Tuesday, October 3, 2017

A Good Book About Lena




In looking at THE LEGENDARY MISS LENA HORNE by Carole Boston Weatherford as a mentor text I made some observations.

It begins with family information. “The Horne family tree was laden with achievers: teachers, activists, a Harlem Renaissance poet…..”

Then it becomes a birth, childhood and career narrative but not the cradle to grave approach.

I recently attended a webinar on page turns and examined their role in nonfiction picture books.

For example: one two-page spread ends this way: “With Sissle, eighteen-year-old Lena cut her first record…”

The following two-page spread has her fronting a band.

Does that page turn encourage the reader to turn the page?

The jacket flap says it is for ages 4-8 but I think it would be a great fit for the elementary grades where they are studying Women’s History Month and Black History Month.


Teachers, keep this title in mind.  



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