Eleanora E. Tate
Home |
Books |
Biography |
Tail-kickin'
I learned a lot about musicians while writing African American Musicians. Let's see what YOU know about these great stars! 1. This singer, songwriter and pianist was born in Memphis. She grew up in Detroit and got "Respect" for her bluesy, gospel singing style. She also sang a lot about Pepsi. Who is she? 2. This hip-hop rap star loved to beat up boys and play basketball when she was young. She's also now an actress, businesswoman, script writer, and TV and movie producer who was nomined for an Oscar in 2003. Who is she? 3. This concert singer often traveled through Europe by train with her pet turtle. The turtle would sit on the table and eat lettuce and apples from her plate. When she went to South America she almost climbed into a snake pit to get a better picture of a boa constrictor. Here's another clue: She sang on Easter Sunday, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when the DAR refused to let her sing at Constitution Hall. Who is she? 4. This ragtime musician did not live to see his song "The Entertainer" become the hit theme song of the movie "The Sting." Who is he? 5. This musician got his inspiration for his closing act from the wrestler Gorgeous George, who used a cape to cover himself. His songs are sampled by more rap artists than any other musician. Who is he? My Biography Page Into Movies Quiz Over the years thousands of movies have been produced, hundreds adapted from books. Very few movies, however, have been adapted from children's books. Here's a "Books into Movies" Quiz I created that includes some of my all-time favorite authors. Let's see how many questions you can answer correctly. 1. Cassie Logan and her brothers fight to keep their land in Mississippi in this Newbery Award winning book by Mildred Taylor. What's the name of the book? 2. An old white English bull terrier, a young Labrador retriever, and a feisty Siamese cat travel across the Canadian wilderness in search of their masters. Two movies were made from this book. What is the name of the book? 3. In this frontier book, after Caleb's and Anna's mother dies, Papa puts an ad in the newspaper for a new wife. The prospective bride arrives from Maine to spend some time on the prairie. What's the name of the book AND the author? 4. Bratty Ethel Hardisen moves in with Margie Carson after Ethel's mother disappears. Margie is horrified when Ethel gets to sleep in Margie's bed, wear Margie's clothes and hog all the attention. What's the name of the book AND the author? (Hint: the author's initials are E. E. T.) 5. When young Thomas Small and his family move to Ohio, Thomas discovers that his new home is an old Civil War house haunted by a ghost who tells him the story of the Underground Railroad. What is the name of the book, written by Virginia Hamilton? My Biography page |
Celeste's Harlem Renaissance
Discussion Questions Copyright 2007 by Eleanora E. Tate (with help from Nathaniel Hamlett & Kyle Stevenson) 1. Discuss Celeste’s strengths and weaknesses based on her actions and thoughts, reactions to her predicaments, her dialogue with others, and her expectations versus her realities. 2. How does the butterfly imagery in the story reflect Celeste’s personal journey? 3. How does Celeste use her knowledge of medical and home remedies to help her family and friends? What medical break-throughs occurred in the 1920s to combat tuberculosis, strokes, parasites, polio and other health issues? What medical problems would you like to find cures for? 4. How would you contrast the treatment that Celeste receives from her New York Aunti Valentina with treatment she receives from her North Carolina Aunt Society? Compare how Miss D, Gertie and the Smithfields treat Celeste. 5. Would Celeste’s forgiving nature, especially toward her aunts, be considered unrealistic in today’s world? Why or why not? Name and discuss some habits and mannerisms that Celeste and her friends practiced toward adults that children today often do not. 6. For nearly 400 years racial segregation was a legally sanctioned way of life across the south and many parts of the United States, including New York City. Define racial segregation as practiced and evidenced in Celeste’s Raleigh world in 1921. Was slavery ever practiced in New York City? Was slavery or racial segregation practiced in your community? Research and list some examples to support your findings. 7. List and discuss Raleigh life in 1921, including clothing, language, medical remedies, electronic inventions, clothing, and reading material, and songs according to the book. How does that life differ from what yours and your friends today? 8. In Celeste’s 1921 Raleigh world, meaningful downtown sites included the City Cemetery, the Royal Theatre, the Masonic and Lightner buildings, East Hargett Street, St. Paul AME Church, Hamlin Drug, and the State Capitol building. What do you know about these historic landmarks? Have you visited the City Cemetery, St. Paul AME Church, Hamlin’s Drug, or the State Capitol? Visit some of your own community’s local landmarks, investigate their histories and create projects to raise awareness and your own knowledge about their accomplishments. 