In this post, we feature author Nadia Salomon, whose previous titles include Goodnight Ganesha, which was named a Bank Street Best Books selection among many other honors. You can hear her speak about her new picture-book biography, A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story, illustrated by London Ladd. You can also try her “invitation to imagine” activity and find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story
- Written by Nadia Salomon and illustrated by London Ladd
- Published by Philomel, an imprint of Penguin Random House
- Release date: September 24, 2024
Myrlie Evers-Williams’ voice is gentle yet strong, soft yet powerful. It is a soaring song of hope. Myrlie’s voice didn’t start out that way. She was born into the segregated South and the beautiful brown color of her skin made her a target for hate. It meant she didn’t have the same opportunities as white children, and that meant her dream of playing music onstage one day would be harder to achieve. But this didn’t stop Myrlie. As she grew, she marched for equal rights alongside her husband and activist, Medgar Evers. She fought against Jim Crow laws and for voting rights. She became the chair of the NAACP. And finally, she realized her dream of performing at Carnegie Hall. After that, as a voice for hope and change, Myrlie spoke at President Obama’s second inauguration, inspiring a nation. Nadia Salomon’s lyrical text and London Ladd’s rich artwork honor and celebrate the legendary life of Myrlie Evers-Williams and share her message of hope with the world.
Explore A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story
Listen to Nadia Salomon talking with TeachingBooks about creating A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to author Nadia Salomon pronounce her name.
- Sample an e-book of A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story on Overdrive.com.
- View a video book trailer for A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Nadia Salomon.
Imagination Activity with Nadia Salomon
Imagine a time when you weren’t allowed to do something you really wanted or had your heart set on. Think about how that “NO” made you feel. Now, write out your feelings and talk about what you ended up doing instead?
Finish This Sentence . . . with Nadia Salomon
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Nadia Salomon’s response.
“While working on this latest project, I was surprised to learn that…”
While working on this latest project, I was surprised to learn that President John F. Kennedy had terrible handwriting according to Myrlie Evers-Williams. She received a signed copy of the proposed Civil Rights Act of 1964 from the late President. Although Myrlie treasures this document, she describes his handwriting as terrible.
“You may not know that I can…”
You may not know that I can sing. I was a singer-songwriter for several years. I recorded a 21-song album and used to perform at venues and festivals.
More Connections to Nadia Salomon and A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story
- Discover books like A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story on TeachingBooks.
- Penguin Random House’s page about A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story, written by Nadia Salomon and illustrated by London Ladd.
- Buy A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story, written by Nadia Salomon and illustrated by London Ladd.
Author photo is by Di Starr Photography. All other text and images are courtesy of Nadia Salomon, London Ladd, and Penguin Random House and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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