I was surprised and yet so thankful to have Ain’t Gonna Turn Me “Round …nominated for the 2024-2025 Triple Crown Children’s Book Awards in the Lamplighter category (Grades 6-8.)
Good News Flash
The last quarter of 2023 overflowed with blessings and outreach opportunities for Team Kirkwood Literacy Lab. First, Jones Paideia Magnet Elementary School’s Principal, Dr. Tesia Wilson, and Mrs. Joy Pillow Jones, MNPS Contractor honored the literacy works of Papa K. More tears flowed when the community resource room was named the “Papa K Community Resource Room.”
The dedication reads, “ In honor and recognition of the outstanding commitment and distinguished service of Alan P. Kirkwood, “Papa K”to the students at Jones Paideia Elementary School.
Below is a photo collage of friends and family in attendance.
Top right photo- Dr. Wilson and Dr. Kirkwood, “Mama K”. Bottom photos from left to to right, Former student Noah Carrillo, friends and family in front of the school and lining the hallways reading reflections penned by former principal Myra Taylor.
New Donors
Excited and thrilled to introduce our new donors, thank you for purchasing Macmillan Fully Illustrated Dictionaries for the 4th and 5th-grade students in the after-school TKLL program.
Left to right- High School classmates and GEM Sister Linda B. Williams, Glenda Robinson Oates, Juanita Woods-Robertson, and Cassandra Hunt Thompson.
Team Kirkwood Literacy Lab Ambassadors
Oh, what a year it has been in the absence of Papa K. Notwithstanding, he asked that I continue the work of Better B. To my good fortune, a few saw the need and stepped up to support the goals and mission. Below, from left to right, Dr. Dena Lane-Bonds and Ms. Ashley Best Jones Paideia Partners from Vanderbilt University and my beloved daughters, Mss. Anaxet and Juliette Jones, much obliged with a grateful heart.
Closing out 2023
The TKLL Ambassadors and I brought to life three books. Thanks to generous Jones Paideia Community Partners, each student was gifted a copy of the three books to add to their library.
Book 1 Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker and April Harrison.
Highlights and Activities: · Using domestic and international maps the students located the continent of Africa and the country of Ghana, where Nana Akua was born and raised.
· The students read and learned about the Ashanti tradition of tribal markings.
· Some of the TKLL Ambassadors who had body tattoos showed and shared the meanings of their tattoos, which were compared to Adrinka symbols and meanings.
· Face painting! Our kiddos selected their favorite symbols and had them painted on their faces. Face painting! Our kiddos selected their favorite symbols and had them painted on their faces.
In summary, the students learned about the vanishing Ghana-Ashanti cultural tradition of tribal (facial marks and how the Adinkra symbols continue to thrive in contemporary forms, such as artwork, clothing, and school/college logos. (We made a poster board display of Adrinkra fabrics as shown in the last two photos above. The students were awed by the various designs and colorful fabrics.) My Takeaway: To my surprise several of the students had not seen or even tasted a mango (mentioned in the book). So, to expand the multi-sensory experience, we promised to bring mangos for tasting at the upcoming Grand Parents Day event.
Book 2 My Grandpa, My Tree, and Me by Roxanne Troup and Kendra Bailey in celebration of Grandparents Day. Highlights and Activities:
· The session began with the kiddos and me alternating reading the book.
· A live pecan tree, which was planted on campus brought added excitement and more questions. Students learned fun facts about pecan trees, including how tall and wide they grow. The students were in awe.
· Using their maps, the students located the 15 states where pecans are grown.
· The kiddos engaged in three pecan-cracking activities: between two fingers; cracking two nuts together; and, their favorite, using a nutcracker.
In summary, this event was over the top with so many things to see, do, and taste, which ignited the multi-sensory experience. We closed the day with the students’ sampling mangos, as promised from the week before, and pecan pie. Each student was also given a bag of pecans to take home My Takeaway: To my surprise like the week before, some students had never seen or even tasted pecans.
