Books of Soul

New African American Books: Children & Young Adults

My Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie by Kay Gibbie

December 11, 2011

 

My Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie is a bi-lingual coloring book for ages three and up. The 20-page story offers 10 illustrations with its 10 Spanish translations making it a delicious treat. Grab your crayons and discover how mama makes a sweet potato pie for her son.

My Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie: El pay de camote de mi mama
NCM Publishing
Available October 31, 2011 in Paperback

2012 Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Festival

October 16, 2011

Save March 2 & 3, 2012 For the 16th Annual Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Festival!

Planning for Children’s Literature Festival 2012 is well underway. Award winning featured speakers scheduled for 2012 include: Brian Pinkney, Eric Kimmel, George Ella Lyon, J. Patrick Lewis, Steven Layne, Caroline Arnold, and Kristine O’Connell George.

Why do people come—and keep coming back? Each year, the festival brings together educators, students, illustrators, authors, librarians, editors, and all those interested in children’s literature. In the words of past participants, it is “a small, intimate conference where you can spend time with the authors and illustrators.” “Unrushed.” “A unique opportunity to spend time with others who share a passion for children’s books and their creators.” Plan now to be a part of an exciting weekend filled with the best of children’s books and their creators. As one attendee said, “This conference is great. I never know what will happen, but it is always what I needed. It just keeps getting better and better.”

Call for Proposals: We are now accepting proposals for small group sessions for 2012, including proposals to bring students to meet one of our featured speakers. Small group topics requested by past attendees are listed on the Small Groups page.

Once again the Ayres Hotel is partnering with the University to offer room rate of $59 per night for Festival participants. Call them at 909-335 9024 and start planning your weekend getaway now!

See http://www.redlands.edu/academics/school-of-education/4102.aspx for more information.

Nettie Parker’s Backyard

September 11, 2011
Ask anyone who knows Nettie Parker, and they’ll say that she’s an amazing, mystical woman…what else would you call someone who receives supernatural signs sent just to them? And being able to live longer than anyone else? That alone is pretty amazing! Nettie’s been through many hardships in her life, and she’s learned first-hand that prejudice can be a multi-headed dragon. but her courage and determination show others that differences in skin color or in physical abilities don’t matter. In fact, as Nettie and her fighter-pilot husband both get caught up in World War II, survival becomes what matters most-not just for them, but also for the eight Jewish refugee children she comes to care for. Now Nettie faces her toughest struggle yet: uncovering the mystery of her supernatural signs and the purpose of her unusually long life. Do the strange statues that suddenly appear in her backyard point to any clues? Halley, Nettie’s young friend, plays detective as she re-visits Nettie’s past, a journey that takes the reader from South Carolina to England and back again. Can Halley put all the pieces together and solve the puzzle?

Nettie Parker’s Backyard is the story of a mystical, wonderful African-American Gullah woman and the supernatural signs she receives, which guide her to care for eight Jewish child refugees in WWII London. The special bonds they form are so strong, nothing can break them: neither time nor distance, proving love is the greatest force of all in a surprise twist ending. Important themes of anti-bullying and tolerance toward all, regardless of race, religion or physical challenges are woven into this historical-fiction mystery, and contains something to which every child, ages 9-13, can relate.

Bullying has become a global problem for today’s youth, and hate-crime rates continue to skyrocket. The characters in my book have little in common: they are from various countries, cultures and religious backgrounds…yet it all works! My book inspires the reader to see that what matters is the “core” of each person, and that acceptance of others and their differences truly means enriching themselves.

News: NBA all-star Amar’e Stoudemire to pen middle-grade series ‘STAT’

August 13, 2011

Children’s book publisher Scholastic announced Thursday it will release a series of middle-grade chapter books written by the NBA all-star. Titled after the 29-year-old player’s nickname, “STAT: Standing Tall and Talented,” the series is based on Stoudemire’s young life growing up with his older brother, landscaper dad and a mom who was in and out of jail.

For more, see Los Angeles Times.

Best Selling Paperback Sale! Buy Two, Get your Third FREE at Barnes & Noble!

The Kid With The Cubed Fro by Martin Jackson

July 14, 2011
The cover for The Kid With The Cubed Fro The Kid With The Cubed Fro is the new all age comic book series from Graffiti On The Sun. 

The Series follows the adventures of a young super genius African American boy that everyone calls the kid with the cubed fro, due to his square shaped afro.  A kid that due to his high IQ causes him to often be at the epicenter of the weirdness of the world, everything from aliens invasion, monsters, bullies, secret government programs, quantum physics mishaps and that’s just a few of the things that the kid most use his smarts to deal with.

“In some ways this series is an oxymoron.”  Says Martin Jackson the creator of The Kid With Cubed Fro.  “On one hand even though kid genius characters are nothing new we haven’t seen many of Kid with the Cubed Fro’s background or personality in the media at least not as the lead and so that something fresh and new.  But on the other hand the series somewhat a throw back to old comics.  Not in the retro sense of just trying to copy the surface style of things in the past but the series has a similar energy and feel and gives the reader something they won’t find much in the modern comic market.”

