Miss Rosa, as Vincent Beach called his mother, was known for her sayings, including the title of his heartwarming autobiography. Vincent left his native Jamaica in 1944 with little more than his parents’ wisdom, and this book tells the story of his life’s journey as a military bandsman, educator and family man. It received the 2008 Carter G. Woodson Award (secondary level) for “the most distinguished social science book appropriate for young readers that increases understanding of ethnicity in the United States." "An ordinary man by his own description, Vincent says he wrote [the book] because he believes life stories provide an opportunity to better understand the complexities of human beings and the realities of every day living," Sue Defabis, project manager at Five Star Publications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2007.