The Price of Freedom by Dennis and Judith Fradin, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

During the time preceding the Civil War, the town of Oberlin, Ohio was known for its abolitionist beliefs and was the busiest stop on the Underground Railroad, having sheltered 3,000 runaway slaves between the 1830s and 1850s. The Price of Freedom is the story of how the entire town of Oberlin rallied around John Price, an escaped slave who had been living in Oberlin when we was captured and was going to be sent back to his owner. Even though Ohio was in the North and outlawed slavery, the Fugitive Slave Act declared that even if a slave escapes to the North, his owners have the right to capture him and bring him back to the slave-owning South. Despite the fact that the men and women who stood up to Price's bounty hunters knew they were breaking the law, they felt they were answering to a "higher law" and doing what was morally right. 

The Price of Freedom is an incredibly inspiring story and moved me so much that I want to learn more about the history of Oberlin, Ohio. These are the types of books that will get students excited by and interested in history. I wish more teachers would abandon their textbooks and start searching for for better texts to use in their classrooms. I mean, I was so inspired by reading this book that I now want to take a trip to Oberlin, which is only a two-hour drive from where I live in Michigan. I doubt a textbook is going to ever inspire a student to say, "I want to visit that place!"


The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up to Slavery by Dennis and Judith Fradin, illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Published: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Walker
Pages: 48
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Audience: Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library Copy

It's Monday! What are you reading? 9-16-13

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

Some picture books I rather enjoyed last week:

123 versus ABC by Mike Bolt
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

 
You Are Stardust by Elin Kelsey, illustrated by Soyeon Kim
The Very Inappropriate Word by Jim Tobin, illustrated by Dave Coverly


Hello, My Name Is Ruby by Phillip C. Stead


Last week I finished listening:

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins


Currently (still) reading:

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Anya von Bremzen
Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles 


Currently (still) listening:

Sidekicked by John David Anderson
Queen of the Air: A True Story of Love and Tragedy at the Circus by Dean Jensen

My new favorite "unusual" flavor combination

It's no secret that I love unexpected flavor combinations:

Maple bacon ice cream
Granny smith apples dipped in cheese fondue
Chicago mix popcorn (cheddar and caramel)

But my new favorite "unusual" flavor combination?

Chicken and waffles.

Now many of you reading this might be saying, "Chicken and waffles? That's not unusual. That's as common as turkey with stuffing."

Well you might be right, but I've still told enough people about my love for chicken and waffles the past couple of months who have turned to me and said, "Chicken and waffles? Really? That's actually good?"

And do you know what my response is? "OMG! IT'S DELICIOUS!!!! It's even better than chicken and mashed potatoes!"

So here's the skinny on chicken and waffles. This past summer my husband and I visited New York City. While there, I wanted to go to Harlem and visit a real soul food restaurant. We stumbled upon Amy Ruth's on 116th St. and our taste buds have been thanking us ever since. Upon perusing the menu, the first thing you notice is that all of the dishes are named after distinguished African Americans, the most famous dish being the Rev. Al Sharpton which is, of course, chicken and waffles.

My new favorite flavor combination. Thank you Amy Ruth's!

Now the chicken and waffles were absolutely brilliant and delicious separately (it was probably the best fried chicken I've ever had!), but something happens when you pair the crisp, juicy chicken with the light, airy waffles. Michael Symon always talks about the need for balance in a dish and so the reason I am asserting that waffles are a better pairing for fried chicken than mashed potatoes is because both fried chicken and mashed potatoes are rich and heavy, whereas the lightness of the waffles and sweetness of the maple syrup help balance out the heavy, savory fried chicken.

So ever since that moment at Amy Ruth's back in July, I have been craving chicken and waffles. Luckily, Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor will indulge my craving, even when they're not on the menu (when we're there for breakfast anyway. I haven't tried asking them to make it for me during dinner service). I mean they have the chicken. They have the waffles. Why can't they do both on one dish? They do and they will! So now whenever I have a hankering for chicken and waffles, I only have to drive 20 minutes down I-94 instead of flying back to Harlem or somewhere down south.

And if you've never tried chicken and waffles before, I implore you to give it a try. Your taste buds will be thanking you just like mine did.

Remembering 9/11/01

Today is September 11, 2013 -- twelve years removed from that horrible Tuesday in 2001. But those of us who remember that day are still not removed. We will never forget.

This summer I had the privilege of visiting the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. It was sobering and heartbreaking. I found myself having to walk off by myself a few times so I could wipe away my tears. It was a moment where words failed me. It's just something that needed to be felt. It might be a difficult experience, but it's definitely a place you must visit if you're ever in New York City.

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 9-9-13

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

With so many teachers going back to school this past week and falling down exhausted every night as soon as they get home (I remember that feeling), I feel sort of guilty saying what a great reading week I had, but now that I'm working from home, I have a lot of time to relax and read. Of course, that will probably change this evening since the first day of my new grad class starts tonight.


Last week I finished reading:

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb
I really enjoyed Jumping off Swings and I'm glad I read it before diving into Living with Jackie Chan. I know it's not necessary to read JoS first, but for me, I'm glad I did. And The Nazi Hunters? OMG! What a riveting book! I'm currently working on writing a longer review but this is a must-read for anyone looking to add more nonfiction to your life, if you love spy novels, or if you like reading about World War II. It has a similar structure and style of writing as Steve Sheinkin's Bomb: The Race to Build - And Steal - The World's Most Dangerous Weapon.


Last week I finished listening:

Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel
A solid sequel to This Dark Endeavor, but the first book was much more memorable.


Last week I reviewed:

The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech



Some picture books I particularly enjoyed last week:

Ugly Fish by Kara LeReau, illustrated by Scott Magoon
Before there was I Want My Hat BackandThis Is Not My Hatthere was Ugly Fish.


Lester's Dreadful Sweaters by K.G. Campbell
Lester like things just so. His haircut, his bow tie, even his socks, which need to be perfectly even at all times. So when Cousin Clara comes to visit, Lester is aghast to discover she has a penchant for knitting hideous sweaters. And no matter how he finds ways to destroy the sweater she knits for him, Clara comes back the next day with a new one, more hideous than the last. A fun plot, hilarious illustrations, and descriptive writing make this quite the entertaining read. 
 
Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley
I think 2013 is the year of the wordless picture books. Yet another beautiful, heartwarming story told through nothing but pictures. 


Currently (still) reading:

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Anya von Bremzen
Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles 

Currently (still) listening:

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Sidekicked by John David Anderson

Oh and by the way, did you know that you can now view the 2013 Newbery and Caldecott speeches on YouTube? ALSC finally posted them last week! Yay!