The IMPORTANCE of the VOTE!

 

If you are reading this on the day it posts, our national midterm election date is just a bit more than four weeks away. The truth, though, is that the time to vote is NOW. This is NOT my endorsement of any candidate at any level, but it is my genuinely desperate plea that anyone reading here makes sure to VOTE. We each need to  facilitate the ability to VOTE in anyone else we know.

First, make sure you are still registered correctly. Many states have purged voters roles, or perhaps you've moved or been a student and changed status or location. Registration online is available in all states. Tell others about this concern and help them navigate the process.

Next, don't wait for election day. If a problem arises, at in-person early voting or by absentee, allow as much time as possible to rectify the situation and assure that your vote will be counted. Worries about ICE or other uniformed observers at the ballot places is reduced with early voting. Early voting by mail or in person is currently underway in many states. Check out the possibilities where you are registered and make use of the best ways to avoid concerns about lines or interference of any kind.

Finally, if mail-in voting has you concerned, make a plan to get your ballot to an official ballot drop-off box. That bypasses any possibility of your mailed vote somehow being batch-rejected or otherwise returned without enough time to correct an error.

All of this is in red font because I intend it as a legitimate alert, a caution, a call to stand up and assure that your right to vote is not lost. I truly never thought that would be threatened in my lifetime. The fact is that generations of Americans have fought and died, debated and legislated to assure that every American citizen has the RIGHT and PROTECTION to vote their will gave me confidence. And yet this central right of citizenship is under pressure, even threat. That is truly heartbreaking. Once you've assured your own right to vote and made your plan, add to your actions the intentional sharing of books about voting. Here are two. Both model engaging young people with your personal and family voting practices to assure the rights for future generations. 

PENGUIN WORKSHOP - RISE,  2024

SHOW UP AND VOTE  is written by Ani Di Franco with art by Rachelle Baker. The text begs to be read aloud, capturing the pacing and propulsive persuasion of a rap poem and the informality/voice of a childlike e. e. cummings. The full-bleed double spread scenes immerse readers in a day-in-the-life of the narrator and her mother within their community of color and commitment. Election Day, in fact. The processes of identification, line-waiting, and interactions effectively elevate what some might view as a chore or mundane, even unimportant activity. It becomes valued, something that matters.

This is not achieved by preaching or didactic dialogue but through the young narrator's observations, analysis, and clever awareness of details connecting to her emotional reactions. Her Mama serves as role model but also in a partnership/mentorship mode, expanding their singular situation with reminders of the exponential forces when each and every other voter is also making mindful selections. The conclusion is authentically satisfying as the pair return through their urban neighborhood and the child recognizes the interconnection of previously taken-for-granted aspects of their life. 

VOTE FOR OUR FUTURE

The Case for Resistance: Be A Flea... for Justice!

CHARLESBRIDGE, 2025

The call-to-action phrase, "a flea for justice", is a classic among civil rights fighters. Its origin story is revealed within the biography of Marian Wright Edelman is related in early spreads in A FLEA FOR JUSTICE: Marian Wright Adelman Stand Up For Justice, written by Valerie Bolling and illustrated by TeMika Grooms. It's worth reading for that alone, but it brings much more to the table.

Edelman's life story depicts an individual whose personal conviction, lived experiences, and community engagement led her to step up and speak up, despite enormous risk to her own life and the ones she loved and supported. The account launches with an incident in which four-year-old Marian takes a drink at a water fountain without knowing that it was labeled WHITES ONLY. The inconceivable "rule" that could be life threatening if ignored was so thoroughly unjust and intolerable to her that it shaped her path in life. And then path she followed changed the lives of countless others.

This new biography reveals a period in American history that, for me, is memory. But for so many younger folks this Civil Rights era can feel like "the distant past". What this account offers is Edelman's lifelong call to others, especially young folks, to recognize that even the tiniest voices and choices can cause harmful practices that add to an "itch" in those causing harm, to act. To not be complacent.

Marian was inspired by the life of Sojourner Truth, the originator of the "FLEA FOR JUSTICE" phrase. She was also aware of the life-and-death impact of segregation, including the death of young friend who died of infection when hospitals refused to treat Black families. That is only one of many examples of the forces driving Edelmann to change the unjust laws, securing her a place of leadership in a movement that changed society, at least on the books. 

Sadly, not all hearts have changed to assure fairness and justice, and the work is still needed.

This life account is compellingly told and thoroughly researched. Back matter includes a life-time-line that showcases personal experiences and global awards. A more detailed passage in back matter adds to her story, while the illustrations and readable text present a profile accessible for even the very young. 

Don't wait for Black History Month, or Women's History Month. Edelmann's story will resonate with readers of every background, achieving what she set out to to do: to empower even the youngest among us with a sense of agency and strength, an assurance that noticing and acting are choices and they lead to change. Don't miss this one. 

Nonfiction Notable: A SONG FOR THE UNSUNG

I continue to read picture books extensively while enjoying the many beginning readers  and early chapter books I've been exploring for CYBILS AWARD consideration.  Some picture books are guaranteed to snag my attention due to the subject matter, the reliably high quality of the author and/or illustrator, and my own connections to prior readings and/or postings. This nonfiction biographic account of BAYARD RUSTIN is such a book on all strands of that appeal. 

