Review of Buddies, Bullies, and Baseball by Phyllis J. Perry

Book Title: Buddies, Bullies, and Baseball
Author: Phyllis J. Perry

Pages: 95

We can start by saying that middle school is not easy! We have all been in the situation of thinking that middle school had to be the worst! Jack experiences this in rare form, making it all too real for middle schoolers. Two boys named Steve and Cliff, harass Jack each morning by taking his lunch and destroying his valuables. Even though he is dealing with bullies, Jack has friends that have his back and his beloved baseball. One of Jack's friends C.J. has some problems in reading and math and the bullies make fun of him, they call him "Retardo". However, Jack's other friend Lizabeth does not take lightly to the bullies' tricks and she has her own ways of dealing with the famous Steve and Cliff. Then, Jack and his crew add a new guy to the group who is named Hans Ollig. Hans Ollig is from Germany and speaks little English. C.J., Elizabeth, Jack, and the rest of the class are assigned a "Melting Pot" unit. Jack and Hans are put in a group together. Social Studies Unit helps Jack learn even more about Hans' background.

Buddies, Bullies, and Baseball by Phyllis J. Perry discuss important topics of bullies, different cultures, family issues, and how we can embrace differences. Also, I like how Jack finally figures out a solution to the bullies and becomes triumphant in the end! We learned that all of us can go through trials, but it is how we handle it in the end. This book would be great for students in 2nd-4th grade and also great for adults as well. The book is under 100 pages and great for baseball fans and World Series Dreamers.   

Buddies, Bullies, and Baseball

https://www.tckpublishing.com/

http://www.phyllisjperry.com/

                                  (Opinions expressed are solely my own) 

Review of Roar Like A Dandelion by Ruth Krauss and Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier

“Dandelions, like all things in nature are beautiful when you take the time to pay attention to them.”― June Stoyer

The Author: Ruth Krauss will always be remembered as one of the most celebrated award-winning children book authors. It is an honor to be reviewing a story written by her. The Carrot Seed is a favorite of mine to read to my PreK students, especially when we are learning about seeds and gardens.  I also love Harold and the Purple Crayon, which was written by her award-winning author husband, Crockett Johnson.




After reading Roar Like A Dandelion..: In Roar Like A Dandelion, Krauss uses her cheerful and adventurous charm to give young readers a glimpse of a world where words dance on the tip of a reader's tongue, truly poetic. I love how Krauss uses descriptive words to intrigue a young listener. The artist Sergio Ruzzier executes colorful drawings that demonstrate an imaginary world that is inviting to all ages. His colorful talent gives a wonderful feel to the rhythm of the book. Did you know that the common name for a dandelion translates to dentde-lion? In French, it translates to "the lion's tooth".

What the title means to me?: When I think of lions, I think of the two words pride and courage. Can a Dandelion actually Roar Like a Lion? Yes, it can. The imaginary world gives us the courage to embrace every roar that is inside of us. The story, Roar Like A Dandelion does not only help us in the midst of our imagination, but it helps us to embark on our greatest assignment, facing this scary world. We should try to be the best version of ourselves, even if makes us feel uncomfortable. We should always keep the roaring alive, even if we feel like an innocent dandelion in an open field.

   
(Opinions expressed are solely my own)     

Multicultural Book Day is here! Book Review of Do It Again! ¡Otra Vez! by Ann Morris

Hey guys, I am so excited about another year of celebrating Multicultural Book Day! I am reviewing my first book of the year and it is a bilingual book, Do It Again! ¡Otra Vez! by Ann Morris. The book is about a three-year-old girl named Amy who goes to a sleepover at her aunt and uncle's house. Amy is just like any other three-year-old, she likes to play, experience new things, and loves spending time with her family. Her aunt and uncle take her to a football game that her cousin is participating in by playing in the band. After the football game is over, Amy starts to create her own fun with help from her family. 


Reasons Why I Like This Book: I think that the Author Ann Morris does an awesome job of creating a book for small children with two different languages, Spanish and English. Bilingual Books are starting to make their way in a lot of classrooms. Also, I love the fact that it is for smaller children too. 

Why Is This Book Great for The Classroom? As an Early Childhood Educator, it is important for students to see themselves in diverse books at an early age. Diversifying the classroom is always a great thing! 

Who is the illustrator? Vanessa Alexandre her website is https://www.vanessaalexandre.com.br/ 

Books can motivate us to do a lot of things even learn a new language!

More books by Author Ann Morris and her website is http://www.authorannmorris.com/books.php

Check Out Some More Books written by Ann Morris!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 (1/25/19) is in its 6^th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators. 

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board!

*View our 2019 Medallion Sponsors here: https://wp.me/P5tVud-
*View our 2019 MCBD Author Sponsors here: https://wp.me/P5tVud-2eN

Medallion Level Sponsors

Honorary: Children’s Book Council, The Junior Library Guild, TheConsciousKid.org.

Super Platinum: Make A Way Media

GOLD: Bharat Babies, Candlewick Press, Chickasaw Press, Juan Guerra and The Little Doctor / El doctorcito, KidLitTV,  Lerner Publishing Group, Plum Street Press,

SILVER: Capstone Publishing, Carole P. Roman, Author Charlotte Riggle, Huda Essa, The Pack-n-Go Girls,

BRONZE: Charlesbridge Publishing, Judy Dodge Cummings, Author Gwen Jackson, Kitaab World, Language Lizard – Bilingual & Multicultural Resources in 50+ Languages, Lee & Low Books, Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul, Redfin, Author Gayle H. Swift,  T.A. Debonis-Monkey King’s Daughter, TimTimTom Books, Lin Thomas, Sleeping Bear Press/Dow Phumiruk, Vivian Kirkfield,

MCBD 2019 is honored to have the following Author Sponsors on board

Honorary: Julie Flett, Mehrdokht Amini,

Author Janet Balletta, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Josh Funk, Chitra Soundar, One Globe Kids – Friendship Stories, Sociosights Press and Almost a Minyan, Karen Leggett, Author Eugenia Chu, CultureGroove Books, Phelicia Lang and Me On The Page, L.L. Walters, Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Hayley Barrett, Sonia Panigrah, Author Carolyn Wilhelm, Alva Sachs and Dancing Dreidels, Author Susan Bernardo, Milind Makwana and A Day in the Life of a Hindu Kid, Tara Williams, Veronica Appleton, Author Crystal Bowe, Dr. Claudia May, Author/Illustrator Aram Kim, Author Sandra L. Richards, Erin Dealey, Author Sanya Whittaker Gragg, Author Elsa Takaoka, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo, Anita Badhwar, Author Sylvia Liu, Feyi Fay Adventures, Author Ann Morris, Author Jacqueline Jules, CeCe & Roxy Books, Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, LEUYEN PHAM, Padma Venkatraman, Patricia Newman and Lightswitch Learning, Shoumi Sen, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Traci Sorell, Shereen Rahming, Blythe Stanfel, Christina Matula, Julie Rubini, Paula Chase, Erin Twamley, Afsaneh Moradian, Lori DeMonia, Claudia Schwam, Terri Birnbaum/ RealGirls Revolution, Soulful Sydney, Queen Girls Publications, LLC

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Biracial Bookworms, Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Descendant of Poseidon Reads, Educators Spin on it,  Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joy Sun Bear/ Shearin Lee, Jump Into a Book, Imagination Soup,Jenny Ward’s Class, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Raising Race Conscious Children, Shoumi Sen, Spanish Playground

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Make A Way Media: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual @McChildsBookDay Twitter Party will be held 1/25/19 at 9:00pm.E.S.T. TONS of prizes and book bundles will be given away during the party ( a prize every 5 minutes!). GO HERE for more details.

FREE RESOURCES From MCBD

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld

My Flipping YaYa-Book Review and Author Interview with Yonce Daniels

Grandparents are the greatest! They make you treats, give you presents, and spoil you. But have you ever heard of a grandma that flips. Well meet Mrs. Yonce Daniels the Flipping Ya-Ya. I know you’re thinking, “Why is she called a Flipping YaYa?”

