Eureka!

Wake Up Our Souls

Publication Information

Author: Bolden, Tonya

Illustrator: various

Title: Wake Up Our Souls

Date: 2004

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

City: New York

ISBN, paperback: 0-8109-4527-4

ISBN, hardback:

Recommended audience:

ABE/ABLE: Yes

ESOL:

Family:

Young Adult: Yes

Picture: Yes

General Information:

Book Type(s): nonfiction, biography and autobiography, essays

HSE Descriptor(s): language arts - reading

Summary:

Well-written biographies and stunning reproductions of the work of approximately 30 African American artists introduce us to painters, photographers, and mixed-media artists born between 1830 and the present. The design makes the book beautiful and the end matter of glossary, bibliography and suggested reading, notes, and illustration credits make it useful.

Teaching Ideas:

A class might want to create a matrix of the artists with the historical period, art medium, where they lived, barriers they overcame, and other artists that influenced them. The matrix would then generate topics for comparison and contrast in discussion and writing. And since many of the artists lived and traveled in Europe to escape racism in the U.S.,students could research online the influential European painters that are mentioned. The author writes especially good transitions from one artist to the next that could function as models for a writing activity. Students could also write art reviews after viewing the examples in the book or examples that are available online.

Teaching Strategies: