Books with author Katheryn Russell-Brown

Melba Doretta Liston loved the sounds of music from as far back as she could remember. As a child, she daydreamed about beats and lyrics, and hummed along with the music from her family s Majestic radio. At age seven, Melba fell in love with a big, shiny trombone, and soon taught herself to play the instrument. By the time she was a teenager, Melba s extraordinary gift for music led her to the world of jazz. She joined a band led by trumpet player Gerald Wilson and toured the country. Overcoming obstacles of race and gender, Melba went on to become a famed trombone player and arranger, spinning rhythms, harmonies, and melodies into gorgeous songs for all the jazz greats of the twentieth century: Randy Weston, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, and Quincy Jones, to name just a few. Brimming with ebullience and the joy of making music, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone is a fitting tribute to a trailblazing musician and a great unsung hero of jazz.

From acclaimed author and illustrator pairing comes a beautiful picture book biography about the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and how she fought for respect throughout her life.Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul, a legend. But before she became a star, she was a shy little girl with a voice so powerful it made people jump up, sway, and hum along. Raised in a house full of talking and singing, Aretha learned the values that would carry her through life--from her church choir in Detroit to stages across the world. When she moved to New York City to start her career, it took years of hard work before she had a hit song. In the turbulent 1960s, she sang about "Respect" and refused to perform before segregated audiences. The first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha always remembered who she was and where she came from. In this stirring biography of a true artistic and social icon, award-winning creators Katheryn Russell-Brown and Laura Freeman show young readers how Aretha's talent, intelligence, and perseverance made her a star who will shine on for generations to come.Acclaim for Little Melba and Her Big Trombone2015 NAACP Image Award Nominee Outstanding Literary Work--Children 2015 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor2015 ALA Notable Children's Book2015 Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force2015 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction, Recommended Title

An Interdisciplinary Approach Criminal Law provides students with an integrated framework for understanding the U.S. criminal justice system with a diverse and inclusive interdisciplinary approach and thematic focus. Authors Katheryn Russell-Brown and Angela J. Davis go beyond the law and decisions in court cases to consider and integrate issues of race, gender, and socio-economic status with their discussion of criminal law. Material from the social sciences is incorporated to highlight the intersection between criminal law and key social issues. Case excerpts and detailed case summaries, used to highlight important principles of criminal law, are featured throughout the text. The coverage is conceptual and practical, showing students how the criminal law applies in the "real world"―not just within the pages of a textbook.

A timely, inspiring picture book biography of the dynamic twentieth-century educator, activist, and politician Shirley Chisholm. Even as a young child growing up in the 1920s, Shirley Chisholm was a leader. At the age of three, older children were already following her lead in their Brooklyn neighborhood. As a student at Brooklyn College, Shirley could outtalk anyone who opposed her on the debate team. After graduating, she used her voice and leadership to fight for educational change. In community groups, she stood up for the rights of women and minorities. Her small stature and fiery determination often took people by surprise. But they listened. In 1964, Shirley took her voice and leadership to politics, becoming the first Black woman elected to the New York State Assembly, and in 1968, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Then in 1972, she became the first Black woman to seek the presidency of the United States. She pushed for laws that helped women, children, students, poor people, farm workers, Native people, and others who were often ignored. She fought for healthcare. She spoke up for military veterans. She spoke out against war Shirley Chisholm, a woman of many firsts, was an unforgettable political trailblazer, a candidate of the people and catalyst of change who opened the door for women in the political arena and for the first Black president of the United States.

From acclaimed author and illustrator pairing comes a beautiful picture book biography about the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and how she fought for respect throughout her life.Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul, a legend. But before she became a star, she was a shy little girl with a voice so powerful it made people jump up, sway, and hum along. Raised in a house full of talking and singing, Aretha learned the values that would carry her through life--from her church choir in Detroit to stages across the world. When she moved to New York City to start her career, it took years of hard work before she had a hit song. In the turbulent 1960s, she sang about "Respect" and refused to perform before segregated audiences. The first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha always remembered who she was and where she came from. In this stirring biography of a true artistic and social icon, award-winning creators Katheryn Russell-Brown and Laura Freeman show young readers how Aretha's talent, intelligence, and perseverance made her a star who will shine on for generations to come.Acclaim for Little Melba and Her Big Trombone2015 NAACP Image Award Nominee Outstanding Literary Work--Children 2015 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor2015 ALA Notable Children's Book2015 Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force2015 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction, Recommended Title

“Tick tock you’re on the clock.”The words every captive dreads.Ellie knew the man who abducted her; he’d taken her sister too. Now she’s in the fight of her life, against monsters and maniacs, in an arena designed to eat kids whole. She won’t go down without a fight, and with the help of Ronnie and the other captives she might just wipe the smile of Mr. Sunshine’s puss filled face.Enter a world where monsters are real and kids have to fight through a twisted fun factory of pain and torture just to stay alive. Many go in, but few return. Mr. Sunshine will let you play all day just as long as you bleed.“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s dying time.”

Kid Fight: Anthology of Sinister Terror contains the morbid and macabre writings and transcripts written by the author between the ages of 11 and 16 to help him cope with continuous bullying he received at school as an Aspie. These tales of sinister terror chronicle his cravings for violence and revenge through several sordid tales of fantasy horror and make-believe involving kids playing ninjas, superheroes, gangsters, vampires, serial killers, clown-like zombies, giants, gods and other hideous monsters to kids engaged in extreme wrestling and deadly fight tournaments, these unfinished works and documented events reflects on the modern impact popular culture plays on children. Contains a table of contents, index, and several black and white illustrations and hand-written notes.

“Tick tock you’re on the clock…” The words that every captive dreads hearing. Ellie knew the man who abducted her; he’d taken her sister too. Now she’s in the fight of her life, against monsters and maniacs, in an arena designed to eat kids whole. She won’t go down without a fight, and with the help of Ronnie and the other captives she might just wipe the smile of Mr. Sunshine’s puss filled face. Enter a world where monsters are real and kids have to fight through a twisted fun factory of pain and torture just to stay alive. Many go in, but few return. Mr. Sunshine will let you play all day just as long as you bleed. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s dying time.”

Kid Fight: Anthology of Sinister Terror contains the morbid and macabre writings and transcripts written by the author between the ages of 11 and 16 to help him cope with continuous bullying he received at school as an Aspie. These tales of sinister terror chronicle his cravings for violence and revenge through several sordid tales of fantasy horror and make-believe involving kids playing ninjas, superheroes, gangsters, vampires, serial killers, clown-like zombies, giants, gods and other hideous monsters to kids engaged in extreme wrestling and deadly fight tournaments, these unfinished works and documented events reflects on the modern impact popular culture plays on children. Contains a table of contents, index, and several black and white illustrations and hand-written notes.