Tag: Rap

Posted on in Awards, Newsletter, Visits

Drumroll, Please: Exciting News, New Books & School & Summer Programs

The is year is off to a great start with an NAACP Image Award finalist, CROWNING GLORY: A CELEBRATION OF BLACK HAIR, a new book, IF KAMALA CAN: . . . YOU CAN TOO! (illustrated by Ariana Pacino) and a one-in-three chance that our family history, KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE, will be the One Maryland One Book selection for 2025. If chosen, this would be a first for me and Jeffery. Fingers crossed!

IF KAMALA CAN is not a biography but instead an inspirational book meant to affirm young readers’s aspirations by following former Vice President Kamala Harris’s example. If you’ve read BE A KING: DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’s DREAM AND YOU, you’ll know what I mean.

In Nashville, Tennessee, a professional development on my books inspired music teachers to create an original composition celebrating BROS. More than 200 students played, sang and danced to the piece in the district’s first Elementary Music Festival at Tennessee Performing Arts Center–a first for the district. I also visited three schools where students performed music and dances based on BROS and JAZZ BABY. Student art on the themes in BROS was displayed on folded cafeteria tables, The production, which was beyond my imagination, was the brainchild of Franklin Willis, Metro Nashville Public Schools Director of Music, and Dr. Tiffeni Fontno, Director of Peabody Library at Vanderbilt University. Way to extend the literature!!!

Jeffery kicked off the new year by conducting his popular RAP IT UP! workshop for BAAM (Building African American Minds), a youth agency in Easton, Maryland. The all-male group produced a rap that is absolute fire!!! This transformative workshop is a mainstay of our summer offerings. Formerly known as Hip Hop Tech for its S.T.E.A.M. connections, it has been renamed after our upcoming how-to book and first co-authored collaboration, RAP IT UP!, illustrated by Ernel Martinez. Pre-order now.

Our next stop is Singapore American School–our first international visit since the pandemic. Wherever you are, we would love to visit your school, library or community with books and programs that spark curiosity, creativity, consciousness and confidence. Our K-12 presentations and workshops connect to the ELA, social studies, STEAM and SEL curricula. Themes include biographies, primary sources, social justice, and jazz. We also headline family literacy/parent involvement events. Here are a few options to whet your appetite:

  • RAP IT UP! presentation, workshop or residency
  • Genealogy Camp for ages 12-up
  • Jazz, Justice, Joy & JUNETEENTH JAMBOREE (Focus on enslavement, segregation/civil rights or Black music)
  • Lifting the Ceiling off of Dreams (YOU CAN FLY: THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN and other achievers)

View our Visits Guide

TEACHERS GUIDES FOR BOOKS CITED

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The Family Business: Kid Lit Duos

School Library Journal featured four award-winning family duos who collaborate on children’s books: the Roccos, the Pinkneys, the Pumphreys and us, the Weatherfords. We talk about the dynamics (and ground rules) of their creative partnerships. We are honored to be in such eloquent and illustrious company. Read the article here.

Jeffery and I not only create books together, but also take our “show” on the road to schools, libraries and cultural institutions. We’d love to visit your campus or community. We have books and programs that connect to the curriculum and commemorate the following observances:

  • King Holiday
  • Black History Month
  • Women’s History Month
  • Music Education Month
  • National Poetry Month
  • School Library Week
  • Photography Month

Find out about our school visits here.

Posted on in Awards, Newsletter

Voting, Visits, Lesson Plans, New Books, Recent Honors & a Giveaway

If you don’t vote, you don’t count.–Fannie Lou Hamer

Now that I’m retired (after 22 years as an English professor), Jeffery and I will be presenting more often. Our programs connect to the ELA, social studies, STEAM and SEL curricula. Themes include biographies, primary sources, social justice, and jazz. We offer writing/poetry workshops inspired by oral traditions and family history, as well as professional development workshops and family literacy programs. A daylong visit includes three assemblies or workshops plus Q&A, an informal small group session and book signings. Jeffery’s popular RAP IT UP! writing workshops and residencies continue to transform young writers. View our Visits Guide.

