How to Write Children’s Picture Books: Is He a Good Guy or a Bad Guy? (Part 5)

A Writer's Path

by Yvonne Blackwood

The creative juices are flowing and you are writing as if there is no tomorrow. You are able to do this because you have carefully plotted out your story. Great start. As the story progresses, Ronnie Rabbit gets up to some tricks. You have narrated these tricks and you know how the matter will be resolved in the end. Yet, somehow your rabbit character seems flat. Why is this?

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“Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only: The Life of America’s First Black Filmmaker” by Patrick McGilligan

Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only: The Life of America’s First Black Filmmaker

by Patrick McGilligan

Genre: Biographies & Memoirs/Movie Directors

1.99 at time of posting!

Oscar Micheaux was the Jackie Robinson of film, the black D. W. Griffith: a bigger-than-life American folk hero whose important life story is nearly forgotten today. Now, in a feat of historical investigation and vivid storytelling, one of our greatest film biographers takes on one of the most talented and complex figures in the history of American entertainment.

The son of freed slaves, Micheaux grew up in Metropolis, Illinois, then roamed America as a Pullman porter before making his first mark as a homesteader in South Dakota. Disaster and defeat there led him to forge a career publishing a successful series of autobiographical novels. Ever the entrepreneur, when Hollywood failed to bid high enough for film rights to his stories, he answered by forming his own film production company. Going on to produce or direct twenty-two silent and fifteen sound films in his lifetime, Micheaux became the king of the “race cinema” industry at a time when black-produced films had to scrounge for venues in a segregated society.

In this groundbreaking new biography, award-winning film historian Patrick McGilligan offers a vivid and fascinating portrait of this little-known pioneer. Part visionary, part raffish Barnum-like showman, Micheaux was both a maverick filmmaker and an inveterate hustler who used every weapon at his disposal to break the color barrier and thrive in a profession he helped to invent. He made a fortune and lost it again, and launched repeated con games that were followed by public arrests and bankruptcies. He eagerly took credit for the work of others—including his unsung-heroine wife. In his desperate later years, he even sunk to plagiarizing his final novel—a discovery McGilligan reveals here for the first time.

In this searching exploration, McGilligan tracks down long-lost financial records, unpublished letters, and unmarked pauper’s graves, pinpointing Micheaux’s birthplace, his tangled personal life, and the circumstances of his tragic death. The result is an epic that bridges a fascinating period in American history, and offers lessons for anyone who would understand the role of black America in forming the culture of our time.

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“With My Body: A Novel (Bride Stripped Bare Book 2)” by Nikki Gemmell

With My Body: A Novel (Bride Stripped Bare Book 2)

by Nikki Gemmell

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Contemporary

1.99 at time of posting!

From the author of the international bestseller The Bride Stripped Bare comes the raw and resonant story of a middle-aged wife and mother who attempts to reclaim her lost sense of self by exploring the memory of an old love affair, the consequences of which have remained unresolved for years. Nikki Gemmell is “one of the few truly original voices to emerge in a long time” (Time Out New York), and With My Body is a unique and captivating novel. Poetic and boldly, unabashedly sensual, Gemmell’s gorgeous writing and explosive content evoke the seductive power of The Secret Life Of Catherine MDamage, and The Story of O, but this instant classic bears a modern insight into present-day sexuality and that could only come from the intimate and invigorating voice of Nikki Gemmell.

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2018 Newbery Winner | Children’s Literature

Hello, Universe (2018 Newbery Winner Children’s Literature)

by Erin Entrada Kelly

Genre: Growing Up & Facts of Life/Difficult Discussions/Bullies

 

Winner of the Newbery Medal

“A charming, intriguingly plotted novel.”—Washington Post

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe is a funny and poignant neighborhood story about unexpected friendships.

Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery, being different, and finding your inner bayani (hero). “Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast of misfits.”—Booklist

In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball.

They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.

