“In this stirring tribute to Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr., their granddaughter, Yolanda – a national civil rights figure in her own right – is ready to lead in this powerful picture book text! With inspiration from Langston Hughes and deep love for her grandparents, Yolanda King shows the world that young people are strong enough to carry on their elders’ legacy while creating a new path for themselves. Her words are meaningful and universal, painting an expressive tableau of the issues facing young people today – racial equality, bullying, gun violence, climate change, disease, community, empowerment, inclusion, and more. Yolanda’s words will comfort and inspire the next generation of dreamers.” — publisher […]
Illustrators: Tadgell, Nicole
Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip
“Based on a real-life trip, Liberty and her friend Abdullah visit significant places from the civil rights movement, inspiring them to come together with others to create a better world.
Time to board the bus! Liberty and her friend Abdullah, with their families and a diverse group of passengers, head off to their first stop: Jackson, Mississippi. Next on their map are Glendora, Memphis, Birmingham, Montgomery, and finally Selma, for a march across the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge.
As told through the innocent view of a child, Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip serves as an early introduction to places, people, and events that transformed history. The story is inspired by an actual journey led by author Michael W. Waters, bringing together a multigenerational group to witness key locations from the civil rights movement. An author’s note and more information about each stop on Liberty’s trip offer ways for adults to expand the conversation with young readers.
A portion of the publisher’s sales proceeds will be donated to Foot Soldiers Park in Selma, Alabama, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring the history and continued relevance of the Selma movement.” — publisher […]
Tiara’s Hat Parade
“Tiara has a gift for storytelling; her momma has a gift for making hats. When a new store opens that sells cheaper hats, Momma has to set her dreams aside, but Tiara has an idea for helping Momma’s dreams come true again.” […]
A Fist for Joe Louis and Me
“2020-2021 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award List Gordy and his family live in Detroit, Michigan, the heart of the United States automobile industry. Every night after coming home from work at one of the plants, Gordy’s father teaches him how to box. Their hero is the famous American boxer Joe Louis, who grew up in Detroit. But the Great Depression has come down hard on the economy. Detroit’s auto industry is affected and thousands of people lose their jobs, including Gordy’s father. When his mother takes on work with a Jewish tailor, Gordy becomes friends with Ira, the tailor’s son, bonding over their shared interest in boxing and Joe Louis. As the boys’ friendship grows, Gordy feels protective of Ira, wanting to help the new boy fit in. At the same time, America is gearing up for the rematch between Joe Louis and the German boxer, Max Schmeling. For many Americans this fight is about good versus evil (US against Nazi Germany). Against the backdrop of the 1938 Fight of the Century, a young boy learns what it means to make a stand for a friend.” — publisher […]
Follow me down to Nicodemus town
When Dede sees a notice offering land for black people in Kansas, her family decides to quit sharecropping and become homesteading pioneers. […]
Astronaut Annie
When Annie has a career day at her school, each member of her family wonders if she will choose their career path– her grandfather, the news photographer, her father, the mountain climber, or her mother, the basketball player– until she reveals a dream that is all her own […]
Friends For Freedom
“Their friendship changed a nation.
No one thought Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass would ever become friends. The former slave and the outspoken woman came from two different worlds. But they shared deep-seated beliefs in equality and the need to fight for it. Despite naysayers, hecklers, arsonists, and even their own disagreements, Susan and Frederick remained fast friends and worked together to change America.
This little-known story introduces young readers to two momentous personalities in American history and to their fiery passion for human rights and equality.” — publisher […]
Real sisters pretend
Safe in the knowledge that adoption has made them "forever family," stepsisters Mia and Tayja improvise an imaginary adventure with a joyful homecoming to a real home with their two moms […]
In the Garden with Dr. Carver
A fictionalized account of how plant scientist George Washington Carver came to an Alabama school and taught the children how to grow plants and reap the rewards of nature’s bounty. Includes factual note about George Washington Carver […]
With books and bricks
"Booker T. Washington had an incredible passion for learning. Born a slave, he taught himself to read. When the Civil War ended, Booker finally fulfilled his dream of attending school. After graduation, he was invited to teach in Tuskegee, Alabama. Finding many eager students, but no school, Booker set out to build his own school– brick by brick"–|cProvided by publisher […]