The steps of the Lincoln Memorial were
the site of an historic concert in 1939. Marian Anderson, world-renowned opera
diva, sang to 75,000 people gathered there, an integrated crowd remarkable at a
time prior to the Civil Rights movement of mid-century. Readers learn, in this
moving picture book biography, that Anderson faced racism in subtle and overt
ways throughout her career. When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt learned that
Anderson was denied, by the Daughters of the American Revolution, permission to
perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., because she was African American,
she arranged for Anderson to sing on the Mall. In When Marian Sang, author Pam Muñoz
Ryan and illustrator Brian Selznick create together an important, quietly
pitch-perfect book. Ages 7 to adult.
Related activities and interviews may be found at TeachingBooks.net.
When young
Alice Rumphius tells her grandfather that she wants to go to faraway places and
ultimately live by the sea, her grandfather replies that that is all very well
but there is a third thing she must do. “You must do something to make the
world more beautiful.” And indeed that is what she does, adventuring over the
world and returning to her Maine home to plant lupines, which spread gloriously
to cover the seacoast. This intergenerational story, gently told and superbly
illustrated by Barbara Cooney, certifies the big difference a good idea and
positive energy can make. Ages 4-8.
Related activities and interviews may be found at: TeachingBooks.net
Peter awakes to a snowfall covering his neighborhood and the
possibility this new day brings. He embarks on an adventure, making tracks, knocking snow off the trees–plop!–sliding down hills, pocketing a
snowball. He returns to a warm, loving home, bath and bed. Awaking to snow
again the next day, he invites a friend to explore with him. The Snowy Day was
created by Ezra Jack Keats, who received the Caldecott Medal for this book in
1963. This landmark picture book is timeless, beloved by children and their
adults for all sorts of wonderful reasons. Ages 2 up.
Related activities and interviews may be found at: TeachingBooks.net
