Hop on the bike with Bessie Stringfield, the motorcycle queen of Miami, in this powerful picture book from Coretta Scott King medalist Charles R. Smith, Jr. and debut picture book illustrator Charlot Kristensen. The folks they lined up to meet the Motorcycle Queen, seated sidesattle on her motorbike machine. In 1929, 18-year-old Bessie Stringfield hopped on her motorcycle and headed out on an adventure, an unusual choice for a young Black woman at the time. Paying her way by winning motorcycle races, she criss-crossed the country through small towns, big cities, and wide open spaces. But not everyone was happy to see Bessie's brown face peeking out from underneath her helmet. And more than once, Bessie found herself making some quick exits on the back of her bike to escape Jim Crow. A trailblazer in the world of women's racing and motorcycling, Bessie Stringfield was a figure who will inspire all children to pursue their dreams. From the first line, award-winning author Charles R. Smith Jr.'s poetry evokes emotion, excitement, fear, and wonder in equal measures. Charlot Kristensen portrays Bessie and the American landscape with vivid imagery that is sure to capture the attention of young readers. A much-needed story about a Black woman who paved the way for future generations, for fans of The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson and My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Pe a.

Oooh, baby] This board book is sweet enough to eat. Infants, toddlers, and their older siblings will drool as they rejoice in the beauty of brown babies. Here, carob cherubs show all their true colours - everything from peanut butter to honey to cinnamon spice. Expressive photos and a mouthwatering rhyme encourage babies to find splendour in the many hues of their own skin.

The compelling true story behind the building of the White House, a powerful part of history rarely taught. From Coretta Scott King Award winners Charles R. Smith Jr. and Floyd Cooper.The home of the United States president was built by many hands, including those of slaves, who undertook this amazing achievement long before there were machines to do those same jobs. Stirring and emotional, Floyd Cooper's stunning illustrations bring to life the faces of those who endured hard, brutal work when the profit of their labor was paid to the master, not the slave. The fact that many were able to purchase their freedom after earning money from learning a trade speaks to the strength of those individuals. They created this iconic emblem of America, brick by brick.Includes an insightful author's note and a list of selected resources.

Born as Arthur John Johnson in the southern state of Texas, Jack Johnson was one of the most renowned boxers of the twentieth century. Through hard work and persistence, he climbed the ranks, taking a swing and a jab and eventually busting the colour barrier. As the first Black man to win the Heavyweight Championship, there was more than a title on the line. Published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this history making bout (July 4, 1910). This is an extraordinary marriage of poetry, fabulous collage artwork, and a splendid achievement in its own right.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a powerful tool for the investigation of species-habitat relationships and the development of wildlife management and conservation programs. However, the relative ease of data manipulation and analysis using GIS, associated landscape metrics packages, and sophisticated statistical tests may sometimes cause investigators to overlook important species-habitat functional relationships. Additionally, underlying assumptions of the study design or technology may have unrecognized consequences. This volume examines how initial researcher choices of image resolution, scale(s) of analysis, response and explanatory variables, and location and area of samples can influence analysis results, interpretation, predictive capability, and study-derived management prescriptions. Overall, most studies in this realm employ relatively low resolution imagery that allows neither identification nor accurate classification of habitat components. Additionally, the landscape metrics typically employed do not adequately quantify component spatial arrangement associated with species occupation. To address this latter issue, the authors introduce two novel landscape metrics that measure the functional size and location in the landscape of taxon-specific 'solid' and 'edge' habitat types. Keller and Smith conclude that investigators conducting GIS-based analyses of species-habitat relationships should more carefully 1) match the resolution of remotely sensed imagery to the scale of habitat functional relationships of the focal taxon, 2) identify attributes (explanatory variables) of habitat architecture, size, configuration, quality, and context that reflect the way the focal taxon uses the subset of the landscape it occupies, and 3) match the location and scale of habitat samples, whether GIS- or ground-based, to corresponding species' detection locations and scales of habitat use.

Langston Hughes's spare yet eloquent tribue to his people has been cherished for generations. Now, acclaimed photographer Charles R. Smith Jr. interprets this beloved poem in vivid sepia photographs that capture the glory, the beauty, and the soul of being a black American today.

This collection of five award-winning plays by Charles Smith includes "Jelly Belly, Free Man of Color, Pudd'nhead Wilson, Knock Me a Kiss, "and "The Gospel According to James." Powerful, provocative, and entertaining, these plays have been produced by professional theater companies across the country and abroad. Four of the plays are based on historical people and events from W.E.B. Du Bois and Countee Cullen to the Harlem Renaissance.

Accurate in the way they capture the political and cultural milieu of their historical settings, and courageous in the way they grapple with difficult questions such as race, education, religion, and social class, these plays jump off the page just as powerfully as they come to life on stage. This first-ever collection from one of the nation's leading African American playwrights is a journey down the complex road of race and history.

