All results / Stories / Terri Schlichenmeyer
“What God is Honored Here?” edited by Shannon Gibney and Kao Kalia Yang
You’re doing okay. Shaky, most days, and you can’t stop crying but you’re doing okay. Thanks for asking, although nobody ever really wants to know. They look away, up or down or anywhere but at the truth: you’ve lost a baby but in “What God is Honored Here?” edited by Shannon Gibney and Kao Kalia Yang, you’ll find sisterhood.
"Ready to Rise" by Jo Saxton
You know you have it. There's all kinds of potential inside you but how can you actually use it? Says author Jo Saxton in her new book "Ready to Rise," it takes determination, a community, strength, belief in yourself, and a little leaning on God.
“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.
“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.
“How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace” by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison
In church, you sing a lot of songs. Some are just for Sunday School, and you clap when you sing them. Others make you dance right in your seat. And some songs you sing in church are very old and have a quiet, hidden meaning. In “How Sweet the Sound” by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison, you’ll learn about one song that feels a lot like a prayer.
“All the Women in My Family Sing,” edited by Deborah Santana
Spoken or unspoken, serious or in jest, you get asked that question all the time. Where are you from? Who are your parents? Have you been here before, and what do you do? In “All The Women in My Family Sing,” edited by Deborah Santana, the questions stand: who are you and what is your story?
“White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue… And Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation” by Lauren Michele Jackson
It’s all yours. You own it, got it, paid for it, you even have the receipt. That thing: you fought hard for it and nobody can take it away. But – as in the new book “White Negroes” by Lauren Michele Jackson, folks can surely borrow it.
“Lightning Men” by Thomas Mullen
It struck in a second. If you’d have blinked, you would have missed the flash but you’d’ve known it was there by the rumble that followed. There’s nothing like the power and beauty of a summer thunderstorm to put respect into you – except, as in the new novel “Lightning Men” by Thomas Mullen, maybe the crack of a gun.
“Kid Authors” by David Stabler, illustrated by Doogie Horner
“Write that down.” Your teacher says that all the time in class. Your parents might say it, as a reminder because sometimes, writing things down can be important. And as you’ll see in the new book, “Kid Authors” by David Stabler, illustrated by Doogie Horner, written words can also be magic.
“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.
"Grief is Love: Living with Loss" by Marisa Renee Lee c.2022, HarperLegacy
It happened so fast. One minute, your loved one was talking, laughing, alive – and the next minute they were gone, as if a thick line were drawn somewhere between life and not-life. Even if you had time to prepare, time to get used to their impending death, it happened too fast. You have to continue without them... but how? In the new book "Grief is Love" by Marisa Renee Lee, you'll see what may be next for you.
“I’m Not Really a Waitress” by Suzi Weiss-Fischmann
You’d get it right someday. At about the second week of starting a business, that may’ve been your thought. Rookie mistakes had been made, long nights were spent, but you still had confidence to hang in there. Says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann in “I’m Not Really a Waitress,” success takes time and lots of learning.
“Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World” by Mitch Prinstein
None of the other kids like you. They don’t include you in anything; in fact, they often just plain ignore you, and some even pick on you. You don’t understand why this is, but there isn’t much you can do: quitting your job is not an option. In “Popular” by Mitch Prinstein, you’ll see why being Top Dog matters, after all these years.
“The Schmuck in My Office: How to Deal Effectively with Difficult People at Work” by Jody J. Foster, MD MBA with Michelle Joy, MD
Your co-worker is an idiot. All day long, he’s blah-blah-blah, telling you how great he is, the coolest guy ever. If you’ve done something, he’s done it better. Twice. You’d love it if the boss fired the jerk, but then you’d be short-handed and that’s no good, either. So read “The Schmuck in My Office” by Jody J. Foster, MD MBA (with Michelle Joy, MD) and find out a better way of dealing with him.
“I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness” by Austin Channing Brown
Oh, the things you’ve heard! You’ve been told statements that aren’t true, and that made you sad. Myths kept you from your full potential. Tall tales were told to provoke you. And with the new book “I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness” by Austin Channing Brown, well, sit down. You’re about to get an eyeful.
“Black is the Body: Stories From My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine” by Emily Bernard
Your mother dealt with things you can’t imagine. It was a different time when she was your age, with societal issues you’d never tolerate and rules you wouldn’t abide. Same with your grandma: scrapbooks, history books and museums are the only places you’ll see what she lived. So what will your children know?
“Called to Rise” by Dallas Police Chief (Ret.) David O. Brown (with Michelle Burford)
Your life is entirely wrapped up in your job. You never aimed for that to happen, but it’s okay: what you do for a living has become your passion and therefore, you do it well. Life and work balance for you, but in the new book “Called to Rise” by David O. Brown (with Michelle Burford), you’ll see the balance tip.
“Once a Cop: The Street, The Law, Two Worlds, One Man” by Corey Pegues
You’ve changed your mind. That’s allowed, you know. You can go in a different direction, pick something else, try another thing, have do-overs, or have two. Pencils come with erasers, few things are forever, and in “Once a Cop” by Cory Pegues, change may be good.
“Encyclopedia of Black Comics” by Sheena C. Howard, foreword by Henry louis Gates, Jr., afterword by Christopher Priest
“Draw, Sheriff.” Oh, how you loved to do that. It started with spider-legged people and crooked houses. As you got better, you replicated and created worlds, invented characters, and expanded your tool use. Even today, with sharp pencil or fine pen, you can still make a respectable doodle; in the new book “Encyclopedia of Black Comics” by Sheena C. Howard, you’ll see how you’re right in ‘toon.
“Blended” by Sharon M. Draper
One plus one is two. It’s simple: all you have to do is add or count, easy-peasy, a trick you probably learned shortly after you could talk. One plus one is two but as you grow up, you’ll notice that math can get funny and, in the case of the new book “Blended” by Sharon M. Draper, one plus one might suddenly become more.
