This year NHR reached a HUGE milestone: for the first time EVER, 600 students enrolled in the tutoring program! This week we’re celebrating our community’s accomplishments by taking a look back at some other highlights from the school year.
The Tutoring and Pre-K/Kindergarten Programs
By March 2019, 608 students were attending 762 tutoring hours EACH WEEK.
All 608 students were supported by 454 amazing tutors.
Approximately 25% of students in the tutoring program took this year’s CORE test. Of those students, 72% improved at least one grade level (or more) in their independent reading level!
In addition, 46 more students participated in 10 Pre-K and Kindergarten classes.
A student concentrates on her workbook, hugging her “reading buddy” Pikachu.
The Book Bank and Field Trip Programs
The Book Bank distributed 116,176 books to the greater New Haven community.
Of those books, 11,676 went to 2,013 students who visited us from 36 different schools through the field trips program.
A volunteer works behind the scenes in the Book Bank, sorting books.
Community Events
In October 2018, the Board of Alders honored NHR with the Mentorship Award, given to individuals and organizations making an impact in New Haven.
Executive Director Kirsten Levinsohn accepts the Mentorship Award from the Board of Alders’ Black and Hispanic Caucus.
In April 2019, the New Haven Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority honored NHR with the 2019 Youth Development Community Award.
Executive Director Kirsten Levinsohn poses with members of the local Delta Sigma Theta chapter after accepting the 2019 Youth Development Community Award.
Finally, in June NHR staff participated in the Freddy Fixer Parade for the 2nd year in a row. This year we created our very first float, and we gave out more than 1500 books!
Science Park Site Director Audra Clark gives out free books at the 2019 Freddy Fixer Parade. (Photo taken by the New Haven Independent.)
As we look ahead, we’re excited to continuing growing and serving even more students with the support of parents, volunteers, and other community members.
This week’s post is short, but for all of us at NHR, incredibly moving. This letter came to us from a book bin in Fair Haven that gets free books from NHR. We believe it is proof of the incredible power of literacy, community, and our mission.
To whom it may concern:
I have been given hours of enjoyment because of your books.
I am homeless and on the streets. It is such a pleasure to have people like yourself who go out of their way to bring pleasure to people like me.
I just wanted to thank you so much for taking the time out of your lives so that my life is made a little happier!
Two weeks ago NHR’s Executive Director, Kirsten Levinsohn, and Book Bank Director, Victoria Smith, joined other volunteers at the Help Your Shelves project Build Day, where they constructed a new Help Your Shelf book bin for Scantlebury Park! Check out photos from the build day below, and read more about the project from The Arts Paper and The New Haven Independent!
The Help Your Shelves project is a partnership between New Haven Reads, Make Haven, and the New Haven Land Trust which will bring book boxes—similar to Little Free Libraries—to six New Haven neighborhoods early this summer. To apply for a Help Your Shelf in your neighborhood or learn how to donate, visit MakeHaven’s website.
This Saturday is Read Across America Day, a nationwide celebration that takes place annually on March 2nd, Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Check out this awesome slideshow featuring the ways we’ve celebrated over the years here at NHR! Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
One of our awesome students poses with her “Fox in Socks” book and a big smile
Science Park highlighting Dr. Seuss and his legacy
One of our students dressed up like the Cat in the Hat! How awesome!
Is that the Cat in the Hat?!
“Would you like them in a house? Would you like them with a mouse?”
Books on display at our Dixwell location
One of our students participating in Wacky Wednesday for Dr. Seuss Week
BIG THANK YOU to the Study at Yale for donating tons of Dr. Seuss books to us!
Awesome volunteers from the Study at Yale read to NHR students
Books on display for our students to read
Tutors, staff and students dressed in green for “Green Eggs and Ham” day
As promised in yesterday’s post, 30 Must-Read Children’s Books for Black History Month, we’re back with a list of recommended titles to read this February! Sorted by genre, this list is meant to be a beginner-friendly starting point to dive into black literature, history, or cultural commentary. Though you won’t find the Obamas or Ta-Nehisi Coates (two excellent but obvious choices) on this list, you’ll find classics and newer titles, and hopefully some authors you’ve never heard of.
Goddess of Anarchy: The Life and Times of Lucy Parsons, American Radical, Jacqueline Jones “Goddess of Anarchy recounts the formidable life of the militant writer, orator, and agitator Lucy Parsons. Born to an enslaved woman in Virginia in 1851 and raised in Texas—where she met her husband, the Haymarket “martyr” Albert Parsons—Lucy was a fearless advocate of First Amendment rights, a champion of the working classes, and one of the most prominent figures of African descent of her era. And yet, her life was riddled with contradictions—she advocated violence without apology, concocted a Hispanic-Indian identity for herself, and ignored the plight of African Americans.”
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
“Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide…. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local ‘powhitetrash.’ At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (‘I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare’) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.”
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More, Janet Mock
“With unflinching honesty and moving prose, Janet Mock relays her experiences of growing up young, multiracial, poor, and trans in America, offering readers accessible language while imparting vital insight about the unique challenges and vulnerabilities of a marginalized and misunderstood population. Though undoubtedly an account of one woman’s quest for self at all costs, Redefining Realness is a powerful vision of possibility and self-realization, pushing us all toward greater acceptance of one another—and of ourselves—showing as never before how to be unapologetic and real.”
Song in a Weary Throat, Pauli Murray
“A prophetic memoir by the activist who ‘articulated the intellectual foundations’ (The New Yorker) of the civil rights and women’s rights movements….Now, more than thirty years after her death in 1985, Murray—poet, memoirist, lawyer, activist, and Episcopal priest—gains long-deserved recognition through a rediscovered memoir that serves as a ‘powerful witness’ (Brittney Cooper) to a pivotal era in the American twentieth century.”
Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells “Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) was one of the foremost crusaders against black oppression. This engaging memoir tells of her private life as mother of a growing family as well as her public activities as teacher, lecturer, and journalist in her fight against attitudes and laws oppressing blacks.”
The Autobiography of Malcolm X “In the searing pages of this classic autobiography, originally published in 1964, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and anti-integrationist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Black Muslim movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American Dream, and the inherent racism in a society that denies its nonwhite citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time. The Autobiography of Malcolm X stands as the definitive statement of a movement and a man whose work was never completed but whose message is timeless. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand America.”
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, Wes Moore
“Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year of each other. Both grew up fatherless in similar Baltimore neighborhoods and had difficult childhoods; both hung out on street corners with their crews; both ran into trouble with the police. How, then, did one grow up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader, while the other ended up a convicted murderer serving a life sentence? Wes Moore, the author of this fascinating book, sets out to answer this profound question. In alternating narratives that take readers from heart-wrenching losses to moments of surprising redemption, The Other Wes Moore tells the story of a generation of boys trying to find their way in a hostile world.”
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League, Jeff Hobbs
“An instant New York Times bestseller, named a best book of the year by The New York Times Book Review, Amazon, and Entertainment Weekly, among others, this celebrated account of a young African-American man who escaped Newark, NJ, to attend Yale, but still faced the dangers of the streets when he returned is, ‘nuanced and shattering’ (People) and ‘mesmeric’ (The New York Times Book Review).”
Zami: A New Spelling of my Name, Audre Lorde
“ZAMI is a fast-moving chronicle. From the author’s vivid childhood memories in Harlem to her coming of age in the late 1950s, the nature of Audre Lorde’s work is cyclical. It especially relates the linkage of women who have shaped her . . . Lorde brings into play her craft of lush description and characterization. It keeps unfolding page after page.”
Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics, bell hooks
“‘Simply put, feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.’ So begins Feminism is for Everybody, a short, accessible introduction to feminist theory by one of its most influential practitioners. Designed to be read by all genders, this book provides both a primer to the question ‘what is feminism?’ and an argument for the enduring importance of the feminist movement today.”
Sister Outsider, Audre Lorde
“Presenting the essential writings of black lesbian poet and feminist writer Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider celebrates an influential voice in twentieth-century literature.In this charged collection of fifteen essays and speeches, Lorde takes on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class, and propounds social difference as a vehicle for action and change.”
Women, Race, & Class, by Angela Davis
“A powerful study of the women’s liberation movement in the U.S., from abolitionist days to the present, that demonstrates how it has always been hampered by the racist and classist biases of its leaders.”
The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin
“A national bestseller when it first appeared in 1963, The Fire Next Time galvanized the nation and gave passionate voice to the emerging civil rights movement. At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin’s early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, the book is an intensely personal and provocative document. It consists of two “letters,” written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the terrible legacy of racism.”
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni-Eddo Lodge
“In 2014, award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge wrote about her frustration with the way that discussions of race and racism in Britain were being led by those who weren’t affected by it. She posted a piece on her blog, entitled: ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’. Her words hit a nerve. The post went viral and comments flooded in from others desperate to speak up about their own experiences. Galvanised by this clear hunger for open discussion, she decided to dig into the source of these feelings. Exploring issues from eradicated black history to the political purpose of white dominance, whitewashed feminism to the inextricable link between class and race, Reni Eddo-Lodge offers a timely and essential new framework for how to see, acknowledge and counter racism. It is a searing, illuminating, absolutely necessary exploration of what it is to be a person of colour in Britain today.”
Beloved, Toni Morrison
“Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a spellbinding and dazzlingly innovative portrait of a woman haunted by the past.
Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad, yet she is still held captive by memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Meanwhile Sethe’s house has long been troubled by the angry, destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.
Sethe works at beating back the past, but it makes itself heard and felt incessantly in her memory and in the lives of those around her. When a mysterious teenage girl arrives, calling herself Beloved, Sethe’s terrible secret explodes into the present.”
If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin
“Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin’s story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions–affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche.”
On Beauty, Zadie Smith
“Winner of the 2006 Orange Prize for fiction…On Beauty is the story of an interracial family living in the university town of Wellington, Massachusetts, whose misadventures in the culture wars-on both sides of the Atlantic-serve to skewer everything from family life to political correctness to the combustive collision between the personal and the political. Full of dead-on wit and relentlessly funny, this tour de force confirms Zadie Smith’s reputation as a major literary talent.”
Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward
“Jesmyn Ward, two-time National Book Award winner and author of Sing, Unburied, Sing, delivers a gritty but tender novel about family and poverty in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.”
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
“Published to unprecedented acclaim, The Color Purple established Alice Walker as a major voice in modern fiction. This is the story of two sisters—one a missionary in Africa and the other a child wife living in the South—who sustain their loyalty to and trust in each other across time, distance, and silence. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic novel of American literature is rich with passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life.”
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
“One of the most important and enduring books of the twentieth century, Their Eyes Were Watching God brings to life a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost thirty years—due largely to initial audiences’ rejection of its strong black female protagonist—Hurston’s classic has since its 1978 reissue become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African-American literature.”
Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo, Zora Neale Hurston
“A major literary event: a newly published work from the author of the American classic Their Eyes Were Watching God, with a foreword from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, brilliantly illuminates the horror and injustices of slavery as it tells the true story of one of the last-known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade—abducted from Africa on the last “Black Cargo” ship to arrive in the United States.”
Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America, Gilbert King “Devil in the Grove…brings to light one of the most dramatic court cases in American history, and offers a rare and revealing portrait of Thurgood Marshall that the world has never seen before….a dangerous and uncertain case from the days immediately before Brown v. Board of Education in which the young civil rights attorney Marshall risked his life to defend a boy slated for the electric chair—saving him, against all odds, from being sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit.”
Hidden Figures, Margot Lee Shetterly
“The phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA at the leading edge of the feminist and civil rights movement, whose calculations helped fuel some of America’s greatest achievements in space.”
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, Annette Gordon-Reed
“…Annette Gordon-Reed’s “riveting history” of the Hemings family, [brings their] story to vivid life in this brilliantly researched and deeply moving work. Gordon-Reed…unearths startling new information about the Hemingses, Jefferson, and his white family. Although the book presents the most detailed and richly drawn portrait ever written of Sarah Hemings, better known by her nickname Sally, who bore seven children by Jefferson over the course of their thirty-eight-year liaison, The Hemingses of Monticello tells more than the story of her life with Jefferson and their children. The Hemingses as a whole take their rightful place in the narrative of the family’s extraordinary engagement with one of history’s most important figures.”
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Greatest Migration, Isabel Wilkerson
“In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.”
