With the sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther has come to the forefront of many people’s minds; it holds a lot of significance to many. I can remember on opening night, rushing to my local theater wearing my Ankara printed pants and a giant grin on my face. I was surprised to see so many people dressed like me and excited about their African roots. It was one of the first times I felt I could be unapologetically African. Growing up, in a mostly Black American school, other students were perplexed by my heritage or even mean – holding to old stereotypes that Africa was totally impoverished and its inhabitants were uneducated.
While the movie is not without its flaws, Black Panther allowed many people to see their culture represented beautifully on the big screen. Unfortunately, Africa is still viewed through the lens of the “single story” even in mainstream media. In fact, it was the danger of the single story and racism that almost prevented Black Panther from becoming what it is today, even before it was released. Today, we’ll explore some of these dangers and celebrate the African cultures represented in the beautiful landscape of Wakanda.
COLORISM
Colorism is a preference for lighter skin tones, especially when referring to Black people. The danger of colorism is that it is often used to discriminate against black people and tends to erase darker-skinned people from the narrative. For example, Amandla Stenberg auditioned for the role of Shuri, T’Challa’s quick-witted little sister, and the mastermind behind his impressive suit. Stenberg dropped out of the audition to open a space for a woman of darker skin. Her thoughts on the matter were, “these are all dark skin actors playing Africans and I feel like it would have just been off to see me as a biracial American with a Nigerian accent just pretending that I’m the same color as everyone else in the movie.” And while certainly, the skin tone of Africans are presented in multiple of shades, Stenberg was lauded for her sensitivity to this issue.
Ultimately, Letitia Wright played an unforgettable Shuri with her memorable one-liners and expert acting, but the fact remains that the issue of colorism is still quite prevalent. Black stories are rich and diverse, and should be played by individuals who represent all shades of the spectrum of skin color of Black people. To limit the actors who tell Black stories to people of lighter skin tone is to enforce a preference for lighter skin color.
Shuri, Black Panther
SIDEBAR – THIS IS WHY STORIES LIKE THAT OF A STORY ABOUT AFIYA EXCITE US SO MUCH! IT IS RARE TO SEE A LITTLE GIRL WITH DARK SKIN AND BANTU KNOTS ON THE COVER OF A BOOK. THAT REPRESENTATION IS SO LACKING, SO IT FEELS AMAZING TO FIND BOOKS WITH THAT TYPE OF REPRESENTATION.
ERASURE OF NATIVE LANGUAGES
It was shocking to learn that producers considered writing T’Challa without an African accent! It’s hard to imagine that Black Panther would have held the charm it does without the mix of accents and dialects. Thankfully, Chadwick Boseman stood by his decision to speak with an African accent. If he had instead chosen a British or American accent some of the cultural significance of own-voices would have been lost. It is important that viewers hear African accents as they watch a movie set in Africa because it helps them form positive associations with the two, and be aware of people who may speak differently from what they are used to.
Maasai People by Magdalena Kula Manchee
Also, it was fun trying to learn which countries had influenced the actors’ accents! We could see Kenyan influences in Black Panther including Lupita Nyong’o’s accent to the distinctive red cloth worn by the Dora Milaje. South Africa also enjoyed a cultural shout out since Xhosa was the primary language spoken by T’Chaka. Finally, Nigerian culture can be seen throughout the movie including the infamous mask Killmonger steals from the museum which bears a striking resemblance to an Igbo mask, the Mgbedike.
We love movies like Black Panther because they showcase African cultures in a positive light. We are treated to depictions of characters in an advanced Afro-futuristic landscape, and the expressions of unique and diverse cultures within African.
This month as we explore Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria, we hope that you enjoy books that we have selected for you. These books represent kids being regular kids, going on adventures, and stories set in contemporary Africa. These books further challenge the single story and broaden you and your child’s worldview.
Exploring the diversity of the UK with books! Check out this list of ten books written by own voices or set in the UK. Whether you’re into romance, science fiction, or fantasy, there’s something for everyone on this list!
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie Jenkins is a twenty-five-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places…including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth.
As Queenie careens from one questionable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, “What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be?”—all of the questions today’s woman must face in a world trying to answer them for her.
With “fresh and honest” (Jojo Moyes) prose, Queenie is a remarkably relatable exploration of what it means to be a modern woman searching for meaning in today’s world. (Gallery/Scout Press)
From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Daycomes a devastating new novel of innocence, knowledge, and loss. As children Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were.
Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special–and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together. Suspenseful, moving, beautifully atmospheric, Never Let Me Gois another classic by the author of The Remains of the Day. (Knopf DoubleDay Publishing)
A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights—and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes. (HarperCollins Publishers)
Arranged into five sections—In the World, In the Audience, In the Gallery, On the Bookshelf, and Feel Free—this new collection poses questions we immediately recognize. What is The Social Network—and Facebook itself—really about? “It’s a cruel portrait of us: 500 million sentient people entrapped in the recent careless thoughts of a Harvard sophomore.” Why do we love libraries? “Well-run libraries are filled with people because what a good library offers cannot be easily found elsewhere: an indoor public space in which you do not have to buy anything in order to stay.” What will we tell our granddaughters about our collective failure to address global warming? “So I might say to her, look: the thing you have to appreciate is that we’d just been through a century of relativism and deconstruction, in which we were informed that most of our fondest-held principles were either uncertain or simple wishful thinking, and in many areas of our lives we had already been asked to accept that nothing is essential and everything changes—and this had taken the fight out of us somewhat.”
Gathering in one place for the first time previously unpublished work, as well as already classic essays, such as, “Joy,” and, “Find Your Beach,” Feel Free offers a survey of important recent events in culture and politics, as well as Smith’s own life. Equally at home in the world of good books and bad politics, Brooklyn-born rappers and the work of Swiss novelists, she is by turns wry, heartfelt, indignant, and incisive—and never any less than perfect company. This is literary journalism at its zenith. (Penguin Publishing Group)
fiction’s brightest lights—and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes. (HarperCollins Publishers)
After an arranged marriage to Chanu, a man twenty years older, Nazneen is taken to London, leaving her home and heart in the Bangladeshi village where she was born. Her new world is full of mysteries. How can she cross the road without being hit by a car (an operation akin to dodging raindrops in the monsoon)? What is the secret of her bullying neighbor Mrs. Islam? What is a Hell’s Angel? And how must she comfort the naïve and disillusioned Chanu?
As a good Muslim girl, Nazneen struggles to not question why things happen. She submits, as she must, to Fate and devotes herself to her husband and daughters. Yet to her amazement, she begins an affair with a handsome young radical, and her erotic awakening throws her old certainties into chaos.
Monica Ali’s splendid novel is about journeys both external and internal, where the marvelous and the terrifying spiral together. (Scribner)
Bernardine Evaristo is the winner of the 2019 Booker Prize and the first black woman to receive this highest literary honor in the English language. Girl, Woman, Other is a magnificent portrayal of the intersections of identity and a moving and hopeful story of an interconnected group of Black British women that paints a vivid portrait of the state of contemporary Britain and looks back to the legacy of Britain’s colonial history in Africa and the Caribbean.
The twelve central characters of this multi-voiced novel lead vastly different lives: Amma is a newly acclaimed playwright whose work often explores her Black lesbian identity; her old friend Shirley is a teacher, jaded after decades of work in London’s funding-deprived schools; Carole, one of Shirley’s former students, is a successful investment banker; Carole’s mother Bummi works as a cleaner and worries about her daughter’s lack of rootedness despite her obvious achievements. From a nonbinary social media influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm in Northern England, these unforgettable characters also intersect in shared aspects of their identities, from age to race to sexuality to class.
Sparklingly witty and filled with emotion, centering voices we often see othered, and written in an innovative fast-moving form that borrows technique from poetry, Girl, Woman, Other is a polyphonic and richly textured social novel that shows a side of Britain we rarely see, one that reminds us of all that connects us to our neighbors, even in times when we are encouraged to be split apart. (Grove/Atlantic, Inc.)
In this heartbreaking tale of love and misunderstanding, Shafak draws upon the dazzling insight, emotion, and drama that infused The Bastard of Istanbul to explore the controversial issue of honor killings as it tragically plays out in one family’s life.
