We are off to Africa again! Our return to the continent will keep the kids engaged and learning about different African countries while they are home. This month we are exploring Ivory Coast (Côte D’Ivoire), Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. We have lots of great content on our social media channels so stay tuned in!
I have probably said it before but I’ll say it again, some of my favorite children’s books are those that showcase kids from other countries and cultures just being regular kids! Books that show them going on fun adventures, being mischievous, and hanging with their friends and family. I believe that these are the stories that children can fully relate to. While stories about heroism and history are important for a number of reasons, children tend to connect with kids from other cultures when they are portrayed as kids doing kid stuff! From my experience, those are the stories that resonate.
Three of our four selections fit the bill, while the last is the story of a regular girl who goes on an EPIC adventure. These selections are fun and engaging and I am looking forward to the kiddos getting their hands on their boxes. While you wait, check out these fun stories from the African continent showcasing regular kids being…. regular!
Sleep Well, Siba and Saba by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl, Sandra van Doorn (Illustrator)
Forgetful sisters Siba and Saba are always losing something. Sandals, slippers, sweaters—you name it, they lose it. When the two sisters fall asleep each night, they dream about the things they have lost that day. Until, one night, their dreams begin to reveal something entirely unexpected… With playful illustrations and a lullaby-like rhythm, this heart-warming story set in Uganda is truly one to be treasured. (Lantana Publishing)
The award-winning Anna Hibiscus chapter book series continues! Follow along with Anna as she navigates her family life and fun adventures. (EDC Publishing)
A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest by J. A. Myhre, Jennifer Myhre
Journey through Africa with ten-year-old Mu and where one simple encounter leads to a hair-raising and life-changing quest. This first story in J. A. Myhre’s new kids’ adventure fiction series blends magical realism, page-turning action, and subtle gospel themes. (New Growth Press)
Ivory Coast, 1978. It’s a golden time, and the nation, too-an oasis of affluence and stability in West Africa-seems fueled by something wondrous. Aya is loosely based upon Marguerite Abouet’s youth in Yop City. It is the story of the studious and clear-sighted nineteen-year-old Aya, her easygoing friends Adjoua and Bintou, and their meddling relatives and neighbors. It’s a wryly funny, breezy account of the simple pleasures and private troubles of everyday life in Yop City.
Latin America is a region composed of over 30 countries and dependent territories. The region is home to many different cultures and practices, so the artistic styles including visual art, music, dance, and literature are all uniquely different depending on which area you go!
Visual Art The common thread linking Latin American art is a shared cultural history combining Native American, European and African influence. Colonialism from the Spanish and Portuguese also incited the rise of Christianity in Latin America. The religious symbolism can still be seen in certain Latin architecture and art. Learn More Here!
Dance You probably know more than you think about Latin American dances. The mambo and the infamous conga line (always a fun party dance!) hail from Cuba. With the introduction of the guitar from Spain, new music and subsequently new dances were created to match the instrumentation. Learn More about Cuban Dance
Music Latin American music is so popular now that you can recognize it when you hear it. Just reading the song titles La Bamba and La Cucuracha probably have you humming the tunes! Latin American music is varied and expressive. While indigenous people played music with their own instruments such as the tun in Mayan culture and the maracas from many regions, European stringed instruments have become popular. Read More! The toe-tapping, finger-snapping beats of Latin music can be traced all the way back to the 1600’s.
Literature Latin America has a rich history of oral storytelling. Myths and songs were spread verbally until colonization introduced a written language. Find Out More There are many Latinx authors who share their wonderful and beautiful with us through writing!
HERE’S OUR PICK FOR INTRODUCING YOUR KIDDO TO ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT LATINA MUSICIANS. PERFECT FOR HATCH READERS (PICTURE BOOKS).
The Life of Selena / La vida de Selena by Patty Rodriguez, Ariana Stein, Citlali Reyes (Illustrator)
Selena’s career started at a young age when she became lead singer in her family’s band, Selena Y Los Dinos. She went on to become an award-winning artist with albums like Amor Prohibido and Selena Live, and earned the title “Queen of Tejano Music.” Your little one will learn that Selena’s favorite food was pizza and that the most important people in the world to her were her familia and fans. (Lil’ Libros)
IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LATIN AMERICAN DANCES, CHECK OUT CELIA CRUZ, A DANCER THAT POPULARIZED SALSA DANCING IN LATIN AMERICA. THIS BOOK IS GREAT FOR NEST JR. READERS (7 – 9 YEARS OLD).
Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers, Julie Maren (Illustrator)
Everyone knows the flamboyant, larger-than-life Celia Cruz, the extraordinary salsa singer who passed away in 2003, leaving millions of fans brokenhearted. indeed, there was a magical vibrancy to the Cuban salsa singer. to hear her voice or to see her perform was to feel her life-affirming energy deep within you. relish the sizzling sights and sounds of her legacy in this glimpse into Celia’s childhood and her inspiring rise to worldwide fame and recognition as the Queen of salsa. Her inspirational life story is sure to sweeten your soul. (Penguin Young Readers Group)
NEST READERS (9-11) WOULD ENJOY LEARNING ABOUT FRIDA KAHLO ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS MEXICAN ARTISTS!
Frida Kahlo by Janet Boris, Walter Hopps (Editor), Deborah Schwartz (Editor)
The Art Ed Books and Kits include: paper, non_toxic paint, oil pastels, pencils, brushes, palettes, glue—whatever the artist actually uses or used. In addition, a 24_page full_color book in each kit provides a biography of the artist and discusses his or her life and career, with full_color art reproductions as well as photographs of the artist in the studio. And, an 8_page activity book provides easy_to_follow, step_by_step instructions to help children create their own masterpieces.
Each kit is approved by the individual artist or his/her estate.
With Art Ed Books and Kits, children not only learn about great artists, they can learn to paint like them, too. Art Ed is the ideal kit for any aspiring artist!
A portion of the proceeds from Art Ed Books and Kits benefits Studio in A School.
Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907—1954) is known as much for her passionate, tumultuous life as for her arresting art. Mingling Surrealism, folk art, and autobiography, Kahlo’s art is entirely unique.
Art supplies: 5 tubes of non_toxic paint, 5 oil pastels, 10 sheets of art paper, 3 paint brushes, mixing palette, and an 8_page diary booklet (ABRAMS)
MEXICAN AUTHOR, SANDRA CISNEROS’ WIDELY ACCLAIMED THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET IS PERFECT FOR SOAR READERS (12+).
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Told in a series of vignettes-sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous-Sandra Cisneros’ masterpiece is a classic story of childhood and self-discovery. Few other books in our time have touched so many readers. (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)
Spring is around the corner and we want to celebrate with an amazing sweepstakes! One lucky winner can win this fantastic prize pack including a past Atlas Book Club Box of your choosing and great stories about great brave women!
You could win:
⭐️1 of our past boxes
⭐️1 ABC Mug
⭐️The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin Americaby Jaimie Hernadez
⭐️The Truly Brave Princessesby Dolores Brown & Sonja Wimmer (illustrator)
⭐️The Girl Who Rode a Shark & Other Stories of Daring Womenby Ailsa Ross & Amy Blackwell (Illustrator)
More about the books featured in this sweepstakes:
The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin Americaby Jaimie Hernadez
How would a kitchen maid fare against a seven-headed dragon? What happens when a woman marries a mouse? And what can a young man learn from a thousand leaf cutter ants? Famed Love and Rockets creator Jaime Hernandez asks these questions and more as he transforms beloved myths into bold, stunning, and utterly contemporary comics. Guided by the classic works of F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada, Hernandez’s first book for young readers brings the sights and stories of Latin America to a new generation of graphic-novel fans around the world.
The Truly Brave Princessesby Dolores Brown & Sonja Wimmer (illustrator)
There’s a princess closer than you think. You just have to open your eyes and your heart wide.
Don’t expect your typical fairytale princesses inside this book. These princesses are neighbors, schoolmates, the cashier at your supermarket, a lawyer, an architect… The Truly Brave Princesses will help you realize that, if you watch closely, princesses are all around you, and they are brave, caring and determined.
The Girl Who Rode a Shark & Other Stories of Daring Womenby Ailsa Ross & Amy Blackwell (Illustrator)
Now more than ever, the world is recognizing how strong women and girls are. How strong? In the early 1920s, Inuit expeditioner Ada Blackjack survived for two years as a castaway on an uninhabited island in the Arctic Ocean before she was finally rescued. And she’s just one example.
The Girl Who Rode a Shark: And Other Stories of Daring Women is a rousing collection of biographies focused on women and girls who have written, explored, or otherwise plunged headfirst into the pages of history. Undaunted by expectations, they made their mark by persevering in pursuit of their passions. The tales come from a huge variety of times and places, from a Canadian astronaut to an Indian secret agent to a Balkan pirate queen who stood up to Ancient Rome.
Some people have asked how I settle on the books that I select for the Atlas Book Club Boxes. It may sound odd but… the books lead me and I simply follow. I do have a set of criteria that I am looking for in a book, one of which is that it must showcase different aspects of the featured country. After all, our goal here at Atlas Book Club is to shatter “the single story.” However, at the end of the day, it must be a truly engaging read. With that in mind, it is always a delightful coincidence when a theme emerges from the books selected.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, all four book selections honor Latin American women in one form or another. One celebrates Mexican girls and women in folklore and legends, another highlights a tradition passed down through generations of Guatemalan women, the third illustrates the important roles women play in a Latin American family, and the last features a popular Mexican woman in the arts! Can you guess who?!
While you wait for your March box to arrive, check out more wonderful children’s books with strong Latina women and girls we love.