Henry Holt & Company, 2023

A SONG FOR THE UNSUNG: BAYARD RUSTIN, the Man behind the 1963 March on Washington did not disappoint. This is written by multi-award-winning Carole Boston Weatherford and LGBTQIA advocate Rob Sanders, with impressively informative illustrations by Byron McCray. In an earlier post featuring another picture book focused on the 1963 March on Washington, here, I also featured a book aimed at older readers, one that profiled the largely unrecognized CIVIL RIGHTS leaded, Bayard Rustin. (That book is one of the sources cited in the bibliography for A SONG FOR THE UNSUNG.)

The title alone is brilliant, because it signals that Rustin was a talented and devoted singer for whom music played a central role throughout his life. The same can be said about the role of music in the Civil Rights Movement. Threaded throughout each double spread are scrolled lyrics from many different hymns/songs that reflect specific moments throughout his life and his role in the shaping of that movement. This includes the fact that Rustin's roots run deep in Quaker peace activism, including refusing to bear arms during WWII and his consequent imprisonment. 

The authors open on the eventful August day in 1963 with Rustin's perspective of the Washington mall, empty other than himself and a few reporters. His confident assertion that this unprecedented event would happen, would succeed, contrasts with the absence of evidence at that early morning moment. And yet Rustin, the organizer/coordinator behind the scenes, stood tall and sure. he had orchestrated every detail, from placement of portable potties to bus parking  to box lunches and the program itself. 

Each page turn that offers incredible details about his development of the strength and skill and talent that underpinned such confidence. As a relative "elder" in comparison to young Martin Luther King, Jr., his experiences with adherence to non-violent strategies for social change were rooted in studies with Gandhi and led to his later instruction and guidance for MLK,Jr. and the entire movement. 

An essential (and never denied or hidden) aspect of his identity is that he was a gay man. Thankfully, and despite immeasurable forces still attempting to discriminate against non-straight individuals and organizations, we have arrived at a time of greater openness and awareness that people are people and their sexual lives are not a matter of public concern. This was far from the case at the time of Rustin's life, making his willingness to be "out of the closet" another bold and honest example of his personal integrity. This fact, though, accounts for why so few folks know his name in comparison to others from those Civil Rights Movement years in the sixties. It was deemed necessary and advantageous to access Rustin's organization skills and network contacts to make a gathering of a quarter million people possible, yet leaders within the movement insisted that his public role should be minimal, fearing that his gay identity could undermine and detract from the greater goals. 

Very likely they were correct. Even so, it meant that Rustin's long history, credentials, and support of equal rights and social justice remained "appreciated" by insiders but "unsung" in the public accounts of this history-changing day and the entire movement surrounding it. There is no justice in that, at any level. Now, more than sixty years later, young people can access Rustin's life story through works for older readers but also through this gorgeous, dynamic, and lyrical account of a man who merits everyone's attention and admiration. 

I had some limited awareness of this remarkable figure in American history as a young person who viewed the march and speeches live on television, awed by the safe, civil, overwhelmingly effective gathering at our nation's capital at a time when few were willing to speak aloud the need for legal civil rights for all in a public venue. (My reflection on why CIVIL RIGHTS and the movement mean so much to me can be read an early post on that topic, HERE. Equality for all SHOULD connect with everyone, even a straight, white, privileged woman such as myself. And yet my connection to the subject matter runs deep, and I wish more folks would examine their own lives to see that success on behalf of the least protected among us elevates the quality of life for us all.)

I fear, though, that this very title will be among the extensive and absurd lists of books for kids that face censorship due to both aspects of his Rustin's life story: being Black and being gay. Please learn more about that misguided group that is comparatively small in numbers but powerful in political clout. Make it a point to read any books on the list for yourselves and then speak up for open access and rights to read! (For more on that topic, THIS LINK is from the American Library Association.)

Evictions? Voting Rights? Echoes of American History

Since today is the "last day" of BLACK HISTORY MONTH, I should hurry to get this review posted, right?  

WRONG! 

The spotlight that this themed month offers on critical aspects of American history involving Black Americans is more than welcome, but my concern has always been that the topics, historic figures, and focus of attention are narrowed to this particular (shortest) month of the year. While teaching, I was aware of many teachers who had a set of lessons and/or collection of books that were routinely used during February, then packed away until the next year's students flipped that calendar page. 

Better than nothing? Yes. 

Sharing some otherwise neglected or intentionally hidden history? Yes.

Inadvertently teaching students that the rest of the year will be (conveniently?) directed toward a familiar and falsely narrow version of America and its past?  Yes.

This is why I've actively addressed this concern of mine since I created this blog more than a decade ago. Theme months of any kind, but ESPECIALLY Black History Month, results in a double-edged sword.

Even so, I am intentionally sharing this remarkable new picture book I received from CALKINS CREEK/Astra Books (with no promise of a review) because it serves as such an important asset in the lives of young readers. In this case, the publishers have indicated that the target audience is middle grade and teen readers. And YES, picture books are for all ages!

