All results / Stories / Terri Schlichenmeyer
“What Truth Sounds Like” by Michael Eric Dyson
“We have to talk.” It’s never good when someone tells you that. Even if it’s said with a smile and a pat on the back, you can feel doom in those words. “We have to talk” never helps anyone except when, as in “What Truth Sounds Like” by Michael Eric Dyson, it does.
"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.
"I Am Debra Lee: A Memoir" by Debra Lee
Everybody's looking at you. They're wondering what you're going to do next, because you often surprise them. They don't know what you're about to say because you're never predictable. So stand up, throw your shoulders back, let them watch and learn a thing or two. As in the new memoir, "I Am Debra Lee" by Debra Lee, represent.
“By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, the Father of Gospel Music” by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Every Sunday morning, you get to do your favorite thing. You get to sing.
“When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir” by Patrisse Khan-Cullors & asha bandele, with a foreword by Angela Davis
You can’t look any longer. Whatever it is, it’s just too painful, too scary, so you hide your eyes and pretend that nothing’s happening. You can’t look any longer, so you don’t… but after awhile, you notice it again. That’s when you realize that you saw all along. That’s when, as in the new book “When They Call You a Terrorist” by Patrisse Khan-Cullors & asha bandele, you realize that you never really could look away.
So You Want to Talk about Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
It’s all there in front of you. Plain as day. Plain as the nose on your face with nothing left to tell, it’s all in black and white – or is it? When it comes to racism, says author Ijeoma Oluo, it’s complicated and in her new book “So You Want to Talk about Race,” there may be shades of gray.
“Becoming a Hair Stylist” by Kate Bolick
Sometimes, you feel like you could just dye. Or curl, or cut, or braid. Some days, you want a change in style, a different ‘do, maybe something like you’ve seen in a magazine. Or you want to be the person who makes that happen, so read “Becoming a Hair Stylist” by Kate Bolick and see if you have what it takes.
“Washington Black” by Esi Edugyan
You need to get out of here. You don’t know where. You just have to go to another room, maybe, or another building, another town, across the world. You need to get out of here but, as in the new novel “Washington Black” by Esi Edugyan, be careful, and mindful that you don’t run away from yourself. Big Kit was going to kill him.
“The Weekend Effect” by Katrina Onstad
Zzzzzzzzzip. That was the sound of your last weekend as it passed by, but it probably doesn’t matter anyhow: it was packed with work, To-Dos and obligations, kid’s sports, and more work. Sometimes, you wonder why you even bother. You might as well just go to the office – but first, read “The Weekend Effect” by Katrina Onstad before you zip out Friday afternoon.
“Sisters” by Jeanette Winter
You caught it! The ball was thrown very high – so high that you lost it in the sky for a minute – and you weren’t sure how you’d do it, but your hands were out and you caught it. Just. Like. That. Some balls are meant to be thrown or batted, while some are meant to bounce. In the new book “Sisters” by Jeanette Winter, you’ll learn about two girls who don’t just hit a ball, they smash it.
“Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster” by Stephen L. Carter
Here I am! You raise your hand higher so you don’t go unnoticed. You speak up, so you aren’t overlooked. It’s a natural human need: pay attention, here I am, look this way, see me. For some, it’s easy to get recognition; for others – as in the new book “Invisible” by Stephen L. Carter – years later, it still doesn’t arrive.
“Black Fortunes” by Shomari Wills
A dollar doesn’t buy as much as it used to. Once upon a time, you could get a good steak and a drink for under ten bucks. You could buy a house for less than five figures, and it was big enough to raise a good-sized family in it. A dollar used to stretch farther, last longer, buy more, and in the new book “Black Fortunes” by Shomari Wills, it took fewer dollars to make someone rich.
“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.
“Remembrance” by Mary Monroe
For weeks, you’ve been scouring the stores. You have a lot to give. Most of it is wrapped up colorfully, beribboned and bowed. Some gifts are in bags with shiny trim, while others are tucked away in closets. You have a lot to give this holiday season, but in the new novel, “Remembrance” by Mary Monroe, when you give of yourself, you also get.
"Southwest Sunrise" by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Wendell Minor
You don't wanna. Your favorite toys are in a box and you don't wanna leave them there. All your games, your stuffies, your outside toys, packed away. You said goodbye to your friends and teachers because your family is moving and you don't wanna. But as in the new book "Southwest Sunrise" by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Wendell Minor, just wait. When you get there, you might see things in a different color.
“How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir” by Saeed Jones
You can’t pretend forever. Eventually, the ruse gets tired, holding up pretenses becomes a burden, and keeping the game going is harder than telling the truth. You eventually have to break it down and let people know what you’re about. But as in the new book “How We Fight for Our Lives” by Saeed Jones, take care before telling everybody.
“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.
“Putting Your Employees First” by Michael Bergdahl
Your office looks like Grand Central Station at rush hour. Like that iconic location, you see many people who are older and have been around the block enough times to know the work-score. You also have younger, less-experienced people whose career journeys are just beginning. So how do you best manage a diverse group of employees like that? Read “Putting Your Employees First” by Michael Bergdahl and find out.
“Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
“Lookin’ great, man!” Those three words can make you feel ten feet tall. You want to strut when someone says you’re fly because it’s true. You are, and in “Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James, you’ll see it happen.
“Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land” by Leah Penniman, foreword by Karen Washington
Your hands are filthy. Dirt lines every crease and covers much of your knuckles. It’s beneath your fingernails, all the way up to your wrists, soiling the edges of your sweatshirt and down your front. Yes, your hands are filthy but once you’ve read “Farming While Black” by Leah Penniman, your smile will be wide.
