The Keysha Diaries - Volume 1

I really like how Kimani Tru Publications has supported the popular Keysha's Drama series over the years.  Recently, Kimani Tru released The Keysha Diaries - Volume 1 in March.  Cleverly done, the publisher has packaged book one and two of the series into one volume for sale.  

Written by author Earl Sewell, the series chronicles the life of teenager Keysha as she struggles with family and friends while learning valuable life lessons along the way.   Sewell's books are classified as young adult yet they have a strong audience as young as fifth grade.  Currently there are seven books in the popular series with an eighth book to be released in July. This series is a very popular one in my Library Media Center as multiple copies of all of these books are constantly checked out.

Overall I think this this book release is great because readers can enjoy 'Keysha's Drama' and 'If I Were Your Boyfriend' in one sitting.   Below is a really cool video of Sewell performing a re-enactment of 'If I Were Your Boyfriend.'  This skit was performed at the Chicago Teacher Librarian Association meeting.  Enjoy!
CTLA Meeting - Earl Sewell from K.C. Boyd on Vimeo.

'Chi City Youth' by Jazmine McKinney

I selected Jazmine McKinney's poem, 'Chi City Youth' to wrap up poetry month.   This spoken word poet eloquently describes the violence that Chicago's youth must face daily.  McKinney's vivid description of the day-to-day struggle is not to be taken lightly and she does not hold back.  This video is a 'real' and provides the listener with a true account of life in Chicago's from the lens of a young person.  

This video is part of a projected funded in part by a City of Urbana Arts grant and produced by University of Illinois PhD student Raymond Morales.   I encourage you to listen 12 audio works and several videos by six Illinois artists.   The audio is available for download on Morales website at The Show 1045.  

Like my friend said, "Poetry is a way for young people to express themselves, allow them to use a pen, paper and their authentic voice as their instrument."

A Nod to School Librarians

I had to share this.  The quote below is from young adult author, Ni-Ni Simone and it just warmed my heart...

"We need more school librarians who understand that we must get our children to read.  The way we do that is to give them books that make them want to read and never stop!" 

             Author, Ni-Ni Simone

          http://ninisimone.com

Reading Leisurely

     Reading leisurely...something that I rarely get to do lately. Despite this statement I recently had the opportunity to do some much needed reading over  spring break.  I read 17 books, yes 17 while I traveled outside of the country.   It was refreshing to tune out the hustle, noise of the airport and the many lay-overs and just read. Here's two books that I wanted to share with you that I enjoyed.

"Coming Home" - Book 1
by PJ Gray
Saddleback Publishing
Young Adult       pg. 63
*Release date:  May 2013

     I was very fortunate to receive a preview copy of 'Coming Home' from Saddleback Publishing prior to my spring break.  This book is the first in a three part book series and will be released sometime in May of 2013.

     The story's protagonist, Will returns back home after high school to sheer turmoil.  He fights inner demons and struggles with the overall triggers that can take him over the edge.  You can feel the stress that this young man experiences through Gray's simple, verse style writing.  Not to give everything away in this story, male teens will especially relate to Will's frustrations with dealing with family, his neighborhood and work.  This story was so compelling and engaging!   I was also angry at the ending because Gray really left the reader with a cliffhanger.  This cliffhanger is a startling revelation that will change the course of Will's life and will make you gasp out loud.

     'Coming Home' is a very simple read for struggling, non-readers - trust me they will read this book within one class period.  This book is will generate very interesting discussions about right/wrong behaviors and will draw teens to compare events of the story to their own lives.  I would estimate that this book is written on a 4th grade level but it has the cover art appearance of a YA book.  This is very clever strategy on the part of Saddleback; teens who are sensitive about their reading ability will grasp onto the story as well as not feel ashamed of carrying the book in front of their peers.  In addition, the illustrations are great!  The pictures of people that appear in the book are true to life and resemble people from your family or neighborhood.

