Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | This month’s Book of the Month column examines the values of print picture books and mentions several that have received national and international recognition. A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park is a beautiful example of this genre. It documents the history of the development of one of the most iconic human achievements in the world.

On October 8, 2021, Mayor De Blasio announced his plan to phase out the New York City Gifted and Talented Program. This places all gifted programs in America at risk. Abolishing gifted programs widens the gap between haves and have-nots. Eliminating gifted programs is the highest form of discrimination, suggesting that under-represented populations cannot BE gifted.

Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Jazz for Lunch! is narrated in rhymed verse by a young Black child accompanied by his beloved Auntie Nina to a jazz club (presumably in Harlem) where they expect to hear some crazy, wonderful music capped off with some noontime grub.

“Gifted” has many different connotations. Most people think it is about high achievement in school. In my view, that is academic talent. Gifted children may or may not excel in school, and academically talented students may or may not be gifted.

To differentiate the concept of giftedness from “success”—in school or in life—I have come up with the notion of Gifted Plus to signify the inner experience of giftedness.

Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Dr. Anthony Fauci is the best known physician in the world today due to his recent work with COVID-19. He has been a chief medical advisor to seven U. S. Presidents. Anthony Fauci’s special gift for listening to people to learn new information has allowed him and his fellow researchers to discover new viruses that attack the immune systems of patients. Aided by scientists around the world, Dr. Fauci prompted the development of vaccines to create immunity from the deadly coronavirus. Two pages of text answer the questions, How Do Vaccines Work? and Are Vaccines Safe?

Gifted Development Center is well represented at the 68th Annual Convention of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), which is taking place in Denver this year from November 11th - 14th. The convention will be held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort near the Denver airport. Live streaming of the event is also planned.

Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Heather Lang’s picture book biography of scientist and preservationist, Dr. Margaret Lowman, explores her life-long love affair with leaves and ultimately the world’s rainforests.

“Gifted” has many different connotations. Most people think it is about high achievement in school. In my view, that is academic talent. Gifted children may or may not excel in school, and academically talented students may or may not be gifted.

To differentiate the concept of giftedness from “success”—in school or in life—I have come up with the notion of Gifted Plus to signify the inner experience of giftedness.

Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | A series of short biographies of a dozen women STEM professionals whose accomplishments who are are having innumerable positive impacts on Earth and beyond both today and for optimistic futures.

Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | The 2021 winner of the American Library Association’s Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book published in the United States in 2020 is a book of rare beauty crafted by two Native American women who are actively involved in an urgent call for environmental stewardship and justice.

Review & Tribute by Dr. Jerry Flack | The passing of Beverly Cleary on March 25, 2021 resulted in an outpouring of tributes equal to the kinds of eulogies normally reserved for Noble Prize Literature Laureates. We want to celebrate and uplift some of her most lasting works of art.

Most of us have a harsh voice inside our heads that chastises us when we “make mistakes.” It is quick to judge us, often calling us names. “That was stupid!” The power this voice has over us increases our anxiety. In this era of mindfulness, we yearn for inner peace. We are aware that the more inner peace we attain, the more peace there will be in the world. Despite this awareness, we allow our critical inner voice to remain unchecked.

We have greater awareness today of the harmful effects of teasing and bullying, but there is one area of our lives where it remains unchecked: within ourselves. Even the most sensitive and compassionate among us, who would never intentionally hurt another, do not think twice about mercilessly berating themselves. Let us to examine this accepted practice.

Our hope lies in shifting our perspective from “me” to “we.” The time has come for a new social construct rooted in global connection instead of individual protection. When the children look at we adults, may they see hope.

Identity is important to all - no matter where your tipuna (ancestors) come from or who they were. Some people declare their identity as a way of establishing a link of belonging to a certain group or to establish their turangawaewae (a place of standing); this I note can change depending on who people are with - a desire to feel accepted or to establish rights; sometimes this is social, sometimes political.

For others, expressed out-loud or not, self-identity is part of addressing that inner question we all have: ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Why am I here?’

Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | iographer Amy Alznauer’s second picture book biography is every bit as masterfully written as her first success, The Boy Who Dreamed of Infinity* (Candlewick Press, 2020). Employing a narrative voice that is close to being poetry, Alznauer tells the courageous and remarkable life stories of the Chinese-born and now American sibling artists, the Zhou Brothers, who are prominent contemporary painters, sculptors, and performance artists of world renown.

Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Patricia Polacco is one of the most creative and prolific author-illustrators in the field of children's literature. Her picture books feature essential subject matter such as family stories and traditions, history, autobiography, twice exceptional (2e) students, great educators, tall tales, contemporary social issues, and holiday stories straight from the heart. She champions multiculturalism, diversity, and tolerance as hallmarks of American democracy.

Leta Hollingworth, the founder of gifted education, developed a program of emotional education for the gifted. She noted that exceptionally gifted children tend to be exceptionally honest, and that their honesty often gets them into trouble. Leta felt that learning when not to tell the truth is as important a skill for the gifted to learn as any school subject. This was part of her emotional curriculum.

Companion Activities for Murder on the Orient Express

Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Translated into 105 languages, her mysteries have sold billions of copies, surpassed only by Shakespeare and The Bible. In the 1930s, The Orient Express was the most famous and romantic train in the world—a grand hotel on wheels in the golden age of travel in Europe, Asia, and Africa