March 10 – International Day of Awesomeness

About the Holiday

Today we celebrate awesomeness, and in particular the fact that you are awesome! Begun as an inside joke among coworkers, International Day of Awesomeness continues to grow, attracting more and more awesome individuals around the world. To celebrate get creative and perform feats of awesomeness—whatever that might mean to you. You can also read about awesome people and their accomplishments to get you fired up to do awesome things of your own all through the year. Why not start with today’s book?!

Become a Leader Like Michelle Obama (Work It, Girl Series)

Written by Caroline Moss | Illustrated by Sinem Erkas

Encouraging, supportive, and always smiling, Michelle Obama inspired millions of kids across the country during her eight years as First Lady and continues to motivate children to be and become the best version of themselves. Through her fast-paced, engrossing biography, Caroline Moss creates a reading experience that gives children the opportunity to get to know their idol the way friends do: by talking together. In ten short, but information-packed chapters, Moss captures Michelle’s voice and spirit through snapshots of formative events that influenced and changed her life, all told in a conversational style with plenty of dialogue and fascinating details.

Accompanying this personal narrative are Sinem Erkas’s stunning 3-D cut paper artwork. Bold colors, stirring imagery, and portraits that follow Michelle through times of happiness, sadness, and change reveal to readers Michelle’s intelligence, spark, hard work, and enthusiasm for life that fuels her vision and success.

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Image copyright Sinem Erkas, 2020, text copyright Caroline Moss, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

In Chapter 1, readers are invited in to Michelle’s home on her 8^th birthday. They learn about her family, the house they share with relatives, including her favorite aunt, Aunt Robbie, and the loving atmosphere that formed her values and sense of community that “would inspire her to go on and change communities across the US – and beyond.”

Chapter 2 takes readers into Michelle’s second-grade classroom, where “she loved reading, making up stories in her head and on the page, and creating art” and was frustrated by the inattention of the other kids who always seemed to be “bouncing off the walls.” Here they also discover certain events on her road from that classroom to high school graduation that helped Michelle develop her strength and self-confidence.

In Chapter 3 Michelle enters Princeton University, the college of her dreams. She makes friends, gets a job that “helped her think about a world outside her own,” and had a small, but life-changing experience that made her realize that “she did not have to blend into the background” or always “take the easy route. She started to imagine herself as a helper and an influential voice in her community, as a smart mind with ideas to share with the world.”

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Image copyright Sinem Erkas, 2020, text copyright Caroline Moss, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

By Chapter 5 Michelle has graduated from Harvard Law School and taken a job at a Chicago law firm. But while she loved her job, she was struggling with medical challenges faced by her father and her best friend. “Michelle had a lot to juggle, but she was becoming pretty awesome at taking on lots of different tasks with a smile.” When does Michelle meet Barak? That comes in Chapter 6, when he got a job at the same law firm Michelle worked for. Readers get to hear about his first day on the job and the impression he made on her, how she came to think of him as her best friend at work, and about their first date.

Chapter 7 begins as Michelle is thinking about the course she wants her life to take. She realizes that she didn’t want to be a lawyer. “But what did she want to be; who did she want to be? Michelle had no idea, but she knew she wanted to change the world around her and leave it better than she found it.” She soon found herself working at Chicago City Hall. Her enthusiasm and success there led her to be hired by an organization that “found inspiring young people who showed promise in making a difference” and who would go on to “take leadership jobs in their communities.” It was also during this time that Barak proposed and took a new job helping to register first-time voters.

In Chapter 8, the Obamas’ lives take a big leap toward their future as Michelle gets a new job with the University of Chicago, where she was to “create a sustainable program that would help connect the university with its community.” During these years Malia and Sasha are born and Barack runs for and wins a seat in the US Senate, going on to become President. What did Michelle think about all of these changes? Young readers will discover her conflicting feelings: wariness, excitement, pride, and the belief that “one person could make a difference.”

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Image copyright Sinem Erkas, 2020, text copyright Caroline Moss, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

As Chapter 9 opens, Michelle and Barack and their family have moved into the White House. For Michelle that meant developing an “‘official initiative’ for her time in the White House.” Readers learn how she designed her ‘Let’s Move!’ program, aimed at keeping “kids healthy through education and learning good habits.” In Chapter 10, the Obamas leave the White House, “but Michelle knew her story had just begun.” She wrote a book sharing her stories and her life. Now new adventures await her and it will “only be a matter of time before she [sets] out to change the world once more.”

