“Simms knows election day will be a big day for his papa, and for all of Lamar County. For the very first time, Papa will get to vote. But Simms wishes his papa could write his own name, so he could go to the courthouse with head held high. And Simms is determined to teach Papa, because, like his father, he knows that freedom doesn’t come easy.” — publisher […]
Illustrators: Bootman, Colin
Tapping Feet: How Two Cultures Came Together to Make an American Dance
“Slap! Flap! Tap! What’s that sound? That’s the sound of Tap! In the 1800s, African and Irish Americans found that they had something in common: Both cultures shared a love of dance. As people came together in New York City, the dance style “Tap” grew with each new dancer. New ideas and new moves were inspired by their personal cultures. Read along to hear about the blending of Irish and African backgrounds, and of course keep an ear out for Slaps, Flaps, and lots and lots of Taps!” — publisher […]
Read More… from Tapping Feet: How Two Cultures Came Together to Make an American Dance
Welcome to Fort Goode
“Lang Ford is moving, again. He’s leaving his school, friends, and community for his dad’s new post at Fort Goode Military Base in Virginia. As Lang settles into his new life and meets new friends, he learns that as long as his family is together, he is home. When one person serves in the military, the whole family serves in the military and one Jamerican boy balances friendship, family, and adapting to his new home.” — publisher […]
Tiny stitches
"Biography of Vivien Thomas, an African-American surgical technician who pioneered the procedure used to treat babies with a heart defect known as ‘blue baby syndrome.’ Includes author’s note and author’s sources"–Provided by publisher […]
Hey, Charleston!
"What happened when a former slave took beat-up old instruments and gave them to a bunch of orphans? Thousands of futures got a little brighter and a great American art form was born. In 1891, Reverend Daniel Joseph Jenkins opened his orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina. He soon had hundreds of children and needed a way to support them. Jenkins asked townspeople to donate old band instruments – some of which had last played in the hands of Confederate soldiers in the Civil War. He found teachers to show the kids how to play. Soon the orphanage had a band. And what a band it was. The Jenkins Orphanage Band caused a sensation on the streets of Charleston. People called the band’s style of music "rag" – a rhythm inspired by the African-American people who lived on the South Carolina and Georgia coast. The children performed as far away as Paris and London, and they earned enough money to support the orphanage that still exists today. They also helped launch the music we now know as jazz. Hey, Charleston! is the story of the kind man who gave America "some rag" and so much more"–Jacket flap […]
A storm called Katrina
When flood waters submerge their New Orleans neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a young cornet player and his parents evacuate their home and struggle to survive and stay together […]
Climbing Lincoln’s steps
"Climbing Lincoln’s Steps" describes important moments of African-American history occurring at the Lincoln Memorial, including Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous speech and a visit from the first African-American president and his family […]
Don’t say ain’t
"In 1957, a young girl is torn between life in the neighborhood she grew up in and fitting in at the school she now attends." — Verso […]
Almost to freedom
Tells the story of a young girl’s dramatic escape from slavery via the Underground Railroad, from the perspective of her beloved rag doll […]
