Mama's Library Summers

In this charmingly illustrated children’s picture book, a girl relates how each summer her mother encourages her and her younger sister to read only library books about Black people so they can learn about their heritage.

The girls know that library patrons are allowed to take out 10 books, and Mama has told them they are not to take out books they’ve read before because she wants them to continue to expand their horizons.

With great care and excitement, the girls choose their reading material for the summer. When they get home, they spread the 20 books out on a bed. The girls and Mama each grab a book to read “like it’s gold.”

In her imagination, the older girl places herself inside each story she reads. She says, “Heart racing, I run through the woods with Harriet Tubman. At night. Escaping slavery. Just want to be free.” Then, when she reads about Black poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, she pictures herself participating in his public poetry reading. Reading about Martin Luther King Jr., she envisions herself participating with thousands of people in a protest march in Washington, D.C.

Gratified, she says, “I see myself in our library books. I learn about Africa. Slavery. Civil rights. Black contributions to America. I am proud to be Black, thanks to Mama.”

In an author’s note, Melvina Noel explains the role her mother played in helping her become a reader and learn about her background: “I grew up in a time when schools did not teach Black history or any of the contributions that Black people made to America. So, Mama made it her mission to make sure we read about Black people across all subjects.”

Mama’s Library Summers is a celebration of the God-given gift of reading, and a tribute to parents, librarians, teachers, and others who realize the importance of children from all ethnic backgrounds having the opportunity to see themselves reflected in the children’s books they read. (Abrams)