Good Books Make a Difference

Congratulations, Walter Dean Myers! New Young People's Ambassador

2012-01-11T21:53:00.001-05:00

Just Us Books Congratulates Walter Dean Myers, New Ambassador of Young People's Literature!

HAPPY NEW YEAR from JUST US BOOKS!

2012-01-03T06:53:00.000-05:00

AFRO-BETS Quote for the Day

2012-01-03T06:46:00.003-05:00

Without children the world would come to an end.
—Swahili

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
from
JUST US BOOKS!

Happy Holidays from JUST US BOOKS

2011-11-26T12:39:00.012-05:00

GIVE THE GIFT OF BOOKS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

There is something magical about seeing a youngster curled up in a comfortable place,
engrossed in reading his or her favorite book. Excitement is evident on the youngster’s face. A world of wonder and imagination is opened.
Books not only entertain, but they educate and help youngsters better understand they world in which they live. Books give children and idea of just where they fit in that world. More significantly, books that explore and share our world’s cultural diversity help to promote inter
personal understanding and can be empowering and enlightening for all children.
This holiday season, why not give books to a child or to a group of children so the wonderful world of written words and images can be opened to them page-by-page and book-by-book!
Just Us Books, Inc. and its subsidiary imprint Marimba Books have assembled several packages of picture books for children ages 3 to 7. Package Number One contains five books available for only $25.00. Package Number Two contains ten books for just $50.00. If you are interested in purchasing this holiday special or would like more information, please call
(973) 672-7701 or visit the Just Us Books web site at http://justusbooks.com.

Getting Boys to Read 2011

2011-10-04T08:06:00.002-04:00

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-10-03T00:28:00.001-04:00

"A hard head makes for a soft behind."
—Traditional

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-29T06:26:00.001-04:00

"I'm three years older than the last time

I was here. That means I know ten times

as much as I did then." (Geeder)

—Virginia Hamilton, Zeely

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-26T04:01:00.005-04:00

"The measure of a man is in the lives he's touched."

—Earnie Banks

GET BOYS READING: A Recommended Reading List #1

2011-09-26T03:59:00.002-04:00

RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN BOYS

October, 2011

Ages 4-8

Barnes, Derrick and Boyd, Aaron, Low-down Bad-day Blues, NY, Scholastic, 2004

Daly, Nikki, The Boy on the Beach, NY, Bloomsbury, 2004

Ford, Bernette and Kindert, Jennifer, Hurry Up!, NY Scholastic, 2004

Grimes, Nikki and Lagarrigue, Jerome, My Man Blue, NY, Dial, 1999

Holman, Sandy and Kometiani, Lela, Grandpa, Is Everything Black Bad?, CA, Culture Co-op, 1998

Holt, Lenny and Ransome, James. How Many Stars in the Sky?, NY, Tambourine, 1991

Johnson, Angela and Mitchell, Rhonda, Daddy Calls Me Man, NY, Orchard, 1997

Smalls, Irene and Hays, Michael, Kevin and His Dad, NY, Little Brown, 1999

Strickland, Michael and Holliday, Keaf, Haircuts at Sleepy Sam’s, PA, Boyds Mill, 1998

Williams, Karen and Cooper, Floyd, A Beach Tail, PA, Boyds Mill, 2010

Ages 9-12

Barnes, Derrick, We Could Be Brothers, NY, Scholastic Press, 2010

Boyd, Candy D., Chevrolet Saturdays, NY, Simon & Schuster, 1993

Draper, Sharon, Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: The Buried Bones Mystery, NY Simon & Schuster, 2006

Grimes, Nikki, Dark Sons, NY Jump At The Sun, 2005

Hansen, Joyce, The Captive, NY, Scholstic, 1994

Lyons, Kelly Starling, NEATE Book 4: Eddie’s Ordeal, NJ, Just Us Books, 2004

Mead, Alice, Junebug, NY, Yearling, 1995

Myers, Walter, D and J. A. Sims, Sniffy Blue, Ace Detective: the Case of the Missing Ruby and Other Stories, NY, Little Apple, 1999

Patrick, Denise, The Longest Ride, NY, Henry Holt, 1999

Weatherford, Carole B., Obama: Only in America, NY, Marshall Cavendish, 2010

Berry, Rachel, A Slip in the Right Direction, WA, Kimathi Enterprises & Publishing, 2010

Draper, Sharon, We Beat the Street, NY, Puffin, 2005

Garcia, Rita Williams, Fast Talk on a Slow Track, NY, Bantam, Doubleday Dell, 1991

Harper, Hill, Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny, NY, Gotham, 2007

Hansen, Joyce, Which Way Freedom, NY, Avon, 1986

Hunter, Travis, Two the Hard Way, NY, Dafina Books, 2010

Madison, Book T., Unsigned Hype, MI, Revell, 2009

Mowry, Jess, Babylon Boyz, NY, Aladdin, 1997

Myers, Walter, D., Harlem Summer, NY, Scholastic, 2007

Wright, Simeon and Boyd, Herb, Simeon’s Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till, IL, Lawrence Hill Books, 2010

September, 2011

Ages 4-8
Collier, Bryan, Uptown, NY, Henry Holt, 2004

Curtis, Gavin and Lewis, E.B., The Bat Boy and His Violin, NY,
Aladdin, 2001

Evans, Shane W., Olu’s Dream, Katherin Tegen Books,
an Imprint of Harper Collins, 2009

Hudson, Wade and Ford, George, Jamal’s Busy Day, NJ, Just Us
Books, 1991

Nelson, Kadir, He’s Got the Whole World in His
Hands, NY, Puffin, 2005

Pinkney, Brian, Max Found Two Sticks, NY, Aladdin,
1997

Steptoe, Javaka, The Jones Family Express, NY, Lee
& Low, 2003

Steptoe, John, Stevie, NY, Harper Collins,
1986

Tarpley, Natasha and Lewis, E. B., Bippity Bop Barbershop, NY, Little
Brown, 2009

Winans, Carvin and Harrington, Leslie, Conrad Saves Pinger Park, NJ,
Marimba Books, 2010

Ages 9-12
CLE, Troy, The Marvelous Effect, NY, Simon& Schuster, 2008

Curtis, Christopher Paul, The Watsons Go To Birmingham –1963, NY, Laurel Leaf, 2000

Elliott, Zetta and Strickland, Shadra, Bird,NY, Lee & Low, 2008

Ferguson, Dwayne, Kid Caramel: The Case of the Missing Ankh, NY, Just Us Books, 1997

Haskins, James, Freedom Rides, Journey to Justice, NJ, Sankofa Books, an imprint of Just Us Books, 2005

Medina, Tony and Watson, Jesse J., I and I: Bob Marley, NY, Lee & Low, 2009

Nelson, Kadir, We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, NY,
Jump at the Sun, 2008

Tyree, Omar, 12 Brown Boys, NJ, Just Us Books, 2008

Walters, Mildred Pitts, Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World, NY,
Amistad, Reprint Edition, 2010

Woodson, Jacqueline, Locomotion, NY, Speak, a Puffin Imprint (PB), 2010

YA
Curtis, Christopher Paul, Bucking the Sarge,NY, Laurel Leaf, 2003

Draper, Sharon, Forged by Fire, NY, Simon-Pulse, 1998

Draper, Sharon, Tears of a Tiger, NY Simon-Pulse, 1996

Lester, Julius, Guardian, NY, Amistad, 2008

McDonald, Janet, Brotherhood, NY Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2002

Myers, Walter Dean, Handbook for Boys, NY, Amistad, 2003

Myers, Walter Dean, Slam, NY, Scholastic Paperback, 2008

Nerie, G, Ghetto Cowboy, MA, Candlewick, 2011

Woodson, Jacqueline, Behind You, NY, Puffin, Reprint Edition, 2010

Yep, Lawrence, The Star Maker, NY, Harper Collins, 2010

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-16T05:05:00.004-04:00

"The sun cannot be hidden."

—Egypt

Getting Boys to Read

2011-09-13T09:30:00.014-04:00

Getting Boys to Read—Part One

If you’re trying to get the reluctant young male reader in your life to read more often—or read at all—you might already know it can be a challenging feat. According to a national survey conducted by the Young Adult Library Services Association in 2001, boys (average age of 14) who weren’t interested in reading pointed to the following reasons:

boring/no fun--39.3%

no time/too busy--29.8%
like other activities better--11.1%
can’t get into the stories--7.7%
I’m not good at reading-- 4.3%

So how can a parent/guardian, teacher or librarian overcome these challenges? One way is to pay attention to what boys are reading. Smith and Wilhelm, authors of Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men, say boys differ from girls in the choices they make of reading material:

Boys are more inclined to read informational texts,magazines, and newspaper articles.
Boys are more inclined to read graphic novels and comic books.
Boys tend to resist reading stories about girls, whereas girls do not tend to resist reading stories about boys.
Boys like to read about hobbies, sports, and things they might do or be interested in doing.
Boys like to collect things and tend to like to collect series of books.
Boys read less fiction than girls.
Boys tend to enjoy escapism and humor, and some boys are passionate about science fiction or fantasy. With those points in mind, here are some tips that can help encourage boys to read

Tips and Strategies

Model reading. Studies show that when parents read and have books around, both boys and girls are more likely to be readers.

Give your boy a book. Giving books as gifts shows young people that books are special, valuable and important.

Read aloud. Reaching out loud has been called the single most important activity to building success in reading.

Make reading social. Invite boys to talk about something they’ve read—a book, newspaper article, or a story on the web. Encourage the social connection. People like to talk about what they’ve seen, done, experienced, and boys are no different. The right book can give boys something to connect with their friends about.

Encourage men to read with boys.“Studies show that 90 percent of elementary school teachers are female,” says Michael Sullivan, director of the Weeks Public Library in New Hampshire and author of Connecting Boys With Books: What Libraries Can Do. “Seventy-five percent of high school teachers are female.” Most people who boys see connected with reading are female, he says, but boys identify with men.

Getting Boys to Read, copyright 2008 and 2011 by Just Us Books, Inc. All rights reserved. For permission to reproduce please contact Rights & Permissions, Just Us Book Inc. e-mail: justusbook@aol.com http://justusbooks.com/ 973.672.7701

Getting Boys to Read—Part Two

If boys see their fathers or other important male figure, reading, they’re more likely to read. “They need to see men and books together,” he says.

• Start with what he loves. If your son or student loves sports, find fiction books that focus on sports or non-fiction books about his favorite athlete. If he’s into detective movies or t.v. shows, try introducing him to mystery books. This is a particularly effective way to introduce reading to a boy who protests that he “hates reading.”
• Show reading can be fun and entertaining. “Humor is underrated on school reading lists, but boys love it,” says John Sciezska, author, The Stinky Cheese Man. “Calvin and Hobbes, Lemony Snicket, those books get them excited about reading, because it’s fun. It’s important for parents and teachers to accept these things as reading, instead of acting like it’s not ‘real’ reading, like there’s something wrong with them. Those books will get boys hooked on reading.”
• Help boys find books that relate to who they are or what they’re doing now. “Boys like to read what’s toolish, not schoolish,” says Jeff Wilhelm, associate professor of English education at Boise State University and one of the nation’s leading authorities on boys and literacy. By “toolish,” Wilhelm is referring to anything that connects to boys’ daily life, interests, and imagination.

“Boys prefer reading things that have something they can immediately use, talk about, argue about, or do something with,” he says. “They are very, very impatient with the reading they do in school, because it’s not useful or interesting to them. Even worse, they then have to take a test on it.” Wilhelm points to a major study of boys grades 6 to 12 as an example. “These were great kids, very smart. Some went on to places like Harvard and MIT. But they were all cynical about reading, as it was promoted at school and by many adults in their lives,” he says.
• Expand your own idea of what reading is. Don’t discourage boys from reading what they like. Unfortunately, sometimes what boys like to read isn’t recognized or supported by their schools or families. “Teachers and parents often conceived of reading narrowly, as ‘literature’ only, and failed to see that there’s all kinds of reading that boys do, like magazines and even formulaic novels,” Wilhelm says. “Even expert adult readers go through phases of reading pulp fiction or romance novels. It’s something boys outgrow, but it helps develop skills.”
• Allow boys to choose their reading material. “Reading choices made for boys frequently do not reflect their preferences, since girls are clearer and more vocal about what books they want, elementary school teachers are predominantly women, and mothers rather than fathers select reading materials for their children,” says Wendy Schwartz in the article “Helping Underachieving Boys Read Well and Often.” (http://www.blogger.com/www.ericdigests.%20org/2003-2/boys.html). Male perspectives need to be considered in the selection of reading material. Boys who read the sports page or instruction manual should be applauded, Schwartz says. “The reading that boys do should not be dismissed as inconsequential even though it often does not include the novels and other traditional materials usually read by girls,” Schwartz says.

“The genres preferred by boys can be equally helpful in their development of reading, thinking, and problem-solving skills, and should be considered key resources in their education.”

Getting Boys to Read—Part Three

Sullivan suggests parents and teachers let boys read what they want, no matter how gross or fantastical, and avoid getting caught up in a book’s page count or reading level. “
Kids don’t read to their reading level,” Sullivan says. “Kids read to their interest level.” Experts say even graphic novels, comic books, and video game guides are good reading material.

“Reading is reading and the more practice kids get reading on their own, and the more they hear books read aloud, the more skills they pick up,” says Lisa Von Drasek, head children’s librarian at Bank Street College of Education in New York City. “They are hearing and seeing words, building a vocabulary that they will recognize as they read, and that makes reading easier. They know how words sound, what they mean and what they look like in print. It’s all part of expanding literacy.”

Add stimuli to a boy’s environment. Boys’ and girls’ brains are stimulated differently, Sullivan explains. A boy might not be as willing to sit in a chair for two hours and read. “He needs something to wake up his brain,” he explains. Consider letting him sprawl out on the floor, move around or have the television or radio on. Adding sound, color, motion and kinetic energy to a boy’s environment will encourage him to read, Sullivan comments.

Remember the importance of reading to relate. “Boys, like all children, want to see characters like themselves sometimes,” Helping Underachieving Boys Read Well and Often (http://www.blogger.com/www.ericdigests.org/2003-2/boys.html), notes. “Therefore, materials should feature people of different ethnicities, races, and backgrounds who live in a variety of types of homes and communities.”

And remember, boys typically like reading books written about boys. “We’ve seen that when children, particularly Black boys, see themselves reflected in books, they’ll be more likely to read,” says Wade Hudson, co-founder of Just Us Books and author of several books featuring Black boys, including Jamal’s Busy Day and Anthony’s Big Surprise. “So it’s that much more important to provide our boys with books that reflect people, neighborhoods, cultures and experiences they can relate to.”

Getting Boys to Read, copyright 2008 and 2011 by Just Us Books, Inc. All rights reserved. For permission to reproduce please contact Rights & Permissions, Just Us Books, Inc. 356 Glenwood Avenue, East Orange, NJ 07017 973.672.7701 http://justusbooks.com/

Getting Boys to Read—Part Four

TIPS FOR TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS

Patrick Jones and Dawn Cartwright Fiorelli, authors of “Overcoming the Obstacle Course: Teenage Boys and Reading,” (Teacher Librarian magazine, Feb. 2003) say there are immediate steps that educators can take to improve boys’ attitudes about reading:

Plan programs aimed specifically to boys.
Host book talks in the classroom that include a lot of nonfiction.

Display posters that feature males.

Encourage coaches of boys’ sports teams to participate in a “guys read” program in which athletes read to younger children.

Increase the number of periodicals, magazines, comic books, and newspapers in the library.
Actively recruit boys to work in the library.

Survey boys about their reading.
Buy books that boys recommend.

Place books where the boys are: next to the computers, copy machines, and study tables
Allow boys to find reflections of who they are and what they like in a library. It just may encourage a return visit.

Additional tips, resources and book recommendations are available from the following resources:
Black Books Galore! Guide to Great African American Children’s Books about Boys by Donna Rand and Toni Trent Parker, Black Books Galore
“Boys and Books,” by Jane McFann

“Affirming African American Boys,” by KaaVonia Hinton, originally published in Booklinks, January 2005, available at: http://www.acrl.org/ala/booklinksbucket/affirmingafricanamericanboys.pdf

“Author Provides Tips for Getting Boys to Read,” Carroll County Times, March 15, 2006
Guilderland School District, Parents Corner (http://www.blogger.com/www.guilderlandschools.com)

“Getting Black Boys to Read Books,” by Anthony Asadullah Samad, http://www.blogger.com/www.NewAmericaMedia.com

Getting Boys to Read, copyright 2008 and 2011 by Just Us Books, Inc. All rights reserved. For permission to reproduce please contact Rights & Permissions, Just Us Books, Inc. 356 Glenwood Avenue, East Orange, NJ 07017 973.672.7701 http://justusbooks.com/

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-12T22:19:00.002-04:00

"Your child doesn't belong to you, and you must prepare your child to pick up the burden of his life long before the moment when you must lay your burden down."
—James Baldwin, The Devil Finds Work

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-12T06:01:00.002-04:00

"You cannot harvest vegetables quicker than they grow."
—Ethiopia

"You cannot harvest vegetables quicker than they grow."
—Ethiopia

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-11T06:53:00.004-04:00

I've known rivers; I've known rivers ancient as
the world and older than the flow
of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
—Langston Hughes, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-10T05:16:00.002-04:00

"When spider webs unite,
they can tie up a lion."
—Ethiopia

taken from Kids' Book of Wisdom: Quotes from the African American Tradition
compiled by Cheryl and Wade Hudson, Just Us Books

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-09T05:05:00.000-04:00

"One good deed deserves another."
—Aesop

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-08T04:30:00.000-04:00

"The price of yo' hat ain't the measure
of yo' brain."
—Traditional

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-07T05:31:00.000-04:00

"Use your head every day.
Use medicine only in time of need."
—Yoruba

A Back to School Special from Just Us Books

2011-09-06T03:44:00.001-04:00

“The role of the teacher remains the highest calling of a free people. To the teacher, America entrusts her most precious resource, her children; and asks that they be prepared ... to face the rigors of individual participation in a democratic society.” —Shirley Mount Hufstedler

For picture books, chapter books, biographies, series, books for young adults, classroom activities and resources that reflect our nation’s diversity visit http://justusbooks.com/ and http://www.justusbooksonlinestore.com/.

25% Discount

on all orders during the Month of September!

WE SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS!!!

JUST US BOOKS, INC. MARIMBA BOOKS

356 Glenwood Avenue East Orange, NJ 07017

(973) 672-7701

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-06T03:41:00.001-04:00

"Our children must never lose their zeal for
building a better world."
—Mary McLeod Bethune

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-05T07:08:00.000-04:00

"Don't let your enemies get in the way
of your work."
—Hausa

Getting Boys to Read: Parts One — Four

2011-09-04T07:07:00.014-04:00

Getting Boys to Read—Part One

If you’re trying to get the reluctant young male reader in your life to read more often—or read at all—you might already know it can be a challenging feat. According to a national survey conducted by the Young Adult Library Services Association in 2001, boys (average age of 14) who weren’t interested in reading pointed to the following reasons:

boring/no fun--39.3%

no time/too busy--29.8%

like other activities better--11.1%

can’t get into the stories--7.7%

I’m not good at reading-- 4.3%

So how can a parent/guardian, teacher or librarian overcome these challenges? One way is to pay attention to what boys are reading. Smith and Wilhelm, authors of Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men, say boys differ from girls in the choices they make of reading material:

Boys are more inclined to read informational texts,magazines, and newspaper articles.

Boys are more inclined to read graphic novels and comic books.

Boys tend to resist reading stories about girls, whereas girls do not tend to resist reading stories about boys.

Boys like to read about hobbies, sports, and things they might do or be interested in doing.

Boys like to collect things and tend to like to collect series of books.

Boys read less fiction than girls.

Boys tend to enjoy escapism and humor, and some boys are passionate about science fiction or fantasy.

With those points in mind, here are some tips that can help encourage boys to read:

Tips and Strategies

Model reading. Studies show that when parents read and have books around, both boys and girls are more likely to be readers.

Give your boy a book. Giving books as gifts shows young people that books are special, valuable and important.

Read aloud. Reaching out loud has been called the single most important activity to building success in reading.

Make reading social. Invite boys to talk about something they’ve read—a book, newspaper article, or a story on the web. Encourage the social connection. People like to talk about what they’ve seen, done, experienced, and boys are no different. The right book can give boys something to connect with their friends about.

Encourage men to read with boys.

“Studies show that 90 percent of elementary school teachers are female,” says Michael Sullivan, director of the Weeks Public Library in New Hampshire and author of Connecting Boys With Books: What Libraries Can Do. “Seventy-five percent of high school teachers are female.” Most people who boys see connected with reading are female, he says, but boys identify with men. (to be continued tomorrow in Part Two)

Getting Boys to Read, copyright 2008 and 2011 by Just Us Books, Inc. All rights reserved.
For permission to reproduce please contact Rights & Permissions, Just Us Book Inc.
e-mail: justusbook@aol.com http://justusbooks.com 973.672.7701

(continued from page one: Getting Boys to Read—Part Two)

If boys see their fathers or other important male figure, reading, they’re more likely to read. “They need to see men and books together,” he says.

• Start with what he loves. If your son or student loves sports, find fiction books that focus on sports or non-fiction books about his favorite athlete. If he’s into detective movies or t.v. shows, try introducing him to mystery books. This is a particularly effective way to introduce reading to a boy who protests that he “hates reading.”

• Show reading can be fun and entertaining. “Humor is underrated on school reading lists, but boys love it,” says John Sciezska, author, The Stinky Cheese Man. “Calvin and Hobbes, Lemony Snicket, those books get them excited about reading, because it’s fun. It’s important for parents and teachers to accept these things as reading, instead of acting like it’s not ‘real’ reading, like there’s something wrong with them. Those books will get boys hooked on reading.”

