Elizabeth's Song - Hardcover

Wenberg, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582700699 ISBN 13: 9781582700694

Publisher: Beyond Words, 2002

Synopsis

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 eleven years old, writers 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.

About this title

About the Author:

In addition to my paying gig as CEO of one of the finest small town orchestras in the country, the Walla Walla Symphony, I'm also the author of three books, "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 Beyond Words Publishing in 2003. "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.

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

About this edition

• Publisher: Beyond Words
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1582700699
• ISBN 13: 9781582700694
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Van Wright Cornelius