African American Musicians    The African-American influence on American music is immense. Even the blandest variety of "easy listening" music has at least some trace of African heritage, either rhythmically or harmonically. Black Gospel church music was a major influence on both blues and jazz. Jazz has its roots in the work songs, spirituals, and folk music of African-Americans. It started in the South in the early 1900s and moved north along with the migration of many African Americans. Among those names that may be the most familiar are Louis Armstron, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Wynton Marsalis. The following books features some of these musical greats and a variety of musical forms--especially jazz.    Visit our Themed Reviews section for more books about African-Americans! Reviews 20s & 30s: Between the Wars Malcolm Hayes    Following the devastation of World War I, people began to rebuild their lives. Music grew in variety and style bringing with it the fun of the "Roaring Twenties." Jazz, classical music, and the innovative twelve-tone music were forms of the times while Gershwin, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Ravel, and Strauss were some of the noted composers. Lulu, The Cunning Little Vixen, Arabella, and Daphne were operas of the period. All of this information plus many more facts and tidbits are available in the second book from the excellent "20th Century Music" series. Sidebars, tintype pictures, photos, and musical poster reproductions grace the pages. Short two-page spreads on a variety of topics compliment the text. As with all the books, this one has a border showcasing a musical score on every page and both covers. Add this entire series to any musical library or school music curriculum to get a comprehensive coverage of the history of music for the time period between the wars. 2002 (orig. 2001), Gareth Stevens Publishing, $23.93. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury (Children's Literature) ISBN: 0-8368-3032-6 A-Tisket, A-Tasket Ella Fitzgerald and Van Alexander Illustrated by Ora Eitan    Ella Fitzgerald's music moved this children's rhyme to classic status with her swinging jazz rendition, complete with the band members chorusing "no, no, no---, no" on the refrains. It's hard to get the music and the pictures to come out right, given that Eitan has changed a few words ("to my love" becomes "to my mommy" which messes up the cadence) and stylized the pictures to the point of confusion. Using cut paper, computer graphics, and gouache, she has fashioned busy collage illustrations that make use of magazine art, photos, decorated paper, and line art. The red-lipped, big-hatted boy pouts and carries on while the saucy girl who stole his basket prances through a few pages and appears behind a tree in the end, as if to suggest maybe she and the boy could possibly be friends. But the pictures of urban confusion as the boy looks for his basket are hard to understand visually, as lines, shapes, and colors converge or overlap without clearly conveying meaning. Those who love the Fitzgerald music may find this a vehicle to introduce the song to young children but it is the lively, lovely Ella who will win them over, not the agitated and overworked illustrations for the song as presented here. 2003, Philomel, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Susan Hepler (Children's Literature) ISBN: 0-399-23206-0 Alicia Keys   Geoffrey M. Horn    Despite frequently uninspired prose (“The money was great. Alicia got a very good piano.”), the subject of this latest book in the “Today’s Superstars” series is inspiring in itself. Born Alicia Augello Cook to a white Italian mom and an African-American dad, “Keys” became her surname when she signed her first record deal. We learn that mom sacrificed her acting dream not only to take care of Alicia, but (luckily for them both!) to provide Suzuki method piano lessons as well. Though Alicia’s beauty and beautiful voice may have come easily, her piano playing did not: she devoted six hours a day to classical piano, often falling asleep from exhaustion at the keys. Clearly, in this fairy tale story, the hard work of both mother and daughter more than paid off. Alicia has not only earned some ten million dollars, she is one of only three women to have won five Grammy Awards in one night. One of the few worthwhile sidebars lists some famous overlooked musicians who, unlike Alicia, never received the Grammy for Best New Artist: Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and the Rolling Stones. Fans of Ms. Keys will find this fun and interesting reading. Given the subject’s own award-winning songwriting, however, it does seem a shame that precious few of her own words are included among Horn’s. 2006, Gareth Stevens, $23.33. Ages 10 to 13. Reviewer: Naomi Milliner (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-8368-4233-2 Bessie Smith Alexandria Manera    Undoubtedly the greatest blues singer of all times, Bessie Smith was born about 1894 in Chattanooga and grew up in poverty. She was orphaned by the age of nine. She and her brother Andrew, as children, earned money as street musicians. At age 18 Bessie joined a minstrel show company and later toured with vaudeville troupes, attracting more and more fans with her powerful singing. Her songs reflected the hard times she had endured, as well as the joys and pains of love. In 1923 she won a recording contract with Columbia. Continuing to tour cities in both the North and South and make records, Smith became the highest paid African American entertainer of the era. When the Depression hit, however, and people no longer wanted to hear the blues, her career began to slip. She changed to pop and jazz music, but just as she was recovering her popularity, she was fatally injured in an automobile accident in 1937. In addition to the biographical material on Bessie Smith, the author comments on segregation, the Civil War and slavery, Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance, Louis Armstrong and jazz, and Smith's legacy to singers Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. A glossary, timeline, list of sources of further information, and index are included. The illustrations are vintage black and white photographs. The series is "African-American Biographies." 2003, Raintree, $28.56. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Patricia Dole (Children's Literature) ISBN:0739868756 Beyoncé Knowles   Christine Webster    Beyonce Knowles is more than a singer; she has written books, produced a music video, writes and produces songs, and acts in movies. She is a member of the well-known female rhythm and blues group, Destiny’s Child. Not only is Beyonce a pop artist, but she is also a classically trained opera singer. Beyonce is very goal oriented and has won many awards, including Pop Songwriter of the Year in 2001, a Soul Train Music Award in 2004, and numerous Grammy Awards. She is a hard-working and talented role model who has unselfishly contributed to various charitable organizations. This book is one of the titles in the “Great African-American Women” series. It is not a typical biography; it is full of interesting things like “Texas Tidbits,” “Quick Facts,” a “Time Line,” and “Making a Home Video.” This book is apt to become a favorite among young girls; who knows how many budding artists it may inspire! 2006, Weigl Publishers, $6.95. Ages 8 to 10. Reviewer: Lisa B. C. O’Connell (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1-590-36331-0 ISBN: 1-590-36337-X Bob Marley: Musician   Sherry Beck Paprocki    Bob Marley (1945-1981) was the charismatic reggae rocker who took the music world by storm before his early death from cancer. Paprocki limns his chaotic life in the Jamaican slums of Kingston, filling the account with insights into both the violent Jamaican political scene of the period and the Rastafarian faith. For above all, Marley was a Rasta—part of the dreadlocked, vegetarian, pot-smoking group who consider the late Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia to have been an incarnation of the Messiah. Marley’s short life is rounded off with accounts of his wife Rita’s attempts to raise his twelve legitimate and illegitimate children while keeping alive Marley’s flame through various charitable trusts. Bob Marley was not exactly a role model, but few charismatic people are, and the biography is welcome. The question remaining is why this CIA-hounded, fiercely Jamaican patriot-performer was included in the “Black Americans of Achievement” series. Perhaps the “Legacy Edition” is being interpreted hemispherically? The appendix includes a selected discography, chronology, bibliography, and index. 2006, Chelsea House, Ages 14 up, $30.00. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-7910-9213-5 ISBN: 978-0-791-09213-2 The Bourbon Street Musicians Kathy Price illustrated by Andrew Glass    The four old heroes of the Bremen Town Musicians are moved to Cajun country, offering an enrichment of the language of the story along with a juicier, more noise and action-filled tale, complete with sound effects. For "grasshoppers played fiddle on their knees..." as the braying old mule sets out for Bourbon Street to play the trumpet. He invites the howling hound, the crowing rooster, and the yowling cat, all too old for their current jobs, to join him, "Sho' nuff." They not only get their supper by surprising some thieves with their "music," but they get a shack to live in, "As grass is green, sho' nuff, y'all." Glass's scraggy portraits of the quartet on the jacket/cover only hint at the folksy fun inside. His black outlines wiggle and knot as they describe the foursome, the roughnecks, and their laughter-provoking adventures. A glossary is included. 2002, Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature) Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2003; Bank Street College of Education; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003; H.W. Wilson; United States ISBN:0618040765 Bring On That Beat Rachel Isadora    We are on the streets of Harlem in the 1930s. Each double page has a brief, rhymed couplet--"Bring on that beat, Wake up the street" that reflects the sound of the jazz trio that turns on the heat for the folks nearby, then moves to the rooftops and on to the whole city. The double-page city scenes, people and streets alike, are created in oil paint in shades of gray to black, emphasizing the dark of the night. The musicians and youngsters are depicted dancing, moving to the rhythms. Superimposed on these images are odd bits of brightly colored shapes, watercolor designs manipulated on the computer, derived from non-objective paintings. They sway and gyrate like a musical counterpoint while on one double page, colored silhouettes dance across piano keys. It's hard to sit still for this one. 2002, G.P. Putnam's Sons, $14.99. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature) ISBN: 0-399-23232-X Charlie Parker Played Be Bop Chris Raschka    Exuberant and wacky, sound-filled and life-affirming--that's how I'd sum up this book. The text is jazzy, crammed with boomba sounds and reeti-footi tweets. And famed saxophone player Charlie Parker is bigger than life. His horn, torso, and head fill the page, spill beyond the margins. Raschka's combination of big block shapes and busy, curling doodles create a sense of energy and spontaneity, a visual tribute to jazz music. Check out the hair on Parker's arms, the lines on his sax. And those absurd, parading figures--chickadees, overshoes, bus stops--are delightful. 1992, Orchard Books, $15.95, $16.99 and $5.95. Ages 4 up. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature) ISBN: 0-531-05999-5 ISBN: 0-531-08599-6 ISBN: 0-531-07095-6 David Gets His Drum David "Panama" Francis and Bob Reiser Illustrated by Eric Velasquez    The youth of drummer David Francis is recalled here and retold in language rich with imagery. David loves listening to music, especially on Sundays when "Brulla" Roberts leads the band down Miami's 15th Street, beating his snare drum. David's dream of drumming is dimmed when his drum breaks, but the gift of a special drum plus encouragement from Brulla sets him rum-tum-tum-ing on to a 70-year career in jazz. The mood is set on the jacket/cover where Velasquez paints the young David marching with a band, one drum stick up and ready, his face upraised with broad smile and highlighted features. Details of the period are included in the double-page naturalistic oils, all conveying the consistently upbeat tale of the pleasure of our hero's final success. For he finds that the magic really does not come from the drum, but from the drummer man. 2002, Marshall Cavendish, $16.95. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature) Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003 ; H.W. Wilson; United States ISBN: 0-7614-5088-2 Dizzy   Jonah Winter Illustrated by Sean Qualls    Written in the language of jazz, "this is the story of one cool cat," Dizzy Gillespie, who emerged playing a genre of music striving to plant its roots within African America. This autobiographical account reaches out to the very core of childhood. Instead of relying on didacticism, this tale encourages expressive freedom in young readers. Clown around! Play jokes! Don’t be afraid of your individuality! In the beginning, we see a life of dejection, as Dizzy grows up poor and frequently ends up in violent situations—conflicts that Winter does not mask. Despite these hardships, Dizzy seeks an outlet through music and begins to play the trumpet and piano. Through the inspiring, yet often hilarious, events that take Dizzy on his journey, readers can see that breaking all the rules can sometimes be positive and fun. Winter uses musical lyrics that jump all over the page in a rhythm of their own, and the pictures likewise create colorful collages full of life that appropriately retell the story of Dizzy’s own artistic talent. This book is a great introduction to one of the most influential eras of music and to one of the most prominent American musicians of all time. The book includes an informative author’s note about Dizzy Gillespie. 2006, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, Ages 4 to 8, $16.99. Reviewer: Natalie Couch (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-439-50737-5 Duke Ellington Richard Terrill    From his roots in Washington, D.C. to his success in Harlem, New York, this biography follows the great composer Duke Ellington throughout his life. Black-and-white photos capture Ellington's style, energy, and charisma while performing, composing, and just being. While it covers the details of Ellington's involvement in music, the book also takes a look at the bigger picture of American history during the early twentieth century. This includes the presence of segregation, the evolution of jazz, ragtime, and swing music, and cultural events such as the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Depression. The importance of all of this is woven through the specifics of Ellington's life and how events of the times affected him and how he affected American culture. A timeline covers the years 1899 (born) to 1974 (died), and a reference page with book titles and addresses provides information for readers to find more information. There is also an index and a glossary that includes important terms used throughout such as improvisation and ragtime. This title is part of the "African-American Biographies" series. 2003, Raintree, $28.56. Ages 8 to 10. Reviewer: Cherie Ilg Haas (Children's Literature) ISBN:0739868691 Duke Ellington: Jazz Composer Judy Monroe    This biography introduces the African-American musician and composer whose 2000 compositions influenced American jazz and the popular music that followed. The black and white photos cover Ellington's life, his band members, and various high points in his life, including two Grammy Awards in 1967. Fully-captioned, the pictures are set against colorful text pages and lend authority to the text. In addition, a "Fast Facts" section gives readers vital statistics, education, and major works. The text ends with a timeline, glossary, internet sites, recently-published books for further reading which may be augmented with the many picture books about this well-known musician, and an index. This title, like the others in the "Fact Finders" biography series, features carefully-controlled vocabulary, short and direct sentences, photos that match the text to aid in comprehension, and an uncomplicated design. 2005, Capstone Press, $22.60. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Susan Hepler, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-7368-3741-8 Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrated by Brian Pinkney    Duke Ellington was born at the turn of the century (1899) in Washington, D.C. He learned to play the piano at an early age, but it wasn't to his liking. But one day, when he heard someone playing ragtime on the piano, his interest was captured and he had to learn. He started to create his own music and, as they say, the rest was history. "Duke," as he was called, was popular and soon his band was asked to play at the prestigious Cotton Club in Harlem. His music was broadcast on radio and his band became an orchestra. His career spanned most of the 20th century and even 24 years after his death, his songs and music are still loved and played. The scratchboard illustrations by Brian Pinkney are alive with the swirling movements of Duke Ellington's music and the musicians who starred in his orchestra. A great introduction and brief look at the life of an African-American musical genius. 1998, Hyperion, $15.95. Ages 5 to 12. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature) Best Books: Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K--Grade 6, 12th Edition, 1999 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States The Best Children's Books of the Year, 1999 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States Capitol Choices, 1998 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 1998 ; American Library Association-Booklist; United States Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Third Edition, 2001 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States Los Angeles' 100 Best Books, 1998 ; IRA Children's Literature and Reading SIG and the Los Angeles Unified School District; United States Not Just for Children Any More, 2001 ; Children's Book Council; United States Notable Books for Children, 1999 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 1999 ; National Council for the Social Studies NCSS; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, March 1998 ; Cahners; United States Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002 ; California Department of Education; California School Library Journal Book Review Stars, May 1998 ; Cahners; United States School Library Journal: Best Books, 1998 ; Cahners; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award Winner 1999 Non-Fiction United States Coretta Scott King Awards Honor Book 1999 United States Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Recommended Title 1999 United States Randolph Caldecott Medal Honor Book 1999 United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, 2001 ; Nominee; Louisiana Rhode Island Children's Book Award, 2000 ; Nominee; Rhode Island South Carolina Book Awards, 2001 ; Nominee; South Carolina ISBN: 0-7868-0178-6 ISBN: 0-7868-2150-7 Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Jazz Megan Schoeneberge    This biography introduces the African-American scat and gospel singer who recorded more than 200 albums and sang for generations of fans. In her career, she performed at Carnegie Hall 26 times. The black and white photos portray Fitzgerald beginning in her twenties; fully-captioned, the pictures are set against colorful text pages and lend authority to the text. In addition, a “Fast Facts” section gives readers vital statistics, education, and major works. The text ends with a timeline, glossary, internet sites, recently-published books for further reading which may be augmented with the many picture books about this well-known performer such as the recent treatment of her first song, “A Tisket, A Tasket,” and an index. This title, like the others in the “Fact Finders” biography series, features carefully-controlled vocabulary, short and direct sentences, photos that match the text to aid in comprehension, and an uncomplicated design. 2005, Capstone Press, $22.60. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Susan Hepler, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-7368-3742-6 Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song Katherine Krohn    Ella Fitzgerald made her debut on the Amateur Hour at age seventeen. She was destined to become one of the greatest of all women vocalists, but the road to this recognition was filled with bumps and detours. However, her determination, her love of music and a distinctively husky-sounding voice drove her to pursue her dream. Ella was only fifteen when her mother died, and something in Ella died, too. She lost interest in school and in life but continued to find release in singing. She fought her way from the Harlem streets to the dance halls to the international stage, and to recognition as the "Top Female Vocal jazz Singer" for eighteen years in a row. In 1985, Ms. Fitzgerald received the National Medal of Arts for her contributions to the African American community. Now, even after her death in 1996, she continues to entertain the world through her recordings and CDs. Black-and-white photographs that document her life accompany the text of this entry in the "Lerner Biography" series. A table of contents, a timeline, a glossary of jazz terms, a selected bibliography, discography highlights, web resources and an index make this a good addition to a young adult biography collection. 2001, Lerner, $25.26. Ages 10 to 18. Reviewer: J. B. Petty (Children's Literature) ISBN: 0-8225-4933-6 Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa Andrea Davis Pinkney with Scat Cat Monroe Illustrated by Brian Pinkney    Ostensibly narrated by a beboppin' feline named Scat Cat Monroe, this book follows Ella Fitzgerald from her childhood in Yonkers, New York through the rise of her career; from winning a talent contest at the Apollo Theater to joining the Chick Webb Orchestra to scat singing with Dizzy Gillespie. The language is peppered with idioms from that period and flows to the beat of the music. Scratchboard illustrations and swirls of color add to the visual presentation of swing and bebop. An author's note at the back fills in some of the concrete details missing from the text, such as names and dates. The book would be best enjoyed if paired with listening to selections from the included discography--otherwise I'm not certain that today's children would entirely grasp what "scat" is, and they may not be familiar with "A Tisket, A Tasket." 2002, Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, $16.99. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Dr. Judy Rowen (Children's Literature) Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2003 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States Capitol Choices, 2002 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Choices, 2003 ; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States Notable Children's Books, 2003 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, March 11, 2002 ; Cahners; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Society of School Librarians International Book Awards Honor Book 2002 Social Studies-Grades K-6 United States ISBN: 0-7868-0568-4 ISBN: 0-7868-2493-X Ellington Was Not A Street Ntozake Shange Illustrations by Kadir Nelson    The text of Shange's emotion-packed free verse is spread, a line or two, across the tall double pages. It is rich with the memories of a Harlem childhood, warm with family love, and filled with encounters with men of vision "who changed the world," such as Paul Robeson, W.E.B.Dubois, "Dizzy" Gillespie, and Duke Ellington. All those mentioned appear at the end with small portraits and descriptions of who they were. Naturalistic oil paintings, almost like a family album of color photographs, record the details of rooms and the people in them; a posed group shot of 30 friendly people adds specific vitality to the text's more general memories. The final full-length portrait of Ellington is stunning in its elegant directness, illuminating the man's gentle spirituality. 2004 (orig. 1983), Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $15.95. Ages 8 up. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature). Best Books: Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004; Bank Street College of Education; United States Capitol Choices, 2005; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2004; H.W. Wilson The Children's Literature Choice List, 2005; Children's Literature; United States Choices, 2005; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States Kirkus Book Review Stars, November 15, 2003; United States Notable Children's Books, 2005; American Library Association ALSC; United States Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts, 2005; NCTE Children's Literature Assembly; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, December 22, 2003; Cahners; United States School Library Journal Book Review Stars, January 2004; Cahners; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Coretta Scott King Awards Winner 2005 Illustrator United States Once Upon a World Children's Book Award Winner 2005 United States Parent's Choice Award Gold 2004 Picture Books United States ISBN: 0-689-82884-5 God Bless the Child Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney    Using the few words of the Billie Holiday song as his text, Pinkney has drawn on its message that God blesses the child "that's got his own" for his recreation of African American life in the 1930's. Beginning on the farm, he depicts the hard life and poor living conditions of the share-croppers along with some of the family fun and togetherness. Then as part of the Great Migration north, we follow the family to the city where both their work and their living conditions change, but where they stay together. The migration is symbolized on the end-papers: the front pages depict the rough wood planks of a share-cropper's cabin while the back pages display the floral wallpaper likely to be found in a city apartment. Pinkney's drawings, tinted with transparent watercolors, are remarkable in their ability to evoke a time and a place and the genuine human beings who live and work there. All the details of local neighborhoods are there, but the paintings are sensitive to story-telling, highlighting those aspects most significant for the narrative. The pictures parallel the lines of the song, but illustrate in a spiritual sense, with many double pages telling the story with no text at all. A lengthy note by the artist not only adds information about the Great Migration, but describes his personal involvement in collecting the information and relevant visuals. He notes that his final illustration, of a child in a classroom, emphasizes the importance of free public education as the great equalizer. A bonus is the inclusion of a CD of the rich voice of Billie Holiday herself singing the title song with jazz accompaniment. 2004 (orig. 1941), Amistad/HarperCollins Publishers, $17.89. Ages 6 up. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature). Best Books: Choices, 2005; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States Kirkus Book Review Stars, January 15, 2004; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Coretta Scott King Awards Honor 2005 Illustrator United States Parent's Choice Award Recommended 2003 Picture Book United States ISBN: 0-06-028797-7 ISBN: 0-06-029487-6 ISBN: 0-06-028487-6 He's Got the Whole World in His Hands Kadir Nelson    The spiritual sung by numerous people from all walks of life is beautifully illustrated by the artist. He has created a moving interpretation of the song through the eyes of a young boy and his family. One of the most striking portrayals is the one of the boy in his yellow hooded raincoat standing in the rain with the umbrella on the ground beside him, and his smiling face lifted up towards the sky. You can just feel the joy that he is experiencing as he absorbs the words, “He’s got the sun and the rain in his hands.” The vibrant colors and settings of oceans and seas, mountains and parks, showing the diversity of the people of the world, add to the beauty of the interpretation of the song. 2005, Dial/Penguin, $16.99. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Leila Toledo (Children's Literature).    Kadir Nelson takes the Negro spiritual and adds his brilliant pencils, oils, and watercolors to make a truly beautiful picture book. From the cover illustration of the gleeful African-American boy in the sun to the last page, which superimposes music over a child’s drawing, this book captures the reader’s imagination and inspires conversation between the child and parent. For example, when the African-American boy who is the focus of the book holds up his drawing that represents the verse “He’s got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,” the pictures portray children with different skin tones and from different ethnicities. These pages offer an excellent opportunity for parents and teachers to discuss multicultural families. Nelson does an incredible job of depicting the message of the spiritual, vividly portraying the different concepts of what God is holding in his hands, from the boy relishing a rain shower, to him and his father gazing at the moon and the stars, to a colorful representation of the family and the sea, finally to the picture of the earth as the whole world. These images offer readers clearly visual representations to accompany this timeless spiritual. 2005, Dial Books for Young Readers, Ages 4 to 8, $16.99. Reviewer: Henry Tindal (Children's Literature). Best Books: Best Children's Books of the Year, 2005; Bank Street College of Education; United States Booklist Book Review Stars, Oct. 1, 2005; United States Children's Books 2005: One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2005; New York Public Library; United States Kirkus Book Review Stars, August 1, 2005; United States School Library Journal Book Review Stars, September 2005; Cahners; United States Top 10 Religious Books for Youth, 2006; American Library Association-Booklist; United States ISBN: 0-8037-2850-6 Heaven's All-Star Jazz Band Don Carter    A little boy imagines his beloved Grandpa Jack enjoying every minute of a divine jam session in heaven, where jazz greats Dizzy, Monk, Bird, Mingus, Miles, Duke, Satchmo, Basie, and Blakey all join together to make the best jazz music ever, with Grandpa finally joining in to "sing and swing" on the spoons. Carter's foam-board art is delectably tactile; Grandpa and his jazz-playing partners dance off the page like colorful, animated, frosted cookie characters. The rhyming text sometimes soars: "Improvisation. Syncopation. Jubilation. Good for Grandpa's circulation;" "Grandpa Jack is hypnotized. Mesmerized. Rhapsodized." Sometimes, however, the rhyme is forced and the rhythm strained: "Green suspenders. Mustard slacks. Grandpa plays the spoons / While Blakey, on drums, backs;" "Grandpa Jack steps closer / To hear Miss Sarah and Ella sing. / But of all the voices heard,/ Lady Day he most preferred." Notes at the end of the text help young readers to identify all the jazz greats mentioned, but some references remain obscure--for example, the repeated refrain "Salt peanuts. Salt peanuts" is never explained as a line from a Dizzy Gillespie classic. Still, Carter has provided a hypnotizing, mesmerizing, and rhapsodizing fantasy--wouldn't this be the band to die for?--and has offered young readers a top-tapping, soulful introduction to the wonderful world of jazz. 2002, Knopf, $15.95. Ages All. Reviewer: Claudia Mills (Children's Literature) Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2003 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States ISBN: 0-375-81571-6 ISBN: 0-375-91571-0 The History of Jazz Stuart A. Kallen    This title joins other "Music Library" series books that discuss the instruments, rock and roll, classical music, and country music. They are well organized, easy to use, and interesting to read. Chapters are filled with interesting sidebars, photographs, and illustrations. The History of Jazz is organized into six chapters titled "The Roots of Jazz"; "The Swingin' Jazz Age"; "Dancing to Swing"; "The Birth of Bebop"; "The Cool, the Hard, and the Free"; and finally "Fusion and Beyond." Beginning in 1800s New Orleans, ragtime music slowly evolved into "jass" or jazz, and musicians made their way north to the jazz hotspots of Chicago and New York City. Many key jazz musicians are given brief biographical synopses: Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Count Basie, Miles Davis, and others. Lesser-known musicians such as Lil Armstrong are also included. Overall, this fast-paced, chronological look at the jazz movement is a pleasure to read. It is packed with musical facts as well as details about the socio-political climate in the United States from the end of slavery forward. The racial politics of Harlem's Cotton Club, Charlie Parker's heroin addiction, and jazz's influence on the beat poets are some of the nuggets of information found within. Packed with interesting facts, these books are not simply about instruments or style. They also give a glimpse into the cultural significance and impact that music has around the world and over time. Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12. 2003, Lucent, 112p. PLB $27.45. Ages 11 to 18. Reviewer: Stacy Dillon (VOYA, October 2003 (Vol. 26, No. 4)) ISBN:1590181255 I See the Rhythm Toyomi Igus Paintings by Michele Wood    Igus begins with early African rhythms and circles back as a singer raps: "Africa's inside me/ taking back her child./ she's giving me my pride/ and setting me free." The reader is led through a history of African-American music. Each luscious page is a collage of poetry, history and visual images which form a tribute to the ingenuity and spirit of a people captured in their music. In "Origins," Igus' poetry describes the griots' stories as "the rhythm of our beginnings...the pulse of a people and a land in harmony." Woods accompanies with collages of masks and patters that praise a past and bear witness to the sorrow of the coming of slave traders. The artists' duet leads readers through fourteen different periods of musical evolution. 1998, Children's Book Press, $15.95. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Susie Wilde (Children's Literature) I See the Rhythm Toyomi Igus Paintings by Michele Wood    This beautifully painted picture book is a quite sophisticated look at African American history and music over the past 500 years. The paintings depict musical scenes from slave times up to present day rap artists. The paintings are captioned with chronological historical events such as the first slave capture in the 1500s, and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The text is a poetic rendering of the musical history of African Americans including slave songs, blues, ragtime, jazz, swing, bebop, gospel, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, funk and rap/hip hop. Historical information about various artists is given along with excerpts from songs. A wonderful resource for the study of the history of African American music. 