A Bat Cave: An Abecedarian Bedtime Chronicle. By Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Jeffery Weatherford. Sparse text in alphabetical order pairs with cinematic digital art to follow bats from their lairs into the night air. Paperback from Amazon and ebook from Barnes & Noble

AFRICA. By Carole Boston Weatherford; designed by Jeffery Weatherford. Rhyming read-aloud text and vivid photos give young readers a glimpse of African culture, landscape and wildlife. Ebook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble

This spring I will be teaching a new online course, ENGL 370-D1, “Junior Seminar:  Hip Hop: Poetry, Politics and Pop Culture” at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.

Description: This course draws connections between rap, oral traditions, and hip-hop culture, and explores the place of rap music in literature and society. Students will read articles, watch videos, and listen to podcasts addressing not only artistry, but also such controversial subjects as censorship, sexism, obscenity, and race politics in the U.S. as they relate to hip-hop culture. Students will produce multimedia projects, write criticism and positions, and create raps. Prerequisites: ENGL 110, 120 and junior standing.

See flyer.

I have changed domain names. This is my now my official author web site. Most teacher resources and more up-to-date news can now be found here. I hope you’ll visit me often.

Last Saturday, I led a storytelling workshop for Movies without Borders, a project that enables immigrants to tell their stories.

Lunches at Mela and Salsa’s were great. Reading with Cathy Smith Bowers and Barbara Kremen was a real treat.

The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights

By Carole Boston  Weatherford; art by Tim Ladwig

Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Booklist Top Ten Religion Books for Youth

A poetic hymn and stirring art evoke the spirit of Immanuel (God with us) and show how faith undergirded the African-American freedom struggle.

The publisher’s site offers a free reading guide, bookmarks, postcards and posters.

I can’t wait to see President Obama’s  new children’s picture book Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, which is probably set to become a holiday best-seller, at least in some circles. The book spotlights 13 American icons who exemplify various virtues. The most unlikely subject: Billie Holiday–my muse but no role model. Holiday also figures into Obama’s pre-Oval Office memoir Dreams from My Father. As a youth struggling with identity, he found her music transcendent.