     I cannot wait until book 2 - "Searching for Answers", comes out and I really look forward to reading more from this Chicago author.  Just to share a little humorous story, I shared this book with one of my co-workers.  This co-worker immediately grabbed the book and began reading while I worked with a student patron.  She finished reading the book under ten minutes and got just as excited as I did after reading the story!

"The War at Home"
by Rena Sanders

AuthorHouse

Young Adult      pg. 56

copyright date:  2009

     The MissDomino blog is dedicated to the review and promotion of books written in the Urban Fiction/Street Lit. genre.  From time to time I will review books that worthy reads but not within the genre.  'The War at Home' is definitely a book that should be read.

     This story tackles a subject that is rarely touched on:  African-American family life with a Vietnam War Veteran.  Described in a narrative voice, the story begins with 2nd grader, Rena Sanders, participating in a classroom discussion.  Though this sounds like a quite normal classroom activity, this is actually was a very painful memory for the story's protagonist.  It was that day that she recognizes that her home life was very different from her classmates.

     Her father, a Vietnam War Veteran, is abusive to her mother, brother and herself for several years.  Life is difficult living in this Mississippi home and academic achievement is a way for the main character to focus her energies on.  'The War at Home' vividly describes the damaging after effects of war on a family in an unflinching manner through the eyes of a young child that later matures into a young woman.  The story is inspirational and can be used in a classroom setting to encourage students overcome their past disappointments and move to a brighter future.

     Sanders book is a high-interest, low-level read that can be read/discussed with students 5th-12th grade.

2013 SLBAM Winners and Honorees

RE-PRINTED FROM:  http://www.streetliterature.com by Dr. Vanessa Irvin Morris

The Street Lit Book Award Medal (SLBAM) Committee is proud to announce the award winners for 2012 publications. The following winners and honorees were nominated based on popularity of books as read by the public in school, academic, and public library settings. In other words, the SLBAM honors what street lit readers are reading and deeming as the best authors and titles for the 2012 publication year.


ADULT NON-FICTION WINNER: THE NEW JIM CROW BY MICHELLE ALEXANDER (reprint, 2012)

Honorees:
1) A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball by Dwayne Wade
2) Empire State of Mind:  How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office by Zack O'Malley Greenburg
3) Purpose: An Immigrant's Story by Wyclef Jean

SLBAM Feedback:
-- “The New Jim Crow has seen an amazing resurgence in its reprint edition, becoming an important read for many.”
-- "People won't stop asking for The New Jim Crow."
-- "My students enjoy A Father First … learning how Wade, a homeboy from Chicago, juggles fatherhood and the NBA."





ADULT FICTION WINNER: ANIMAL BY K'WAN

Honorees:
1) Get It Girls by Treasure Blue
2) Murder Was the Case by Kiki Swinson
3) Coca Kola by Nisa Santiago

SLBAM Feedback:
-- "For a second year in a row, K'wan keeps readers flocking to the library looking for his latest release."
-- "It always boils down to K'wan and Treasure Blue. This year, the battle between K'wan and Treasure Blue can be compared to Holyfield and Tyson."







YOUNG ADULT FICTION WINNER: ON THE FLIP SIDE: A FAB LIFE NOVEL by NIKKI CARTER

Honorees:
1) How to Get Out of the Way of Your Own Self by Tyrese Gibson
2) Shattered by Kia Dupree
3) Back to Me by Earl Sewell
SLBAM Feedback:
-- "Many of my students began their pre-teen years reading Nikki Carter’s So For Real series and now have graduated to her Fab Life series. It's great to see Nikki Carter honored."
-- "My young library patrons love Nikki Carter."
-- "Tyrese Gibson's book is the talk among teens at my school."
-- "DuPree does it again and takes her readers on an emotional rollercoaster ride."
-- "My teens can't get enough of books written by Sewell."

EMERGING CLASSIC: ANIMAL BY K'WAN

SLBAM Committee Feedback:

-- "Readers are voraciously enjoying Animal!"

-- "The character Animal is one of the most ruthless yet misunderstood characters in modern day Street Literature."

-- "Animal is a masterpiece... a continuation of setting the high standard for Street Lit..."

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR: K'WAN

For 2013, the SLBAM Committee honors Essence (magazine) bestselling author K'wan, for his continuous commitment to raising the bar for the literary quality of Street Lit. K'wan approaches his stories with a Dickens-esque quality, paying deep attention to social ills that motivate his characters to live the lives they live in his stories. K'wan is also cited for his prolific writing career with having authored 20 very popular novels, plus two novellas, and has been featured in three anthologies, all within the past decade, offering a solid foundation upon which contemporary Street Lit continues to evolve. Readers love K'wan. Case in point, one SLBAM Committee member shared: "After an intense debate, my book discussion group picked K'wan."

------------------------------------------------------

Methodology:  The SLBAM Committee conducted three nomination rounds where they reported on field research of patron readership and reader response to street lit in libraries. The committee discussed all nominated titles. The "Emerging Classic" category recognizes a street lit-plotted or -themed book that was published during or before the year of nomination but continues to be in popular demand by the reading public. Another special category, "Author(s) of the Year", recognizes an author or writing team whose publications were particularly well-received by the reading public during the nomination year. Aside from the "Emerging Classic" category, books eligible for SLBAM nomination were required to be published between January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012.

For more information about the Street Lit Book Award Medal (SLBAM) or if you are interested in participating on the committee, contact: vanirvimorris@gmail.com. For a historical listing of SLBAM Awards, visit: http://www.streetliterature.com/p/slbam.html.


2013 SLBAM Committee Members:

K.C. Boyd, M.Ed., M.L.S., is the Library Media Specialist at the acclaimed Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Chicago, IL. Boyd is a nationally sought-out lecturer on street lit, and she blogs about young adult street lit/urban fiction at http://theaudaciouslibrarian.blogspot.com/.

Marvin DeBose, Sr., M.L.S., is an Adult/Teen Librarian with the Free Library of Philadelphia (PA). An often sought-out panelist for discussing street lit in libraries, Marvin manages the largest street lit public library collection in Philadelphia, and also runs a teen street lit book club where they discuss their readings at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/277733218945733/.

Connie Farley is Reference Technician for St. Louis (MO) Public Library where she runs an Urban Lit Discussion Group that boasts a diverse membership coming from several African and Caribbean nations.

D.L. Grant, Jr., M.L.S., is an Assistant Branch Manager with the San Antonio Public Library System. Grant is studying for his doctorate's degree in English studies.

Patrice Grimball-Smith is a Librarian Assistant in Young Adult Services for the Charleston County Public Library System in Charleston, South Carolina.  She is also President of the Readers in Motion Bookclub, http://facebook.com/ReadersInMotion.

Takiyah Jemison, M.L.S., is currently Head of the Cataloging Department at Fayetteville State University. She has a B.A in History and she received her Master in Library Science from North Carolina Central University. She is an avid reader of different genres such as psychological thrillers, urban literature, and true crimes.

Vanessa Irvin Morris, M.L.S., Ed.D., is the convener of the Street Lit Book Award Medal (SLBAM) Committee. She is the author of the Street Literature blog at http://www.streetliterature.com, and the award-winning publication, The Readers Advisory Guide to Street Literature (2011). Vanessa teaches library and information science at a private research university in Northeast USA.

The Urban Underground

Here's some new releases from Saddleback Publishing that can be added to your teen Street Lit. library collection.  The Urban Underground book series is written by author Anne Schraff.  You may recognize this author's name because she was one of the early writers in the Townsend Press, Bluford High book series.  Schraff, a former high school teacher understands teens and continues to write stories that they enjoy.  My students love these stories from their Urban Underground book series and yes, they are constantly checked out from the library!  

The stories take place in an African American neighborhood.  Their high school, Tubman High bridges the gap between the projects and the slightly more fortunate.  The books follow a core group of friends at Tubman High--with new characters joining all the time.  Each story confronts coming-of-age issues that teens can relate to while maintaining satisfying resolutions.  The stories are engaging and discuss challenges and experiences that teens are faced with today.  I've included the covers of these books below along with a short synopsis for your review.  Many thanks to the folks at Saddleback for allowing me to preview and share their releases.

"I guess there are a lot worse things than being lonely. There's being with people who end up hurting you. That's the worst. You try to trust somebody, and you know, love them. Then you find out they aren't decent people, and they just trashed your love."

Denique thought that if she wasn't so messed up in her head, she'd sort of like Trevor. But it would just end badly. So she focused on school. She wanted to graduate and get a job. College was now out of the question. Her family lived in the projects. She had to get a job as soon as possible.

"Well, I got news for you. You got us all wrong, Sereeta and me. We have no doubts about each other. We're solid."

Jaris was furious. He would never keep a secret from Sereeta. And he was hurt that Trevor thought he was hot for another chick. He hired Amberlynn Parson because he thought she was best for the job. Period. But Jaris kept second guessing his decision.Trevor had stirred up Jaris's self-doubts.

"We all wanna live some fabulous life that's fun and exciting--and with lots of money maybe. If I were you, I'd ride this roller coaster as far as it takes me. You'd be a freakin' fool not to."

What was the big deal? Oliver Randall was helping out two rocker friends by fronting for their band. He didn't think he was Lil Wayne. but he was enjoying it more than he thought he would. And he was creating a lot of buzz for the group. Girls were practically throwing themselves at him.

"Kevin, do you know what it would do to your grandparents if you did something stupid to get your hands on some fast money?"

Kevin had been talking about how much he wanted some real money, and that he'd do almost anything to get it. Jaris could sympathize with Kevin wanting to help his grandparents out, but wanting--needing--money that desperately was dangerous. It led to getting mixed up with the wrong crowd.

"Sereeta volunteers sometimes at the hotline for abused women and kids. And sometimes she arranges for abused women to get to a safe house. Last night, she said she's got a good mind to go out to the Becker house."

Jaris and Marko were in a position where they could see through the doorwary. The Slider was open to let in cool, fresh air. Sereeta was sitting in a chair from the kitchen table. Her hands were bound. An older woman sat in another chair, her hands bound too. Both looked terrified.  

The Bluford Series Is Very Traditional

Special thanks to author Dr. Vanessa Irvin Morris, author of the popular Street Literature blog and The Reader's Advisory Guide to Street Literature for posting this interview of author Paul Langan!

For those who are critical of the popular Bluford Series (Townsend Press), please read the following response.  In a 2011 New York Times interview, author Paul Langan explains why tweens and teens are so drawn to his books.  It's time to wake up everyone and recognize our tweens and teens need to read stories that reflect themselves, neighborhoods and challenges in their lives.

New Bluford Series releases, "Promises to Keep" and "Survivor" by Paul Langan

This portrait of the Bluford Series is incomplete. While the series does depict tough issues that urban teens encounter in their lives, there is much much more going on.

The Bluford Series celebrates family, friendship, and civility. Characters in the books are complex human beings, not stereotypes or caricatures. They are vulnerable and insecure. They have fears and anxieties as well as strengths. Some are honor students; others are caretakers for their siblings or ill grandparents. A few work to support their families while also going to school. All of them face difficulties that young people encounter in their lives. Each must wrestle to make good choices even when those choices are not popular or easy or obvious. Readers can relate to this; they do it everyday - or at least they try to.

Watch kids reading the series, and you will see young people concentrating on complex moral questions. You will see them comparing what they read to what they have experienced. You will see them on the edge of their seats rooting for a character to save a peer, help a family member, or avoid a pitfall. In short, you will see young readers absorbed in the written word. This is why the Bluford Series exists: to get kids reading - to give them that magic experience of being totally absorbed in a book.

To achieve this, I made choices to keep the books meaningful, relevant, and exciting. But at the core, the Bluford Series is very traditional. It speaks to issues of the heart - only in this case that heart includes diverse teens, an audience often on the outside looking in when it comes to books.