CHILDREN'S BOOK CORNER

Here is a selection of books related to the holidays and special days of this month, recommended for your child’s reading pleasure.

NEW YEAR’S DAY ~ January 1st

SHANTE KEYS and the NEW YEAR’S PEAS

Gail Piernas-Davenport, author ~ Marion Eldridge, illustrator

Overview: A young girl seeks to obtain black-eyed peas for her New Year’s meal because she believes that eating them will bring good luck for the coming year. While going through the community, she discovers a variety of New Year’s traditions practiced by different cultures.

Ages 6-8 years old

Edna Lewis (1916 – 2006) ~ Chef and cooking book author; best known for her traditional Southern cuisine. (Stamp issued: 9/24/14 with “Celebrity Chefs” stamps – Scott # 4922)

EPIPHANY ~ January 6th

ONE STAR,THREE KINGS

Ages 3-8 years old

Rebecca Grabill, author ~ Isabella Grott, Illustrator

Overview: Join Balthasar, Caspar, and Melchior as they follow the star to Bethlehem in this fascinating retelling that blends Scripture, history, and legend. Learn about their ancient origins, their journey, and their gifts.

Traditional Christmas: The Christmas Magi

(Stamp issued: 11/19/14 – Scott # 4945)

ZORA NEALE HURSTON ~ Birthday January 7th

ZORA HURSTON and the CHINABERRY TREE

Ages 4-8 years old

William Miller, author ~ Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, illustrators

Overview: This book emphasizes the awareness of family, nature and community that is reflected in Hurston’s writing, and it tells how she learned about hope and strength from her mother; a mother who taught her that dreams are always within reach.

ZORA NEALE HURSTON (1891 – 1960) ~ Writer and folklorist; author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, considered the first Black feminist novel. (Issued: 1/24/08 – Scott # 3748

MUHAMMAD ALI ~ two stamps will be issued January 15th in his honor

MUHAMMAD ALI: Champion of the World

Jonah Winter, author ~ Francois Roca, illustrator Overview: This book briefly tells of the African-American boxers that paved the way for Muhammad Ali. It follows Ali’s growth and development into a world championship boxer. Proud of his African roots, and his Muslim faith, Ali was deterrmined to be heard in a voice that no one would forget.

Ages 4-8 years old

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR DAY ~ January 19th (Birthday, January 15th)

A PLACE TO LAND: Martin Luther King, Jr, and the Speech That Inspired a Nation*

Ages 5-10 years old

Barry Wittenstein, author ~ Jerry Pinkney, illustrator

Overview: : Surrounded by a group of trusted friends, Dr. King listens to their voices and opinions as they contribute to the creation of one of his most powerful speeches.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968) ~ Clergyman and Nobel Prize winner; one of the principal leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement and a prominent advocate of non-violence protest. (Stamp issued 9/17/99 with “Celebrate the Century, 1960s” stamps – Scott # 3188a)

PHILLIS WHEATLY stamp to be issued January 29th as the 49th stamp in the “Black Heritage” stamp series

A VOICE OF HER OWN: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet

Kathryn Laskym, author ~ Paul Lee, illustrator

Overview: This is a chapter book about the African young girl who was kidnapped from her family of griots (oral historians) and sold to the Wheatley family in Boston. They gave her the name of her slave schooner Phillis. Showing a passion for learning, Phillis became a writer and a poet who ultimately had a book of verse published. Establishing herself as the first African-American woman poet in the country.

Ages 4-8 years old

JACKIE ROBINSON ~ Birthday, January 31st

PROMISES TO KEEP: How Jackie Robinson Changed America

Sharon Robinson, author

Overview: Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this warm loving account of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball. Jackie Robinson was an outstanding athlete, a devoted family man and a dedicated civil rights activist.

JACK ROOSEVELT “JACKIE” ROBINSON ~ (1919 – 1972) ~ Baseball player and Civil Rights activist; the first African American to play Major League Baseball in modern times. (Issued 8/2/82 in the “Black Heritage” stamp series - Scott # 2016)