Black Boy Joy, Books, and Boldness

First, I want to state my inspirations for this blog:

1. Kiyonna Anthony, a young man who was accepted into Harvard at the age of 16! 
2. Caleb Green, a four-year old boy who read 100 books and his parents live streamed him reading these books in one day!
3. Trevor Noah interviewing Jason Reynolds!!!Yes!! If you do not know Jason Reynolds, look him and his books up!
4. Last but not least, Black Panther!! #WakandaForever  

Black Boy Joy was in full effect! 

Now, I am sure you could go on and on about some experiences that deserve the hashtag #blackboyjoy. It is a breath of fresh air to read a hashtag as such. There are times when black boys and black men are not given the credit of being great. So many times the media has shut them down and call them THUGS, a delinquent or an embarrassment to society. But they're so much more!!! You're a poet, an artist, a scientist, a professor, you can be it all! There is a song by Esperanza Spalding called Black Gold. The lyrics that stand out are

"Now maybe no one else has told you so

But you're golden, baby

Black Gold with a diamond soul

Think of all the strength you have in you

From the blood you carry within you

Ancient men, powerful men

Built us a civilization...." 

  That song has been on my playlist for a long time and I listen to it often. The lyrics are very powerful and have so much meaning. When I see the words black boy joy, I think of those words written by Spalding. I think of little boys and girls building a great civilization. So feed their minds with as many books as you can, build their library, and tell them that they are Black Gold!
These books are apart of Miss T's Black Boy Joy Collection and some of them you probably have seen a couple of times on my blog, some you haven't . Some of them are about historical figures, athletes, but most of them are just about a little black boy living in a world all his own. I like to see black boys embrace the simplicity of boyhood. Truthfully, I like seeing any boy experience that type of independence.

Be Bold and Build! The world is waiting!

Read it! Write it! Create it!

Review of Clever Carmel by Henrietta Nwagwu-Rochford and Author Interview

"Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going."-Rita Mae Brown

I  first want to tell the Author Henrietta Nwagwu-Rochford and her husband Carl Rochford thank you for giving me the opportunity to review Clever Carmel. This is my first time reviewing a book and interviewing an author outside of the United States, I am honored. When I first saw the cover of Clever Carmel, I was captivated by the little girl on the cover standing in the front of her parents. It shows Carmel embracing her identity and her love for football (soccer). One thing that Miss T’s Book Room tries to accomplish is to help children read books that show characters loving and accepting themselves. In the story and in real-life, Carmel's father is English and her mother is Nigerian. She has the clever idea of bringing both cultures together for a school assignment. As a teacher, I am impressed how Carmel uses this assignment to teach her classmates about her appreciation for her culture. Another plus is that her parents and family help her embrace the idea of making her own style for the World Cup school project!

Whether it be your children or your students, anyone can help a child embrace their identity, it is important for growth. One thing we need to realize is that we all come from different backgrounds, but that is what makes us unique. Diversity is a beautiful thing!

Lastly, I want to Thank Henrietta Nwagwu-Rochford for answering questions for Miss T’s Book Room. Please check out her answers below and check out the promotional video below for Clever Carmel!   

Tell us a little about yourself perhaps something not many people know?

My dream job would be to have my own chat show for TV and be the next Oprah Winfrey, interviewing interesting, inspirational, empowering and motivational people from around the world.

What made you want to write books for children? 

I initially wrote my book as a children’s cartoon series as I felt there was a lack of representation for biracial children and children of colour on TV. I then decided to turn it into a book as a thought the same problem exists within children’s literature.

What was your favorite book or books as a child? 

As a child, we read lots of the Biff and Chip Series in school which I enjoyed in primary school. My favorite book as a teenager was ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe because it reminds me of growing up in a Nigerian household in the UK and outside influences threatening traditional Nigerian values. I found the book very relatable.

How did you get your ideas for this book? How did you prepare? 

The idea for ‘Clever Carmel’ came about when I and my husband were talking about who we would be supporting for the World Cup. I instantly said I was supporting Nigeria and my husband was supporting England, which left Carmel a bit confused, and she asked ‘so who should I support, mummy and daddy’ to which we replied that she could support both countries. I wanted the book to teach children to embrace all cultures from their heritage, which in our household is Nigerian culture and English culture including the food and music etc.

What do you plan on doing next in terms of children's literature? 

The book will be part of a series which will feature all of my four children and be based on topics which relate to our family life just ‘Clever Carmel’ was created. I hope my books will help children feel represented in children’s literature and feel more included as well as helping them embrace their cultural identity as well as other peoples.

What advice do you have for young people who want to be writers? 

Write as much as possible to develop your style. Remember no one can tell your story like you and go for it. Be determined and never give up.

Where can people buy your book? 

My book is available on most online stores including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

What was one of the most surprising thing you learned in creating this book? 

How much hard work goes into creating a book and getting it to market and particularly marketing a book.

What were some of the challenges that you faced writing this book?

My biggest challenges writing the book were balancing all my responsibilities as a mum of four children, working as a nurse and presenting a radio show. It has been worth it and hopefully, I am inspiring my children to be hardworking and successful in achieving their dreams.

Onyx McFly Saves the Day!-Book Review and Author Interview

Onyx McFly Saves Day! is not your ordinary “cute girl” story. The story is centered around the fact that there is a superhero in all of us. Onyx McFly is an eight-year-old with a hip personality and a hip boom box as her sidekick named Boom. Onyx McFly is visiting with a family member when suddenly there is an emergency and her quick thinking saves the day. Not to mention, I am loving the black girl magic! I can’t wait until this super girl has her own cartoon series (; Author Crystal Judkins not only demonstrates black girl magic, but she educates us on real-life superheroes in her book. In the last section of Onyx McFly Saves the Day, she honors some great women in history. She even educated me on some great women.

I am so glad the author of Onyx McFly Saves the Day, could sit down and answer a few questions. I can’t wait to give this book away as a giveaway and introduce little girls to Onyx McFly and her sidekick Boom!

Meet Author Crystal Judkins

Tell us a little about yourself perhaps something not many people know? 

My name is Crystal Judkins and I'm a self-published author and para educator from Alexandria, Virginia. I'm a poet, songwriter, an overall creative but I'm not as outgoing as people assume. I'm really more laid back and introverted. That's when I'm at my best creatively. 

What made you want to write books for children?

While being in education, I noticed the lack of diversity in children's literature and it always bothered me. After years of reading stories that my babies couldn't relate to, I decided that something needed to change. I wanted our children to be able to look at these pages and see themselves.

What was your favorite book or books as a child?

My favorite book was "Miss Nelson is Missing." I would read that over and over. It was just such a great concept. I also enjoyed the "Anasi the Spider" series. I was always a fan of fables/folktales and stories with great lessons. 

How did you get your ideas for this book. How did you prepare?

Honestly, her name was the first thing that came to mind.  I wanted something  hip and catchy but cute. Once I figured out her name, I thought about what I really wanted Onyx McFly to stand for. I decided she should be an unconventional superhero and just rolled with it. 

It was a very step by step process. I literally came up with Onyx's entire life before I even started writing. Character analysis if you will. Once I did that, the story pretty much flowed. I had an amazing time creating Onyx!

What do you plan on doing next in terms of children's literature?

I would love to keep releasing Onyx McFly books. I would also like to create other books for a variety of children's ages. My ultimate goal is to turn the Onyx McFly series into a cartoon. 

What advice do you have for young people who want to be writers?

Stay focused,  be creative and keep writing. It will happen! 

Where can people buy your book?

Right now it can be found on Amazon. I am currently working on a website so it will soon be available there also. 

What was one of the most surprising thing you learned in creating this book?

I was really shocked that I could write a very insightful and yet exciting children's book. I work with children but the majority of my writing is geared towards a more adult audience. I truly surprised myself. 

What were some of the challenges that you faced writing this book?

Trying to find the perfect illustrations to really fit the images I envisioned was probably the most difficult thing I had to face. Everything else pretty much fell into place.

Don't forget your Purple Cape!

Miss T's Collection

Becoming a book blogger did not cross my mind when I decided to start a blog. My first idea was to start a blog that discussed activities in the classroom.  When I did my rough draft for the first blog, I was not satisfied. I felt like that blog was too similar to other classroom activity blogs, so I deleted that draft. After deletion and brainstorming, my mind went to my childhood and what I really enjoyed doing.......reading.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by BillMartin/Eric Carle

Books, Art, Dolls, and Science were always my favorite things during my childhood. My room was filled with these things, but I had more books than anything. I discovered that books written by authors of color and books that feature children from different backgrounds were hard to find, or people did not know about these types of books. 

First Ladies 

My curiosity on this topic started in college. Needless to say, I had a good experience and a bad experience dealing with diversity in children's literature during my college days. Both of those experiences formulated this vision for this blog. The other reason was my father and his love for books. If you know him, you know he has them everywhere, but I will save his story for another post : ).

Mr. Lincoln's Way by Patricia Polacco

Are you There, God? It's Me Margaret. by Judy Blume

So because it is the first anniversary of the #diversekidlit, I decided to do something different. I wanted to show images of my favorite books in my home collection. I am kind of indecisive when it comes to a list of my favorite books. I know some of my book blogger friends can understand ; ).

We March by Shane W. Evans

Keep in mind I am not a photographer, but I like playing with the camera.  Hopefully, I can hire a personal photographer one day. So just enjoy pictures of books and some magazines I have collected on my journey. I also have some of these favorites in my Miss T's Bookstore. You can click on it in the right-hand corner! Please check out all of the categories! Happy Reading!

The EBONY cover was done by Kadir Nelson.

Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen

God Chicks by Holly Wagner

Coretta Scott King by Ntozake Shange, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Martin Big Words by Doreen Rappaport Illustrated by Byran Collier 

brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Brick by Brick by Charles R. Smith Jr., Illustrated Floyd Cooper

We All Went on Safari by Laurie Krebs

A Twist From Africa

(Pretty Salma, Adaption of Red Riding Hood)

People have been adapting fairy tales for along time!  I have seen adaptions of Cinderella from Asia to Europe. Everywhere in the world young girls should be able to imagine themselves in a Fairy Tale. I chose to do fairy tales because a lot of people don't know that these books are out there and why they were written.  I decided to do some research on adaptations from places in Africa! Some of these stories have been pass down from generation to generation. I would love to learn about more fairy tales like these from  Africa.  Please checkout some of my favorites!

   

The Importance of Seeing Myself

Photo Credit: Key Williams 

"When our identity comes from the self, then we keep our energy to ourselves.  We feel energetic, we feel powerful, and we experience youthful vigor"~Deepak Chopra

As the summer comes to an end, I took a little break from my blog life.   My mind, my spirit, and my sanity were in need of rest.  I had a whole blog typed up and ready to publish, but I erased it because so much chaos was happening in the same week. I could not bring myself to write, until now.  When I started this blog, I truly did not have an aim or a goal. I just wanted to educate others in some type of way. Then, I realized that diversity in the school systems, in homes, and in a lot of areas in the world were lacking. I wanted to help with that so I created Miss T's Book Room.

Growing up I had books, I was surrounded by them daily.  The Baby-Sitters Club, The Golden Books, Dr. Seuss, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle......just to name a few.  However, only a couple of books unintentionally taught me about self-identity.  I did not realize the impact these books had on my young life until I was older.  Her Stories was the name of one and it was written by Virginia Hamilton.  I read this book everyday and everyday I felt like I was reading it for the first time.  It was a book given to me by my Grandmother.  I would look at the colorful illustrations and the expressive words.  My attention would be so into those characters that I would construct a new story about them.

While it may seem strange to others, Her Stories helped me to gain self-identity, I saw myself as a black woman.  While reading this book, I discovered that I was beautiful, I can make mistakes, words could hurt me, and that I could be knowledgeable as well as wise.  The other book was something I read when I was older, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.  I read that story multiple times too, until the book was torn (as you can see I like to read things multiple times).  Even though Maya lived in a different time, she wrote with so much feeling and imagery.  Dr.  Seuss nor The Golden Books could help me manifest this revelation.  I never realized that a child reading these books and engaging in certain illustrations could produced self love.

Creating a healthy sense of self image/self love starts now. Children of color are faced with so many negative comparisons of themselves, let us change that perception.  We need to discuss the importance of children knowing who they are, what they are, and who they're becoming.  It takes discussion, not just in the classroom, but in the home.  Let us teach all children that greatness comes from within and loving yourself is the most important thing.  I guess you didn't know you could learn so much from a book. ; )

Young Poets

A couple of weeks ago, I was discussing that the month of April was National Poetry Month with a friend.  She said, "It makes sense that it would be in April though, because it is the time of Spring."  It never crossed my mind, April is the time of new things.  Take a moment to think about it..... rain comes and cleanses the Earth and gives things a new start. The birds chirp, the flowers bloom...................

At an early age, I started writing poetry.  I kept a small book and usually wrote poetry and short stories.  Poetry was a mental getaway for me, as I looked back I saw so many poems in that small notebook. I started to reminisce about how helpful they were during my childhood. Children can associate the greatness of poetry by seeing that it is the ability to inspire emotions and special pleasure through rhythms.  

The first National Poetry Month was held in 1996. The month helps honor publishers, booksellers, educators and literary organizations.  During this month, publishers often release and publicize their poetry works in April.  Also during this month, teachers and librarians like to focus on poetry units and famous poets. 

Through recent observation, I realized that we do not allow students enough time to express themselves. Teaching children about poetry at an early age awakens many types of interest and feelings. You can learn a lot from your students from just listening to their thoughts and ideas and how they understand the world. Recently, I discovered many literary works from poets that are design for young readers.  These books below deal with poetry and have diverse characters.  I hope you enjoy learning about them and consider them for your child or your own book collection. I also hope you encourage your children and/or your students to be young poets. 

  My People (Coretta Scott King Award - Illustrator Winner Title(s))
Charles R. Smith Jr. helps Langston Hughes and his beautiful words come alive.  Smith uses great photographs to show the beauty of being an African-American in today's society.

Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children
Poetic words help celebrate this amazing literary work.  Just like my people, photographs are used to show the beauty of being black in American.

  Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings
This profound literary work has been around for many years and is also know as a classic.  Where the Sidewalk Ends, is one book that should be on every bookshelf.

  Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems
This clever book can be read from top to bottom to tell a story one way. Then, you can reverse the lines and read from bottom to top and the story takes a different turn.  This book is so much fun for kids, it takes poetry to a whole new level.

  Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou
Dr. Maya Angelou is a true icon when it comes to literature.  So just imagine how excited I was when I discovered this book for young readers.  This book contains twenty-five of her finest poems.

  Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat (A Poetry Speaks Experience)
Hip-Hop is poetry with a beat.  This book helps children to understand that poems have rhythm and rhyme.  Read poems and hear songs by A Tribe Called Quest, Gwendolyn Brooks, and many more.

 

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku
This is a cute poetry story about a young boy who finds a cat and takes him home.  This story is told in Haiku.  Haiku is a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world.

More Great Poetry Books With Diverse Characters