Legacy*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion.
Happy New Year!! My first read for the year I was so lucky to get Nikki Grimes' ARC on poets from the Harlem Renaissance. Personally, I am not too familiar with authors from the Harlem Renaissance; I did have one class in college that thematically revolved around the texts, but my knowledge ends there. Because of this, I felt that Grimes' book was a perfect reintroduction to the movement and the female poets that have fallen off my radar. One thing to know about this book of poetry is that it written in the "Golden Shovel" format. Grimes does a great job in explaining what the format is, but to paraphrase the Golden Shovel Poem is created using a line from another poem; once you have that line, the words in that poem must be used as the last word of each line in your poem. What I enjoyed about this is that even before we get into the readings, Grimes explains and gives an example of what this will look like. I find that to be so helpful and something that can be used in the classroom. On to the book- some things that I fully enjoyed about the book is that each poem by the Harlem Renaissance authors is thematically connected to Grimes' Shovel Poem. For example, if the poem is speaking towards societal standards for women Grimes will also keep that theme and recreate a new poem as a response or as a continuation. Reading both sets was something empowering because the themes encouraged readers to be more than what society tells us to be. In addition to beautiful works of poetry, visual artist were included in the process because at the end of each poem set there is a related image done by an illustrator/artist. No piece is a duplicate, and they each bring out the mental image that represented the poetry. Legacy is an amazing addition to any collection because it mixes modes of art as well as timelines in a seamless manner. I would love to see another addition to this book in the form of a series, and I can honestly say that Nikki Grimes did not disappoint. You can get your copy below, the book will be released on January 5, 2021: Amazon Barnes and Noble Powell's
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The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your PassionThe Crossroads of Should and Must was originally a recommendation that I got through watching YouTuber Morgan Long, who is absolutely amazing when it comes to reading and motivation. She, like me and so many others at this time, needed a motivational boost and found solace in this short but powerful book. The Crossroads of Should and Must is divided into sections that cover "The Crossroads," "Should," "Must," and "The Return." These sections were helpful because they forced me to reflect on what is important to me as an individual person, not just the roles I fulfill (daughter, sister, girl-friend, etc.). Activities are sprinkled into the book, and they allowed me to break down my thoughts and feelings into specifics such as fears, wants, needs, and misconceptions. Although I feel like there is so much to say about this book, I feel as if my mere writing will not do it justice. All I can say is that I found this book to be empowering when I needed it most. There have been times in my life where I feel obligated to be, act, or achieve in a certain way, and this book makes me feel okay knowing that I do not have to follow that path by any means. This book showed me that I am more than just the roles I have, it reminded me that I am an individual person who has a right to be what I want. If you feel like you need a reminder, you can pick up your copy below: Amazon Barnes and Noble Better World Books Powell's Showtime at the Apollo: The Epic Tale of Harlem's Legendary Apollo TheaterShowtime at the Apollo: The Epic Tale of Harlem's Legendary Theater is a graphic novel depiction of Ted Fox's original novel of the same name. His graphic novel goes on to share the many rises and falls of the Apollo Theater, and it is divided into the different eras that marked important parts in its history. One interesting fact that came from the book is that the book itself would not have been written without the help of Dionne Warwick who deeply loved and praised the theater. It was through her push, Fox was able to interview other famous Apollo alumni. This book does include a lot of information and it does cover some important topics such as: -the race of the owner (how that impacted the audience and the performers) the riots that would take place in the area and how that influenced the acts inside the building -the economic impact the theater provided to the community Although I loved learning the history of the Apollo, at times it would feel overwhelming and rushed. I would have liked the information to be spread out on the page since it is a graphic novel. I am sure they wanted to include as much information as they could, but many of the pages seemed bursting with text. I do recommend this book if you enjoy history and culture, especially during a time where we are still trying to gain attention and justice for our fellow citizens. You cannot imagine how much the Apollo theater has done for the community it is in, and how much of an impact it has created in the history of music. Keep in mind that you can also find this in novel format if graphic novels are not your cup of tea. You can buy your copy here: Amazon Barnes and Noble Better World Books Powell's A Field Guide to a Happy Life:53 Brief Lessons for LivingWhen I originally picked this book to read, I didn't know what to expect, but A Field Guide to a Happy Life: 53 Brief Lessons for Living did end up teaching me some new concepts I didn't know about. The main thing you should know about this book- if you haven't already done some research on it- is that it is about Stoicism. Stoicism is a philosophy that is based on living a virtuous life as well as valuing wisdom. Although this book does mention that you can learn about Stoicism without prior knowledge, I did feel overwhelmed at times because of my ignorance on the topic. I was able to pick some things up regarding Stoic thought, this was done through examples, but there were times where I felt I was inundated with information, so I did not get a full grasp on the subject. My suggestion is that if you are looking to learn more about Stoicism, that you also do some research before to get your feet wet, and then read this book in pieces so that you have plenty of time to reflect on the subject. To Pre-Order your copy visit the links below. A Field Guide to a Happy Life: 53 Brief Lessons for Living will be released on September 15, 2020. Amazon Barnes and Noble Powell's Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read MattersKylene Beers and Robert Probst's book Disruptive Thinking: Why How We Read Matters is essential to have in your library if you are in the business of books, reading, and teaching reading. The book is divided into different parts that include the different types of readers you may encounter, strategies to use, and the research behind their ideas. It is because of how this book is formatted that I was able to take away so many ideas that opened my eyes to how as a librarian I can make changes to the way I approach my future teaching. One of the main ideas I took from their writing is that we are not challenging our students when we have them extract information; what we need to do is have them engage in a text in a way that makes them feel valued as a reader. The text, if it is to influence our kids to be readers, needs to be meaningful to them, and by having them answer comprehension questions or making them give a basic summary is not going to make them feel valued as readers. I do plan on using some of these strategies in my future student book clubs, and I cannot wait to see what comes from this reframing of my structures. I will keep you all posted! If you are interested in this text, you can find it in the links below: Amazon Barnes and Noble Better World Books Powell's |