A Kwanzaa Fable [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Eric V. Copage (Author), Gregory T. Daniel (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1997

In A Kwanzaa Fable, when a young boy's widowed father suddenly dies, he finds himself growing up fast while he assumes the adult responsibility of taking care of his younger, twin siblings. Even though their grandmother lives with them, she relies on thirteen-year-old Jordan to baby-sit while she goes to work. As Jordan approaches puberty, he is torn between staying home and going out with his friends, who have started playing hooky and stealing in order to be cool. In an effort to impress his posse, Jordan makes up a story that he's robbed a neighborhood shopkeeper and family friend named "Snackman" who always had faith that Jordan could make something of himself, as long as he learns to respect his greatness as an African-American young man. According to Snackman, if Jordan applies the seven principles of Kwanzaa to his life, he will learn to love himself as a black man and to spurn his friends' criminal values.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7. Freshman year in high school is a difficult time for 13-year-old Jordan, an African American teen who has always had good grades and been active in sports. His mother died many years ago, and now his father's fatal heart attack means that his grandmother will raise him and his younger siblings. He looses interest in family and school, and chooses new friends who encourage partying and theft. When he is accused of stealing, he realizes that his behavior does not follow the way of his heritage. He learns to apply the principles of Kwanzaa to his life. Talented actor Gregory T. Daniel reads this fable by Eric Copage, experienced author on Kwanzaa, with appropriate expression. He is careful not to let the sad passages become maudlin or overly dramatic. Changes in his voice enable listeners to differentiate the sex and age of the characters. The speed of his voice varies with the different moods of the text. Instrumental sound effects depict the passage of time, and vocal echoes add variety to the narration. Useful for Black Studies and classes dealing with character education in general, this story presents the moral of "right living."?Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Americans celebrate hundreds of holidays each year as a reflection of their ethnic backgrounds. Kwanzaa -- which means "first fruits of the harvest" in Swahili -- is primarily an African-American non-religious holiday observed December 26th through January 1st, and was created by Maulana Karenga of California. Kwanzaa is now almost 30 years old and many Americans are still unfamiliar with this holiday. Learn about the rituals of Kwanzaa with New York Times Magazine editor and national best-selling author Eric V. Copage, whose first book, Kwanzaa: An African American Celebration of Culture and Cooking, was instrumental in introducing millions of Americans to Kwanzaa. Copage's new book, A Kwanzaa Fable, is a family tale that describes a teenager who is at the "crossroads" of his life, and who must choose the right and honorable path for himself. In A Kwanzaa Fable, Jordan learns "how to be a black man" through the seven principles of Kwanzaa. -- From the Publisher --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audio Literature; Unabridged edition (July 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574531387
• ISBN-13: 978-1574531381
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 4.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,379,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Books on Cassette > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > African-American Studies

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars COMING INTO MANHOOD, December 5, 2000

By 

Bonita L. Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Kwanzaa Fable (Hardcover)

Jordan has suffered significant losses in his short thirteen years of life. His father's strength, grandmother's firmness and siblings' love has pulled him through. Now he is ready to face the greatest challenge of all; coming into manhood.

Kwanzaa is a few months away and the support and wisdom of his father to lead him on his path is gone. His father died leaving him alone to figure out how to become a man. Kwanzaa is the setting and background for this tale of a young boy going through transitions. Taking on the responsibility in caring for his brother and sister, facing peer pressure at school and unsure of himself, Jordan faces the possibility of falling into a pit where he will never emerge. Will he be able to tackle the winds of change slapping him?

The story shows us the love, pain and joy of community that bands together during Kwanzaa to help this young boy go through his rite of passage into manhood. You empathize with this teenager who has so much on his shoulders and feels there is no way out. Share this fable with your family and children as they learn the process of what it means to become an adult. As Kwanzaa rapidly comes upon us, its principles lay a foundation for what one can become. This is an excellent book for the holiday and throughout the year.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The True Meaning, July 25, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Kwanzaa Fable (Audio Cassette)

This was on of the most toutching books i have ever read. It is about a boy who is loosing all his family members and is struggling to keep going. Well one day his friend starts talking him into things and he knows it is wrong. Then on day he leaves the house and something happens, his house catches on fire and the one thing that is retrived from the fire is a piece of cloth. His father wanted him to have itand he was not sure what it meant but it meant something to him.