1998, Children's Book Press, $15.95. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Cheryl Peterson (Children's Literature) I See the Rhythm Toyomi Igus Paintings by Michele Wood    From the slave songs to the blues, to ragtime, jazz beginnings, be-bop, gospel, rhythm and blues, rock 'n roll, funk and hip hop, each form is presented in exciting paintings with poetic text. "I see the rhythm of big band jazz...The finger poppin' jazz of Fletcher Henderson, the foot-stompin' rhythms of Louis Armstrong, the toe-tappin' genius of Duke Ellington...make us wanna boogie-woogie all night long." Each page is graced with informational bits about each of the musical names and political events of the period. The book must be combined with the music of the era from the songs of slavery, "Let my people go!" to the cool jazz of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and your own favorites. 1998, Children's Book Press, $15.95. Ages 9 up. Reviewer: Jan Lieberman (Children's Literature) Best Books: Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K--Grade 6, 12th Edition, 1999 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States Capitol Choices, 1998 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States The Children's Literature Choice List, 1999 ; Children's Literature; United States Los Angeles' 100 Best Books, 1998 ; IRA Children's Literature and Reading SIG and the Los Angeles Unified School District; United States Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Notable Books for Children, 1999 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 1998 ; Cahners; United States Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002 ; California Department of Education; California School Library Journal Book Review Stars, June 1998 ; Cahners; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Coretta Scott King Awards Winner 1999 Illustrator United States Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor Book 1999 Picture Book United States Skipping Stones Book Awards 1999 Multicultural and International United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: Texas Bluebonnet Award, 2000-2001 ; Nominee; Texas ISBN: 0-8923-9151-0 If I Only Had Horn: Young Louis Armstrong Roxanne Orgill illustrated by Leonard Jenkins    As a poor child in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong dreamed of owning a horn and making wonderful music that would provide financial support for his family. His inspiration was Joe "King" Oliver, a cornet player in a nearby jazz club. While enjoying the music and festivities of the New Year's Eve celebration, young Louis fired shots into the air from a gun he had found in his mother's trunk. He was arrested and sent to the Colored Waifs' Home where he missed the jazz heard in his old neighborhood. One day he heard a band playing, and he told the band teacher he wanted to join. Mr. Davis told him there was no need for any new players. After his chores, Louis would go and listen to the band practicing and soon learned every part. At long last, at dinner one evening, Mr. Davis asked Louis if he would like to join the band. Louis was ecstatic! The rest, as they say, is history. You will want to listen to a Louis Armstrong recording as you read this picture book biography. Orgill has drawn on autobiographies, biographies, and Armstrong's unpublished writings to compose this fluid account of Armstrong's first horn. The childhood of this influential and personable musician is captured in both the text and the acrylic and pastel illustrations. 1997, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature) Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 1999 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Third Edition, 2001 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 1998 ; National Council for the Social Studies NCSS; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, July 1997 ; Cahners; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award Winner 1998 Non-Fiction United States ISBN: 0-395-75919-6 Jazz: My Music, My People Morgan Monceaux Foreword by Wynton Marsalis    Older readers and adult jazz fans will be delighted by Monceaux's vivid word and visual jazz portraits. The Louisiana-born painter was raised by a blues-singing mother who made music a place of sanity and stability that he could return to in times of need. It makes total sense that he writes these biographies from a very personal perspective, infusing the forty portraits with an emotional richness that is a tribute to jazz, its history and the people who added to its power. 1994, Knopf, $18.00. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Susie Wilde (Children's Literature) Jazz: My Music, My People Morgan Monceaux Foreword by Wynton Marsalis    Mr. Monceaux, the son of a jazz singer, has lovingly researched the careers and painted portraits of the "great [musical] rule breakers of our time," Louie Armstrong, Pearl Bailey, Art Tatum, Sarah Vaughn, the Modern Jazz Quartet...more than 50 singers and instrumentalists. His own recollections of many of them make this a warm, personal tribute to African-American music and musicianship. 1994, Knopf, $18.00. Ages 8 to 14.Beverly Kobrin (Children's Literature) Best Books: Notable Books for Children, 1994 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, September 1994 ; Cahners; United States Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 1995 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States ISBN: 0-679-85618-8 Jazz: the Great American Art Gene Seymour    This review was written and published to address two books about the African American experience--This House on Fire; the Story of the Blues, and Jazz; the Great American Art. These two concise but surprisingly comprehensive books are excellent introductions to the history and significance of jazz and blues music. While neither author contributes any valuable new insights, each does an admirable job of providing the essential information needed by educated listeners. Awmiller follows the development of the blues from its roots in the griot tradition of West Africa, spirituals, and work songs to the rise of such seminal figures as Charley Patton, Bessie Smith, and Muddy Waters and on through the contribution of Eric Clapton and other figures on the blues scene today. Along the way, he clearly examines the structure of the music and its meaning to those who create and listen to it. In a similar way, Seymour traces the evolution of jazz from its roots in ragtime and the blues through the changes it underwent in New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York. The reader is introduced to such musical giants as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and many, many others who left their own distinctive mark on the music; indeed, the jazz novice may be somewhat overwhelmed by all the names and dates that have been packed into this small but thorough account of jazz history. Both books include familiar photos of some of the major players as well as lists of recommended reading and listening. For providing a basic introduction to these two related musical forms, which are the foundation for most of the popular music of the 20th century, these two small books are hard to beat. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 1995, Grolier, Franklin Watts. 176p. illus. discog. bibliog. index. 23cm. 95-4693, $8.00. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Jeffrey Cooper (KLIATT Review, March 1997 (Vol. 31, No. 2)) ISBN: 0-531-15793-8 Jazz Baby Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Laura Freeman    Jazz baby, jazz baby, hippity hop. Bounce and boogie, bebop-de-bop." Readers of all ages are sure to tap their toes when they follow a group of toddlers as they move and play, hum and drum, snap and sing to the rhythms of jazz. The use of repeated language patterns allows young listeners to anticipate and predict the text, thus increasing their confidence in understanding how words are put together to make meaning. The illustrations, computer-generated digital renderings designed to replicate the look of pastel chalks, are colorful and vibrant. The images reveal lively youngsters of various genders and ethic backgrounds playing instruments, dancing, and singing individually and in groups. These children are having such a wonderful time that readers will likely wish to join in the fun. The final page, in image and word, creates a soothing end to a high-spirited tale. "Jazz baby, jazz baby, hum a song. Let it rock you all night long." Highly recommended for teachers and caregivers who wish to expose children to playful language and model the potential joy found in music. 2002, Lee & Low Books, $11.95. Ages 3 mo. to 5. Reviewer: Wendy Glenn (Children's Literature) ISBN: 1-5843-0039-6 The Jazzy Alphabet Sherry Shahan illustrated by Mary Thelen    The rhythmic sounds of a lively text combine with a riot of color in semi-abstract forms to present a truly jazzy alphabet. Each letter is presented in animated language that bebops and hiphops around and through broad and brilliantly hued shapes. A harmonica-playing boy who appears on each page witnesses the dynamic objects. Finding him is one of several games that the book could jump-start. Readers are encouraged to continue to identify additional objects that appear on each page even though several of them are listed early on (where the boy, seen again later, is introduced as he leans against letters while playing his harmonica). Letters are highlighted in a contrasting color wherever they appear in words, such as in "E eases into evening, tweedlin' a sweet reed./Fat cat shuffles to a fine funky beat." While not for the youngest child, this sophisticated, lively, musical alphabet book demands to be shared aloud. 2002, Philomel/Penguin Putnam, $15.99. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewer: Maria Salvadore (Children's Literature) Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003; H.W. Wilson; United States ISBN:0399234535 Jimi Hendrix   Dale Evva Gelfand    Jimi Hendrix is thought to be one of the most influential electric guitarists in rock music - an testimony to the extraordinary talent and determination of a boy born to a poor and - at best - dysfunctional family. From the Black Americans of Achievement Legacy Edition series, this book takes an informative look at the man whom Rolling Stone named as “The Greatest Guitarist of All Time.” The volume traces Hendrix’s rag-to-riches story from his chaotic boyhood in Seattle through his struggles to achieve success and worldwide fame to his untimely death at the age of 27. This edition includes new full-color photographs as well as frequent sidebars with additional information on the life and times of Jimi Hendrix. At the end of the volume, readers will find a discography (including DVDs), a chronology, a list of books and websites for further reading and an extensive index. 2006, Chelsea House, 13up, $30.00. Reviewer: Anita Barnes Lowen (Children’s Literature). ISBN: 0-7910-9214-3 ISBN: 978-0-791-09214-9 John Coltrane: A Sound Supreme John Selfridge Introduction by Branford Marsalis    This title chronicles the life of jazz legend and visionary John Coltrane, from his humble roots as the son of a tailor in Hamlet, North Carolina, to his ascension to worldwide artistic and popular acclaim, to his untimely death from liver cancer in 1967 at forty-one years of age. Selfridge explores Coltrane's obsessive practice regimen on the saxophone; his musical associations with jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Thelonius Monk; and his development as a composer, musician, and artist. Coltrane's family life, his fall into alcoholism and heroin addiction, his giant steps to conquer his addictions, and his spiritual and religious growth are also covered. With its beautiful cover painting of Coltrane and many photographs, this handsome volume gives a sound general overview of this important artist's life. The further information section includes books, videos, and Web sites. The title's only shortcoming is that it is sometimes too general. A more in-depth discussion of pre-Coltrane jazz would give readers a greater understanding of and appreciation for why Coltrane and his music were so innovative and groundbreaking. The book also would have benefited from a glossary of important jazz terms and a list of names from the jazz world. Librarians seeking titles on jazz or famous African Americans should consider this title a beneficial addition to their collections. Index. Photos. Further Reading. Time Line. Discography. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 1999, Franklin Watts, 96p, $24. Ages 12 to 15. Reviewer: William S. Simms (VOYA, August 2000 (Vol. 23, No. 3)) Best Books: Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Senior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Fifteenth Edition, 2000 ; H.W. Wilson; United States ISBN: 0-5311-1542-9 ISBN: 0-5311-6408-X John Coltrane: Jazz Revolutionary Rachel Stiffler Barron    One of the most creative and respected jazz artists of the twentieth century, Coltrane spent innumerable hours practicing to perfect his art on the tenor, alto and soprano saxophones and achieving such complex musical forms that critics both adored and detested him. John was born into a religious High Point, North Carolina, family in 1926 and began playing horn while he was in high school. He moved to Philadelphia, was drafted into the army and attended music school on the G.I. Bill. He began his real career in 1949 with Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra, playing jazz and bebop and also worked with Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. Constantly innovating his style, he became a popular recording artist, bandleader and composer, who influenced later performers such as Eric Clapton, The Who, and U2. Sadly, along with many musicians of the era, Coltrane was a heavy drinker and eater and a heroin addict. Ultimately, his liver was so damaged that he died at the age of forty. The biography is clearly written, straightforward and understanding. It includes black-and-white photographs, discography, bibliography, source notes, web sites and an index. It is part of the "Masters of Music" series. 2002, Morgan Reynolds, $20.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Patricia Dole (Children's Literature) ISBN: 1-8838-4657-9 John Coltrane's Giant Steps Remixed by Chris Raschka    Once again, as in Charlie Parker Played Be Bop and Mysterious Thelonius, Raschka makes connections between music, in this case jazz, and visuals on the pages of a book. The transparent plastic jacket with his almost crude linear black kitten covers the cover's overlapping areas of transparent watercolors. The book plays with these elements in response to some imagined "sheets of sound." The text encourages us to "see" a Coltrane composition as colored shapes intermix and the kitten moves across the pages. "Steady! 1234! Hey. Whoa! Careful!" There's even an internal analysis of "some trouble spots" and then the correction. To "dig" this picturebook, one probably should be familiar with the sounds of Coltrane or at least of some of his jazz contemporaries. Or perhaps to try to compose some of your own. Some information on Coltrane is included. 2002, A Richard Jackson Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, $17.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz (Children's Literature) John Coltrane's Giant Steps Remixed by Chris Raschka    Branford Marsalis say that "Jazz is not for kids" but Chris Raschka has attempted a metaphorical explanation of how John Coltrane's jazz compositions work in the ear and mind of the listener. Whether the book's target audience gets it depends on their experience with music. Raindrops supply the tempo, and a box supplies the bass or base. They are represented by a drop shape and a pleasantly rounded rectangular shape. Add a snowflake as the piano harmony, represented by triangles that overlay the other shapes, and add a kitten taking giant steps across the page. That's melody. But once the music starts, as the pictures indicate, too much is going on chaotically. In the voice of a friendly conductor, the text tells us to stop and take a look at what has happened. The text, which has previously appeared as a line or two on the page, then lengthens to blocks of directions to each participant, and suggests what to change in order to be more like Coltrane's music. Visually, the chaos of color and shape and cat become more orderly before taking a bow. Even the transparent jacket with the black line melody cat floating on top of the book cover with the other three elements as background is a metaphor for the music. Whether you think this is subtle, obvious or opaque depends on whether you "see" music--a concept many children will simply accept as they are used to dreaming along inside a tune. Raschka's simple paintings underlie a complex but simple idea--that music has order and a certain sympathetic resonance with the order found in visual art. While the oversize format and artwork suggest a young audience, it is just the sort of picture book that older children would find fascinating, especially if they are students of music themselves. 2002, Richard Jackson/Atheneum, $17.00. Ages 4 up. Reviewer: Susan Hepler (Children's Literature) John Coltrane's Giant Steps Remixed by Chris Raschka     Kwanzaa recognizes seven important principles, including kuumba or creativity. One book that celebrates creativity is Chris Raschka's innovative John Coltrane's Giant Steps. The book is both a tribute to jazz master Coltrane and an adaptation of his style to the picture book form. Raschka briefly introduces Coltrane's signature "sheets of sound" and then asks characters--a kitten, raindrop, snowflake, and box--to demonstrate the sound visually. Especially delightful is Raschka's analysis of what went wrong on one double-page spread and his kindly directions on how to better play the music. Play (in all its meanings) is the emphasis, indeed, in this 32-page virtuoso performance. Why not go for a doubly fun experience by pairing the book with a Coltrane CD? 2002, Atheneum/Simon and Schuster, $17.00. Ages 4 up. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature) Best Books: Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 2002 ; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Choices, 2003 ; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, June 24, 2002 ; Cahners; United States ISBN: 0-689-84598-7 The Life and Times of Duke Ellington John Bankston    This title is part of the "Masters of Music, The World's Greatest Composers" series which combines biography, musical knowledge, events and other people of the times in text which appeals to average readers in middle school, but is useful for high school students as well. Opening with the moment Edgar Ellington knew he wanted to play swing piano, the book chronicles his rise to fame, a brief plummet in popularity during the Sinatra and Elvis years, and his rise again. The story is set against the racial tenor of the times and two of the five historical sidebars reflect this with notes on the Summer of Fear in 1919 and on Langston Hughes. The others concern Polio vaccine, the rise of radio and records, and the phenomenon of swing. A chronology, further reading, a bibliography of books for young adults, numerous websites both on the man and on the times, a list of selected works by Ellington, chapter notes with sources for quotes, reference works consulted, and an index are included. While the reading level is listed at upper elementary level, the text assumes knowledge of some specialized vocabulary and a working knowledge of history to help set some of the events in the context which the book tries to provide. 2005, Mitchell Lane Publishers, $19.95. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewer: Susan Hepler, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1584152486 Lookin' for Bird in the Big City Robert Burleigh Illustrated by Marek Los    The jazz trumpeter Miles Davis actually did go to New York City as a teenager, searching for the legendary Charlie "Bird" Parker. Together, they worked on the new bebop style of jazz. Here Burleigh has young Davis describe his exploration of the city, its skyline, streets, bridges, subways, ferries and clubs until he finally finds Parker and they play satisfyingly together and solo. The spare text has a staccato rhythm punctuated by the sounds, the "Zippa-wee-da," "Dop-dop, skitteree," Upadee" of jazz, as it tells a story of how it may have been. Illustrator Los' double page paintings are more like tone poems than guide book photos of the city. The misty gray of the harbor, the hazy skyline, the electric dull pinks of the jazz club lined street--all are saturated with the emotions of Davis's search and the final duet, in this introduction to a piece of jazz history. 2001, Silver Whistle/Harcourt, $16.00. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature) Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 2001 ; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: Georgia Children's Picture Story Book Award, 2003-2004 ; Nominee; Georgia ISBN: 0-15-202031-4 Louis Armstrong: Jazz Legend   Elizabeth Raum    This biography is included in the series called “Fact Finders Biographies.” Designed to help underachievers in reading gain information about great African Americans, the text contains large print, has a controlled vocabulary, and uses short, direct sentences. The black-and-white and full-color photographs are captioned with concise information about Louis Armstrong’s life. Growing up in New Orleans, Louis lived with his teenaged mother and sister until he was twelve years old. A turn of events led Armstrong to the Colored Waif’s Home, a reformatory for boys who had gotten into trouble. Although he loved music at a young age and actually bought a used brass cornet from a pawnshop, the brass band at the boys’ home turned out to be a good thing for Louis Armstrong and American music. King Oliver gave Louis his first big break with the Kid Ory Band. Later King Oliver brought Armstrong to Chicago to join his Creole Jazz Band. In 1925 he began making records with his own band. Armstrong’s fame was worldwide. He made movies and had his own radio show. Although Louis died of a heart attack in 1971, he left a legacy of music. “Fast Facts,” a time line that parallels U.S. History, a “Glossary,” and “Internet Sites” sections make this a noteworthy addition to elementary classrooms. This series of biographies will be a valuable resource for below-level readers who are trying to do research on famous historical figures. 2006, Capstone Press, Ages 8 to 12, $22.60. Reviewer: Ann Sanger. ISBN: 0-7368-6419-9 ISBN: 978-0-7368-6419-0 Louis Armstrong: Jazz Musician Patricia and Fredrick McKissack    Readers are introduced to the life and times of this jazz great in a brief but informative biography. Armstrong was born in 1901 in Storyville, Louisiana, a poor and tough section of New Orleans where one could hear a new kind of music called jazz. Louis was captivated by it. He was sent to reform school, which he said, "saved my life." The bands he played with, how he got his nickname, and how he developed his own particular sound are discussed. The large type and short sentences will appeal to reluctant readers. This revised edition (original published in 1991) is part of the "Great African Americans" series, and has several changes from the first edition, such as a correction in the spelling of Louis' mother's name and a refinement of the New Year's eve gun incident. Black-and-white photographs replace the drawings in the first edition. Unfortunately, several are quite blurry where an attempt was made to enlarge the picture. A timeline has been added as well as a three-book bibliography, a reference to the Ken Burns Jazz Collection, and three Internet addresses. If you have the previous edition, replace it with this one. 2001 (orig. 1991), Enslow, $14.95. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature) ISBN: 0-7660-1675-7 Mysterious Thelonious Chris Raschka    Whether or not you know anything about jazz, this tribute to Thelonious Monk will bring pleasure. Raschka has presented a combination of color and text to give kids a "feel" for the music. The syllables dance across the pages like the notes on sheet music. You can hear and see the rise and fall of the music and the repetition and variations that constitute jazz. Interspersed are amusing watercolor images of Monk and his piano. The presentation is intriguing enough that kids may want to sample Monk's music, especially "Misterioso," the inspiration for the book. 1997, Orchard, $13.95 and $14.99. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature) Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Fanfare Honor List, 1997 ; Horn Book; United States Not Just for Children Any More, 1998 ; Children's Book Council; United States Not Just for Children Any More, 1999 ; Children's Book Council; United States Notable Books for Children, 1998 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States School Library Journal Book Review Stars, September 1997 ; Cahners; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year Winner 1997 United States ISBN: 0-531-30057-9 ISBN: 0-531-33057-5 O Holy Night: Christmas with The Boys Choir of Harlem Faith Ringgold    This elegant, gold-clad salute to the season is introduced by the Christmas story as told in Luke 2:1-20 of the King James Bible. The text consists of the verses of five traditional Christmas carols, which are sung on the accompanying CD by the choir. The story as such begins on the front end-pages, which depict a hilly landscape with the Holy Couple on donkey approaching an open barn. On the back spread they are leaving with the Child. "Silent Night" is a depiction of the adoration of the kings; it is sung in a contemporary, improvised manner--almost unrecognizable--with a heavy beat. "O Come All Ye Faithful" adds the shepherds, etc. and is sung in a more traditional fashion mainly by the entire choir. For "O Holy Night" angels begin to appear. The song is sung by both the choir and individual voices with an underlying beat that builds to a spiritual end. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" has the angels surrounding Mother and Child as they sing "glory to the newborn King"--the recording is a traditional choral version. Finally, "Joy to the World" presents an older Child with golden halo and a white star's beams shining on Him and his parents; the recording ends with a triumphant chorus. Ringgold's style of painting emphasizes solid forms, patterned garments, black outlines, and placement of figures of different races against solid-colored backgrounds, creating an atmosphere of humanistic reverence with a spiritual content that enhances the familiar verses. 2004, Amistad/ HarperCollins Publishers, $19.89. Ages all. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).    The Boys Choir of Harlem, a renowned performing arts and educational institution with two hundred fifty members, has for over thirty-five years entertained and inspired us with their music. Now the music of these youngsters takes on a new dimension with this coffee table book and accompanying CD. The Christmas story from the book of Luke is quoted here, as are the words to five of our most familiar Christmas carols. The illustrations keep the reader mindful of the young boys who make up this choir and participate in this performance. On the accompanying CD they sing five of our most beloved Christmas carols, including "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World." 2004, HarperCollins, $18.99. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Joyce Rice (Children's Literature). Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2005; H. W. Wilson; United States Choices, 2005; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States Kirkus Book Review Stars, November 1, 2004; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Parent's Choice Award Gold 2004 Picture Books United States ISBN: 0-06-000979-9 ISBN: 978-0-06-000979-3 The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint-George   Hugh Brewster Illustrated by Eric Velasquez    Joseph was born in 1745 on Christmas Day in Guadeloupe in the West Indies. His father was Georges de Bologne-Saint-George, a wealthy plantation owner. Nanon, his mother, was a slave. Young Joseph lived in the slave quarters, but his father was fond of him and wanted him to be educated as a gentleman. He learned to read and write, to ride and shoot, and to play the violin. When Joseph was eight years old, his father sold his estate and moved to France. He took Nanon and Joseph with him, having signed the necessary papers to grant their freedom. As an official in the king’s court, Georges was able to create a title for his son: Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George (the equivalent of a knight in England). Joseph continued his education in the best schools. He became accomplished in riding, running, shooting, fencing, dancing, and music. He was a favorite of the ladies at dances and social gatherings, but he never married. Joseph was especially skilled in fencing and participated in several famous duels. His true calling, however, was music. He became the first violinist of the largest orchestra in Paris and, then, became the orchestra’s conductor at the age of twenty-four. He began composing his own operas, which were performed before kings, queens, and other dignitaries. He was imprisoned during the French Revolution and was later sent as an envoy to the island of his birth (then renamed Haiti) where he narrowly escaped being killed. He returned to Paris and lived a quiet life until he died at the age of sixty. His music was rediscovered in recent years and lives on as a tribute to this remarkable man. Research aids include an author’s note, a bibliography, a list of recommended discs, and a glossary. 2007, Abrams Books for Young Readers, Ages 8 to 12, $18.95. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-8109-5720-5 ISBN: 978-0-8109-5720-6 The Red-Hot Rattoons Elizabeth Winthrop    Five orphaned rats leave their cozy, sheltered barnyard in search of tap-dancing fame and fortune in Rat Hollow, an entire elaborate rat city situated beneath the sidewalks of New York. But when they arrive in Rat Hollow, they discover to their dismay that the legendary Boom Boom Room, where their parents once performed as jazz sensations, has closed; in desperation, they take their act to the forbidden human world above ground, where rats are persecuted as filthy vermin--even rats dressed up in tuxedos and top hats, able to execute a dazzling "Shuffle Off to Buffalo." Winthrop, in her first middle-grade fantasy novel since her phenomenally popular Castle in the Attic series, creates a completely convincing rat incarnation of the Golden Age of the New York City jazz scene. Her plucky young rats face suspensefully drawn dangers aplenty from yappy dogs, bewildered museum guards, and an armed battalion of Designated Forager rats. It's toe-tapping, rollicking fun to watch the Rattoons succeed beyond their wildest stagestruck dreams--and also sobering to ponder the extent of human prejudice against this one particular species. Young rat Winthrop wonders bitterly why there are no rats portrayed in the masterpieces of the human art museum, and the reader will begin wondering why, as well. The satisfying story ends with the hopeful thought that humans can change, "one by one. If you show them reasons to see things differently." 2003, Henry Holt, $15.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Claudia Mills (Children's Literature) The Red-Hot Rattoons Elizabeth Winthrop    This humorous book is a wonderful example of the power of personification! It is the story of five rats and their adventures as they leave the country and try to become famous dancers in the city. The four brothers and one sister have the same conflicts and love for each other that normal siblings have. They really take on human characteristics as the author describes their personalities and their love of dancing. Their encounters with predators and mean humans add a delightful bit of suspense and fear. This is a great book to own! Fiction, Highly Recommended. Grades 4-5. 2003, Holt, 212p., $15.95. Ages 9 to 11. Reviewer: Sharon Dollins (Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 16, No. 2)) ISBN:0805072292 Rent Party Jazz William Miller Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb    This is not only a moving story of Depression times in New Orleans, but William Miller shows his audience a very real picture of African-American difficulties during this dark time and looks at a particular solution to the lack of money. Children today will be amazed that the mother in the story "packed fancy little fish, earning a penny for each can she filled," a job she lost. Riley-Webb's engaging acrylic paintings are particularly well done and focus on the story as told on each page, which will be appealing to all ages. Most children reading this story will not be familiar with rent parties but can relate to how charities grew out of this practice. Many will know about the traditional music of New Orleans and will enjoy knowing jazz was a very important part of the city even back during these historic times. Historical novels are an excellent way to help teach history, and upper elementary and middle school students will profit from reading this book and can choose different directions to explore that come directly from the story. Those interested in geography and culture will enjoy reading further about the French Quarter where the story takes place; others will want to explore the origins of jazz and how important New Orleans was to that development; and the whole idea of rent parties as a way to help out neighbors will lead others to how social services began. Miller's Afterword will give them a head start on further study. This is a wonderful book that I enthusiastically recommend. Fiction, Highly Recommended. 