Book 3 Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann
Highlights and Activities: · The students were eager to read, discover, and learn about honeybees, i.e. the anatomy of a honeybee, the many chores of the worker bee, and that their life span is only 35 days.
· After the reading our guest presenter, Ms. Carol Hagen, Honey Artisan, and Beekeeper took us a bit deeper, first showing and talking about the beekeeper attire, and she treated the kiddos with honeycomb. The kiddos were so excited and intrigued posing sooooo many questions,
In summary, this event was over the top with multi-sensory experiences. Each student was gifted with a 3oz jar of honey, thanks to GEM donor Linda B. Williams.
My Takeaway: The joy and excitement of all who attended the event. The students enjoyed tasting the honeycomb.
NOTE: Vocabulary lists and critical thinking questions were provided for each book to enhance comprehension and Creativity
It’s a Wrap!!
Do you know a school that would enjoy a “Be a Better B” literacy presentation? To request an in-person or virtual speaking engagement, please contact Authors Out Loud, or view my SPEAKING PROFILE. If you have any questions, contact me at Author.Kathlyn@gmail.com
Memories
Memories
“The richness of life lies in memories…”
To my utter surprise and joy, while hosting a Reading is Grand table earlier this month at the Jones Paideia Magnet Elementary Back to School Event, I saw former student Noah's mom and former student Tosha with her mom and cousin. The unexpected reunion brought tears to my eyes. Once home I took a walk down memory lane and look what I found.
This photo was taken in 2018 when we (Team Kirkwood,) initiated active civic engagement- a five-book voting series with our little scholars, Ms. Butler’s 4th-grade class. The kiddos are wearing I am registered to vote around their necks and holding their voter registration cards, which they received after completing a voter registration form.
In the photo, Noah (center black pullover) and Tosh (pink jacket), are standing in the middle. The older gentleman in the photo is my Uncle Russell. He was 92 years old at the time and we invited him to come in and recite the poem, Be a Better B that he learned in his youth. My Mom taught me the same poem and Team K in turn teaches each class of little scholars. The poem goes like this:
Be a Better B, Be a Better Best, Never let it rest until your B is better, And your better is BEST!
What a wonderful memory.
UPWARD AND ONWARD WITH GREAT NEWS
∙ The Better B Team Kirkwood Literacy Lab received the BCALA 2023 Reading is Grand! Celebrating Grand ~ Families, Telling Our Stories Grant. The grant, in the amount of $750 will be used to present a multifaceted program entitled: Binding Families Together Through Books and Quilting. The kickoff celebration will take place on September 5, 2023, and The Grand Parents Day activities will be held on September 11, 2023, at Jones Paideia Elementary Magnet School in Nashville, TN.
On March 28th, 2024, the fifth-grade students will gift the school with a handmade legacy quilt at the closing program. Stay tuned for more news updates.
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round made the BCALA 2022 Best of the Best Booklist.
To see the BCALA 2022 Best of the Best Booklist Google -https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/list/share/200049033/2284090919
THANK YOU BCALA!!!
It Has Been a While
Life is about change.
Sometimes it’s painful,
Sometimes it’s beautiful.
But most of the time it is both.
Lang Lang
TW: car accident, illness, dying
Overview: 2021-2022
Better B has been off the radar and my blog has been silent for the past couple of years. I had to take a step back to cope with a substantial number of life-changing events. I had to get a handle on and recover from two surgeries. Then the family had to cope with Papa K’s devastating diagnosis, his illness, and his caretaking. And ultimately we had to adjust to Papa’s K passing in December 2022.
Summer/Fall 2020:
Even with all the COVID restrictions and precautions, Papa K and I were so excited about the upcoming school year. We researched, read books, and more books, finally deciding on a diverse selection to present to the students at Jones Paideia Elementary Magnet School under the leadership of Principal Myra Taylor. The book lists and curriculum activities, including vocabulary words and critical thinking questions to spark creativity and ignite the thought process, were completed. We were ready to “Bring Books to Life” with a new group of 4th graders. And we were equally thrilled to initiate our Better B Book Club program for 5th-grade students.
