Marcel Duchamp was full of surprises. In fact, some would consider him irreverent or even a crackpot. Through collage illustrations and informal text scattered on full pages, readers and budding artists are asked to consider what makes art. Slightly irreverent and quite delightful.
Marcel’s Masterpiece: How a Toilet Shaped the History of Art
His talent was evident even as a child, and Paul’s “patience and perseverance, vision and innovation” allowed him to become an architect and successful businessman despite barriers because he was Black. Backmatter includes photographs of several of the buildings he designed — elegant indeed.
Curve & Flow: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams
The descendant of Cherokee ancestors who had been forced to walk the Trail of Tears, Wilma Mankiller experienced her own forced removal from the land she grew up on as a child. As she got older and learned more about the injustices her people had faced, she dedicated her life to instilling pride in Native heritage and reclaiming Native rights. She went on to become the first woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller
Indigenous dancer Ria Thundercloud tells the true story of her path to dance and how it helped her take pride in her Native American heritage. At four years old, Thundercloud was brought into the powwow circle, ready to dance in the special jingle dress her mother made for her. As she grew up, she danced with her brothers all over Indian country. Then Ria learned more styles — tap, jazz, ballet — but still loved the expressiveness of Indigenous dance. And despite feeling different as one of the only Native American kids in her school, she always knew she could turn to dance to cheer herself up.
Finding My Dance
A picture book autobiography that tells the triumphant story of Sharice Davids, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress, and the first LGBTQ congressperson to represent Kansas. Rich, vivid illustrations by Ojibwe Woodland artist Pawis-Steckley are delivered in a graphic style that honors Indigenous people.
Sharice’s Big Voice
With engaging text, photographs, and vivid paleoart, this biography introduces Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter and self-taught scientist who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time. Mary Anning grew up on the south coast of England in a region rich in fossils. As teenagers, she and her brother Joseph discovered England’s first complete ichthyosaur. Poor and uneducated, Anning would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists ever, though in her time she supported herself selling by fossils and received little formal recognition.
Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life
What makes an activist? The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Tennessee in 1968 so effected young Kathlyn, she started tirelessly working to improve the lives of African Americans and make MLK’s birthday a national holiday. She tells her own story in verse, contextualized by the time in which she lived
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round
We may know more about her younger brother, but Maria Anna was also a child prodigy who composed and played music. While her father encouraged Wolfgang, he neither encouraged nor allowed Nannerl (as she was known). Her story is revealed here through Nannerl’s lively narration and charming illustrations. Backmatter provides additional information.
I Am Mozart, Too: The Lost Genius of Maria Anna Mozart
It was said that Fatima al-Fihri’s first word was “read.” Not surprisingly, it was this 9th century girl who grew up to start a university for all in Morocco. Beautifully illustrated and simply told, Fatima’s story continues into current times.
One Wish
Have you ever wondered about video games, like what came before the Xbox? What inspired the hardworking German immigrant boy who invented them? Readable narration and childlike illustrations tell Ralph Baier’s story. Photographs concludes this playful, inspiring biography.
Blips on a Screen
Mary loved rainy days because it was then that she would discover her treasures: fossils. Her life and work unfold in straightforward text and simple illustrations. Backmatter further details her life and what it takes to become a paleontologist.
Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning
Black activist Opal Lee had a vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone. This true story celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday. Join Opal on her historic journey to recognize and celebrate “freedom for all.”
Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth
Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary each tell their story, culminating in their thrilling ascent of Mount Everest. Norgay grew up in Nepal, herding yaks in the shadow of Chomolungma, the mountain also known as Everest. He has always dreamed of climbing to the top. He becomes a guide, leading treks through the Himalayas. Across the ocean, in New Zealand, Hillary grew up tending his father’s bees. He climbed his first mountain at sixteen and has climbed all over the world ever since. In 1953, the two men set out on the same expedition to climb Everest. They tramp over windswept glaciers, crawl across rope bridges, hack footholds in the ice … until finally they reach the top of the world!