• Help boys find books that relate to who they are or what they’re doing now. “Boys like to read what’s toolish, not schoolish,” says Jeff Wilhelm, associate professor of English education at Boise State University and one of the nation’s leading authorities on boys and literacy. By “toolish,” Wilhelm is referring to anything that connects to boys’ daily life, interests, and imagination. “Boys prefer reading things that have something they can immediately use, talk about, argue about, or do something with,” he says. “They are very, very impatient with the reading they do in school, because it’s not useful or interesting to them. Even worse, they then have to take a test on it.”

Wilhelm points to a major study of boys grades 6 to 12 as an example. “These were great kids, very smart. Some went on to places like Harvard and MIT. But they were all cynical about reading, as it was promoted at school and by many adults in their lives,” he says.

• Expand your own idea of what reading is. Don’t discourage boys from reading what they like. Unfortunately, sometimes what boys like to read isn’t recognized or supported by their schools or families. “Teachers and parents often conceived of reading narrowly, as ‘literature’ only, and failed to see that there’s all kinds of reading that boys do, like magazines and even formulaic novels,” Wilhelm says. “Even expert adult readers go through phases of reading pulp fiction or romance novels. It’s something boys outgrow, but it helps develop skills.”

• Allow boys to choose their reading material. “Reading choices made for boys frequently do not reflect their preferences, since girls are clearer and more vocal about what books they want, elementary school teachers are predominantly women, and mothers rather than fathers select reading materials for their children,” says Wendy Schwartz in the article “Helping Underachieving Boys Read Well and Often.” (www.ericdigests. org/2003-2/boys.html).

Male perspectives need to be considered in the selection of reading material. Boys who read the sports page or instruction manual should be applauded, Schwartz says. “The reading that boys do should not be dismissed as inconsequential even though it often does not include the novels and other traditional materials usually read by girls,” Schwartz says. “The genres preferred by boys can be equally helpful in their development of reading, thinking, and problem-solving skills, and should be considered key resources in their education.”

Add stimuli to a boy’s environment. Boys’ and girls’ brains are stimulated differently, Sullivan explains. A boy might not be as willing to sit in a chair for two hours and read. “He needs something to wake up his brain,” he explains. Consider letting him sprawl out on the floor, move around or have the television or radio on. Adding sound, color, motion and kinetic energy to a boy’s environment will encourage him to read, Sullivan comments

Remember the importance of reading to relate. “Boys, like all children, want to see characters like themselves sometimes,” Helping Underachieving Boys Read Well and Often (www.ericdigests.org/2003-2/boys.html), notes. “Therefore, materials should feature people of different ethnicities, races, and backgrounds who live in a variety of types of homes and communities.”

And remember, boys typically like reading books written about boys. “We’ve seen that when children, particularly Black boys, see themselves reflected in books, they’ll be more likely to read,” says Wade Hudson, co-founder of Just Us Books and author of several books featuring Black boys, including Jamal’s Busy Day and Anthony’s Big Surprise. “So it’s that much more important to provide our boys with books that reflect people, neighborhoods, cultures and experiences they can relate to.”

Getting Boys to Read, copyright 2008 and 2011 by Just Us Books, Inc. All rights reserved. For permission to reproduce please contact Rights & Permissions, Just Us Books, Inc. 356 Glenwood Avenue, East Orange, NJ 07017 973.672.7701
http://justusbooks.com

(continued Getting Boys to Read—Part Four)

TIPS FOR TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS

Plan programs aimed specifically to boys

Host book talks in the classroom that include a lot of nonfiction

Display posters that feature males

Encourage coaches of boys’ sports teams to participate in a “guys read” program in which athletes read to younger children

Increase the number of periodicals, magazines, comic books, and newspapers in the library

Actively recruit boys to work in the library

Survey boys about their reading

Buy books that boys recommend

Place books where the boys are: next to the computers, copy machines, and study tables

Allow boys to find reflections of who they are and what they like in a library. It just may encourage a return visit.

Additional tips, resources and book recommendations are available from the following resources:

Black Books Galore! Guide to Great African American Children’s Books about Boys by Donna Rand and Toni Trent Parker, Black Books Galore
“Boys and Books,” by Jane McFann
“Affirming African American Boys,” by KaaVonia Hinton, originally published in Booklinks, January 2005, available at: http://www.acrl.org/ala/booklinksbucket/affirmingafricanamericanboys.pdf
“Author Provides Tips for Getting Boys to Read,” Carroll County Times, March 15, 2006
Guilderland School District, Parents Corner (www.guilderlandschools.com)
“Getting Black Boys to Read Books,” by Anthony Asadullah Samad, www.NewAmericaMedia.com

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-04T07:01:00.000-04:00

"No one can travel by someone else's star."
—Swahili

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-03T09:21:00.001-04:00

If you are building a house and a nail breaks,
do you stop buildig, or do you change the nail?
—Kwanda Burundi

Getting Boys to Read—Part Four

2011-09-03T08:43:00.004-04:00

(continued—Part Four Getting Boys to Read)

TIPS FOR TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS

Plan programs aimed specifically to boys

Host book talks in the classroom that include a lot of nonfiction

Display posters that feature males

Encourage coaches of boys’ sports teams to participate in a “guys read” program in which athletes read to younger children

Increase the number of periodicals, magazines, comic books, and newspapers in the library

Actively recruit boys to work in the library

Survey boys about their reading

Buy books that boys recommend

Place books where the boys are: next to the computers, copy machines, and study tables

Allow boys to find reflections of who they are and what they like in a library. It just may encourage a return visit.

Additional tips, resources and book recommendations are available from the following resources:

Black Books Galore! Guide to Great African American Children’s Books about Boys by Donna Rand and Toni Trent Parker, Black Books Galore
“Boys and Books,” by Jane McFann
“Affirming African American Boys,” by KaaVonia Hinton, originally published in Booklinks, January 2005, available at: http://www.acrl.org/ala/booklinksbucket/affirmingafricanamericanboys.pdf
“Author Provides Tips for Getting Boys to Read,” Carroll County Times, March 15, 2006
Guilderland School District, Parents Corner (www.guilderlandschools.com)
“Getting Black Boys to Read Books,” by Anthony Asadullah Samad, www.NewAmericaMedia.com

Getting Boys to Read—Part Three

2011-09-03T08:17:00.002-04:00

(continued—Part Three Getting Boys to Read)

Add stimuli to a boy’s environment. Boys’ and girls’ brains are stimulated differently, Sullivan explains. A boy might not be as willing to sit in a chair for two hours and read. “He needs something to wake up his brain,” he explains. Consider letting him sprawl out on the floor, move around or have the television or radio on. Adding sound, color, motion and kinetic energy to a boy’s environment will encourage him to read, Sullivan comments.

Remember the importance of reading to relate. “Boys, like all children, want to see characters like themselves sometimes,” Helping Underachieving Boys Read Well and Often (www.ericdigests.org/2003-2/boys.html), notes. “Therefore, materials should feature people of different ethnicities, races, and backgrounds who live in a variety of types of homes and communities.”

And remember, boys typically like reading books written about boys. “We’ve seen that when children, particularly Black boys, see themselves reflected in books, they’ll be more likely to read,” says Wade Hudson, co-founder of Just Us Books and author of several books featuring Black boys, including Jamal’s Busy Day and Anthony’s Big Surprise. “So it’s that much more important to provide our boys with books that reflect people, neighborhoods, cultures and experiences they can relate to.”

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-02T03:29:00.001-04:00

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks
will accomplish nothing in life."
—Muhammad Ali

Getting Boys to Read—Part Two

2011-09-02T03:01:00.008-04:00

(continued from page one—Getting Boys to Read)

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-09-01T05:22:00.000-04:00

If you learn it while young, you can do it when old.
—South Africa

Getting Boys to Read—Part One

2011-08-31T20:47:00.012-04:00

boring/no fun--39.3%

no time/too busy--29.8%

like other activities better--11.1%

can’t get into the stories--7.7%

I’m not good at reading-- 4.3%

Boys are more inclined to read informational texts,magazines, and newspaper articles.

Boys are more inclined to read graphic novels and comic books.

Boys tend to resist reading stories about girls, whereas girls do not tend to resist reading stories about boys.

Boys like to read about hobbies, sports, and things they might do or be interested in doing.

Boys like to collect things and tend to like to collect series of books.

Boys read less fiction than girls.

Boys tend to enjoy escapism and humor, and some boys are passionate about science fiction or fantasy.

With those points in mind, here are some tips that can help encourage boys to read:

Tips and Strategies

Model reading. Studies show that when parents read and have books around, both boys and girls are more likely to be readers.

Give your boy a book. Giving books as gifts shows young people that books are special, valuable and important.

Read aloud. Reaching out loud has been called the single most important activity to building success in reading.

Make reading social. Invite boys to talk about something they’ve read—a book, newspaper article, or a story on the web. Encourage the social connection. People like to talk about what they’ve seen, done, experienced, and boys are no different. The right book can give boys something to connect with their friends about.

Encourage men to read with boys.

African American Daily Quotes for Kids

2011-08-31T07:04:00.001-04:00

Knowledge is like an ocean;
no man's arms can embrace it.
—Swahili

Few (are) too young, and none too old,
to make the attempt to learn.
—Booker T. Washington, Up From Slavery

Check out this book as a reference for Back to School

2011-08-30T05:45:00.003-04:00

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-08-30T05:36:00.001-04:00

Believing in yourself takes courage.
Facing the future takes hope
Carry both in your heart.

—Rosa Parks, 1995
from Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today's Youth

Remembering the Historic March on Washington, 1963

2011-08-29T08:04:00.003-04:00

The March on Washington

Written By James Haskins

Award-winning author James Haskins turns his attention to the historic March on Washington in this timely look at one of the pivotal events of the Civil Rights movement. Haskins skillfully traces the history of the movement and details the planning, progression, and outcome of that momentous march.

Reading Level: 9-12; Paperback: 98 Pages

http://www.justusbooksonlinestore.com/products/JAMES-HASKINS-SERIES-%252d-THE-MARCH-ON-WASHINGTON.html

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

"The tortoise is the wisest. He carries his own home."

—Bambara

Getting Boys to Read

2011-08-28T08:20:00.005-04:00

Look for this four-part series starting September 1, 2011.

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-08-28T08:06:00.003-04:00

Take courage my soul, and let me journey on.
For the night is dark and I am far from home.
Thanks be to God, the morning light appears.
The storm is passing over...Hallelujah!
— lyrics, African American Spiritual

It's Back to School!

2011-08-26T19:42:00.005-04:00

25% Discount

on all orders during the Month of September!

WE SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS!!!

JUST US BOOKS, INC. MARIMBA BOOKS

356 Glenwood Avenue East Orange, NJ 07017

(973) 672-7701

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-08-26T07:42:00.003-04:00

"Love is the most durable power in the world.
This creative force is the most potent instrument available
in mankind's quest for peace and security."
—Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-08-25T06:17:00.002-04:00

"If you are in one boat you have to row together."
—South Africa

IN THE NEWS

2011-08-24T22:07:00.000-04:00

Margo Sorenson, author of the picture book Aloha for Carol Ann, published by Marimba Books, will be a featured author at the Duarte Festival of Authors on Saturday, October 8, 2011, at the Westminster Gardens in Duarte, CA. Margo will also make an appearance by Skype at the 3^rd Annual Literacy in a Multicultural World Conference at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania on Monday, October 10.

