Has some decent titles.....we've checked out and own most of them....
Girl of Mine: Great book....but really only good up until about 2 years old IMO. Our daughter is 3.5 now....and this book is waaaaay too simple and short for her to be read to. Maybe will revisit when she starts learning to read more....trying now.....
Lola at the Library: GREAT book....I rock with this one....
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale : HORRIBLE HORRIBLE BOOK! Pseudo made up "African" mythology, horrible message, sexist leaning, just all around bad book for any little Black girl IMO.
Something Beautiful: MIGHT be good....but i'm put off by the inner city bent to it.
The Colors of Us: still on the fence about this one.
Nappy Hair: I'm going to look into this one despite the name of it and using the pejorative "Nappy"...also the whole "call and response" thing I'm not too sure about...
I Love My Hair: Good book....waaaaay too simple language and not a very good book for repeated reading.
Overall there are some good books on that list...but wow, there HAS to be more!
Stuff like Princess Truly; Come on, Rain etc would be great. I don't really care for the books that try to water down historical figures into a short sweet storybook. Those NEVER go well and are HORRIBLE reads.
3. "i'd rather get beat on my head by blackness than by a police officer" In response to Reply # 0 Tue Apr-05-16 08:49 AM by Ill Jux
being scared of your children learning about their "blackness" is crazy, especially when most black people know very little about their "blackness". people are out here thinking love and hip hop, young thug, and drug dealing have to do with "blackness".
23. "lol....how does this post = that nonsense you yapping about??" In response to Reply # 3
>being scared of your children learning about their >"blackness" is crazy, especially when most black people know >very little about their "blackness". people are out here >thinking love and hip hop, young thug, and drug dealing have >to do with "blackness".
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79629 posts
Tue Apr-05-16 08:57 AM
10. "poorly worded and prolly on purpose" In response to Reply # 0
good luck
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
17. "How you figure? Not poorly worded at all, and definitely on purpose. " In response to Reply # 10
There are books where Black is the theme, and they want you to know it page after page after page.... for a 3 year old child...those books aren't entertaining or very good reads at all. And they exist....there are a ton of them...and they generally suck.
Then there are books where the central character is Black, but the theme of the book isn't necessarily Blackness....but it still provides a storyline and imagery that a Black child can relate to, and it resonates with them.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79629 posts
Tue Apr-05-16 11:15 AM
38. "lol, ok bruh... but you know where you are. " In response to Reply # 17
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
11. "She's ready for them yet, but Rita Williams Garcia books are good" In response to Reply # 0
She does a great job of portraying an appreciation for black culture without it being too overbearing, in my opinion. we recently got into her series dealing with 3 sisters out of Brooklyn and how they deal with reconnecting with their mother who abandoned them at a young age. The first, One Crazy Summer, takes place in Oakland and has a Black Panther Party backdrop, the second book, P.S. Be Eleven, is back in Brooklyn and is centered around the girls' everyday lives in the city. The 3rd installment, Crazy in Alabama, deals with the girls visiting relatives for the summer in rural Alabama and the stark differences between the city dwellers and the country relatives.
These books place an unapologetic appreciation for blackness as one of the central themes, but it's not beat over your head. it flows well within the context of the time period that the stories cover. my girl absolutely loved the books and learned so much about important cultural events of the period and it constantly reinforced a love of who we are as a separate culture and ethnic group.
20. "Thanks! Adding them to the list...probably have to shelf them till she's..." In response to Reply # 11
older though. BTW, Z been rocking that rubber band bracelet that N made for her....she pulled it out of nowhere, remembered that it was a gift to her, and talked about how she thinks it so pretty.
30. "I can understand not wanting to expose your child" In response to Reply # 26
to Hotep bullshit/lying ass books.
You seem to think that your child hasn't experienced racism or sexism or noticed difference in others...spoiler alert, she has. You need to get ahead of the narrative here & make sure your kid understands daily that being Black & a girl & nappy haired + w/e else is hitting the fucking jackpot & that it's the world around her that ain't shit. The world is an antagonism for Black girls, good luck.
Imo, every book in your household should be about affirming nappy-headed Black baby girl greatness in every form they come in.
Also, you're welcome & I hope y'all enjoy your reading time whichever books you choose.
