
Rich, warm illustrations glow throughout this tender tribute to a young African-American girl's heritage. As she and her daddy talk about contributions of "our people", she acts out parallel events in her world today, as well as her dreams for tomorrow.
* Myers, Walter Dean. Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse.
Poetry
Describes as "born in the dusty corner of an antique shop where the old photographs are kept," Myers has collected pictures of African-American children from around the turn of the century and written verses to express what he imagines them to be thinking and feeling.
* Myers, Walter Dean. The Glory Field. Scholastic, 1994.
Myers takes readers from 1753 to 1994, tracing six generations of the Lewis family, in this complex story of struggles and achievement.
* Petry, Ann. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Biography
* Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Alvin Ailey.
This picture book biography pays tribute to modern dancer, Alvin Ailey, who's best known for interpreting African American culture through his dancing and choreography.
* Pinkney, Gloria Jean. The Sunday Outing. Dial, 1994.
A young girl's dream of visiting her relatives is realized when she takes a trip to visit North Carolina.
* Polacco, Patricia. Chicken Sunday.
Primary
In this multicultural story, a Russian immigrant girl tells about her friendship with two African-American children and their grandmother, Miss Eula. The little girl often eats Sunday dinner at Miss Eula's. The boys want to buy her the special Easter hat she has admired. The three children contrive a plan to purchase the hat by decorating Easter eggs in the "Pysanky" style as they are done in Russia.
* Polacco, Patricia. Pink and say. Putnam, 1994.
This is one of my favorite books! It is the unforgettable story of two young Union boys from very different backgrounds caught up in the travesties of war in Confederate territory. This poignant Civil War story has been passed down through generations, including the generation of the author.
* Ringgold, Faith. Dinner at Aunt Connie's House.
A history lesson introducing twelve notable African-American women.
* Ringgold, Faith. Tar Beach.
Primary
Cassie Louise Lightfoot is only eight years old, but in her dreams she flies above her home in Harlem. She flies over all of New York...as she flies she imagines many things.
* Ruby, Lois. Steal Away Home.
History, drama, and mystery are interwoven in two overlapping stories; one of the Underground Railroad of the 1850s and the other of a young girl in Lawrence, Kansas, in the 1990s.
* Steptoe, John. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale.
Inspired by an African story published in 1895, Steptoe writes about Mufaro's two beautiful daughters-Nyasha, the happy and kindly one, and Manyara, the ill-tempered and selfish one.
* Taylor, Mildred. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
Intermediate Newbery Medal
A black family encounters persecution and condescension as well as poverty, but is strong in their love for one another and for the land they own.
* Towle, Wendy. The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor. Scholastic, 1993.
The son of fugitive slaves who had fled to Canada on the Underground Railroad, McCoy overcame prejudice and hardship to patent more than 50 inventions.
* Williams, Karen Lynn. Galimoto.
Selected as a Reading Rainbow Book, Galimoto tells the story of Kondi, a boy from Malawi, Africa. Kondi wanders through his village searching for the materials to make a galimoto, a toy constructed of wire.
* Williams, Karen Lynn. When Africa Was Home. Orchard Books, 1991.
Peter, an American boy with fair skin and golden hair, lived his early years in Africa. He became one with the children who called him "achimwene," which means "little brother" in Chichewa. Even though his family spoke of life in the United States, he did not want to leave Africa. After moving to America, his greatest desire was to return to the place he called home.
* Winter, Jeanette. Follow the Drinking Gourd. Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.
At night, when the work was done, Peg Leg Joe taught American slaves a song that secretly told the way to freedom. Under a starry sky, many slaves began the journey, guided by the song lyrics, that eventually led them to freedom in Canada and the northern United States.
* Yarbrough, Camille. Cornrows. Coward-McCann Inc., 1979.
Sister and her little brother, Me Too, learn the richness of their African-American heritage as Mama and Great-Grammaw tell "se-ri-ous, dy-no-mite" stories while weaving the children's hair into striking cornrow patterns. Every design has a name that represents a powerful African-American tradition.
How to Select Appropriate African-American Books
* Reject books with offensive expressions, negative attitudes, or stereotypes.
* Select books which represent the diversity of all African-Americans.
* Don't ignore books on African-Americans if there are no children of color in your class. These books are valuable for all children and encourage understanding of one another.
