In celebration of Poetry Month and in collaboration with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), meet with “America’s Favorite Rapping Teacher” Dwayne Reed to hear all about Simon B. Rhymin’. Inspired by the children he teaches and his hometown of Chicago, Dwayne has a passion for education and music. Using the power of rap and rhyme, Dwayne shows us that even the underdog can make a difference. The event will occur on Wednesday, April 14 at 5pm ET on PBS Books Facebook Live and Youtube pages.
About the Author
Dwayne Reed is a Chicago teacher, whose viral back-to-school music video “Welcome to the 4th Grade” took the internet by storm. His debut novel, Simon B. Rhymin’ , inspires young readers everywhere to use their voice to create change within their communities. When he’s not writing, rapping, or teaching, Dwayne can be found presenting at educator conferences across the U.S. or loving on his beautiful wife, Simone.
About the Book
Eleven-year-old Simon Barnes dreams of becoming a world-famous rapper that everyone calls Notorious D.O.G. But for now, he’s just a Chicago fifth grader who’s grader who’s small for his age and afraid to use his voice.
Simon prefers to lay low at school and at home, even though he’s constantly spitting rhymes in his head. But when his new teacher assigns the class an oral presentation on something that affects their community, Simon must face his fears of talking to people when he decides to focus on the homeless population in his neighborhood.
With some help from an unexpected ally and his friends, will Simon gain the confidence to rap his way to an A and prove that one kid can make a difference in his ‘hood.
