Moses

Author: Carole Boston Wellington
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Genre: Biographical

Summary: This is shares the long and difficult journey for Harriet Tubman when she escaped from slavery through the Underground Railroad. It reveals her fears, hopes and perseverance through her conversations with God and herself. Harriet's strength and faith was what brought her out of slavery and gave her the courage to free other slaves as well through the Underground Railroad.

Other Notes: This story is beautiful. The pictures bring the book to life. The text is very poetic and descriptive. Carole Boston Wellington gift with poetry really shows in this book. Harriet's faith is very apparent in this book. It's the type of faith that brings a person to oppose and disobey the law because the faith is rooted in liberation. The text also portrays an accurate depiction of the harsh conditions of slavery and the dangers of escaping from the plantation. It does not gloss over the ugly past. There is mention of Harriet's rifle in the story as well which too often people forget to share about how Harriet carried a gun as a means of protection and to threaten slaves to choose freedom or death. It is a story of perseverance when your life and freedom depended on it.

Reading Skills: Analyzing sensory description. Using poetry to create images.

Dinner at Aunt Connie's House

Author: Faith Ringold
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary: Aunt Connie is a painter who invites her entire family to her beautiful home to showcase her art. Her niece, Melody meets Aunt Connie's adopted son, Lonnie. Melody and Lonnie visit the attic where they discover her paintings. The paintings are portraits of historical and honored African American women. The paintings also can talk. Melody and Lonnie meet with Rosa Parks, Mary McLeod Bethune, Dorthy Dandrich, Fannie Lou Hamer and many other African-American women activists, artists, inventors and speakers who made a difference in American history. As Melody listens to these women, she is proud of her history and legacy and believes in her possibility to follow her dreams.

Special Notes: Faith Ringold is an internationally known artist who weaves acrylic paints, canvas and quilting fabrics to paint a story reflecting African Americans. The story began as a story quilt and transformed into a children book.

Reading Skills: Outlining, Main Idea and Important Details
Perhaps students can create their own story quilt of their history and important figures from their community.


Lexile: 640 (5.8 Grade Equivalent)
Age: 4-8

Jin Jin the Dragon

Author: Grace Chang
Genre: Myth
Summary: Jin Jin is a dragon who searches for his purpose. He does not know who or what he is. He travels on a journey and meets with animals and finds clues/Chinese characters that leads him to the wise Turtle and Crane. Jin Jin discovers that he is a water breathing dragon whose special purpose is to give water the land to feed the people.

Special notes: Chaun and I discovered this book at Barnes and Nobel in Brooklyn Center. We decided to call Taj our dragon soon after-wards. It teaches about identity because the dragon discovers he is special because he carries unique characteristics from each individual animal. There is also is a section at the back of the book that shares the history of the Chinese dragon and it's relationship to the the people. Unlike the popularized depiction of a fierce fire-breathing dragon, the Chinese dragon originated to be tame, revered and water-breathing.


Reading Skills: Compare and Contrast Animals to the Dragon or Jin Jin/Chinese Dragon to other depictions of dragons

Lexile/Grade Levels: