Vincent Beach seems an ordinary man from ordinary beginnings. Look deeper, however, and you'll discover a special human being. Vincent left his native Jamaica in 1944 and enlisted in the Royal Air Force. Yearning to be a jazz musician, he bought an old clarinet and practiced. Through his perseverance, he found his way to America and a career for 22 years as a bandsman in the U.S. Air Force. Becoming an educator, he served the children on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, and later enjoyed teaching in community college. Share the joys and woes of an ordinary man in his storied autobiography.

Jamaican Sayings - Success is the third in a series of three books that capture Jamaican adages used to communicate ideas about human nature, behaviour, relationships, aspirations, health hope and survival. Jamaican Sayings - Life and Jamaican Sayings - Character complement the series. The adages represent an archive of the wit and wisdom of many generations and aim to trigger reflection and thought. In their use they are never fully explained but those to whom they are directed usually understand their meaning based on the context in which they are used. They utilise imagery and draw upon a variety of flora and fauna to enrich their content. They hold valuable lessons, inspiration and wisdom that link Jamaican culture to its African past. The sayings are presented in three parts: i) the original saying; ii) the literal English translation and iii) the meaning it aims to convey.

This compelling book emphasizes the critical role of quality multicultural literature and reader response in today's schools and libraries. All students need access to books in which they can see themselves—not just their physical appearance, but their culture and language, as well. Multicultural Literature and Response: Affirming Diverse Voices was written to help teachers and librarians find and use the best multicultural books in the service of reading comprehension and more. Underscoring the necessity of selecting quality literature that authentically, sensitively, and accurately portrays different groups, the book defines multicultural literature and provides a strong argument for its importance in schools and libraries. Expert contributors guide users to multicultural authors and illustrators who portrays U.S. ethnic and cultural groups, and they suggest ways to integrate this literature with writing, fluency development, storytelling, and audiovisuals. Extensive lists of books and websites that feature multicultural literature, as well as of authors, illustrators, and publishers of multicultural literature, make it easy to include such works in programs across the curriculum.

Vincent Beach has crossed many rivers, beginning in 1944 when he left his rural Jamaican home and enlisted in the Royal Air Force. He dreamed of becoming a jazz musician and without any musical background, bought an old clarinet and began to practice. He emigrated to the United States and, with little education and even less money, joined the United States Air Force and completed a 22-year career as a military bandsman. In his autobiography Vincent shares the intimate details of his inspiring life. An ordinary man by his own description he has experienced a lot-from war, to racism, to love found, lost, and rediscovered, to the birth of his children, and the tragic deaths of two of them from Lupus. Vincent's heartwarming story will engender hope and optimism in readers everywhere. Book jacket.

“Creative characters guide the reader through what in many ways is a sailing adventure...er...caper around Jamaica... A hidden gem.” —Richard J. Wall, Editor. “David Beckwith’s knowledge of and affection for Caribbean culture and its wind-blown intricacies are showcased in this fast-moving story set in Jamaica’s hot, salty underbelly. Having had some experience in Jamaica, I can say this story is as colorful as the country itself and is filled with unique nicknames, Jamaican dialect, and the sense of abandon that exists in the lawless parts of its society. I can still smell the jerked chicken and meat patties from here.” —Reef Perkins, bestselling author of Deep Air and Sex, Salvage, and Secrets Will and Betsy Black’s latest adventure takes them back to Jamaica. When Jamaican Shower Posse second-in-command, Harry Dog, is given what appears to be a simple, routine assignment, he delegates it to Bigga, the posse’s third-in-command, who selects Oney, Which Flava, and Twinie, three of his young up-and-comers, to carry out the task. After this “no-brainer” goes awry, however, Harry Dog is forced to send three reliables, Hi-top, Monkeyman, and Mighty Mouse, to get things back on track, but bad luck continues to strike, making it appear that if Harry Dog didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all as the hole they are digging just keeps getting deeper and deeper.