In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn’t come empty-handed.
She brought her strength, her work, her passion, her hopes and dreams. . . and her stories. Caldecott Honor artist and six-time Pura Belpré winner Yuyi Morales’s gorgeous picture book Dreamers is about making a home in a new place. Yuyi and her son Kelly’s passage was not easy, and Yuyi spoke no English whatsoever at the time. But together, they found an unexpected, unbelievable place: the public library. There, book by book, they untangled the language of this strange new land, and learned to make their home within it.
Dreamers is a celebration of what migrantes bring with them when they leave their homes. It’s a story about family. And it’s a story to remind us that we are all dreamers, bringing our own gifts wherever we roam. Beautiful and powerful at any time but given particular urgency as the status of our own Dreamers becomes uncertain, this is a story that is both topical and timeless.
The lyrical text is complemented by sumptuously detailed illustrations, rich in symbolism. Also included are a brief autobiographical essay about Yuyi’s own experience, a list of books that inspired her (and still do), and a description of the beautiful images, textures, and mementos she used to create this book.
My Name Is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada & K. Dyble Thompson (illustrator)
For María Isabel Salazar López, the hardest thing about being the new girl in school is that the teacher doesn’t call her by her real name. “We already have two Marías in this class,” says her teacher. “Why don’t we call you Mary instead?” But María Isabel has been named for her Papá’s mother and for Chabela, her beloved Puerto Rican grandmother. Can she find a way to make her teacher see that if she loses her name, she’s lost the most important part of herself?
As a young girl, Selena Quintanilla sang in a band called Selena y Los Dinos with her brother and sister. The family performed at fairs, weddings, quinceañeras, and on street corners in their native Texas. Selena learned how to sing in Spanish and soon became hugely popular within the Latino community–so much so that she became the best-selling Latin artist of the 1990s. Selena was poised to be a great success, but her life was cut short after being fatally wounded by the president of her fan club. Selena’s contributions to music and fashion during her life made her one of the top Latin musicians in the 1990s, and readers will want to know more about the woman who introduced the world to Tejano music.
Pretty in Pink comes to the South Bronx in this bold and romantic coming-of-age novel about dysfunctional families, good and bad choices, and finding the courage to question everything you ever thought you wanted—from debut author Lilliam Rivera.
Things/People Margot Hates: Mami, for destroying her social life Papi, for allowing Junior to become a Neanderthal Junior, for becoming a Neanderthal The supermarket Everyone else
After “borrowing” her father’s credit card to finance a more stylish wardrobe, Margot Sanchez suddenly finds herself grounded. And by grounded, she means working as an indentured servant in her family’s struggling grocery store to pay off her debts.
With each order of deli meat she slices, Margot can feel her carefully cultivated prep school reputation slipping through her fingers, and she’s willing to do anything to get out of this punishment. Lie, cheat, and maybe even steal…
Margot’s invitation to the ultimate beach party is within reach and she has no intention of letting her family’s drama or Moises—the admittedly good looking but outspoken boy from the neighborhood—keep her from her goal.
* Ribbit * Books featuring frogs your kids will love for the leap year!
Fanatical About Frogs by Owen Davey
Did you know that there are over 4,000 known species of frog? Some are bigger than your dinner plate, while others are small enough to sit on your fingernail, and in between is about every color and size you can imagine! Leap into this fascinating illustrated guide to the most diverse amphibians in the world, from the lumbering common toad to the beautiful but deadly poison dart frog. (Nobrow Ltd.)
The Rizzlerunk Club: Best Buds Under Frogsby Leslie Patricelli
Lily is pretty lucky. She made a friend on the first day at her new school—even after she barfed on the playground—and now she and Darby are the only two members of the RizzleRunk Club. Darby is fun. She tells funny stories, she likes to catch frogs, and there’s lots of junk food at her house. Darby is good at lots of things, too. Especially lying. Which Lily isn’t. She gets that ants-under-her-skin feeling when she even thinks about doing it. But sometimes telling the truth is just too hard, so when Lily accidently does something to the class rat that she’s afraid to admit, she denies it. Soon the lie feels like something awful sitting in the bottom of her stomach. Will Lily find a way to let it out? (Candlewick Press)
Leap Frog by Jane Clarke, Britta Teckentrup (Illustrator)
What’s that noise? The jungle can be a scary place for a tiny tree frog like Felix, and all the strange noises are making him a little bit jumpy. Help Felix find a safe place — and perhaps a special someone — so he can nod off for a peaceful sleep. (Candlewick Press)
Oscar and the Frog: A Book About Growingby Geoff Waring
Oscar is a curious kitten, and at the pond he is full of questions about growing things. Luckily, Frog can help with the answers — after all, he’s gone through some impressive changes himself! Includes lesson summaries! Back matter includes an index and supplemental activities. (Candlewick Press)
I Don’t Want to Be a Frogby Dev Petty, Mike Boldt (Illustrator)
Frog wants to be anything but a slimy, wet frog. A cat, perhaps. Or a rabbit. An owl? But when a hungry wolf arrives—a wolf who HATES eating frogs—our hero decides that being himself isn’t so bad after all. In this very silly story with a sly message, told in hilarious dialogue between a feisty young frog and his heard-it-all-before father, young readers will identify with little Frog’s desire to be something different, while laughing along at his stubborn yet endearing schemes to prove himself right. (Random House Children’s Books)
Tad is small. In fact, she is the smallest almost-a-frog in the whole, wide pond. That makes it hard for her to do big things like follow her tadsiblings who swim to other parts of the pond when they outgrow the nest.
