 Crown An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes Come to the barber shop and experience this celebration of the confidence, self-esteem and swagger that boys feel when they leave with a fresh cut. “A fresh cut does something to your brain, right? It hooks up your intellectual.” Everybody notices and even a mother’s hug gets a little tighter. That cut makes boys feel sharper, more visible and aware that great things could happen to them. Beautiful! Feb., 2018 This book was just named as an honor book for BOTH the Newbery and the Caldecott Medal!  Hey Black Child by Useni Perkins Six-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Bryan Collier brings this classic, inspirational poem to life, written by poet Useni Eugene Perkins. Hey black child, Do you know who you are? Who really are? Do you know you can be What you want to be If you try to be What you can be? Perkins, in his own words says he “wanted to inspire and motivate all black children to achieve their God-given potential, regardless of the challenges they face in life.” Speak these words of power to the children.  Early Sunday Morning by Denene Millner with illustrations by the talented Vanessa Brantley-Newton Joy, love, jubilation, family and glorious song fill this book about getting ready for church on a special Sunday morning. June, nervous about her solo in the choir, gets advice from family members. The ritual of getting her hair done and donning a dress from her aunt prepares her to shine. Daddy, who won’t be coming along tells her that he will be there is spirit. Later during the service as she talk a breath to sing the first note, he walks in the door calling , “Sing, baby!” And she lifts her mighty voice and does just that. “And the church shouts, “Amen!”  A Night Out with Mama by Quvenzhane Wallis
From Academy Award–nominated child actress Quvenzhané Wallis comes a story the glamour of attending the Academy Awards. The day begins with her Dad making a special breakfast before the pampering begins. Siblings help as she and her mom put on the glitz. A fall on the red carpet doesn’t dampen her spirits and the sparkling evening ends with a tired mama and daughter return home where Nazie (her nickname) ends the day with “It’s just me, Mama.” With illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, little girls everywhere can picture themselves on a night out with mama.
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 March is women's history month and this weekend, March 10th, is Harriet Tubman's birthday. Harriet Tubman is perhaps best known as a conductor of the underground railroad, where she led over 300 enslaved people to freedom without losing a single person. She was also involved in the Civil War. She was a nurse, a cook, and a spy for the Union. Through her work as a spy, she became the first woman to lead a military expedition in American History. If you'd like to celebrate women's history month or this courageous woman's birthday, you can find more information in the resources below. Book Resources This nonfiction chapter book is full of fascinating information about Harriet Tubman's life, focusing on her time as a Union Spy. Well-researched and containing information and pictures from primary sources, this book will satisfy fans of history, biography, and spy adventures. Read the book to find out how slave songs were used to pass secret messages, how spy rings provided the Union with intelligence, and how various spying techniques worked from ciphers to drops. Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent by Thomas B. Allen  This biography covers Harriet's life from birth to death. The large text and black-and-white illustrations throughout make the format friendly for younger readers. Separate, topical pages throughout provide additional context to help better understand Harriet's life and the time she lived in. Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough, illustrated by Nancy Harrison  This nonfiction picture book follows the lives of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth and the parallels and eventual intersection of their lives. A quilt motif is contained in the narrative which is echoed in the illustrations that show words and pictures as being stitched together. When Harriet Met Sojourner by Catherine Clinton, illustrated by Shane W. Evans  This atmospheric picture book describes Harriet's escape from slavery and her spiritual journey as she was called to work on the Underground Railroad. Kadir Nelson's gorgeous artwork sets the tone for each part of the story and immerses the reader in the setting. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson  An Apple for Harriet Tubman tells a story from Harriet Tubman's great-niece about Harriet's love of apples and how they came to represent freedom for her. An Apple for Harriet Tubman by Glennette Tilley Turner, illustrated by Susan Keeter  This biography collection from the award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney describes the lives and courageous actions of women like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks and how they stood up in the face of oppression and prejudice to fight for equality and freedom. Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn Database ResourcesMCDS subscribes to several online databases. Ask or e-mail Tessa or Erica if you need the login information.  Chelsea House Biographies online has a detailed biography about Harriet Tubman (and many others) including a timeline, photographs, and articles on related topics such as quilt codes and slave spirituals.  You can access Discovery Streaming through ed1stop. It contains many videos and clips about Harriet Tubman, life in her era, and the underground railroad. You can search by grade level to find a whole video or a clip to show to a class or for students to view at home. Online Resources Portrait by H.B. Lindsley
This is a good time to introduce new poetry books. Take a look at these offerings and come by to check out these and other books to help you celebrate poetry in your home or classroom. Award winning poet Joyce Sidman gives these reasons for reading poetry: 1. Capture the moment. 2. Choosing joy. 3. Easing the heart. 4. Everything is connected To read more about her rational follow this link: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/newsletters/newsletterbucketextrahelping2/893901-477/why_i_write_poetry_a.html.csp  Never Forgotten, illustrated by the incomparable team of Leo and Diane Dillon, this story is spoken by the Griot (African storyteller) whose words have the rhythm of drum beats. In lyrical verse, it tells of Dinga the blacksmith whose wife dies leaving him to raise their son Musafa. Elements of folklore weave through the story as Earth Mother, Fire Woman, Water Maiden and Wind Spirit nourish and seek to protect the boy when he is kidnapped by slave traders. The spirits follow Musafa across the Middle Passage to find him enslaved and working as a blacksmith like his father before him. This message returns to Dinga who celebrates "With the Mother Elements by his side, Celebrating the son who was taken, But never forgotten." The Griot reminds us that Musafa was one of millions. Patricia McKissack gives voice to the taken and the left behind.  Peaceful Pieces: Poems and Quilts About Peace explores the meaning of peace."Can peace creep up on us, seep into our souls, or do we have to search it out, coax it, give it space?" Anna Hines explores the subject of peace at home, in the world and within one's self. Each evocative poem is illustrated with handmade story quilts.  In Amazing Faces, Lee Bennett Hopkins has collected a multicultural array of people who reveal the universal emotions we all share. Whether happiness, sadness, excitement or pride, these feelings express the experiences that make us human and let us make connections to others. "A young soldier returns home-----keeping miles of memories sealed within One heartbreaking boyish grin." Guyku a Year of Haiku for Boys  Haiku at its most fun. Throughout the seasons, boys frolic and play. In winter “Two splotches of white / on a black tree trunk. I aim / my next pitch—strike three!” Bob Raczka captures moments in nature complemented by Peter Reynold's delightful cartoons in which each seasons is depicted in a single hue.  Dear Hotdog by Mordicai Gerstein celebrates ordinary things from toes to toothbrushes. Three children spend their day; they play, eat, and enjoy everyday things. Illustrated by the author, these are poems in which young readers will see themselves. "Leaves" tells us, "In spring, yellow-green and tiny, you pop out and dress big trees in baby clothes."  Step Gently Out--this title is good advice for being mindful of the beauty in the smallest creature. The stunning close-up photography of Rick Lieder reveals the lattice of a damselfly wing or lets you share the dew sparkling web with a spider. Helen Frost leads you on this journey of discovery with her words, "In song and dance and stillness, they share the world with you." Watch her world below.  I Lay My Stitches Down by Cynthia Grady is a moving tribute to the African American spirit. She says this in the introductory page, "Quiltmaking and poetry share similarities in craft. In one, color and shape are organized into an overall pattern; in the other, sound and structure create the pattern, Each poem...is named for a traditional quilt block and reflects a metaphorical patchwork of circumstances encountered by enslaved people in America."
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