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May Is National Photograph Month
Celebrate photography this month by taking a visual tour with Richard Sexton in Rosemary Beach, a visual narrative on a community in the Florida Panhandle that shows how future communities can become a positive influence in our busy lives.
Gordon Parks: No Excuses, by Ann Parr with photographs by Gordon Parks, is a biographical story of how a young man rose from poverty to become Life magazine’s first African-American photographer. Gordon Parks owes his success to his mother telling him, “Don’t come home with any excuses.”
May 1 Is May Day
Celebrate the first day of spring with Elvin McDonald’s Small Gardens of Savannah and Thereabouts. The author gives a tour of more than thirty private and public gardens in beautiful Savannah, Georgia.
Enhance your Southern home and garden with instructions and information in Mary B. Stewart’s The Southern Gardener. Louisiana Gardens, by Mary Fonseca, is an awe-inspiring book that gives a first-rate tour of the region’s most renowned gardens and landscapes, including a world-class zoo that is home to more than eighteen hundred animals. The Pelican Guide to Gardens of Louisiana, by Joyce Leblanc, shows Louisiana’s unique cultural heritage of combining European landscape design with native and tropical flora.
May 1 Is also Mother Goose Day
Celebrate this children’s day with David Davis’ Texas Mother Goose, with illustrations by Sue Marshall Ward. Davis leads us through Mother Goose tales with a definite Texas flair. For a little Louisiana flair, try Justin Wilson’s Cajun Fables, by Justin Wilson with Jay Hadley. Wilson gives classic Mother Goose a Cajun twist as only he can cook up. For truly classic Mother Goose, editor Edward D. Nudelman provides an accurate reproduction of the original Mother Goose classics in Jessie Willcox Smith Mother Goose for Kids.
May Celebrates the Kentucky Derby
Derby Dreams, by Jim Bolus, tracks the history of this national cultural institution from heroic epics to much-maligned tragedies. Gaston Goes to the Kentucky Derby, by James Rice, teaches children about this time-honored festival while showing the challenges that each rider undertakes, making this the most esteemed horse race in the country.
May Celebrates New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
See why the world swarms to New Orleans Fairgrounds every May in Jazz Fest Memories, by Michael P. Smith. Also by Smith is the title New Orleans Jazz Fest: A Pictorial History, which shows the festival’s evolution through photographs.
Can kids have a great time at Jazz Fest? Absolutely! Denise Walter McConduit, author of D. J. and the Jazz Fest, gives a kids’ eye view of the food, music, and crafts that are available at New Orleans Jazz Fest.
May 6 Is National Nurse’s Day
Honor the hardworking men and women in nursing by reading Nurse’s Night Before Christmas, by David Davis and illustrator James Rice. This warm story pays tribute to the nursing community that takes care of us throughout the year.
May 9 Is National Teacher’s Day
Steven L. Layne shows that even teachers need a little help in Teachers’ Night Before Christmas. Illustrated by James Rice, the book tells how Santa helps save the day; this story of merrymaking and giving is sure to be a read-aloud favorite. May I Speak?: Diary of a Crossover Teacher, by Manie Culbertson is a truly inspiring and touching story. Culbertson provides a first-hand account of her experience as a crossover teacher. This emotional diary shows the feelings of an educator who was court ordered to teach where the student body was of a different race than her own.
May 11 Is Mother’s Day
Both mothers and grandmothers will delight in Stories from the Hearts of Two Grandmas, by Ibbie Ledford and J. Countess, as two sisters share their Southern wisdom. For the art-loving mother, Mary Cassatt: Impressionist Painter, by Lois V. Harris, is an inspirational collection of paintings depicting nurturing mothers and their children during everyday routines.
May 14 Is Dance Like a Chicken Day
You don’t have to be a chicken in order to enjoy Lowell Davis’ The Book on Chickens, where he brings country fowl to life in a heartwarming story of two chickens in love.
May 17 Is Armed Forces Day
What better way to celebrate our soldiers than to read a true account of World War II? Off I Went into the Wild Blue Yonder, by John James Knudsen, is an autobiography showing the training and dedication needed in order to serve our country. Another inspirational book, Lt. Bill Farrow: Doolittle Raider, by John Chandler Griffin with a foreword by Gen. Charles Duke, tells how a pilot fought to keep America free during the Second World War.
May 20 Is Be a Millionaire Day
R. Ian Seymour shows how to become a success in his book Maximize Your Potential. He teaches time management, positive thinking, and goal setting, all skills that are needed in order to become a success. If you dream of becoming a millionaire by owning your own business, let Sheila Holm show you how to succeed. In her book, Seven Step Business Plan, she will give you advice on the do’s and don’ts of being a new business owner.
May 26 Is Memorial Day
Not only is May a month to honor those currently serving in the armed forces, but it is also a time to remember and honor those that have given their lives for our freedom. We can honor them by reading such titles as D-Day Survivor: An Autobiography, by Harold Baumgarten; Bataan Death March: A Soldier’s Story, by James Bollich; or The Berlin Airlift: The Salvation of a City, by Jon Sutherland and Diane Canwell. For a look further back in history, Private Osborne, Massachusetts 23rd Volunteers: Burnside Expedition, Roanoke Island, Second Front Against Richmond, by Frederick M. Osborne and edited by Frank B. Marcotte, is a great choice for remembering those in the Civil War.
May Is Jewish Heritage Month
Celebrate and honor Jewish traditions with Haggadah Illuminated, by Even Caredio and illustrated by Guglielomo Bigi Benajá. The book retells the story of the Israelites and their exodus from slavery in Egypt. Written entirely in Hebrew, it honors a tradition with sanctity and splendor. Other titles that pay homage to the Jewish heritage are Elijah’s Tears: Stories for the Jewish Holidays, by Sydelle Pearl, and Fate Did Not Let Me Go: A Mother’s Farewell Letter, by Valli Ollendorff.
May Is National Barbecue Month
Eat your way through May with Frank Davis Cooks Cajun, Creole, and Crescent City, by Frank Davis. He will tantalize your taste buds not only with barbecue, but also with other great recipes from New Orleans. For a little Cajun and Creole flair to go along with your barbecue, try Charley Addison’s Cooking with Crazy Charley IV: Cajun and Creole Cuisine. This cookbook, which is co-authored with his wife, Ruth, will surely get your tastebuds watering! Bon appétit! | 