9. Why do you think Celeste met so many African American personalities in Harlem’s and Raleigh’s businesses and social settings? Would this have been coincidence or part of 1920s often segregated African American life? Cites examples to support your findings. Compile a list of some of the well-known historic figures Celeste meets or hears about, and create reports on four of these persons’ lives. 10. The phrases that Celeste, Poppa, Miss D, Auntie Valentina, Gertie and other characters use may or may not be familiar to you, like “My dogs were barking;” “hoofer;” “the cat’s pajamas” and others. List some phrases that you may not recognize. What do they mean? Have their meanings changed? African American Musicians
June is Black Music Month! From early concert singer Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield to today's Queen Latifah, from Thomas "Blind Tom" Bethune to Louis Armstrong, from Ray Charles to Tupac Shakur, from conjoined North Carolina singing twins Millie-Christine McCoy to Aretha Franklin, from Sea Island storyteller-singers Frankie and Doug Quimby to the Hall Johnson Choir, from Mahalia Jackson to gospel queen Shirley Caesar, these biographical profiles will help both young and old readers gain a more intimate understanding about the lives of these and many more African Americans and the music they loved. Reviewer Leila Toledo in Children's Literature graciously noted that my entry on Millie-Christine McCoy "focuses on the contribution that she (McCoy) made through her talent rather than how she was physically different." "Recommended!" -- Parents Choice "An interesting and readable survey of how great musicians shaped popular American music." -- Parent Council  With illustrations by artist Don Tate II, I retell stories from eighteen kingdoms that once existed (and some still do) on the continent of Africa, including "Creation" stories, "Death" stories, "Gods and Mortals" stories, "Trickster" tales, "How and Why" stories, and "Right and Wrong" stories. Each story has a pronounciation guide and extended activities. Retold African Myths can be ordered from Educational Publisher Perfection Learning Corporation. Also available are a Teachers Resource Book and full color posters. Retold African Myths is part of the company's successful, long-running "Retold" series. The Secret of Gumbo Grove
First in my Carolina Trilogy, with Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!, and A Blessing in Disguise. You now can find excerpts of my teacher's guide for The Secret of Gumbo Grove. Click on A Blessing in Disguise. Hooray! Raisin Stackhouse loves history so much that she's willing to face punishment in order to know her family's and her hometown's hidden secrets. Raisin lives in Gumbo Grove, SC, a popular family resort by the Atlantic Ocean. But what about Big Boy, who's out to beat up Raisin? Does she stand a chance against this neighborhood bully? And then there is Gumbo Dickson, the founder of Gumbo Grove. Raisin doesn't know anything about this mysterious man, and nobody wants to tell her. It's up to Raisin and her friends Big Head Jeff, Bunny, Sin-Sin, and Raisin's sisters Hattie and Maizell to solve the mystery. A Parents Choice Gold Seal Award winner A California Young Reader Medal Nominee A Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee Featured in USA Today and on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." Available as an Audio Book from Recorded Books, Inc. "A warm, humorous, and wonderful story centered around an intellectually curious and spirited black girl... " -- Starred, School Library Journal "A vividly evoked piece of Americana that should be widely enjoyed." -- Pointer, Kirkus Reviews Just an Overnight Guest
Everything in nine-year-old Margie Carson's life in Nutbrush, MO is just fine until four-year-old Ethel Hardisen comes along. Ethel throws rocks, fights, cusses -- and then moves right into Margie's home! "... Tate does a fine job ..." -- the New York Times Just an Overnight Guest was made into an award-winning movie of the same name by Executive Producer Barbara Bryant and Phoenix Films. It stars Richard Roundtree, Rosalind Cash, Fran Robinson, Tiffany Hill, and Elinor Donahue, and was shown on PBS's award-winning Wonderworks Series and on Nickelodeon Children's Channel. Just an Overnight Guest the film was also named to the "Selected Films for Young Adults 1985" list by the Young Adult Library Services Association of the American Library Association. You can order this film with the book, a discussion guide, and a cute carrying bag as part of the film company's "Reading Enrichment Enhancement Expansion" project. Contact the Phoenix Learning Group, 2349 Chaffee Dr., St. Louis, MO. 63146; 1-800-221-1274, and ask for customer service. Or go to www.phoenixlearninggroup.com. To Be Free (a quick read!)
