{"product_id":"saving-american-beach-isbn-9781101996294","title":"Saving American Beach","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis heartfelt picture book biography illustrated by the Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes, tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an African American opera singer turned environmentalist and the legacy she preserved.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she couldn't just go to any beach--most of the beaches in Jacksonville were for whites only. Knowing something must be done, her grandfather bought a beach that African American families could enjoy without being reminded they were second class citizens; he called it American Beach. Artists like Zora Neale Hurston and Ray Charles vacationed on its sunny shores. It's here that MaVynee was first inspired to sing, propelling her to later become a widely acclaimed opera singer who routinely performed on an international stage. But her first love would always be American Beach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter the Civil Rights Act desegregated public places, there was no longer a need for a place like American Beach and it slowly fell into disrepair. MaVynee remembered the importance of American Beach to her family and so many others, so determined to preserve this integral piece of American history, she began her second act as an activist and conservationist, ultimately saving the place that had always felt most like home.\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eSaving American Beach\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 2023 Rhode Island Children's Book Award Nominee\u003cbr\u003eA 2022 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA 2022 ALA Top Ten Sustainability Themed Children’s Book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA 2022 Texas Topaz Reading List Pick\u003cbr\u003eA 2022 ALA Notable Children’s Book\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 2022 ILA Notable Book\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003efor a Global Society Award Winner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 2022 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book Pick\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 2021 Chicago Public Library Best Book Pick\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 2021 Black Caucus American Library Association Best of the Best Booklist Honorable Mention\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Caldecott Medalist Holmes \u003cb\u003ecelebrates \u003c\/b\u003ethis champion of color with \u003cb\u003ewondrous \u003c\/b\u003emulti-patterned collage.” —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e★ “Holmes’ \u003cb\u003estunning\u003c\/b\u003e, intricately composed paint-and-collage images bring MaVynee to life in full color . . making each spread \u003cb\u003evisually rich, realistic, and fascinating\u003c\/b\u003e. King’s storytelling, Holmes’ artwork, and \u003cb\u003einformative\u003c\/b\u003e backmatter portray MaVynee Betsch as the larger-than-life Black environmentalist she was. \u003cb\u003eA spectacular story \u003c\/b\u003eabout a little-known eco-warrior whose story should be told and retold.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ★ “King crafts \u003cb\u003emusical prose\u003c\/b\u003e, skillfully connecting Betsch’s musical career with her love of the beach. Caldecott Honoree Holmes’s art, rendered in acrylic and collage, incorporates patterns created from handmade stencils and stamps, resulting in \u003cb\u003erichly multilayered\u003c\/b\u003e illustrations. \u003cb\u003eA moving portrayal\u003c\/b\u003e of a little-known preservationist.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e★ “What a treat to read this \u003cb\u003ebeautiful picture book\u003c\/b\u003e! . . . Holmes’ artistry enhances the wonder of the beach, MaVynee’s environmental crusade, and the \u003cb\u003ehistorical significance\u003c\/b\u003e of the story. This book provides \u003cb\u003ean inspirational view\u003c\/b\u003e into a rare piece of Floridian and African American history. . . \u003cb\u003eA welcome addition\u003c\/b\u003e to any elementary school library.” —\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Connection\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e★ “This \u003cb\u003elushly illustrated\u003c\/b\u003e picture-book biography tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an opera-singing African American environmentalist and activist . . . Holmes' \u003cb\u003evibrant, multilayered collages\u003c\/b\u003e aptly evoke the ocean and shifting sands, and are especially effective in capturing MaVynee's determined stance, her brilliant outfits, and her seven-foot-long tresses. . . This story of a wealthy, sophisticated, talented, and larger-than-life activist deserves a wide audience.” —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e★ “In this \u003cb\u003einspirational picture book \u003c\/b\u003e. . . King's \u003cb\u003eengaging text gracefully pairs\u003c\/b\u003e with Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner and Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes's acrylic and collage illustrations. Holmes captures MaVynee as a caretaker and advocate, and her use of bright colors and handmade stamps elevate MaVynee's special way of paying homage to her beach: adorning her seven-foot-long mane with colorful seashells and pins. . . \u003cb\u003eAlluring\u003c\/b\u003e.” —Shelf Awareness, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Author and illustrator work in \u003cb\u003eexceptional harmony\u003c\/b\u003e here to \u003cb\u003ebring MaVynee and the beach to life\u003c\/b\u003e . . . Even later, when MaVynee returns to the now-abandoned beach, nursing her own depression, Holmes \u003cb\u003efinds beauty in the sadness\u003c\/b\u003e, using the long horizontals of the spreads to \u003cb\u003eglorious and poignant effect\u003c\/b\u003e.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Horn Book\u003c\/i\u003eHeidi Tyline King has written many books for adults, but this is her first book for children.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEkua Holmes has lived and worked in Boston her entire life. She began her picture book career in 2015, illustrating \u003ci\u003eVoice of Freedom: Fanny Lou Hamer\u003c\/i\u003e, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award. She was awarded back-to-back Coretta Scott King Illustration Medals for \u003ci\u003eOut of Wonder\u003c\/i\u003e in 2017 and \u003ci\u003eThe Stuff of Stars\u003c\/i\u003e in 2018. Her books have achieved numerous medals, honors, and international acclaim.","brand":"G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300812804325,"sku":"NP9781101996294","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781101996294.jpg?v=1767736150","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/saving-american-beach-isbn-9781101996294","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}