Guest Blogger, Karen E. Dabney Shares Rant (At my Request and With My Total Agreement!)

A recent new book I read and reviewed, was praised by a librarian...

The book closed with a young boy planning to kill his parents...

About that time, Karen sent me her original "Rant" I immediately thought about librarians who refused to take this wonderful book, while praising a book that left readers with the knowledge that a young boy was planning to kill his parents.

I know, I know this is not wide-spread...or is it?

From what I can see prejudice is just as rampant as it ever was.

Why?

Adapted from my Twitter Rant re Libraries

that Won’t Give the Pencil a Chance to Make its Point

by Karen E. Dabney

Author of The Magic Pencil and many other books for youth

July 27, 2013

OK. I have had a few libraries refuse to place my young adult/tween/children's book The Magic Pencil even if I offered to donate a copy. {Here's my thoughts on her book if interested..}

.

My joke is that some librarians act as if I am trying to give them a dead frog instead of a book kids will love and learn from. They can't/won't give me a good reason. One actually stood in front of me as if she expected me to hit her with the book.

I was allowed to submit a copy to a local library for consideration and was promptly called and told to come get the book because it was NOT the kind of book HER library would have for its children! 

Today I checked out THAT library's catalog and found the following non-standard English, read: EBONICS and attempts at Ebonics - as in the true structured language - : The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (great book!), The Coldest Winter Ever (excellent "urban lit" that birthed more, however usually trite and not as well done), Their Eyes Were Watching God (OMG! The best! ALL in colloquial language by the protagonist!) Man Child in the Promised Land (Got me on my way to writing REAL),  Soul on Ice (by ex-Black  Panther – shudder – Eldridge Cleaver), Tales of Uncle Remus (thieved by Joel Chandler Harris), Take the Low Road (by Detroit author Eddie Allen about the nitty gritty writer Donald Goines' life). I tried to trade books but Eddie had his hands full with my former master-teacher Jimmy Santiago Baca's first visit to the Motor City. And Jimmy wanted to hang with me!

I found various novels about children of crack-heads and all with the largest keywords being AFRICAN AMERICAN and URBAN LIT (When did "urban" begin to be code for BLACK?). So, imagine how stunned I was to find a NEW placement entitled BAD B*TCH. 

And I wonder if they have Fifty Shades of Grey, Karen...

But The Magic Pencil has no place at this same library. A story that explains language issues in a way children can understand, is moral, fun, educational, inspiring, triumphant, uplifting and timely, is not the kind of book THAT library would have for its readers.

Well, "children" are reading those books. Children are living those stories. But a book that reaches out and shows ways to overcome to those children who are attracted to what is probably their first/home language by showing that ALL people code-switch and there's no shame in it but you might want to learn the standard in order to "make it" wherever you are, is not the kind of book THAT library would have for its patrons which include many of THOSE type of youth. 

I ran into some of them because they recognized the cover of TMP on my t-shirt and told me a friend had the book and they wanted to read it too. They were all living in the city where THAT library is located so I told them to ask for it at THEIR library. They did and it was "on order" forever! A parent/friend of mine called to find out what was going on with it. Even though we had JUST checked THAT library's catalog and it was STILL "on order", she was told that it wasn't. And, that one could be gotten from another library and delivered for her to get from HER library. WoW! So much for the dead frog offering.

On to dealing with the "soft bigotry" of another librarian who claims the book is too difficult for ‘tweens’ and under. I was allowed in the adult stacks at ten years old and took out whatever my greedy mind could. The librarians of my childhood would see to it that I took out nothing "inappropriate" as they spurred and cheered me on!!!

Harry Potter could work his magic but my magic pencil was shunned? Have you non-teachers SEEN the vocabulary expectations for 2nd graders?

Aren't we supposed to raise the bar a bit? And if a child masters that one, raise it again? One size does NOT fit ALL! This is why gifted black youth drop out and set up shop. No respect and dysteachia = anger and boredom. Helping to feed that machine so many more will have to go to prison for enough "down time" in order to become literate. Is that a way to prove the myth that children DON'T want to learn? To ensure that they are guided toward learning - and mastering - things they shouldn't NEED to learn?