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, Ntozake Shange
“Passionate and fearless, Shange’s words reveal what it is to be of color and female in the twentieth century. First published in 1975 when it was praised by The New Yorker for “encompassing…every feeling and experience a woman has ever had,” for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf will be read and performed for generations to come. Here is the complete text, with stage directions, of a groundbreaking dramatic prose poem written in vivid and powerful language that resonates with unusual beauty in its fierce message to the world.”
The Complete Poetry, Maya Angelou
“The beauty and spirit of Maya Angelou’s words live on in this complete collection of poetry. Throughout her illustrious career in letters, Maya Angelou gifted, healed, and inspired the world with her words. Now the beauty and spirit of those words live on in this new and complete collection of poetry that reflects and honors the writer’s remarkable life.”
Selected Poems, Gwendolyn Brooks “Selected Poems is the classic volume by the distinguished and celebrated poet, Gwendolyn Brooks, winner of the 1950 Pulitzer Prize, and recipient of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. This compelling collection showcases Brooks’ technical mastery, her warm humanity, and her compassionate and illuminating response to a complex world.”
Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler “Parable of the Sower is the Butlerian odyssey of one woman who is twice as feeling in a world that has become doubly dehumanized. The time is 2025. The place is California, where small walled communities must protect themselves from hordes of desperate scavengers and roaming bands of people addicted to a drug that activates an orgasmic desire to burn, rape, and murder. When one small community is overrun, Lauren Olamina, an 18 year old black woman with the hereditary train of “hyperempathy”—which causes her to feel others’ pain as her own—sets off on foot along the dangerous coastal highways, moving north into the unknown.”
The Broken Earth trilogy, N.K. Jemisin
“At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this ‘intricate and extraordinary’ Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution (The New York Times).”
Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty, Dorothy Roberts “…Killing the Black Body exposed America’s systemic abuse of Black women’s bodies. From slave masters’ economic stake in bonded women’s fertility to government programs that coerced thousands of poor Black women into being sterilized as late as the 1970s, these abuses pointed to the degradation of Black motherhood—and the exclusion of Black women’s reproductive needs in mainstream feminist and civil rights agendas.”
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
“Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance.”
Brothers and Keepers, John Edgar Wideman
“A haunting portrait of lives arriving at different destinies, Brothers and Keepers is John Edgar Wideman’s seminal memoir about two brothers — one an award-winning novelist, the other a fugitive wanted for robbery and murder. Wideman recalls the capture of his younger brother Robby, details the subsequent trials that resulted in a sentence of life in prison, and provides vivid views of the American prison system.”
Inside This Place, Not of It: Narratives from Women’s Prisons, eds.Robin Levi & Ayelet Waldman “Inside This Place, Not of It reveals some of the most egregious human rights violations within women’s prisons in the United States. Here, in their own words, thirteen narrators recount their lives leading up to incarceration and their harrowing struggle for survival once inside.”
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, Bryan Stevenson
“Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.”
The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander
“With dazzling candor, legal scholar Michelle Alexander argues that ‘we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.’ By targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control—relegating millions to a permanent second-class status—even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness.”
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
“Raised by a single mother in an impoverished neighborhood in Los Angeles, Patrisse Khan-Cullors experienced firsthand the prejudice and persecution Black Americans endure at the hands of law enforcement. For Patrisse, the most vulnerable people in the country are Black people. Deliberately and ruthlessly targeted by a criminal justice system serving a white privilege agenda, Black people are subjected to unjustifiable racial profiling and police brutality. In 2013, when Trayvon Martin’s killer went free, Patrisse’s outrage led her to co-found Black Lives Matter with Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi.”
February is Black History Month, and in that spirit, we’ve put together a list of some excellent children’s books celebrating African American culture and history. This list doesn’t even cover all of the books we have at the tutoring sites, much less available in the literary world, so if you want more recommendations, talk to your Site Director, or come back tomorrow for recommendations for adults! Happy reading!
Ada Twist, Scientist, by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by David Roberts
“Ada Twist’s head is full of questions. Like her classmates Iggy and Rosie, Ada has always been endlessly curious. But when her fact-finding missions and elaborate scientific experiments go too far, her frazzled parents banish her to the Thinking Chair. Will all that thinking change Ada’s mind?”
Firebird, by Misty Copeland, Illustrated by Christopher Myers
“American Ballet Theatre dancer Misty Copeland writes of a young dancer whose confidence is fragile. Through hard work and dedication, Misty shows her how she can reach the same heights as Misty, even becoming the Firebird, Misty Copeland’s signature role.”
Mae Among the Stars, by Roda Ahmed, Illustrated by Stasia Burrington
“When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars floating, gliding, and discovering. Follow Mae as she learns that if you can dream it and you work hard for it, anything is possible. Inspired by the story of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space.”
The Day You Begin, by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by Rafael López
“There are lots of reasons to feel different. Maybe it’s how you look or talk, or where you’re from. Maybe it’s what you eat or something just as random. Whatever it is, it’s not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody knows you, but somehow you do it.”
The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague, by Julia Finley Mosca, Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
“After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted—finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.”
You Should Meet Katherine Johnson, by Thea Feldman, Illustrated by Alyssa Peterson
“Katherine Johnson worked for the NASA space program in the early 1950s. She was such a brilliant mathematician she could figure out the math needed to send a rocket to the moon in her head—without the help or a computer or a calculator. You should meet Katherine Johnson!”
Mid—Late Elementary
Fiction
Gone Crazy in Alabama, by Rita Williams-Garcia
“Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern are off to Alabama to visit their grandmother Big Ma and her mother, Ma Charles. Across the way lives Ma Charles’s half sister, Miss Trotter. The two half sisters haven’t spoken in years. As Delphine hears about her family history, she uncovers the surprising truth that’s been keeping the sisters apart. But when tragedy strikes, Delphine discovers that the bonds of family run deeper than she ever knew possible.”
Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest series, by Marti Dumas, Illustrated by Marie Muravski
“Giant afro. Even bigger brain. Jaden Touissant is a fiver year-old who knows it all. I mean, really knows it all. Animal Science. Great Debater. Master of the art of ninja dancing. There’s nothing Jaden Touissant can’t do. The only problem is that grown-ups keep trying to convince him that, even though he’s really smart, he doesn’t know EVERYTHING. The thing is…he kind of does.”
Meet Addy American Girl series
“Addy Walker, an American Girl, is a nine-year-old born into slavery who escapes to freedom with her mother during the Civil War.”
Sounder, by William H. Armstrong
“Sounder traces the keen sorrow and the abiding faith of a poor African-American boy in the 19th-century South. The boy’s father is a sharecropper, struggling to feed his family in hard times. Night after night, he and his great coon dog, Sounder, return to the cabin empty-handed. Then, one morning, almost like a miracle, a sweet-smelling ham is cooking in the family’s kitchen. At last the family will have a good meal. But that night, an angry sheriff and his deputies come, and the boy’s life will never be the same.”
The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis
“Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There’s Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who’s thirteen and an ‘official juvenile delinquent.’ When Momma and Dad decide it’s time for a visit to Grandma, Dad comes home with the amazing Ultra-Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They’re heading south. They’re going to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in America’s history.”
Through My Eyes, by Ruby Bridges
“This is the story of a pivotal event in history as Ruby Bridges saw it unfold around her. Ruby’s poignant words, quotations from writers and from other adults who observed her, and dramatic photographs recreate an amazing story of innocence, courage, and forgiveness.”
Who Was? series
“A series of illustrated biographies for young readers featuring significant historical figures, including artists, scientists, and world leaders.” Relevant titles for BHM include: Who Is Barack Obama?, What Was the March on Washington?, Who Was Jackie Robinson? What Was the Underground Railroad?, Who Was Jessie Owens?, and Who Was Rosa Parks?
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor
“Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one family’s struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. And it is also Cassie’s story–Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, even as she learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect.”
The Bluford series
“The Bluford Series is a collection of twenty-one young adult novels that focus on the lives of a group of high school students and their families. The series draws its name from the school which many of the characters attend: Bluford High, named after Guion ‘Guy’ Bluford, America’s first black astronaut. Set in contemporary urban America, ach novel addresses complex topics relevant to the lives of today’s students: family, friendship, trust, isolation, violence, and peer pressure, to name a few.”
The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander
“Josh and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood. He’s got mad beats too, beats that tell his family’s story in verse. But both brothers must come to grips with growing up, on and off the court, as they realize breaking the rules can come at a terrible price, resulting in a game-changer for their entire family.”
