No comments about A Good Soup Attracts Chairs: A First African Cookbook for American Kids.

5 comments about Feast for 10.

1. This book has been around for a long time, but it continues to be a favorite in my classroom. It's one of those simple books that sparks so many different curriculum paths! Counting, number groupings, nutrition, cooperation, family activities, word choices, story writing, and more. It has also initiated collage art projects, quilt making, and paper mache vegetables! FEAST FOR 10 is a goldmine. I see that it's coming out in a board book soon, too. We have both the hardcover and several paperbacks in my class.



2. 
   A sweet 1-10 counting book that has a nice rhyme scheme and builds its story by counting to ten, not once, but twice. The art designs feature a black extended family, however, this is not central to the story. What is emphasized is the feeling of family warmth and cooperation throughout as everyone pitches in to create the feast for ten. Children can also count the items in each picture that correspond to the poem. Well done.



3. My son actually pick this book out by himself in a bookstore when he was 18 months old. He fell in LOVE with it. We had to read it every morning. We loss it transit and I finally remember to get it from Amazon this summer. At 2 1/2 it is still his favorite book. He loves the counting and the actvities reminds him of when "Granny-Gran" comes to visit. Thank you so much for this book.



4. A very sweet and very simple book. Nice to see a family of color in a book for a change.... so my daughter gets a nice variety. My daughter's teacher requested books for the classroom as her Christmas Gift this year... so that should be a selling point! So sweet that the teacher wanted it! :)



5. Or about living in Africa, or living in the past, or some sort of troubles (modern or historical). It's so nice to just see a family doing what families *do*. (They even recycle!)
   
   My nieces ask me to read this book to them often. It's a very fast book, suitable both for very young children and for slightly older ones. We love looking at various details - like the fact that "five kinds of beans" includes JELLY beans, or the fact that the baby sits on a lap at dinner. It's just a quick, sweet book.

5 comments about Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World.

1. I really,really thought this was awsome because they talk about cowboys and roping.I am not like Justin.I hate the night riders.I don't like his sisters because they were mean.So were the night riders.The Q-T ranch is cool.Justin's Grandpa is nice.Justin likes going to his Grandpa's.He likes to ride horses.One time they found a fawn in the fence!Luckly they got it out.Then they went to the festival.Justin makes a new friend.He Deos 4 actvities.He has fun.And Grandpa won the "Best Biscuits in the World"



2. I really, really like this book because it's about a boy named Justin and it seems that he can't do anything right.But luckily his grandfather comes to his rescue.He takes him to his ranch and he learns responsibility and how to cook the best biscuits in the world.



3. I liked the book cause it was exciting.I relate to Justin because I don't like to clean my room,or make my bed.This book made me hungry cause of the biscuits.My favorite parts were when they went to the festival and at Justin's house.If you like cowboys,roping,and horses you'll like this book.And it also teaches you stuff.I think this is a great book.I really enjoyed it!



4. I borrowed the book from the library, because my children like biscuits. The book surprised me with its story line. It is so beautiful about a boy becoming man of responsibility and knowing his african american history. A few times the story did not flow too well. Therefore I gave it a four star review.



5. My son read this book with his 4th grade class. I read it along and out loud with him because we are really working on reading comprehension.
   
   This is a terrific discussion-starter book for parents and children. Not only is there the sexism parts, but there is also the theme of Justin being never shown how to do things (or made fun of when he tries) to the extent that he just stopped trying.
   
   I was very surprised to see the "n-word" (it's on page 82 in mine) in a book geared toward such young children. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but I would not have known about it if I had not been reading the book with my son. They did not discuss it in school or let the parents know which is a shame, as it led to a few great discussions in our home about racism and the power of words.
   
   Overall, a great book. It was nice to see some diversity in my son's required reading and to have a completely boy-centric book where the main character is not sickeningly perfect.

2 comments about Ruby's Low-Fat Soul-Food Cookbook.

1. This is not a bad book... there are some good recipes.
   Unfortunately, a lot of the dishes that traditionally
   have hamhock (or other piece-o-piggy) just had turkey
   instead. I was hoping for something more clever and
   tasty than that, I guess. This is a goog cookbook if
   you are looking for non-pig dishes.



2. What a great cookbook.The recipes are easy. The ingredients are in everyone's pantry. To make it even easier, the author even gives her own recipes for the seasoning blends she uses. And it's low fat! If you like to cook, you should have this book.

No comments about Raising the Roof: A Habitat for Humanity Book.

4 comments about A Taste Of Freedom: A Cookbook With Recipes and Remembrances from the Hampton Institute.

1. As with the author's other books in this series, this book lacks the historic info behind all of the recipes. I do enjoy the background and pictures that are included. I purchased this book more for its historical value than for the recipes.
   
   Beware when authors review their own books.



2. If you liked the African American Heritage Cookbook: Recipes and Remembrances From Tuskegee Institute you will love, A TASTE OF FREEDOM and the other books in this, recently branded, African American Heritage Cookbook Series.
   