As her tadbrothers and tadsisters swim up, up, up, they leave poor Tad by her lonesome. That’s until…Big Blub shows up! He’s not only bigger than Tad, but Big Blub isn’t exactly what a tadpole would consider friendly.
Swimming at her own pace, Tad soon learns how to to be bigger than her fears. Benji Davies creates a memorable and timeless tale that proves sometimes the mightiest creature comes in the smallest package. (HarperCollins Publishers)
Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education. This, her mother has told her, is the only way to get a “louding voice”—the ability to speak for herself and decide her own future. But instead, Adunni’s father sells her to be the third wife of a local man who is eager for her to bear him a son and heir.
When Adunni runs away to the city, hoping to make a better life, she finds that the only other option before her is servitude to a wealthy family. As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless slave, Adunni is told, by words and deeds, that she is nothing.
But while misfortunes might muffle her voice for a time, they cannot mute it. And when she realizes that she must stand up not only for herself, but for other girls, for the ones who came before her and were lost, and for the next girls, who will inevitably follow; she finds the resolve to speak, however she can—in a whisper, in song, in broken English—until she is heard. (Penguin Publishing Group)
The Deep by Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes
Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.
Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities—and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.
Yetu will learn more than she ever expected about her own past—and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity—and own who they really are.
The Deep is “a tour de force reorientation of the storytelling gaze…a superb, multilayered work,” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) and a vividly original and uniquely affecting story inspired by a song produced by the rap group Clipping. (Gallery/Sage Press)
Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains’ toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store’s security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make things right.
But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix’s desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix’s past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other.
With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone “family,” and the complicated reality of being a grown up. It is a searing debut for our times. (Penguin Publishing Group)
These Ghosts Are a Family by Maisy Card (On sale March 3)
Stanford Solomon has a shocking, thirty-year-old secret. And it’s about to change the lives of everyone around him. Stanford Solomon is actually Abel Paisley, a man who faked his own death and stole the identity of his best friend.
And now, nearing the end of his life, Stanford is about to meet his firstborn daughter, Irene Paisley, a home health aide who has unwittingly shown up for her first day of work to tend to the father she thought was dead.
These Ghosts Are Family revolves around the consequences of Abel’s decision and tells the story of the Paisley family from colonial Jamaica to present day Harlem. There is Vera, whose widowhood forced her into the role of single mother. There are two daughters and a granddaughter who have never known they are related. And there are others, like the house boy who loved Vera, whose lives might have taken different courses if not for Abel Paisley’s actions.
These Ghosts Are Family explores the ways each character wrestles with their ghosts and struggles to forge independent identities outside of the family and their trauma. The result is an engrossing portrait of a family and individuals caught in the sweep of history, slavery, migration, and the more personal dramas of infidelity, lost love, and regret. This electric and luminous family saga announces the arrival of a new American talent. (Simon & Schuster)
A first novel by an unknown writer, it remained on the bestseller list for sixteen weeks, won the National Book Award for fiction, and established Ralph Ellison as one of the key writers of the century. The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of “the Brotherhood”, and retreating amid violence and confusion to the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be. The book is a passionate and witty tour de force of style, strongly influenced by T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, Joyce, and Dostoevsky. (Vintage International Series)
Twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike are enjoying a relatively comfortable life in Lagos in 1996. Then their mother loses her job due to political strife, and the family, facing poverty, becomes drawn into the New Church, an institution led by a charismatic pastor who is not shy about worshipping earthly wealth.
Soon Bibike and Ariyike’s father wagers the family home on a “sure bet” that evaporates like smoke. As their parents’ marriage collapses in the aftermath of this gamble, the twin sisters and their two younger siblings, Andrew and Peter, are thrust into the reluctant care of their traditional Yoruba grandmother. Inseparable while they had their parents to care for them, the twins’ paths diverge once the household shatters. Each girl is left to locate, guard, and hone her own fragile source of power.
Written with astonishing intimacy and wry attention to the fickleness of fate, Tola Rotimi Abraham’s Black Sunday takes us into the chaotic heart of family life, tracing a line from the euphoria of kinship to the devastation of estrangement. In the process, it joyfully tells a tale of grace and connection in the midst of daily oppression and the constant incursions of an unremitting patriarchy. This is a novel about two young women slowly finding, over twenty years, in a place rife with hypocrisy but also endless life and love, their own distinct methods of resistance and paths to independence.(Catapault)
Ella has a Thing. She sees a classmate grow up to become a caring nurse. A neighbor’s son murdered in a drive-by shooting. Things that haven’t happened yet. Kev, born while Los Angeles burned around them, wants to protect his sister from a power that could destroy her. But when Kev is incarcerated, Ella must decide what it means to watch her brother suffer while holding the ability to wreck cities in her hands.
Rooted in the hope that can live in anger, Riot Baby is as much an intimate family story as a global dystopian narrative. It burns fearlessly toward revolution and has quietly devastating things to say about love, fury, and the black American experience.
Ella and Kev are both shockingly human and immeasurably powerful. Their childhoods are defined and destroyed by racism. Their futures might alter the world. (Tom Doherty Associates)
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall (On sale February 25)
A potent and electrifying critique of today’s feminist movement announcing a fresh new voice in black feminism
Today’s feminist movement has a glaring blind spot, and paradoxically, it is women. Mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, argues Mikki Kendall, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. All too often, however, the focus is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few. That feminists refuse to prioritize these issues has only exacerbated the age-old problem of both internecine discord and women who rebuff at carrying the title. Moreover, prominent white feminists broadly suffer from their own myopia with regard to how things like race, class, sexual orientation, and ability intersect with gender. How can we stand in solidarity as a movement, Kendall asks, when there is the distinct likelihood that some women are oppressing others?
In her searing collection of essays, Mikki Kendall takes aim at the legitimacy of the modern feminist movement arguing that it has chronically failed to address the needs of all but a few women. Drawing on her own experiences with hunger, violence, and hypersexualization, along with incisive commentary on politics, pop culture, the stigma of mental health, and more, Hood Feminism delivers an irrefutable indictment of a movement in flux. An unforgettable debut, Kendall has written a ferocious clarion call to all would-be feminists to live out the true mandate of the movement in thought and in deed. (Penguin Publishing Group)
Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick by Zora Neal Hurston
In 1925, Barnard student Zora Neale Hurston—the sole black student at the college—was living in New York, “desperately striving for a toe-hold on the world.” During this period, she began writing short works that captured the zeitgeist of African American life and transformed her into one of the central figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Nearly a century later, this singular talent is recognized as one of the most influential and revered American artists of the modern period.
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is an outstanding collection of stories about love and migration, gender and class, racism and sexism that proudly reflect African American folk culture. Brought together for the first time in one volume, they include eight of Hurston’s “lost” Harlem stories, which were found in forgotten periodicals and archives. These stories challenge conceptions of Hurston as an author of rural fiction and include gems that flash with her biting, satiric humor, as well as more serious tales reflective of the cultural currents of Hurston’s world. All are timeless classics that enrich our understanding and appreciation of this exceptional writer’s voice and her contributions to America’s literary traditions. (HarperCollins Publishers)
As the Civil Rights movement begins to reach the black enclave of Frenchtown in segregated Tallahassee, Elwood Curtis takes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to heart: He is “as good as anyone.” Abandoned by his parents, but kept on the straight and narrow by his grandmother, Elwood is about to enroll in the local black college. But for a black boy in the Jim Crow South of the early 1960s, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy the future. Elwood is sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, whose mission statement says it provides “physical, intellectual and moral training” so the delinquent boys in their charge can become “honorable and honest men.”
In reality, the Nickel Academy is a grotesque chamber of horrors where the sadistic staff beats and sexually abuses the students, corrupt officials and locals steal food and supplies, and any boy who resists is likely to disappear “out back.” Stunned to find himself in such a vicious environment, Elwood tries to hold onto Dr. King’s ringing assertion “Throw us in jail and we will still love you.” His friend Turner thinks Elwood is worse than naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble.
The tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades. Formed in the crucible of the evils Jim Crow wrought, the boys’ fates will be determined by what they endured at the Nickel Academy.
Based on the real story of a reform school in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers. (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)
Share Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream with your kids through these picture books, novels, and biographies.
FOR HATCH READERS (PICTURE BOOKS)
Martin Luther King, Jr. by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Mai Ly Degnan (Illustrator)
Little Martin grew up in a family of preachers: his dad was a preacher, his uncle was a preacher, his grandfather was a preacher…so maybe he’d become a great preacher too. One day, a friend invited him to play at his house. Martin was shocked when his mother wouldn’t let him in because he was black. That day he realized there was something terribly unfair going on. Martin believed that no one should remain silent and accept something if it’s wrong. And he promised himself that—when he grew up—he’d fight injustice with the most powerful weapon of all: words.
