Book Reviews | Here Wee Read

Listen to My Latest Podcast Episode

Listen Here

Book Reviews

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

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

Review: American Desi by Jyoti Rajan Gopal

Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History by Schele Williams (A Book Review)

Eyes That Speak to the Stars by Joanna Jo (A Book Review)

Opal Lee and What it Means to Be Free (A Book Review)

Carla and the Christmas Cornbread: A Book Review

Notable Native People: A Book Review

Cover Reveal: Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady and Gracey Zhang

Brown Girls Reading: A Promised Land by Barack Obama A Joint Book Review with Charnaie Gordon & Nicole Blades

The Last Mirror on the Left by Lamar Giles (A Book Review)

All Because You Matter by Tami Charles & Bryan Collier (A Book Review)

hereweeread

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Handwritten thank-you notes are so rare to see these days since they have been replaced by texts, phone calls, tweets, and emails.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

Finding My Dance

Dance has always been a part of Ria Thundercloud’s path.

In her debut picture book, professional Indigenous dancer Ria Thundercloud tells the true story of her path to dance and how it helped her take pride in her Native American heritage.

At four years old, Ria Thundercloud was brought into the powwow circle, ready to dance in the special jingle dress her mother made for her. As she grew up, she danced with her brothers all over Indian country. Then Ria learned more styles--tap, jazz, ballet--but still loved the expressiveness of Indigenous dance. And despite feeling different as one of the only Native American kids in her school, she always knew she could turn to dance to cheer herself up.

A great read any time of the year. Recommended for ages 4-8 and up.

Have you read this one yet? 👇🏾

#findingmydance #indigenouspeoplesday #riathundercloud #indigenouspeoples @penguinworkshop