Books

Local teacher’s book teaches children reading, self-esteem

THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE — In the 12 years that he spent teaching in the School District of Philadelphia, Andrew Vassall saw children struggle daily with issues that he wanted to address. But he wasn’t exactly sure how.

Published

7 years ago

April 11, 2019

ALONZO KITTRELS

By John N. Mitchell

In the 12 years that he spent teaching in the School District of Philadelphia, Andrew Vassall saw children struggle daily with issues that he wanted to address.

But he wasn’t exactly sure how.

Years later, Vassall, now a fifth-grade teacher at the Elkins Park School in Cheltenham, thinks he has found a starting place with the publication of his first book, “The Black Crayon.”

“The Black Crayon,” Vassall says, “is a colorful, vibrant and captivating story of a box of colorful crayons with one black crayon who struggles to be accepted. With the love of a little girl, Laila, the black crayon begins to see his inner beauty. The book teaches self-awareness and cultural awareness to young children.”

The crayon shares a box with other crayons, all of whom are taken out and used daily by other children. Meanwhile, the black crayon never gets used. He begins to think that his color is the reason he is ignored and, as the days and weeks go by, his self-esteem dwindles and he begins to doubt his self-worth.

One day, Laila pulls him from the box. She draws a castle, a night sky, a princess, a bed for the princess and her pets as well — all with the black crayon. He eventually sheds tears of joy, and he learns “never to doubt himself, always be proud of who he is, and that black can be used in any picture because black is beautiful.”

Vassall, who is working on a doctorate in reading and literacy, said the idea for the book stems from the 1940s “Doll test” conducted by Kenneth and Mamie Clark. In the experiment, children of different races ages 3 to 7 were given four dolls of different colors and asked to identify which they preferred. Overwhelmingly, the children preferred the white dolls, which led Clark to conclude that “prejudice, discrimination and segregation” created feelings of inferiority among Black children.

Vassall sees the book, illustrated by Unc Jon, as an attack on racial perceptions and as a mechanism to encourage children, particularly African Americans and children in low-income homes, to become more avid readers.

While he was teaching in Philadelphia, Vassall said, he often became frustrated teaching children sometimes reading as many as three years below grade level.

“I wanted to do something that would both help build esteem in students and spark in them a desire to be more excited about reading, especially in urban areas,” Vassall said. “That’s why I went back to school.”

Vassall said “The Black Crayon” can be purchased both in stores and online. He has sold it locally at a number of events. During a Black History Month event at Cheltenham High School, his alma mater, Vassall was joined by his former elementary school teacher who was stunned to learn that her former student was not only teaching but also writing children’s books.

“I must have taught more than 800 students, so it’s rewarding when you see that one is following in your footsteps,” retired teacher Sydney Tiller said. “And to see that he has written such a delightful book that I know is going to encourage reading among students makes you feel good.”

A father of three children, Vassall, 47, has had his hands full raising a family and working on a doctorate. However, he says he has been bitten by the publishing bug and plans to publish another book looking at blended families and changing family dynamics during the summer.

“It’s a great outlet and great way to encourage reading and teaching,” Vassall said. “I’m excited about doing this work.”

This article originally appeared in The Philadelphia Tribune.

ALONZO KITTRELS

Posts by ALONZO KITTRELS

Up Next

STEM educators come together for daylong conference

Don't Miss

OP-ED: Unhealthy state of affairs regarding Black health

ALONZO KITTRELS

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of September 23 – 29, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 23 – 29, 2026

Published

3 days ago

September 27, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Books

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Laws of Solomon’ Reveals Tender Heart of Former Child Soldier

The monsters that came to him early in his sleep were the easy ones. It was the later demons that stole Solomon Nangobi’s sleep, the spirits of all the people he killed when he was a child soldier in Uganda, and when he was a fixer in New York as an adult. Their ghosts called to him with urgent voices, though he left that life behind long ago.

