Coota And The Magic Quilt - Softcover

Haywood Fennell Sr.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0972040404 ISBN 13: 9780972040402

Publisher: Tri-Ad Veterans League, Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

Triumph over adversity. Understand the dynamics of human love and diginity and respect for other. “Coota and the Magic Quilt,” is a book that challenges youth to read and learn about a little boy from Roxbury, Mass. who wants to be a rap star. It is a book with positive and revealing thoughts. His life and thoughts of becoming a rap star are changed when his mother takes him south to spend time with his grandmother, Miss Mattie, a retired school teacher who does not own a television, won’t call him by his nickname “Coota” and insists that he read. This book is a “family read” book with history and its importance as its base. It engages the reader as “Coota “ gets lost and found and becomes a friend of Cheryl, a sightless young girl, but one who can see the importance of history, respect and dignity. “Coota and the Magic Quilt has a Teacher’s Guide that is separately priced and can be used to teach not just youth, but adults as well. “Coota and the Magic Quilt,” written by Haywood Fennell, Sr. has been reviewed in the following newspapers and magazine: Unity First Newspaper The Boston Banner The Boston Globe The South End News The Wilmington Journal, Wilmington, N.C. The New England Editor, Cambridge, Ma. Positive Teens International Magazine, Boston, MA. The author is Haywood Fennell, Sr. who has been interviewed on the following TV stations: The New England Cable Network “Extra Work,” Educational Cable TV, Comcast 3 BNNTV News Speaking About TV Program, on BNNTV Chronicle, Channel, 5, ABC Affiliate Over 1500 youth and adults during the summer of 2004 in various summer programs have read this self-published book, “Coota and the Magic Quilt” with some of the youth participating in a readability survey and in the production of a literacy video that was presented at the Annual Roxbury Founder’s Day event. “A Book, A Key to the World. “ Illustrations rendered by Gina Beavers.

About this title

About the Author:

Boston’s “Renaissance Man” Pens Children’s Book Haywood Fennell, Sr. has added another dimension to his writings. He recently received copyright protection and self-published the first book of The Coota Experiences trilogy, “Coota and the Magic Quilt, ISBN No. 0-9720404-0-4.” This book has been a positive impact and has a readability level for middle school, but adults have read the book and relate to the themes. It is about a young boy named Jerome, but nicknamed Coota who lives in Boston and wants to become a gangsta rap star. His mother is concerned and takes him on a summer trip to visit his grandmother, Miss Mattie, a retired schoolteacher who does not own a television, doesn’t anything about rap and insists that he read. It is during this visit that Coota has two major encounters that help him to understand his history and the importance of compassionate communications. There is a Teacher’s Guide written by an educator that allows teachers to use the book. Now Haywood is working with a few after school programs/educators to implement a curriculum for literacy enrichment. The purpose of the “Coota Literacy Enrichment Program” is to spark critical thinking about the importance of sensitive and appropriate communications, increase interest in literacy, add value to literacy and bridge the gaps of literacy, that occur with disadvantaged youth in grades as low as grade three. Visit the website at thecootaexperiences.com. Haywood is often called a “Renaissance Man” because of his prolific writings using our history as his source material. He is an ex-offender who has refused to allow his past mistakes to hold him “hostage.” He is well known throughout the City of Boston as an advocate for prison reform that centers of transitional services that begin as soon as the person enters the system, preparing them for return with skills to become taxpayers as opposed to tax-burdens. Also, Haywood is a Vietnam Era veteran and founded a veteran’s rights advocacy organization where the members use their military skills to help with program development for educational/cultural programs. Presently, the veteran’s organization that he founded is working to improve health care services with Northeastern University on health disparities for African American veterans that seek health care from the Veterans Administration Medical Centers. He is the co-host of a weekly cable television that is very popular called, “Speaking About,” with a weekly guest list of known and unknown community champions coming on to keep the community informed. This quiet spoken author/playwright has written, produced and completed the staging of the seventh annually performed, culture/educational play, “Harlem Renaissance Revisited With a Boston Flavor.” It is a play about American history, with focus on the Harlem Renaissance Era and some of the central artists of this culturally significant time period of the 1920s who came together to face and overcome some of the racial barriers that were denying them the opportunities to pursue their Art. The play involves a cast of intergenerational volunteers who have come together to perform, singing and dancing their way into hearts of the audiences. Haywood later wrote and produced “From Gospel to Hip-Hop and All in Between,” a musical lineage production that was last performed in February 2005 on the world known stage of Berklee Performance Center in Boston after receiving a community service grant from the Office of the President, Office of Community and Government Affairs. It was and is about the history of African American music’s evolvement. He recently submitted for copyright protection, “This Man, Thoughts About Our Times,” which is a book of poetry and prose. Haywood attended public school in Wilmington, N.C. He attended Boston University where he studied Urban Planning and U/Mass Boston’s College of Community and Public Service studying Urban Issues. He is the Founder and Chief Operating Officer of T

Review:

This captiving story will engage readers in the power of history to understand the search for truth, justice, and freedom. --Janine and Tom Fondon, Unityfirst.com

..legacy of survival and hope. -with inspiration to continue... a stories from the heart that mandates: Each one teach one. --Diane Yarborough, Springfield Educator

..incredibly creative book that incorporates the history of the past, and issue faces youth people today... --Nancy Ruth, City Year

About this edition

• Publisher: Tri-Ad Veterans League, Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0972040404
• ISBN 13: 9780972040402
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 90