Wade and Cheryl Hudson will be among 500 African-American History Makers who will participate in the 2^nd Annual Back to School program on Friday, September 23, 2011. The program is sponsored by the History Makers, the nation’s largest African-American video oral history archive. The African-American history makers will visit schools across the country, sharing personal and professional stories that they hope will motivate and encourage students as they begin a new school year. Among those participating include Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, former Ambassador Andrew Young, actor/rapper Common, singer/actress Melba Moore, Broadway choreographer George Faison, poet Nikki Giovanni, actress Marla Gibbs ("227," "The Jeffersons"), Ambassador Carol Mosely-Braun, actress T’Keyah Crystal Keymah ("In Living Color," "Cosby" and "That's So Raven") and poet/author Sonia Sanchez. Wade & Cheryl will visit a school in East Orange, NJ.

Wade and Cheryl will also attend the Virginia Library Association Annual Conference on October 27 and 28 at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel in Portsmouth, VA.

On Sunday, October 30, the Hudsons will speak and autograph books at the Douglass Park Elementary School in Portsmouth, VA from 2:00 to 4:30. The event is hosted by the Gamma Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha , which sponsors an annual bookfair or author event with Just Us Books every year. The event is free and open to the public.

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-08-24T21:06:00.002-04:00

"It takes a whole village to raise a child."
—West Africa

African American Daily Quote for Kids

2011-05-28T08:18:00.002-04:00

"We are one, our cause is one, and we must help each other if we are to succeed." —Frederick Douglass, 1847 (taken from Kids' Book of Wisdom, Just Us Books)

Welcome to Just Us Books' New Web Site!!!!!!

2011-05-22T20:46:00.012-04:00

During the month of April, Just Us Books experienced some technical challenges that made it difficult for our readers to access our web site.
But we’re happy to report that our web site is back—new and improved.

We’ve created a new user-friendly web site with lots of new features. Look for:

· A brand new online bookstore where you can purchase Just Us Books and Marimba Books titles
· Exclusive special offers and discounts on our extensive list of multicultural children's books

· An expanded Teacher/Librarian Center, featuring Teacher’s Guides for our books, newsletters, tips and other free classroom resources

· Articles, features and other updates about our authors and illustrators

· A news feed featuring articles about children's literature, the publishing industry and other related news

Follow us at www.Twitter.com/justusbooks	Fan us at www.Facebook.com/justusbooks

And log into YouTube from time to time to catch our latest book trailers and videos.

Thanks for your continued interest and support.

A CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR OMAR TYREE

2011-05-21T11:21:00.001-04:00

Omar Tyree Writes a “Mr. Creative”

Book For Boys

Omar Tyree is a New York Times best-selling author whose 18 published books have sold nearly two million copies worldwide. A graduate of Howard University with a degree in Print Journalism, Tyree has been recognized as one of the most renowned contemporary writers in the African-American community. His contributions to literature have earned him a 2001 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature in Fiction, and a 2006 Phillis Wheatley Literary Award for Body of Work in Urban Fiction. Tyree is also an informed and passionate speaker on various topics.

A tireless creator, Tyree makes his children’s book debut with 12 Brown Boys, a collection of short stories that focus on the lives of Black pre-teen boys.

Just Us Books: What's your goal in writing 12 Brown Boys? What do you hope to achieve by publishing the book?

Omar Tyree: There is a gigantic hole in the published world for content featuring urban American boys. Therefore, urban American boys are really not being engaged as young readers. They don't have a wealth of material that represents who they are or what they think about. So I wrote 12 Brown Boys to begin to supply a steady stream of content for this lost and forgotten group of American readers who end up becoming non-reading men. And my goal here is to turn urban boys on to reading, and then plot to keep them reading by supplying them with more books—with great content in development—for the future.

JUB: Why did you decide to begin writing children's books?

Tyree: I have two sons myself, and they are both still young. And it’s embarrassing for me as an African-American male writer of more than a dozen adult novels to take my sons to the book stores and find less than a dozen books with brown boys’ faces on them. So my reason for writing children's books, particularly for urban boys, is the same reason I started writing books for African-American adults more than fifteen years ago. I want to add content to the book shelves that represent our world. And many children's book publishers have not been very interested in doing that.

JUB: What do you think constitutes a great recipe for a book that will captivate young black boys--particularly middle readers (ages 8-12)?

Tyree: Well, it has to be a fun read, number one. So it has to get the young reader engaged and excited. A lot of new readers also like to relate to the material, so [I] create content that is close to who they are and what they go through in life. And boys, of course, love sports, doing things their own way, and getting involved in adventure. So adding that strong ingredient to the mix is also a plus. And if you can add some kind of moral lesson to the content without sounding too preachy, then that brings the book all the way home for a win. And that's the formula I plan to use for an upcoming library of many more books for urban American boys.

About 12 Brown Boys

Best-selling author Omar Tyree makes his children's book debut with 12 Brown Boys, a collection of short stories for middle readers that focus on the lives of Black pre-teen boys.

Readers will connect with Tyree's engaging characters. There is Red Head Mike who hates his nickname, but hates his red hair even more, and Chestnut, who is sent to live with relatives down South to keep him out of trouble in his Brooklyn neighborhood. There is Santa Monica super kid William, whose status as a scholar and entrepreneur has even his best friends hating him, and Wayne who resents his role as the oldest child until a tragedy strikes the family. There’s Taylor, a star baller and aspiring video director who just might be getting his first big shot in the industry; and rough and tumble T.C., from St. Louis, who’s struggling to find his place as a young man in a house full of girls.

Tyree has assembled a wide range of characters that reflect the diversity of experiences of Black boys—characters that are funny, serious, edgy, street-wise, studious, and all unforgettable.

To purchase 12 Brown Boys, visit www.justusbooksonlinestore.com

COMING SOON From the Teacher/Librarian Center: GETTING BOYS TO READ

For more information on Omar Tyree’s work and titles, please view his web site www.OmarTyree.com

A CONVERSATION WITH MARIMBA BOOKS AUTHOR MARGO SORENSON

2011-05-14T21:39:00.004-04:00

This month, Marimba Books releases Aloha for Carol Ann, a picture book about an eight-year-old who moves to Hawaii and struggles to feel at home in this new place until she discovers the true meaning of aloha, a Hawaiian term that means "hello," "welcome" and so much more.

Meet the Author: Margo Sorenson

Marimba Books: Do you remember when you began writing? What was your first piece?
Margo Sorenson: I wrote my first "book" at age 6, titled LEO AND BO-PEEP, and I illustrated it, too (unfortunately!). I still have it, and it makes me giggle. When I do school visits, the students always ask me this same question, so I show them the tattered and ancient "book," much to their glee!
MB: How did you get started in children's book publishing?
MS: I taught high school and middle school English for many years, and I was lucky enough to have excellent mentoring from writing instructors in the teaching of writing, including the UCLA Writing Project. Parents of my students would ask me why I didn't write, and I always answered that I could teach students to write, but I couldn't write, myself. My mother, also an author of children's books, encouraged me to go to an SCBWI workshop with her. I went — kicking and screaming — and have never looked back.
MB: What was your first published book and how many have you had published so far?
MS: My first published book was one I co-authored with Anne Polkingharn, the wonderful and legendary librarian of the California K-8 school at which I was teaching, Harbor Day School. It was a reading record book with multiple activities for students to report on their reading, titled HOW TO SNEAK UP ON A GOOD BOOK (Perfection Learning), which is now out of print. At the same time, I had just begun working on Aloha For Carol, and I was writing a work-for-hire for Bantam Sweet Dreams series, under my pseudonym Marcie Kremer, titled ALOHA LOVE (Bantam, 1994, out of print), a very "demure" teen romance about two debaters at Aina Hau School (Punahou School, where our daughters attended and where I taught) in Honolulu. ALOHA FOR CAROL ANN is my twenty-seventh published book, but, I have probably eighty to ninety unpublished manuscripts!
MB: You have an interesting story of perseverance regarding the publication of Aloha For Carol Ann Can you share that?
MS: I first began writing Aloha For Carol in 1989, and I would read the various versions aloud to my middle school students, who would make comments, trying to spare my feelings! I began submitting it to publishers, and it was rejected many, many times. When I'd get feedback from editors, I'd revise it again, and I'd ask my fellow teachers for help, as well. I believed in the story, because I'd seen it reenacted so many times during our ten years in Hawaii, and I wanted to share the aloha spirit that our family had found there. Twenty-two years later, I was still keeping an eye out for a publisher that I thought might be interested in the story, and lo, and behold, Marimba Books was founded, the perfect publisher for this story. I queried, was asked to send the manuscript, and the Hudsons acquired it, much to my and my family's joy!
MB: Aloha For Carol is about a girl who is a new student in a new place: Hawaii. Why did you pick Hawaii for the setting of this book? Do you have any personal connections to Hawaii?
MS: Our family lived in Hawaii for ten years, and, so often, I saw what a difference kids could make in welcoming someone new to such a different and unusual place. The aloha spirit of kindness and welcoming others is part of Hawaii, and the multicultural setting seemed perfect for the story I wanted to tell. We return to Hawaii every year, and we still have dear friends there whom we visit and who come to the Mainland to visit us, as well. Living in Hawaii has become an integral part of the fabric of our family's life, and I am so grateful that Marimba Books has made it possible to keep these special memories alive and to share them with young readers.
MB: Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
MS: After we moved from Hawaii, we missed it a great deal. I wanted to keep those memories alive for our family, so I began writing the story. Carol Ann is actually a real person (she gave me permission to use her name!), a young Marine wife we met at our church, who was having a difficult time adjusting to life in Hawaii, and she ended up loving it there because of people's welcoming attitudes. Carol Ann's story seems to span the generations, both young and old, and watching kids exemplify the aloha spirit by welcoming others in our daughters' classrooms and in my own classroom inspired me to share the story with young readers who also might have to move somewhere new and different, or might have someone new come to their school. The acclaimed author Virginia Hamilton once wrote, "Writing is what you know, remember, and imagine," and that's how Aloha For Carol came to be.

