Web Edition Newsletter

Resources for Teachers and Parents!

October, 2005 Vol. 2, Number 10

In This Edition . . . Celebrate Black Poetry Day! With Young Patriot Phillis Wheatley! Eddie Rickenbacker-- the Car Guy. Quick Links - Additional Online Resources. Special Subscriber Offer!

 

Hook Kids on History in October:

October is Book Month! Presented by the National Book Foundation. For more information visit their website.

October 1 The first World Series baseball game was played this day in 1903. Read more about the early game of baseball in the NEW addition to the Young Patriot's Series Abner Doubleday, Boy Baseball Pioneer. October 6 American Library Association founded 1876. Source. October 7 James Whitcomb Riley*, the Great American Poet and Young Patriot, was born this day, 1849. October 8 Eddie Rickenbacker*, World War I Flying Ace and a Young Patriot, was born this day in 1890. SEE FEATURE ARTICLE BELOW. October 10 COLUMBUS DAY. October 16 DICTIONARY DAY. In honor of Noah Webster, creator of the Webster's Dictionary. He was born this day in 1758. October 20 BLACK POETRY DAY. SEE FEATURE ARTICLE BELOW October 24 UNITED NATIONS DAY. The United Nations was formally established on this day in 1943. Source. October 28 Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York on this day in 1806 by President Cleveland. October 31 HALLOWEEN. Juliette Low*, founder of the Girl Scouts and Young Patriot, was born on this day in 1860.

* Included in the Young Patriots Series. To read more about these titles and all of the Young Patriots Series, Click Here.

Hello Loyal Subscribers! Last month you may remember I threatened to tell you just a little bit about my recent trip to China. (the rather disheveled tourist in the picture is me at the Great Wall). Stanford University organized a book publisher's study/travel tour to meet with Chinese publishers and talk about mutual concerns, challenges and possible partnerships. It was an amazing week, full of new sights, new foods and new friends, ending at the Beijing International Book Fair where the Young Patriots Series were on exhibit:

The week in China was memorable and informative. Among other things, I learned:

• There are 230 million students K-College in China (compare with approximately 65 million in the US as of 2004), and studying English is mandatory from third grade on.
  
  
• Public Libraries are woefully underfunded and lag behind US libraries.
  
  
• Chinese parents value English reading materials and, unlike the US, schools do not purchase books for children-parents do.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I browsed in a foreign language bookstore in Shanghai and found a series entitled Childhood of the Presidents (see cover-left)

Who knows, one day you may see the Young Patriots Series in Chinese!

Happy Birthday James Whitcomb Riley, Eddie Rickenbacker and Juliette Low. Don't miss the story about "Eddie the Car Guy" in this issue and our feature on Black Poetry Day!

Warmly,

Florrie

 

Celebrate Black Poetry Day!   Black Poetry Day was established to honor all African American poets and their great contributions to American culture and literature. Black Poetry Day is celebrated in October to mark the anniversary of the birthday of Jupiter Hammon, the first published African American poet. Hammon was born into slavery in 1711, probably in Long Island, New York, and became a renowned poet, still recognized today. Among Jupitor Hammon's published works is a poem he wrote in honor of Phillis Wheatley entitled Miss Wheatley; pray give leave to express as follows:. Hammon wrote. Behold! The sould shall waft away Whene'er we come to die, And leave this cottage of clay In twinkling of an eye . . . For the complete poem, Click Here Phillis Wheatley was the first notable African-American writer in America. New in 2005, Volume 10 of the Young Patriots Series, Phillis Wheatley, Young Revolutionary Poet, depicts young Wheatley's life. Born in Africa in 1753, she was kidnapped at the age of seven and sold at a slave auction to the prosperous Wheatley family in Boston. Largely self-educated, Phillis rose from slavery to become one of the most well-known poets of her day and an inspiration to future women and African-American writers. For more information on Phillis Wheatley, Young Revolutionary Poet, click here.

Happy Birthday Eddie Rickenbacker-the Car Guy! Planes Trains and Automobiles-The World War I Flying Ace---and Speedway Owner! (above) Eddie Rickenbacker, standing on the wing of an airplane, looking at the engine, in a field in Chicago, Illinois. DN-0074996, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society. (above) Rickenbacker sitting in the driver's seat of an automobile parked on the side of a road in Elgin, Illinois, during a 1914 automobile race. SDN-059832, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society (left) Eddie Rickenbacker wearing a military uniform, sitting in a passenger train car in or near Chicago, Illinois. SDN-061821, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society. Most people will recognize Eddie Rickenbacker as the famous World War I Flying Ace, Medal of Honor winner, founder of Eastern Airlines and aviation pioneer. Many know that he also raced automobiles before he learned to fly. But far fewer know that Eddie bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the famous 500 Mile Race in 1927. He owned it until 1945, at which time he sold it to Tony Hulman, whose family still owns the track today. Golfers can thank Captain Rickenbacker who commissioned the 18-hole golf course that is still a part of the 500 Speedway grounds. CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES From the Eddie Rickenbacker, Boy Pilot and Racer Teacher's Guide:       What are some of Eddie's qualities, or personality traits, that you think helped to shape who he became as an adult? (Students might identify such traits as being inquisitive and having a love of learning.) What are some of YOUR best qualities, or traits of which you are most proud? Students can work in pairs to write questions for a mock interview with Eddie Rickenbacker. Encourage them to include questions about his flying and car racing challenges. Have students work individually or in pairs to complete the WebQuest by following links to gather information about Rickenbacker's life so that they can create a fictional postage stamp to honor one of his many life achievements. Find the complete Teacher's Guide here.

• EDDIE RICKENBACKER. US Centennial of Flight Commission
  
  
• American Memory from the Library of Congress Search on "Eddie Rickenbacker" to find many more photos.
  
  
• Rickenbacker Papers: Historical Sketch of Eddie Rickenbacker
  
  
• BLACK POETRY DAY. For more information on Black Poetry Day and many classroom activities, visit the Read Write Think website.
  
  
• For a list of African American poets, Click Here.
  
  
• PHILLIS WHEATLEY. For a short biography on Phillis Wheatley, click here.

All Young Patriots titles may also be ordered from your favorite wholesaler. Teacher's Guides and Webquests are always free and may be downloaded at our website.

Schools and libraries may also fax your purchase order to 413-215-8030, or mail to Patria Press, Inc., PO Box 752, Carmel, IN 46082.

Home | Preview | Resources | Guides | Reviews | Order | Links | Contact Us | Newsletter |Patria Press in the News