Sisters & Champions

The True Story of
Venus and Serena Williams

Philomel Books

(Penguin Random House)
(pub. 5.29.2018)

32 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Howard Bryant
    and illustrator: Floyd Cooper

C haracters: Venus and Serena Williams

O verview from the jacket flap: 

     "Nobody thought sisters Venus and Serena Williams would become great, and certainly not as tennis players. People thought it was weird two black girls were playing tennis at all. They said the sister weren't supposed to dream so big. But the Williams family knew better.

     From their early days of childhood tennis matches to their record-breaking careers including Olympic gold medals and multiple number one rankings, this is the inspirational story of two sisters, their determination to succeed, and their unending love for each other.

     Written by acclaimed sports journalist Howard Bryant and brought to beautiful life by Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator Floyd Cooper, here is an in-depth look into the lives of two of the greatest tennis players of all time and the most successful siblings professional sports has ever produced."

T antalizing taste: 
      

      "The Williams family lived in Compton, a real tough, sometimes scary part of Los Angeles.  When Venus and Serena were four and three, Richard bought them tennis rackets, believing tennis treated girls more fairly than other sports, and, if his hunch was correct, that his girls would have an athletic advantage that would change the sport forever...

     Yet not all the talk was friendly.

     The sisters were different.

     Their skin was different.

     Their hair was different.

     Venus was tall. Really tall!

     And the way the sisters hit the ball - so hard, like the boys - even harder than the boys! - was different.

     In ways big and small, people reminded them of being different every day."

    

and something more: The text includes fascinating facts, such as the fact that in "February 2002, Venus was ranked NUMBER ONE in the world.  Six months later, it was Serena's turn to be NUMBER ONE! It is the only time in history two sisters, or brothers, were ranked first and second in the world."

Ira's Shakespeare Dream

Lee & Low Books
(published 8.15.2015)
40 pages

A True Tale
with A Cherry On Top 

A uthor: Glenda Armand
and Illustrator: Floyd Cooper

C haracter: Ira Aldridge
                 
O verview from book flap:

"For as long as he could remember, Ira Aldridge dreamed of performing the famous plays of William Shakespeare. Ira spent every chance he got at the theater, memorizing the actors' lines and movements. He knew he could be a great Shakespearean actor if only given the chance. But in the early 1800s in New York City, options for black actor were mostly limited to musical numbers.

Determined to pursue his dream, Ira set off to England, the land of Shakespeare. He soon encountered the same roadblocks and discrimination he faced back home...[but] through hard work and perseverance... the young man with a dream became one of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors in the world. 

Ira's Shakespeare Dream is a captivating tribute to the life of Ira Aldridge, and to the enduring magic of Shakespeare's works to inspire people of all backgrounds."

T antalizing taste:

     "Even as Ira's dream was coming true, he never forgot about his people back home and the nightmare off slavery. Sometimes, at the close of a performance, Ira came out of character and sat on the edge of the stage.
     He preached to the audience about the injustice of slavery. He told them that, although he was born free, he had once come close to being sold into slavery. Audiences were moved as Ira recounted for them the cruelties had had witnessed."  

and something more:  Last weekend at the SCBWI conference in Los Angeles, I enjoyed meeting Glenda Armand, the author of Ira's Shakespeare Dream. She "is passionate about sharing accounts of little-known African American trailblazers. Her hope is that these stories will inspire new generations of young dreamers to persevere despite any obstacles they may face."  
     The book's Afterword explains that "perhaps the greatest honor" Ira received is shown on "a bronze plaque inscribed with his name at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, at Stratford-upon-Avon, England, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Ira Frederick Aldridge is the only African American among the thirty-three actors to have received this recognition."