March 2021:
In past years Better B presented 10-12 books in an academic year, however, in March 2021, Papa K and I were confronted with the first signs that our life was about to change with health challenges both his and mine. Papa K was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome. We were concerned but, as we learned more, the anxiety eased up a bit. After all, tennis star, Venus Williams had been diagnosed with the same disorder a few years before, and she was still smashing balls and winning. Papa K had good days and bad days. Some days he was too sick to join me but on his good days, after doing his meds, Papa K masked up, with gloves on (illness made his hands sensitive to the touch) and an oxygen tank in tow, to meet and greet our scholars. The students were elated to see him.
Early Fall 2021:
As in the past years, the first book presented at the beginning of the school year was Each Kindness, written by renowned author, my friend, and mentor, Jacqueline Woodson. That year both the fourth and fifth-grade students read and discussed this classic book. In our effort to build character, good values, and ethical principles, Papa K and I honed in on the importance of kindness, compassion, and empathy.
The students shared their acts or lack thereof of kindness. The students completed a two-week activity that required them to journal about their good deeds and acts of kindness, to whom, and how it made them feel. They were excited to share with their classmates how some babysat, some helped an ailing grandparent or helped their mom out with the groceries, and there were those who helped a sibling with their homework.
Team Kirkwood 4th Grade Literacy Lab had a blast bringing to life a diverse book list:
Better B Book Club Reading List
Papa K and I launched the Better B Book Club, and I must say with great joy that the Better B Book Club exceeded our expectations. Each student was given an opportunity to read. Discussions ensued, which were lively and very informative. The students were eager to read the next book and the next book. And the best news was that one of the school’s Community Partners gifted the Better B Book Club students with a copy of each book read and discussed— to add them to the at home library or start a personal library.
CHANGE IS COMING…
Late Fall/Winter 2021:
Do you recall the phrase, “When it rains, it pours?” Well, that was our fall /winter of 2021. In September I had the first of two rotator cuff shoulder tears, requiring a three-month sabbatical; in November, Papa K underwent more tests and was diagnosed with MDA5, a rare, incurable auto immune disease that affects the muscles, lungs, and skin. This news was shocking and painful. Then in December 2021, I was in a terrible car accident which resulted in a double ankle fracture. I was out of commission for an additional three and a half months. More PT- Ugh!!
Nevertheless, with family support and lots of prayers, we pressed on and were motivated and eager to continue teaching, educating, bringing light and hope to our fourth and fifth grade scholars. My daughters Anaxet and Juliette had become Papa K’s bonus daughters in 2006, and now they put their lives on hold to care for us. Thanks, beloved Daughters, we are indebted to you with an overflow of gratitude.
Happy New Year!!
Happy Kwanzaa!!
January 2022:
We were extremely hopeful at the start of the new year. We were all excited because January 4th was the publication date of my debut book, Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day. The book launch was held at the National Civil Rights Museum in my hometown, Memphis, TN.
With all the book excitement, we were hopeful and cautiously optimistic - Papa K was approved for new medicine to treat his MDA5 symptoms, and it appeared that we both seemed to be recuperating and recovering. So much so, that I was up to connect again with the kiddos.
April 2022:
In mid-April 2022, I met with the kiddos - little did I know it would be for the last time that year. The session was fun, but they missed Papa K, who had not been able to join us. One of the students asked if they could send him get well message?
Hearing from our little scholars really lifted Papa K’s spirits. He really wanted to get back to the classroom, but the disease continued to rob him of this strength and energy.
June 2022:
Not sure how long I would have to be away, I decided to step back from Team Kirkwood Literacy Lab to care for Papa K. Over the next six months, Papa K and I shared some beautiful memories, even flying to Las Vegas to see Silk Sonic at the MGM Grand!! While it was our hope and prayer that Papa K would return to full health, such was not to be.
December 2022:
Papa K passed away peacefully at home on December 16, 2022, my birthday, leaving a HOLE IN TEAM KIRKWOOD.
