Authors: Nikki Giovanni.
Hardcover, 80 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Publication Date: 2008-10-01
Edition: Har/Com

Reviews :

   

NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND INCLUDED IN THE BOOKLIST TOP 10 ART BOOKS FOR YOUTH!

Our consensus is Hip Hop Speaks to Children is the most essential poetry purchase to make this year.
The poetry is enough.
The illustrations are enough.
The CD is enough.
Together, this book is a treasure of which you cannot get enough.
We shall accomplish much this year. Children will be encouraged to put their words to poetry and beats. Teachers will be encouraged to allow the artists to speak to children.
—Diane Chen, School Library Journal blog "Practically Paradise"

—————————————————————————————————————————————

Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a celebration of poetry with a beat.

Poetry can have both a rhyme and a rhythm. Sometimes it is obvious; sometimes it is hidden. But either way, make no mistake, poetry is as vibrant and exciting as it gets. And when you find yourself clapping your hands or tapping your feet, you know you've found poetry with a beat!

Like Poetry Speaks to Children, the New York Times Bestselling classic poetry book and CD that started it all, Hip Hop Speaks to Children is meant to be the beginning of a journey of discovery.

READ more than 50 remarkable poems and songs!

HEAR poetry's rhymes and rhythms from Queen Latifah to Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes to A Tribe Called Quest and more! * Also hear part of Martin Luther Kind's original "I Have a Dream" speech, followed by the remarkable live performance of the speech by Nikki Giovanni, Oni Lasana and Val Gray Ward. * The Hip Hop Speaks to Children CD contains more than 30 performances, either by the artists who created them, or as unique interpretations by admiring poets and artists.

DISCOVER Langston Hughes's elegant gospel "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," A Tribe Called Quest's playful "Ham 'N' Eggs," Sterling A. Brown's hard-luck "Long Track Blues," Gwendolyn Brooks's wake-up call "We Real Cool," Kanye West's lovely "Hey Mama," and Martin Luther King Jr.'s awe-inspiring "I Have a Dream."

This is a collection of rhymes and rhythms unlike any other poetry book!

Celebrate with remarkable poets, including:
Eloise Greenfield
Mos Def
Lucille Clifton
Oscar Brown Jr.
Tupac Shakur
Maya Angelou
Queen Latifah
Nikki Grimes
Walter Dean Myers
Common
and, of course, Nikki Giovanni

Poems Include:
Ego Tripping
Rapper's Delight
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Hey Mama
Ham 'N' Eggs
Everything Is Everything
Ladies First

MORE PRAISE FOR HIP HOP SPEAKS TO CHILDREN

"With its archival recordings of poems read by the poets themselves, [Hip Hop] reminds everyone that poetry springs from an oral tradition."
—Publishers Weekly

"This is the way to get children interested in reading and loving poetry. ... A great book for both teachers and parents."
— Valerie Lewis, owner of Hicklebee's children's bookstore

"The poems, the artwork, the CD...all complement each other to create a wonderful experience."
—Becky Laney, Becky Laney's Books blog

"Love this book. I think it is a K-8 must-have for classrooms and libraries. Like I said it is packed and it may be (at first) intimidating to young readers. But, once they hear some of the audio, spend time with the illustrations, and experience some of the poetry, I think it will become a favorite."
—Franki Sibberson, A Year of Reading blog

"Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a wonderfully composed collection of poems from writers like Eloise Greenfield to late rapper and poet, Tupac Shakur. ... Whether you read poetry or you hear it in a rap song, Giovanni's genius endeavor will inspire children of all ages to have fun while listening to poetry. Rap is poetry, right?"
—Amy Bowllan, Amy Bowllan's Blog (a School Library Journal Blog)

"I highly recommend this one for all collections. If the title didn't include the word "children" it'd be an excellent book all the way to high school. My coworkers and I are already talking about doing a Hip Hop poetry story time for our elementary school kids."
—Jennifer Rothschild, Biblio File blog

"This is an incredibly powerful, beautiful and important book. Both the book and CD are stellar in quality and diversity. The artwork is amazing and I find myself pulling it out of the shelf over and over for just one more re-read. The grandchildren (ages 3 and 5) love it as well and ask to hear the CD while they pore over the pages and take breaks prancing around the room and singing to the beat. They KNOW all the poems in the book and learned them in a relatively short time, which I attribute to the power of the beat, and all the artists; the poets, the illustrators, the singers and spoken word artists. What an astounding thing when a book moves children so that they LEARN - quickly and enjoyably. This book is for all ages and I can't recommend it highly enough."
—Gina Ruiz, Blogcritics Magazine

(20080915)...