My Flipping YaYa by Yonce Daniels is told  through the eyes of a little girl name Zuri. Zuri’s grandmother (Yaya) is a great flipper. Yaya tumbles, flips, teaches Zuri how to swing on bars, and how to walk on balance beams. I enjoyed reading this book because it is different from the normal books about grandmothers. Zuri wants to do everything her Yaya does even if it takes her a while to catch up. Yaya not only shows Zuri her style, but she also encourages her to never give up.

I also enjoyed this book because the daughter of Daniels is the amazing illustrator. Artist Daryl Myntia Daniels has amazing drawings in this book. I think her art has its on way of being dramatic and I love it! It adds a great touch to My Flipping YaYa, the daughter-mother collaboration is a big plus for me too!  Please check out her Facebook page and her other great pieces!

I am so happy that Mrs. Yonce Daniels took out the time to answer a few questions for Miss T’s Book Room. It means a lot!

A little about myself

I'm 53 and I have a love for gymnastics. I was introduced to the sport at the age of 5.  I received a full ride gymnastics scholarship to the University of Iowa, performed professionally with Olympian Kurt Thomas for 5 years. Opened the first African American female owned gymnastics school training preschool through elite level gymnast. I will be celebrating 32 years of marriage in October. I have two children, my daughter is the illustrator  and an artist in NYC where she received her MFA, and my son is giving me my first Yaya baby. He is also a council man and football coach for a local high school.

My Favorite book as a child was 

The secret language. This book was about a girl who was in a boarding school, she was a bit stand - offish. She developed a language all of her own. That she used to describe certain people , situations 

This book was a great read for me, For some odd reason I connected with the main character. Even though our lives where nothing a like. I remember thinking as a child how cool it would be to say something out loud and no one having a clue what you were talking about or what it meant or even who it was directed to.

What made me want to write a children's book

I work with young people everyday, sharing my love of gymnastics and when I found out I was having a grandchild, I became very excited! Both of my children lived my life as a performer and coach and I wanted to make sure my grandchild knew me in the same way. This book was a mother/ daughter collaboration and it is the first African American children's book about a flipping grandmother and her grand child. My daughter is an amazing artist and knows the sport of gymnastics like the back of her hand. I knew she would be able to capture exactly, what I envisioned each page of the book to be.

My future plans

I recently finished the second book. We are going to do a series of 4-5 books. In the second book, Zuri learns to do a skill by herself and she is quite proud of herself. 

The most surprising thing I learned about creating this book/ project 

was how fast the process went. The opportunities that have come from writing this book. I'm  doing a TV show called Issues. They will interview me about the book and my life. I have several schools lined up that I will be visiting this year to read the book and do gymnastics demonstration for. The book is currently being showcased internationally with my publisher and I am being interviewed by you. All around this book has been a blessing on so many levels. I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something new and I am glad I did.

The book is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Xlibris. If anyone wants a signed copy. They can contact me at aqua47.yd@gmail.com and I will ship them a copy. They can purchase it through PayPal.

Website :

My flipping Yaya.com

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

My Flipping Yaya

You can also follow my gymnastics team and see me in action on Mason Gymnastics Twisters.

Thank you, for taking time to reach out and hear my story.

Touching My Roots-Books About Black Hair for Children

Let's Eat! A List of Great Cookbooks for Kids!

Hello, everyone, Miss T has been kind of busy and trying to relax for the Summer. Also, I am getting some amazing things ready for Miss T's Book Room. July is upon us and all I can think about is Family Reunions, Back to School Bashes, and more Summer Fun! But do you know what goes great with all these things, Food!

Eating is one of my favorite past times…. I grew up in a Food Loving Family! I come from a long line of great cooks, which consist of my grandmother, mom, aunts, and a few cousins! I was born and raised in the South, so I know that food has a way of touching your soul. As for myself, I like trying out new recipes and trying new foods. 

Food preparation is an art, watching people cook is like watching an artist paint a masterpiece. When you cook, you reveal your creative side! Have you ever watched Chopped and Chopped Junior on The Food Channel? I love those shows! The adults and children must think quickly when given unordinary ingredients. The contestants compete against three or four others and they make the best dish with those unordinary ingredients. During the show, judges taste and critique the food and dismiss one contestant until they’re down to one.  

For kids, cooking can be a great tool to teach creativity, Science, teamwork, math skills, problem-solving skills, and patience. Please encourage your kids to cook with you or have a day set up for the kids to cook a meal for the family. In the past, I have introduced different recipes to kids and they enjoy the recipe and an activity. The time can also be good to introduce healthy food choices. I am sure a lot of people know, but always assist children while they’re in the kitchen.

I have put together a list of great cookbooks for kids! These cookbooks range from international cookbooks, vegan, and vegetarian! If your children adore big plates of pasta, chocolate fudge cookies, or edible slime. Hopefully, you will find down below!

The We Belong Bunch: Pookie J. 's School Day Book Review and Interview with Authors Dr. Samuel and Angela Johnson

“When we’re talking about diversity, it ‘s not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.” Ava DuVernay

How many times have you talked about Diversity? When was the last time you suggested Inclusion? Diversity and Inclusion can affect everyone, but where can we start talking about diversity? Home and school are the best places, a  multicultural education is an important component. It is important just like reading, writing, science, history, and math. We might not believe in the same thing, but we can learn from one another and that is something to value.  The first time I heard about The We Belong Bunch I saw a drawing of The We Belong Bunch Friends. I was impressed by the diversity and of course the cuteness overload.

Together We Focus LLC presents, The We Belong Bunch: Pookie J.’s School Day, is a book all about celebrating and understanding differences. The book is told from the perspective of a little boy named Pookie J. who goes through a usual school day with his close friends, The We Belong Bunch. Pookie J. wants to be a professor like his father who also encourages him to follow his dreams and teaches him that everyone belongs. Pookie J. describes all his friends, not by their features or their beliefs, but by their dreams and aspirations. Even his teacher, Ms. Crawford, nurtures his classmates, encourages them to work hard, and tells them to believe in themselves. The authors Dr. Samuel Johnson and his wife Angela Johnson are showing that kids and adults might come from different backgrounds, but they can offer so much!

The We Belong Bunch also has their own song/book trailer titled You’re My Friend (which is below). I love the song! It goes perfectly with the story. It talks about being friends, loving each, taking care of each other, and embracing each other’s differences.

But mostly, I am glad that the authors Dr. Samuel and Angela Johnson were able to sit down and answer a few questions for Miss T’s Book Room. Please read, listen, and comment on the video and the blog!  

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I have been an educator of children for close to 18 years. I am a graduate of The Ohio State University, Wright State University, and Howard University. I am married to co-author of the “We Belong Bunch” Angela Johnson. 

What made you want to write books for children?

 With all that is going on in our society, there seems to be an uprising of disrespect or a lack of empathy for people. Our children learn from the adults concerning how they should treat others that don’t necessarily look like or share their same beliefs. This book was written as an effort for students, parents, teachers, and community members to communicate the idea that “We all Belong” despite our differences.

I love the "You're My Friend " song. How did you come up with that song? What made you put a song with the book? 

Thank you so much! I wanted to write a song that depicted the theme of the book that could connect with both children and adults. I wrote the lyrics, Rob Hittz composed the music, while Sid Johnson served as the producer. Sid Johnson co-wrote the 80’s hits called “Slow Jam” by Midnight Star and “Two Occasions by a group called the Deele which featured Babyface. The vocals were provided by Mark Scott from Cincinnati who did just a fantastic job on the track. Lastly, we released a song that would coincide with the book because music makes things come alive.  The song and animated video allow the opportunity for the characters to jump off the page while spreading a positive message.

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

We are planning on releasing the second book in “The We Belong Bunch” series.

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

We were trying to ensure that we wrote a book that would enlighten our readers and really tried to touch on the themes of friendship, embracing differences, grit, and the adults being role models for children. We really tried to attempt to tie all those themes together as best we could so the readers could really get something out of it.

Where can people buy your book?

Amazon and Barnes and Noble.