Twin sisters are born in the mid-1940s in a small Kurdish village on the border of Turkey and Syria. Jamila becomes a local midwife. Pembe marries Adem, and they immigrate to London in the 1970s. Bitter and frustrated with his new life, Adem moves out and Iskender, their eldest son, must step in as keeper of the family’s honor. But when Pembe begins to spend time with another man, Iskender will discover that you could love someone with all your heart and yet be ready to hurt them. (Penguin Publishing Group)
The first memory I have of you is all knickers and legs. You had flipped yourself into a handstand and couldn’t get back down. We became best friends, racing slugs, pretending to be spies – all the things that children do.
Ten years later, eighteen-year-old Ravine Roy spends every day in her room. Completing crosswords and scribbling in her journal, she keeps the outside world exactly where she wants it; outside.
But as the real world begins to invade her carefully controlled space, she is forced to finally confront the questions she’s been avoiding. Who is her mother meeting in secret? Who has moved in next door?
And why, all those years ago, when two girls pulled on their raincoats and wellies and headed out into the woods did only one of them return? (Transworld Publishers Limited)
Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.
Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Ten years in the writing, a National Book Award finalist, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times). (Scribner)
In the late 1960’s, Adah, a spirited and resourceful woman manages to move her family to London. Seeking an independent life for herself and her children she encounters racism and hard truths about being a new citizen. “Second Class Citizen pales a lot of academic feminist writing into insignificance.” –The Guardian (Brazillier, George Inc)
Atlas Book Club is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Our goal is to bring you globally diverse books that will develop your child’s empathy and broaden their worldview!
Imagine you have just reached the top of the London Eye, Britain’s most famous Ferris wheel. From the top of the ride, you can glimpse the top of Big Ben, the changing of the guards in front of Buckingham Palace, the river Thames. As you descend from the Ferris wheel, you hop on the tube and ride the Victoria line until you stop at Brixton. As you walk, you can hear music. You smell delicious spices wafting from vendors all along the street. You have made it to Little Jamaica, the cultural hub in London where you can explore the rich music, food, and fashion of Jamaica. Brixton Market is so woven into British culture that “in 2010, it even received heritage protection” to ensure gentrification would not encroach on this city’s diasporic communities of Carribeans. Despite Brixton’s popularity and its symbol of cultural celebration, the Caribbean community in the United Kingdom has faced discriminatory practices that threatened their ability to reside in Britain.
In 1948, the Caribbean migrants were persuaded to move to Great Britain in the aftermath of World War II. The promise of jobs such as construction labor for men and practicing in the newly created National Health Services for women, enticed many Caribbean adults. Although migrant labor helped build Britain’s economy, many British people and government officials assumed that the increase in the Caribbean population in Britain would be temporary. There was an assumption that many immigrant workers would return to their Caribbean countries after they had earned enough money. However, this was not the case and became more apparent as many Caribbeans bought houses and started families.
A new issue presented itself. The Carrbibeans were a part of the British Commonwealth at that time, so people coming into the UK were legal citizens. When Caribbean immigrants began having children, their children were not protected by that same citizenship. The British government seized on this fact and began requesting official documents to prove citizenship while simultaneously destroying thousands of landing documents and records through the British Home Office to make this impossible. Further, in 2012, The Home Office enacted the Hostile Environment policy, discriminatory policies to force out “illegal immigrants”. Many families watched their healthcare disappear. The government denied them living accommodations, access to bank accounts, and driver’s licenses. These policies targeted Caribbean communities that came to the UK legally and had their children’s rights snatched away by corrupt practices and because of discrimination.
The tragic circumstances of the Caribbean-British people affected by these laws have gained more recognition over the years. In March 2020, officials made new recommendations to the Home Office including: “setting up a full Home Office review of the UK’s “hostile environment” immigration policy, appointing a migrants commissioner, and establishing a race advisory board”.
Affected community members have also been able to apply for financial compensation and aid. Steps are being taken to correct the mistreatment of the UK’s Caribbean population. And we are hopeful that their beautiful culture continues to thrive in Britain so that people who visit London from all over the world can experience the cultural vibrancy of hidden gems in Brixton Market.
