Most Popular Books by Julius Lester

A collection of traditional and original Jewish tales interpreting the Biblical story of the creation of the world.

The author retells the classic Afro-American tales.

The blues. It''s that low-down feeling that makes you ache from your soul to the soles of your shoes. Here in the voice of a grandfather passing on a legacy to a younger generation, renowned author Julius Lester introduces ten of the hottest black blues singers of our time. The diva Aretha Franklin, the legendary Billie Holiday, and the fabulous B.B. King are just a taste of what''s in store.

From Introduction: "Huddie Ledbetter, nicknamed Leadbelly, died in December, 1949 at the age of 64. He had come out of the deep South, settled down in a little apartment on New York''s lower East Side, determined to build a successful career as a musician. Unfortunately, there was not much interest in folk music then. He got occasional jobs singing for schools and colleges, or at little parties where they were raising money for some cause like helping Loyalist Spain. Until the last three years of his life, he had barely recorded more than a few dozen songs. Today, through his recordings, he is world famous as one of the greatest singers of folksongs of this century. Songs he composed, or helped put together out of the fragments of older tunes, or adapted into the form in which we all know them now, have sold in the tens of millions: Good Night Irene, Bring Me A Little Water, Silvy, Midnight Special, Rock Island Line, Kisses Sweeter Than Wine (the tune), Old Cotton Fields At Home, and many others. The driving rhythms he developed on his unusual guitar, with its double strings, are unforgettable to anyone who ever heard them. Today, many young people wishing to learn his songs as he sang them, are trying to learn his style of guitar playing. This book is designed to help them, but it cannot be considered a substitute for listening to the recordings of Leadbelly....It must be remembered that more is involved than playing the correct notes and rhythm. When you listen to Leadbelly on record, you are listening to a man with many years of experience play an instrument. To achieve what he achieved is something which cannot be communicated in a book." - Julius Lester

An illustrated collection of twelve folk tales, ten African and two Jewish.

A retelling of the classic Afro-American tales relating the adventures and misadventures of Brer Rabbit and his friends and enemies.

I saved my brother from the soldiers, but the princess says he is hers now. Abba and Ima will never trust me again. In ancient Egypt, there lives a girl named Almah who will do anything to ensure the safety of her baby brother, Mosis. She will leave her enslaved family and assume the role of Egyptian princess. She will change her identity if it means winning health and freedom for her brother. Mosis, however, does not feel completely free. His identity has been changed against his will, and he longs to find himself. And when he does, he will do anything in his power to see that justice is served.

Mars 1859. Une plantation de coton, en Georgie, Etats-Unis. La jeune Emma vit là entourée des siens et de la famille du maître lorsqu''elle est séparée de ses parents et de ceux qu''elle aime. Elle vient d''être revendue, comme des centaines d''autres esclaves à un nouveau maître. Sarah, la fille du maître, très attachée à Emma, ne pardonnera jamais cette barbarie à son père...

A collection of six original fables with morals both silly and serious.

YA. Set in 1956 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tells of a young black boy and white girl who become interested in each other and of the helplessness of the situation, in the face of adult hostility.

Retells the life of the legendary African American hero who raced against a steam drill to cut through a mountain.

A retelling of the Afro-American tales about the adventures and misadventures of Brer Rabbit and his friends and enemies.

"This is an important book. It tells the truth and tells it eloquently. It is gentle poetry and biting prose. I love this book. I love Julius Lester."--Maya Angelou

A collection of essays introduce various facets of the struggle for radical change in American society, ranging from Women''s Liberation to the Yippies