Books
BOOK CORNER: New children’s book offers simple, timeless life lessons
WAVE NEWSPAPERS — “Raised Up by Mrs. Manly & Her L’s” is a new children’s book by Sandra Evers-Manly with illustrations by Wendell Wiggins.
By Marissa Wells
“Raised Up by Mrs. Manly & Her L’s” is a new children’s book by Sandra Evers-Manly with illustrations by Wendell Wiggins.
Inspired by the author’s mother, “Raised Up by Mrs. Manly & Her L’s” shares life lessons for raising caring, confident children.
“The book reminds us of those small basic things that make human decency good,” Evers-Manly said.
Inside the book, Manly-Evers shares one-word lessons that begin with the letter “L” such as love, listen, learn, lift, lean, lead, laugh and live that Mrs. Manly used as a foundation for raising her family.
“With my book, I seek to spotlight the long-lost traditions of basic kindness, community-building and love, and extend the legacy and undeniable imprint left by my mother for generations to come,” Evers-Manly said.
“Raised Up by Mrs. Manly & Her L’s” is intended for parents, children, educators and anyone who plays a role in raising, supporting and encouraging young persons.
One thing Evers-Manly likes most about her book is that it begins and ends with the topic of love.
“I’ve always been taught that the greatest thing in the world is love, loving somebody, and loving yourself and so I think for me, to have my mom always talk about the importance of love was so wonderful,” she said.
The book will interest readers of all backgrounds as it highlights the importance of neighborhood, family, listening, and learning. Through the examples shared in the book, readers will be inspired to love and lift others, be leaders, live their best lives, and remember to find time to laugh.
“By sharing the simple, timeless lessons of Mrs. Manly’s L’s, I hope this simple well-worn, proven example of family, motherly impact, and self-confidence will serve as a guide to daily living and caring for one another,” Evers-Manly said.
In addition to being an author, Evers-Manly works full-time in the aerospace industry. She is also the founder of the Black Hollywood Education & Resource Center.
“Raised Up by Mrs. Manly & Her L’s” is available for $21.95 via Amazon or seminspirationals.com, or at Eso Won Books in Leimert Park. All proceeds from sales of the book are being donated to charity.
This article originally appeared in the Wave Newspapers.
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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
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Book Reviews
Book Review: Books for Poetry Month by Various Authors
Picture books for the littles are a great way to introduce your 3-to7-year-old to poetry because simple stories lend themselves to gentle rhymes and lessons. “See You on the Other Side” by Rachel Montez Minor, illustrated by Mariyah Rahman (Crown, $18.99) is a rhyming book about love and loss, but it’s not as sad as you might think.
c.2023, 2024, Various Publishers
$18.99 – $20.00
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
On your hands, you have lots of time.
You can make a song, or you can make a rhyme. Make a long story, make a short one, write what you like, make it simple and fun. Writing poetry uses your imagination: you play with words, paint a picture. There’s no intimidation. Creating poetry can be a breeze, or just reach for and read books exactly like these…
Picture books for the littles are a great way to introduce your 3-to7-year-old to poetry because simple stories lend themselves to gentle rhymes and lessons. “See You on the Other Side” by Rachel Montez Minor, illustrated by Mariyah Rahman (Crown, $18.99) is a rhyming book about love and loss, but it’s not as sad as you might think.
In this book, several young children learn that losing someone beloved is not a forever thing, that it is very sad but it’s not scary because their loved one is always just a thought away. Young readers who’ve recently experienced the death of a parent, grandparent, sibling, or friend will be comforted by the rhyme here, but don’t dismiss the words. Adults who’ve recently lost a loved one will find helpful, comforting words here, too.
Flitting from here to there and back again, author Alice Notley moves through phases of her life, locations, and her diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in her latest poetry collection, “Being Reflected Upon” (Penguin, $20.00). From 2000 to 2017, Notley lived in Paris where she wrestled with breast cancer. That, and her life abroad, are reflected in the poetry here; she also takes readers on a poetic journey on other adventures and to other places she lived and visited. This book has a random feel that entices readers to skip around and dive in anywhere. Fans of Notley will appreciate her new-age approach to her works; new fans will enjoy digging into her thoughts and visions through poems. Bonus: at least one of the poems may make you laugh.
If you’re a reader who’s willing to look into the future, “Colorfast” by Rose McLarney (Penguin, $20.00) will be a book you’ll return to time and again. This, the author’s fourth collection, is filled with vivid poems of graying and fading, but also of bright shades, small things, women’s lives yesterday and today, McLarney’s Southern childhood, and the things she recalls about her childhood. The poems inside this book are like sitting on a front porch in a wooden rocking chair: they’re comfortable, inviting, and they tell a story that readers will love discovering.
If these books aren’t enough, or if you’re looking for something different, silly, or classic, then head to your favorite bookstore or library. The ladies and gentlemen there will help you figure out exactly what you need, and they can introduce you to the kind of poetry that makes you laugh, makes you cry, entices a child, inspires you, gives you comfort, or makes you want to write your own poems. Isn’t it time to enjoy a rhyme?
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