In Memoriam
Alan P. Kirkwood (Papa K)
June 14, 1949- December 16, 2022
In action, changing lives:
Papa K helps lead students in reenacting a march for equal rights - sharing lessons in good citizenship and being brave on behalf of others
THE LITERACY BEAT GOES ON AND ON…
Papa K’s last words were “You must carry on.” And so be it. I shall start a new season beginning Fall 2023 at Jones Paideia under the leadership of Dr. Tesia Wilson, Principal ES, with Mrs. Joy Pillow-Jones, Mgr. Community Achieves Site. Team Kirkwood Literacy Lab and Better B Bookclub will have a slightly different profile of loyal recruits to help me lift the banner and carry the touch - “Teaching and Educating,” bringing light and hope.
Flash back 2020!!
Papa K and I are proud graduates of Booker T. Washington High School (’67 and ’68), in Memphis, TN where we continue to strive to uphold our school mottos:
"We're Tops."
"We Lead and Others Follow”
Alan and I were inspired by a conversation with ’68 classmate Linda Brown Williams, former President and CEO of RISE Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee. RISE stands for Responsibility. Initiative. Solution. Empowerment. When we found that RISE was going to gift a laptop computer to each of the graduating seniors for 2020, Alan and I wanted to add joy to the lives of the BTW students too. So, we got busy.
Kenneth Ford donated funds to Team Kirkwood Literacy Lab, and we decided to purchase 135 copies of the New York Times Best Seller entitled The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander.
We were excited to gift the books to the graduating seniors at BTW and the fourth-grade students at Buena Vista Enhanced Option Elementary School.
Time was of the essence. Papa K and I wanted to make the gift really special by including a picture of Kwame Alexander and autographed nameplate. I reached out to my former book editor, Erika Turner at Versify, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. I asked if she would contact Kwame Alexander on my behalf see if he would be willing to send 135 autographed bookplates. He agreed, so we ordered the books and waited anxiously for the bookplates to arrive.
We also worked closely with Kimberly Morgan-West, the Senior Goal Card Program Coordinator at RISE Foundation. She provided the names of each student and was gracious in receiving the books. Unfortunately, we did not get the books to the students in time for the drive graduation, but the books were distributed in person or mailed to the students as a result of Kimberly’s dedicated efforts. Pictured below on the left is the valedictorian and salutatorian. Both recently completed their freshman year of college with flying colors. Onward and upward class of 2020!
Literacy Remix IV
In January 2020 Papa K and I were so excited to bring books to life with Ms. Gwendolyn Poindexter’s sixth grade class at Donelson Middle School. We hoped this was the beginning of something new and grand, but then COVID happened. Although March marked our last in-person visits, we have great hopes for 2022.
Come walk down memory lane with me to see how we closed out the 2020 school year. You will be amazed.
From January to March, when I still had purple hair from celebrating my 69th birthday in December 2019, we learned a lot and brought a couple of books to life. The first-class meeting was great! The students were highly motivated and full of energy.
We learned that many of the boys aspired to become professional athletes. I just happened to have a copy of Between the Lines by Ernie Barnes in my book bag. Ernie Barnes was a professional football player, but his true passion was art and painting. This gave us an opportunity to speak truth to power; many dreams of becoming a professional athlete but few are chosen. We talked about the importance of having a plan B, such as going to college or trade school.
1. Can you guess the name of this Ernie Barnes art piece?
2. On what 1976 sitcom was this artwork featured?
3. Whose album cover was this artwork?
(Answers below)
The students were in awe of the Kennedy Compound located in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. They pulled out their maps to locate the area.
The book drew us in with words like leader and hero. Papa K and I stopped to discuss heroes. We asked the students to list some of their heroes or individuals that are perceived by others as a hero. One name rang out: Rosa Parks. This moved me to create a teachable moment by introducing Claudette Colvin, the teen girl who was jailed because she refused to give up her sit nine months before Rosa Parks. The students had never heard of Claudette Colvin. We challenged the students to visit the school library and check out the book entitled Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice written by National Award Book recipient Phillip Hoose, which we would continue looking at after completing A Time to Act.
