THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY w/Alice Faye Duncan

Congratulations . . . Anna Ouchy!  You are the winner of a copy of THIS IS MUSIC: STRINGS!

And the two ARCS of DANCE LIKE A PEACOCK go to:
LuAnn Johnston 
and
Julie Hauswirth

​Thanks, Rekha, for your generosity, and thanks to everyone who tuned in for this episode of PBJamz!  Keep watching, reading and commenting for more chances to win great books below!

THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY: a Conversation with Alice Faye Duncan

All aboard for a train bound for glory!  Hop on for a great conversation with author, Alice Faye Duncan.  We talk black spirituals, Rosetta Tharpe, writing inspiration, interactive books, teaching tips, writing tips, and more!  Alice Faye is a delight: full of energy, very knowledgeable, and generous!  You don't want to miss out -- on the train or the conversation!  All aboard!

THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY by Alice Faye Duncan

From Waterbrook Publishing comes this beautifully and vibrantly illustrated ride on the Glory Express.  Alice Faye Duncan adapts lyrics of an old black spiritual of the same name, THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY, made popular by Rosetta Tharpe and also performed by myriad other performers.  The illustrations are bright and welcoming and each passenger finds a way into the song -- and onto the train.  The overarching feeling of this book is a deep-seated joy, regardless of the struggles some of the passengers have obviously dealt with. I love the diversity of all the people on board, and my favorite spread is one where they are having an all-out jam session on the train.  Beautiful! There are some guiding questions at the end, a challenge to create your own verses to keep the song going, and a study guide on Alice's website. The book is bright, beautiful and it takes the old black spiritual up a few notches, turning it into an invitation for the ride of a lifetime.

A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Alice Faye and I mention her in the interview. . .) did an incredible rendition of THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY. In fact, there are a few different versions of her doing it, as well as other musicians.  For other versions, check out the YouTube playlist in the links section.  Also there is another episode of #PBJamz where we highlighted the book LITTLE ROSETTA AND THE TALKING GUITAR by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow.  You can catch it here.  This is a great piece for highlighting Rosetta's amazing electric guitar skills, her gritty vocals, and her sense of humor.  Since this is a spiritual, it speaks of Jesus, holiness, and things not allowed on the "train for glory." 

Teacher Tips, Tricks and Topics

• I LOVE Alice's description of the train and conductor at the beginning! If you're in a setting where it's appropriate, I believe a rich discussion could ensue about how we normally think of death vs. how the author and illustrator portray it in this book.
• Definitely I would discuss the color palette and illustration style and how that affects the tone of the book.
• At the end, the author invites readers to create their own verses for the song based on what brings them hope, joy, and love.  Brainstorming as a class would be a great way to help students activate those ideas.
• This book lends itself well to discussing parts of speech.  There are lots of adjectives, but also other ways of describing as well.  It's a perfect mentor text for writing descriptively.
• Lots of onomatopoeia!  Great opportunity to point that out, have students find sound words, and use those same words in their own writing, or add to a list in their journal, etc.
• Also, lots of strong verbs in this book.  Would make for a great list of strong verbs in their writing journal -- or a discussion about strong verbs vs. weak verbs.
• Question for discussion:  Why do you think the illustrator included a red caboose on this train?
• You could compare the traditional lyrics for "This Train" and the lyrics the author uses -- and even further, the lyrics the students compose.  How are they alike/different, etc.

Tips and Topics for Music Teachers

• Music history (black spirituals, civil rights)
• Biographical study of Rosetta Tharpe
• Black spirituals unit study
• Compare various versions of THIS TRAIN
• Write your own verses (per Alice Faye's recommendations in the back of the book)
• (for older students, grades 3 and up) there is a cups routine (in the youtube playlist and on the Pinterest board) which would be superfun!
• The author and illustrator integrate a number of musical instruments throughout the book.  Students could point out and name all the instruments, sort them by family, choose their favorite and write about it, etc.
• If I were using this book, I would probably combine it with the biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow.  You can access the PBJamz episode here.  I would use the two together to talk about the black spirituals, civil rights, and the role music played, as well as musicians who were prominent at that time. (It might be worth noting that in the performance highlighted above, most, if not all the audience members were white.)

Writing Prompts from Tonnye

1. (per Alice Faye Duncan's recommendation) Write additional verses to the song
2. What does it mean this train is "bound for glory" and what would you most look forward to about "glory"
3. Make a list of things you notice in the illustrations.
4. Find your favorite illustration and write about it.
5. Choose one of the characters on the train and write their story.
6. Write about whether you could ride the glory train or not and why.
7. Why do you think the illustrator chose the color palette, and is it effective?  Why or why not?
8. Compare Sister Rosetta Tharpe's performance of THIS TRAIN and THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE.  How are they alike?  How are they different?
9. Have you ever ridden a train?  Write about that experience.
10. If you could take a train anywhere IN THE WORLD, where would you go? Why?

Writing Tips from Alice Faye Duncan

Three writing tips for THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY

1. For craft, read and study lyrics to your favorite traditional and contemporary songs. 
2. For practical work, purchase writing pens and notebooks that are aesthetically pleasing to you.
3. For inspiration, visit local art and history museums 

Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!

Teachers' guide for THIS TRAIN on Alice's website
Pinterest board with lots of train activities, various versions of THIS TRAIN, historical info about black spirituals, etc.
​YouTube playlist has the cups routine, music by Rosetta Tharpe, various version of THIS TRAIN, plus additional train music and more!
Lyrics and more
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PBJamz Snack

If you're riding the train, you need a snack that's not going to be a drippy droppy mess.  These peanut butter and jelly oatmeal bars seem to fit the bill.  Hearty, a bit nutritious and a lot delicious!  Perfect for a train trip -- to Glory, across the country or to the next town over.  Wherever you're traveling, bake a batch and take them with you, but you might want to make enough to share!  You can find the recipe here, along with lots of others (as well as fashion, holiday tips, and tons more) from Real Housemoms!

Guest Links and Giveaways

Alice's website
Purchase THIS TRAIN from Amazon here.
​Alice on Facebook
Alice on Twitter
THIS TRAIN page on Alice's website

Alice is generously offering 3 copies of THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY to 3 lucky winners.  To be entered into the drawing, leave a comment below by August 2, 2023 at 11:59 PM.  I will draw 3 winners from the comments!  Good luck and enjoy this fabulous book, interview and episode!

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