Sprinkled throughout the text are inspirational quotes from Michelle Obama that are called out in eye-catching blocks and soaring illustrations. Back matter includes ten key lessons from Michelle Obama’s life on how to become a leader, questions to prompt kids to think about what is important to them, and resources for further reading and exploration.

Emphasizing family, community, self-confidence, and the importance of seizing opportunities to make a difference, Become a Leader Like Michelle Obama is highly recommended for home, school, and public libraries to hearten and embolden young readers to listen to their inner voices and take action for what they believe in.

Ages 8 – 12 and up

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2020 | ISBN 978-0711245181

Discover more about Caroline Moss and her books on her website.

To learn more about Sinem Erkas, her books, and her art, visit her website.

International Day of Awesomeness Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-awesomeness-cards

Awesomeness Cards

Do you have some awesome people in your life? Give them one of these printable Awesomeness Cards and watch them smile!

**You can find Become a Leader Like Michelle Obama at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

February 26 – It’s Black History Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Black History Month is a celebration of the achievements of African Americans and the contributions they have made to the United States History. Appropriately for this election year, the theme for 2020 is “African Americans and the Vote,” which recognizes the struggle for both black men as well as women throughout American history. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Fifteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1870 and gave black men the right to vote after the Civil War. It has also been one hundred years since women gained the right to vote. For more information about Black History Month, visit the ASALH website and africanamericanhistorymonth.gov.

What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan

Written by Chris Barton | Illustrated by Ekua Holmes

As a child growing up in the Fifth Ward of Houston, Texas, Barbara Jordan was known for her distinctive voice. “That voice. That big, bold, booming, crisp, clear, confident voice. It caused folks to sit right up, stand up straight, and take notice. What do you do with a voice like that?” Barbara recited poetry, gave speeches, and in 1952 won an oratory contest with a trip to Chicago as the prize. She was proud of herself and where her voice was leading her. But where would that be?

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Image copyright Ekua Holmes, 2018, text copyright Chris Barton, 2018. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

She considered becoming a preacher, a teacher, and a lawyer. When a black woman lawyer gave a speech at Barbara’s high school, Barbara thought she had found her calling. She attended college where she “learned how to find facts for herself, debate important issues, defend good ideas, and dismantle bad ones.” She graduated with a law degree, but practicing law became boring. She wrote more than she spoke, and the work was not demanding enough.

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Image copyright Ekua Holmes, 2018, text copyright Chris Barton, 2018. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

It was 1960, and Barbara decided to lend her voice to causes she believed in. She became involved in politics, and on one pivotal night, she filled in for a speaker who was absent. “The audience loved her. They trusted her. Most important they were inspired to do something—to get out and vote” and to persuade others to vote. Barbara decided to run for office. She lost her first two elections, but the third one she won.

Barbara Jordan was now a Texas state senator, representing the people she grew up with. She believed in making changes from within the political system through debating issues on the Senate floor. She also got to know her colleagues outside of work, and they got to know her. They listened to each other, and positive changes were the result. In 1972, Barbara ran for Congress and won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC.

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Image copyright Ekua Holmes, 2018, text copyright Chris Barton, 2018. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

In 1973, the Watergate scandal broke. “President Nixon, it seemed, had broken the law, and Congress had to decide what to do about it.” Once again, as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Barbara used her voice to remind Congress and the American people that “the Constitution is the document governing all the laws in the United States and applies to all of its people.” Then “in her big, bold, booming, crisp, clear, confident tone” she said, “‘My faith in the Constitution is whole…. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.’” Barbara said that the president must go. President Nixon resigned in 1974.

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Image copyright Ekua Holmes, 2018, text copyright Chris Barton, 2018. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Barbara became a star, shining “like a bright light in a dark place.” She became the voice for those battling discrimination, for those “who had less power…who possessed quieter strengths than her own…who did not want to be limited by their weaknesses.” People talked about Barbara becoming a Senator, a Supreme Court Justice, or possibly Vice President.

But Barbara, unknown even to herself, had been struggling with multiple sclerosis, and now her inner voice told her that the place she belonged was home. Back in Texas, she became a college professor, where she taught her students not only to “do something, but to do the right thing.” Her students are still working today, striving to make the world a better place and to inspire everyone to make their voices heard.

