Hello, My Name Is Josie Mae Bricker

First in a young readers' series that celebrates cultural differences by emphasizing the importance of appreciating the similarities all humans share, Hello, My Name Is Josie Mae Bricker by new author and cultural advocate Antonia Harlan combats racial and cultural insensitivities by educating children on slavery in North America. The author weaves a powerful tribute to the Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana West Africa who was mired and oppressed by the active slave trade between Africa and North America during the early 1600s through the late 1800s. Truly enlightening, this poignant tale is set on a cotton plantation in rural Georgia and introduces Josie Mae of the Bricker Plantation whose family celebrates what little power and freedom they have. Josie Mae's mother and father choose to secretly keep their native customs alive with lullabies, tales of Africa, and love to ultimately teach their daughter a compelling lesson on the true meaning of faith, forgiveness and freedom.