Learn more about author Margo Sorenson at her website: http://www.margosorenson.com/

A CONVERSATION WITH MARIMBA BOOKS ILLUSTRATOR PRISCILLA GARCIA BURRIS

2011-05-14T21:38:00.002-04:00

Meet the Illustrator: Priscilla Garcia Burris

Marimba Books: When did you recognize your artistic talents?
Priscilla Burris: From a very young age I was habitually doodling with any paper available! Throughout school age years I continued with the love of doodling, sketching and drawing both informally (while taking notes in class), and formally (when asked to create posters or flyers for events).
MB: Do you remember any of your first drawings? PB: Yes! I have a sweet framed crayon-rendered image I created in Kindergarten. It is a drawing, in full color, of my home including my address over the front door, along with a chimney and strand of gray smoke billowing out of it (this was purely my imagination, as we never had a fireplace). Also included in the drawing is a little girl with a beautiful red dress (triangle shape), a happy smile, and 3 hair bows; one on the top of her head and one on either end of upswinging braids! There are also lowercase letter 'm's — or rather, several colorful birds flying in the sky.
MB: How did you begin working in children's book publishing?
PB: My career in children's book publishing started when I was assigned illustration work for an educational publisher. Creating 10 of these books a year gave me ample opportunity to grow and learn and hone my skills in illustrating children and animals for this specific field of art. A few years after this start, I created picture book dummies — or mock-ups of picture books with text, and submitted these to a publisher who went on to publish 4 of these such books. One of these books was written by my sweet husband.
MB: What was your first published book? And how many published books have you illustrated?
PB: Two of my earliest published picture books are titled “Christopher Is Not Afraid...Anymore” written by Craig Burris, and “Carefree Play Summer Day” written by Julie Hendrickson (1994). To date I have illustrated more than 30 books.  
MB: How would you describe your artistic style or approach?
PB: For children’s books, I work in two different styles; one with more of a sketchy-loose line, and the other much more structured and contained. Creating and evoking expression and emotion has always been my approach in any illustration projects or books. 
MB: Has your artistic style changed much from when you first started your career?
PB: Yes. While I have illustrated in educational, mass, and trade publishing through the years, my style has grown from the experience in all fields. In some ways it has more recently evolved into a new look, however in another way it has come full circle and I am illustrating in the way I have always loved to create – with heart, soul and joy! And most of all, with expressiveness both facial and in the body language of the characters I create.  
MB: What medium do you enjoy most?
PB: Digital painting and pastels tools. Traditional medium would be chalk pastels. I love sketching with either pencils or ink pens best.  MB: What attracted you to this particular project―illustrating Aloha For Carol Ann?PB: First, when reading the manuscript at the beginning of the story, “Carol Ann trudged down the path to her new classroom.” I loved that it began with a true-felt emotion of a child who has moved far away and has to now adjust to a new place to live. Secondly, when I was asked to give samples of flora and fauna, as this would be needed for this picture book, I knew I’d thoroughly enjoy the research of the Hawaiian setting, as I have never been there myself.   
MB: Do you have a favorite illustration in the book?
PB: My favorite illustration has to be the two-page spread where Carol Ann’s new friend, Maile, is helping her put a fresh hibiscus flower behind her ear and where some new classmates are nearby during recess, enjoying their snacks sitting under the banyan tree. I imagined the coolness of the ground under their feet, and the fragrant breezes that would surround them.
MB: What advice do you have for aspiring artists looking to break into children's book publishing?
PB: Research the market, spending lots of time reading through the genre in children’s book publishing that you are interested in, such as picture books or chapter books. Continually and regularly create new images that tell a story. Create characters, both children and animals. Join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (www.scbwi.org), a professional organization specifically helpful for anyone seriously interested in this field of illustration.

Illustrator, designer and author, Priscilla Garcia Burris was born and raised in Southern California. An artist from a very early age, she earned degrees in both Fashion Design and Early Childhood Education, and taught pre-school for several years. She serves on the Board of Advisors for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and she has illustrated educational, mass market and trade books and other materials for children, parents and teachers. Her published books include Five Green and Speckled Frogs, which she wrote and illustrated: What Do Angels Do?, and I Love You All Day Long, which she illustrated.

To learn more about Priscilla, please visit her web site http://www.priscillaburris.com/

ILLUSTRATOR Eric Velasquez

2011-05-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

ERIC VELASQUEZ is the illustrator of numerous picture books, covers for chapter books and YA titles (Front Porch Stories by Eleanora E. Tate) and is a recipient of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for new talent from the American Library Association. He is the illustrator of My Friend Maya Loves to Dance, written by Cheryl Willis Hudson, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. Eric lives in Hartsdale, New York.

...

Front Porch Stories

ILLUSTRATOR Nicole Tadgell

2011-05-13T15:25:00.003-04:00

Originally from New York, Nicole Tadgell relocated to Massachusetts after graduating from Wheaton College. After landing a job in advertising, she quickly adapted becoming Assistant Art Director in her third year in the industry. Nicole is also an illustrator of children’s books, the recipient of both the Children’s Africana Book Award and the Américas Award, and is a member of the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild.

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Tamika & the Wisdom Rings

ILLUSTRATOR R. Gregory Christie

2011-05-13T15:22:00.003-04:00

R. GREGORY CHRISTIE grew up in New Jersey and received a B.A degree in media arts from New York City's School of Visual Arts in 1993. While attending SVA, he had a position at the Guggenheim Museum, and interned for the Star Ledger newspaper, where his first published work was showcased, in 1990. Within a few years his work began to appear of jazz album covers and his first picture book, The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African-American Children was published in 1996. A three-time recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award honor, Christie is a regular contributor to the New Yorker Magazine.

He has collaborated on several books with poet, Tony Medina, most recently on Follow-Up Letters to Santa From Kids Who Never Got a Response, published by Just Us Books.

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Follow-Up Letters to Santa From Kids Who Never Got a Response

AUTHOR Ermila Moodley

2011-05-13T15:17:00.000-04:00

ERMILA MOODLEY was born in Ladysmith, South Africa. A descendant of sugar cane plantation slave laborers, she grew up under the system of apartheid. Heavily influenced by South African civil rights leader Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness movement, she became involved in student protests and anti-apartheid political groups during high school and college. After earning a B.S. at the University of Durban-Westville in South Africa, she moved to California in 1987, and has been an elementary school teacher in the Santa Barbara area for the past fifteen years. Path to My African Eyes is her second published book.

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Path to My African Eyes

AUTHOR Tony Medina

2011-05-13T15:14:00.000-04:00

Tony Medina is one of the more prolific writers of color effectively shaping the new literary renaissance. He has published four volumes of poetry, including Emerge & See, which Amiri Baraka included in his 1992 "Summer Reading List" in American Visions magazine. Medina has also edited two published anthologies. One of them, In Defense of Mumia, co-edited in 1996 with S.E. Anderson, won The American Bookseller Association's Firecracker Alternative Book Award. Tony's work is featured in the anthologies: In The Tradition, Aloud, Soulfires, Tough Love, Spirit & Flame, and Identity Lessons, as well as many literary and popular-culture publications. Tony was also a literary consultant for Catch the Fire: A Cross Generational Anthology of Afrikan American Poetry, edited by Derrick I. M. Gilbert.

A college English professor, Medina is always on the lookout for
opportunities to reach out to the community and help foster a love for literature. He is committed to using his children's books to promote literacy and solidarity among urban youth. His children's books include DeShawn Days, Christmas Makes Me Think, and a special tribute to Langston Hughes, Love to Langston, (Lee & Low, 2002) illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. This series of poems, written from Langston Hughes' point of view, offers an overview of key elements and themes in Hughes' life.

Mr. Medina is also the author of a collection of poems titled Follow-Up Letters to Santa From Kids Who Never Got a Response, published by Just Us Books. Tony is currently working on a collection of poems for elementary grade students that will also be published by Just Us Books.

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Follow-Up Letters to Santa From Kids Who Never Got a Response

ILLUSTRATOR Varnette Honeywood

2011-05-10T08:36:00.006-04:00

VARNETTE HONEYWOOD (1950-2010) was an American painter, writer, and businesswoman whose paintings and collages depict the lives of contemporary African Americans. Her work is featured in established collections throughout North America, Africa and Japan. Numerous television programs, including "The Cosby Show," have used her art as a part of their sets. She has also illustrated covers for adult trade books and books for children. A highly sought speaker who inspired new generations of artists, Honeywood was a graduate of Spelman College, and earned a master's degree in education from the University of Southern California.

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I'M LATE: The Story of LaNeese, Moonshine and Alisha Who Didn't Have Anyone of Her Own

ILLUSTRATORS Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu

2011-05-08T06:54:00.007-04:00

The collaborative efforts of husband and wife team CORNELIUS VAN WRIGHT and YING-HWA HU have produced many wonderful books for children. I Told You I Can Play! is their first title with Just Us Books. Among their other published works are An Angel Just Like Me, Coming Home: A Stay of Josh Gibson, Baseball's Greatest Homerun Hitter, and Zora Neale Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree. Van Wright is a native of New York and Hu was born in Taiwan. They reside with their daughter and son in New York City.

I Told You I Can Play!

ILLUSTRATOR Sylvia Walker

2011-05-08T06:53:00.012-04:00

Artist/Illustrator SYLVIA L. WALKER is a native of Pasadena, California. She studied at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angles earning a BFA Degree. Her works include freelance children's fashion illustration for clients Simplicity and McCall's pattern companies. Other clients include Keystone Health Partners, The Coca Cola Company National Adoption Center, Antioch Publishing, and Woodtones Publishing Group. She expanded her focus to illustrating numerous children's' books for publishers Just Us Books, Dover Publications, Scholastic, Harper Collins, Western Publishing, Essence Golden Books, Highlights Magazine, and Penguin Putnam Books.

Sylvia uses a variety of media to express herself. Watercolor, pencil, ink, and recently acrylic on canvas create an exciting new dimension to her creativity. "My work strikes a note of recognition in all of us. Drawing positive images of African American children gives me such pleasure. It reminds me of my own childhood. When my own children were very young, I created their own personal storybooks for them. I find myself smiling while working on a face, a gesture, an attitude, and it comes through my art. Her work is in the collection of Wendy's International president Dave Thomas, actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, Ed McMahon, Maury Povich and Connie Chung.

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Land of the Four Winds

ILLUSTRATOR Morrie Turner

2011-05-08T06:52:00.005-04:00

MORRIE TURNER created the Wee Pals comic strip in 1964. Appearing first in Ebony and Black World magazines, it soon became the first comic strip featuring a multi-ethnic cast of characters to appear in metropolitan newspapers. Explore Black History with Wee Pals, published by Just Us Books, brings back many of those entertaining but instructive strips.

ALSO: Mr. Turner is available for signings, workshops, presentations and panels. His area of expertise is cartooning. Contact him at P.O. Box 3004, Berkeley, CA 94703.

...

Explore Black History
with Wee Pals

ILLUSTRATOR Don Tate

2011-05-08T06:51:00.014-04:00

DON TATE is an award-winning illustrator/author of more than 25 trade and educational books for children. With a bold, dynamic style, Don's oil and acrylic paintings bring to life the pages of the children's books he illustrates. This self-trained painter and digital illustrator has demonstrated extraordinary range in style and medium — each book possessing a distinctive style of it's own. His background includes illustration as well as graphic design
in the areas of advertising, educational publishing, and visual journalism. Don is the featured cover artist for the Kid Caramel Series created by Dwayne J. Ferguson

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Kid Caramel:
Case of the Missing Ankh

Kid Caramel:
The Werewolf of PS-40

Kid Caramel:
Mess at Loch Ness

Kid Caramel:
The Legend of Mad Jake

ILLUSTRATOR Howard Simpson

2011-05-08T06:49:00.011-04:00

Born and raised in Newark, NJ, Howard Simpson began his art career by drawing storyboards for Action News and Accu Weather while studying at Temple University Tyler School of Art. His illustrations are featured in AFRO-BETS Quotes for Kids: Words for Kids to Live By, AFRO-BETS Book of Colors and AFRO- BETS Book of Shapes, published by Just Us Books. He lives in New Jersey.

