Multicultural Children's Book Day

#ReadYourWorld

Read Your World-5 Classroom Books About Kindness

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Now more than ever, a message of hope, compassion, empathy, and understanding is needed.

Now more than ever, children need to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read. Readers of all ages need to be able to “read their world” to both see themselves, and those are who different, whether by culture, religion, sexual orientation, special needs, or ethnicity.

Now more than ever, we need to come together as a nation of beautifully diverse people.

These profound thoughts were on the introduction page of one of the very first free Downloadable Kits that the MCBD Team ever created. The Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Kindness Kit and Diverse Booklist were created back in 2018, even after a handful of years, and this message has not changed one bit.

So in honor of the Number One in a series of free downloadable classroom kits our team has created over the years, here is a sneak peek at five of the books from our Read Your World Booklist on Kindness.

  1.  Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Honor and the Jane Addams Peace Award, Each Kindness brings to mind that the smallest act of kindness can change the world.

Chloe and her friends refuse to let the new girl at school, Maya play with them. Each time Maya tries to play with Chloe and her friends she is rejected and turned away. Because of the unkindness, Maya stops coming to school altogether. Chloe’s teacher gives impactful lessons on how little things matter. Chloe realizes what she has done and feels regretful for the unkindness and lost opportunity of friendship with Maya.

  1. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

The Hundred Dresses won the Newbery Honor award in 1945 and has never been out of print. Wanda Petronski is a polish girl who goes to a Connecticut school. She is made fun of and ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day.

Wanda claims that she has 100 dresses at home but everyone knows she doesn’t. Wanda becomes the focus of intense bullying. Her classmates realize they have gone too far when Wanda is pulled out of school. Too late for apologies, one of Wanda’s classmates makes the decision that she will never stand by and NOT say anything again.

  1. Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Wonder is the book that inspired the Choose Kind movement.

August Pullman is a boy who was born with a facial deformity that has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting in 5th grade, however, all of that changed and he found himself at Beecher Prep. His greatest wish in life is to be treated like a normal kid. His new classmates can’t get past his extraordinary face. Written from a variety of perspectives Wonder deals with a community’s struggle with empath, compassion, and acceptance.

  1. What Does It Mean to Be Kind? by Rana DiOrio

A girl in a red hat finds the courage to be kind to the new student in her class. Her kindness spreads, kind act by kind act until her whole community experiences the magical shift that happens when everyone understands—and acts on—what it means to be kind.

  1. Enemy Pie by Derek Munson

It was the perfect summer. That is until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became neighborhood enemy number one. Luckily Dad had a surefire way to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie. But part of the secret recipe is spending an entire day playing with the enemy!

In this funny yet endearing story, one little boy learns an effective recipe for turning your best enemy into your best friend. Accompanied by charming illustrations, Enemy Pie serves up a sweet lesson in the difficulties and ultimate rewards of making new friends.

Kindness Activities

All of our free downloadable Classroom Kits include easy activities that will help to emphasize the chosen topic and complement the books on our booklist. Here’s a sample.

The Kindness Jar: Take a tall canning jar or any tall jar. As each person in the classroom or school community witnesses an act of kindness, they write it down on a slip of paper and place it in the kindness jar. At the end of each week read how much kindness has been generated in your classroom.

The MCBD Team invites you to grab your free Classroom (and Home!) Kindness Kit HERE.

Our FREE Kindness Classroom Kit containing:

  • Diverse Kindness Book List for ages 4 -12
  • Classroom Kindness Activities
  • “Be a Hero Be Kind” Kindness Poster
  • Multicultural Children’s Book Day Poster

 

Sign up is quick, easy, and FREE. Go HERE to grab your Kindness Classroom Kit and together we can Be a Hero, Be Kind.

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use their official hashtag #ReadYourWorld

 

Moms on a Mission to Bring Diversity to Party Time

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{Guest post from Jackie Bunn and Lois Petren}

Co-founders of The Five Enchanted Mermaids, Jackie Bunn and Lois Petren, have been friends for over 35 years.

