Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - The Price of Freedom

Author: Dennis Brindell Fradin; Judith Bloom Fradin
Illustrator: Eric Velasquez
Publisher: Bloomsbury/Walkers Children's ( January 8, 2013)
Independent Reading Level: Grades 4 to 7
Read Aloud: Grades 3 to 6
Nonfiction * Slavery * African American History 

Description from GoodReads:
When John Price took a chance at freedom by crossing the frozen Ohio river from Kentucky into Ohio one January night in 1856, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was fully enforced in every state of the union. But the townspeople of Oberlin, Ohio, believed there that all people deserved to be free, so Price started a new life in town-until a crew of slave-catchers arrived and apprehended him. When the residents of Oberlin heard of his capture, many of them banded together to demand his release in a dramatic showdown that risked their own freedom. Paired for the first time, highly acclaimed authors Dennis & Judith Fradin and Pura Belpré award-winning illustrator Eric Velasquez, provide readers with an inspiring tale of how one man's journey to freedom helped spark an abolitionist movement.

My thoughts on the book:
It is somewhat exhilarating when I find a book that presents a different side or piece of history from many other stories.  I have read numerous picture books on slavery, the Underground Railroad, and abolitionists but this was the first time I have read about the role the townspeople of Oberlin, Ohio played in standing up against injustices against slaves.

Husband and wife team, Dennis and Judith Fradin, share the powerful story of John Price's escape and fight for freedom and how the many townspeoples in Oberlin stood up on his behalf.  As I read through the text and looked at the accompanying illustrations by Eric Velasquez, I found myself emotionally moved by the efforts of both John Price and the Oberlin community.  There was also a sense that this community was strong in both belief and action.  It wasn't simply a few people who stood up to the unfairness of slavery or protested the recapturing of John Price, but instead it seems like everyone in the community has a role to play in change the rules.  The emotion and power of the book is clearly brought forward through the mixed media and oil paintings created by Eric Velasquez.

The final pages of The Price of Freedom contain various resources including an author's note, a bibliography, further reading, and website resources which provide readers with additional information and insight to the story of Oberlin Ohio.    

Released in time for African American History Month (February), this book will be a excellent addition to any classroom or school library collection.  Look for The Price of Freedom at your local independent bookstore or community library.  

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction picture book reviews.

Nonfiction Picture Book Releases - January 2013

As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, I try to post new releases for the month.  Here are a list of titles that I found being released in January 2013.  Books marked with an asterik (*) indicated full length chapter books for grades 5 to 8.


January 1, 2013

*Yoko Ono: Collector of Skies by Nell Beram, Carolyn Boriss-Krimsky (Scholastic)

*Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin (Scholastic)

January 2, 2013

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson (Katherine Teegan Books)

January 8, 2013

The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up to Slavery by Dennis Brindell Fradin, Judith Bloom Fradin; Illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Walker Children's)

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant; Illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Knopf Books for Young Readers)

You Never Heard of Willie Mays?! By Jonah Winter, Terry Widener (Schwartz & Wade)

January 22, 2013

*Courage Has No Color, The True Story of Triple Nickles: America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick)

Henry and the Cannons: The Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution by Don Brown (Roaring Brook Press)

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtmakers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel; Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

January 29, 2013

Peace by Wendy Anderson Halperin (Atheneum)

The links for the above books will take you directly to the Indie Bound's webpage for purchasing information, unless otherwise noted. Please note, I do not make anything off these links or profit in anyway from posting the links. If you know of a book that should be included in this list, please include the title and author in the comments section and I will update the list.  

If you have posted any nonfiction book reviews, please link them up with this post:

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2013

Last year, I had a goal to read more Nonfiction Picture Books.  As a way to hold me accountable, I helped set up the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge (#NFPB2012).

In 2011, I read 55 nonfiction picture books.  In 2012, with the challenge, I read 86 nonfiction picture books and 6 more nonfiction MG/YA books of longer lengths.  With the coming of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the emphasis on nonfiction or informational text, I feel the need to keep on top of what is being released.   Since I had a lot of fun with this challenge last year, I am hosting it again this year.

My goal will be to read as many 2013 nonfiction picture books that I can find and try to increase my reading of MG/YA nonfiction books of longer lengths.

Here are the details if you would like to participate in the challenge:

 1. Set a goal as to how many nonfiction picture books (or nonfiction MG or YA books)  you would like to read over the course of 2013. Maybe you want to read one a month or one a week. Will they all be from 2013 or will you be reading ones previously published? Set a goal that will be fun and not stressful.

2. I will be posting my nonfiction book reviews and posts on Wednesdays.  There will be a link if you want to connect up one of your reviews or progress towards your goal.

3. There may be giveaways. Keep an eye out for details.

4. If you would like to participate in this challenge, please link up your blog or GoodReads Shelf using the Widget below.

5. If you tweet about what you are reading as part of this challenge, please use the twitter hashtag #nfpb2013.

6. Finally, feel free to grab one of the Challenge images used in this blog post. I am working to get the html for bloggers to grab the badge for their websites. Good luck everyone and happy reading in 2013.

Link up with your blog:

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - 2012 Wrap Up

At the beginning of 2012, I challenged myself to read more Nonfiction Picture Books.  This is the last Wednesday post of the year and here is how I did with the challenge.