An Author’s Note, a detailed timeline of Barbara Jordan’s life, and other recommended resources follows the text.

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Image copyright Ekua Holmes, 2018, text copyright Chris Barton, 2018. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Chris Barton’s stirring biography of Barbara Jordan introduces children to a woman whose voice is just as relevant today as it was when she was a state senator, US representative, and professor. Barton clearly and lyrically depicts Jordan’s trajectory while showing readers what it takes to succeed: practice, perseverance, learning, and wisdom. For young readers Barton briefly but cogently outlines the core of the case against Richard Nixon then allows readers to hear, in her own words, Jordan’s rousing defense of the Constitution. His inclusion of Jordan’s seventeen years of teaching after her diagnosis of MS is a poignant reminder that her influence is still heard through her students and admirers, and Barton’s final exhortation to readers to speak out honors Barbara Jordan’s life and will impel both children and adults to follow her lead.

Ekua Holmes stunning mixed-media illustrations will set readers’ hearts soaring in this over-sized picture book that beautifully reflects Barbara Jordan’s influence in politics and beyond. Holmes’ collages, rendered in lush colors and textured with intricate patterns and images from nature, take children on Jordan’s journey from sun-drenched Texas to law school to Washington DC, giving them a glimpse of her childhood and her growing stature as a stateswoman. Today’s savvy readers will be interested in the examples of campaign materials and images of Jordan’s building relationships with diverse voters and her fellow senators and representatives. Several photographs of Jordan from her graduation, campaigns, and televised appearances during the Watergate hearings join Holmes’ realistic portraits and will inspire readers to learn more about this influential and unforgettable woman.

What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? is a stirring and empowering biography that belongs in every home, school, and public library collection.

Ages 4 – 8 and up

Beach Lane Books, 2018 | ISBN 978-1481465618

Discover more about Chris Barton and his books on his website.

To learn more about Ekua Holmes, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Black History Month Activity

Barbara Jordan Inspirational Poster

If you have ideas about how to make the world better, print this poster of Barbara Jordan and write how you would like to use your voice on the back. This can be through speech, writing, art, community involvement, or any way that uses your talents.

**You can find What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

February 25 – Honoring Katherine Johnson

Posted by Kath Carroll

About Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson passed away yesterday at the age of 101. Recognized from an early age for her brilliance, Katherine went on to become a pivotal mathematician for NASA as the space race led to the first manned missions and lunar landings. She continued working for NASA on the space shuttle and other technological advancements. Fearless in asking the kinds of probing questions that fueled her imagination and precise calculations and in standing up for her rights, Katherine was a trail-blazer for women and people of color. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Her influence and inspiration continue to shine, especially for children, through books like Counting on Katherine.

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13

Written by Helaine Becker | Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

Katherine may have been born counting. She counted every step she took and every step she climbed. She counted the dishes and silverware as she washed them, and although she may have wanted to count all the stars in the sky, she knew that was beyond anyone’s ability. “Even so, the stars sparked her imagination…. Katherine yearned to know as much as she could about numbers, about the universe—about everything!”

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Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2018, text copyright Helaine Becker, 2018. Courtesy of Henry Holt and Company.

Katherine was so smart that she skipped three grades, even passing up her older brother. Katherine graduated from elementary school when she was 10 and was ready for high school, but “her town’s high school didn’t admit black students—of any age. Her father, though, said, “‘Count on me.’” He worked until the family could afford to move to another town where she could attend a black high school.

In high school, Katherine loved all of her classes, but her favorite subject was math. She wanted to become a research mathematician, “making discoveries about the number patterns that are the foundations of our universe.” But there were no jobs like that for women, so Katherine taught elementary school.

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Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2018, text copyright Helaine Becker, 2018. Courtesy of Henry Holt and Company.

Then in the 1950s, the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics began hiring new employees. When Katherine applied all the positions had been filled, but the next year she got a job. A few years later when NASA was formed, Katherine became what was known as a human “‘computer.’” She and the other computers––all of whom were women––calculated long series of numbers, contributing to the “space race.”

Katherine asked lots of questions about how high the rocket ship would go and how fast it would travel before beginning her calculations. Her job was to make sure that the earth and the rocket were in the same place when the rocket needed to land. Katherine’s calculations were so precise and her leadership so inspiring that she was promoted to Project Mercury, “a new program designed to send the first American astronauts into space.

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Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2018, text copyright Helaine Becker, 2018. Courtesy of Henry Holt and Company.

The engineers and astronauts knew that the missions were going to be dangerous, and John Glenn, distrusting the computer-generated numbers, refused to fly until Katherine approved the numbers. “‘You can count on me,’” she told him. Glenn’s mission was successful and Katherine earned another promotion. Her new job was to “calculate the flight paths for Project Apollo—the first flight to the moon.” She calculated the trajectories that took Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 to the moon and back in 1969. But as Apollo 13 soared through space on its way to the moon, there was an explosion. There were questions about whether the spaceship could reach the moon or make it back to Earth.

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Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2018, text copyright Helaine Becker, 2018. Courtesy of Henry Holt and Company.

Katherine was again called to make new calculations. In only a few hours, Katherine had a new flight plan that “would take the ship around the far side of the moon. From there, the moon’s gravity would act like a slingshot to zing the ship back to Earth.” But for the plan to work, the astronauts had to follow it exactly. There was no room for a mistake. Katherine and all of the NASA engineers waited nervously to find out if the plan would succeed. Finally, the astronauts reported that they were back on track. “Katherine Johnson had done it…. She was no longer the kid who dreamed of what lay beyond the stars. She was now a star herself.”

An Author’s Note following the text tells more about Katherine Johnson’s life and work, which went on to impact the space shuttle program and satellite projects.

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Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2018, text copyright Helaine Becker, 2018. Courtesy of Henry Holt and Company.

Helaine Becker’s captivating storytelling captures Katherine Johnson’s genius for math and talent for applying it to even the most complex problems in a ground-breaking field. Her self-confidence, curiosity, and love of learning as well as her trajectory at NASA will impress readers, many of whom may also be dreaming of making a mark in new ways. A highlight of Becker’s text is her clear explanations of how Katherine’s calculations for NASA were used and what was at stake when her help was needed most. Becker’s repeated phrase “You can count on me” and her stirring ending weave together the numerical and lyrical aspects of Katherine’s life to inspire a new generation of thinkers.

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Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2018, text copyright Helaine Becker, 2018. Courtesy of Henry Holt and Company.

From the first page, readers can see Katherine’s intelligence and inquisitiveness that shined whether she was walking to school, doing chores, or, later, making sure our astronauts made it to the moon and back safely. Dow Phumiruk’s artwork is always thrilling, and here blackboards covered in formulas as Katherine stands on tiptoe as a child and on a ladder as an adult to complete them will leave readers awestruck with her understanding of and abilities with numbers. Illustrations of school rooms and offices give children a realistic view of the times, and her imagery pairs perfectly with Becker’s text in demonstrating the concepts of sending a rocket ship into space and bringing it home again. Phumiruk’s lovely images of space are uplifting reminders that dreams do come true.

A stellar biography that will enthrall children and inspire them to keep their eyes on their goals and achieve their dreams, Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 is highly recommended for home bookshelves and is a must for school and public library collections.

Ages 5 – 9

Henry Holt and Company, 2018 | ISBN 978-1250137524

Discover more about Helaine Becker and her books on her website.

To learn more about Dow Phumiruk, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Watch the Counting on Katherine book trailer!

**You can find Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

February 18 – It’s Black History Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Black History Month celebrates the achievements and contributions of African Americans in United States History. Originally a week-long observance initiated by writer and educator Dr. Carter G. Woodson and occurring during the second week in February to commemorate the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, Black History Month was officially established in 1976 by then president Gerald Ford. The holiday is now celebrated across the country with special events in schools, churches, and community centers.

The theme for 2020 is “African Americans and the Vote,” which recognizes the struggle for both black men as well as women throughout American history. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, which gave black men the right to vote after the Civil War. It has also been one hundred years since women gained the right to vote. For more information about Black History Month, visit the ASALH website and africanamericanhistorymonth.gov.

Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Written by Dee Romito | Illustrated by Laura Freeman

As a young girl living on a farm in Alabama, Georgia Freeman learned from her mother a lesson she took to heart: “Think twice before doing anything you might regret, and never, ever hate anyone.” When Georgia grew up and had children of her own, she was known for her delicious cooking. She even worked as a cook at the National Lunch Company, a restaurant in Montgomery, Alabama. At the time, segregation laws dictated that white customers sit on one side of the counter and black customers on the other.