   Selected by book of the month clubs and organizations such as Reading is Fundamental, books in this series are more than just cookbooks. They also trace the unique history, heritage and contibutions of historic black colleges and universities (HBCUs). And the recipes, which, for the most part, are regional to each area, are as delectable as the history. A Taste of Freedom concentrates on the bounty of the Virginia coastal region, home of Hampton University(formerly known as Hampton Institute). Where available recipes unique to the college or university are used and clearly identified.
   
   Otherwise, the history of the recipes is the collective history of a courageous race of people who took the scraps offered to them and built an enduring monument to survival and a legacy of learning.
   
   Aptly titled, "A TASTE OF FREEDOM," the second cookbook in this series focuses upon the contributions of Hampton University and the key role that its future students would play in the Civil War. Founders, supporters, students and teachers lend their vivid accounts of life in the early years at Hampton. And interwoven into this fascinating history are recipes that are sure to warm the heart and nurture the soul. Richly illustrated with vintage photographs and the period poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar, who was closely associated with Hampton Institute, A TASTE OF FREEDOM offers readers a rich remembrance of a very special time and place in African-American history -- one in which a once enslaved people finally had the freedom to create something of their own , a haven where they could strive for excellence, support the efforts of others, and achieve self-reliance.
   
   Watch for the next cookbook in this series, which pays tasty tribute to our nation's historic black colleges and universities



3. This is a nice piece of history about Hampton Institute (now University). We're going to replicate some of the recipes for my book club meeting.



4. My daughter attends Hampton (class of '11) so I really have an affinity for the school and the area surrounding it. The book is not just a cook book, but a trip through the history of Hampton University by way of words and photos. Included are recipes from the Hampton Cross Roads area. This may be the only weakness of the book: that the recipes are not from those who attended or taught at Hampton (as was the case with the Tuskeegee Institute cookbook Ms. Tillery eidted) but rather they are from the greater Hampton Cross Roads area, which Ms. Tillery explains. The book inspires great nostalgia and great respect for Hampton. The recipes loook delicious. Taste of Freedom was well worth the purchase!

1 comments about The African-American Kitchen: Cooking from Our Heritage.

1. I absolutely love this book. I collect cookbooks and have an extensive collection from around the world and this is by far one of my favorites. The author traces her heritage through story and food from Africa through the West Indies, the Carribean and the southern plantations of the U.S. This is a book not too be missed. It is a shame it is no longer in hardcover because I just loaned mine out and never got it back. Anyone who likes good food needs this book!

5 comments about Shanté Keys and the New Year's Peas.

1. What a fantastic book! Shante Keys goes looking for black eyed peas for a New Year's dinner-along the way she learns how other cultures celebrate New Year's. It's rare that an adult can learn so much from a children's book but I was enthralled at reading such useful information. The book is witty and cleverly written and the illustrations are spot on-colorful, whimsical and just as warm as the prose itself. This is a book to be shared with a child you love-a true family treasure.



2. What a delightful book! Charming and whimsical,
   entertaining and informative. My kids love it
   and so do I!



3. This book was a hit with my students. The language was easy to understand and the rhyming story was really cute. It is perfect if you teach in a community that values diversity. This story introduces you to characters who celebrate the new year in many different ways.
   
   Would be a cute lesson in diversity with the ability to cook the different foods mentioned in the book for your students.



4. I specifically bought this book because it is multicultural and the author is from Chicago. I read an article on her and admired her inspiration for writing the book. My thoughts aside, my daughters, 4 and 3, love this book. It's rhymes are pleasing to say and hear and makes it a great read-aloud book. The illustrations are well done and very colorful. It easily presents different cultural celebrations for the New Year, in a subtle and fun way. I have since bought additional copies for nieces and nephews. I just think it's a wonderful book!



5. My 3 1/2 year old granddaughter loves this book. All of the cool factors notwithstanding, a child's positive reaction is what makes a book worthwhile. My granddaughter will not "stay" with any story she doesn't like---and she frequently asks me to read this to her. She identifies with the little girl and she is intrigued with the idea of a recipe in a book. I told her about cookbooks---she now says whe would like to have a cookbook, which I promised to buy for her later, when she can read! Meanwhile, we like to cook together.
   '

5 comments about The Ebony Cookbook: A Date with a Dish.

1. I bought this book twenty years ago and discovered that some of the recipes in the book were the very same as the ones the women in my family have used for decades.
   I used it so much that I needed to replace it. For the woman who feels challenged when it comes to culinary skills, I highly recommend this book.
   No one will ever know your secret, until you choose to share it!



2. wish there were pictures of the recipes, might give it away as a gift.



3. This is a very good book it has some recipes my mother use to make.



4. Was kind of disappointed when I received this cookbook, first there was no photo's of what the food is suppose to look like, sometimes it's good to see what the food is suppose to look like when it is prepared, gave it to he library.
   
   
   (Kelis's Grandma)



5. Im a new cooker and this book isnt for newbies. Too hard to understand and very old recipes.

2 comments about Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook.

1. I inherited this cookbook from my mother and have found it to be my favorite! Lots of old-fashioned, down home recipes that are guaranteed to make your mouth water and bring back fond memories. Easy to follow. I was in search of another copy for my daughter, but she will have to wait! The best ever!



2. I inherited this cookbook from my mother and have found it to be my favorite! Lots of down home recipes that are guaranteed to make your mouth water and bring back fond childhood memories.