Why Not In English Class?

Our thanks to Bloggity Blog Blog for the post More Than Just a History Lesson for encouraging a taste of Civil Rights History in English class… “Although I know that there will be English teachers who won’t like to teach a book like this and see it better fit in a history class, we as… Read more »

Did You Know…

“Did you know that someone before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white person?  Did you know that someone was a fifteen year old girl” So begins the wonderful review of Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Ms. Hughes who teaches 6th Grade Reading at Wilde Lake Middle… Read more »

The Examined Life, Age 8

There was a wonderful piece in the New York Times on Prof. Thomas E. Wartenberg teaching of philosophy to children through children’s books. You can read the full article, “Examined Life, Age 8” here. “The world is a puzzling place and when you’re young it doesn’t make sense,” Professor Wartenberg says. “What you’re giving them… Read more »

Ant, The Philosopher

Since the boy is more powerful than the ant, does that mean it’s okay for him to squish the ant?  Can you think of anyone you are more powerful than?  Does that mean its okay for you to hurt them? These are just some of the questions posed by Lauren Flinner at Teaching Children Philosophy. … Read more »

Forever Young

Phillip Hoose was pleased to be invited to write an essay for The Nature Conservancy’s new youth programs.  Phil is a conservation planner for The Nature Conservancy where he has been a staff member since 1977. “…the youthful experience of nature itself may be headed for extinction. Children living even in remote villages experience life… Read more »

Freedom Project

Pleased that Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice and We Were There Too: Young People in U.S. History are included in the University of Delaware’s Freedom Project: Teaching American History program this year.  Phil Hoose will be speaking to educators there on July 26, 2011. The goals of the TAH Freedom Project are (1) increased teacher… Read more »

Why did I write about Claudette Colvin?

I hoped that Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice would change the way we talk about the Montgomery bus protest.   I think it has.   It isn’t just that then 15-year-old Claudette Colvin took great risks and suffered great consequences before Rosa Parks famously did exactly what she did nearly a year later.   It is, that as… Read more »

White House Blog Honors Claudette Colvin

As this African American History Month comes to a close and the book celebrates its second anniversary with a paperback release, it is gratifying to see Claudette’s name so often mentioned alongside that of Rosa Parks.  Even the White House dog, Bo mentioned Claudette’s contribution in his blog: “While it was clearly Rosa Parks’ destiny to… Read more »

They Played Baseball Too

As spring training season arrives, I was pleased to speak with MPBN‘s Irwin Gratz about the two youngest pro baseball players ever. Two 15-year-old baseball players –Joe Nuxhall and Anna Meyer–who got their professional start during World War II are among the young people featured in my book, We Were There Too: Young People in… Read more »