ALSO Mr. Simpson is available for signings, workshops, presentations and panels. His areas of expertise include: cartooning, illustration, computer design, digital art and storytelling. Contact him at P.O. Box 717, Maplewood, NJ 07040.

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QUOTES FOR KIDS:Words for Kids to Live By

AFRO-BETS Book of Colors

AFRO-BETS Book of Shapes

ILLUSTRATOR Sonia Sadler

2011-05-08T06:49:00.003-04:00

SONIA LYNN SADLER was born at Fort Riley, an army base in Kansas. She studied fine arts, illustration and crafts at Maryland Institute College of Art and went on to graduate from Parsons School of Design in New York City. After a successful career in design working for such companies as Anne Klein and Liz Claiborne, Sonia launched her own business www.SoniaLynSadlerArts.com where she markets her artwork and accessories. Her unique scratchboard and acrylic paintings are widely exhibited in galleries across the country. Ma Dear's Old Green House is her first trade picture book for children. Sonia's home and studio are located in northern New Jersey.

ALSO: Ms. Sadler is available for signings, workshops, and presentations. Her areas of expertise include: art, drawing, painting. E-mail her at lynnartsl@aol.com

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Ma Dear's Old Green House

ILLUSTRATOR Anna Rich

2011-05-08T06:48:00.004-04:00

ANNA RICH says her art career began in kindergarten. She much preferred coloring and drawing to her other class work. Anna received her B.F.A. degree from Rhode Island School of Design, and is an active member of the New York Chapter of the Graphic Artists Guild. She lives in Elmont, New York with her family and cats. She has illustrated a number of picture books, including Joshua's Masai Mask, Saturday at the New You, Little Louis and the Jazz Band, Kids' Book of Wisdom: Quotes from the African-American Tradition, collected by Wade and Cheryl Hudson and Annie's Gifts, written by Angela Shelf Medearis. Both titles are published by Just Us Books.

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Annie's Gifts

AKids' Book of Wisdom: Quotes from the African-American Tradition

ILLUSTRATOR Peggy Mozley

2011-05-07T11:11:00.004-04:00

Author Bio
Coming soon

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Photo Jesus Loves Me

ILLUSTRATOR Cathy Johnson

2011-05-07T11:05:00.005-04:00

CATHY ANN JOHNSON was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. She credits her parents Clinton and Lucille Johnson with helping to shape her life. Her mother ran a daycare center in her home in an urban community. Many of the children brought to her home were abandoned or were unofficial foster children. Cathy has always had a passion to draw and a love for children's literature. As a child she would frequently sneak away to the neighborhood library to read as many children's books as she could.
Among the books she has illustrated are Robo's Favorite Places, written by Wade Hudson and published by Just Us Books; Glo Goes Shopping, written by Cheryl Willis Hudson, published by Just Us Books; My Nana and Me, written by Irene Smalls, Pop Pop and Me, written by Irene Smalls, and A Heart for Jesus, written by Juanita Bynum. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where she operates the graphic design studio, LUV-IT.

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AFRO-BETS Kids
Glo Goes Shopping

AFRO-BETS Kids

Robo's Favorite Places

Many Colors of Mother Goose

ILLUSTRATOR Stephan Hudson

2011-05-07T11:01:00.018-04:00

STEPHAN HUDSON is an illustrator and graphic designer. A graduate of Rowan University, he recently launched his own design company 2nd Chapter. He has designed books and book covers and his work is featured in several children's titles. They include Langston's Legacy: 101 Ways to Celebrate the Life and Work of Langston Hughes and Poetry from the Masters: The Pioneers, both published by Just Us Books. He is the photographer for Prayers for the Smallest Hands published by Marimba Books.

Prayers for the Smallest Hands

Poetry from the Masters:

The Pioneers

Poetry from the Masters Series : Black Arts Movement

Langston's Legacy
101 Ways to Celebrate the Life and Work of Langston Hughes

ILLUSTRATOR Leslie Harrington

2011-05-07T10:53:00.004-04:00

LESLIE HARRINGTON says her work as an artist is best described by the phrase “draw with a pencil, paint with a mouse.” After earning a BFA in Illustration from The Columbus
College of Art & Design, she worked for several years as a background painter in the children’s videogame industry. Now a fulltime illlustrator, she uses pencil and PhotoShop to create the vibrant illustrations that have been published in Highlights Magazine and several educational books. Conrad Saves Pinger Park is her first published picture book.

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Conrad Saves Pinger Park

ILLUSTRATOR Ron Garnett

2011-05-07T10:47:00.007-04:00

RON GARNETT is an accomplished illustrator and graphic designer who has illustrated a number of books for children. They include the Great Black Heroes series published by Scholastic. A few of those titles include Great Black Heroes: Five Brave Explorers, and Great Black Heroes, Five Bold Scientists. He also illustrated Courtney's Birthday Party, published by Just Us Books and Peach When the Well Run Dry, published by Marimba Books. Ron lives in Kansas City, MO.

Courtney's Birthday Party

Peach When the Well Run Dry

ILLUSTRATOR Priscilla Garcia Burris

2011-05-07T10:25:00.003-04:00

Illustrator, designer and author, Priscilla Garcia Burris was born and raised in Southern California. An artist from a very early age, she earned degrees in both Fashion Design and Early Childhood Education, and taught pre-school for several years. She serves on the Board of Advisors for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and she has illustrated educational, mass maket and trade books and other materials for children, parents and teachers. Her published books include Five Green and Speckled Frogs, which she wrote and illustrated; What Do Angels Do?, and I Love You All Day Long, which she illustrated.

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Aloha for Carol Ann

ILLUSTRATOR Laura Freeman

2011-05-07T09:52:00.007-04:00

Laura Freeman began her career in art as an editorial illustrator for publications such as The New York Times Book Review, The National Law Journal and New York Magazine. Now she focuses almost exclusively on illustrating books for children including Nikki and Deja, A Brave Spaceboy, A Wild Cowboy, Jazz Baby and Bible Songs for the Very Young. She lives in New York City with her husband and their two young sons.

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Clothes I Love to Wear

Places I Love to Go

ILLUSTRATOR George Ford

2011-05-07T09:28:00.007-04:00

GEORGE FORD is the illustrator of over thirty books for children including Jamal's Busy Day, Bright Eyes, Brown Skin; Afro-Bets First Book About Africa and Baby Jesus, Like My Brother. The first winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration, for the book, Ray Charles, George Ford also illustrated The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles. Mr. Ford lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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Baby Jesus Like My Brother

Bright Eyes Brown Skin

Jamal's Busy Day

ILLUSTRATOR Michelle Dorenkamp

2011-05-07T09:01:00.005-04:00

Michelle Dorenkamp has been drawing since age three. She earned a BFA in Illustration and has since illustrated more than fifty children’s books. Her work is also featured monthly in National Wildlife’s Wild Animal Baby magazine. Michelle works from her home studio using traditional watercolors, pen and inks, markers and prismacolors as well as digital illustration. She resides in St. Louis, Missouri, and enjoys spending free time with her family, especially her granddaughter Katlyn.

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Allie's World
Block Party

Allie's World
What Did Abuela Say?

ILLUSTRATOR Nancy Devard

2011-05-07T08:42:00.005-04:00

Nancy Devard is a former engineer turned professional artist. After earning a Bachelor of Science from Temple University, and working as a Development Engineer, Ms. Devard finally decided to pursue her passion – fine art and illustration. Ms. Devard worked as staff artist for Hallmark Cards, creating bestselling original designs primarily for the Mahogany and Kids divisions. Today, as a freelance illustrator, she uses gesture and expression to tell stories, real or imaginary. "My thrill comes when I look work I've completed, feel a sense of satisfaction, and receive feedback from my clients that they are delighted with the results." The Secret Olivia Told Me is her first illustrated trade book. The Secret Olivia Told Me: winner of the 2008 Coretta Scott King Book Honor for illustration. Just Us Books extends warm congratulations to our talented artist Nancy Devard on this distinguished accomplishment.

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From Where I Stand

Puddin', Jeffrey and Leah
Best Friends

The Secret Olivia Told Me

ILLUSTRATOR Higgins Bond

2011-05-07T08:26:00.003-04:00

HIGGINS BOND grew up in the East End of Little Rock, Arkansas, and her family's home was located opposite the levee of the Arkansas River. She started painting at age twelve but began considering art as a career only after starting as a psychology major and later changing to advertising design at Memphis College of Art.
A versatile artist, she has created a wealth of images ranging from book jackets, record albums, portraits of great kings and queens of Africa, and paintings of Jan Matzeliger and W.E.B. Dubois for the United States Postal Service Black Heritage Stamp Series. Much of her praised artwork is found in the collections of top national corporations. Among her published books for children include When I Was Little, written by Toyomi Igus and published by Just Us Books, Susie King Taylor, Destined to be Free, written by Denise Jordan, published by Just Us Books, Thurgood Marshall, Supreme Court Justice, Who Has a Belly Button?, Groundhog at Evergreen Road, I Am Sacajawea, I Am York: Our Journey West With Lewis and Clark and Then I Think of God.

ALSO: Ms. Bond is available for signings, workshops, and presentations. Her areas of expertise include: children's books, collectors plates, book covers. E-mail her at bhigginsbond@netscape.net
You may also visit this Author at http://www.higginsbond.com/

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Susie King Taylor,
Destined to be Free

When I Was Little

ILLUSTRATOR Culverson Blair

2011-05-07T08:13:00.004-04:00

CULVERSON BLAIR is a graphic designer and illustrator. He has done illustrations and design work for Macmillan, Scholastic Magazine, Houghton Mifflin, New Jersey Books and Ms. Magazine. His first illustrated books for children were AFRO-BETS ABC Book and AFRO-BETS 123 Book both published by Just Us Books. Other Just Us Books' titles he has illustrated include AFRO-BETS Kids: I'm Gonna Be! Originally from Austin, TX, Culverson now resides in Dallas, TX.

ALSO: Mr. Blair is available for signings, workshops, and presentations. E-mail him at ceblair47@juno.com

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AFRO-BETS Kids

I'm Gonna Be

ILLUSTRATOR Peter Ambush

2011-05-07T08:03:00.004-04:00

A native of Frederick, Maryland, illustrator Peter Ambush attended the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, specializing in illustration and graphic design. He spent 11 years and completed more than 400 covers as an illustrator and graphic designer for the Star Ledger and its Scanner TV guide, and other sections of the New Jersey daily newspaper. Ambush now teaches airbrush at duCret School of Art in Plainfield, New Jersey and is self-employed as a freelance artist, and taking projects on commission. He lives in Stroudsburg, PA with his wife and daughter. One Million Men and Me is his first picture book.