"Young basketball fans will have a hard time keeping still. . . . A great choice to energize poetry units." -- BOOKLIST
Margo Dydek, Ticha Penicheiro, Chamique Holdsclaw . . . these are just three of the twelve women profiled in a dynamic group of poems honoring some of the best female players in professional basketball. With action photographs and kinetic lyrics illustrating each player's style, HOOP QUEENS will grab the attention of any kid who loves basketball -- and score a slam-dunk with teachers of poetry.
An International Reading Association Children's Choice
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
A Chicago Public Library Best Book

"Will have enormous appeal for all ages. . . . Readers will experience a wild ride " -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)
Tim Duncan cashes in double-digit points by banking it off the backboard. Kevin Garnett makes his new-and-improved moves in 3-D. As for Shaquille O'Neal, just see what it might take to fill his gargantuan shoes (shown actual size). With pumping, energetic, rap-inspired wordplay, Charles R. Smith profiles the distinctive playing styles of twelve of the best male players in basketball.
An International Reading Association Children's Choice
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
A Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices List Selection

"An in-depth look at Ali's life through twelve rhyming poems. . . . Collier's bold pictures are among the best of his illustrious career."--BOOKLIST (starred review)
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book
A National Council for the Social Studies Notable Trade Book for Young People
From the moment a fired-up teenager won 1960 Olympic gold to the day when a retired legend, hands shaking from Parkinson's, returned to raise the Olympic torch, the boxer known as "The Greatest" waged many a fight. Some were in the ring, against opponents like Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier; others were against societal prejudice and a war he refused to support because of his Islamic faith. The rap-inspired verse weaves and bobs and jabs, while bold collage artwork matches every move--capturing the "Louisville loudmouth with the great gift of rhyme" who shed the name Cassius Clay to take on the world as Muhammad Ali.

The anthology of articles that follows was compiled by the History and Museums Division during the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Korean Conflict, 1950-1953. The focus of the various authors who wrote these historically related works on Korea did so to remember those Marines who fought and died in what some historians sometimes characterized as the "forgotten war." Forgotten or not, the Korean conflict was without parallel in Marine Corps history and no one who experienced it or lived through this era could ever forget the difficulties that they would encounter there. The Korean War also represented a milestone in the developmental history of the Marine Corps. For perhaps what could very well be the last time, the Marine Corps made an opposed World War II style amphibious landing against a dedicated enemy. Korea was also the opening salvo in what became known as the Cold War. In reality, Korea represented the beginning of a series of "limited wars" that would be fought by the United States with the express political purpose of keeping such conflicts from developing into full blown world wars. Frustratingly for the men and women in uniform during the Cold War, political considerations frequently overrode military exigencies and logic. Having just successfully concluded a total war against an enemy whose objectives were clearly identifiable, the Korean conflict proved fraught with political twists and turns that made the military's job immensely more difficult. This was especially evident during the "stalemate" phase of the war, 1952-1953. No less bloody or violent, this period of the conflict saw the Marine Corps incur a significant number of casualties. The Korean conflict was also important for operational reasons. It was clear that from 1950 on, limited wars fought by U.S. forces would be largely "come as you are affairs." During the summer and early fall of 1950, the Marine Corps learned a valuable lesson when it had to scramble to assemble its landing force for the Inchon operation, getting the 1st Marine Division into theater in the nick of time. No longer would the United States have the luxury of time in getting forces ready for limited wars. Next, for the first time, the advent of the helicopter would play a significant role in the combat plans of Marine units in the field. Experimentation with the concept of vertical assault, using this new technology took place during the conflict. Korea would also be the first time Marines would be given personal body armor or "flak jackets" to wear in combat. Such body armor would come in handy as the war settled into a stalemate along the 38th Parallel. While Marine elements had deployed to extremely cold locations in the past such as the occupation of Iceland by the 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) in 1941, Korea would be the first time in the modern era where the Marine Corps would have to fight in extremely cold conditions. During Korea, the Corps came away with a new appreciation for the necessity of having the proper environmental gear tested and available for use by its combat and combat support troops. In sum, Korea set the operational tone that the Marine Corps would follow for the rest of the Cold War.

The first half of 1991 was a demanding time for the armed forces of the United States. In January, while elements of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines were still deploying to the Persian Gulf, where they would join other coalition forces in the liberation of Kuwait, a Marine special purpose force conducted Operation Eastern Exit, a daring rescue of American citizens and foreign nationals trapped in the American Embassy at Mogadishu, Somalia. Two weeks later Operation Desert Storm began and coalition aircraft flew against Iraqi targets in the Kuwaiti and Iraqi theaters of operation. In February, coalition ground forces slashed through the vaunted Saddam Line to liberate Kuwait, while their comrades afloat conducted one of the most successful strategic deceptions in military history. Soon thereafter, American and other coalition forces were involved in concurrent humanitarian operations, Provide Comfort in northern Iraq and Seal Angel in Bangladesh. In June, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted, causing massive damage. In response, American forces participated in Operation Fiery Vigil, the evacuation of Clark Air Force and Subic Bay Naval Bases, and Cubi Point Naval Air Station. With so much happening in so short a period, some of these operations did not receive the same amount of attention they would have, had they transpired during less tumultuous times. This monograph provides a detailed look at Joint Task Force Sea Angel, the first join task force to be formed around a nucleus drawn from a Marine Air-Ground Task Force, and the Marine-led humanitarian relief effort in Bangladesh.

The book includes inspirational stories intended to inspire you and your family and friends. It will put you in touch with healthy emotions that have been forgotten in today's world.