My mother would make me read books on Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X, and Frederick Douglass. I hated it, lol. Yes these are books that we should all read but their needs to be a real balance or kids will hate books. Parents have to find and get books for kids for PURE PLEASURE! Give them the freedom get away from the hardships of life for a moment! Give them books that have nothing to do with the hood, drugs, gangs, basketball, prostitution, sex, or a historical lesson of why they should be grateful for some guy the never met. We as adults understand how important historical books are, but to kids, it just WORK. Something they need to read, but not exactly something they're going to enjoy reading.
Also, parents should get in touch with their children's friends' parents and all discuss together the books they are giving to the children. All the parents discuss what books to buy children so that the children can discuss the books on the playground. And also so that the children don't feel singled out. "Why MY momma gotta make ME read." It should be done as a collective. After all, it takes a community to destroy a child's mind. It should take the community to build it.
And lastly, my self-promotion: These ideals have lead me to write my own book for our youth. I went to Barnes and Noble and noticed that in the entire, "Young Adult Fantasy," section, there where no black books! Then I thought, "Wow, our children have nothing to build their imagination, at least, nothing that represents them." We need books in this genre. BAD! My book is entitled, "The Ancient Lands:Warrior Quest." It is my part in what I believe in. I hope you take the time took look at it and I hope you get yourself, and someone else a copy. And I hope that you pass this knowledge and ideals on to someone else.
www.theancientlands.com
Jason McCammon
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