Throughout the year, I read 86 nonfiction picture books and 6 more nonfiction middle grade books that were heavy on the pictures.  I had so many more on my list.  Some that I am still hunting for and some that I found but just didn't get a chance to read.  In October, I did a guest post on the Nerdy Book Club and listed 10 of my favorites at that point in the year.  I have revised my list and some books made the final top ten and a few other books came on board. 

So, here is my final favorite nonfiction picture books for 2012:

Island: A Story of the Galápagos by Jason Chin - This remains one of my favorites from the whole pile of nonfiction picture books from the year. Text and illustrations worked together beautifully. Definitely a must have.  Read my review here

Here Comes the Girl Scouts!: The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette 'Daisy' Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure by Shana Corey; Illustrated by Hadley Hooper - Again, another book that works well with both text and illustrations.  Corey does a fabulous job creating this biographical picture book about Juliette 'Daisy' Gordon Low and what guided her to starting up the Girl Scouts.  Another must have book. 

Birds of a Feather by Bernadette Gervais - Thanks to the Nerdy Book Club Award nominees, I found this book.  It is over-sized, and creative, and well done.  Children will love looking at the illustrations and learning more about birds. 

Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidatsa Story  by S.D. Nelson - I was so glad to have discovered this nonfiction biographical picture book.  A great book to add to any collection of biographical picture books.  Read my review here

Fifty Cents and a Dream: A Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim; Illustrated by Bryan Collier - You will quickly notice that biographical picture books dominate this list.  This one came out late in the year, but shouldn't be missed.  Read my review here

There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived by Matt Tavares - I love the paintings in this one and Tavares tells just the right elements of Williams' life in this book.  Baseball fans will certainly want to pick up a copy.  Read my review here

Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris; Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch - Ferris found just the right balance in talking about Noah Webster and the creation of the Dictionary.  This one is fun and informative.  Check out the book trailer below:

Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper by Ann Malaspina; Illustrated by Eric Velasquez - Can you tell that I like biographical picture books?  Here is another one that provides great information about Alice Coachman and her quest to become an Olympic High Jumper.

In the Sea by David Elliott; Illustrated by Holly Meade - It was hard to choose which book of poetry to add to this list.  I knew I wanted to include at least one but there were several I could have gone with.  I featured UnBeelievables in the Nerdy Post so I thought I would add In the Sea to this post.  Both are fabulous and should be part of a collection of poetry with a nonfiction twist.

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.; Paintings by Kadir Nelson - It is no secret that I love the work of Kadir Nelson and this book combines the full text (as well as a cd) of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech accompanied by the beautiful paintings of Kadir Nelson.  A must have.



Check out all of these amazing books at your local library or independent bookstore.  For more titles, check out my NFPB 2012 GoodReads shelf.  If you participated in the 2012 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and did a final post, can you add a link below?

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Fifty Cents and a Dream

Author: Jabari Asim
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co. (December 4, 2012)
Source: Personal Copy
Independent Reading Level: Second and Third Grade
Read Aloud Level: Kindergarten to Second Grade
Biographical * African American Heritage *U.S. History
Pair with: Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass by Lesa Cline-Ransome; Illustrated by James E. Ransome

Description on IndieBound:
Booker dreamed
of making friends with words,
setting free the secrets
that lived in books.

Born into slavery, young Booker T. Washington could only dream of learning to read and write. After emancipation, Booker began a five-hundred-mile journey, mostly on foot, to Hampton Institute, taking his first of many steps towards a college degree. When he arrived, he had just fifty cents in his pocket and a dream about to come true. The young slave who once waited outside of the schoolhouse would one day become a legendary educator of freedmen.

Award-winning artist Bryan Collier captures the hardship and the spirit of one of the most inspiring figures in American history, bringing to life Booker T. Washington's journey to learn, to read, and to realize a dream.

My thoughts on this book:

"With fifty cents in his pocket and a dream in his soul, Booker felt the magic welcome him in." - Jabari Asim

Since I cannot write a review that only says - "Book is good. Read this book." - I need to find the words to explain why I really, really liked Asim's Fifty Cents and a Dream.  Asim provides readers with a glimpse of what it might have been like for Booker T. Washington from his childhood as a slave to his eventual freedom and pursuit of education at Hampton Institute.  It inspires me when I read stories about individuals who have worked amazingly hard to learn to read or get an education. And in reading this story of Washington's journey, I was once again inspired.

Asim's text is paired perfectly with Bryan Collier's illustrations.  Collier gets what Asim is attempting with his text and illustrates the story in a way that brings the story to life.  In one painting, I can feel the sun shining down on Washington and in another I can feel the determination flowing through him.

At the end of the book, Asim includes a few pages of resources including additional facts and timeline on Washington's journey and a biography.  Fifty Cents and a Dream has both great text and great illustrations.  This would be a fabulous addition to classroom or school library.  Look for Fifty Cents and a Dream at your local public library or bookstore.  Remember to buy from an independent bookstore whenever possible.

For more information about author, Jabari Asim: blog | facebook | twitter

Read an interview with Jabari Asim over on Watch.Connect.Read

Read an interview with Bryan Collier on Watch.Connect.Read

Link up your nonfiction picture book reviews below: