School & Education

She just wanted to be a doctor

Carlotta's Special Dress: How a Walk to School Changed Civil Rights History by Carlotta Walls Lanier, Lisa Frazier Page and Vanessa Brantley-Newton

January 19, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Carlotta’s Special Dress: How a Walk to School Changed Civil Rights History by Carlotta Walls Lanier, Lisa Frazier Page, and illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton Read via online reader, the book is actually out and about for purchase and reading. This book seemed like it would be “okay” or a nice book on a person I knew a little about, what a nice way to introduce them to kids, but would not be anything “wow.” Don’t judge a book by its cover and don’t assume because […]

Messy handwriting doesn’t mean you can’t be an author

Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

May 12, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I have read parts of Abdul’s Story off and on for a year now. Finally, I was able to find the finish copy and sink my teeth in. This story is how a young boy, Abdul, loves telling stories. But writing them is a lot harder. Besides, why write them down? Some stories are meant to be told. Yet, when an author comes to his class, a man who looks like Abul with his straight lines, and unscuffed shoes, he learns that there are many […]

Making your mark and a few mistakes

Marker by Anna Kang

January 5, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Today’s lunch was a small croissant with a little chicken curry inside and picture book reading. And one of those was Marker by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant. This short picture book is a due in mid/late June (which seems an odd time) as it is about the first day and the first few days of school. Marker is a proud member of Teacher’s crew. And they are always there, ready to make their permanent mark on things. But during the writing of […]

I might change the title of this review when I either remember it or find my notes for this really cool line I wanted to use

Emmie & Friends Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson

December 22, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Truly Tyler in the Emmie & Friends series might be my favorite of the group. I have enjoyed the others by Terri Libenson, but after a bit it felt like I was reading the same one over. This time we are focusing on a side character who is male. In the author afterwards, Libenson mentions how this was for them, among other fun facts. We follow two of the characters, Tyler and Emmie (switching between their points of view) and see how the same situation can be […]

Almost 6 miles

9 Kilometers by Claudio Aguilera

December 12, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I remember as a kid not wanting to get up and go to school. It was a chore and all I had to do was get up, eat a prepared breakfast, and get dressed. The sun (and my mom) was already up for at least an hour or two. I had to wait for the bus to drive oh five-ten minutes down the road. When they switched the route when I was older, it took 15-20 minutes. The only real struggle was rainy days or […]

Schooling the class

Agatha May and the Anglerfish by Nora Morrison and Jessie Ann Foley

June 9, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Agatha May really likes the Anglerfish, and we learn about that in Agatha May and the Anglerfish by Nora Morrison and Jessie Ann Foley. Now, I like the Anglerfish but in mid-December 2022 you can find a gal who really likes them. Agatha is a kid who has trouble sitting still in class. Their fingers are messy. They decide to feed when it is not lunch time and they are afraid that when the class picks sea creatures for their school project, hers will be […]

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Schooling the class

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