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Dear Corinne Tell Somebody, Love Annie

It's Church Going Time

Neate Series
Elizabeth's Wish

NEATE Series
Eddies Ordeal

NEATE Series
A Test For Tayesha

One Million Men and Me

Reflections of a Black Cowboy: Cowboys

Reflections of a Black Cowboy: Buffalo-Soldiers

Reflections of a Black Cowboy : Mountain-Men

Reflections of a Black Cowboy : Pioneers

AUTHOR Rudine Sims Bishop

2011-05-07T06:37:00.004-04:00

Rudine Sims Bishop is a familiar name in the realms of children’s literature, multicultural education, and literacy education. Professor Emerita of Education at The Ohio State University, she is an educator, mentor, researcher, and writer. Dr. Bishop has received several awards and honors, including the 2007 Outstanding Elementary Language Arts Educator Award from the National Council of Teachers of English.

Dr. Bishop has contributed significantly to the scholarship of African-American children’s literature. Her work includes Shadow and Substance: Afro-American Experience in Contemporary Children’s Literature, which addresses key issues that have become touchstones in the study of multicultural literature and Free Within Ourselves: The Development of African American Children’s Literature, which covers the expanse of literature for children written and illustrated by African Americans from the nineteenth century to the present day.

Daniel A. Payne: Great Black Leader, is Dr. Bishop’s first published work with Just Us Books.

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Bishop Daniel A Payne: Great Black Leader

AUTHOR Margery Brown

2011-05-06T07:22:00.012-04:00

MARGERY WHEELER BROWN grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of Spelman College. She was an art instructor at Spelman as well as in the public school systems in Durham, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Newark, New Jersey. Ms. Brown is the author of AFRO-BETS Book of Shapes and AFRO-BETS Book of Colors both available through Just Us Books. She is also the author of a Christmas story, Baby Jesus Like My Brother, illustrated by George Ford.

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Baby Jesus Like My Brother

AFRO-BETS Book of Colors

AFRO-BETS Book of Shapes

AUTHOR Veronica Freeman Ellis

2011-05-06T07:21:00.014-04:00

Veronica Freeman Ellis is the author of Land of the Four Winds and AFRO-BETS First Book about Africa, both published by Just Us Books. She is a contributor to Book of Black Heroes: Great Women In the Struggle also published by Just Us Books. Veronica has been a textbook editor and has taught writing at Boston University and children's literature at Wheelock College in Boston. She has also been a consultant/instructor for the Davis Educational Foundation's Children's Literature In-Service Program. Her other published titles include Unlucky Randy, The Glow from Lighthouse Cove and The Gardner.

ALSO: Ms. Ellis is available for signings, workshops, presentations, panels. Her areas of expertise include multicultural children's literature, classroom strategies for using children's literature and writing workshops for grades 4-12. E-mail her at vfellis@msn.com

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Book of Black Heroes

Great Women in the Struggle

Land of the Four Winds

AUTHOR Debbie Chocolate

2011-05-06T07:21:00.012-04:00

Debbie Chocolate is a writer, storyteller and educator. She received a bachelor's degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and a master's degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She has worked as an editor, a high school English teacher, and her written work has appeared in a number of national magazines.

Debbie Chocolate is the author of a number of books for children. They include Kwanzaa, published by Children's Press, My First Kwanzaa Book, published by Scholastic, On the Day I Was Born, published by Cartwheel/Scholastic and The Piano Man, published by Walker Books. NEATE To The Rescue and Elizabeth's Wish, both published by Just Us Books, were her first titles for older readers.

ALSO: Ms. Chocolate is available for signings, workshops, presentations, panels. Her areas of expertise include: writing workshops, picture book writing workshops for grades K-8; juvenile novel writing workshops for grades 3-4, and faculty writing workshops. E-mail her at dar60187@aol.com

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Neate Series
NEATE to the Rescue

Neate Series
Elizabeth's Wish

AUTHOR Mari Evans

2011-05-06T07:20:00.008-04:00

A major figure in African American literature and the Black Arts Movement, Mari Evans is an educator, musician and writer who writes extensively about issues concerning the Black family and community. Her published work for children includes I Look at Me; Singing Black: Alternative Nursery Rhymes for Children; Dear Corinne, Tell Somebody! Love, Annie, a book about child abuse and I'm Late: The Story of LaNeese, Moonshine & Alisha Who Didn't Have Anyone of Her Own, a title for young adults, all published by Just Us Books.

Continuum, a new collection of adult poetry,(Black Classic Press) and her book of political essays, Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, (Third World Press) are also available. Evan's stage musical, "EYES," adapted from Zora Neal Hurston's classic novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, has played to standing room only audiences in Chicago and other major cities across the United States.

Mari Evans is internationally known for her work, including her classic poem "I Am a Black Woman" and she is the recipient of the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. Mari lives in Indiana and lectures throughout the country.

ALSO: Ms. Evans is available for author signings and speaking engagements. Contact her via mail at P.O. Box 483, Indianapolis, IN 46206

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Dear Corinne Tell Somebody, Love, Annie

Singing Black: Alternative Nursery Rhymes for Children

I'M LATE:The Story of LaNeese, Moonshine & Alisha Who Didn't Have Anyone of Her Own

AUTHOR Bernette Ford

2011-05-06T07:19:00.013-04:00

Bernette Ford is an editor and author of children's books. For nearly 13 years she served as Vice President and Editorial Director of Cartwheel Books at Scholastic Inc. She joined Scholastic in 1989 to start up an imprint designed especially for preschoolers. The imprint grew to produce more than 100 books a year, for an age range spanning babies to beginning readers. Ford stepped down as Editorial Director, eventually leaving Scholastic in May 2002 to start her own company, Color-Bridge Books, LLC, an independent packager of children’s books, with an emphasis on multicultural books. She is co-author with Cheryl Willis Hudson of Bright Eyes Brown Skin, a picture book illustrated by her husband, George Ford.

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Bright Eyes Brown Skin

AUTHOR Dwayne Ferguson

2011-05-06T07:19:00.011-04:00

Writer and illustrator Dwayne J. Ferguson was born in Jersey City, NJ in 1965 and he has been dreaming of taking over the world ever since. An early fan of the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, Ferguson was inspired at an early age to create his own unique mysteries that would feature African-American themes and characters. At the age of 19, the Rutgers University sophomore published Hamster Vice, the first of his 14-issue comic book series. With his feet planted firmly in the door of professional comics, Ferguson went on to create the futuristic detective series, Captain Africa, published by his own DIEHARD Studio. In the spring of 1994, Ferguson wrote and illustrated his first title for Black children's book publisher, Just Us Books, AFRO-BETS Coloring and Activity Book. It was the first title of its kind published by the independent press and began a fruitful relationship between the two children's book creators.

In 1997, Dwayne J. Ferguson's childhood inspiration was realized when Just Us Books published Kid Caramel, Private Investigator: The Case of the Missing Ankh, the first book in Ferguson's mystery series featuring African American boys as the lead characters. You may also visit this Author at http://diehardstudio.com/

ALSO: Mr. Ferguson is available for signings, workshops, presentations, panels. His areas of expertise include: mystery, fantasy, animation and technology. E-mail him at hunterwolf@mac.com

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Kid Caramel -
Case of the Missing Ankh

Kid Caramel -
The Werewolf of PS-40

Kid Caramel -
Mess at Loch Ness

Kid Caramel -
The Legend of Mad Jake

AFRO-BETS Coloring and Activity Books

AUTHOR Nikki Grimes

2011-05-06T07:18:00.003-04:00

NIKKI GRIMES is an award-winning author of books for children and young adults. She was born in Harlem in 1950 and began writing when she was six. She has been writing ever since.

Nikki received her B.A. from Livingston College of Rutgers University in 1974. She spent the next year doing research in Tanzania on a Ford Foundation grant. She took a workshop at Columbia University and courses at Rutgers University, where she met and was influenced by writers such as Nikki Giovanni, Quincy Troupe, and Toni Cade Bambara. Soon she began writing books for children and young adults, as well as poetry for adults. She has published more than 30 books and has twice received the Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award, as well as the Bank Street College Children's Book of the Year Award, an ALA Notable Books citation, a Ms. Books for Free Children citation, a NCTE Notables award, and a Children's Book citation from the Library of Congress. From a Child's Heart, written by Nikki Grimes with paintings by Brenda Joysmith, received the Ben Franklin Award for Children's Books, from Publishers' Marketing Association. You may also visit Nikki at www.NikkiGrimes.com

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From A Child's Heart

AUTHOR Rosa Guy

2011-05-06T07:17:00.003-04:00

ROSA GUY is the author of two fiction titles under the SANKOFA BOOKS imprint, Ruby and New Guys Around the Block. Both titles are works of fiction for young adults. Guy was born in Trinidad and immigrated with her family to Harlem at the age of seven. Orphaned as a teen, Rosa and her sister lived in many different foster homes, and Rosa quit school for the world of work when she was 14. But she always loved to read and write, and soon joined the American Negro Theatre and attended New York University where she studied theater and writing. She later co-founded the Harlem Writers Guild, a writing workshop for aspiring Black writers. Rosa's own literary debut, Bird at My Window, was published in 1966. She has since written more than a dozen other published works, many of which are rooted in experiences from her own childhood. Much of her writing for young adults also deals with family and family members' responsibility to care and love one another.

In July 2005, Rosa was honored for her great body of literary work with the Phyllis Wheatley Award, given by the Harlem Book Fair. She lives in New York.

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Rosie Guy Series
Ruby

Rosie Guy Series

New Guys Around the Block

AUTHOR James Haskins

2011-05-06T07:15:00.006-04:00

James Haskins 1941 - 2005

Just Us Books celebrates the legacy of award-winning author James Haskins.
Author of more than 100 books for adults and young people, James Haskins was a professor at the University of Florida. He won numerous awards and honors for his published work, including the Carter G. Woodson Award, Coretta Scott King Award and the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for excellence in the field of music. Haskins's latest books include Keeping the Faith: African American Sermons of Liberation; The March on Washington and Freedom Rides: Journey for Justice, both released under Just Us Books' Sankofa Books imprint.

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James Haskins Series
The March On Washington

James Haskins Series

Freedom Rides Journey For Justice

AUTHOR Cheryl Willis Hudson

2011-05-06T07:13:00.012-04:00

CHERYL WILLIS HUDSON is editorial director of Just Us Books, Inc., an independent publishing company that focuses on Black interest books for children and young adults. She and her husband Wade Hudson, founded Just Us Books in 1988 to address the need for more African American children's books in the market place.

Ms. Hudson has authored many books for young children including AFRO-BETS ABC and 123 Books, Hands Can, Good Morning, Baby, Glo Goes Shopping, Many Colors of Mother Goose and Bright Eyes, Brown Skin,(co-authored with Bernette Ford). She has also co-edited a number of titles including How Sweet the Sound: African American Songs for Children (Scholastic, Inc.), Kids' Book of Wisdom: Quotes from the African American Tradition and In Praise of Our Fathers and Our Mothers. Construction Zone was published by Candlewick Press in 2006. Cheryl's picture book, My Friend Maya Loves to Dance (illustrated by Eric Velasquez) was published by Abrams Book for Young Readers in 2010.

In 2003 Ms. Hudson was inducted into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of diversity in literature and served as an parenting expert for ClubMom.

