At Page Turners Make Great Learners, we believe that all children find themselves when they are lost in the pages of a book. In the company of beloved literary characters, mythical heroes, historical giants, or even evil archvillains, children learn about themselves and who they can choose to become. In this time of civil unrest, books have the power to enlighten, to change perspectives and to heal the wounds of hate and division. This is why Page Turners’ work is more important today than ever before.
Through our in-school book clubs, book donations and author visits, Page Turners strives to introduce children to diverse cultures and view points. For the vast majority of the students we serve, books are a luxury their families can seldom afford. More than 90% of these students are Black. Most of the books they read in school, while of undisputed literary value, do not feature characters who look like them or whose experience mirrors theirs.
Given the current civil unrest in our nation, we believe it is vital to introduce Black authors, characters, and texts to both Black and non-Black parents and children. We hope the titles listed below will spark productive conversations about racism and prejudice and lead to greater empathy, understanding and harmony.
We welcome your thoughts about these books and would love to hear more about the discussions you are having with your families and friends. You can share them on our social media platforms via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What affects Black communities, affects us all.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Slay by Brittany Morris
The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Blended by Sharon Draper
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
Parker Looks Up by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry
Infinite Hope by Ashley Bryan
Love by Matt de la Pena
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Crown by Derrick Barnes
New Kid by Jerry Craft
My class is reading Bud, Not Buddy. Initially the students were not thrilled about reading a book that takes place during The Great Depression. They thought it was an old book, and could not relate to it. We began reading it as a class read aloud daily and using Post-it notes to record connections. We have a connections wall and it is now full. The students have fallen in love with book and can’t wait to read it daily.
That is so Awesome! I am from Flint, Michigan where the author of the book lived. My daughter made a Bud Not Buddy monopoly game as a literacy project …years ago, when we were living in Flint, Michigan. She was in 6th grade and is 23 years old now! It was a great project!!
My class is reading Wonder. When I passed out the books to my 5th graders, they immediately began huffing and puffing and some even rolled their eyes, as if to say, “What does this lady have us reading now.” To spark students interest and change their moods about what we were reading, I asked them to look at the book and read the title. We spent a few minutes talking about the cover of the book, and any clues from the reviews on the back of the book. After 10-15 minutes of discussing their thoughts about the book and making predictions about the story, the kids were starting to get excited! After 2 weeks of reading aloud during the beginning of our reading block, the kids cannot put the books down! They have written journal entries about August making friends and how if August attended their school how they would treat him. They have created pictures of what they imagine Auggie looks like according to what they have read so far. They have also written traits about him from the beginning of the book to the part they are currently reading. We are really excited about reading this book! They have even discussed going to see the movie when it comes out at the end of the month!
The 4th graders at our school, Rainbow Elementary, are reading Bud Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis. When we passed the book out to the students, they were extremely excited. they became even more excited when they learned they would be able to KEEP the book. The students were engaged from the beginning, and quickly became immersed in the plot of the book. The students discussed the main character, Buddy, and his character traits. Some students compared his character traits to their own.
They have been reading in small reading circles, and some have participated in a read aloud with the teacher.
The students were not familiar with the Great Depression, so we have taken the opportunity to expose them to that time period and allow them to make comparisons between that time in history and the present. We will keep reading and keep you posted!!!
Bud,NotBuddy— In Chapter 11 Bud was in a lot of foster homes.On one page a man got a nice and cool jacket. Bud loved the jacket too!Bud was going through a lot of stuff he was in the Great Depsressison .(Oh My God)He was with a new friend of his , one morning Buds friend said Bud get up get up.Oh and Bud is a ten year old boy,he is geting ready to learn more about his dad,and that is my summary about the book Bud,NotBudd so far. I like this book.
The reason why you should read Bud Not Buddy is because it has adventure and horrors.
Bud not Buddy is a great book for people,even kids.Even though he was motherless he was awesome and kind to other people.Bud had to go to foster homes because he never knew his father.This is my comment on Bud not Buddy good-bye.