Eliza Schuyler Hamilton’s life and accomplishments come into focus through letters written to an imagined-yet-unborn great granddaughter. Eliza’s insights go beyond that of her famous husband, Alexander (about whom additional material is included at the end). Handsome illustrations evoke a 19th century style and period.
Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton
The women in Senator Gillibrand’s family inspired this examination of those active in the women’s suffrage movement from the late 19th to early 20th century. Some like Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Tubman are well known. Others such as Inez Mulholland and Lucy Burns are lesser known. Together, these portraits present an accessible look at early activists. Stylized illustrations enhance the presentation.
Bold and Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote
She was a composer, an instrumentalist, the wife of a man whose name would become synonymous with jazz, and basically a woman before her time. Generous illustrations evoke the period in with Lil lived just as her story in verse suggests her musical talent. Readers will enjoy meeting this fascinating woman. Timeline, additional resources, and documentation are included.
Struttin’ with Some Barbecue: Lil Hardin Armstrong Becomes the First Lady of Jazz
Are you ready to go behind the scenes of our amazing sanitation system? From the history of toilets to the mystery of tap water, each book reveals what goes on after the flush and after the trash has been taken out.
Sewers and the Rats That Love Them
Visiting her grandmother in Louisiana, Maddy realizes she may be only the sibling to carry on her family’s magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. A coming-of-age tale rich with folk magic. See the two other two books in the Louisiana Girls Trilogy, Ninth Ward (opens in a new window) and Sugar (opens in a new window).
Bayou Magic
Through the curious, joyful eyes of 10-year-old Sugar, readers experience life on a Louisiana sugar plantation after Emancipation. Issues arise when Chinese workers are brought in to help harvest the cane. Sugar soon realizes that she must be the one to bridge the cultural gap and bring the community together. See the two other two books in the Louisiana Girls Trilogy, Ninth Ward (opens in a new window) and Bayou Magic (opens in a new window).
Sugar
Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that’s been unleashed on his family and community. Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett takes Jerome on a journey towards recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life.
Ghost Boys
When her fifth-grade teacher hints that a series of lessons about home and community will culminate with one big answer about two tall towers once visible outside their classroom window, Dèja can’t help but feel confused. She sets off on a journey of discovery, with new friends Ben and Sabeen by her side. A story about young people who weren’t alive to witness 9/11, but begin to realize how much it colors their every day.
Towers Falling
Weather forecasters didn’t expect much from a storm that approached New York City in 1888 so they left for the day. What became a devastating blizzard is presented here in vivid detail with period photographs and riveting narrative. Contemporary readers will recognize many of the changes that were put in place because of this powerful storm.
Blizzard: The Storm That Changed America
Meet a young Zora Neale Huston through the eyes of her best friend Carrie Brown. They are in the African American town of Eatonville, Florida, in 1903. Two time periods converge when the Westin of 1855 results in an old mystery solved and a town saved in this fast-paced novel.
Zora and Me : The Cursed Ground
A large and diverse group of writers and visual artists present a range of art and writing to encourage young people to use their voices. From essays to poems, from collage to photographs, this handsome volume is sure to inspire as it introduces readers to different forms of expression.
We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices
Sophisticated art portrays a haunting, bigger-than-life Sojourner Truth. When combined with a moving narrative, the result is a unique portrait of Sojourner Truth’s life. A biographical note and sources are included.
So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom
It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. And the women readers meet here certainly seem to support that notion. Have you ever seen a baby in a “snugli”? It was invented by a woman who wanted to keep her baby calm. How about “Scotchgard”? This woman came up with it to help wipe away stains. Meet these inventors and others who had good ideas, skill, and stick-to-it-ness.
Girls Think of Everything
The classic tale of the Revolutionary War is now 75 years old. An introduction by Nathan Hale in his signature graphic history style is likely to bring this to a new audience.
Johnny Tremain
When Langston and his father move from Alabama to Chicago, he discovers the poet after whom his mother named him. And unlike the segregated library back home, he can freely use the library. Set during the Great Migration, the boy’s emotions, successes, and challenges remain contemporary.
Finding Langston
Striking illustrations and short chapters capture the drama of the man who walked from the United States to Canada — on a tightrope — over Niagara Falls. This little known event took place in the mid-19th century. Additional information is included.
Crossing Niagara: The Death-Defying Tightrope Adventures of the Great Blondin
Go ahead, dip in. There is something for everyone in this fascinating compendium of information. Organized by general topic, brief, illustrated essays are accessibly written to provide a taste of the topic. A glossary and complete index conclude the volume.
Absolutely Everything! A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention
Jack and Annie are transported back in time to 1900. No one in Galveston, Texas, believes that a devastating hurricane is about to hit. What can be done to save the residents? This satisfying addition to the series may be enhanced with the Magic Tree House Fact Checker: Texas (opens in a new window).
Hurricane Heroes in Texas (Magic Tree House)
Hatmaker, wife, mother, pioneer, and activist, Esther Morris was instrumental in getting the vote for women in Wyoming, the first state to pass such a law. Whether brewing tea or learning to sew, from an early age Esther adamantly states, I could do that! — the mantra of her life.
I Could Do That! Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote
Powerful free verse and vivid mixed-media illustrations tell the true story of the American effort to land the first man on the Moon in this well-researched picture book.
Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon
Join a young boy and his father on a daring journey from Mexico to Texas to find a new life. Theyll need all the resilience and courage they can muster to safely cross the border (la frontera) and to make a home for themselves in a new land. Based on co-author Alva’s own experience as a young boy. Back matter includes information on immigration, a history of the U.S. and Mexican border, and photos of Alva’s family and hometown.
La Frontera: El viaje con papá / My Journey with Papa
Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only” school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a successful lawsuit in federal court.
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
Have you ever wondered where the rainbow flag comes from? It all began with the first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. His life and how the rainbow flag came to be and to express both hope and pride are briefly presented in accessible language and animated illustrations. Photographs of Milk and additional biographical sketch conclude the book.
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag
The life of the man whose name is associated with nonviolent protest is presented in graphic format. A range of well-known artists contributed their work to present a slim but impactful look at Gandhi’s life. Actual photographs and additional biographical information are included at the end as is information about the artists.