“Asked by reporters how he managed to keep calm despite attacks by other cyclists, Marshall answered ‘I simply ride away.’ ” page 19
Major Taylor: Champion Cyclist by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome.
Antheneum Books for Young Readers imprint, Simon & Schuster, New York, 2004.
Picture book biography, 32 pages.
Lexile: AD1020L (What does AD mean in Lexile?)
AR Level: 5.7 (worth 0.5 points)
Major Taylor became the World Champion of cycling in the early 1900s. He combined perseverance, an incredible athleticism, and a little luck to set world records and popularize the sport of bicycling in America. Yet his story is largely unknown today.
“I go to sleep and don’t wake up again until the bus pulls up in front of the big old building where, as Grandma puts it, Daddy is doing a little time.” page 19
Visiting Day, by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James E. Ransome.
Puffin Books, Penguin Group, New York, 2002.
Realistic fiction picture book, 32 pages.
Lexile: AD1150L . ( What does AD mean in Lexile? )
AR Level: 3.6 (worth 0.5 points) .
An unnamed little girl describes her favorite day of the month, when she and her grandmother visit her father in prison.
Visiting Day by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome.
If you had to visit a prison, it probably wouldn’t be your favorite day. But what if your very favorite person was in prison? What if your Daddy that you loved more than anyone in the world was a person you only got to see once a month? For this little girl and her grandmother, Visiting Day is a celebration that causes them to wake up with a smile, and sadness only comes when they get off the bus home, alone without Daddy.
This book is full of vivid imagery that engages all the senses as grandma passes peppermints and kisses. Teeth are brushed and hair done in preparation for the visit. Woodson’s writing is, as always, lyrical and beautiful. Although it’s not presented as poetry, this book would also make a wonderful poem.
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