Save on travel by booking us when we’re touring your area. On November 15, I’ll be in Cleveland, unpacking BOX: HENRY BROWN MAILS HIMSELF TO FREEDOM at Ohio State University’s Newbery Award Symposium. Other stops include: Chicago (October 24), Boston (October 26 and November 21-24) and Cincinnati (November 1). If we’re in your city, drop by to check out these new fall books.

With the election, Family History Month (October) and Hip Hop History Month (November) approaching, we stress the importance of knowing your history (KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE); of using your voice (RAP IT UP!); and of voting (THE FAITH OF ELIJAH CUMMINGS: THE NORTH STAR OF EQUAL JUSTICE; MADAM SPEAKER: NANCY PELOSI CALLS THE HOUSE TO ORDER; and VOICE OF FREEDOM: FANNIE LOU HAMER, SPIRIT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT).

If you’re a Weatherford Report subscriber with a U.S. mailing address. enter to win VOICE OF FREEDOM. In the comments below or via email by September 30, tell us when you first heard of unsung voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer (even if it’s today o’clock!).

In award news, Jeffery and I look forward to accepting the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Poetry for our verse novel/family history, KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE. And, HOW DO YOU SPELL UNFAIR? MACNOLIA COX AND THE NATIONAL SPELLING BEE received Cleveland Public Library’s Norman A. Sugarman Children’s Biography Award Honor. Book love never gets old.

TEACHERS GUIDES FOR BOOKS CITED

Posted on in Awards, Newsletter

Celebrating Honors, New Books & a New Chapter

What better way to kick off my retirement from academia than at the American Library Association conference in San Diego? My illustrator son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, was there too, celebrating—and signing—our verse novel, KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE, which won a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, as did my picture book biography HOW DO YOU SPELL UNFAIR? MACNOLIA COX AND THE NATIONAL SPELLING BEE. Of six signings, four panels, two speeches and one performance, the highlight was Jeffery’s surprise introduction at the CSK Award breakfast. “She’s not just a mother to me,” he said. “She’s a mother to Black children’s books.” I was almost speechless! The only thing sweeter was taking the award home to my 98-year-old mother.

Neither of us was at a loss for words at the CSK 55th Anniversary Gala where we were on a panel moderated by three brilliant students and featuring CSK Award winner Dare Coulter and Caldecott Medal winner Vashti Harrison. Afterwards, we performed ”Black Means: Roll Call & Rap,” a call-and-response, found poem celebrating CSK award and honor books. The crowd really got into it.

The week before the conference, we heard that KIN won the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for poetry and that HOW DO YOU SPELL UNFAIR? won the Carter G. Woodson Honor from National Council for the Social Studies. We appreciate all the book love.

On the road to ALAAC24, Jeffery conducted his RAP IT UP residency in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The popular workshop takes its name from our first co-authored book, illustrated by Philadelphia muralist Ernel Martinez. Conceived by Jeffery to foster creative expression and to build reading, writing and public speaking skills, RAP IT UP drops in Spring 2025.

We made some new friends at ALA, including Miss Black America Gabrielle Wilson, whose platform is extending protections of the Crown Act to K-12 students. I was happy to share with her an F&G of CROWNING GLORY: A CELEBRATION OF BLACK HAIR, my second collaboration with Ekua Holmes.

I am always thrilled to see my new books on publishers’ banners. I’m even more excited to hold new books in my hands for the first time and to sign readers’ copies–both of which I did at ALAAC24.

The new picture book biography, BRIDGES INSTEAD OF WALLS: THE STORY OF MAVIS STAPLES, illustrated by Steffi Walthall, hit stores July 9. And Fall will bring four new picture book releases: the aforementioned CROWNING GLORY; HAIR LIKE OBAMA’S, HANDS LIKE LEBRON’S, illustrated by Savanna Durr; the STEAM-powered folk art biography, WHIRLIGIGS: THE WONDROUS WINDMILLS OF VOLLIS SIMPSON’S IMAGINATION, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, and THE DOLL TEST: CHOOSING EQUALITY, illustrated by David Cooper. We are also pleased to announce that the paperback edition of KIN is coming this fall. Pre-order any of these upcoming titles now! Get a 25% discount with the code PREORDER25! through July 17 if you are a Barnes & Noble Rewards or Premium member.

