TODAY IN HISTORY: THE STORY OF A SLAVE SHIP, AMISTAD

Patricia C. McKissack recounts this amazing chapter in American history 
for beginning readers. 
Illustrations are by Sanna Stanely. Amistad: The Story of a Slave Ship   

In Spanish, Amistad means "friendship". How ironic that it was also the name of a slave ship. In 1838, the Amistad took hundreds of kidnapped Africans on a long journey across the Atlantic from slave-trading Cuba to the United States.

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Cinque
source: National Portrait Gallery

The brave captives would not give up their freedom. Sengbe Pieh, a Mende African known as "Cinque", freed himself and the other slaves, planning a mutiny. They staged a revolt and took over the ship so they could sail back to their homeland. Instead, they were found grounded off the coast of Long Island. The ship was taken to Connecticut, where the Africans became tangled in legal battles that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court.

John Quincy Adams
source: National Portrait Gallery

On February 22, 1841, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing the Amistad Case. U.S. Representative John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts, who had served as the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to 1829, joined the Africans' defense team. In Congress, Adams had been an eloquent opponent of slavery, and before the nation's highest court he presented a coherent argument for the release of Cinque and the 34 other survivors of the Amistad.  



On March 9, 1841, the Supreme court ruled that the captive Africans who seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.  They were declared free and some were able to return home.

For Grades 5 and up:

Amistad: A Long Road to Freedom Newbery Honor author 
Walter Dean Myers explores the issues surrounding the 
imprisonment and trial of the Amistad captives. 
Illustrations. Maps.

For further investigation:

You can see and read the actual Amistad Case documents from the National Archives by going here.

You can also read more on the State of Conneticut History Kids Page and website here.

My Vote (for the most inspiring picture book of 2012)

On the eve of Election Day, I've been considering what might be the most inspiring picture book of 2012.  My vote?  Seed by Seed, The Legend and Legacy of John "Appleseed" Chapman.

Reading through this book is like walking through a living history museum!  In the opening pages, author Esmé Raji Codell asks, "When we look out our windows, what do we see?"  She then begins to describe how things used to look, as Lynn Rae Perkins' soothing pictures take us through a "tree-bough-tangled world" of the past...  

Illustrator Lynn Rae Perkins immersed herself in the life and times of Johnny Appleseed for her research: visiting museums, hiking, and even spending hours stitching a beautiful sampler that appears in the book.

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Lynn Rae Perkins: Esmé writes about the “five footsteps” Johnny left for us to walk in, ideas that we can emulate in our own lives. I decided to try to embody those ideas in physical objects. I thought it would make it easier for kids to remember them. Also, I like, really really like, making stuff. This meant more research, because I wanted the objects to represent the idea, but also to be of Johnny’s time and place. I wanted them to be things that would have words on them: maps, books, embroidery, painted signs. But what did those things look like back then? Which things were present in ordinary people’s lives?

FIVE FOOTSTEPS:

1. Use what you have.
2. Share what you have.
3. Respect Nature.
4. Try to make peace where there is war.
5. You can reach your destination by taking small steps.

Here at Good Books For Young Souls, I've done a couple of posts on Johnny Appleseed, and this particular book is very unique.  Author Esmé Raji Codell is, I think, the biggest John Chapman fan/enthusiast I've ever come across! Why did she write this book, when there are so many others out there?  On her blog, she explains:
...what I was really looking for was a book that not only walked through the narrative of John Chapman’s storied life, but one that would make the legend of Johnny Appleseed relevant to the modern, urban readers in the Chicago Public Schools, the children with whom I was reading. The question wasn't "who was Johnny Appleseed?" The question was, "Why should we care who he was?" I wanted a book that made readers love Johnny Appleseed, be inspired by him and want to emulate his example, even over the distance of history. I had that experience, and I wanted to share it. So the first thing I did in approaching SEED BY SEED was think, what is it about John Chapman that transcends time? What about him touches me in both a secular way and a spiritual way, and how can that been written about so it will touch someone else?

One of my favorite stories that Esmé relates about Johnny?  
It is said that John Chapman used his open shirt pocket as a pouch to carry his books.  It is also said that he ripped books into chapters in order to circulate them between settlers.  He liked to gather children and their families around him and delight them with a story time...In this way, he was the frontier's first librarian!

I'm sure we can all take a lesson from Johnny Appleseed, a man who lived by example, was kind and pious, and had respect for all living things:

Seed by seed, deed by deed,

Johnny Appleseed changed the landscape of a nation.

And now it's your turn.

One small deed, every day.

Tomorrow, go do your good deed for the day and exercise your freedom to vote!  And if you treat yourself to this book, you'll find a recipe for Johnny's favorite dessert on the last page!  Apple Pie and voting - it doesn't get much more American than that!

AUTHOR JEAN FRITZ: BRINGING HEROES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION TO LIFE

Jean Fritz was born on this day in 1915, to American missionaries in Hankow, China. She lived there for thirteen years with her family before coming to the United States. I'm sure you and your children would enjoy her autobiography, Homesick: My Own Story.


Jean has written several informal historical biographies for 9-12 year olds about the American Revolution in a style that makes distant historical figures seem real and brings their stories to life...

“I realized when I started doing research for my first book that history wasn’t what I’d been taught in school. History is full of gossip; it’s real people and emotion. I kept being surprised by the real people I met in the past. They all had their foibles and idiosyncrasies.”

One way she accomplished such realistic tellings is that she never made up the dialogue.  She found actual letters, diaries, and journals of the people she was writing about, using only their own spoken or written words. Her books are very readable and capture young readers' imaginations.  She wrote her books like a journalist, explaining "my approach is that of a reporter, trying for a scoop, looking for clues, connecting facts, digging under the surface".

Here are some of our family favorites:

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED, PAUL REVERE?, illustrated by Margo Tomes.

CAN'T YOU MAKE THEM BEHAVE, KING GEORGE?, illustrated by Tommie dePaola.

WHY DON'T YOU GET A HORSE, SAM ADAMS? illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. 

WILL YOU SIGN HERE, JOHN HANCOCK? illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. 

WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA, BEN FRANKLIN? illustrated by Margaret Tomes.

THE LADY WHO SAVED GEORGE WASHINGTON - WELL, SORT OF.

George Washington portrait by Gilbert Stuart

In honor of George Washington's birthday, I thought you and your child might like to spend a few minutes taking this challenging quiz .  If you happened to read either of the biographical picture books about our first President that I mentioned in my past post, you will have a better chance of getting the answers right!


But you won't learn anything from those books about the brave lady who saved George Washington, because she saved him during the War of 1812, many years after his death.  Well, she didn't save him, but she did save a very famous portrait of him that hung in the White House when her husband, James Madison was President.  Her name was Dolley and here is a picture book about how she saved the painting, for ages K-4th grade...

DOLLEY MADISON SAVES GEORGE WASHINGTON by Don Brown.

FEBRUARY: A PRESIDENTIAL MONTH

If you're looking for some captivating children's picture books about our two U.S. presidents born in February - Abraham Lincoln on the 12th and George Washington on the 22nd - you won't be disappointed with the choices available from BEAUTIFUL FEET BOOKS!  These books and their authors (who also happen to be the illustrators) are exceptional! 

EDGAR AND INGRI D'AULAIRE BOOKS

George Washington

Abraham Lincoln

The D'Aulaires (husband and wife) began writing and illustrating picture book biographies that were first published for young children in the 1930's. The figures in their colorful folkart style drawings almost have a paper-doll look, which appeals greatly to kids. (In fact their illustrations of George Washington are intentionally supposed to help children conjure up images of rocking horses and toy soldiers!)  All their books are historically accurate and full of authentic detail, a result of the couple's countless hours of research at libraries and their travel to historic sites for each of their books.  And the results are breathtakingly beautiful books! (1st - 6th grade)


  
GENEVIEVE FOSTER BOOKS

George Washington's World

Abraham Lincoln's World

Genevieve Foster's books present a cross-section of history. Her historical figures are introduced and explored amidst the interconnecting events going on around the world at that time in the areas of politics, science, art, literature, and medicine. In the 1940's, her new approach to historical literature, versus just showing biographical subjects in isolation, really brought their stories to life for her young readers. She developed this style of writing from struggling herself, as a student, to better learn and understand history. Her own vivid line drawings, detailed maps, and timelines wonderfully complete these books. (4th grade and up)

BEAUTIFUL FEET BOOKS is a publisher and curriculum source especially loved by homeschooling families.  You can learn more about these titles, and order from their online catalog, here on their website. 

HAPPY FALL! IT'S apple PICKING TIME!

Jonny, very patiently teaching his Mom the finer points of Everything iMac!

The fact that we recently purchased a Mac Computer (which I love and am quickly trying to learn how to use!), added to the fact that I will be flying out tomorrow with my husband to visit my parents in Indiana, means that my blogging will slow down for the next week or so.  I thought I'd leave you with some (real) apple book suggestions for ages 3 - 7 ...

JOHNNY APPLESEED, by Reeve Lindbergh.  (You can refer to my past post about this book.)
 

JOHNNY APPLESEED (Disney version Golden Book)
 
My daughter, Mary, told me of a Disney version she discovered about this Early American Hero, with color styling for the animation by Mary Blair (one of our favorites!)  I found the short (from 1948) on YouTube (I think it may be one of the few Disney cartoons that feature a Bible and Guardian Angel!)  Look for the chipmunk who shares more than a slight resemblance to Chip (of Chip 'n Dale fame).  Another tidbit of trivia: Walter Kent and Kim Gannon, who wrote the songs for the animated cartoon, also wrote "I'll Be Home for Christmas", made popular by Bing Crosby.
Click here for Part 1 of THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY APPLESEED, and here for Part 2.

TEN RED APPLES by Pat Hutchins.  For ages three and up it doesn't get much better than counting, animal sounds, rhyming, and fun bold illustrations!


THE APPLE PIE TREE by Zoe Hall.  Cute and colorful collage illustrations.  Two sisters watch and describe the changes that occur for an apple tree in their backyard during the seasons of the year.  The role of bees and weather and their pertinence to apple production is even incorporated into the story.  You may be tempted to bake an apple pie when you finish this book!



APPLES by Gail Gibbons.  Gibbons gives an overview of apples (their history in America, their parts, growth, harvest, and uses) in her characteristic, easily understood, and straightforward style.