This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the inspiring activist’s life. (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)
I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer, Christopher Eliopoulos (Illustrator)
Even as a child, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shocked by the terrible and unfair way African-American people were treated. When he grew up, he decided to do something about it—peacefully, with powerful words. He helped gather people together for nonviolent protests and marches, and he always spoke up about loving other human beings and doing what’s right. He spoke about the dream of a kinder future, and bravely led the way toward racial equality in America. (Penguin Young Readers)
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
In February 1968, two African American sanitation workers were killed by unsafe equipment in Memphis, Tennessee. Outraged at the city’s refusal to recognize a labor union that would fight for higher pay and safer working conditions, sanitation workers went on strike. The strike lasted two months, during which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was called to help with the protests. While his presence was greatly inspiring to the community, this unfortunately would be his last stand for justice.
He was assassinated in his Memphis hotel the day after delivering his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” sermon in Mason Temple Church. Inspired by the memories of a teacher who participated in the strike as a child, author Alice Faye Duncan reveals the story of the Memphis sanitation strike from the perspective of a young girl with a riveting combination of poetry and prose. (Highlights)
Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.
Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them.
Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack. (Random House Children’s Books)
This was a hard list to put together because I read more children’s books this year than ever before in preparation for launching the Atlas Book Club Subscription Box! You can purchase all books from Amazon at the affiliate links. Great for gifts or to grow you collection of diverse children’s books. Enjoy! – Bunmi
10. Mira’s Curly Hair by Maryam Al Serkal and Rebeca Luciani
Lantana Publishing sure knows how to capture my heart. They did it with Sleep Well Siba and Sabaand now with Mira’s Curly Hair. The first time I read this gorgeous picture book, it took my breath away. This simple story about a brown girl and her mom living in Dubai, and their relationship with their hair strikes an important chord – we are more alike than we are different. This story transcends and resonates – that a little brown girl living in Brooklyn can connect with another little brown girl across the world based on their beautiful curly hair made my heart smile! This book is a mirror and a window. This book is perfection.
In this Young Readers adaptation of his best-selling memoir, Trevor Noah narrates his childhood adventures and misadventures growing up in a changing South Africa still reeling from the impact of apartheid. Noah manages to make this more appropriate for a younger audience while keeping the authenticity and integrity of the stories within. What he does not do is dumb the state of affairs or the impact of racist policies; he does not underestimate the intellgience of his younger readers and that is a refreshing approach in such a memoir adaptation. Candid, funny and with historical context, this is a perfect read for kids age 12 and up. It is one that may require further discussion and research. If you are looking for something to read along with your teenager, this is a good one.
Another one from Lantana Publishing, this picture book by the British-Indian duo author Chitra Soundor and illustrator Poonam Mistry is simply STUNNING. A timely story of a polar bear family as they adjust to the depleting ice and adapt to their changing home. The intricate illustrations in this picture book will take your breath away while this lyrical story reminds you of the importance and urgency for action in protecting the only planet we call home. An excellent story for the little ones in your life, perfect for reading out loud.
Published in 1998, If You lived with The Iroquois gives you a brief glance, back in time, into the lives of this great tribe long before there was a United States. Kids would love learning but everyday living with the Iroquois, I certainly did! A great way to introduce your child to Native American history and tribes.
You may rememberInside Out and Back Againby Thanha Lai from my Top Ten Books of 2018. I loved it so much it claimed the Number 1 spot! While the follow up Listen, Slowlyby the same author is different in style and substance, it is just as good! Where Inside Outwas sombre and intriguing, Listen, Slowly is witty, funny but still captivating. This book brings us along as 12 year old Mai accompanies her grandmother back to Vietnam in search of news of her missing grandfather – her grandmother fled Vietnam to America with Mai’s parents in Inside Out and Back Again. My favorite part of this book is the relationship between these two—an American born teenager and her immigrant grandmother. It is a deep rooted connection, one that I felt privileged to be reading about. Perfect for ages 9 and above.
5. Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali by P. James Oliver
This biography by P. James Oliver tells the tale of one of the wealthiest and most successful emperors and empires of pre-colonial Africa. Mansa Musa’s story is one of gold, bravery, adventure, dilemmas and triumphs. It includes details of his pilgrimage from Western Africa to Mecca and his findings along the way, and the way of life of the people of Mali and their interaction with the world around them. A necessary read that provides historical context of Western Africa prior to colonialism and the slave trade, this book is full of details, drawings, maps and facts that help the reader follow this epic empire. A perfect read for kids entering 6th grade as they will likely be studying this era then!
Red Butterfly is a different type of adoption story. Written in free verse, author A. L. Sonnichsen tells this intriguing tale through the eyes of 11 year old Cara, a Chinese girl living in China with her adoptive mother, an elderly American woman. A story of family and hope, of belonging and home. Perfect for ages 9 and above.
3. Under the Great Plum Tree by Sufiya Ahmed and Reza Dalvand
This folktale is one that has been told in many cultures around the world but this version is based on an ancient Indian fable about an unlikely friendship between a monkey and a crocodile. A gorgeous picture book that is sure to become a bedtime favorite!
A story of a Korean family while Korea was under Japanese occupation during World War II. Follow along as the two young narrators, siblings, describe the impact of the occupation and the war on their family. This is a fantastic read about a period and place in history that is not widely discussed. I learned a lot from this book. Perfect for ages 9 and above.
In our December Box, subscribers to our Nest Box discovered Precious Ramotswe, a young girl from Botswana with a curious mind and an eye for solving mysteries. Fans of The Great Cake Mystery can follow along with Precious as she solves her next two cases in The Mystery of the Missing Lion andThe Mystery of Meerkat Hill. Perfect for ages 7 and above.
Here is our list from 2018! You can purchase all books from Amazon at the affiliate links. Great gifts for birthdays and special celebrations, or to grow you collection of diverse children’s books! – Bunmi
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai is a delicious delight of a book. Based on the true story of Lai herself, Inside Out and Back Again uses verse to draw us into the family life of ten year old Ha during the Fall of Saigon towards the end of the Vietnam War. We follow Ha and her family as they escape the country and migrate to Alabama where an entirely different life awaits. Thanhha Lai masterfully weaves a captivating story that evokes all of the emotions – empathy, inspiration, laughter, admiration, heartbreak and so on. Her ability to use so little words to evoke such strong emotion is powerful. This is a book with language so simple yet impactful. It should be savored, slowly and intentionally. I LOVE THIS BOOK. Readers of The Red Pencil will love this book as the style of storytelling is similar. This book will be great for readers 8 and up to adults. A captivating immigration story lies ahead, one worth reading and sharing. Enjoy, truly!
If you follow Atlas Book Club, you may remember this selection from the summer. This tale of two boys, from very different backgrounds, and their unexpected friendship captured my heart and claimed it as its own. I LOVE THIS BOOK. It has been a while since I have read a book as captivating as The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird. Based on true stories, this incredible tale of an unlikely friendship between two young boys growing up in Ethiopia is equally heart warming and heart wrenching. A story about difficult familial relationships and the formation of a brotherhood based on the circumstances that binds these boys makes for a true page turner. I would recommend this book for kids 12 years old and up, depending on the maturity level of the kid. This is one I would suggest parents read first to be prepared to discuss any sensitive questions that may arise. Sensitive topics include child kidnapping, modern day slave trade, suggestion of prostitution, and street begging. Despite these sensitive topics, this book is beautifully written and the resulting story of brotherhood is nothing short of triumphant.
The Day You Begin by Jacquline Woodson is probably one of the most important books I have taken into a class yet. This simple yet poignant picture book tells the story of many kids who feel “othered” when in school whether it is by their accent, their packed lunch or even the way they spent their summer. I remember how quiet the kids in my 2nd grader’s class were when I was reading this book, and as I read it, I wondered how many of them felt “othered.”As a Nigerian-American mom whose kids sometimes take jollof rice to school for lunch, this book filled my heart. Get this book!
Nadia Knox and the Eye of Zinnia is a fun, adventure book by Jessica McDougle. Follow Nadia and her brother Chris into the jungles of Uganda. When these siblings tag along with their archaeologist parents on a work trip, their curiosity leads to exploration, legends and magic! Kids 8 and up will love this action packed novel. Happy Reading! ?
Haroun and the Sea of Stories! Set in an exotic and magical Eastern landscape, author Salman Rushdie, weaves his Indian background into this enchanting tale of 12 year old Haroun as he journeys to magical lands to help his father regain his voice. The characters within are as colorful as they are magical. This book is chock full of symbolism, fantasy and imagery and the kids in your life will be fascinated from page one! Fans of Alice in Wonderland,Life of Pi and Wizard of Oz will LOVE this book. Perfect for ages 8 and up, depending on reading level. Happy reading! ❤
A Chameleon, A Boy, and A Quest by J.A. Myhre is a classic tale of adventure. Follow ten year old Mu and his companion a talking chameleon in this coming of age story through the enchanted forests of Africa as he navigates loss, faith and growing up. Some of my favorite books are ones where the character grows and are “becoming” in the course of a fun, magical adventure. This book is just that. Perfect for ages 8 and up
Seven Spools of Thread is an honorary pick. Although not a recent buy, I recently read it to my 2nd grader’s class and I was reminded how much I love this story. Perfect for this time of the year, this story of seven brothers, written by Angela Shelf Medearis, is a beautiful example of what we can achieve when we work together. Kids will learn that fighting and bickering solve nothing, and we are so much better when united towards a common goal. Happy reading!
