Michael Cooper

   Since speaking with Marilyn Courtot (see the following article), Michael Cooper has been busy researching and writing many more books. He has been acknowledged for his excellent work with the Golden Kite Award given by SCBWI. (The Golden Kite Award is the only award presented to children's book authors and artists by their fellow authors and artists. Four Golden Kite Statuettes, in fiction, nonfiction, picture book text, and picture book illustration categories, are awarded annually to the most outstanding children's books published during that year, written or illustrated by members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.) This honor, given by his peers, is well deserved for his book Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930's.

   More recently research has taken him to Jamestown, VA, which will be celebrating its 400th birthday in 2007. Surviving Jamestown will be published by Holiday House in 2006. Hero of the High Seas: John Paul Jones and the American Revolution will also be published in 2006 by National Geographic.

   Michael L. Cooper has written several outstanding nonfiction books on a variety of subjects. Among his most recent books are Slave Spirituals, Remembering Manzanar and Fighting for Honor. The last two focus on the Japanese Americans during World War II. When I asked him what made him decide to write a book about slave spirituals he said it was an outgrowth of one of his favorite books from graduate school. He was greatly influenced by one of his favorite books, Black Culture and Black Consciousness: Afro-American Folk Thought from Slavery to Freedom by Lawrence W. Levine, which is still in print. Al-Tony Gilmore, in The Washington Post noted that "Through an exhaustive investigation of black songs, folk tales, proverbs, aphorisms, verbal games and the long narrative oral poems known as 'toasts' Levine argues that the value system of Afro-Americans can only be understood through an analysis of Black culture....His work ranks among the best books written on the Afro-American experience in recent years." Michael said that he was so impressed by what Levine had done that he wanted to write his own book along similar lines, specifically by examining spirituals-where they came from and how they developed. It is a good way to look at American slavery and to acknowledge the importance of art and music in people's lives. These spirituals offered hope and solace during hard times. The book is on the fringe of what is being taught as part of the general curriculum, but it is an important adjunct for the serious student and teacher who wants to help kids stretch a bit more in their understanding of African American history.

   His research included extensive reading of books such as those by Kolchin who has written American Slavery, 1619-1877; First Freedom: The Responses of Alabama's Blacks to Emancipation and Reconstruction, Vol. 20; and Unfree Labor: American Slavery and Russian Serfdom. This was a big topic to try to condense down into a book for younger readers. Michael decided that the best way to present the material was chronologically moving from the 17th to the 19th centuries. He also found some very interesting research materials including a book on African American music and a Civil War diary written by an abolitionist from Massachusetts which was also published in the Atlantic magazine. Still it was difficult to find focus with such a broad subject.

   This was not the case with his latest book which is a biography of John Paul Jones (due in the fall of 2004). It is easier to focus on an individual than a broad topic. But even here, John Paul Jones was hardly a typical individual. He was an important figure in the American Revolution. That period in American history is one that really interests Michael and most of his leisure reading has been about the period and the people. John Paul Jones was an exceptional person who became a ship captain at a very young age. In spite of that Michael still seems to enjoy tackling broad subjects. Hell Fighters: African American Soldiers in World War I (1997, Lodestar, Ages 10 up, $16.99) and Bound for the Promised Land: The Great Black Migration (1996, Lodestar, Ages 10 up, $15.99) have received starred reviews. They depict African American history, which according to Cooper is not just for blacks--it is true American history. Hell Fighters reveals a wealth of information about black soldiers and the prejudice and difficulties they faced during World War I. Cooper provides plenty of black-and-white photographs and sidebars to flesh out the account. Reviewers have remarked on the high quality of his writing and the thoroughness of his reporting.

   Remembering Manzanar was an off shoot of his writing the book Fighting for Honor: Japanese Americans and World War II. Manzanar is a close look at four years in a relocation camp. Michael wanted it to be accessible to younger readers and he relied a lot on the photographs of Dorothea Lang. Her agenda was to show the injustice that these people suffered. He also used photographs by Ansel Adams whose focus was more on the resiliency of the people in these camps. Michael did visit the camp in California. He attended an annual reunion at Manzanar which is about 4 hours north east of Los Angeles. During his visit he talked with and interviewed a number of people. In the camps there were two different factions. Those that embraced the U.S. versus those that embraced their Japanese culture and heritage. One interesting tidbit came out in our discussion. Ansel Adams photos were published in a book (Adams's Born Free and Equal) in 1944. The war of course was still going on and his book was burned and banned. That so infuriated Adams that he left his photographs to the Library of Congress putting them into the public domain. Those who don't know about nonfiction books that use photographs may not realize that many photographs are held in trusts and the author/publisher may have to "pay and arm and a leg" to use them. Michael says that he kept looking for just the right picture and that may not be an efficient way to do a book, but it is the way he works. He also tries to keep costs down whenever possible by using pictures that are in the public domain or as in the case of Remembering Manzanar pictures that he himself has taken.

   Michael grew up in Southeastern Kentucky in an area where there wasn't much of a black community. He received his BA in English from the University of Kentucky. However, his desire to write and travel led him to New York City, where he lived for eighteen years and earned an MA in American Studies from the City University of New York. While in New York, Michael took writing classes at the New School, and one of his teachers was Russell Freedman. Russell introduced him to Jim Giblin at Clarion, which led to a two book contract that resulted in Klondike Fever: The Famous Gold Rush of 1898 (1988, Clarion, Ages 9 up) and Racing Sled Dogs: An Original North American Sport (1987, Clarion, Ages 9 up).

   They, like Cooper's other books, From Slave to Civil War Hero: The Life and Times of Robert Smalls (1995, Lodestar, Ages 8 up) and Playing America's Game: The Story of Negro League Baseball (1993, Lodestar, Ages 9 up), are the result of extensive research. Several of these projects have taken Michael all over the US and Canada. In Spokane, he found a wonderful glass plate of a "Klondiker" taken by a professional photographer. Today, it is featured on the cover of his book.

   But it isn't all work for Michael. He does enjoy tennis, working out at the gym and cooking. In the latter area he has been cooking for more than twenty-five years and even worked part-time in a restaurant while he was in graduate school. Like his nonfiction colleagues, Cooper looks at primary and secondary material. It gives him a flavor of the period and events and helps to make his writing more realistic. His goal is to present accurate, factual, and most of all interesting books to whet the appetites of young readers. Look for future books about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression and certainly a book or two about the American Revolution.

Contributor: Marilyn Courot

Reviews

Fighting for Honor: Japanese Americans and World War II
Michael L. Cooper
   Nine chapters filled with quotations from first person accounts and interspersed with documentary photographs trace the history of Japanese Americans during World War II, focusing on the massive forced relocation and on the bravery of Japanese soldiers in battle. Because of its broad scope, the book lacks the first-person emotional impact of books like Yoshiko Uchida's fictional and autobiographical accounts or Florence Crannell Means' novel The Moved-Outers (1945). There are no unifying introductory or concluding chapters, although paragraphs throughout attempt to put the experiences into a historical perspective. Four of the chapters concentrate on the Nisei soldiers, with separate chapters dedicated to the Purple Heart Battalion's battle at Monte Cassino and the rescue of "The Lost Battalion." More depth and less breadth would have made this a more readable history, yet this is a story that needs to be told, and it will be useful for students who need to write reports. The most memorable parts are the quotations from primary sources. Not all of the photographs are adequately captioned. There is a map showing the locations of the relocation camps, an index, source notes, suggestions for further reading and a chronology. 2000, Clarion, $16.00. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Linnea Hendrickson
ISBN: 0395913756
Best Books:
   Best Books for Young Adults, 2002 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States
   Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
   Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Eighth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
   Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2001 ; National Council for the Social Studies; United States
From Slave to Civil War Hero: The Life and Times of Robert Smalls
Michael L. Cooper
   Smalls was the pilot of a cotton steamer in the Charleston harbor who managed to "boatnap" his ship and deliver it to Union naval forces in 1862. Along with the boat he also rescued his wife and children and the families of his black crew from slavery. Through the story of this one forgotten hero, Cooper also explains the milieu of slavery within anti-bellum and wartime Charleston, and the continuing struggle of freedmen during the period of Reconstruction. This slim volume, studded with excellent period illustrations and informative maps, goes far in explicating the greater causes and purposes of the Civil War through the microcosm of one incident. 1994, Lodestar, $13.99. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr
ISBN: 0-525-67489-6
Best Books:
   Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K--Grade 6, 1997 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
   Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Second Edition, 1997 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Hell Fighters: African American Soldiers in World War I
Michael Cooper
   Cooper recounts the little known facts of the valiant black soldiers of World War I. Later know as the Hellfighters, the men of the 369th regiment trained with inadequate equipment, but within a short time were thrust into the brunt of battle in France. Such was their bravery that they never gave ground to the enemy, but they did pay an incredible price losing half of their force. The story is told in spare text, supplemented with vintage photographs and quotes. The insets that present related information are not clearly delineated, and they interrupt the flow of the text, but this aside, Cooper has provided a well researched and fascinating war story . 1997, Lodestar, Ages 10 up, $16.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0525675345
Best Books:
   Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Third Edition, 2001 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
   Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
   School Library Journal Book Review Stars, February 1997 ; Cahners; United States

Indian School: Teaching the White Man's Way
Michael L. Cooper
   This is a sad picture of a shameful period of American history. Some facets may be familiar to the reader, while others are less well known, such as how many children were removed from their parents, some of them dragged across the country and how many died from depression and disease. Cooper describes various schools, their set up, and the way students were educated, housed, directed, and disciplined. The true poignancy of the books comes from Cooper's relaying the students' stories and offering a wealth of old photographs. Readers will be moved by the heartbreaking tales of these once-proud children whose hair, dress, and customs were stolen from them, and will silently cheer the victories of those who coped with the horrors and maintained a sense of self against assaults to their dignity. 1999, Clarion, $15.00. Ages 9 up. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0395920841
Best Books:
   The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2000 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
   Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Eighth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
    Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2000 ; National Council for the Social Studies; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
   Society of School Librarians International Book Awards Honor 2000 Social Studies - Novels, Grades 7 - 12 United States
Klondike Fever: The Famous Gold Rush of 1898
Michael Cooper
   For all of recorded history men seem to be drawn by the lure of gold and the chance to become rich. In 1896 Robert Henderson made a discover of gold in a Canadian region known as the Klondike. He really didn't get credit for the discovery nor did he appear to profit as much as others. Cooper tells a good story about the men and women who braved this hostile region and explains a lot about the hardships that they faced and the society they lived in. The book is liberally illustrated with black and white photographs. 1989, Clarion, Ages 10 up $5.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0899198031

Racing Sled Dogs: An Original North American Sport
Michael Cooper
   The Iditarod Trail was an important supply route into northwestern Alaska, but it didn't become well known in the lower forty eight until the famous trek to provide diphtheria serum to the residents of Nome in 1925. Michael Copper does an excellent job presenting the history of the sport and highlighting contemporary races, dog training, and glimpses into the races of several famous winners. He also weaves in a bit of Alaskan history. An informative and interesting book illustrated with black-and-white photographs. 1988, Clarion, Ages 10 up, $13.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0899194990
Racing Sled Dogs: An Original North American Sport
Michael Cooper
   This book offers insights into what makes good sled dogs. Mr. Cooper begins with the breathtaking chronicle of Libby Riddle's winning 1985 race and continues with the dogs' history and details of their training. 1988, Clarion, $13.95. Ages 8 to 14. Reviewer: Beverly Kobrin ISBN: 0899194990
Remembering Manzanar: Life in a Japanese Relocation Camp  
Michael Cooper
   This book is a wonderful classroom compliment to the book, Farewell to Manzanar, by Houston and Houston. The latter was a personal recounting of experiences there. This book is written by an author who has no personal recollection, but interviewed former inhabitants, researched historical archives and visited what remains of the camp. It includes an overall view of the experience from the signing of Declaration 9066 and 9102 by President Roosevelt which forced Japanese families from their homes on the west coast and authorized the building of Manzanar as the location to house the evacuees. All facets of life for the Japanese are recounted including day to day life, cultural events, education, recreation and, of course, the personal feelings of the inhabitants. It is as well told story enhanced by black-and-white photographs taken by famous photographers assigned to record the experience. There is an annual pilgrimage to the now dismantled site where a memorial now stands. The book includes sources for further study and an index. Perfect for lessons on diversity at the upper elementary or middle school level. 2002, Houghton Mifflin Co, $15.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger
ISBN: 0618067787
Best Books:
   The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2003 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
   Choices, 2003 ; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States
Slave Spirituals and the Jubilee Singers
Michael L. Cooper
   Michael L. Cooper has made something of a career of unearthing and casting lucid light upon forgotten pieces of African-American and minority-American history for young people. His biography of slave pilot Robert Smalls was a small gem--a microcosmic view of antebellum issues. Now he returns to the same territory to illumine the lifestyle of "bondsmen" before the Civil War--and the expansion of this lifestyle by post-Civil War freedmen. Cooper never writes down to his audience. His prose is crisp and clean; his stories interesting and logical; his research flawless. So, of course, his discussion of Fisk University's famous Jubilee Singers really begins with an analysis of African-American music fixed in dance, shouts and religion. It's a journey well worth taking. 2001, Clarion, $16.00. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr
ISBN: 0395978297
Best Books:
   The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
   Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Eighth Edition, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
   Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers, 2002 ; National Council for the Social Studies; United States

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If you’re interested in reviewing children's and young adult books, then send a resume and writing sample to marilyn@childrenslit.com.

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