For those who love books, “Mayor’s Book Talk” has
something for everyone. Join Mayor Pam Iorio as she examines today’s
literary environment.
View Guest Author |
View Kids Book Description |
View Kids Book Discussion Questions
February's Mayor's Book Talk Description
- Segment one pairs Mayor Iorio up with students
from Sam Rampello Downtown Partnership School to
engage in group discussions about books relevant to
today’s youth.
- During segment two, Mayor Iorio and experts from
Inkwood Books discuss some of today’s most engaging
reads and what is popular on the shelves. This
month's recommendations are:
For Black History Month:
-
Princess Grace, by Mary Hoffman,
illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu
-
A Taste of
Colored Water,
written and
illustrated by Matt
Faulkner
-
We Are the Ship:
The Story of Negro
League Baseball,
words and
paintings by Kadir
Nelson
-
First Class
Citizenship: The
Civil Rights Letters
of Jackie Robinson,
edited by Michael G.
Long
-
The Race Beat:
The Press, Civil
Rights & the
Awakening of a
Nation, by Gene
Roberts & Hank
Klibanoff
-
Black Pioneers
of Science and
Invention by
Louis Haber
For Valentine's Day:
-
My Mistress's
Sparrow is Dead:
Great Love Stories
from Chekhov to
Munro, edited
by Jeffrey Eugenides
-
Love: National
Geographic
Photographs,
by Ferdinand
Protzman
-
Eat, Pray Love,
by Elizabeth Gilbert
-
Good Dog. Stay.
by Anna
Quindlen
-
The Uncommon
Reader by Alan
Bennett
-
Love Poems
by Pablo Neruda
(bilingual)
- Segment three brings local writers into the CTTV
studio to discuss their literary works.
February's Guest Author is
Ronde Barber |
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Ronde Barber was born and raised in Roanoke,
Virginia, where he played with his brother Tiki on the Cave Spring
Eagles junior high school football team and wore number five. Today he
is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, wearing number 20 for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and has etched his name in the NFL record books
with his exceptional playmaking ability. Ronde is a Super Bowl winner, a
four-time Pro Bowl selection, and the first cornerback in league history
to have at least twenty sacks and twenty interceptions in a career.
Ronde and his brother Tiki have jumped into a brand
new middle grade format for their latest book, Kickoff!, a story
of teamwork, perseverance, family and friendship, that will reinforce
in readers that winners never quit and quitters never win. This
action-packed sports novel with a great message is the perfect story to
get tweens—especially boys—reading. Ronde collaborated with his brother
Tiki on three previous children’s books, By My Brother’s Side,
the Christopher Award winning Game Day, and Teammates.
Ronde Barber lives with his wife, Claudia, and their daughters Yammile
Rose and Justyce Rosina, in Florida.
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February's Discussion
Group Book: Arthur Ashe: Young Tennis Champion
by: Paul Mantell
Mantell's fictionalized biography focuses on the
challenging young life of the man who broke the
color barrier in tennis. Arthur Ashe:
Young Tennis Champion is part of the
"Childhood of Famous Americans" series.
These inspiring biographies are easily read by
children and allow today's youngster to be swept right into history.
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Discussion Questions for At-Home
Participation.
1. As you read this biography, pay special attention to turning points.
What were the important early experiences that shaped future career choices?
2. This is a fictionalized biography. Discuss how fictionalized biographies
differ from standard biographies.
3. Many of the famous Americans presented in the series had supportive parents
who encouraged them to do great things. But others of them didn't. Discuss the
importance of family support in shaping these notable lives. Can parental
disapproval sometimes be just as powerful an influence as parental approval?
4. Did you find Arthur Ashe’s story inspiring? How could you follow in his
footsteps? What sort of education or preparation do you need to achieve that
goal?
5. What are the obstacles that faced Arthur Ashe? How did he succeed despite the
racial prejudice he faced? Do you think modern-day members of racial minorities
have better opportunities than their ancestors?
6. Joseph Kennedy tells his young son, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, "Luck favors the
prepared mind." What does he mean by that? Do you agree? Can you find support
for that statement in Arthur’s Ashe’s story?
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