New Releases by Arnold Adoff

Through poems and poetic prose pieces, acclaimed children''s author Arnold Adoff celebrates that uniquely American form of music called the blues. In his signature “shaped speech” style, he creates a narrative of moments and joyous music, from the drums of the ancestors, the red dirt of the plantations, the current of the mighty Mississippi, and the shackles, blood, and tears of slavery. Each chop of the ax is a beat, each lash of the whip fashions another line on the musical staff. But each sound also creates the chords and harmonies that preserve the ancestors and their stories, and sustain life, faith, and hope into our own times.

Twenty-six works by the distinguished children''s book author illuminate the creative energy behind her artistry while speaking to a new generation of readers, introducing them to her literary vision and stunning body of writing which include Newbery Medal and National Book Award winners.

Brown-skinned momma, the color of chocolate milk and coffee pumpkin pie, whose face gets ginger red when she puffs and yells the children into bed. White-skinned daddy, not white like milk or snow, lighter than brown, With pinks and tiny tans, whose face gets tomato red when he puffs and yells their children into bed. Children who are all the colors of the race, growing up happy in a house full of love. This is the way it is for them; this is the way they are, but the joy they feel extends to every reader of this book. Black is brown is tan is a story poem about being, a beautiful true song about a family delighting in each other and in the good things of the earth.

Although they are normal and obedient pets during the day, at night Irving Dog and Ermine Cat rise and shake and roam as Daring Dog and Captain Cat, twirling capes and flashing swords and chasing crooks.

Malcolm X lived in difficult times - when some thought that black people were inferior to white people. But Malcolm believed that black people should stand up for their rights and he preached this belief everywhere he went. His message became popular because it was one of hope and pride. But it also became dangerous, because some people didn''t agree with him. In 1965, one of these people shot and killed him. Even though his life was cut short by hatred, Malcolm X''s ideas still affect people of all races. Here is his amazing story. An ALA Notable Children''s Book

A collection of poems about the sense of touch including a baby''s foot in one''s palm, peach fuzz on the lip, and the forehead against a cold window.

Illustrations and poetic text describe the movement and feel of the game of basketball. Full-color illustrations.

Two girls who share many wonderful times with their beloved dogs, Rex and Ethel, find a special way to remember them when they die.

This collection of poems, told from the perspective of a young girl, celebrates family life throughout the yearly cycle of seasons.

Unique word pictures of how it feels to be young and growing.

"Adoff addresses his poetry to modern, urban teens in a gritty, hip-hop style. He manages to create poetry from the universal concerns of love and loneliness, the specific teen concerns of acne and braces, and unpleasant realities like selling and taking drugs."--Booklist. "Telling, recognizable, and readable....Intriguing."--Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books.

Fifteen poems explore the sights and sounds of life in a big city.

A six-year-old boy who wants to grow up fast learns a lesson about patience from his grandmother.

Poems about the experiences and feelings of young athletes involved in various sports.

Original poems on a favorite subject by a chocolate lover.

A rythmic cycle of poems about a special day in May, when the hunter becomes the hunted.

A collection of poems written from the point of view of a child with a black mother and a white father.

A collection of poems written from the points of view of various birds.

Poems focusing on a day in the life of a brother and sister, spent at the beach, sometimes argumentatively, mostly compatibly.

A girl relates how she got her dog and the activities they share.

Reflections on the poet''s love of food and eating.

A young girl describes the joy and pride that running gives her.

A young girl enjoys a closeness with nature as she roams through the strong old trees near her house.

A young girl fantasizes about the excitement and loneliness of running away.

A collection of poetry by twentieth-century black Americans expressing what it is like to be black in the United States. Includes capsule biographies of the poets.

A poetic description of a tornado and its aftermath.

A big sister helps her little black brother realize his identity.

A number of illustrated poems celebrate the joys of the day: morning, growing up, peanut butter, hard rain, and thunder.