Book review of Shelia Lipsey's teen novel, House of Cars.

Sheliae E. Lipsey presents a true-to-life tale of homeless youth in America. House of Cars gets a 5 star high five from The Nook. 

 Nyl doesn't want his peers to know that his house is the family vehicle, nor does his stressed out single father who is seeking stable employment. When tragedy struck the Person family, Nyl and his little sister were left in the hands of a dad doing his absolute best. However, Nyl wants to be normal like the other students at Fairley High, although living wherever he can sets him a part. He feels different because of his difficult life away from school and the basketball team. Peer pressure turns up the stress of the scenario, when a popular girl in Nyl's school takes notice of him. Sierra is the "it" girl who brings more shame Nyl's way. When she does, the real mess begins. Ms. Lipsey uses dialogue that is appropriate for younger readers. She also incorporates lessons about tolerance, sensitivity and hardship without being preachy. Nyl's entire family is easy to fall in love with. They are relatable people who often go unnoticed until we are reminded that teens and students can be homeless, too. I loved this story and the potential lessons contained within the pages. I recommend it for youth of all ages, parents, educators, social workers, librarians--anyone, really. The ending is satisfying and thought-provoking. Excellent job. This book is a worthy read. I highly recommend purchasing one or more copies. 

      

   

The book is available via Amazon, Barnes  & Noble and other retailers. 

Founder of Bess the Book Bus Kicked Off the 6th Annual Success is in Sight Tour. Founder aspires to give away 60,000+ books to children in need. Is your city on the list?

2014 Update

Be on the lookout for a bus loaded with books, smiles, and perhaps glasses, too. On March 24th, 2014, Bess the Book Bus (Bess) launched her 6th annual Success is in Sight Tour, thanks to continued support from volunteers, CITGO's Fueling Good program, Transitions Optical, Townsend Press, Mercedes-Benz USA and additional corporate sponsors. Bess the Book Bus is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, run by Jennifer Frances. The mission of Bess is to extend literacy across the country.

“Without our wonderful sponsors like CITGO, we would not have the resources to reach all of the children and families that we do. We look forward to traveling across the country again to meet local CITGO Marketers and the Fueling Good Road Trip team in our continuing quest to spread a love for literature," Ms. Frances remarked.

Over the course of 2014, Bess will reportedly travel the United States, making stops at shelters, schools, community centers, and Head Start facilities in nearly 60 cities. Donated books will also be read aloud to children, to help spread a love for reading. The mobile literacy initiative, headed by Jennifer Frances, will also visit school classrooms and libraries this year. The new opportunity is projected to significantly increase the impact of the program that donates free books to the nation’s most underserved students.

 Bess the Book Bus has previously  supported more than 60,000 children, donated more than 450,000 books, and visited 48 states. In 2014, Ms. Frances aims to give away more than 60,000 books on the tour. She is still looking for a hotel sponsor. I encourage book lovers to visit www.bessthebookbus.org and www.FuelingGood.com.

Please like Bess the Book Bus on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bessthebookbus. Watch videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/bessthebookbus. You may also follow Bess on Twitter @BookBess. Find out where Bess will be. It could make the difference in the life of a child in need.


If you missed the interview about Jennifer Frances, and Bess the Book Bus, please read it below.


--The Nook

            

 

Jennifer Frances reading to a Bess the Book Bus participant who also received new glasses. 

          

What difference can one person make? Ms. Jennifer Elizabeth Frances is the founder of Bess the Book Bus. She proves that making a single effort can lead to making a significant impact. Born in Worchester, Massachusetts, Jennifer grew up primarily in the Southeast, but moved a lot in her family. 

"We lived in MA, TX, GA, LA, NY, and  FL while I was a kid. I have lived in FL, TN, AZ, MA, NC and FL again in the last 15 years," she said.

 In an age where reading devices have become popular for many, Ms. Frances makes reading fun in an engaging way for underprivileged youth. She spreads the joy of holding and enjoying physical books to many children who greatly need them, by traveling to various cities, giving away free literature. Jennifer also addresses vision needs, with the help of sponsors. Although the Book Bus is located in Tampa, Florida in between trips, it will leave for SC, NC, NJ, NH, NY, ME, PA, and VA on Friday. I had the pleasure of catching up with Jennifer Frances to learn more about the wonderful venture that she founded. 

Andrea: Can you please explain a little about what you do, and where the great books that you give away come from?

Jennifer: We have been very fortunate to have some great corporate sponsors step up and help us. Transitions Optical, VSP Vision Care, CITGO, Townsend Press and Capstone Publishers have all been with us for five years. They support our national outreach. Last year, Mercedes-Benz USA donated a brand new fully outfitted Sprinter 3500. We are also lucky to get donations from publishers such as Candlewick Press, Two Little Birds Publishing, authors like Rebecca Emberly, Mo Willems, Cynthia Lord, John Perry, and Debbie Diessen. And from organizations like

First Book. First Book has been helping Bess for 8 years. We have gotten millions of dollars of books from them.

At home, we are supported by the Tampa Bay Rays, Publix Super Markets Charities, Inkwood Books, often Target and personal donors.

Andrea: Who are your helpers or teammates?

Jennifer: We have several volunteers, but
David Fain is the longest standing and currently traveling with us. This is his third nationwide trip.

Andrea: How, when, where and why did you start the Book Bus? 

Jennifer: We started right here in Tampa in 2002. I was looking for a place to volunteer and couldn’t find a fit. The idea of Bess came to me like the pull of the moon. She is named after my Nana, Bess. I knew it was something I
could do. Something I had to do.

Andrea: From what I learned about this project, it seems like your 11 year journey has been rewarding but sometimes tough. How did you feel
cashing in your 401(k) to get started with charity work? Did you ever worry about giving up your job and stability to pursue your dream?

Jennifer: It felt great. It was exhilarating, really. It was the most natural thing ever. I never second-guessed it. It got REALLY hairy in 2009. Ok, it was hairy to start with, but 2009 was critical. I almost lost everything. I went to a lawyer, got advice, got mad at it and decided to double down and keep at it. We were not raised to surrender in my family. Bess is worth fighting for. Our kids deserve to be fought for. I worked nights until 2011. I will again if I need to. Nothing will stop me from chasing this dream.

In 2009, thanks to SuperPages.com, we got our first national sponsorship. First Book put us in touch with them. The Summer of Good Reads and Good Deeds took us to 35 states in 70 days and landed us on the CBS Early Show, in People Magazine and in Family Circle. It also got us our sponsorships from Transitions Optical, Townsend Press, Capstone Publishers and CITGO.

Andrea: How many states have you traveled to?

Jennifer: We have been to all 48 contiguous states. Most of them several times. We hope to go to Hawaii in 2014 through a sponsorship from a Hawaiian Company and Alaska in 2015.

Andrea: What kind of youth have you met along the way?

Jennifer: The kids we meet are what keep us going in the roughest times. They are hungry to learn and succeed. They shine.

Andrea: Please share your wonderful news about partnering with Transition Optical, and how current funding efforts have been for you.

Jennifer: Transitions Optical and VSP Vision Care bring the magic of healthy sight to our kids. Thousands of kids that could not afford healthy sight otherwise get free comprehensive eye exams and free glasses with Transitions Lenses each year. The mobile vision clinic really is magic. I tear up just thinking about it.

Bess the Book Bus stopped in Detroit to give glasses and books to young readers. 

Though funding is better than ever, we are still operating at about 85%. We could really use a hotel sponsor and a serious commitment-50,000+ books a year- from a big publisher like Scholastic, Disney or Penguin.

Andrea: How do you decide where to go, and where will you be next?

Jennifer: We choose locations based on need. Schools and centers need to serve underprivileged families. We coordinate with our sponsors for some locations and we also pick a lot of our own. Our next big event is with Transitions/VSP and Darius Rucker in Charleston, SC on 8-14-13. Hooties Homegrown Roundup will make sure that over 1,000 kids have school supplies, vision screenings, books and more. Then we head to Maine with CITGO’s Fueling Good Road Trip. We will visit dozens of towns there and see thousands of kids. After that is Camden, NJ with Townsend Press and then the Buffalo Zoo with Double Eagle and Ellicott Development. That is a Head Start event that will serve over 1,000 kids. Our last event is Neptune Fest in VA Beach with CITGO on9-28-13. Then home to Tampa to see our kids here!

Andrea: How can the public support you?

Jennifer: We could really use help finding a hotel sponsor. Also, every $1 donated via our website provides up to TWO NEW BOOKS for our kids. Also, liking us on Facebook is a plus!

You may keep up with Jennifer and Bess the Book Bus, by connecting with her online.  

Twitter@BookBess; Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/bessthebookbus;
website www.bessthebookbus.org
 

Helping youth to make power moves. Author interview with Dashawn Taylor.

Dashawn Taylor is the author of From Poverty to Power Moves. He is located in Newark, New Jersey. I interviewed him about a powerful project called W.I.N. 

 

 

  

DASHAWN TAYLOR  & A W.I.N. PARTICIPANT

Andrea: What is W.I.N.? Who started it and why?

Dashawn: The W.I.N.-Writing Is Necessary was created by Next Level Publishing, which is a publishing company I own.  Both I and my business partner Aleasha Arthur started WIN in 2011 as a spin off from the 100K Power movement. The goal was to get 100,000 youth excited about reading and writing.  As a result, I created the WIN “Writing is Necessary” program.

 

 

Andrea: Please share any successes with the program. Where have you been with it?

Dashawn: The project has reached new heights, we have been touring various city’s promoting this new initiative, from Washington, DC, Greenbelt, Maryland, Camden, NJ and East Orange, NJ.

 

Our biggest WIN workshop was in May of 2013; we hosted the WIN Workshop to over 100 students at the Cicely Tyson School for Performing Arts, East Orange, NJ. The Principal and staff not only supported the program, they were able to see the potential WIN could do for its students.  We were asked to come back for the 2013-2014 school year.

 

Andrea: How does it work?

Dashawn: The W.I.N “Writing is Necessary” Project, is uniquely designed to motivate students and introduce them to an effective method of approaching different writing techniques. Our workshops assist students with assignments, essays, term papers, letters and standardized tests.

 

Andrea: Why did you decide to try crowd funding? Please share how the community at large can help, where, and what funds will be used for.

Dashawn: We found that, while trying to increase our reach, many schools had limited funding, yet- the schools wanted WIN in their classrooms. We found printing the materials and putting the efforts to make this a successful workshop was costing the company a lot of money. At some schools we volunteered our services.  We hope through crowd funding we can eliminate this barrier. Crowd funding will allow us to give scholarships to schools and various school programs thought-out the country.

 

Andrea: Why are you so passionate about literacy? Who is helping with this cause?  

Dashawn: As young kid, I was always interested in writing.  I started out writing rap songs. As I got older I moved to writing articles and online blogs for a magazine called Real-hiphop.com. In 2005, I decided to stop procrastinating and put out a book I had been contemplating for years. I decided to publish my first book "From Poverty To Power Moves." I’m now a National Best Selling Author and I owe it all to my love for writing.  

I have a team of college students who intern with us. This young energy has helped us promote WIN through social media networks. (Facebook, school boards, Twitter, blogs, events, ect.)  

 

Andrea: Please share any relevant statistics that you learned about illiteracy, while putting together your presentation for W.I.N.

Dashawn: Before launching the project, an intensive research was conducted. Our sources of information ranged from:

•

42 million Americans can’t read. (source: National Right to Read Foundation)

•

60% of juvenile inmates are functionally illiterate. (source: DoSomething.org)

•

Every 19 seconds a child is arrested. (source: Child Defense Fund)

 

Andrea: When is the deadline for your online campaign?

Dashawn: While the efforts of the W.I.N. project is on-going, the date for our most current campaign is September 7, 2013.

 

Andrea: What kind of response have you received?

Dashawn: The responses have been very positive.  We are finding that the more we keep promoting the WIN-Writing is Necessary project, the bigger it will become.

 

Andrea: How can readers reach you and/or donate?

Dashawn: The link for our contribution campaign is       http://igg.me/at/win/x/4070771

The donation link can also be accessed on our website : www.WritingIsNecessary.com

Stay in touch via  Facebook:  www.facebook.com/WritingIsNecessary

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheWinProject

Youtube: www.youtube.com/NextLevelPub

 This cause is very important. I encourage everyone who wants to help to do whatever they can to help spread the word about W.I.N. and the online campaign. 

Thank you,

 --Andrea

The Black History Pages

This edition was also posted. It's packed with interesting content.

http://issuu.com/bloggertime/docs/blackhistorypagesgrovestreet-1