Brick By Brick

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Amistad (Harper Collins)

(pub. 12.26.12) 32 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Charles R. Smith Jr.

     and Illustrator:  Floyd Cooper

C haracters: slaves

O verview from the publisher's website: 

      "The president of a new country needs a new home, so many hands work together as one.  Black hands, white hands, free hands, slave hands. In this powerful story of the building of the White House, Coretta Scott King Award winners Charles R. Smith Jr. and Floyd Cooper capture the emotion and toil that created this incredible structure, the home of our president. The White House was created by many hands, several of them slaves, who will be remembered throughout history for their extraordinary feat..."

T antalizing taste: 

"Slave hands build
and slave hands save
shillings to be free
and no longer a slave.

Slave hands count shillings
with worn fingertips
and purchase freedom
earned brick by brick."

and something more: The back matter of Brick by Brick provides additional powerful information about the building of the White House: "Slaves endured a snake-infested island and mosquito swarms to dig up the stones needed for the walls of the house. They endured hour after hour of cutting and trimming wood, often until their hands were bloodied or deformed. The work was hard on the body, especially the hands."   

Something To Prove

The Great Satchel Paige 
vs. Rookie Joe DiMaggio

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Carolrhoda Books (Lerner Publishing)
(pub. 1.1.2013) 32 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Robert Skead

     and Illustrator:  Floyd Cooper

C haracters: Satchel Paige and Joe DiMaggio

O verview from the jacket flap: 

      "In 1936, the New York Yankees wanted to test a hot prospect named Joe DiMaggio to see if he was ready for the big leagues. They knew just the ballpayer to call - Satchel Paige, the best pitcher anywhere, black or white.
      For the game, Paige joined a group of amateur African American players, and they faced off against a team of white major leaguers plus young DiMaggio. The odds were stacked against the less-experienced black team. But Paige's skillful batting and amazing pitching - with his 'trouble ball' and 'bat dodger' - kept the game close.
      Would the rookie DiMaggio prove himself as a major league player?
      Or would Paige once again prove his greatness - and the injustice of segregated baseball?"

T antalizing taste: 

    "Satchel was the marvel of the country. He might even have been the greatest pitcher in the world. but because of the color of his skin, he was not permitted to play in the major leagues...
    Satchel decided to throw the nervous rookie [Joe DiMaggio] his 'whipsey dipsey do.'  He started the windmill delivery, kicked his leg high, and hurled the ball. Joe watched the pitch dip and dance - and he swung and missed. He took a deep breath, readied his bat, and steadied his legs for the next serving. 
      Time to cut loose my 'four-day creeper,' thought Satch.
       ... DiMaggio beamed. 'Now I know I can make it with the Yankees. I finally got a hit off Ol' Satch,' he said."

and something more: Just imagine what Satchel Paige could have accomplished if he had been given the same opportunity to join the big leagues as Joe DiMaggio?

Back of the Bus

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Philomel Books (Penguin)
(pub. 9.1.2011)  32 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Aaron Reynolds
     and Illustrator:  Floyd Cooper

C haracter:   Rosa Parks

O verview from the publisher: 
         "It seems like any other winter day in Montgomery, Alabama. Mama and child are riding where they're supposed to - way in the back of the bus. The boy passes the time by watching his marble roll up and down the aisle with the motion of the bus, until from way up front a big commotion breaks out. He can't see what's going on, but he can see the policeman arrive outside and he can see Mama's chin grow strong. 'There you go, Rosa Parks," she says, "stirrin' up a nest of hornets. Tomorrow all this'll be forgot.' But they both know differently.

           With childlike words and powerful illustrations, Aaron Reynolds and Coretta Scott King medalist Floyd Cooper recount Rosa Parks' act of defiance through the eyes of a child - who will never forget."

T antalizing taste: 

     "I take out my marble
       and start to hide it in my squeezy-tight fist.
       But instead, I hold it up to the light
       right out in the open.
       That thing shines all brown and golden in the sunlight,
       like it's smilin', I think.
       'Cuz it ain't gotta hide no more."


and something more:   I've always guided my students to read the dedications in books, and Back of the Bus has a touching one from Aaron Reynolds: "To my parents, Paul and Barbara Reynolds, who taught me to believe in myself."