about the book
It is the 1960s, and trouble has found its way to Greenville, North Carolina. Fourteen-year-old Mason Steele, a good student and dutiful son, looks forward to helping his father, who is involved in the local civil rights movement.
As his father rambles on about this or that problem, Mason listens carefully. He helps by composing letters for his father. For example, when the Duncan brothers were refused service at a local cafe, Mason wrote a well-written letter calling for a boycott of the restaurant.
The civil rights group that Mason’s dad is working with is so impressed with Mason’s help, they give him a typewriter. Mason is thrilled, and through the summer he teaches himself to type. He becomes exceptionally good at it.
When the schools in Greenville are desegregated, Mason and his brothers are the first black students to go to an all-white high school. Encountering racism at every turn, they face an angry bus driver who refuses to stop for them, school officials at the building’s door who try to keep them from entering, and distrust and outright hostility from students and teachers.
But the Steele brothers persevere, eventually gaining respect. Mason even earns a job in the library because of his fast typing skills and a chance to participate in a county-wide typing contest. Perhaps he can use his skills to break a racial barrier?
This tale is based on the personal experiences of the author’s own father and grandfather. It gives an opportunity to see how determination, hard work, and a belief in one’s self can overcome life’s challenges. Strive always for excellence…and do not be afraid to win!
about the author
Pamela M. Tuck is the mother of eleven home-schooled children. How does she find the time to write?!
Pamela grew up an only child in Greenville, North Carolina, so books were her dearest companions. She comes from a long line of southern story tellers; her grandfather told award-worthy, jaw-dropping tales that kept all the kids captivated. She wanted to be just like him and began recording herself telling her own silly stories. When the family heard her yarns and doubled over in laughter, she knew she had inherited the story telling gene!
Encouraged by her family, friends, and teachers, she began writing poetry in elementary school, won a contest with a poem about her grandmother, and branched out into short stories and plays. As a mother, she found serenity in pouring out her feelings onto paper, her anecdotes entertained her children, and her poems where often gifts to those she loved.
Back to the mother of eleven thing! It is all about focus and self-discipline. Homeschooling taught her to provide structure to their busy days. Breaks provide incentives and rewards. Her writing time is her treat. Most of Pamela’s ideas come from her family and from life experiences. Her children may not appear in her stories but their unique personalities shape her characters. Her husband Joel helps by collaborating research, providing ideas for characters and plots, and giving advice about writing techniques and styles.
Sources:
Author website
Author biography: Amazon
Author interview: Lee & Low Books
about the illustrator
Eric Velasquez is the son of Afro-Puerto Rican parents, giving him a unique perspective and heritage. While growing up in Spanish Harlem, New York City, his mixed cultures gave him a wealth of experiences that later influenced his writing.
He gained his appreciation of art from several people: his mother encouraged his drawing and doodling; his grandmother shared her love of music; and his father fostered a love of cinema. With these three major influences, Eric grew up pretty much knowing he would make his life’s work have something to do with art.
Eric went to the High School of Art and Design, and earned a BFA from the School of Visual Arts. He continued his education by spending a year learning from Harvey Dinnerstein at the Art Student’s League. Today, Eric is still active in the League.
Eric pursued a freelance illustration career and has successfully illustrated over 300 books in just twelve years! He was awarded the 1999 Coretta-Scott King/John Steptoe award for new talent for The Piano Man, his first picture book. In 1999, Eric turned his hand to writing. Grandma’s Records is an autobiographical book based on his childhood in Spanish Harlem.
Today Eric is still hard at work on his art, living with his family in Hartsdale, New York.
Sources:
Illustrator website
Illustrator interview : Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Also by Eric Velasquez:
New Shoes by Sysan Lynn Meyer. Holiday House. 2015.
Beautiful Moon : A Child’s Prayer. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2014.
A Thirst for Home : A Story of Water Across the World by Christine Ieronimo. Walker Books for Young Readers. 2014.
Ol’ Clip-Clop : A Ghost Story by Patricia C. McKissack. Holiday House. 2013.
Touch the Sky : Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper by Ann Malaspina. Albert Whitman & Company. 2012.
Racing Against the Odds : The Story of Wendell Scott, Stock Car Racing’s African-American Champion by Carole Boston Weatherford. Walker & Company. 2009.
I, Matthew Henson : Polar Explorer by Carole Boston Weatherford. Walker & Company. 2008.
Jesse Owens : Fastest Man Alive by Carole Boston Weatherford. Amazon Children’s Publishing. 2006.
The Real Lucky Charm by Charisse K. Richardson. Dial. 2005.
Houdini : World’s Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King by Kathleen Krull. Walker & Company. 2005.
read more!
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New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer
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A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner
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