If you follow Atlas Book Club, you’ll remember that one of my favorite books last year was Sleep Well, Siba and Saba. Here is another winner by the same duo. Sing To The Moon by Nansubuga Nagaddya Isdahl is a delightful picture book that beautifully illustrates the grandparent-grandchild relationship. Illustrator @sandravandoornillustrations captures this relationship perfectly with her trademark colorful choices. This book is perfect for bedtime stories and classroom readings. I recently took it in as a Surprise Guest Reader to 2nd graders and it was a hit! Happy reading.
When this book arrived in the mail and my daughter devoured it in less than 10 minutes, I knew immediately I had to include it in my top ten. Kodi’s Big Idea by my friend Adora Ndu is a gorgeous picture book that tells the story of Kodi and her family life. Some of my favorite books are books that show children of color just being kids! This book is exactly that! The simplicity and relatability of the characters is my favorite thing about this book. Kodi’s Big Idea is a perfect gift for young readers K-4th grade but can be enjoyed by readers of all ages!
This is a cheat pick because it is a series, but I just had to include it in my top ten. My kids LOVE the Jaden Toussaint series! Jaden is a witty, intelligent 5year old kid who loves to use science to solve dilemmas and get his way. This series is hilarious, and chuck full of scientific theories and pop culture references. There is even a Hamilton reference! You are sure to find the littles in your life cuddled up in the corner with any one of these books, chuckling delightfully to themselves. Get the whole series! We had to wait for each episode/book to be published but you don’t have to.
I put this list together a couple of years ago. You can purchase all books from Amazon at the affiliate links. Great gifts for birthdays and special celebrations, or to grow you collection of diverse children’s books! – Bunmi
10. A LONG WALK TO WATER BY LINDA SUE PARKER
A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Parker is a true story of courage, perseverance and triumph about a young boy during the Sudanese war. Recommend for ages 10 and up. Contains some violence and death.
While I loved this story, I didn’t select it for the book club because we had just read The Red Pencil and didn’t want the kids reading another book about another war torn African country. Nevertheless, still an excellent story and one worth reading.
9. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema is a beautifully illustrated book. Folktales are an integral part of African culture and are one of my favorite types of storytelling. If you follow me, you know I have a soft spot for bright colorful illustrations and this picture book delivers! Recommended for all ages.
Another picture book from Lantana Publishing, a company doing great work in the publishing space! The Wooden Camelby Wanuri Kahiu is a simple Kenyan story of sibling love filled with childhood imagination and play.
You can’t go wrong with the great Chinua Achebe! This was our January selection and it led to an interesting and insightful conversation with the kids. This story of a Nigerian boy pursuing his dream was relatable and inspiring.
4. Chicken in the Kitchen by Nnedi Okorafor and Mehrdokht Amini
Colorful, delightful and fun! Chicken In The Kitchen reminds me of the festivals growing up in Nigeria. This is a hit at the school whenever I’m a guest reader.
3. The Water Princess by Susan Verde, Georgie Badiel and Peter H. Reynolds
You have seen me post this book. I LOVE THIS BOOK! Based on the true story of Burkina Faso-born model Georgie Badel, this book is stunning. The earth tone illustrations are breathtaking and provide a wonderful medium to tell this simple story.
The Red Pencilby Andrea Davis Pinkney is phenomenal. The use of poetry and prose as a medium to tell the story of a young Sudanese girl is captivating. Recommended for ages 10 and up due to references to death and war.
1. Sleep Well, Siba and Saba by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl and Sandra van Doorn
And drumroll… my favorite book of 2017 is Sleep Well, Siba and Saba. If you follow this page, this should come as no surprise!? the love I have for this book is well documented.
The story is beautiful in its simplicity and the illustrations are just stunning! This story of two sisters growing up in Uganda will warm your heart and make you smile. Bravo Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl and Sandra van Doorn. Bravo!!!
THE ATLAS BOOK CLUB HAS THE GO-TO SUBSCRIPTION BOX
for culturally curious kids! Each month we’ll explore a new continent through our Hatch, Nest & Nest Jr., and Soar boxes. Each box comes with thoughtfully, lovingly selected books for your kids to enjoy but more importantly, to learn more about a new culture (or even their own!). The box will contain fun items—such as cards with fun facts about the month’s destination, souvenirs, and activities—to provide your reader with an immersive educational experience. So, are your kids ready to take flight? Check out what we have to offer below and subscribe today!
Hatch
For ages 5-7
The Hatch Box is for the youngest migrators among us but also for lovers of picture books ages 0-99. Our book selections for this box have simple storylines and are great for kids who love to read.
Perfect for readers who loved “Chicken in the Kitchen” and “Sulwe”
Our latest addition to the ABC family, the Nest Jr. Box is just right for newly independent readers. The box will include picture books with more complex storylines or easy to read early chapter books.
Perfect for readers of the Jaiden Touissant series and The Great Cake Mystery
The Soar Box is an exciting package that will contain YA-level graphic novel or a chapter book. Because some of the content may be a bit more mature, look out for a “note to parents” included in the box.
Perfect for readers who like “Shaka Rising” and “The Garbage King”