This is my newest book and it's for middle school boys who don't like to read. So it's very very very short! To gain his freedom out of slavery on the eve of the Civil War, Abram runs away from his mean master on the North Carolina coast. Abram battles dangers in his quest. Publication Date: 2004 in the Steck-Vaughn Power Up! Reader Series. To order it call 1-800-531-5015 and ask for it by its ISBN single copy number: 0-7398-7507-8. Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!
Second in my Carolina Trilogy with The Secret of Gumbo Grove and A Blessing in Disguise. Mary Elouise Avery is a fourth-grader in Gumbo Grove, SC. Her best friend is Hattie Stackhouse, Raisin's younger sister. But Mary Elouise wants to be best friends with snooty, rich, blond-haired blue-eyed Brandy Howard. She also wishes she looked like Brandy, but not because blond hair and blue eyes are fashion statements. She'd never openly admit it, but Mary Elouise wants to be white. Mary Elouise's issues are ones familiar with many people young and old in today's race-conscious world. Read how she struggles with and wins her battle to improve her self esteem. For more information about Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! and me: Randomhouse.com/kids/ and click on "browse by author" and enter my name! To order the Audio Book, contact Recorded Books, Inc., Prince Frederick, Maryland (1-800-638-1304) or go to its web site. "Tate's characters are three-dimensional and believable..." -- Kirkus Reviews An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies A Child Study Children's Book Committee "Children's Book of the Year" A Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Children's Book Nominee A South Carolina School Librarians Children's Book Nominee  A Blessing in Disguise
Third in my Carolina Trilogy with The Secret of Gumbo Grove and Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! Zambia Brown is a naive young woman who craves to live in the fast lane. But that's awfully hard to do living with a boring aunt and uncle in "do-nothing, dirt road, countrified" Deacons Neck, SC. It's on the Children's Defense Fund's Freedom School reading program book list. Thank you, CDF! Zambia believes that if she can live with her handsome, drug-dealing father nicknamed "Snake" and her half-sisters Seritta and Meritta that her world will be complete. When Snake opens a nightclub on Zambia's very own street Zambia decides to make her move. She hooks up with her boyfriend Potsey to deal drugs, too. Zambia's choices lead her to gunfire. A Blessing in Disguise, for middle and high school students, is published by Just Us Books, Inc. "...instantly grabs readers' attention..." -- Publishers Weekly An American Bookseller Association "Pick of the Lists"  Front Porch Stories Front Porch Stories at the One-Room School
Reprinted in 2007 by Just Us Books, Inc. Margie and Ethel are back! In this sequel to Just an Overnight Guest, Margie, Ethel and Daddy tell stories on the steps of an old one-room school in Nutbrush, Mo. Like the time that Aunt Daisy -- Daddy's aunt as well as his teacher at the one-room school -- gets chased by a Shadow with a head the size of a bucket. And the time when a mean, mean, mean old man dies. But sits up in his coffin at his funeral! Then there's the time that a white-haired, sway-backed, bug-eyed, pointy-nosed Chihauhau named Smokey with a long skinny tail gets into the school and the teacher almost has a heart attack when she mistakes the dog for a possum. "...will gain satisfied readers and listeners." -- School Library Journal "... an old-fashioned charmer, meant to be read aloud." -- Des Moines Register "...places particular emphasis on the importance of the African American father as a positive role model ..." -- Chicago Defender A North Carolina Children's Junior Book Award Nominee A Sequoyah Children's Book Award Nominee An Indiana Young Hoosier Children's Book Award Nominee Highlighted in Essence Magazine |
|