Authors: Kayleen Reusser.
Library Binding, 32 pages
Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers
Publication Date: 2008-06-15


Reviews :

    Taylor Swift gave up going to slumber parties at age ten to sing at karaoke contests, fairs, and festivals. When she was eleven, she sang for thousands of people at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game. Taylor lived on a farm in a place where country music was not very popular. She often felt alone, isolated from the people around her. It would have been easy to give up on her dream of being a country music singer. But Taylor was determined to do what it took to have people notice her as a singer. She went door-to-door in Nashville handing out CDs of her singing and asking for record deals. Still, the big break eluded her. Read about how hard work and firm belief in herself helped the tall blond from the East mold herself into one of the top singers and songwriters in country music....

Authors: Amie Jane Leavitt.
Library Binding, 32 pages
Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers
Publication Date: 2008-06-15


Reviews :

    Growing up in rural Oklahoma, Toby Keith was raised with many traditional American values: a strong work ethic, patriotism, and devotion to family. At a young age, he gained a love for country music. He received his first guitar at age eight and started learning basic melodies and writing his own music. Before launching a successful country music career in his thirties, Toby followed in his father s footsteps and worked in the Oklahoma oil fields. Then he played semiprofessional football with the Oklahoma Drillers. But his passion for playing music never died. Find out how, after spending seven years on the road, performing in tiny bars and clubs and never giving up, Toby s music career finally took off....

Authors: Dustin Shekell.
Library Binding, 112 pages
Publisher: Chelsea House Publications
Publication Date: 2007-07
Edition: 1

Reviews :

    In a youth-dominated industry filled with one-hit wonders and short-lived careers, LL Cool J has shown remarkable longevity. Born James Todd Smith, he bounced back from a turbulent childhood to become one of the most groundbreaking artists in rap music history. From practicing in his grandmother's basement to selling out venues around the world, LL Cool J has remained relevant for more than two decades. And with eight consecutive platinum albums, roles is more than 20 motion pictures, and the starring role in a primetime sitcom, his artistic diversity shows no limits or signs of slowing down. It hasn't come easy, but through the years LL has stayed the course and stayed on top. With its blend of appealing full-color photographs, engaging text, and informative features such as sidebars, a chronology, discography, glossary and related Web sites, "LL Cool J" sheds new light on this charismatic and versatile performer....

Authors: Geoff Barnes.
Paperback, 64 pages
Publisher: Mason Crest Publishers
Publication Date: 2007-06-01


Reviews :

    From his humble beginnings as a drug dealer in the impoverished housing projects of Brooklyn, Jay-Z has become a multi-millionaire and hip-hop icon. Since his debut album was released in 1996, Jay has had the full attention of the hip-hop community, releasing platinum albums with astonishing consistency.He struggled to get a recording contract in the mid-1990s, but a decade later, many major record labels were competing to offer him executive positions. He has sold over 30 million records, started an urban fashion empire, opened a successful New York restaurant, and even purchased a share in an NBA team. Jay-Z is a philanthropist, businessman, and talented artist. Today, after an illustrious career as a recording artist, Jay occupies the post of president at Def Jam Recordings, where he oversees the careers of young performers....

Authors:
Paperback, 192 pages
Publisher: Greenhaven Press
Publication Date: 2008-08-15

Authors:
Library Binding, 104 pages
Publisher: Greenhaven Press
Publication Date: 2008-06-06

Authors: Soren Baker.
Hardcover, 112 pages
Publisher: Lucent Books
Publication Date: 2006-04-07
Edition: 1

Reviews :

    Hip-hop culture includes rapping, DJing, graffiti art and b-boying, also known as break dancing. The History of Rap and Hip-Hop chronicles the evolution of hip-hop culture and focuses on its most significant segment, rap....

Authors: John Bankston.
Library Binding, 32 pages
Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers
Publication Date: 2004-02


Reviews :

    Rap artist Shawn Carter grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He attended George Westinghouse Technical High School which would later be dubbed "Hip-Hop High School" for the future stars who attended.

At the age of 18, Shawn took a chance at a hip-hop career and took on the name Jay-Z. But he didn’t trust record labels that seemed to exploit artists for their talent and keep the profits for themselves. So Shawn decided to do it himself. He cut his own album and sold copies from the trunk of his car. Controlling his own career, Jay-Z started his own record label. Even though he has announced his retirement, Jay-Z will be remembered as a legendary hip-hop artist....

Authors: Peggy Sue Wells.
Library Binding, 32 pages
Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers
Publication Date: 2008-06-15


Reviews :

    Though his upbringing was untraditional for a rapper, Kanye West rose to fame as a hip-hop star in the mid-2000s. Raised by a single parent who was a Fullbright Scholar and Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University, Kanye grew up in an upper-middle-class area of Chicago. Kanye was already a noted producer, but his middle-class background and preppy dress made him seem out of place for the hip-hop scene, which was dominated by gangsta personalities. A near fatal car accident became the catalyst for Kanye to prove he was also a rapper one with talent and attitude. He began collecting awards for his music, and headlines for his arrogance. With an ear for crazy rhyme schemes and hit-making beats, and a knack for expressing topics that audiences can relate to, Kanye was determined to change the face of hip-hop and make history....