I can hardly believe it is August already! This month we are exploring the United Kingdom! As I mulled over which country to explore, I realized that most families tend to take European vacations this time of the year. In fact, cities like London and Paris are known to be in the top five summer destinations in the world. When we decided on London, I knew I wanted to explore it in a manner that would highlight the rich diversity of the city, outside of the tourist attractions and the Royals.
So as part of our continuing efforts to shatter the single story, we have chosen books that showcase the diverse cultures in the U.K. Our Hatch box will feature a beautiful picture book with an Indian-British boy with a big imagination! Our Nest Jr. book is fun, witty and laugh-out-loud funny! Follow along with this Pakinstani-British boy as he navigates school and home life and goes on an adventure along the way. And I just love our Nest selection! This book about friendship and community will draw you in and give you hope! It also highlights the Syrian refugee crisis. And last but certainly not the least, our YA selection for the Soar box is simply riveting! Set in 1750s England, this story of a mixed-race British teenager who embarks on a journey to solve the mystery of his father’s murder will have you and your kid glued to your seat and flipping pages! Just don’t read it while making dinner. You might just end up burning the rice. Ask me how I know… ?
If you aren’t subscribed yet, you have until August 18 to get one of these boxes! These are good y’all!
RELATED BOOKS IF YOU CAN’T WAIT FOR OUR AUGUST BOX!
Kasia’s Surprise by Gurney-Stella
A heartwarming story about a feisty young Polish girl determined to be unhappy in her new life in England – but who finds herself settling in despite herself.Kasia wishes that she and her mum hadn’t moved to the UK – she misses Poland and all her old friends, and most of all she misses her grandparents. As the long school holidays stretch out in front of her, Kasia wonders how she’ll fill them: her mum has promised to take her out for some day trips, but the rest of the time she’ll be at work. Then Babcia and Dzadek arrive for a surprise visit, and Kasia is delighted! As she proudly shows her grandparents round her new town, Kasia realizes that maybe she’s happier here than she thought.
Fazal’s world is now focused on Company 32 and the animals he cares for in the midst of one of the most frightening times in history. And as he and his friends make their way to the beaches of Dunkirk, Fazal must deal with even more than the terrors of a dangerous trek to reach the evacuation zone.
The Company’s captain defends his troops in the face of a terrible betrayal at the point of rescue: not everyone has welcomed the help brought by the Royal Indian Army Service Corps. Now Fazal is forced to question why he is even there and why he is expected to be loyal to a king whose people don’t all see him as their equal.
Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long-lost half-brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London where he belongs.
Then Andi’s biggest wish comes true and she’s minutes away from becoming someone’s little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he’ll turn out to be tall and just as crazy as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he’s tall all right. Eight feet tall, in fact—plagued by condition called Gigantism and troubled by secrets that he believes led to his phenomenal growth.
In a novel packed with quirkiness and humor, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures. Great for Nest readers.
Aisha is a thirteen-year-old refugee living in London. Happy for the first time since leaving her war-torn home, she is devastated when her foster mother announces that a new family has been found for her and she will be moving on. Feeling rejected and abandoned, Aisha packs her bags and runs away, seeking shelter in the nearby woods. Meanwhile, a few doors down, twelve-year-old Zak is trying to cope with his parents’ divorce. Living in a near-building site while the new house is being refurbished, he feels unsettled and alone. Discovering a piece of rubble with the original builder’s signature set into it, he starts researching the history behind his home – and in doing so finds a connection with a young soldier from the past, which leads him to an old air-raid shelter in the same woods. Both children, previously unknown to each other, meet in the heart of the ancient city woodland as they come into the orbit of Elder, a strange homeless woman who lives amongst the trees – and, as helicopters hover overhead and newspapers fill with pictures of the two lost children, unexpected bonds are formed and lives changed forever . . . Great for Soar readers.
Atlas Book Club is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Our goal is to bring you globally diverse books that will develop your child’s empathy and broaden their worldview!
Latin America has a rich history of traditions and festivals, so many in fact we can’t possibly cover them all in this one blog post! In this snapshot blog post we’ll be exploring a the exciting dance and martial arts fusion that is Capoeira!
