So I was at the BEA Penguin Party and was talking to Jacqueline Woodson about Fredrick L. McKissack and was wondering if there was protocol for sympathy notes for people that I may not know personally but had touched my life. then I thought why not express myself on facebook so... Fredrick L. McKissack, who with his wife and partner Patricia created more than 100 books illuminating aspects of the African-American experience, died of heart failure on April 28, 2013. One cannot imagine the world of children’s literature without the work of Frederick McKissack. In these times when educators are focused on reading in content areas to the exclusion of fiction in classroom, McKissack’s titles inspire further inquiries by their breadth, depth, and accuracy. With his collaborator and wife Patricia McKissack, readers have received an education in American history, from his 1987 Frederick Douglas: the Black Lion to the 1992, Sojourner Truth:Ain’t I a Woman. As librarians we often speak of the serendipity of interest, the stumbling across a book then being captured by the story. I am certain that I had no prior knowledge or interest in a history of African-American whalers between 1730 and 1880 yet the McKissacks were able to weave the threads of abolition, seafaring, economics and sociology into a riveting history. As I am grieving thus loss to our community, I am grateful that today’s writers have had this mentor to guide their way.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:59:54 +0000
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