The Kid With the Cubed Fro is on sale now in .99¢ eBook format at Amazon.com

See also
http://www.indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5643.

For more information please visited the Graffiti On The Sun website http://graffiti-on-the-sun.blogspot.com.

Best Selling Paperback Sale! Buy Two, Get your Third FREE at Barnes & Noble!

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson

July 11, 2011
The story of America and African Americans is a story of hope and inspiration and unwavering courage. But it is also the story of injustice; of a country divided by law, education, and wealth; of a people whose struggles and achievements helped define their country.

Kadir Nelson, one of this generation’s most accomplished, award-winning artists, has created an epic yet intimate introduction to the history of America and African Americans, from colonial days through the civil rights movement. Written in the voice of an “Everywoman,” an unnamed narrator whose forebears came to this country on slave ships and who lived to cast her vote for the first African American president, Heart and Soul touches on some of the great transformative events and small victories of that history. This inspiring book demonstrates that in gaining their freedom and equal rights, African Americans helped our country achieve its promise of liberty and justice — the true heart and soul of our nation.

Best Selling Paperback Sale! Buy Two, Get your Third FREE at Barnes & Noble!

Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E. by S.Dodson is released!

June 9, 2011


Today is the official release of Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E. by S.Dodson.

Get it today for $10.95 paperback or $3.00 from Kindle.

Come out and meet the author!!!

She will be at the following locations for the month of June.

**Book of the month SV Promoting Purpose Magazine**

Check out the magazine!
http://www.promotingpurposemagazine.com/Featured-Author.html

06/04/2011 The Literary Joint (Forrestville, MD) 12pm to 4pm

06/10/2011 African Imports (Houston, TX) Greenspoint Mall

06/11/2011-06/12/2011 The National Black Book Festival (Houston, TX)

06/16/2011 Interviews with Conversations CA WEBB @ 8:30

06/17/2011- Cartel Café & Books (Oxon Hills, MD) 2pm to 5pm

06/20/2011-Interviews with SORMAG

Also, Interviewed at Freda Voice. To check it out copy and paste the link below.

http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2011/05/get-to-know-author-s-dodson.html

About The Book

Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E.
is suitable for the straight A student, the troubled teen, and the girl looking to be empowered. The goal is to transform our teens into successful women by giving them the tools needed to build their self confidence and self esteem. This book focuses on the hottest topics facing teens such as relationships, self esteem, bullying, the importance of education, and how to set goals. If guidance is what you need, Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E. is here to the rescue!

Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E. is suitable for any teen. If you don’t have a teen girl in your life, buy the book and donate it to a church, school or library. Everyone can use some motivation in their life!

**Books are available at all the online retailers and a book store near you. If they don’t have the book, order it. Also, books can be purchased from the publishers’ website @ www.mahogneyinkpublication.com.**

Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri

May 26, 2011
From a 2011 Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor winner comes a street-smart tale about a displaced teen who learns to defend what’s right — the Cowboy Way.

When Cole’s mom dumps him in the mean streets of Philadelphia to live with the dad he’s never met, the last thing Cole expects to see is a horse, let alone a stable full of them. He may not know much about cowboys, but what he knows for sure is that cowboys aren’t black, and they don’t live in the inner city. But in his dad’s hood, horses are a way of life, and soon Cole’s days of skipping school and getting in trouble in Detroit have been replaced by shoveling muck and trying not to get stomped on. At first, all Cole can think about is how to ditch these ghetto cowboys and get home. But when the City threatens to shut down the stables — and take away the horse Cole has come to think of as his own — he knows that it’s time to step up and fight back. Inspired by the little-known urban riders of Philly and Brooklyn, this compelling tale of latter -day cowboy justice champions a world where your friends always have your back, especially when the chips are down.

Ghetto Cowboy
by Greg Neri, illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson

Candlewick
Available August 9, 2011 in Hardcover

Cruisers #2: Checkmate by Walter Dean Myers

May 26, 2011
In the second book of the CRUISERS series, Walter Dean Myers explores the world of competitive chess as seen through the eyes of a group of middle school misfits.

Sidney Aronofsky is one of the best chess players under age 16 in both the city and the country. When he’s arrested for trying to buy drugs, it comes as a total surprise to those who know him. The expectations of parents, schools, and tutors pressure the young players. Sidney loves and wants to play chess, but dislikes the constant spotlight. He thinks that if he appears to be involved in drugs or a troublemaker he will be excused from playing on the school’s team. In this book Zander and his crew is back, using the Cruiser school newspaper express their frustrations and triumphs.

Scholastic Press
Available August 1, 2011 in Hardcover

Planet of Success by Shirley Woods

May 7, 2011
A children’s book based on building character and not judging people on their appearances but by their actions and deeds….

Summertime Productions
Available August 26, 2010 in Kindle Edition