Elizabeth's Song [Hardcover]

Michael Wenberg (Author)

Book Description

Elizabeth’s Song tells the inspirational story based on the young life of the noted African American folksinger, guitarist, and songwriter, Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten. Elizabeth borrows a guitar from a friend and teaches herself to play it left-handed. Eventually, Elizabeth earns enough money to buy a guitar of her own and, when only 11 years old, writes her first song. That song, "Freight Train," has become a folk music classic. Elizabeth’s unique style of playing guitar (upside down and backwards), from which the term "cotton-picking" is derived, has inspired countless other artists.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–Set in Chapel Hill, NC, in 1903, this fictionalized story introduces readers to folk-musician Elizabeth Cotten. Young Elizabeth's love of music is so strong that she teaches herself to play her older brother Louis's guitar–left-handed and upside down. When he leaves home for a better life in the north, she works hard to earn enough money to buy her own guitar. At age 11, she writes her first song, "Freight Train," inspired by Louis's departure on train Number 9. An epilogue provides factual information about Cotten. The composition and design of this appealing picture book lure readers into finding out about this inspiring young African American. The descriptive language allows youngsters to visualize the scenes: for example, a passing train makes "a sudden rush of wind and sound, like a brass band gone wild." The soft, realistic watercolors complement the story, portraying the peace and joy the girl experiences when performing her music and the sadness she feels when her brother leaves. An appealing and satisfying book.–Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-4. Elizabeth Cotton, an African American guitarist and folk singer, wrote the song "Freight Train Comin'" when she was 11 years old. This fictionalized picture book for older readers describes Elizabeth's inspiration: the trains that passed by and an older brother who leaves on a freight train for a better life in the North. Louis also takes his guitar with him, the one Elizabeth has been practicing on; because she's left-handed, she taught herself to play backward and upside down. Now it's time for her to step up her efforts to get her own guitar. An epilogue gives an overview of Cotton's life without commenting on how much or what parts of the story are based on fact. As presented, it's an intriguing tale, with Cotton emerging as a determined heroine who pursues her dream. First-time author Wenberg sometimes overdoes it with the adverbs and adjectives, but he knows how to pace a story so it grabs readers and how to paint a character with whom kids can identify. Van Wright's paintings, reminiscent of Jerry Pinkney's work, have a spirit and liveliness that allow Cotton's music to be heard through the pictures. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 30 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin/Beyond Words (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582700699
• ISBN-13: 978-1582700694
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,264,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In addition to working as a writer and project manager in high-tech, I'm the former CEO of the Walla Walla Symphony (and occasional second trombonist in the orchestra). I'm the author of a number of books for kids including "Seattle Blues," a novel for teens released March 2009 from WestSide Books, "StringZ," a teen novel released by Westside Books Spring 2010, and "Elizabeth's Song," a children's picture book published by Aladdin/Beyond Words Publishing in 2002. You can also find my ebooks for kids available at the Kindle Store at Amazon.com, along with my novel of World War II, "The Last Eagle."

I currently live just up the road from the Point No Point Lighthouse on Washington State's Puget Sound with my wife, Sandy, my son, Lucas, and our wonderdog, Gracie.

"Seattle Blues" is a Flamingnet Top Choice Award winner and a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year in the 12 - 14 age category. "Stringz" is also a Flamingnet Top Choice Award winnder and was selected a "Best of the Best" by the Pennsylvania School Librarian's Association in 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Based upon the legendary African-American folksinger, February 16, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elizabeth's Song (Hardcover)

Michael Wenberg's engaging and entertaining Elizabeth's Song is based upon the legendary African-American folksinger, guitarist and songwriter, Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten, and is beautifully enhanced with the superbly crafted artwork of Cornelius Van Wright. Elizabeth is an 11-year old girl who teaches herself to play guitar left-handed on a borrowed instrument. Eventually, she earns enough money to guy a guitar of her very own and is inspired to write her first folk song "Freight Train", which would go on to become a popular classic. It was Elizabeth's unique style of left-handed playing (upside down and backwards) that gave rise to the term "cotton-picking", and emerged as a guitar playing technique that would inspire a generation of musicians. Elizabeth's Song is a wonderful and prized addition to any family or community library picture book collection, and is especially recommended for an elementary school library's Black History collection.

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, beautiful book, September 12, 2009

By 

Jyotsna Sreenivasan "Gender Equality Bookstore" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elizabeth's Song (Hardcover)

My kids and I really enjoyed this book about Elizabeth Cotten and her self-taught way of playing the guitar.

While the story ends with the composition of "Freight Train," in fact Cotten was not "discovered" as a musician until much later in her life. According to the epilogue, from her mid-teens until her early 50s, Elizabeth almost gave up music -- she was busy with work and raising a family. In the mid-1940s, by chance she got to know the folk-singing Seeger family, and they encouraged her to pick up her guitar again. She released her first album in 1958, at the age of 66.

After my kids and I read this book, we wanted to hear her music. We bought the album Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs and Tunes, which includes her famous composition as well as other folk songs that she learned as a child.

I have included this book in my online Gender Equality Bookstore.