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RUBY BRIDGES

A TALK WITH MY TEACHER

A child-friendly exploration of a landmark moment in civil rights history.

Activist Bridges shares her memories of the elementary teacher who taught her when no one else would.

Young Ruby’s looking forward to the beginning of second grade. Last year, in 1960, she became the first Black student to attend William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans; because so many parents pulled their children out of school in protest, she was the only child in her class. She’s excited about recent changes at school: This year, she’s no longer the only Black student, and she has classmates, too. But her teacher, Mrs. Henry, is nowhere to be found; Ruby has a new teacher and classroom. For 35 long years, Ruby wonders what happened to Mrs. Henry and harbors questions about her experiences. When her work as a published author makes a reunion with Mrs. Henry possible, she finally gets answers to her many questions. Though somewhat dry and a bit clunky in places, the text offers a comprehensible account of integration and the impact it had on Bridges. Softly hued digital illustrations capture Bridges’ confusion as she searches for Mrs. Henry in the school halls. The book ends with an author’s note in which Bridges expresses her hope that her memories will inspire a greater appreciation of teachers; she also includes a glossary of famous educators, which feels a bit tacked on.

A child-friendly exploration of a landmark moment in civil rights history. (Picture-book memoir. 5-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025

ISBN: 9781338753943

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024

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BASKETBALL DREAMS

Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.

An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.

In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022

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MALALA'S MAGIC PENCIL

An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter.

The latest of many picture books about the young heroine from Pakistan, this one is narrated by Malala herself, with a frame that is accessible to young readers.

Malala introduces her story using a television show she used to watch about a boy with a magic pencil that he used to get himself and his friends out of trouble. Readers can easily follow Malala through her own discovery of troubles in her beloved home village, such as other children not attending school and soldiers taking over the village. Watercolor-and-ink illustrations give a strong sense of setting, while gold ink designs overlay Malala’s hopes onto her often dreary reality. The story makes clear Malala’s motivations for taking up the pen to tell the world about the hardships in her village and only alludes to the attempt on her life, with a black page (“the dangerous men tried to silence me. / But they failed”) and a hospital bracelet on her wrist the only hints of the harm that came to her. Crowds with signs join her call before she is shown giving her famous speech before the United Nations. Toward the end of the book, adult readers may need to help children understand Malala’s “work,” but the message of holding fast to courage and working together is powerful and clear.

An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter. (Picture book/memoir. 5-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-316-31957-7

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017

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