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Homegrown

Macmillan Young Listeners. Jan. 2024. 15p. $1.99. ISBN 9781250329165.
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PreS-Gr 2–Self-taught artist Wiley makes her author/illustrator debut with a celebration of multiple generations of family bonds. Walker’s loving, reassuring, childlike voice invitingly narrates over a soft rhythmic musical soundtrack. Her warm, clear pronunciation and careful, thoughtful pacing enable an easy-to-follow read-along with the printed book, because audiences will not want to miss Wiley’s vibrant, vivacious drawings of a young Black girl discovering all the inclusive meanings of being homegrown from her mother and grandmother. Together, their extended family demonstrates the ways homegrown encompasses “homemaking,” “homemade,” “homeland,” “homework,” “home-cooked.” Affirmations are many: “It’s the moments, family, traditions and love that make us who we are.”
VERDICT Wiley and Walker’s complementary pairing creates one of the too-rare full productions that markedly augments the printed book.
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Kerri Moore

As a public school English teacher and librarian, I see this as a very disturbing trend. We have definitely experienced an increase in book challenges and censorship in my state, particularly within public libraries. The political climate is ripe for this activity, and we must do all we can to support Intellectual Freedom, and simultaneously, use common sense to navigate these issues. I'm more concerned with plummeting literacy rates and students reading less than WHAT they're reading. As citizens that should be our focus, rather than individuals or groups attempting to dictate what others can and cannot read. History has revealed the danger and tragedy of censorship. We should never go down that path again.

Posted : 2025-04-16 19:46:21


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