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“Bedtime Inspirational Stories: 50 Amazing Black People Who Changed the World” by L.A. Amber

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Bedtime Inspirational Stories: 50 Amazing Black People Who Changed the World

by L.A. Amber

Genre: Children’s Book/ Biographies/Multicultural

Kindle Unlimited

Help your child develop a strong sense of self by following these stories that can equip children with the powerful mantra: We Are Masters of Our Own Destiny.
Bedtime Inspirational Stories… celebrates the achievements of the amazing black women and men who have paved the way for future generations.

Best Seller in African American Children’s Books

Unfortunately, in today’s world, it can be a challenge to raise positive kids, as they are constantly bombarded with negative messages. More than ever, parents and teachers need to create a positive atmosphere for our children in order to help them believe in themselves.
That’s why we’ve proudly created this richly illustrated and inspiring book, Bedtime Inspirational Stories: 50 Amazing Black People Who Changed the World, which highlights the achievements and stories of fifty notable women and men from the 18th century to today. Some were born slaves, some grew up in poverty, and some had physical or emotional challenges. Some were born many years ago, and some are still with us. The stories in the book include those of political activists, scientists, artists, musicians, inventors, businesspeople, Nobel prize winners, and more.

Black History Books for kids

Every single one of these individuals overcame adversities and changed the world, building a way for others to live better lives. Each one worked hard and maintained self-confidence, even when others expressed doubt or said their dreams couldn’t be achieved.

Bedtime Stories

Children looking for inspiration will surely find it here. This fun and inspiring collection of influential stories provides fifty illustrated examples of strong, independent role models, all of whom had a profound impact on the world. Personal aspirations from today’s youth are also interspersed throughout the book, so that each story has its own life lesson alongside a positive message. It’s never too soon to start making a difference, and these stories are exhilarating examples of power in action to make for ideal motivation.

Positive Affirmations

The book also contains fifty positive affirmations, and we encourage you to say them aloud with your child every day. Why affirmations? These positive self-statements, when repeated over time, are capable of convincing a child that the statements are true. This is a powerful way to boost their self-esteem.
Why is it important for young kids to know they matter? Children can feel small and insignificant in a busy and complicated world, and begin to question their place in life. The affirmations found in this book can counteract this effect while allowing them to grow.
As parents and educators, there are three important things that we can give to our children: good memories, a good education, and a sense of self-worth.
Our team has created this book to help you to achieve these goals. There are no better memories than the times when we share books with our children. We hope that the positive messages and affirmations throughout this book will improve your child’s self-esteem. Lastly, we should here acknowledge that every story in this book would merit a book by itself; hopefully, these snippets will inspire you and your child to learn more about each person.

Books for Black Children

With vivid, compelling art and quotes, this book shows its readers that no matter what obstacles may lie ahead, they should never give up on their dreams. Simply, this beautiful book is about the potential within each of us to pursue our dreams and shape our own paths. It is a treasure to cherish with your family forever.
We hope that you find inspiration in these pages, whether you’re a girl or a boy, a parent or a teacher! These women and men are black heroes, and they’re part of our history and culture. And no matter who you are, you have a special mission on this planet.

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It’s Fat Tuesday!

It’s time to party it up, and ….eat!!

Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. It is also known as Mardi Gras Day or Shrove Day. It is a day when people eat all they want of everything and anything they want as the following day is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a long fasting period for Christians. In addition to fasting, Christians also give up something special that they enjoy. So, Fat Tuesday is a celebration and the opportunity to enjoy that favorite food or snack that you give up for the long Lenten season.

Nowhere on the planet is Fat Tuesday celebrated more than on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The day is celebrated with festivities and parades and of course much food and drink. While in New Orleans, a big tradition is in wearing Mardi Gras beads and giving them to others. And tradition requires that if a guy gives a girl some beads, she has to do something for him… this can be just loads of fun…

Did You Know? On Bourbon street in New Orleans, store owners coat poles and columns with Vaseline to keep  wild and rowdy revelers from climbing them (and perhaps falling).

In addition to being called Mardi Gras Day and Fat Tuesday, it is also called Fastnacht Day. Pennsylvania Dutch country, and other areas with large German populations, refer to it as Fastnacht Day.

 

 

From holidayinsights.com