In SCIENTIST, HEALERS, AND INVENTORS, Wade Johnson provides a wealth of information about famous African-Americans who have made ingenious contributions. The book contains not only entries for several well-known individuals such as Benjamin Banneker and Madame C. J, Walker, it also includes several lesser-known individuals such as Susie King Taylor, a Civil War Nurse, and Jan Ernst Matzeliger, the inventor of the shoelasting machine (a machine that allowed for the mass production of shoes).

This volume, the third in the Book of Black Heroes series, is educational and informative. Entries contain a picture and biographical information for each of the individuals. My only criticism is that the book reads like a textbook and may not hold the interest of children. Nonetheless, it is an excellent resource for children and adults alike, and would make a welcome complement to any home library.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Book Of Black Heroes: Scientists Healers And Inventors by Wade Hudson is an impressive survey of learned and able African-American men and women compiled and presented especially for young readers. Each individual page features a photograph of a notable personage from the nineteenth or twentieth centuries, accompanied by a concise and succinct biography summarizing his or her life and achievements. A truly great introduction to remarkable and intelligent people of color who made their mark on history and science itself, Wade Hudson's Book Of Black Heroes is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, family, school, or community any Black History collection for children.

Pass It On is a beautiful picture book of some of BlackAmerica's best poems for children. Here the reader will find examplesof the wonderful works of Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Countee Cullen, and about thirteen others. From the Harlem Rennaisance to the present day lovely thought-provoking poems are presented to the American child. The illustrations are muted but descriptive renderings that are melded together to present a picture of black life at its best.

I purchased this book 5 years ago for my son and a friend's daughter, and I was so excited to read it, my son in 1st grade wrote about the poem I can and it won him a blue ribbon and right now he still has the writing for that poem eventhough he has the book in the bookshelf, when they say "Pass it On" it really mean that, now he can pass it on to his children later in life. Everyone that has borrowed the book and read to their kids have enjoyed it.

I highly recommend the book to children of all age, it's also a book of life experience.

Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts.

My eight year old daughter and I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book aloud together. The five inventors chronicled were individuals of which I had very little knowledge. Their stories were inspiring and interesting, not dwelling too much on any adversity they suffered because of racism, but not glossing over it either. The author describes the inventors and their inventions in clear, concise, and simple language. The illustrations are plentiful, colorful, and imaginative.

Madame C.J. Walker's life story as the first black female millionaire was particularly inspiring considering the personal tragedies she overcame in her rise from the cotton fields of the south to owner of her own highly successful company. As a young black girl growing up many years ago I would have loved to have had such an inspiring book to read. I hope Scholastic and other publishers come out with other biographies of less well know but notable Africnan-Americans for young readers to learn about.

This book is wonderfully illustrated in lush colors. The text is also very clearly laid out and is obviously intended for preschoolers to identify letters and objects. My own son was able to recognize the shape of a star from the drawings. The only fault and its very minor is that Robo's favourite place turns out to be the "world wide web' somewhat worrying in view of the fact that children spend so little time in the fresh air as it is these days. I highly recommend this book nonetheless.