Books
Students receive national writing contest awards
CINCINNATI HERALD — Four young students at Winton Hills Academy in Cincinnati recently traveled to Philadelphia to receive their first place awards in a national book writing competition for their book honoring Civil Rights icon Marian Spencer, 98, of Cincinnati. This is the second book for which students at the school have won a national award, and these Cincinnati Public Schools girls are only nine and ten years old.
By Dan Yount
Four young students at Winton Hills Academy in Cincinnati recently traveled to Philadelphia to receive their first place awards in a national book writing competition for their book honoring Civil Rights icon Marian Spencer, 98, of Cincinnati. This is the second book for which students at the school have won a national award, and these Cincinnati Public Schools girls are only nine and ten years old. This group of students not only wrote and illustrated the book, but interviewed Mrs. Spencer at her residence at Twin Towers Senior Living Community.
The 20-page book, titled “Marian Spencer: A Light in the Darkness,” which chronicles Spencer’s life and accomplishments as a fighter for social justice in the Cincinnati area, was written by Serenity Mills, Janyia New, Aliyana O’Neal and Nakiyah Ray.
“We’re so proud of these girls, and we know what they’re capable of,” Julie Dellecave, the girls’ fourth-grade teacher. “They are learning that working hard at something and really doing their best pays off in life. And I think that’s really an example to all of our students here.”
“I expect them to do well in everything, especially in school,” Spencer said of the girls when they visited her in December to present her with the book. “Our future is in them.”
“They are amazing students, and this was a great outlet for them to show the talent they have,’’ said Shelby Zimmer, resource coordinator at the school. “Also, Julie Dellecave is an amazing teacher, providing encouragement and direction.’’
In accepting the award at the National Youth Foundation Second Annual Girls Rally in Philadelphia, the girls said they would rather see Marian Spencer than Beyoncé, because Mrs. Spencer has been such an inspiration to them, and they wanted to be just like her, Zimmer said.
The students chose to write their book about Spencer after Joe Wilmers, a retired Winton Hills Academy social worker, told them about her and all her accomplishments
Each of the girls received a $125 cash prize, which they said they plan to save.
The post Students receive national writing contest awards appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald.
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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the 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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Oakland Post: Week of April 10 – 16, 2024
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