This summer, Jeffery and I hope to dive into an ambitious work-in-progress. When fall arrives, we look forward to visiting schools and libraries to mark Family History Month (KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE), Veterans Day (YOU CAN FLY: THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN), the Vote (VOICE OF FREEDOM: FANNIE LOU HAMER, SPIRIT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT), and the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education (THE DOLL TEST: CHOOSING EQUALITY).

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COVER REVEAL: I can’t believe they let us turn up like that at the library!

That’s what one young rhymer said after Jeffery’s HIP HOP TECH workshop at the Portsmouth Public Library in Virginia. Next year, we’re turning it up even more with a new picture book, RAP IT UP! Inspired by his popular workshops, Jeffery conceived this how-to book and co-authors with me. Philly muralist Ernel Martinez illustratres. The rhyming text drops knowledge about writing and public speaking. Peek inside and pre-order here.

Young rhymers can’t get their hand on the book yet, but they can grab a mic at Jeffery’s hip hop workshops this summer. Since 2015, libraries, museums and youth agencies have hosted single sessions and residencies. Empowered by their own words, youth gain greater self-awareness and self-confidence.from writing and performing. Contact Carole for more info: cbwpoet@gmail.com.

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Photography, Juneteenth, Black Music, Hip Hop Workshops for Tweens & Teens, VBS: We Got You.

With 80 books, there’s a title for (almost) every season and observance, including Photography Month (May), Memorial Day, Black Music Month (June) and Juneteenth. Add to that books, activities and presentations for summer reading programs and Vacation Bible School (VBS!). It’s not too late to book the Weatherfords for late spring and summer.

For Photography Month, Jeffery and I focus on Gordon Parks and Dorothea Lange and how primary source photographs figure into our historical research.

KICK-OFF SUMMER WITH A SALUTE & SONG

For Memorial Day, we honor military heroes with poems from YOU CAN FLY; THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN and from KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE and a rousing rap from Jeffery saluting the pioneering Black WWII pilots.

On May 31 or June 1, I hope you will pause to remember Black Wall Street, the nation’s wealthiest Black business district, once located in Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood community, which, in 1921, was the scene of the nation’s worst incident of racial violence. UNSPEAKABLE: THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE, my 2021 collaboration with the late Floyd Cooper, tells that story.

For the Juneteenth national holiday, Jeffery and I share stories of enslavement and emancipation from KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE, MOSES: WHEN HARRIET TUBMAN LED HER PEOPLE TO FREEDOM and JUNETEENTH JAMBOREE, the first children’s book about the first African-American holiday.

This summer Jeffery will again offer his popular Hip Hop Tech workshop, now known as RAP IT UP!–after our upcoming picture book collaboration. These transformative sessions get tweens and teens hyped about writing and performing original rap lyrics. A Petersburg, Virginia, workshop produced what has got to be thee dopest testimonial: “I can’t believe they let us get lit like that in the library! Believe it. Jeffery is already booked for a residency in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

For Black Music Month, Jeffery and I tune in to African-American musical genres and musicians–from spirituals, blues, and gospel, to jazz, soul and rap. Yes, we got books for all that.

TAKING IT TO CHURCH!

With book bans proliferating and Black history under attack, grassroots reading/study groups are needed more than ever. We encourage churches to host reading programs for all ages, but especially for children. Many of our titles are perfect for Vacation Bible School and for multigenerational audiences and discussions. Reading guides for many of these books are available as free downloads (more on that later). If your church literacy initiative uses our books, let us know. We may be available to join the discussion via Zoom. Here are some spirit-filled books to consider.

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Sheroes, BROS Day, Poetry Month Ideas, Juneteenth, Spelling Bees & a Buzzworthy Donation

Group shots clockwise from top left: Jeffery and Carole greet family and friends after the KIN event in Easton, Maryland; BROS Day, a celebration hosted by the Chicago-based pop-up play space, Brown Books and Paintbrushes; at the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, Maryland; a student reading How Do You Spell Unfair? as part of the Dublin, California, One City/One Book project. The new picture book bios, Crown of Stories and Outspoken, release in April.

