Marshall Taylor’s bike stunts get him a job at the famous Indiana bike shop Hay and Willits. But he’s meant for even bigger things — namely the 1899 World Cycling championship — where his skin color attracts as much attention as his domination on the racetrack.
Major Taylor, Champion Cyclist
Sixth-grader Raina falls and severely damages her two front teeth. Through middle school and into high school, she struggles with peer relationships, discovering her own strengths while enduring painful orthodontia. The concluding pages reveal a self-assured high school student who can indeed smile. Full-color comic panels perfectly capture young adolescence.
Smile
It was August 6, 1926; Gertrude Ederle was about to become the first woman to swim the English Channel. Not only did she swim the channel, she did so faster than the fastest time of any man. Dramatic illustrations and complete endnotes conclude Trudy’s riveting story.
Trudy’s Big Swim: How Gertrude Ederle Swam the English Channel and Took the World by Storm
Malala’s story is one of the resilience that comes from strong conviction. It is told through a present tense narrative and dramatic, vivid, stylized illustrations. The early life of the girl and her supportive family, her struggle against the Taliban and her ultimate recovery from a murder attempt is further enhanced by extensive back matter which includes photographs and additional information and resources.
Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education
Fanny is a girl who knows a lot about food and cooking since she’s grown up in and around the famous restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. Join Fanny as she helps cook a huge bouillabaisse in Provence; learns how to make fresh cheese from a shepherd high up in the Pyrenees mountains; hunts for wild oysters off the coast of Bordeaux, and discovers how one chicken can feed nine people, if served a certain way.
Fanny in France: Travel Adventures of a Chef’s Daughter, with Recipes
Caroline Herchel, born in 1750, enjoyed looking at the night sky with her father. She would become the first woman to receive the Gold Medal of England’s Royal Astronomical Society. Caroline’s own words punctuate the lucid narrative. Expressive watercolor and line illustrations effectively evoke the time and place. A timeline and glossary conclude the book.
Caroline’s Comets: A True Story
Long ago, a bespectacled boy dreamed of color in his drab industrial French town. Henri’s world exploded with color when, as an adult, he was given a box of paints. The contrast in Henri’s life is brought to life through straightforward text and black and white illustrations juxtaposed with those brilliantly hued to evoke the artist’s recognizable style.
Colorful Dreamer: The Story of Artist Henri Matisse
Early experiences brought the inequality of America into focus for young Joan, a white southerner. So she became an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. Joan was a Freedom Rider, joined the sit-ins, attended the March on Washington in 1963, and even met Martin Luther King, Jr. Her story is part of a much broader story, presented in dramatic images, photographs, and actual documents from Joan’s memorabilia (e.g., an arrest record and a letter from a Mississippi jail to Joan’s mother).
She Stood for Freedom: The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland
Jean-Michel Basquiat, an American artist born of a Haitian father and a Brooklyn born mother of Puerto Rican decent, became known as an artist whose work effectively made social commentary. The original illustrations call to mind Basquiat’s visual style while presenting his life and unique work, which broke old tenets of art to became popular in the 1980s.
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
Photographs — many taken during the event and on site — document the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his now-famous “I Have a Dream” speech. A lucid text provides information about the Civil Rights Movement, general information about the period, and its impact. The images, however, have their own power even without the worthy narration.
Martin’s Dream Day
John Lewis, son of a sharecropper, grew up to become an activist and later, a U.S. Congressman. His life and crucial role in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement is dramatically presented in word and image in graphic format in three volumes (March: Book Two (opens in a new window) and March: Book Three (opens in a new window)). The story of the young John Lewis can be shared with children as young as four years in the picture book biography, Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis written by Jabari Asim, illustrated by E.B. Lewis.
March: Book One
The saga of Mildred, a young African American, and Richard, a white teen, who met and fell in love in their Virginia town, is poetically told in an open, strikingly handsome format. Mildred and Richard’s courage to stand up for their right to marry and live where they wanted took them all the way to the US Supreme Court. Their struggle will be best appreciated by sophisticated readers. The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage (opens in a new window) by Selina Alko and Sean Qualls presents the family’s story for younger children, a picture book for children from 6-8 years old.
Loving vs. Virginia
Growing up is never easy, not even when one is on a path to the White House. Though each of these guys grew up to become a U.S. President, each had regular kid problems like dealing with bullies and being a klutz. Humorously illustrated, each vignette reminds readers that those who became Presidents are not unlike themselves.
Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America’s Presidents
Journals, letters and other primary sources were used to introduce “a few of the women who helped… make [the United States] a nation where everyone could pursue the happiness promised when America declared independence…” Line and wash illustrations enhance the brief entries of these intriguing but largely unknown women.
Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation
When he was born, he had a face that even his mother had trouble loving. But Hoge eventually came home, survived multiple operations, and gained a strong sense of self. This is a touching, true story told by the Australian who has gone on to lead a successful and full life. It is told with humor, pathos, and an appreciation of what is truly important.
Ugly
Charlotte, the spider, wrote of her porcine friend Wilber, “SOME PIG”. The life of the creator of Charlotte’s Web (opens in a new window), E.B. White, is presented in a enthralling format featuring watercolor and collage illustrations. The readable text makes this handsome, authorized biography of White — who was truly “SOME WRITER” — worth examining again and again.
Some Writer! The Story of E.B. White
Handsome illustrations accompany English writer E. Nesbit’s (Edith Nesbit Bland) dramatic retellings of seven plays by William Shakespeare. While the narratives introduce the plays, they read aloud well as sophisticated short stories. Additional information about Shakespeare and the times in which he lived is included.
Shakespeare Retold
A little known history of the Aztec Eagles, the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force created during World War II, is presented in photographs and crisp text. It is also the story of Sargent Ángel Bocanegra del Castillo, who made certain that a school was built in his hometown in Mexico. This is a unique and well-presented bit of history sure to inspire and inform.
The School the Aztec Eagles Built: A Tribute to Mexico’s World War II Fighters
Illustrations in blues and grays combine with words to flow across the pages of this handsome look into the music and life of an American artist. Fully researched and creatively presented, this is a brief glimpse at the life and contributions of a musical great. Additional resources and an author’s note may inspire further exploration of the man.
The Music in George’s Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue
Pete Seeger lived a long life sharing his music and his convictions about equality with literally millions of people all over the world. He is presented here in well-researched, clearly documented and understandable language punctuated with photographs. Seeger’s life presents a glimpse at the history of the United States, ranging from Civil Rights to workers’ rights.
Let Your Voice Be Heard: The Life and Times of Pete Seeger
Leonard Nimoy’s friend, an author and poet, presents a biography of the Star Trek hero for young readers. Young Leonard, known as Lenny, aspired to become an actor. His father, however, told him that actors starve; musicians will always eat. Illustrated with simple lines and limited color, the straightforward text concludes with an author’s note and a photo of the writer and his friend.
Fascinating: The Life of Leonard Nimoy
In 1918, a young woman named Alice Paul and the National Women’s Party convinced President Woodrow Wilson to support women’s right to vote. Still, women would not get the vote for two more years! Alice’s story is told for younger readers in translucent watercolors and a lighthearted narrative. Additional sources are included.
Miss Paul and the President: The Creative Campaign for Women’s Right to Vote
Ezra Jack Keats may be best known as the creator of the 1963 Caldecott Medal winning The Snowy Day (opens in a new window) which featured a little brown boy named Peter. In lyrical language, Keats’ life and inspirations are revealed complemented by lush collage and acrylic illustrations that evoke Keats’ work. Embedded on selected pages are images of the real Peter and paintings by Keats. An author’s note completes the biographical homage to Keats and his legacy.
A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day
As a child, John Lewis always practiced his deep religious convictions, even with his much loved chickens. Based on the childhood of the Civil Rights exemplar and U.S. Congressman, this story of faith and intelligence comes to life in dramatic, light-filled watercolors and poetic text.