Two at the Top: A Shared Dream of Everest
Pow! Bam! Wow! Jackie Chan has been making movies and amazing audiences with his original and comedic stunts for decades. But before he was an international star, Jackie grew up in relative poverty in China, studied martial arts at the grueling China Drama Academy, and worked for years trying to find his way in film. Discover how Jackie used his goofball acrobatics to make a name and a style all his own.
The Rise (and Falls) of Jackie Chan
Meet Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first Asian American woman elected to Congress. From a young age, Mink learned that striving for goals came with challenges, but to never give up. As the Japanese proverb says: fall down seven times, stand up eight. That spirit helped Patsy through school. She went to law school, ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress, and helped create Title IX, the law that requires federally funded schools to treat boys and girls equally.
Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: Patsy Takemoto Mink and the Fight for Title IX
Courage, resilience, and perseverance — follow the struggles of Nobel Prize scientist Tu Youyou as she works to find a cure to malaria. Working in the 1970s, Chinese scientist Tu Youyou reviewed the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) scrolls for ideas on where to start her research. She found 640 traditional treatments, and methodically started extracting compounds and testing them against malaria. Would any of them work?
Fever: How Tu Youyou Adapted Traditional Chinese Medicine to Find a Cure for Malaria
This book sharesthe stories of 16 trailblazing Asian Americans. The stories bring to life Vietnam Memorial architect Maya Lin, Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi, musician Yo-Yo Ma, astronaut Ellison Onizuka, anchorwoman Lisa Ling, activists Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz, and more! Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, discover role models, and meet ordinary people who did extraordinary things. Whether they were breaking Olympic records, bringing education to millions of people around the world, or speaking up for the rights of others, these Asian Americans broke stereotypes and took a stand to make the world a better place.
Asian-Americans Who Inspire Us
You may be familiar with the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial. But do you know about the artist-architect who created this landmark? As a child, Maya Lin loved to study the spaces around her. She explored the forest in her backyard, observing woodland creatures, and used her house as a model to build tiny towns out of paper and scraps. The daughter of a clay artist and a poet, Maya grew up with art and learned to think with her hands as well as her mind. From her first experiments with light and lines to the height of her success nationwide, this is the story of an inspiring American artist: the visionary artist-architect who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines
A dedicated mom puts love into action as she creates the perfect rainbow-colored wig for her transgender daughter, based on the real-life experience of mother-daughter advocate duo Trinity and DeShanna. One day, Trinity expressed that she needed long hair to feel like herself. The family took a trip to the beauty store, but none of the wigs seemed just right … so Mom crafted a vibrant wig perfect for her daughter.
My Rainbow
The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere. From a very young age, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn’t feel like herself in boys’ clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz tells her story in a simple, clear way for young readers, their parents, and teachers.
I Am Jazz
Discover how 40 influential Latinas became the women we celebrate today in this collection of short biographies from all over Latin America and the U.S. From Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to singer Selena Quintanilla to NASA’s first virtual reality engineer, Evelyn Miralles, this is a book for aspiring artists, scientists, activists, and more.
Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers
Zaha Hadid grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, and dreamed of designing her own cities. After studying architecture in London, she opened her own studio and started designing buildings. But as a Muslim woman, Hadid faced many obstacles. Determined to succeed, she worked hard for many years, and achieved her goals — and now you can see the buildings Hadid has designed all over the world.
The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid
Ida B. Wells was an educator, journalist, feminist, businesswoman, newspaper owner, public speaker, suffragist, civil rights activist, and women’s club leader. She was a founder of the NAACP, the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, the Alpha Suffrage Club, and the Negro Fellowship League. She wrote, spoke, and traveled, challenging the racist and sexist norms of her time.
Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth
This is the story of 17-time Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden. Born with spina bifida in Russia, Tatyana was raised in an orphanage where she walked on her hands for the first six years of her life. In 1994, she was adopted and moved to the .S., where she started racing and breaking records; and is now considered the best female wheelchair racer of all time, and the fastest woman on Earth. This is the first book in the non-fiction Paralympians picture book series about 4 champions who do things their own way and are reinventing sport.