Singing with Momma Lou

By Linda J. Altman, Larry Johnson
Paperback: $11.95

A young African American girl helps her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, regain some of her memories.

Description

Nine-year-old Tamika Jordan dreads visiting her grandmother at the nursing home. Momma Lou has Alzheimer’s and always forgets who Tamika is. After her father shows her Momma Lou’s scrapbooks, Tamika comes up with an idea to jog Momma Lou’s memory. Tamika is successful in reaching her grandmother one day when Momma Lou recognizes a newspaper clipping of a Civil Rights demonstration and leads everybody in a celebration of song.

Linda Jacobs Altman tells a moving story of intergenerational love and hope, while Larry Johnson’s evocative paintings bring this memorable story to life. This a book to be shared by the whole family.

Altman learned about the effects of Alzheimer’s when her mother was stricken with the disease. While it was a tragic experience, she learned from her mother the power of the human spirit.

About the Creators

Linda J. Altman
Linda J. Altman

Linda Jacobs Altman is the author of Amelia's Road, published by Lee & Low, and named a "Choices" selection by the Cooperative Children's Book Center. Altman, who lives in Clearlake, California, frequently writes for the educational market.

Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson has illustrated several children's books, including Knoxville, Tennessee by Nikki Giovanni, When Joe Louis Won the Title, and Lee & Low's The Secret to Freedom, praised by School Library Journal for its "expressive acrylic paintings . . . rich in color and emotion." He also serves as a Youth Minister at a Baptist church and is a cohost of a weekend sports radio show. Johnson and his wife live in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Visit him online at larryjohnsonart.com.

Reviews

  • "This bibliotherapeutic title will help to serve need, and the story is straightforward and inspirational."

    - School Library Journal
  • "This worthy source for any family dealing with the anguish of Alzheimer's provides assurance to children that their experience isn't unique as well as a blueprint for a proactive approach even young children can undertake."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Tamika visits Momma Lou every Sunday afternoon at the nursing home. Momma Lou usually does not recognize her nine-year-old granddaughter because she suffers from Alzheimer's disease. . . This delicate story, with a bittersweet conclusion, gives children a realistic but softened look at a devastating illness. Johnson's illustrations, in broad-brush strokes and deep colors, depict the setting in a dignified manner and successfully reflect the deep attachment between grandparent and grandchild. A helpful endnote provides a bit of additional information on the disease."

    - Booklist

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620142271
  • Price $11.95
  • Publication Date May 01, 2002
  • Trim Size 10.25 × 8 in
  • Weight 0.3125 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781584300403
  • Price $16.95
  • Publication Date May 01, 2002
  • Trim Size 10.5 × 8.25 in
  • Weight 0.4375 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Interests

  • Imprint Lee & Low Books
  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Health & Daily Living / Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Family / Multigenerational
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Social Themes / Emotions & Feelings
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Disabilities, Empathy / Compassion, Families, Fiction, Grandparents, Overcoming Obstacles, Realistic Fiction
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 9
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 4
  • Guided Reading R
  • ATOS Book Level 3.8
  • DRA 40
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 4
  • Reading Level 2
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

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