Published

1 week ago

September 22, 2026

Post News Group

Book cover of “Laws of Solomon.” Courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press

By Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez

Author: Eriq La Salle, Copyright: c.2026, Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, SRP: $18.99, Page Count: 304 pages

Finally, after so much work, you’ve left your past behind.

That’s what you tell yourself: what’s done is done and you can’t undo history. It’s over. You try not to think about last month, last year, a decade back because what does it matter? As in the new novel, “Laws of Solomon” by Eriq La Salle, remembering is too full of pain.

Now, his days were filled working the soil in gardens near Malibu, and he loved the quiet life.

Still, he kept his guns.

And he was glad: when Solomon recognized two Zeta gunmen stalking a well-dressed man, woman, and child through the gardens, he couldn’t walk away. He stopped the gangsters with bullets, but not before the adults and their bodyguards were dead. The child, an 8-year-old boy named Gaby, was safe, but Gaby couldn’t tell Solomon what was going on.

What became quickly certain, however, was that Solomon was now Gaby’s guardian, and the Zeta crime boss wanted them dead, too.

When he was the same age as Gaby, Solomon saw unspeakable things, the murder of his parents, the destruction of his homeland, and the atrocities that Uganda dictator Idi Amin’s soldiers committed. He learned to kill, he observed, and he was hardened, understanding as a small boy that revenge was often necessary and needed, and that blood would shed at those times.

But Gaby was pure, an innocent, a child.

Solomon reached out to his contacts to try to get the boy to safety, but being a contact of a marked man was likewise a dangerous thing: the monsters outside were worse than the ones inside him.

Two words for you: ‘Whoo weee.’ That’s what you’re going to say when you close the back cover of “Laws of Solomon,” knowing that you’ve just been taken on a wild up-and-down, around-and-round ride.

La Salle makes it impossible not to like Solomon, an African man who has, over time, lost nearly everything dear to him and who has no faith in much of anything. Readers get that part of the story eventually, and there’s historical authenticity in some of it, but we never really get to know Solomon, which makes the book feel dark and dangerous. Along the way, we meet and get to know his helpers, which buoys Solomon’s chase to find safety for the boy, and your heart won’t stop pounding.

Keep in mind that this is a thriller partially set in 1970s Uganda, so expect lots of violence but don’t expect a lot of people to live. If you’re up for that, find “Laws of Solomon.” You won’t be able to leave it behind.

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Books

Oakland Mayor Reads to Children at Bookout Block Party at Marcus Books Store

Booths lined the street with arts and crafts, and children participated in hands-on art projects. A large display of books was on display and each child chose his/her free book to take home. Food and snacks were available, and free water was encouraged to keep all hydrated.

Published

1 week ago

September 22, 2026

Post News Group

(L.to R.) Cherysse Calhoun and Blanche Richardson of Marcus Books join Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee with Indya McGuffin and Bean Tupou of Storyland Collective inside the store on Sept. 12. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Bauer, Special to The Post

Floating bubbles greeted families on arrival at the Bookout Block Party held on Sat. Sept. 12 at 39th and MLK Blvd. in Oakland.

Sponsored by Marcus Books and Storyland Collective, a wonderland of activity for children stretched to Longfellow School while live music filled the air, courtesy of KWC Complex Jazz Group.

A large area of turf was filled with huge bean bags for jumping, rolling, and sitting to listen as families crowded close to listen to Oakland Mayor Barbara Mayor Barbara Lee read a book out loud.

Of the numerous booths present were, “Claim Your Scholarship,” a program for Oakland Public School students and “VOLUNTEER NOW,” a program encouraging volunteers to help boost reading proficiency. Individuals sold their art and products. Free gifts were at many tables and a raffle was held.

The event with Marcus books culminated a summer-long program organized by Storyland Collective, a literacy arts organization bringing children’s ‘storytime,’ local authors, and art activities to Bay Area neighborhoods. Marcus Books is the oldest, independent Black-owned book store in the U.S., featuring books by and about Black people here and abroad.