Fortunately, MANY libraries have allowed the Pencil to be available to work its spell. Now we just need for folk to help promote good, non–traditional reads and sneakily keep raising THAT bar! 

~~~

Recently I touched base with a young white man who had written a book... He had been told by a relative that it was "filthy and disgusting." He said he wasn't an author, but liked to write about his PTSD, etc..

I read it and told him to get online and search for Urban Lit or Street Lit and told him his book was quite good, fit in that genre, and did a review. I've since read and reviewed his second book out...

Where does it say that because a book uses "Bad Language" it can only be used in books that are published by regular publishers. This language has been around for years and is heard in every school across the nation. Why wouldn't a young author use that language, appropriately, in his writing... I don't like it either, but that doesn't say that the writer is wrong for doing so...

Karen's book is not even street lit...it is an educational book that helps young children learn how to effectively communicate with children from other cultures. In fact, I've seen a recent advertisement where a number of children are using their cultural language. I've missed a few words, but I enjoy the ad...Maybe you've seen it...

For myself, I DON"T understand how any librarian could refuse a donated educational book, while other books include violence, foul language, sexual abuse, etc., can be praised... Is it the African-American children on the front cover, by chance? Who, like me, disapproves of, for instance, Walmart's African-American section rather than placing all books by genre...???

If you haven't read this book with your children, do us a favor and contact your local library, bookstores, or wherever you shop. Ask for it by name and Author!

I've been speaking out more and more when something is wrong...Please, if you care for our children, do the same!

Karen, thanks for allowing me to add to your ranting...I even created a new blog for some of mine...LOL... 

But I'll just close with...

Just My Personal Opinion, Of Course!

But, Karen, in my opinion, you have a right to argue discrimination to the BOARD of THAT Library...

Related articles

• What is the Librarian's role? Are Librarians Totally Obsolete?
• Perception of the New Librarian

Thanks to Karen E. Dabney, Spotlighted Author!

Karen Dabney is ending the month by sharing several of  poems from her book...

This Gift

This gift does not appear to be much,

When compared to dress, dolls and such.

But within these pages, you shall surely find,

The ingredients to help develop your mind.

And as you grow older, you will resort to it more,

For the pursuit of knowledge is an ever-widening door.

Skeptics may scorn the above remark,

Let those non-believers remain perpetually in the dark.

Ignorance is theirs to be forever nourished in their breast,

For they will never know or envision life at its best.

Time alone will prove the accuracy of these statements, my dear.

The all-powerful human mind is indeed The Last Frontier.

Hayes G. Dabney, Sr., Esq., 1964

My Child

My child is my hope.

I keep him safe from dope.

I hug him everyday,

And bless him when I pray.

He's growing very strong,

And he knows right from wrong.

He is great company.

I raise him to be free.

The Magic Pencil, a novel for young adults.

Join Malcolm Bakersfield in his quest to learn the secret to the power of the pencil!

Meet his mysterious friend, Nia, who started it all!

Discover Malc's and your hidden powers!
http://dabsandcompany.com


By the way, in answer to the question you asked during our interview:

stream of consciousness- the conscious experience of an individual regarded as a continuous, flowing series of ideas and images running through the mind. The American Heritage Dictionary.



Karen, Book Readers Heaven has had a wonderful time learning more about you and your book this month. Many wishes for success with The Magic Pencil...and the next book in this series!

Excerpt From The Magic Pencil by Karen E. Dabney

Excerpt from




The Magic Pencil


a vehicle to drive youth toward self-esteem


by Karen E. Dabney © 2009







Chapter 15

NEW ASSIGNMENT


For social studies we havtuh do research an a report on somethin we’re interested in. I’m tryin to decide if I wanna write bout soccer or racin. I decide to pick racin cuz I know so much bout it. An, I still got the info I found while lookin up Willy T. Ribbs. My moms is right. I can use what I’d saved to do my paper. I’d already printed out most a what I’d need. I ask Nia what she’s gonna report on.

“Ancient Egypt!”

She tries to stand the way they drew theyselves back then. I have to laugh cuz she looks so clumsy! Then she says:

“Mayhaps I’ll write about Mr. Barack Obama instead. He might be our next president, you know.”

“I figure a lot a kids’ll be doin that. I’ve decided to write about the manly art of motor sports,” Nia has her mouth open to tell me something else but I beat her to it. “I know there’s women racers but my report is gonna be on African American racers an I ain seen nothin on no black female drivers.” I find my printouts an notes on racin an try to school Juan Lee durin Brainstorming Time in class. We got a week to do our reports an I figure he’ll need help. Juan Lee decides to write bout break dancin cuz he’s so into it. I start tellin him sommuh what I’ll use for my report. I play it like I’m givin a lecture so he’ll laugh.

“First African American driver I learned about was one my father told me of by the name of Willy T. Ribbs.” Juan Lee starts chucklin an says:

“Is that really his name?”

“Yes, young man, it tis. As I was saying, I learned from many sites on the Internet that he raced for almost 25 years and was the most win-nin-gest African American driver in history! He won Driver of the Year twice and was the first black man to compete in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series. Mr. Ribbs--for a long time--had been the first, and only, African American to test for the Formula One Grand Prix team in Portugal! He retired from racing and took up clay shooting because he had trouble getting enough sponsors. Advertising for their sponsors are the reason drivers and their cars have so many patches, painted words and symbols on them.

Hungry for more information, I put in a search for black racing car drivers. I found one site that mentions a Mr. Wendell Scott who was the first African American stock-car driver. He won the Grand Nationals in 1963!

There is also Mr. Morty Buckles who raced in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2002. And, I discovered, on The American Racing Car Association site, a Mr. Herbert Bagwell, Jr., also known as The Hawk. He and his wife own and operate Bagwell Motor Sports. In an interview, Mr. Bagwell stated he could use a lot more sponsors and would like to see more black folk racing and watching in the stands.

And there’s Mr. Leonard Miller, co-owner of The Miller Racing Group. He was the first black owner in the Indianapolis 500! He wrote a book, Silent Thunder, that tells about his experiences in the business of racing.

As far back as the 1920’s there existed a heartland racing sweepstakes called The Gold and the Glory, formed by blacks because they weren’t allowed to compete in the Indy 500. You can compare them to The Negro Leagues of baseball that were also formed due to exclusion.

And, most recently, there’s a Mr. Lewis Hamilton whom I need to research further. Mr. Lee, are you taking all this down?” Juan Lee busts out laughin. He enjoyed my lil presentation an he wasn’t the only one. Nia is smilin an softly clappin her hands.

Juan Lee--still laughin--says:

“Watcher, you crazy! But seriously, man, you gonna havtuh help me out wit my paper. I don’t think I’ll be able to find much bout breakin, krumpin an steppin in books.”

“Not a problem, my brotha.” I smile.

“Brainstorming Time is over, class.” Ms. Winston announces.

I strut my way back to my seat.





Provided with permission...

Excerpt From The Magic Pencil by Karen E. Dabney

Excerpt from




The Magic Pencil



a vehicle to drive youth toward self-esteem



by Karen E. Dabney © 2009




from Chapter 1



PENCILOLOGY


Everybody likes the look, the feel an the size of a brand new, never been used pencil. An that pencil’s even better when it’s sharpened to a serious needlepoint. The teachers always be sayin: Don’t run with a pencil! You could injure someone!” So we run anyway cuz danger’s just a game to us. But back to the point--ha, ha. It’s best if you got a pencil that comes from someplace other than school. You can feel cooler than the kids usin them ole, free, yellow jobs. But if it is yellow--you still cool long as it don’t have the writin on it that the school pencils got. An it should be a number two. Everything I ever heard bout pencils asks for a number two.

Now I know most kids don’t be thinkin deep bout diffrent stuff as much as me.

See, I like to study things. Not just reglar things--like in school. I mean I like to watch people, animals an machines. Some a the kids I run wit call me The Watcher after the dude in that ole movie, The Brother from Another Planet. All he seemed to do was check everything out like a witness or somethin.

Yeah, I get into pencils just like most a my homies--but deeper--cuz I watch. The reason I do is cuz some kids be actin like a new pencil is gold! Even the ones who got they own! When the teacher busts out a new box--you’d think it’s everybody’s birthday! Which is weird cuz it’s the same ole school pencils--only new. Kids be tryin to act all cool an unimpressed but they watchin every move of the lucky one who gets to sharpen them pencils. Sharpenin is a whole nother story cuz some teachers got electric sharpeners!

I know I talk a lotta junk cuz I hang round older kids an even some adults. I manage to pick up a whole lotta ways to talk. Ole school an new school--it’s all the same to me. Conversatin an communicatin’s what it’s all bout.

We had a substitute teacher--Ms. Kady--for a week that tried to teach us how to properly use pencils. It tripped me out at first but she was OK so I listened. She said when she was in school the teachers showed the kids where an how to hold a pencil! She used a fat piece a chalk to demonstrate:

“My teachers would explain we were to lean the pencil back into the space between our thumbs an pointer fingers, in a slant. When the pencil lead became flat on one side, we’d turn it to the side that wasn’t. There was less waste, less sharpening, and less reason to get up.”

Boy, I knew wasn’t nobody goin for that! Ev-ery-body wanna sharpen they pencil at lease once a hour! Who even want they pencil to last longer than the eraser? The pencil be all stubbly an stuff. An those add-on erasers look wack. I ain never had a teacher--before that one--talk bout the right way to write--ha, ha. She said she hadtuh graduate to usin special ink pens in fourth grade! We can’t even use ink pens at my school! Too many kids be needin correction fluid all the time.

Since I been watchin, I’ve seen some things bout pencils that probly never will make no sense. Like playin leads or breaks. That’s when you an your partners try to see who can break whose pencil lead--or even the whole pencil--first by thumpin each other’s. I don’t even know why we do it! Maybe cuz we bored, wanna show off or cuz it drives the teachers nuts. It’s sorta the same way wit erasers. The teacher gives us nice new pink erasers. Sooner or later those erasers become history. It starts wit us puttin our names on them. Then some kids draw on them, stick they pencils into them, break or cut them in half, so now you got the crumbs developin. Course small pieces a rubber make good projectiles as Mr. Burns--the math teacher--calls them. So we end up throwin them at each other! After a while, hardly nobody got a eraser an those that do might share--or most likely won’t--cuz now the erasers is real valuable! Then we get reminded by the teachers bout how we abused the erasers when we had our own.

Speakin a ownin--it always be the kid who do the lease work wit the most pencils! This kid’s usely a boy. How he collects all them pencils is a bit of a mystery. He may’ve brought a few wit him, stole a few--he feels anything that hits the floor is fair game--might’ve got one from the speech teacher or lied an tol another teacher he needed one. Somehow he ends up wit bout fourteen in diffrent sizes, lengths an colors. He usely keeps a fat rubber band round them an displays his catch all day. You got a better chance a growin wings than gettin him to loan you one. An he hardly ever do any work or even draw! The one we got now don’t talk in class or do nothin. We call him The Collector.





Provided With Permission...

A Short Excerpt from The Magic Pencil by Karen Dabney!

Excerpt from




The Magic Pencil

a vehicle to drive youth toward self-esteem

by Karen E. Dabney © 2009

INTRODUCTION

This story is about YoungStar Malcolm Bakersfield,

 his mysterious new classmate

 and a pencil that changes everything!

If you don’t understand him at first,

Try reading aloud then you’ll have a thirst.

‘Malc’ has something to say about everything,

Even if no one’s really listening.

You might agree with him or have a different view,

It’s OK wit him if it’s OK witchu!

Now, read his story, then you’ll see,

Malc’s a lot like all, us, we.

 Things are seldom what they seem--

once you see a pencil gleam!

Used With Permission...

Welcome Karen Dabney to The Author Spotlight! Author of The Magic Pencil!

The Magic Pencil
A Novel for Young Adults

Young Malcolm Bakersfield has been making his way through life’s pitfalls as best he can with the help of family and friends. School’s not a problem but Malc could do better. One day he tells his older brother and a friend about his latest dream. It is as fantastic as it is wonderful! But Malc has yet to learn that it, and a pencil, will forever change his world! We join him in his quest to find the truth to the power of the pencil.

Karen E. Dabney has created memorable characters and a fun read that teaches life lessons along the way. The Magic Pencil can be enjoyed by younger children as well as adults. It is humorous, entertaining and uplifting. Original poems are placed throughout the story.

The well-known author, Jimmy Santiago Baca, has lauded Karen’s work as “unrivaled in young adult literature.” Author Karl Klein believes the novel “is destined to become a classic.”

To place orders for the book
see Web site: http://www.dabsandcompany.com/

Or contact:

Dabs & Company
PO Box 47327
Oak Park, MI 48237
313.632.3384

Checks or money orders payable to Karen E. Dabney

To arrange for readings and interviews contact the author:
Phone 313.632.3384
Fax 313.341.7571
E-mail dabsandco@att.net

ISBN 10: 0-615-28291-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-615-28291-6
244 pages, soft cover laminate, perfect bound
$14.95


# # #

News from Karen E. Dabney, Author of The Magic Pencil!

The Magic Pencil, a novel for young adults

Young Malcolm Bakersfield has been making his way through life’s pitfalls as best he can with the help of family and friends. School’s not a problem but Malc could do better. One day he tells his older brother and a friend about his latest dream. It is as fantastic as it is wonderful! But Malc has yet to learn that it, and a pencil, will forever change his world! We join him in his quest to find the truth to the power of the pencil.

Karen E. Dabney has created memorable characters and a fun read that teaches life lessons along the way. The Magic Pencil can be enjoyed by younger children as well as adults. It is humorous, entertaining and uplifting. Original poems are placed throughout the story.

The well-known author, Jimmy Santiago Baca, has lauded Karen’s work as “unrivaled in young adult literature.” Author Karl Klein believes the novel “is destined to become a classic.”

To place orders for the book see Web site: http://www.dabsandcompany.com/


Or contact:

Dabs & Company
PO Box 47327
Oak Park, MI 48237
313.632.3384

Checks or money orders payable to Karen E. Dabney

To arrange for readings and interviews contact the author:

Phone 313.632.3384

Fax 313.341.7571

E-mail dabsandco@att.net
ISBN 10: 0-615-28291-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-615-28291-6
244 pages, soft cover laminate, perfect bound
$14.95

The Magic Pencil is also available at:

Museum of African American History
315 E. Warren Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
313.494.5800

Virgil H. Carr
Cultural Arts Center
311 E. Grand River Ave.
Paradise Valley in Harmonie Park
Detroit, MI 48226
313.965.8430

Book Beat
Greenfield Rd.
Oak Park, MI 48237
248.968.1190

Ladels Children's Book Boutique
1413 Brooklyn St.
Detroit, MI 48226
313.963.8550

Eric's I've Been Framed Shop
1527 Livernois Ave.
Detroit, MI 48221
313.861.9263

Hamtramck Public Library
2360 Caniff St.
Hamtramck, MI 48212
313.385.7050

Wayne State University
Purdy/Kresge Library
Special Collections
5265 Cass Ave.
Detroit, MI 48202
313.577.4043

Southfield Public Library
History Room
26300 Evergreen Rd.
Southfield, MI 48076
248.796.4200

Spectacles
230 E. Grand River Ave.
Detroit. MI 48226
313.963.6886

Shrine of the Black Madonna Cultural Center
13535 Livernois Ave.
Detroit, MI 48238
313.491.0777

Russell Bazaar
Business Support by Mittie
PR Firm & Book Vendor
(at Main Entrance)
7500 Chrysler Drive
Detroit, MI 48211
313.972.7009
Fridays - Sundays


The book is available online
Amazon
amazon.com/Magic-Pencil-Ms-Karen-Dabney/dp/0615282911

&

The Author Collective
theauthorcollective.com

Get Magic Pencil Gear!

cafepress.com/themagicpencil

BOOK

The Magic Pencil $14.95

Personalized Autograph


http://dabsandcompany.com/

Promote Literacy! Keep a mind lit!