ALSO: Ms. Hudson is available for signings, workshops, presentations and panels. Her areas of expertise include: children's literature, multicultural children's publishing; editing, design and diversity in education.

To request an author visit or presentation, please send a written request to Katura Hudson, Director of Marketing, Just Us Books via e-mail: katura_hudson@justusbooks.com or fax: (973) 677-7570.
You may e-mail Cheryl Willis Hudson at cheryl_hudson@justusbooks.com.

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AFRO-BETS-Kids
ABC Book

AFRO-BETS-Kids
Book of Wisdom

AFRO-BETS Kids
Glo Goes Shopping

Bright Eyes Brown Skin

Clothes I Love To Wear

From Where I Stand

In Praise of Our Fathers and Our Mothers

Langston's Legacy
101 Ways to Celebrate the Life and Work of Langston Hughes

Many Colors of Mother Goose

AUTHOR Katura Hudson

2011-05-06T07:09:00.006-04:00

Katura Hudson is a writer, editor and marketing professional who earned her B.A. in American Studies from Douglass College, Rutgers University. She has edited more than a dozen books for young people and authored two of her own: Quotes for Kids: Words for Kids to Live By and Langston's Legacy, 101 Ways to Celebrate the Life and Work of Langston Hughes which she co-wrote with Cheryl Willis Hudson. Her newest title, I'm a Big Brother Now, is slated for release from Marimba Books in 2012.

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AFRO-BETS Kids
Quotes for Kids

Langston's Legacy
101 Ways to Celebrate the Life and Work of Langston Hughes

AUTHOR Lauriece Hudson

2011-05-06T07:07:00.006-04:00

Lauriece Hudson is a Gospel singer, songwriter and poet who has authored two volumes of poetry for adults. She says, “poetry is my ministry.” Prayers for the Smallest Hands is her first book for children. She lives in New Jersey.

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Prayers for the Smallest Hands

AUTHOR Wade Hudson

2011-05-06T07:02:00.012-04:00

WADE HUDSON is the president and CEO of Just Us Books, Inc. an independent publishing company he founded with his wife, Cheryl Willis Hudson. His career as a writer spans more than three decades. After his involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, he was a newspaper reporter, playwright and public relations specialist. In 1988, Mr. Hudson's passion for writing and life-long mission to help foster positive self-image within the young Black community helped propel the launch of Just Us Books.

Wade has written nearly 20 books for children including Jamal's Busy Day, Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children, Poetry From the Masters: The Pioneers; Powerful Words: More Than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans and The Underground Railroad. He has edited a number of books with his wife, Cheryl. Wade Hudson serves on the advisory boards of many organizations, including the Langston Hughes Library at the Alex Haley Farm, operated by the Children's Defense Fund, and has received numerous honors, including the Stephen Crane Literary Award.

In 2003 he was inducted into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. He was recently interviewed for HistoryMakers, an oral history collective of African-American achievers. Wade and his wife Cheryl were honored by the National Black Writers Conference for their contributions to literature with the Ida B. Wells Institutional Leadership Award in 2008. Wade is a member of the Author's Guild, PEN America, Society of Children's Book Illustrations and Authors, and other literary organizations.

ALSO: Mr. Hudson is available for signings, workshops, presentations and panels. His areas of expertise include: writing for children and young adults, children's literature, multicultural children's publishing; marketing and diversity in education.

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AFRO-BETS Kids

I'm Gonna Be

AFRO-BETS Kids

Robo's Favorite Places

Book of Black Heroes

From A to Z

Book of Black Heroes:

Scientists, Healers and Inventors

It's Church Going Time

In Praise of Our Fathers and Our Mothers

Jamal's Busy Day

NEATE Series

Anthony's Big Surprise

Poetry from the Masters:

The Pioneers

Places I Love To Go

Puddin', Jeffrey and Leah
Best Friends

AUTHOR Brian Jordan

2011-05-06T07:01:00.009-04:00

A native of Baltimore, BRIAN JORDAN excelled in football and baseball during high school and college. So it was no surprise that he became one of a few athletes to play both sports on the professional level. He played for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons for several years and made his Major League Baseball debut in 1992. During a career that includes his selection as an All-Star, Jordan has played for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves, his current team. In 1998, he founded the Brian Jordan Foundation, a non-profit youth organization that is committed to creating and supporting programs that improve the quality of life for underprivileged children and their families. Jordan, his wife Pam, a former All-American basketball player, and their four children live in Atlanta. I Told You I Can Play! is Jordan’s first picture book for children.

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I Told You I Can Play

AUTHOR Toyomi Igus

2011-05-06T07:01:00.008-04:00

Toyomi Igus is the author and editor of several books for children, including The Two Mrs. Gibsons, Going Back Home, and I See the Rhythm. She is also the author of When I Was Little and editor of Book of Black Heroes: Great Women in the Struggle, both published by Just Us Books. Former Editor and Publications Director for UCLA's Center for African American Studies, she lives in California.

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Book of Black Heroes
Great Women in the Struggle

When I Was Little

AUTHOR Denise Jordan

2011-05-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

Denise M. Jordan has had many articles published, but her biography of Susie King Taylor is her first children's book. Ms. Jordan attended Indiana University School of Nursing. She currently teaches nursing and lives with her husband and three children in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

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Susie King Taylor,
Destined to be Free

AUTHOR N. Joy

2011-05-06T06:59:00.004-04:00

N. Joy writes children's and young adult books as well as urban Christian fiction books for adults. The executive editor for a new Christian imprint and a magazine columnist, she is currently working on a young adult series entitled The Soul Sisters. Her writing is also featured in an African American greeting card box set. N. Joy lives in the Midwest with her husband and three children.

The Secret Olivia Told Me, written by N. Joy and illustrated by Nancy Devard, received the Coretta Scott King Honor Award for Illustration from the American Library Association in 2008.

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The Secret Olivia Told Me

ILLUSTRATOR Brenda Joysmith

2011-05-06T06:57:00.007-04:00

Bio Coming soon

From A Child's Heart

AUTHOR Dr. Loretta Long

2011-05-06T06:56:00.005-04:00

Dr. Loretta Long is an actress and educator who has entertained children for over thirty years in her television role as "Susan" on Sesame Street. In addition to her work in entertainment, Dr. Long conducts diversity workshops for parents, librarians and educators. She earned a doctorate degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. Courtney's Birthday Party, published by Just Us Books, is her first title for children.

ALSO: Ms. Long is available for signings, workshops, presentations, panels. Her areas of expertise include: parenting workshops, language arts, writing books with children by children.

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Courtney's Birthday Party

AUTHOR Angela Shelf Medearis

2011-05-06T06:55:00.012-04:00

ANGELA SHELF MEDEARIS was born in Virginia. Her family moved often, though, because her father was in the Air force. She says that each new place, "I knew there would always be a library, a friendly librarian, and my favorite book there to meet me. It made a new school and new friends much easier to deal with." In grade school, Angela's teachers told her that she wrote well. She was thirty years old, however, before she decided to try to earn a living as a writer.

Angela enjoys history, and spends a lot of time researching African-American history for her books. As a bonus, her research often leads to ideas for new books. Among her published books include Annie's Gifts, Poppy's Itchy Christmas, Princess of the Press: The Story of Ida B. Wells Barnett, Rum-A-Tom-Tom, Singing Man, Too Much Talk, The Adventure of Sugar and Junior and Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story.

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Annie's Gifts

AUTHOR Peggy Mercer

2011-05-06T06:54:00.005-04:00

PEGGY MERCER is a popular writer who was a 2008 nominee for Georgia Author of the Year for her children’s book, There Come a Soldier. A southerner, she was born and raised near the beautiful Satilla River about which she writes. Peggy attended Coffee County Schools, the University of Georgia, holds a B.F.A. from Valdosta State College and a master’s degree from Florida State University. She has worked as a photographer, teacher, newspaper columnist and librarian. Peggy is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and Broadcast Music Industry. Her songs have been recorded in Nashville by hit songwriters and singers. A dynamic speaker, Peggy is a frequent visitor to classrooms and assemblies and makes presentations to groups and organizations. She also teaches aspiring authors and songwriters. Her driving motto is “Give a Child a Book and a Chance!” Visit Peggy at www.PeggyMercerWorldwide.com.

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Peach When The Well
Run Dry

AUTHOR Robert Miller

2011-05-06T06:53:00.013-04:00

When ROBERT MILLER was a boy growing up in Portland, Oregon, his mother would tell him and his brother about their great-great uncles, Ed and Joe Cloud, who were Black cowboys. But they never saw Black cowboys in movies or polular television shows. Robert's four-book series, Reflections of a Black Cowboy: Cowboys, Buffalo Soldiers, Pioneers and Mountain Men, tells the story about those African Americans who helped sette the West.
Robert Miller is assistant professor of relieion at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. He lives in southern New Jersey.

ALSO: Dr. Miller is available for workshops, and presentations. His areas of expertise include: writing and history. E-mail him at rmille05@temple.edu

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Reflections of a Black Cowboy: Cowboys

Reflections of a Black Cowboy: Buffalo Soldiers

Reflections of a Black Cowboy: Mountain Men

Reflections of a Black Cowboy: Pioneers

AUTHOR Dense Lewis Patrick

2011-05-06T06:52:00.004-04:00

DENISE LEWIS PATRICK comes from a storytelling family. Her father wrote poetry, and she followed in his footsteps, penning her first writings at eight years old. A native of Natchitoches, Louisiana, she earned a B.A. in Journalism from Northwestern State University, then moved to New York City to begin her professional writing career. She has since written over 25 books for children including Red Dancing Shoes and Martin's Friendship Lesson. Denise took inspiration for her most recent book, Ma Dear's Old Green House from childhood summers filled with cousins and fun at her grandmother's house in Louisiana. Now grown-up, Denise lives in New Jersey with her husband and their four sons in a green house of her own.

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Madear's Old Green House

AUTHOR Eugene Useni Perkins

2011-05-06T06:51:00.007-04:00

EUGENE USENI PERKINS is a distinguished poet, playwright and youth worker who was born in Chicago IL. Raised in the housing projects of Chicago, and having established a career as a sociologist dealing with troubled youth, he authored the 1976 book Home Is A Dirty Street: The Social Oppression of Black Children. Useni is the author of Poetry from the Masters: The Black Arts Movement published by Just Us Books.

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Poetry from the Masters Series: Black Arts Movement

AUTHOR Diane Patrick

2011-05-06T06:51:00.005-04:00

DIANE PATRICK is a writer whose books for young readers include Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, both published by Franklin Watts. Her articles for young readers have appeared in Harambee, a newspaper for young readers that focuses on the African American experience. Diane has also written for a number of music magazines, including Billboard, Jazziz, JazzTimes, and Wire (U.K.) A former paralegal, Diane also contributes to Legal Assistant Today and other online periodicals.
Coming soon

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Book of Black Heroes: Great Women in the Struggle

AUTHOR Doris Rikkers

2011-05-06T06:50:00.001-04:00

Author Bio
Coming soon

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Jesus Loves Me
Coming 2012