This book offers a history and analysis of African American children's literature from its beginnings to the present. Chapters explore issues surrounding race and representation, from the race and gender politics of African American hair to the absence of the "N-word" in children's books.

This book is the fi rst of a collection of four books of columns titled Just Between You and Me, Volume I, II, III, and IV. Since I wrote these columns in the eighties, many of them concern the joys and problems of raising a family. For instance, Marion could never keep a fl ashlight, and both he and the children kept destroying my spatulas. Just beginning my writing career, I had to search desperately for a corner for myself. Also, I share my thoughts on a wide variety of subjects, including inspirational thoughts, some of my favorite recipes, and my experience of going to college as a non-traditional student.

This book is a story of an unfavoured child called Victoria. Vicky suffered because of the favouritism her mother showed among her four children, discriminating against Vicky. The difficulties of life led Vicky to build a wall of defense around her. Vickys difficult life led her to master the art of escaping the pains of rejection by becoming a high achiever. She thought she was fine and doing all right until the day when her mother died. At that moment, Vicky realized that she never had a mother who loved her. She never would because life cheated her out of a mother and now death had too. The book takes you through the trials and tribulations that Vicky faced before she emerged successful.

One night, as Mama bathed me, I asked why she didnt paint her nails. Who have you seen wearing nail polish? she asked. The blond lady Daddy takes me to see on Sundays. After my parents were divorced, I overheard Grandma say, Yetta, your baggage will hamper you from finding another husband. So as Mama bathed me, she said, Dont call me Mama. Hearing this was hurtful. My father hadnt taken me with him when he left. Now, I felt Mama no longer wanted me. I was four years old. Who would take care of me? It was a desperate, sometimes devastating journey through the depths of despair I lived daily as a preschooler. Then it was a tumultuous adolescence with my malicious grandmother. How did I find the courage to survive the journey through these challenges? You will find it an exciting yet uplifting reading experience.

You have a mildly retarded little girl. When author Micky Wever heard the final diagnosis of her daughter Brennan, she and her family were anguished. Still they refused to allow challenges to hinder the growth and joys in the life of their child Brenan. Why Me, Mama is a memoir that takes the family and the reader on journeys to remember from Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland, Southeast Asia, and then to California (with forays to India). Wever shares her stinging tears, heartaches, struggles, and times of triumphs of Brenan, her special childalong with moments of rejoicing. It tells about lessons in flexibility and searching a path of acceptance, also the chronicle of a mothers celebration of her daughters accomplishments and insight. The authors purpose for writing Why Me, Mama is to reach out to those who are raising children with disabilities. She hopes to help people feel the gift of having a disabled child. The disabled did not ask for these limitations. For people with disabilities, it is a lifetime struggle. They need an abundance of encouragement. Thus, parents and family members should learn how to emphasize the strength of these children and help them achieve goals that are within their capabilities. Wever doesnt claim to have all the answers. There is no perfect pattern for raising disabled children. But she points out the importance of being willing to live with uncertainties, to have faith, and to make a difference with love, compassion, and perseverance.

A POWERFUL AND HILARIOUS DEBUT NOVEL ABOUT FAMILY SECRETS, JUDGEMENTAL AUNTIES, AND BRAZILIAN BUTT LIFTS, FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE HIT STORY COLLECTION NEARLY ALL THE MEN IN LAGOS ARE MAD Freshly out of Obáfémi Awólówò University, twenty-year-old Témì has a clear plan for her future: she is going to surgically enlarge her backside like all the other Nigerian women, move from Ilé-Ifè to Lagos, and meet a man who will love her senseless. But when she finally finds the courage to tell her mother, older sister, and aunties, her announcement causes an uproar. As each of the other women try to cure Témì of what seems like temporary insanity, they begin to spill long-buried secrets, including the truth of the mysterious disappearance of Témì’s older sister five years earlier. In the end, it seems like Témì might be the sanest of them all ... In Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow, Damilare Kuku brings her signature humour, boldness and compassion to each member of this loveable but exasperating family, whose lives show just how sharp the double-edged sword of beauty can be.