Books

Young authors win national book award

CINCINNATI HERALD — The students in teacher Julie Dellecave’s fourth-grade class at Winton Hills Academy in the Cincinnati Public School system had a recent opportunity to meet Cincinnati Civil Rights icon Marian Spencer.

Published

7 years ago

February 25, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dan Yount

The students in teacher Julie Dellecave’s fourth-grade class at Winton Hills Academy in the Cincinnati Public School system had a recent opportunity to meet Cincinnati Civil Rights icon Marian Spencer after writing and illustrating a book about her and her amazing accomplishments.

The students just won the National Youth Foundation contest with this book, and it was the second year in a row the students have won that award. They said meeting Mrs. Spencer was just the icing on the cake of this great experience for these girls.

Winton Hills Academy has embraced Mrs. Spencer ever since she was invited by Joe Wilmers, a retired social worker at the school, to speak at the school 12 years ago. Since then, Wilmers has invited five girls to Mrs. Spencer’s house every spring to share ice cream and listen to her talk about the Civil Rights work she and her late husband Donald Spencer were involved in here in Cincinnati and her words of wisdom. A month ago, Wilmers took the four girls who authored the book to Twin Towers Senior Living Community, where Mrs. Spencer resides. They read their book to her and gave her a copy. Just last week, the students learned the book was chosen by the National Youth Foundation as the best book about women written by young authors.

Winton Hills Academy students’ book, “Misunderstood Micah,” which is a book about bullying, was selected as the winner of the 2018 National Student Book Scholar Competition. The National Youth Foundation, with Carlos Dunlap of the Bengals, as well as other star athletes, hosted a student writing competition on the theme of anti-bullying. The judges were players from the NBA and NFL.

Wilmers co-founded a foundation, Friends of Winton Hills Academy that is paying for the authors to fly to Philadelphia to receive the award. The foundation also is helping four of the school’s graduates who attend college.

“All of this is great news for this CPS school that has one of the highest poverty levels in the district,’’ Wilmers said.

This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Herald.

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Advice

Book Review: Books for College-Bound Students

The kind of workday your Grandpa had is probably over, and you can’t count on toiling at the same place for 40 years for a pension and a gold watch. You already know that, and these books will help you decide your next step. You’ll learn what kind of worker you are, what’s stopping you from finding a job or occupation you’ll love, how to determine the purpose you envision for your future, and how to get where you need to be.

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Book covers. Photo courtesy of Terri Schlichenmeyer.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Authors: Various, Copyright: c.2026, Publishers: Various, SRP: $21.00 – $29.00, Page Counts: Various

The videos and news reports were inspiring.

In them, a hesitant prospective college student became a happy, new college-bound student with the click of a key. They were accepted into the college of their dreams – so how can you get the same feeling next spring, when you’re the one with the highest of hopes?

You can start by reading these great books and sharing them with your family…

You probably already know that getting into the college of your choice is not something you do last-minute. In “The People’s Guide to College Applications: A Week-by-Week Approach to Writing, Connecting, and Getting in” (Prometheus Books, $ 21.95), Jill Constantino takes you through each step, but not in a frantic way. There’s no pressure here, just easy-to-grasp, makes-sense methods to apply for the college you want. There are reminders here, things you can’t forget and things you can, hints on asking for referrals and writing essays, and plenty of reminders to take a deep breath. Bonus: it’s also a book for parents, who may feel just as much pressure as their child does.

Okay, but let’s say that you’re an adult, a parent who’s sweating those college applications, classes, and the FAFSA for yourself, ugh! Then you’ll want to read “Student Parent: The Fight for Families, the Cost of Poverty, and the Power of College” by Nicole Lynn Lewis (Beacon Press, $26.97). an urgent call meant for nontraditional students who are also Black, Latinx, gay, Moms, or Dads.

Inside this book, you’ll find stats and stories that may already sound familiar, tales of not enough money, not enough support, not enough arms or sleep or resources. If you’re looking for a book of advice, this isn’t it, though. It’s more of a resource that you’ll want to take to your guidance counselor or any local politician.

Alright, but what if you’ve decided that college can wait? Is that okay? Look for “The Mission Generation: Reclaim Your Purpose, Rewrite Success, Rebuild Our Future” by Arun Gupta and Thomas J. Fewer (Wiley, $29.00) because – guess what? – you have many options for your future.

The kind of workday your Grandpa had is probably over, and you can’t count on toiling at the same place for 40 years for a pension and a gold watch. You already know that, and this book will help you decide your next step. You’ll learn what kind of worker you are, what’s stopping you from finding a job or occupation you’ll love, how to determine the purpose you envision for your future, and how to get where you need to be. This book isn’t just for high schoolers, but for anyone ages 16 and beyond who’s feeling restless, ready for change, or who’s thinking about some kind of purposeful retirement.

And if these aren’t the college-based or not-college-bound books you need, then be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for help on ideas, how-to’s, test prep books, or study guides. They’ll have books for you, and maybe a little inspiration, too.