The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas
“Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Kahlil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.”
Non-Fiction
Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson
“Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.”
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip Hoose
“Fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. But instead of being celebrated as Rosa Parks was when she took a similar stand nine months later, Claudette was shunned by her classmates and dismissed by community leaders. Still, her brave, spontaneous act laid the groundwork for the Montgomery bus boycott; and a year later she helped end that boycott by testifying as a key plaintiff in the landmark bus case Browder v. Gayle.”
Hidden Figures: Young Readers’ Edition, By Margot Lee Shetterly
“This book is the powerful story of four African-American female mathematicians at NASA who helped achieve some of the greatest moments in our space program….It brings to life the stories of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, who lived through the Civil Rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the movement for gender equality, and whose work forever changed the face of NASA and the country.”
Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults): A True Story of the Fight for Justice, by Bryan Stevenson
“In this very personal work, Bryan Stevenson recounts many and varied stories of his work as a lawyer in the U.S. criminal justice system on behalf of those in society who have experienced some type of discrimination and/or have been wrongly accused of a crime and who deserve a powerful advocate and due justice under the law.”
MARCH Books One—Three, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
“MARCH is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’ personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.”
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from our Executive Director, Kirsten Levinsohn.
This was a hard task to choose among so many great books that I read last year. I could have easily added a couple more, and I didn’t include any mysteries (my not-so-secret addiction), though there are many that I have thoroughly enjoyed. The first four books are in no particular order. I liked them very much for different reasons, but the fifth one was my very favorite.
I was initially reluctant to read this book as I thought I already had a good idea of what it was about given the reviews. I am so glad that I read it. The author tells her story about her difficult upbringing with such insight, courage, love, and (mostly) understanding for her family who gave her anything but a normal childhood. A great read.
Andrew Solomon interviews parents about their exceptional children and their lives with them. In hundreds of interviews, Sullivan finds the children have more similarities than differences from their parents, who describe caring for children with all kinds of mental or physical disabilities and differences. Inspiring.
I love to listen to audio books when I walk my dogs in the morning. This was a real treat as the author reads the book himself. Having had the opportunity to spend a fair amount of time in South Africa, I was drawn to his story of being a biracial child at a time when it was illegal for two people of different races to have children. At times quite funny, this book was also very illuminating about such a difficult time in their history.
I enjoy historical fiction because I love how a well written story can evoke a place and time. The book tells the story of four generations of a Korean family, living first in Japanese-occupied Korea and then in Japan itself in the early 20th century.
This was my favorite book of 2018. It’s a beautifully told story of a young girl who grows up alone in the marshland of a rural town in North Carolina. Through determination, resilience, and keen intelligence, Kya not only survives but creates an impressive life of her own. There are two additional gems in this book: the natural science aspect, with marsh birds and plant life so beautifully described, and a mystery to solve!
This week we’re kicking off a series about some of NHR’s favorite books from 2018. We can’t do that without mentioning our volunteer book club, which read titles like Fahrenheit 451, The Other Wes Moore, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; but unsurprisingly, our volunteers are voracious readers, so one book club could never fill their reading lives. Below, volunteers from each of our tutoring locations tell us about their three (or four, or…six) favorite books from last year’s reading.
On The Big Short: “I had seen the movie and loved it so this year I read the book. Michael Lewis is probably one of the best writers of nonfiction ever. He can turn a subject like the 2008 financial crisis into a thriller. I couldn’t put it down! He is able to capture the eccentricities and the brilliance of the main characters in such an entertaining and humorous way and I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of trying to understand the evil packages of sub-prime mortgages devised by the banks that ultimately led to their downfall.”
On Never Can Say Goodbye and Goodbye to All That: “I read these as a pair so I will write about them as a pair! I bought them at the Strand bookstore in NYC which is appropriate since they are both about love affairs with the city. Each is a collection of essays, mostly by writers, who either have resisted the pressure to give up on NYC or who have had it and left. As someone who is now retired but lived in Brooklyn back in the 70’s and early 80’s (right after college and again as a newlywed), I found the reminiscences of the authors very nostalgic. Most of the writing is good and there’s a lot of reflection on, and regret about, the ways in which the city has changed.”