Photo by Alexandre Saraiva Carniato
BRAZIL
One of the most beautiful practices in Brazil is the art of Capoeira. Capoeira is a mix of martial arts, dance, and music that stems from a darker history. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Brazil was under Portuguese rule and was financially supported by slave labor. Enslaved Africans brought to the country, rebelled against oppression and unfair treatment by developing a unique martial arts form. In order to avoid backlash from oppressors, the enslaved Africans of Brazil disguised their martial arts as dance, thus creating what we now know as Capoeira.
The explosive dance is punctuated by floreios (or flourishes in English) of handstands, backflips, and cartwheels that give Capoeira its distinct style. The sound of Capoeira is also distinct. The vibrational sounds of the berimbau, a stringed bow-like instrument, conduct the tempo of the dance- speeding up or slowing down the motions of the performers.
Latin America has a rich history of traditions and festivals, so many in fact we can’t possibly cover them all in this one blog post! In this snapshot blog post we’ll be exploring a Colombian culture festival.
COLOMBIA
The Barranquilla Carnival is one of the largest carnivals in the world. A few days before Ash Wednesday, the Barranquilla Carnival begins with The Battle of the Flowers where performers dance and sing on colorful, floral floats. Fire breathers show off their skills and dazzle onlookers on the streets. All throughout the streets, Cumbia music, native to Colombia, is played.
The Carnival is a grand exhibition of Colombian culture and African, Indian, and European influences. Over 1.5 million people outfitted in sequins, feathers, and colorful fabrics, celebrate and revel for four days in the port city of Barranquilla, Columbia. Not much is known about the origins or history of the festival, but it remains an example of the vibrancy of Columbian culture and tradition.
Latin America has a rich history of traditions and festivals, so many in fact we can’t possibly cover them all in this one blog post! In this snapshot blog post we’ll be exploring one of the most well-known Chilean culture festivals.
CHILE
The Fiesta de la Tirana is a huge festival held every year in Chile during the second week of July. The history of the festival dates back hundreds of years and is rooted in both legend and facts. An Incan princess is said to have refused European and Christian colonization and executed any colonizers on her land. She was beloved for defending her people from being conquered and was titled La Tirana (the tyrant). However, she fell in love with one of these intruders, prompting retribution from her community. Now, Chileans gather every year in the town of La Tirana to celebrate her death and their patron saint, Virgen del Carmen (the Virgin Mary).
The celebrations last 10 days and kick off with different bailes (dances). The bailes and costumes are colorful and expressive, capturing the artistry of Chilean people. Some of the dances honor the Virgin, but others such as Dance of the Devils are just as important. The Dance of the Devils is an example of cultural exchange between Bolivia and Chile. The dance represents the battle between good and evil. Typically male performers dressed in elaborate costumes depicting the devil dance with women dressed as angelic figures.
Want to learn more about Chilean culture? Pick up a July subscription box to read more about this amazing country!
It is officially summer! For the month of July we are exploring South America for the very first time! Specifically, we will explore Brazil, Chile and Colombia! This was an interesting month to put together for our subscribers because South America is so diverse in culture and tradition, and rich with African, Asian and indigenous influences.
Our selections this month are my favorite types of children’s books. If you have heard me talk about diversity in children’s books, you already know that my favorite books are those that depict kids in different parts of the world being regular kids. With this month’s selections, we get a small glimpse into the lives of kids around the world. Our two younger age groups, Hatch and Nest Jr., will learn more about Brazil and Colombia through the eyes of the main characters in the selected books. These characters will make them feel like they are right there in the city of Rio De Janeiro or hanging out in Bogotá, Colombia. I am always so thankful for the authors and illustrators who open their hearts and their worlds to us so beautifully.
The older kids, our Nest and Soar age groups, are in for some incredible writing. Both age groups will get books set in Chile that feature fascinating coming of age stories that will expose them to Chilean history and immerse them in Chilean culture in the most unexpected ways.
This month’s selections made me feel really privileged to play a part in bringing this quality of writing to your kids.
If you are not subscribed, it is not too late to join us! If you are, your kiddos are in for a treat!
Happy reading!
-Bunmi
RELATED BOOKS IF YOU CAN’T WAIT FOR OUR JULY BOX!
