All results / Stories / Terri Schlichenmeyer
“Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, edited with an introduction by Genevieve West, foreword by Tayari Jones
Everybody has that place. You know, that place where everyone knows you, they know what you want, and they get it for you before your coat’s half off. It’s where you can catch up on gossip and good news, where you take shelter and get sympathy. In “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, you also get a front seat.
“Who are Venus and Serena Williams” by James Buckley Jr.
“You kids quiet down!” If you’re feeling wild, you’ve no doubt heard that, or PIPE DOWN, or KNOCK IT OFF, or something similar, for sure. You’re a kid, kids make noise, and in the new book “Who are Venus and Serena Williams?” by James Buckley Jr., you’ll read about two girls who were encouraged to make a lot of “racquet!”
“Good Kids, Bad City” by Kyle Swenson
Your hands were clean. Freshly washed, not a speck of dirt, they were as clean as your conscience. You did no wrong; instead, you promoted what was good and right. But in “Good Kids, Bad City” by Kyle Swenson, past actions sometimes don’t matter.
“Clean Getaway” by Nic Stone
Your next vacation could be the dream of a lifetime. It could take you to the beach, park, or the mountains, shopping or sightseeing, visiting pals or hanging with family. A vacation could get you one city away, it can whisk you halfway around the world or, as in the new book “Clean Getaway” by Nic Stone, a vacation can take you where you don’t want to be.
“Harriet Gets Carried Away” by Jessie Sima c.2018, Simon & Schuster
You wear Mommy’s shoes, too. You love that clomping around, the wiggly-wobbly feel, and the fun of pretending that you’re someone else. Dressing up is great but be careful. As in the new book, “Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima, things could quickly get out of hand.
“Black Klansman: A Memoir” by Ron Stallworth
You want no part of that. In fact, the farther away you are from whatever-it-is, the happier you’ll be. Nope, some things are not your friend. Some things are not good for you at all. And as you’ll see in the new book “Black Klansman: A Memoir” by Ron Stallworth, some people can’t resist some things like that.
“Grandad Mandela” by Zazi, Ziwelene & Zindzi Mandela with Sean Qualls
Please tell me a family story. You never get tired of hearing about your Mom and Dad, and how much fun they had on their first date; or that one tale about your uncle (so funny!); or the story about your cousin’s very first car. Please tell me a story, you ask, and in “Grandad Mandela” by Zazi, Ziwelene & Zindzi Mandela and Sean Qualls, two children hear of their great-grandfather’s heroism.
“Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Other kids can be so mean. In your classroom, they call you names and whisper bad things. On the playground, they tease you, and it hurts your feelings. You wish you had more friends, and that things were different. But inthe new book “Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, life can change, and it starts on the inside of you.
“Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth” by Kevin M. Levin
History is a big subject. And yet, each era has inside it a thousand little clues for people, places, and everyday life: clothes folks might’ve worn, toys children played with, maybe, or foods they enjoyed. Those are the things that make history fascinating, even powerful. But add in a bit of quarrel and, as in the new book “Searching for Black Confederates” by Kevin M. Levin, they might make history wrong.
“The God Groove: A Blues Journey to Faith” by David Ritz
One thing leads to another. Isn’t that how it goes? You start somewhere and a door is opened. You enter that door and see a window. The window takes you elsewhere and each new place teaches you something different. Isn’t that the way life is – and in the new book “The God Groove” by David Ritz, isn’t that the way faith is?
“Friday Black: Stories” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
You are the strongest person you know. You can lift and carry a lot of weight and many burdens, because strength comes from within as well as from muscles. So what are you capable of doing when times get strange?
“The Blood of Emmett Till” by Timothy B. Tyson
You really can’t remember. For sure, something important happened years ago, something you should recall very easily, but time’s made things fuzzy. Have you forgotten or, worse yet, have you just remembered everything wrong? Usually, you suppose, it wouldn’t matter but in the new book “The Blood of Emmett Till” by Timothy B. Tyson, it surely does.
“Spy on History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring” by Enigma Alberti & Tony Cliff
You’ve seen a lot of things you weren’t supposed to see. Some might call you “snoopy.” Others might say you’re “nosy,” but you understand that keeping your eyes open, finding information, and knowing what you’re not supposed to know can sometimes be a good thing. And in the new book “Spy on History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring” by Enigma Alberti & Tony Cliff, sleuthing and snooping can change history.
“The Broken Road: George Wallace and a Daughter’s Journey to Reconciliation” by Peggy Wallace Kennedy with Justice H. Mark Kennedy
The path your parents first set you on is not the path you ended up taking. Somewhere along the way, you veered to the left or stepped to the right. You found your own groove, made your own decisions and made adjustments while you learned where you were going. And as in the new book “The Broken Road” by Peggy Wallace Kennedy (with Justice H. Mark Kennedy), it was essential to know where you came from.
"The Last Negroes at Harvard" by Kent Garrett with Jeanne Ellsworth
Remember, remember....? Skipping school, good teachers, hard lessons, practical jokes, smelly lockers, remember? If you don't, your oldest friends probably do. As in the new book "The Last Negroes at Harvard" by Kent Garrett with Jeanne Ellsworth, they were there alongside you when everything happened, remember?
"Brave. Black. First." by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson
Step right up. When you want to be first in line, that's what you have to do: get in place at the head, let everybody else queue behind you, and lead them forward. You might have to show them how it's done. You might have to show some responsibility. Or, as in the new book "Brave. Black. First." by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson, you might have to take some big risks.
"Who Got Game? Baseball: Amazing But True Stories!" by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by JohnJohn Bajet
Everybody’s supposed to stay home now. It’s probably not the “home” you’re thinking about though. The home you want to see involves running around a diamond, cheers in your ears, ahhh, you wanna hear that again. For now, though, you may have to make do with a home run like “Who Got Game? Baseball: Amazing But True Stories!” by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by JohnJohn Bajet.
“Her Own Two Feet: A Rwandan Girl’s Brave Fight to Walk” by Meredith Davis and Rebekah Uwitonze
On the day you took your first steps, your parents were very proud. They took pictures of you standing by yourself with a one-tooth smile on your face, and then they called Grandma and Grandpa to tell them you were walking! It was reason to celebrate and you walk now without thinking about it, but in the new book “Her Own Two Feet” by Meredith Davis and Rebekah Uwitonze, first steps aren’t always second nature.
“Inventing Victoria” by Tonya Bolden
You can be anything you want to be! That’s what you were told, growing up: you could do anything, try everything, and be anybody you wanted to be, if you tried. Set your sights on something, and it was yours – so in the new novel “Inventing Victoria” by Tonya Bolden, a young girl wants a better life.
“Dear Martin: A Novel” by Nic Stone
What if your entire future was mapped out for you? All you’d have to do is show up, keep your nose clean and your mouth shut. But what if you couldn’t? What if the color of your skin had some bearing on it, and your outrage and need for understanding made you speak up? As in the new novel, “Dear Martin” by Nic Stone, WWMLKD?