<<Mood...Poppy Okotcha in Look 1 at Ashish Fall 2016 ________________________________________
32. "Again...how have you come to those conclusions based on this post??" In response to Reply # 30
>to Hotep bullshit/lying ass books. > > >You seem to think that your child hasn't experienced racism or >sexism or noticed difference in others...spoiler alert, she >has. You need to get ahead of the narrative here & make sure >your kid understands daily that being Black & a girl & nappy >haired + w/e else is hitting the fucking jackpot & that it's >the world around her that ain't shit. The world is an >antagonism for Black girls, good luck. > >Imo, every book in your household should be about affirming >nappy-headed Black baby girl greatness in every form they come >in. > >Also, you're welcome & I hope y'all enjoy your reading time >whichever books you choose.
36. ""beat over the head w/ blackness" + being hesitant to read " In response to Reply # 32
a book w/ the term nappy in it or 1 that features call & response. You appear to have negative connotations about certain aspects of AA/Black American culture.
<<Mood...Poppy Okotcha in Look 1 at Ashish Fall 2016 ________________________________________
40. "I don't embrace the term "nappy", for a myriad of reasons....." In response to Reply # 36
>a book w/ the term nappy in it or 1 that features call & >response. You appear to have negative connotations about >certain aspects of AA/Black American culture.
Call & Response works for some formats & settings (i.e.; group reading) and is a very effective means of reinforcing ideas, concepts, lessons, etc.... Coupled with terminology that I (and many many others) deem very negative, I have very reasonable cause to be apprehensive about that particular book. I am interested enough that i'll check for it in the library though....
74. "First & foremost it's a historically derogative term. " In response to Reply # 73
I understand there's been an ongoing movement to embrace the term, remove the negative stigma from the term, to debase the negative history of the term..... Later for all of that.... Not something I have any interest in my child bearing the burden of when it's just as easy to let the term go by the wayside and move on to more becoming descriptors....
#2. Faced with the task of instilling the necessary sense of pride and love and ownership of beauty, Black beauty, I don't find any value in attempting to condition my child into a way of thinking about a historically negative term when I know that it will mean years and years of "explaining to deaf ears".....
those are tops for me. Those are enough for me. Despite that....like I said, i'm still going to check this particular book out.....
79. "Not at all. Same reason we don't and won't embrace any variation of Nigg..." In response to Reply # 75 Wed Apr-06-16 01:21 PM by FLUIDJ
in our family... it's just a choice you make. And I don't really try to convince anyone against it (anymore)....but just not something we choose to rock with in our home.
>Not something I have any interest in my child bearing the >burden of when it's just as easy to let the term go by the >wayside and move on to more becoming descriptors....
78. "We use BIG hair a lot...simply because she loves that book...." In response to Reply # 76
We use curly We use full We use magic hair sometimes...but it's in context of when we're playing certain kinds of games or stuff like that....hard to explain the context.... We use just plain old "Hair" We use puffy We use beautiful We use determined ( as a game when the goal is untangle the braids we have a challenge to see who's more determined...her hair or the comb)
so many really.... Nappy is just a term that is so unnecessary. I'd rather equip her with terms to drown that out in the even that it comes up...rather than incorporate it into her language and psyche...
62. "Thanks. Yeah, have all of those except Bippity Barbershop & Feast for 10" In response to Reply # 29
>-bippity bop barbershop >-i love my hair >-I had a favorite dress >-White House Dog >-Snow Day >-Dancing in the Wings >-Lola at the library >-Feast for 10
I'll check those out now though! Thanks
But I hope folks are seeing what i'm talking about clearer now....there just aren't a LOT of books out there for the age range....
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
83. "I got this old disney book." In response to Reply # 0
it's from the 70's and it's about different jobs that people can have. It's shockingly progressive for it's time. All of the character's depicted are represented in an equal way. Ie male nurses, Chinese athletes, Black lawyers, etc. There's even a page where it's implied that there are two fathers for one child. It does a really thorough job of describing different types of occupations too.
My SO concurs with your aside comment and eliminates some books on that basis. Her mom was a black nationalist while she was growing up....didn't allow her kids to play with white dolls and the whole bit. The way my SO recalls it....she was taught black supremacy, not black pride.
87. "they are when one makes them that way " In response to Reply # 86
> >********** >"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then >they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson > >"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"
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