On Crossing to Safety: “This is probably one of my all-time favorite books! I reread it in 2018. Stegner is an incredible writer. The novel, set in Wisconsin and Vermont, focuses on two couples who are academics. At first I found them a bit pretentious but that impression changed as I read the book. Stegner captures so beautifully the complicated relationships among them, their marriages and their friendships, as they grow and change. It will make you think about the relationships in your own life. There is a beautiful passage in it about death that I have quoted to friends and family because it’s so comforting. I love this book! Another book by Stegner, Angle of Repose, is also wonderful.”
On Anything is Possible: “Strout is one of my favorite authors, and the depth of characters is just amazing to me, weaving incredible themes of life within personal narratives. I love this interwoven collection of short stories.”
On The Ministry of Utmost Happiness: “Roy is an incredible writer portraying marginalized people and conditions in India. This is a complex novel but very gripping in showing us how these individuals traversing such difficult life journeys somehow make it work.”
On Ship Fever: “This book is a collection of fictional stories about scientists. It makes scientists come alive as real people, showing us how science itself is a fascinating activity somehow interwoven with our lives.”
On The Broken Earth trilogy: “That’s technically three books, but it’s still one story. Jemisin is a psychologist as well as a science fiction writer, and she is the first African-American writer to win the Hugo award for Science Fiction. Her main characters are strong women living in a world called ‘The Stillness’ that is undergoing tremendous environmental and societal changes. The story addresses different kinds of power and how they are intertwined with racial oppression. It also explores the double-edged sword of technological development, and the impact of technology on people’s lives over time. All technology is magic until it is understood. Once you get immersed in Jemisin’s world, you won’t want to leave.”
On Empire of the Summer Moon: “I grew up in Oklahoma, where I first learned about Quanah Parker and his mother Cynthia Ann Parker. This riveting book includes an enormous amount of carefully-researched detail. The Comanches were highly-skilled horsemen and warriors who stopped other indigenous peoples, the Spanish, the French, and the Texans from expanding into the Comanche Empire. The final war between the United States and the Comanches lasted nearly 40 years, and the drama surrounding the lives of the last Comanche Chief and his mother is provocative and heart-breaking.”
On Killers of the Flower Moon: “I remember learning about the oil industry in Oklahoma and Texas, but I do not remember hearing about the murders of wealthy Osage people with oil ties. The history is especially horrifying because of the way some white men, and a few women, collaborated with the mastermind behind the murders so they could legally inherit Osage mineral rights.”
On Lilac Girls: “This book is historical fiction based on the true story of a socialite, Caroline Ferriday, who lived in New York City. She was working at the French Consulate when Hitler invaded Poland and then France. Three young women from Lublin, Poland were sent to a women-only concentration camp, Ravensbrück, where Nazi doctors used inmates for experimental surgeries and drugs. The women were called ‘The Rabbits’ after medical experiments left them lame. After the war, Caroline works to bring these women healing and justice. It’s a story about how individuals across country and continental boundaries can make a positive difference. You can visit Caroline Ferriday’s family home in Bethlehem, CT.”
On To Kill a Mockingbird: “I read it years ago and, of course, it made a deep impression on me. Last year I decided to read it again because I was in a book group and that’s what we chose. So much of the story was relevant to today, and I just like the characters and the story’s themes about justice and doing the right thing and not jumping to conclusions about people.”
On Beneath a Scarlet Sky: “It’s based on the real-life story of a 90-year-old man and it takes place during WWII in Northern Italy. He lived in Milan, and initially he was helping the Resistance to bring Jews across Northern Italy into the Pyrenees. But he ended up driving for a German General and passing information to his aunt and uncle in the Resistance. It’s historical fiction, and the author says it’s about 85% true. It’s an amazing, fascinating story.”
On Anne of Green Gables: “I had seen the series on PBS and I’ve always liked it, and maybe because I’m at New Haven Reads sometimes you read books that you hadn’t read before, and I’d never read the whole series. So this summer my husband and I went on a cruise from Montreal to Boston, and one of the stops was in Prince Edward Island. My husband said to me, I bet you have to go see the Anne of Green Gables house! I said of course, and then I said I have to read at least one book. So I read the first one.”
Name: Patricia