2001, Lee & Low Books, Unpaged, $16.95. Grades 1-5. Reviewer: Nancy Anderson (Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 14, No. 3)) Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2002 ; National Council for the Social Studies NCSS; United States ISBN: 1-5843-0025-6 Romare Bearden : Collage of Memories Jan Greenberg    In this handsome, oversized book, kids and adults, too, can learn about the life and work of one of the great African-American artists of the twentieth century. Romare Bearden created scenes from his childhood often using painted paper, scraps of fabric and other materials to create large collages. There is a fabulous photograph of Romare and his family, and unlike the hero of his book Li'l Dan, Romare grew up in a life of privilege and was able to satisfy his natural curiosity through books and the people around him. Many of these memories he turned into art, and the reproductions fill the pages of Greenberg's book. Life in the South was not as free as his family liked so they, like many African-Americans, migrated north and ended up in Harlem. But Romare moved back and forth from the big city to the county as he visited relatives in Charlotte and Lutherville. The kindness of Romare and his family comes out in their rescue of a frail young lad named Eugene who lived in a seedy boarding house. Farwell Eugene is a collage commemorating their friendship and Eugene's death. Kids will learn that Romare was talented and good at most everything he tried--sports, school and art, and his career as a social worker and song writer, but it was art that he loved. When he married Nanette Rohan she convinced him to return to art. He developed his own unique style of photomontages and created a new series entitled Projections. Now he had found his style. Greenberg also points out how important jazz was to Romare and how it influenced his art (and interestingly, with the Marsalis Quintet CD, how it has come full circle with his art now serving as the basis for jazz numbers). It is heartening to learn how he was finally recognized as a great artist and also how he spent much of his time encouraging younger African American artists. "He helped fund the Cinque Gallery in New York City to showcase their work." The book concludes with a look at the works created while he lived in St. Martin; again a whole new look to his work. The closing pages provide readers with a look at Romare at work in his studio, an Author's Note, a timeline, a bibliography, a text note, a glossary and a list of places where one can view his artwork. For the casual reader, the story of Romare Bearden will be a delight and for African-American kids, it offers another wonderful and perhaps unknown role model. For any serious art student this book is a must. 2003, Abrams, $17.95. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature) Best Books: Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, August 25, 2003; Cahners; United States Top 10 Art Books for Youth, 2003; American Library Association-Booklist; United States ISBN:0810945894 Saxophone Sam and His Snazzy Jazz Band Christine M. Schneider    It is a dreary day when Drew and his sister Sue hear the faint sounds of Saxophone Sam and his jamming band. The brother-sister duo search their home in an effort to locate the source of the upbeat "doo wop wop" sounds. As the snazzy jazz music grows louder, the illustrations of the jamming musicians get larger. Drew and Sue search the kitchen, bedroom, even the bath. As they get closer their image gets smaller and the "zig zug zug" performers and dancers begin to overtake the page. The vivid illustrations are just as upbeat as the story. As Drew and Sue get closer to discovering the source of the cheerful music the anticipation and curiosity builds. The text, which is entirely in rhyme, creates an element of suspense. This, combined with the vibrant illustrations, will certainly appeal to young readers. In addition, this book will introduce young readers to the by-gone era of big band music. 2002, Walker & Company, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Denise Daley (Children's Literature) ISBN: 0-8027-8809-2 ISBN: 0-8027-8810-6 Saxophones Sharon Sharth    "Music Makers," a series from The Child's World, includes volumes about individual instruments and four volumes on the string, percussion, woodwind, and brass sections. Presented in a large, almost square-shaped format, each book about a single instrument features a description of that instrument, a bit of its history, a discussion of its construction and sound, and something about how to play it. The pages of clear, simple text are accompanied by striking color photographs, showing close-ups of the instrument and often of the ethnic diversity of its players. Saxophones explains that this versatile woodwind instrument is made of metal but, like the oboe and the clarinet, contains a vibrating reed in its mouthpiece. In an accompanying photo, the technique of blowing is illustrated by a mustached player wearing his shades in the brilliant sun at the Chicago Blues Festival. An appealing sepia-toned portrait introduces the famous jazz saxophonist, Charlie Parker. Although brief, the information is enough to introduce young music lovers to an instrument of the orchestra and convey something of its place in the world of music. A short glossary, a related-instruments section, and an index add to the usefulness of the books in this attractive series. 2003, Child's World, $22.79. Ages 7 to 11. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft (Children's Literature) ISBN: 1-5676-6044-4 Shaky Bones: A Story of The Harlem Renaissance Pamela Dell    A twelve year old named Simon Brocade was given the nickname Shaky Bones because whenever he heard music he would sway and move to the music. Simon was fortunate. He lived in Harlem during a very interesting period. Talented African Americans, who were writers, actors, artists and musicians, came together in New York to form the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920's. New music forms, such as jazz and blues were born. Great musicians such as Duke Ellington, Eubie Blake and Ethel Waters thrived. Some of the night clubs mentioned, the Cotton Club and Smalls Paradise, are clubs where both my mother and I danced the night away during our youth. Poets and authors such as Langston Hughes, Jessie Fauset, and Zora Neale Hurston published books during this period. Many of the ideas of W.E.B. DuBois and James Weldon Johnson laid the foundation for the future Civil Rights Movement. Entwined through this is Simon Brocade's story. He was preparing to enter the All-School Young Poets competition. Jessie Fauset, editor of Brownies' book magazine, who published his first poem, had inspired him. A controversy arises about the poem's originality that he submits, but Simon is eventually proven to be the true author and he wins the contest. He was on his way to becoming a famous writer. The suggested activities are an interesting feature to this book. Suggestions include creative writing, e.g. continuing Shaky's story, discovering family history, exploring community history and scrapbooking. This is part of the "Scrapbooks of America Series." 2004, Tradition Publishing Co, $27.07. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Leila Toledo (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1-591870-40-2 ISBN: 978-1-591870-40-1 Shout, Sister, Shout!: Ten Girl Singers Who Shaped a Century Roxane Orgill    The author, who has been a music critic for more than twenty years, has selected ten "girl singers" as representative of the music of the twentieth century. Sophie Tucker, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ethel Merman, Judy Garland, Anita O'Day, Joan Baez, Bette Midler, Madonna and Lucinda Williams are those chosen and, along with their profiles, the reader is given interesting background about the decades in which their music was popular. Each chapter of the book covers a decade and includes sidebars, some titled "What's New?" and gives information about the innovations in popular music and the entertainment business. One might quibble about some of the selections, but even the author found the choices difficult and left out many of her own personal favorites. In fact, the title is derived from a song sung by the Boswell Sisters, a singing trio from the 1920s and 1930s, but they were not chosen to represent either one of those decades. The stories about the stars are fascinating, not only in the biographical detail, but because the popular music scene reflects the times. 2001, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, $18.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature) Best Books: Best Books for Young Adults, 2002 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002 ; Bank Street College of Education; 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, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Parent's Guide to Children's Media, 2001 ; Parent's Guide to Children's Media, Inc.; United States Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States ISBN: 0-689-81991-9 Sky: A Novel in Three Sets and an Encore Roderick Townley    Fifteen-year-old Sky's passion is jazz piano; his widowed father believes that Sky should focus on the practical, like his own plumbing business ("People will always need toilets"), rather than "wasting your life with that crap." While painful father-son conflicts are an overly familiar staple of YA fiction (especially conflicts between creative, artistic sons and stodgy, dull fathers), Townley enriches his story by setting it against the backdrop of late 1950s New York City, where you can go to hear Count Basie play at Birdland (if you sneak in underage, of course), and alienated teens quote the Beat poetry of Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. As tensions between Sky and his father escalate to the breaking point (including a heart-wrenching scene when Quinn Schyuler gets rid of his son's beloved piano), and Sky encounters problems at his private high school as well, where the suave English teacher is sexually harassing Sky's friend (and crush), Suze Matheson, Sky finds himself involved in an improbable, but believable, emerging friendship with a blind, black jazz pianist, who serves as Sky's reluctant surrogate father. Musically inclined readers should welcome immersion in the well-developed world of 1950s jazz, and all readers will likely find themselves battling tears at the ultimate reconciliation between runaway Sky and his gruff, hostile, artificially sun-tanned, unmusical--but still loving--dad. 2004, Richard Jackson/Atheneum, $16.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Claudia Mills, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). Best Books: Best Books for Young Adults, 2005; American Library Association YALSA; United States Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004; Bank Street College of Education; United States Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005; H.W. Wilson; United States ISBN: 0-689-85712-8 ISBN: 9780-689-85712-6 Sweet Music in Harlem Debbie A. Taylor Illustrated by Frank Morrison    Inspired by a photo of jazz musicians posing in front of a brownstone in Harlem in 1958, this story is of a boy named C. J. who longs to be a jazz musician. He lives with his uncle who is well known in jazz circles as a virtuoso on trumpet. C. J. plays the clarinet and is practicing all the time so that one day he might be as good as his uncle. Highnote magazine is sending a photographer around for a photo of Uncle Click, but he can't find the hat he wants to wear in the picture. Off C. J. runs to some of his uncle's favorite haunts to see if he can find the errant hat. The hat never turns up, but other things that Click has lost pop up along the way. When the news spreads about a photographer coming from Highnote magazine, everyone ends up traipsing over to Uncle's so they can be in the picture, too. This book is a wonderful snapshot of a community of artists and friends who support one another as they pursue their dreams. Somehow the reader knows that C. J. may very well achieve his goals due to those around him who encourage him in aspiring to them. Taylor's prose is purposefully repetitive, yet never boring as C. J. goes from place to place looking for the hat. The warmth of the story is beautifully portrayed in Morrison's paintings. This is a wonderful multicultural story for parents and teachers to share with children of all races. 2004, Lee and Low Books, $16.95. Ages 1 to 5. Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D. (Children's Literature). Best Books: Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004; Bank Street College of Education; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2005; H. W. Wilson; United States Choices, 2005; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Children's Book Award Notable Book 2005 Primary/Fiction United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: Great Lakes Great Book Award, 2005-2006; Nominee; Grades 2-3; Michigan Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, 2007; Nominee; Grades 3-5; United States ISBN: 1-58430-165-1 ISBN: 978-1-58430-165-3 Trumpets Pamela K. Harris    Part of the "Music Makers" series for young readers, this volume features large, attractive photographs, very simple text and a collection of facts about trumpets. Each book in the series identifies the family to which its instrument belongs and tells a bit about its history, how the instrument is made and how it produces its sound. Photos of different varieties of the instrument from many countries around the world are an appealing feature of each volume. The text of Trumpets is enlivened by illustrations of jazz trumpeters (including Louis Armstrong), brass players in a marching band and an exotic Indian trumpet decked with red ribbons and spangles. The brightly colored photos in the entire series are generally well-chosen, clear and often striking. The information is minimal, but can serve as an introduction to the instrument for children who have heard it played and are curious to know more. A teacher would probably want to use this series with other books like Lloyd Moss's Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin! to convey more of the sound of the instruments and something of the joy of making music. Better would be to pair each with recordings, or best of all, to have live musicians visit the classroom as each book is used, both to provide music on that instrument and to answer questions that are sure to arise. Short glossaries and indices are provided. 2001, Child's World, $22.79. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft (Children's Literature) ISBN: 1-5676-6680-9 Uh huh!: the Story of Ray Charles John Duggleby    Author Duggleby’s biography of Ray Charles tells the story of a talented African-American musician and singer who, in spite of his blindness, loss of his brother and mother, and an addiction to heroin, became a popular and successful R&B singer. Author Duggleby gives a truthful and inspiring account of Charles troubles with drugs and his inability to stay faithful to one woman. He was married twice and had children, but he also fathered several children out of wedlock. But Duggleby also tells the reader that Charles had talent and never neglected his musical abilities, even when his personal life was spiraling downward. Charles was fifteen when his mother died. He dropped out of school and headed to Jacksonville, Florida where he stayed with friends. One year later he was hired to play with a band. He told them he was twenty-one. When the band broke up, Charles could not find work, so he moved to Tampa where he began to sing gospel and imitated the singer Nat King Cole. He then went to Seattle, Washington where he played piano and sang at different clubs. He became successful and began to earn more money. His first record came out when he was nineteen-years-old. His second one called “I Got a Woman” became a big R&B hit. “Georgia on My Mind” became his first number one pop hit. Even though he was experiencing success with his music, Charles turned to drugs and became addicted to heroin. Eventually, he managed to kick the habit. Charles went on to win twenty Grammy Awards, and shortly after his death in 2004, his last album Genius Loves Company reached number two on Billboard’s Top 100 album chart and became his best-selling record ever. Black and white and color photographs illustrate the book. Sidebars, a timeline, bibliography, sources and a website are also included. 2005, Morgan Reynolds Publishing, $24.95. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Della A. Yannuzzi (Children's Literature). Best Books: Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog 2006 Supplement to the Ninth Edition, 2006; H.W Wilson Company; United States Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2006 Supplement, 2006; H. W. Wilson Company; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Carter G. Woodson Book Awards Honor Book 2006 Secondary Level United States ISBN: 1-931798-65-6 ISBN: 978-1-931798-65-5 The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights Russell Freedman    Marian Anderson became a legend on Easter Sunday, 1939, when she sang at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. before a spellbound crowd of 75,000. The Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) had unwittingly provoked bolder demands for desegregation in the arts when they refused Anderson a concert in Constitution Hall because she was African-American. Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the D.A.R. in protest, and helped to arrange the venue for Anderson's groundbreaking "Freedom Concert." Born in a vibrant mixed immigrant neighborhood of Philadelphia, Anderson received funds from her church congregation allowing her to train with notable music coaches after being denied entry into music school on racial grounds. In 1939 she enthralled European audiences on her first foreign tour, performing 123 concerts in 15 countries. But America lagged far behind Europe in racial tolerance. Never intending to be a crusader, Anderson nonetheless soon became an international symbol of progress in the advancement of human rights due to her dignity and persistence. In the early 1950's she insisted that all of her concerts be fully integrated. This fascinating short biography incorporates numerous contemporary photographs and excerpts from Anderson's letters and interviews, giving a comprehensive view of the superlative singer's most productive years set in the context of the civil rights struggle. It is a moving and absorbing read for teens and adults as well as the target audience. Notes, bibliography, discography and index are included. Highly recommended for school and public libraries. 2004, Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Company, $18.00. Ages 9 up. Reviewer: Ann Philips (Children's Literature).    This beautiful biography is about one of the nation's greatest African American vocalist--Marian Anderson. Although she was from a poor family, Marian says she never felt poor or different from the other diverse individuals who lived in her neighborhood; the children played together every day just having fun and not thinking about differences. This biography contains photographs from all phases of her life and of people and incidents that played an important part in her success as both a singer and a person. Under the title of each chapter is a quotation made either by Marian or by an individual who was touched by her. In chapter seven, "Breaking Barriers," is the quotation that I believe explains Marian Anderson. "The essential point about wanting to appear in Constitution Hall was that I wanted to do so because I felt I had that right as an artist." Such an intelligent individual. Freedman has captured the person and the history. The reader wants to learn more. He thoughtfully included six pages of chapter notes and several pages of "Selected Discography." On the back cover of the book is a quote by Jessye Norman, an opera and concert singer, that is a perfect ending to a perfectly written biography. "She wore the glorious crown of her voice with the grace of an empress and changed the lives of many through the subtle force of her spirit and demeanor. If the planet Earth could sing, I think it would sound something like Marian Anderson." You must own this book. 2004, Houghton Mifflin, $18.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Kathie M. Josephs (Children's Literature). Best Books: Best Books for Young Adults, 2005; American Library Association YALSA; United States Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004; Bank Street College of Education; United States Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 2004; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States Capitol Choices, 2005; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2005; H. W. Wilson; United States The Children's Literature Choice List, 2005; Children's Literature; United States Choices, 2005; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States Fanfare Honor List, 2004; Horn Book; United States Kirkus Book Review Stars, April 1, 2004; United States Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005; H.W. Wilson; United States Nonfiction Honor List, 2004; VOYA; United States Notable Books for a Global Society, 2005; IRA Children's Literature and Reading SIG; United States Notable Children's Books, 2005; American Library Association ALSC; United States Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2005; National Council for the Social Studies; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, March 22, 2004; Cahners; United States School Library Journal Book Review Stars, July 2004; Cahners; United States School Library Journal: Best Books, 2004; Cahners; United States Teachers' Choices, 2005; International Reading Association; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Books of the Year Winner 2004 Ages 8 to 12 United States Carter G. Woodson Book Awards Winner 2005 Middle Level United States James Madison Book Award Honor Book 2005 United States Jefferson Cup Award Honor 2005 United States John Newbery Medal Honor 2005 United States Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Honor Book 2005 United States Parent's Choice Award Silver 2004 Non-Fiction United States Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Winner 2005 United States Society of School Librarians International Book Awards Honor Book 2004 Social Studies-Grades K-6 United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, 2006-2007; Nominee; Grades 4-6; United States Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 2005-2006; Nominee; Vermont Flicker Tale Children's Book Award, 2005-2006; Nominee; Upper Grades Non-Fiction; United States Garden State Teen Book Award, 2007; Nominee; Non Fiction Grades 6-12; New Jersey Wisconsin Battle of the Books, 2006; High School; Wisconsin ISBN: 0-618-15976-2 ISBN: 978-0-618-15976-5 Who Built the Ark? Illustrated by Rick Brown    This African-American spiritual probably originated in rural churches of the southern United States. It is a campfire favorite that has been recorded by many artists. The most familiar style for this song was the call and response. In other words, one person would sing the first phrase, and others would respond with the next phrase. The illustrations here are bound to catch the eye of every young reader, from the smallest child to the early elementary reader. The animals are drawn to appeal to the child in all of us, and the words of the song are interspersed throughout. The cover of this book is actually a thick acetate overlay that adds raindrops to the cover of the book. This is a beautiful gift book, even if the reader is unfamiliar with the song. The poetry of the song, accompanied by these beautiful pages, make this a book worth taking a second look at. This is a valuable addition to academic and public libraries as well. 2004, Sterling Publishing, $12.95 Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Joyce Rice (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1-4027-1792-X ISBN: 978-1-4027-1792-5 To stay up to date on new books on this topic, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here.