On the next visit the students were eager to get started because they had been promised a tea party with crumpets. The students learned that JFK’s mom and sister hosted tea parties to help raise money for his bid for Congress. Before the tea party we completed the book with the students help. They role played as JFK, Dr. King, Coretta Scott King, Jackie Robinson, and Neil Armstrong.
The students learned about sit-ins, the letter Dr. King wrote from the Birmingham Jail, why activism is necessary, and the important role that President Lyndon Johnson played when he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
At the conclusion of the session, two of the students showed us that they found copies of Phillip Hoose’s book about Claudette Colvin in the library. We were thrilled. We asked them to read and learn about Ms. Colvin’s story and prepare to share with the class on our next visit.
At the third and final meeting we met in the library for the Claudette Colvin book review presentation. Pictured are the two students who rushed to get the only copies of the book housed in the library. They were awarded with a Better B excellence certificate for their very thorough presentation.
At the third and final meeting we met in the library for the Claudette Colvin book review presentation. Pictured are the two students who rushed to get the only copies of the book housed in the library. They were awarded with a Better B excellence certificate for their very thorough presentation.
Sampling tea and crumpets was our last session. One of our biggest regrets is that we did not have an opportunity to finish our sessions with the students due to the pandemic.
The boys wanted demitasse cups, but we told them since the Kennedy tea parties were for ladies only that they would have to drink their tea from a cup. We all had a big laugh.
Trivia answers:
(1) Can you guess the name of this Ernie Barnes art piece? Sugar Shack (2) On what 1976 sitcom was this artwork featured? Norman Lear’s Good Times. (3) Whose album cover was this artwork? Marvin Gaye, for the album I Want You.
Twas the Time Before COVID: Remix III
LITERACY REMIX III: On the Road Again
Team Kirkwood Literacy Lab is off to visit more schools as guest readers. We had a blast at Book’em’s annual “Read Me Day”celebration. We visited Ms. Vasili’s fourth-grade class at Robert E. Lillard Elementary to read a fun book entitled I Didn’t Do It by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest.
After reading the story, we showed photos of our own three dogs. We asked the students to guess which one chewed up a slipper, buried a bone in the garden, or made a puddle on the rug.
The discussion transitioned from humor to sadness when I shared a story about our late dog named Foxie. One day Foxie found a packaged blueberry muffin, after trying to eat the muffin, she couldn’t remove her head from the package and suffocated before we found her. The students and teachers were filled with shock and sorrow.
We recalled the sadness and grief we experienced. Our daughter Juliette was especially disheartened because she was Foxie’s caretaker. To our surprise, as we talked about our pain, the students began to open up and share stories about their own experiences of losing a pet.
But the session ended on a happy note. We told them that we had a real funeral to honor Foxie with a program, music, a prayer of comfort given by my uncle, Elder Russell Bates (you met him in an earlier blog post), and a repast. The students’ eyes lit up with surprise as they laughed and giggled at the thought of a funeral for a dog.
Twas the Time Before COVID: Remix II
LITERACY REMIX II: BUTTERFLIES ARE…
Typically, the Literacy lab camps out once a week in Ms. Butler's class.
One day a student from Ms. Dora’s fourth-grade class asked, “Mama K, when are you and Papa K coming to our class?”
“Soon,” I said. “I promise.”
I began the search for a book to inspire wonder and surprise. I wanted the perfect book, and at last I found an amazing nature book entitled A Butterfly Is Patient written by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long.
Listed below are some of the fun facts and new words that Papa K and I discovered with our new group of fourth graders:
A butterfly is patient because it begins as a tiny egg resting beneath the leaves.
I misplaced my reading glasses but the show must go on , hence the prescription sunglasses.
A butterfly is creative because after about 38 days a metamorphosis (vocabulary word) occurs, transforming the egg to a caterpillar and then a butterfly.