Saturday Sancocho by Leyla Torres
Bright cheerful illustrations capturing the spirit of the marketplace and a recipe for delicious chicken sancocho highlight the tale of Maria Lili and her grandparents and the special Saturday when they run out of everything but eggs. (Farrar Straus & Giroux)
My Name Is Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral: by Monica Brown, John Parra (Illustrator)
Gabriela Mistral loved words and sounds and stories. Born in Chile, she would grow to become the first Nobel Prize-winning Latina woman in the world. As a poet and a teacher, she inspired children across many countries to let their voices be heard. This beautifully crafted story, where words literally come to life, is told with the rhythm and melody of a poem. The second in Luna Rising’s bilingual storybook biography series. My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela is beautiful tribute to a woman who taught us the power of words and the importance of following our dreams. The story of Gabriela Mistral will continue to inspire children everywhere. (Cooper Square Publishing LLC)
Gaming whizz Will, along with his friends Sonia, Miguel, Matt, and Faye, gets an A for a group history project. But when their teacher reads from their work, none of them recognizes the piece. This is the first of a number of mystery messages which appears in their homework and emails, on their phones, and on their computer screens. Someone from the past is trying to communicate with them, and they must decipher the messages—the strange words from years ago—and figure out how to respond. The messages from Nefertiti, Marco Polo, and the other voices all have one thing in common: they all have to do with the importance of being able to read, and of history living on through the written word. (Little Island Books)
Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold has the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. With his mother in hospital, too ill to look after him, Alex is sent out to his grandmother Kate — a fearless reporter with blue eyes ‘as sharp as daggers’ points’. Kate is about to embark on an expedition to the dangerous, remote world of the Amazon rainforest, but rather than change her plans, she simply takes Alex along with her. They set off with their team — including a local guide and his daughter Nadia, with her wild, curly hair and skin the colour of honey — in search of a fabled headhunting tribe and a legendary, marauding creature known to locals only as ‘the Beast’, only to find out much, much more about the mysteries of the jungle and its inhabitants. In a novel rich in adventure, magic and spirit, internationally-celebrated novelist Isabel Allende takes readers of all ages on a voyage of discovery and wonder, deep into the heart of the Amazon. (Harper Perennial ) Great for Soar readers.
Atlas Book Club is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Our goal is to bring you globally diverse books that will develop your child’s empathy and broaden their worldview!
Children’s books can be very influential. They can encourage positive attributes such as empathy and kindness. Our last day of exploring Haiti and Jamaica was yesterday but, we want to showcase the positive attribute of strength in children’s literature. Strength is a spectrum, it presents differently in every person. These books depict strength in different ways like the strength that comes with learning to love yourself or adapting to a new situation compared with the strength of navigating difficult situations such as poverty. Hopefully you find a book on this list that speaks to you about strength.
Enjoy!
Boonoonoonous Hair by Olive Senior, Laura James (Illustrator)
In this vibrant and exquisitely illustrated picture book, written by Commonwealth Prize-winning Jamaican-Canadian Olive Senior, and with pictures by the acclaimed artist Laura James (the team that created Anna Carries Water), a young girl learns to love her difficult-to-manage, voluminous and boonoonoonous hair. (Tradewind Books)
Malaika’s Winter Carnival by Nadia L. Hohn, Irene Luxbacher
Malaika is happy to be reunited with Mummy, but it means moving to a different country, where everything is different. It’s cold in her new city, no one understands when she talks and Carnival is nothing like the celebration Malaika knows from home!
When Mummy marries Mr. Frédéric, Malaika gets a new sister called Adèle. Her new family is nice, but Malaika misses Grandma. She has to wear a puffy purple coat, learn a new language and get used to calling this new place home. Things come to a head when Mummy and Mr. Frédéric take Malaika and Adèle to a carnival. Malaika is dismayed that there are no colorful costumes and that it’s nothing like Carnival at home in the Caribbean! She is so angry that she kicks over Adèle’s snow castle, but that doesn’t make her feel any better. It takes a video chat with Grandma to help Malaika see the good things about her new home and family.
Nadia L. Hohn’s prose, written in a blend of standard English and Caribbean patois, tells a warm story about the importance of family, especially when adjusting to a new home. Readers of the first Malaika book will want to find out what happens when she moves to Canada, and will enjoy seeing Malaika and her family once again depicted through Irene Luxbacher’s colorful collage illustrations. (Groundwood books)
Serafina has a secret dream. She wants to go to school and become a doctor with her best friend, Julie Marie. But in their rural village outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti, many obstacles stand in Serafina’s way– little money, never-ending chores, and Manman’s worries. More powerful even than all of these are the heavy rains and the shaking earth that test Serafina’s resolve in ways she never dreamed. At once heartbreaking and hopeful, this exquisitely crafted story will leave a lasting impression on your heart. (Scholastic Inc)
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite
Alaine Beauparlant has heard about Haiti all her life…
But the stories were always passed down from her dad—and her mom, when she wasn’t too busy with her high-profile newscaster gig. But when Alaine’s life goes a bit sideways, it’s time to finally visit Haiti herself.
What she learns about Haiti’s proud history as the world’s first black republic (with its even prouder people) is one thing, but what she learns about her own family is another. Suddenly, the secrets Alaine’s mom has been keeping, including a family curse that has spanned generations, can no longer be avoided.
It’s a lot to handle, without even mentioning that Alaine is also working for her aunt’s nonprofit, which sends underprivileged kids to school and boasts one annoyingly charming intern. But if anyone can do it all…it’s Alaine. (Inkyard Press)
Atlas Book Club is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, life has shifted dramatically for many people and industries. The pandemic has had extensive ramifications for the state of literature including economic, cultural, and community impacts. In this piece, we hope to explore these impacts and shed light on how we can support the literary world and communities that comprise it during this time.
Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile
Book festivals are an opportunity for authors to gain recognition, connect with their fans, and generate a following for a new book. Book sales during festivals and book tours help a book gain traction, allowing the publishing industry to gauge interest for other book related events and opportunities. Literary festivals also function as an opportunity for authors to interact in a meaningful way with their readers and audience. In an article published in the School Library Journal, the children’s literature author, Christina Soontornvat, summarized this situation eloquently. “…the loss of connecting face-to-face with readers is the hardest part of all this. We get so few opportunities to meet them otherwise. That sort of human connection can make such a big impression on a young reader. It really can make a big difference in their life or turn them into a lifelong reader.” Not being able to interact with the readers and fans that support them is a devastating blow to authors.
Smaller, independent publishing houses are likely to feel the severity of the pandemic even more acutely. Such publishing houses like Lantana Publishing in the UK and Lee and Low Books here in the US are devoted to increasing the amount of books written by and about ethnic minorities. Festivals allow these publishers to network with bookstores and other book retailers. Connections with book sellers are so important as they unlock new doors for spreading diverse books and increase access to diverse books that helps dispel harmful stereotypes.
A featured dance at The Little Haiti Book Festival in 2018. Image is credited to @MiamiBookFair on Twitter.
Festivals can also be a conduit for cultural exchange, providing an opportunity for vendors to showcase the food, art, and clothing of different countries and cultures. The Brooklyn Book Festival is a prime example of how festivals function as a way to promote diversity. In addition to the festival providing a safe space to discuss and learn about “race, sexuality and belonging; stories of migrants, immigrants and refugees” in a literary context, the festival draws in tens of thousands of people from all parts of the country and the world, providing a unique experience of interacting with people of different backgrounds and cultures. The cultural mosaic of book lovers all brought to one location creates a physical community that is just not available anywhere else.
Performers at the Orange County Children’s Book Festival in 2012. Image is credited to Segerstrom Center for the Arts from http://centerscene.blogspot.com.
Though the pandemic surely caused the literary and book industry to change in unprecedented ways, we are all grateful for the quick response so many have had during these times. Many book festivals have shifted to a digital platform with live readings from authors and virtual book giveaways that are free to attend for all. Additionally, many publishers have pivoted in order to address the growing concerns of libraries and teachers that rely on their books for education.
If you would like to support the book industry during these times, consider purchasing books from your local booksellers or supporting online book fairs and celebrations. We are all coping with this time of uncertainty in different ways, but when we come together as readers, parents, book lovers and culture seekers, we can begin to restore the institutions that have been so impactful and necessary to us. Also, look up your favorite book festival! It is likely they now have a virtual option.