During Black History Month, Jeffery Boston Weatherford–my son and collaborator–and I took KIN: Rooted in Hope home to Talbot County, Maryland, where our newly freed forebears co-founded Reconstruction-era villages. Big hugs to librarian and event organizer Cindy Orban (top center in purple)–the best friend a book ever had. Thanks to the event sponsors, including Talbot County Free Library, The Country School, Avalon Theatre and Dorchester County Tourism Office. By the way, there’s now a KIN reading guide to accompany the Family Tree Activity sheet.

While in Easton, Maryland, we made what I am told was the largest donation statewide to the inaugural Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture Book Drive: board books–My Favorite Toy and Mighty Menfolk–for Talbot County’s toddlers.

Jeffery and I celebrated Women’s History Month at Nashville’s Public Library and KIPP Middle School with presentations spotlighting little-known (s)heroes in collaboration Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Woman’s Fight for Equality and Respect and in How Do You Spell Unfair? Macnolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee, illustrated by Frank Morrison.

Francis Scott Key by Jeffery Boston Weatherford from KIN (Atheneum).

Jeffery’s solo exhibition of prints from KIN—April 7 and through June at Baltimore’s Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum–will include the above portrait of Francis Scott Key. During the War of 1812, Key penned the Star Spangled Banner as bombs burst over Baltimore’s harbor. That same harbor made headlines recently when a 200-million-ton freighter slammed the Frances Scott Key Bridge, causing its collapse, six deaths and thousands of lost jobs. I pray for the families of the road crew who were killed. I pray that my hometown can bear this blow and that rebuilding will be swift. #MarylandTough #BaltimoreStrong

There’s still time to book us–the Weatherfords–for a school visit this spring. We also offer Juneteenth celebrations and summer programs, such as Jeffery’s popular Rap It Up hip-hop writing workshop for ages 10 to adult. And it’s not too early to book us for next school year.

Finally, National Poetry Month calls for a one-poem project. May we suggest “Daniel Lloyd,” “Chicken Sue” or “Prissy” from KIN; “Head to the Sky” from You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen, “Fifth Grade” from Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library or the opening poem from Outspoken? Pluck a few six-line poems from BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom. Or choose a poetic picture book like Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, Freedom in Congo Square, You are My Pride: A Love Letter from Your Motherland, Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Dream and You or The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop.

The picture book bios Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America and How Do You Spell Unfair? Macnolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee are also good fits for one-poem projects. You could even share those titles in May around the National Spelling Bee or National Photography Month. Can you say C-H-E-E-S-E?

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The Weatherford Report: Fall 2023 e-newsletter

FAMILY TREES, ROYAL ROOTS, SCHOOL VISITS & FREE GUIDES

Why so sad? I just found out that Carole is not my mother.

How far back can you trace your roots? In KIN: Rooted in Hope, my son Jeffery and I reach back to 1770 at Maryland’s largest plantation and to the Reconstruction-era villages our ancestors co-founded. Dramatic poems and scratchboard art conjure our enslaved forebears, reclaiming lost narratives and a royal legacy.

Our new presentation based on KIN shares primary sources, poems, illustrations and the book’s backstory. We are now booking school and library visits for KIN and for K-12 programs about the Tuskegee Airmen, Tulsa Race Massacre, segregation/civil rights, jazz/the Harlem Renaissance/Great Depression, poetry and your choice of biographies. And we’re still celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop.

In case you missed these TEACHER GUIDES for recent and award-winning titles.

Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual

How Do You Spell Unfair? MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

The Faith of Elijah Cummings: The North Star for Equal Justice

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul

To bring us to your school or community, contact cbwpoet@gmail.com.

Pass history on!

Carole and Jeffery

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Roots of Rap National Poetry Month Challenge

Beatbox challenge flyer

K-12 Teachers: Take the mic for National Poetry Month. Video students as they spit bars from The Roots of Rap–or beatbox to the rhymes. Post videos to Twitter @poetweatherford #RootsOfRapChallenge. Win a free Skype visit and a copy of the book. Deadline: April 30, 2019

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ROOTS OF RAP book trailer

The book dropped January 8, 2019. Nonfiction with a hip hop beat.