A butterfly is helpful because as it flutters from flower to flower, it plays a part in the process of pollination (vocabulary word).
A butterfly is protective as it uses its wings to shield itself from prey such as birds and insects.
Did you know that some butterflies, like the Swallowtail, are poisonous?
I think we can all agree that butterflies are spectacular with their various colors and awesome geometric patterns. The Moonlight Jewel, Annie’s Eighty-eight, and the blue morpho are especially fascinating. The book is full of so many species and types of butterflies.
Did you know that a butterfly gets thirsty and needs water just like humans? I have seen butterflies drink from the birdbath in our front yard. Oh, the wonder of nature.
A butterfly can be big or small. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing lives in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest butterfly in the world with a wingspan of up to a foot. With a ruler in hand, the students learned that 12 inches equal one foot. The tiniest butterfly, called the Arian Small Blue, lives in Afghanistan. Its wingspan is just one-third of an inch, about the length of a grain of rice.
The students were in awe. Before ending our time with them, we asked them to locate Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan on the map. In addition, we left Ms. Dora with a list of vocabulary words and critical thinking questions
We discovered many new things about butterflies, and you will too when you read the book. The best part is that A Butterfly Is Patient is just one of many nature books by Dianna Hutts Aston. I highly recommend the others in the series:
A Rock Is Lively An Egg Is Quiet A Seed Is Sleepy A Nest Is Noisy A Beetle Is Shy
Twas the Time Before COVID
Papa K and I were on a roll bringing books to life when the CORONAVIRUS came in like a whirlwind. All in-person class sessions and activities came to an abrupt halt. But, what fun we had prior to COVID-19! We shared our passion for the written word and expanded our literacy lab beyond Ms. Butler’s fourth-grade class to Ms. Dora’s fourth-grade kiddos at Buena Vista Elementary Enhanced Option school in Nashville, Tennessee. To our delight, we also had the opportunity to share with a group of inquisitive sixth graders in Ms. Poindexter’s class at Donaldson Middle School in Hermitage, Tennessee.
This blog series will be divided into four sections entitled “Literacy Remix I” “II,” “III,” and “IV.”
LITERACY REMIX I: Fun With KWANZAA
Before the holiday break, we read a book entitled Stick Man by Julia Donaldson to Ms. Butler’s fourth-grade class. The students were very familiar with Christmas, but we discovered most were unfamiliar with the African-American celebration of Kwanzaa which occurs December 26th to January 1st.
Armed with the book My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz and everything the students would need to learn about
Kwanzaa, we headed into the classroom. Since there were 22 students in the class, we placed a paper cut-out of an ear of corn for each student. To use the tools we had in a new way is an example of Kuumba (Creativity) a Kwanzaa principle. And we couldn’t forget the Mazoa. The crop of apples, yams, nuts, squash, and vegetables that represents the harvest.
First, the students had to locate Africa on the world map. I read aloud while Papa K helped the students set up the Kwanzaa table with a mkeka (mat), a kinara (candleholder) to hold seven mishumaa (candles), a kikombe (unity cup), and muhindi (ear of corn) for each child.
Discover, explore, imagine
The students had a blast dressing up in African attire
We introduced the Kwanzaa principles which include the following: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative/Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). After learning about the last principle and lighting the last candle, the students were presented with a zawadi, a gift to educate and enrich the students lives. A zawadi is often a book, homemade gift, or piece of artwork. In this instance the zawadi was a Merriam-Webster Notebook Dictionary for each student, gifted by Dr. Ryan Mire
We closed the lab session by singing a Kwanzaa song by Paula, to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star:
Kwanzaa Kinara burning bright
Now you share with us your light
May we always learn to share
with all children everywhere
Kwanzaa Kinara burning bright
Then we had a Karamu, a feast of homecoming, from Mama K’s kitchen.
POP QUIZ
Who founded Kwanzaa and why?
How are the candles arranged in a kinara?
Who typically lights the black candle and why?
What does the Mkeka represent?
True or false, Kwanzaa is a religious celebration?