Will appeal to parents and grandparents who grew up with the music of Duke EllingtonThere is a resurgence in interest in jazz among middle-schoolers and pre-teens. This book shows the lifestyle, music, and colorful personalities of Duke and his musicians through the eyes of a 9-year-old.This is a book about real black people, not stereotypes. Educational value: teaches about jazz and Ellington, but also, gently, teaches about racism.
"When Louis was home in Queens, neighborhood kids would gather around as he brought them into jazz. His music still vibrantly lives around the world, and his spirit of humaneness lives in Travels with Louis by Mick Carlon, teacher of jazz to the young of all ages."—Nat Hentoff "Thanks to his friendship with the great Louis Armstrong, twelve-year old Fred sees his world expand from ice cream and baseball in Queens to jazz at the Village Vanguard, a civil rights sit-in in...
"A fast-paced narrative. . . . compelling and intense reading, by turns funny, tender, and horrifying, Girl Singer is the real deal—a captivating, well-told tale." —Fred Kasten, Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist"Carlon is a natural heir of Robert Louis Stevenson. If you like good fiction, you'll like Girl Singer ." —Brian Morton, The Penguin Guide to Jazz "Carlon is a unique educational force, bringing young readers into the pleasures and...
