The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner by Walter Dean Myers

Uncle Ugly's tombstone reads: ``Here lies Ugly Ned Bonner, Once Alive--Now a Goner.'' Set in the late 1800s, this clever spoof chronicles Artemis Bonner's quest to avenge his uncle's death and to recover the treasure that rightfully belongs to his widowed aunt. As Artemis and his loyal friend Frolic trail the villain Catfish Grimes, the youth is tied to a cactus, loses an ear and almost becomes a bear's dinner. Yet when he learns that Catfish has stolen the treasure, Artemis is more determined than ever to take revenge. ``When I told Frolic, he spat on the ground, which is not Sanitary but which shows that he Means Business and will go with me to do what we must do.'' In his amusingly histrionic narration, Artemis emphasizes, with capitals, matters most important to him--``Quick and Agile mind''; ``Dear Life.'' Affected dialogue, authentic period touches and a few unexpected twists are inventively blended in this offbeat yarn. To Myers's readers, the Wild West will never look the same again. Stop by the library and check this book out!

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

 

As in his Newbery Honor-winning debut, The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, Curtis draws on a remarkable and disarming mix of comedy and pathos, this time to describe the travails and adventures of a 10-year-old African-American orphan in Depression-era Michigan. Bud is fed up with the cruel treatment he has received at various foster homes, and after being locked up for the night in a shed with a swarm of angry hornets, he decides to run away. His goal: to reach the man he--on the flimsiest of evidence--believes to be his father, jazz musician Herman E. Calloway. Relying on his own ingenuity and good luck, Bud makes it to Grand Rapids, where his ""father"" owns a club. Calloway, who is much older and grouchier than Bud imagined, is none too thrilled to meet a boy claiming to be his long-lost son. It is the other members of his band--Steady Eddie, Mr. Jimmy, Doug the Thug, Doo-Doo Bug Cross, Dirty Deed Breed and motherly Miss Thomas--who make Bud feel like he has finally arrived home. While the grim conditions of the times and the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis shines on them an aura of hope and optimism. And even when he sets up a daunting scenario, he makes readers laugh--for example, mopping floors for the rejecting Calloway, Bud pretends the mop is ""that underwater boat in the book Momma read to me, Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea."" Bud's journey, punctuated by Dickensian twists in plot and enlivened by a host of memorable personalities, will keep readers engrossed from first page to last. Stop by the library to check out this book.

 

 

 

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

The land is all-important to the Logan family. But it takes awhile for Cassie and her three brothers to understand just how lucky they are to have it. They must learn the hard way that having a place they can call their own in rural Mississippi permits the Logans the luxuries of pride and courage that their poor black sharecropper neighbors can't afford.  Winner of the 1977 Newbery Medal and nominated for the National Book Award, the story of Cassie Logan, an independent girl growing up relatively protected in a loving family, is culled from author Mildred Taylor's own family's life. Stop by the library to check out this book.

Joshua's Masai Mask by Dakari Hru

 

 

This multicultural tale concerns Joshua, who has been coaxed by his family into playing an authentic African instrument--the kalimba--in his school's talent show . At the first rehearsal, however, he is so daunted by the confidence and popularity of two musical classmates that he goes home in shame. Joshua's uncle (who gave him the kalimba in the first place) now presents him with a Masai mask, which Joshua discovers gives him the ability to become whomever he chooses. He becomes first the young rapper he envied, then a celebrity rapper, then the Mayor--until he realizes he would really just like to be himself. Thanks to Hru's spirited, conversational style, this ``grass is greener'' fantasy evinces a light touch and genuine warmth--a story centering on real children with real feelings.  Stop by the library to check out this book.

The Night Before Valentine's Day by Natasha Wing

 

 

 

'Twas the night before Valentine's Day, and all through the town,

Children were busy, not making a sound.

They gathered their scissors, their glitter and glue,
 
Pink and red paper, and paint brushes, too...

The Night Before Valentine's Day looks in on a house full of excited children, busily cutting out heart-shaped cards and writing silly Valentine rhymes. The next day at school is a day of parties, games, and even a surprise visitor bearing a special Valentine gift for the whole class! Stop by the library to read this book!

Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Written in first person and in dialect, the story is told from the point of view of a rag doll named Sally.  Miz Rachel and her daughter, Lindy, are enslaved on a Virginia plantation. Sally provides comfort to Lindy as the girl toils in the cotton fields and is whipped by the overseer. One night, Miz Rachel and Lindy escape, beginning the trip north to freedom along the Underground Railroad. At one safe house, Sally slips from Lindy's waist and is left alone. Some time later, a new girl named Willa hides in the house, finding the doll that she calls Belinda. Once again the rag doll provides comfort to a little girl.  This book of historical fiction includes an Author's Note explaining the history of the Underground Railroad. You can stop by the library to check out this book!!

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

Grace loves stories, whether they're from books, movies, or the kind her grandmother tells. When her school decides to perform Peter Pan, Grace longs to play the lead, but her classmates point out that Peter was a boy. Besides, he wasn't black. With the support of her family, Grace learns that she can be anything she wants to be, and the results are amazing! Stop by the library to check out this amazing book!


If you enjoyed reading this story check out these other titles:

       In a vividly illustrated sequel to Amazing Grace, an irrepressible little girl goes to Africa to meet her father's new family. As enthusiastic and excited as she is in her new country, her loyalties are divided between her two families and she must find a way to belong to both.

    When Grace and her friends learn the school will choose two girls to be princesses in a parade, everyone is very excited. With some help from their teacher, the girls learn that there are many kinds of princess, including those from African folklore and modern princesses who do amazing things.



          School's started again, and there's a new girl in her class who makes Grace feel jealous. When the teacher assigns them to work together on the upcoming school play, Grace isn't sure what to expect. Meanwhile she is still worried that her mother might remarry, but she also learns how it feels to lose someone forever. And it looks as if a friend might have to move away, while a new friend is about to be gained. As always, Grace bravely meets these changes head-on, while also managing to find her way onstage for another exciting dramatic performance!
            
       

Geoffrey Groundhog Predicts The Weather by Bruce Koscielniak

Geoffrey Groundhog has become a local celebrity for successfully predicting how long winter will last. Everyone awaits his prediction each February 2, when he emerges from his burrow to look for his shadow. But Geoffrey's fame has grown out of control - and so has the commotion surrounding his burrow! With television lights and cameras crowding him, he can't even see the ground, much less his shadow. How will he make his spring prediction? How will anyone know if they should wax their surfboards or their skis? Stop by the library to read this book!