This dynamic duo met in Princeton, N.J. back in the early 1980s. In spite of their different backgrounds, the two women hit it off and soon discovered that they had quite a few things in common.  Besides a shared love of cooking, travel, working in New York City, and exercise, they were both married, had careers, and each had a couple of children. As the years progressed, Lois and Jackie’s life experiences and geographic locations changed, but the thread of friendship always connected the two across the miles.

After deciding to leave her job in a major financial services firm to be more available to her kids during their elementary school days, Jackie shared that she started a small business in 2017 selling party supply products online. It was during that time that she noticed a glaring gap in what was available to families of color when it came to party supplies.

“As my business grew, I noticed the lack of diversity in children’s party products. The images on party products simply did not reflect the real world.  I saw this both as an opportunity but also as something that was important to address. Why shouldn’t children be able to celebrate their birthdays with characters that looked like them with similar skin colors?  My research had shown that children loved mermaids and unicorns and so I decided to commission a unique design – a racially diverse group of five mermaids who were best friends. This was the birth of the “Five Enchanted Mermaids.”

Seeing the potential and need for this innovative line of products, Jackie reached out to her long-time friend, Lois, for help bringing The Five Enchanted Mermaid to life. Lois had recently retired from a career in IT with a major company and had been busying herself writing children’s books and had six published titles under the “Lulu and Lainey” series to her credit.

“Jackie had the idea to develop the personalities and character of each mermaid and she contacted me to see if I would be interested in a collaboration to write books featuring the group,” Lois recalled. “I enthusiastically said ‘yes’ and with that we worked together to ‘personalize’ each of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, naming them and building their personalities, likes and dislikes and especially important to the books, their unique superpower, which they could use to help children ages 3-7 at this important socio-emotional development stage.

Jackie and Lois shared that they live their values and commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion and they continue to believe that when children see a world where all people are accepted they will grow into adults who believe the same. The goal of the Five Enchanted Mermaids series is to model inclusiveness and create a world where everyone is heard, accepted, and respected.

When asked what they were most proud of with their vibrant books, dolls,  and party supplies, this is what the two businesswomen had to say:

Jackie:

Jackie Bunn

Jackie Bunn

I love – and am most proud of – the fact that our customers are drawn to our unique message on diversity and living in today’s real multiethnic world. The books and products based on the Five Enchanted Mermaids promote values of inclusion and self-esteem, which the world certainly needs today more than ever. In fact, our motto is: “We believe that every child deserves a mermaid that looks like them!” We even have a hashtag we use in marketing which is “#mermaidlikeme as well as #fiveenchantedmermaids. Our customers have thanked us for offering products that reflect the race of their child, or their child’s friends or family members.

In addition to loving the very cute mermaid characters and their underwater friends, adult readers of our books appreciate that we present age-appropriate valuable lessons for their children that are gentle conversation starters. In one of our recent books, Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I’m Sofia!, readers are introduced to Sofia, a Hispanic mermaid who teaches children about the benefits of honesty (her superpower!) and conversely the consequences of lying. Other books teach about courage, kindness, confidence, and independence.

Lois:

Lois Petren

We started with a Coloring/Activity book, which was quickly followed by the first series of three picture books addressing three aspects of “growing up” for 3-7-year-olds – overcoming obstacles, having a birthday party, and experiencing a first day at school.  The second series Meet the Mermaids focuses on each mermaid, her personality, and her “super skill.” As Jackie mentioned this teaches the child in a fun way and through the power of example.

Developing and creating these stories is like painting with ideas.  As I write a book, I am envisioning the best way for the images to portray the story I’ve written. To connect our overarching philosophy of inclusiveness with the storyline and childhood development, it’s key to portray human children of many races and colors doing things together.  We want the child reader to see themselves in our books.  Successfully translating these ideas onto the page provides a lot of satisfaction, especially when we get feedback from customers and readers that shows our message resonates with them.

