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Christmas

Black Santa Printable Coloring Sheet: 25 Reading & Writing Prompts to Prep for Santa

Lifestyle & Family

Digital Equity Matters: Comcast/Xfinity Affordable Connectivity Program for Families

Book Reviews

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander (A Book Review)

Blog

Ten Diverse Children’s Books with Geographical Terms in the Title

Never Forget: Children’s Books About 9/11

Virtual Book Tour: My Pet Feet by Josh Funk, illustrated by Billy Yong

Literary Road Trip: Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Authentically African

Winning Wednesday: All the Places We Call Home by Patrice Gopo

Cover Reveal: Lift Every Voice and Change: A Celebration of Black Leaders and the Words That Inspire Generations

Top Ten 2022 Multicultural Christmas & Other Holiday Book Releases I’m Excited to Read

Winning Wednesday: H is for Harlem by Dinah Johnson (A Book Giveaway!)

Basement Learning Space Makeover Before + After

Winning Wednesday: New Early Chapter Book Series Miles Lewis by Kelly Starling Lyons

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Diverse Picture Book Covers that Feel Like Summer

Review: American Desi by Jyoti Rajan Gopal

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By downloading my “Black Santa Coloring Printable“, you can take your child’s reading (and writing) bedtime routine to the next level AND countdown the days until Christmas! Plus, you can have some fun along the way filling up Santa’s beard and completing each task.

Shoutout to @illustratedmelanin for collaborating with me to bring you this FREE resource to use for the holidays. Download it now by clicking on the link in my bye-oh!

SAVE this post or SHARE it with a friend.

Let me know in the comments if you downloaded it and what you think. 👇🏾

#blacksanta #blacksantasmatter #blacksantabooks #blacksantaclaus #blacksanta🎅🏾 #blacksantaclaus

Sallie Bee Writes a Thank-You Note

Handwritten thank-you notes are so rare to see these days since they have been replaced by texts, phone calls, tweets, and emails.

I don’t know about you, but I love receiving handwritten notes in the mail. Especially ones written on beautiful stationery paper.

In this book, little Sallie Bee receives a surprise gift in the mail from her grandma. Initially, she wants to send a text message, but then decides to write a handwritten thank-you note instead.

The next day, Sallie hopes to get another package so she can write a second note. Nothing comes. But . . . she does get safely across the street on the way to school. Maybe that deserves a thank you! With each new day, Sallie discovers more and more reasons to feel grateful.

A great book to teach kids about gratitude and introducing them to the art of writing handwritten notes.

The back matter includes tips on how to write the perfect thank-you note!

Recommended for ages 4-8 and up.

When was the last time you wrote or received a handwritten thank-you note or letter? Are handwritten notes on their way to becoming an extinct form of correspondence and communication? 👇🏾#salliebeewritesathankyounote #thankyounotes #thankyounote #handwrittennotes #givingthanks #theartofwritingletters

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever The Courage to Dream

Introducing the picture book companion to the smash hit movie, Black Panther by @marvelstudios.

Have you seen Black Panther 2 yet? 👇🏾

Book written by Frederick Joseph @fredtjoseph, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith @nikkolas_smith. Published by @marvel. #blackpanthermovie #blackpanther2 #marvelstudios #marvelmovies #blackpantherwakandaforever #wakandaforever #thecouragetodream

Last year I dressed up as Amanda Gorman for Halloween. This year I’m channeling the G.O.A.T., Serena Williams @serenawilliams wearing a costume similar to the one she wore at her recent Grand Slam tennis match 🎾 at the U.S. Open. Final costume reveal coming soon!

Are you dressing up as a bookish character or author for Halloween too? 👇🏾#bookishhalloween #halloweencostumeideas #serenawilliams @realqaiqai

The Talk

Meet Jay. A fun-loving boy who enjoys hanging out with his friends, Grandma’s kisses, and being measured by his mother with pencil marks on the wall.

As Jay begins to grow up, his family members begin to worry about the day when others won’t see him as a cute young boy anymore. It’s time to sit him down to have “the talk” although Jay just wants to enjoy his childhood like other kids do.
 All Black and Brown kids get The Talk—the talk that could mean the difference between life and death in a racist world.

Told in an age-appropriate fashion, The Talk is a gently honest and sensitive starting point for this far-too-necessary conversation, for Black children, Brown children, and for ALL children. Because you can’t make change without knowing what needs changing.

Recommended for ages 4-8 and up. The Talk is available now wherever books are sold. Written by @authoraliciadwilliams, illustrated by @mukodiri. Published by @simonkids.

#thetalk #simonkids

Have you heard about the Federal Government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)? #ad This post is sponsored by Comcast but opinions are my own.

The Affordable Connectivity Program provides eligible households with a $30 monthly credit toward your Internet and mobile services ($75 per month on Tribal lands).

If you qualify for ACP, you could essentially receive high-speed Xfinity Internet for free, after the discount is applied. How cool is that?

Having a “connected home” which has access to high-speed Xfinity Internet is important for me and my family for work and personal use. My kids rely on it to do their homework, play games, and keep in touch with their friends. The Internet allows me to be more productive, collaborate remotely, and stay connected with the people who matter the most.  You can find out more about ACP by reading the post on my blog (temporarily linked in my bio).  SHARE this post to help spread the word to your loved ones and friends about this program. #xfinity #xfinitypartner #comcast #comcastpartner

On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison

Born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in Ohio, Toni Morrison grew up listening to her family tell myths, legends, and stories from the Bible. She loved hearing the music and power of the words. Toni also heard new stories from the students from other countries who went to her school. After an early childhood of soaking up tales from those around her, it was no surprise Toni grew into a voracious reader.

This is one of my favorite non-fiction picture book biographies I’ve read so far this year. Have you read this one yet? 👇🏾

I’d recommend this one for readers ages 8 - 12 and up because it is a little text heavy for the 4-8 year-old readers.

#onherwings #tonimorrison #jerdinenolen #tonimorrisonbooks #bookfacelicious #bookface #bookfacefriday #tonimorrisonbookclub #hereweereadbookface #hereweeread @simonkids #picturebookbiographies #picturebookoftheday #picturebookart #picturebookillustration #picturebooksforkids