The Five Enchanted Mermaids Promoting Diversity in Children’s Books, Party Supplies and Gifts

Jackie and Lois also shared that another favorite element in the world of the Five Enchanted Mermaids is the artwork used on the products and in the books. The jewel-tone colors of the mermaids’ tails and tops against all their different skin tones, set in the gorgeous turquoise of the undersea world and creatures of Atargatis, work together to create an enchanting story and feel.

As the Five Enchanted Mermaid brand has grown, the two friends have expanded their product line to compliment the books. Included in their catalog are gorgeous look-alike mermaid plush dolls that encourage role-playing and imagination for all ages.

The books and dolls can be purchased together, or sold separately and have been very well received by gift-buyers and parents.

Also included is a wide variety of delightful party supplies for all ages and budgets.

All products are available via the Five Enchanted Mermaid online Amazon store www.amazon.com/fiveenchantedmermaids

“It has been a great journey so far and makes us so happy when our mermaids bring joy to a child! Stay tuned for more books, gifts, and party products featuring the beautiful Five Enchanted Mermaids!”

Five Enchanted Mermaid Freebies

Parents, Caregivers, and Educators can sign up to receive updates on new product and book releases as well as special promotions and coupons at www.fiveenchantedmermaids.com/freebies

Connect with Lois, Jackie, and the Five Enchanted Mermaids via their website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

Diverse Middle-Grade Books That Celebrate Poetry

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{Guest post By Tonya Duncan Ellis}

 

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

April is National Poetry Month.

Whoo-hoo!

Clearly, my poetry writing skills are lacking, but I love reading and hearing poetry.

Started by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month was created to celebrate poets and poems. I was excited to include “Dreams,” a poem from Harlem Renaissance poet, Langston Hughes, in my book, Sophie Washington: My BFF.

According to Scholastic, poetry benefits children in many ways. Exposing kids to poems:

  1. Builds early literacy skills.
  2. Encourages them to play with language.
  3. Makes reluctant readers less intimidated by literature, since poems generally use fewer words than prose.
  4. Give kids an outlet to share feelings.

In recent years, there’s been an increase in middle-grade books written in verse or poetic stanzas. The list below includes some diverse middle-grade titles, written in verse, or that celebrate poetry, to check out.

Diverse Middle-Grade Books That Celebrate Poetry

Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander – Written in both prose and verse, this inspiring book chronicles the famed boxers growing up in Louisville, KY, where I was born and raised. Becoming Muhammad Ali showcases the fighter’s motivation, strong work ethic, and drive.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson – This National Book Award and Newbery Honor-winning story is written in verse and chronicles the author’s growing up in South Carolina and New York during the 1960s and 1970s, describing her journey to become a writer and find her place in the world.

Emmy In the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido -When she takes a computer coding class, twelve-year-old Emmy finds her place in her new city and school and connects with a new friend, Abigail. But bad news about their computer coding teacher and Abigail, threaten her happiness. Written in verse, the book uniquely combines, poetry, music, and computer code.

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton –Half-Black and half-Japanese main character, Mimi, aspires to become an astronaut, like the crew in the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, in this historical fiction novel written in verse. She struggles to fit in after moving to an almost all-White Vermont town and teaches readers the value of speaking out.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai – A coming of age novel is written in verse, this novel is inspired by the author’s refugee experience fleeing Saigon, Vietnam to immigrate to Alabama. It’s a National Book Award and Newbery Honor-winning book.

Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar –This haunting, fictional story, written in verse, shares the immigration experience of Betita, a nine-year-old girl. After her family flees Mexico to avoid the Mexican drug cartel, her father is arrested by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) and deported. She and her pregnant mother are detained in a detention camp outside Los Angeles, and their heartbreaking experience is described.

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga – Jude and her mother flee Syria to stay with relatives in Cincinnati in this Newbery Honor-winning book, written in verse. Jude struggles with leaving her father and brother behind, fitting in, and finding her place in her new home.

Red White and Whole by Rajani LaRocca –In this free-verse story, set in the 1980s, thirteen-year-old Reha is torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American, and home, where her family expects her to honor Old World traditions. Then she finds out her mother has leukemia and vows to be as virtuous as possible in the hope that she can heal her mom.

Simon B. Rhymin’ by Dwayne Reed – Eleven-year-old Simon Barnes uses his rap talent to make a difference in his community in this book, written in prose. The author is a fourth-grade teacher from Chicago and creator of a viral back-to-school video “Welcome to the 4th Grade.”

Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson – Twelve-year-old Amara takes a birthday trip from Oregon to visit her Dad’s side of the family in Harlem, where she learns New York City and family history and the benefit of following your dreams. The main character’s father is a discouraged poet, and there are many references to poetry in the book, including an adaptation of the Langston Hughes poem, “Mother to Son.”

Sophie Washington: My BFF by Tonya Duncan Ellis – Sophie writes a paper about a Langston Hughes poem and is forced to make a choice between doing the right thing and risking a friendship, when her bestie asks her to plagiarize, in this illustrated chapter book, written in prose.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps-Ellie is bullied by her classmates and criticized by her mom about her weight in this affirming, free verse, a middle-grade novel. Her safe place is the pool, where she can stretch out like a starfish. With support from her father, her therapist, and a new friend, she learns to be at home with herself in any space.

 

Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of the bestselling, award-winning Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Authors Guild.
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @tonyaDEllis
Follow Us on Instagram: @tonyaellisbooks

 

Shining the Spotlight on Asian Pacific American Female Athletes

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Everyone deserves to see themselves in the pages of a book. 

This statement has been one of the founding beliefs of this non-profit children’s literacy initiative for nearly a decade. 

As our mission states, MCBD has been passionate about raising awareness for children’s books that celebrate diversity by getting more of these books into classrooms and libraries since the first day we launched this company. This non-profit also strives to shine the spotlight on the diverse books and authors that mainstream publishing and media often overlook.

That desire and commitment are reflected in everyone who works for, volunteers their time, and supports our non-profit, including our Co-founders Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen. These two Super Mamas are not only brilliant women; they are CEOs, change-makers, and authors themselves. They both are continually seeking and implementing new ways to make reading and diversity a priority. They are tireless!

With that in mind, we are putting Mia Wenjen in the spotlight because she is launching full-force into yet another critical mission: the mission to honor and recognize Asian Pacific American female athletes’ accomplishments!

As everyone knows, Mia has been an enormous part of Multicultural Children’s Book Day’s success. Her love of books has inspired her to pen THREE diverse picture books, including Sumo Joe (a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year), Asian Pacific American Heroes, Best #OwnVoices Children’s Books: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Aged 1-12 (a compendium of book reviews to find diversity books), and co-author How To Coach Girls (winner of IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award™), and The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide.

Sports and diversity are enormous passions for her and her family, so it was natural for her kids to want to read sports-related books for kids.

“There are so many other great values that kids can learn from sports, such as teamwork, leadership, and being a good follower,” Mia shared. “Like most of the parents in my town, we started our kids in Kindergarten Soccer. My husband coached, and he described it as “herding cats.” My kids tried many other sports from soccer, either joining teams, learning on their own, or taking a clinic. If they loved a sport, they trained more often. If it did not click, they moved on. My husband played golf professionally on the mini-tours, so our kids grew up as toddlers on a putting green!“

As her two daughters grew and became heavily involved in sports, the lack of books that celebrated Asian Pacific American female athletes’ achievements became obvious.

“I asked my middle daughter if she knew the names of any Asian-American female athletes or any books about them. When she laughed and said that there were not any, I was shocked and saddened. Mainly because I knew these athletes did exist; they just were not being talked about.” 

After spending a great deal of time searching online, she was disappointed to find very few books featuring Asian-American female athletes. 

“The few books that I did locate centered on more dance-driven sports, like figure skating and gymnastics. At that moment, I had to ask myself why there were no books with Asian-American female role models for girls available, especially for popular team sports like basketball, soccer, and hockey. Girls of every ethnicity need to see Asian-American females succeeding in sports to know that everyone can dream of stepping up on an Olympic podium. That was my wake-up call to write this book!”

The Kickstarter Campaign for Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes begins on February 15, and Mia shared that she has woven in a very special way for supporters to help her non-profit, Multicultural Children’s Book Day: a children’s literacy initiative that she helped to create.

Backers who would like to support her project and diversity in children’s literature will have the option to use their dollars to get free copies of Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes into classrooms and libraries.

When the MCBD Team enjoyed a sneak peek at this book, we were amazed how all of the 18 women profiled in Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes were not only excelling at their chosen sport, but also that many of them had also overcome tremendous obstacles including poverty, racism, and injury to succeed.

“I would like them to know that Asian Pacific American female athletes are, by and large, hidden figures in the sports world, despite winning Olympic medals and overcoming great barriers, Mia added. “One athlete highlighted in my book earned Olympic gold for swimming but trained in an irrigation ditch because she did not have access to a swimming pool. How inspiring is that?!”

Meet the 18 Asian Pacific American Female Athletes in this book who excel at a range of sports and represent many Asian ethnicities.

Chloe Kim of the United States performs a trick during the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at the freestyle ski and snowboard world championships, Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Alex Goodlett)

  • Eun Jung “EJ” Lee Ok (Korean American) is thought to be one of the greatest point guards ever to play women’s college basketball.
  • Chloe Kim (Korean American) is the youngest snowboarder to win Olympic Gold.
  • Miki Gorman (Japanese American) is the only female marathon runner to win both the Boston Marathon and the New York Marathon, twice!
  • Victoria Manalo Draves (Filipino & European American), a diver, is the first woman to win two Gold Medals in both springboard and platform in the same Olympics games, the first Asian-American to medal at an Olympics game, and the first Filipino to win a Gold Medal.
  • Evelyn Tokue Kawamoto-Konno (Japanese American) learned to swim competitively in a ditch through Soichi Sakamoto’s Three-Year Swim Club and is the first Japanese-American female to win an Olympic Medal.
  • Julie Chu (Chinese & Puerto Rican American), a hockey player, is the first Asian-American female to compete for the United States in the Winter Olympics for a sport other than figure skating. She took home three silver medals and one bronze medal from five Olympics.
  • Natasha “Tasha” Kai (Filipino, Hawaiian, Chinese & European American) is the first player from Hawaii to make the full U.S. National Women’s Soccer team. In 2008, she helped the team earn an Olympic Gold medal.
  • Michelle Wie (Korean American) is the youngest female to compete on the PGA Tour and the youngest USGA champion in an adult event.
  • Kristi Yamaguchi (Japanese American) is a two-time Olympic Gold Medal ice skating champion, a two-time singles World Champion, and a two-time pairs National Champion.
  • Amy Chow (Chinese American) is the first Asian American woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal in gymnastics.
  • Anona Naone Napoleon (Native Hawaiian) won the International Makaha Surfing Competition.
  • Michelle Waterson (Thai & European American) is a Mixed Martial Arts champion.
  • Liane Lissa Sato (Japanese American) took home a Bronze Medal for the United States Women’s Volleyball Team at the Olympics held in Barcelona.
  • Catherine Mai-Lan Fox (Vietnamese & European American) is a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner for swimming.
  • Megan Khang (Hmong American) is the first Hmong American to play on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour.
  • Mohini Bhardwaj (Indian & Russian American) is the first Indian-American gymnast to medal at the Olympics.
  • Naomi Osaka (Japanese & Haitian) is the first female Asian player to hold the number one ranking by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

As someone who has spent many decades inspired by the love of books, Mia shared that she finally leaped into penning her diverse books a few short years ago. When asked what advice she could give to emerging authors, Mia had this to say:

 “Think of writing and publishing a book just like learning a language. It may seem daunting at first to become conversational in a foreign language, but “baby steps” will get you there! Just keep at it, and it will happen!”

GO HERE to support this Kickstarter and learn more about Changing The Game!

 

Mia Wenjen blogs on parenting, children’s books, and education at Pragmatic Mom and is the co-creator of Multicultural Children’s Book Day, a non-profit celebrating diversity in children’s books.

She is also the co-founder of Aquent, a creative staffing agency specializing in digital and marketing talent with 37 locations around the world.

Mia’s books include the picture book Sumo Joe (a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year), Asian Pacific American Heroes, Best #OwnVoices Children’s Books: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Aged 1-12 (a compendium of book reviews to find diversity books), How To Coach Girls (winner of IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award™), and The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide.

She lives in Boston with her husband, three kids, and Golden Retriever. Mia can be found online @PragmaticMom on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, and as Mia Wenjen on LinkedIn and YouTube.

 

What Can Kids Learn from these Two Amazing Heroes of History?

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{Guest Post By Jodi Murphy}

Black History Month begins and it’s just one of the many opportunities we can take to talk to kids about the many contributions and achievements of African Americans.

Dorktales Storytime Podcast would like to bring the stories of two trailblazers from two different time periods in American history to your children. These are two men who faced racial injustice—one who was enslaved then freed and one who lived during Jim Crow laws. Through their own talents, hard work, and determination, they had extraordinary accomplishments that changed our world for the better.

George Washington Carver

Listen to Mr. Carver’s story on the Dorktales Storytime Podcast:

Note: This episode includes discussions about slavery and systemic racism. Find links to resources for talking about these topics on the episode web page: https://jonincharacter.com/george-washington-carver/

George Washington Carver is someone you probably learned about in school, but you may not know the entire story of his life—from being enslaved to experiencing segregation and then becoming one of America’s most respected agricultural scientists, botanists, and inventors.

His research was never just about science, but about the impact that it might have on people’s lives—particularly the African American people of the South and areas that relied on agriculture to survive. At the time, cotton was king but it destroyed the land after one harvest. He taught many farmers how to grow other crops to enrich the soil and create hundreds of products.

Did you know that he is credited with discovering over 300 uses for the peanut? Or that he studied many species of fungi—two of which were named after him? Or that he was admired by Henry Ford and Thomas Edison—both who wanted to hire him to work for their companies? These are but a few of the extraordinary facts about his life.

What’s even more admirable, is that he used his celebrity to speak on racial injustice and the importance of racial harmony. He worked towards a future where no one is turned away from getting an education or work based on their race. And he certainly left a legacy for all young scientists and farmers who have followed in his footsteps.

FREE BONUS ALERT: There is an activity guide available for the George Washington Carver episode for free when you sign up for the Dorktales Storytime Podcast email list. Currently, all Hidden Heroes of History episodes come with free activity guides and future guides are in development. SIGN UP HERE: https://bit.ly/DTnewsletter-signup

Louis Armstrong

Listen to Mr. Armstrong’s story on the Dorktales Storytime Podcast:

 

Louis Armstrong had a difficult childhood and grew up in a dangerous neighborhood. He started working when he was very young and that is how he came to afford his first cornet. He kicked off his career on Mississippi riverboats and was eventually mentored by Joe “King” Oliver, the top cornetist in New Orleans. He joined King Oliver’s orchestra in 1922 and, after 3 years, struck out on his own to become one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time.

Mr. Armstrong broke down barriers during a time when there were even more significant obstacles for African American people due to Jim Crow laws. He was the first African American person to write an autobiography, get cast in a major motion picture, and host a nationally sponsored radio show. He also famously spoke out about the Little Rock Nine, an incident where African American students were prevented from attending school.

Most of his life was about a deep passion for music and using it to bring people together. Louis Armstrong built a music legacy and a legacy beyond music.

FREE BONUS ALERT: There is an activity guide available for the Louis Armstrong episode for free when you sign up for the Dorktales Storytime Podcast email list. (You only need to sign up once.) SIGN UP HERE: https://bit.ly/DTnewsletter-signup

Jonathan Cormur

Discover more Hidden Heroes of History podcast episodes and geeky retellings of classic fairy tales on the Dorktales Storytime Podcast. The podcast is a member of Kids Listen, an organization that advocates for high-quality children’s audio. Jodi Murphy is the founder of Geek Club Books autism storytelling nonprofit and a member of the Multicultural Children’s Book Day Board of Advisors.