Calkins Creek/Astra books, 2022

EVICTED: The Struggle for the Right to Vote is written by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by Charly Palmer, each an award-winning creator of outstanding books in their own right. In this case the title alone seems to be ripped from the pages of current news headlines, but in fact depicts a time and place in our shared history that few have learned about, even during this dedicated theme month.

The cover illustration also indicates the personal, specific individuals who are the little-known heroes of this nonfiction and deeply researched account. Using intense, impressionistic brush strokes and colors, Palmer's cover are and interior illustrations manage to convey both the strength and suffering of one of the "tent city" families who suffered indignities and denial of their rights to vote while maintaining family and community unity. 

In the 1950s, Fayette County, Tennessee was the third largest land area in that state and the third poorest county in the entire country. That is directly tied to the fact that more than two-thirds of the population of that county were Black sharecroppers, managing to maintain homes and families despite the inequities and imbalance of a sharecropper's life. They dealt with the expenses, round-the-clock demands, and endless risks of a farmer's life, with the added burden of landowners' meager compensation, control of funding, and outright cheating. 

Although it was legal for all adults to vote, only thirty Black citizens were registered in that county at that time. Outrght threats, fires, and lynchings ensured that white rule prevailed. In 1959, though, when a local sharecropper's trial enflamed the spirit and dignity of the wider Black population, a movement that came to be called the FAYETTE COUNTY TENT CITY MOVEMENT to acquire and use voting rights eventually contributed to the passage of the federal VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 

I don't usually begin my comments with such explanatory content, but I'm convinced that MANY other readers here have never heard of this part of American history. I had not. When the author was gifted a photographic book about this movement that featured specific individuals and families who helped to achieve eventual success, she resolved to create a portrait of them and their story in an appropriate book for younger readers. This is the result of her decision and actual visits, interviews, and research about that neglected chapter of our shared history. 

The account is preceded by several annotated/illustrated spreads providing Palmer's portraits of key figures of that time and change. Then a one-page direct address to readers from the author summarizes what the Movement was about and what it accomplished, at what sacrifices to the participants. The last line on that introduction is this:

"Record their conquering civil rights struggle for generations to come. Remember it. Pass it on."

The movement was inspired by a trial of a local preacher, who had escaped to the north to avoid being lynched, only to be returned for trial years later, in 1959. He was convicted and served his time. But the jury was all white, because jurors were drawn from the ranks of registered voters, and Black people were prevented from registering. As mentioned earlier, it was at risk of life and family's lives to even attempt registration. This realization launched leaders who set out to register black voters.

With page turns that reveal the unfolding story through individual specific voices of victims, organizers, participants, and others who eventually supported the movement, this account comes to life with drama and intensity. Readers are drawn into the lives and emotions of the adults and children who held fast to their intention to exercise their rights as American citizens, regardless of the cost. Some who are profiled took part in school integration with all the risks that triggered.

"Outsiders" came to support the movement as it stretched from months to years. Even so, the wheels of political change turn slowly and the changes they rightly demanded were slow in coming. Even so, or perhaps as a result of their prolonged strength and resilience, laws did change and lives improved. 

Except for this... 

Many Americans are convinced that the Civil Rights laws of the sixties meant things are changed and everything is better now. Nice and neat, all wrapped up in a pretty bow. In a way, as convenient and comfortable a thought as the packing away of Black History Month books and lesson plans on February 28 each year. But more than half the states in our country are actively passing laws to restrict access to voting, and eviction remains a punitive practice that is driven by economic benefits to the landowners. Not as much has changed as needs to. Added to that legislative effort are countless bills/laws that are intentionally meant to "BAN" books like this from classrooms because they might bring up some "feelings" among some students. 

The much-distorted and politicized CRITICAL RACE THEORY complaints would keep discussions of Black history out of schools. Well, CRT is a post-graduate course of study in law schools, not in elementary, middle grade, or high schools. But a consequence of this exaggerated and distorted effort might keep young Americans from learning about their country's history and the importance of FREEDOM to exercise rights for EVERYONE.

That author message is not only intended to keep a piece of history alive, though that should be done. Reading this should also enliven young people to learn, to act, to recognize and support today's individual leaders and local heroes, like the ones finally documented in this account. I am so grateful to have had a chance to read this historic account, and to share it with other readers here. I follow many reviewers, seek out information about new releases, and hear about picture books from many sources. Even so, this title had not reached my attention. That, as with the loss to history of the original story, is an enormous problem. I urge everyone to find and read and promote this book. I intend to do that. And while you are at it, join my little effort to assure that sharing BLACK HISTORY is a year-round effort. Every year.

WE WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL! Universal Public Education in Our Country

 

Albert Whitman & Company, 2021

The blurb on the back cover says it all:

"There once was a time when millions of kids weren't allowed to go to school. Here's the true story of how children with disabilities fought for their rights, and won!"

WE WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL! The Fight for Disability Rights, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler and Janine Leffler, is informative, appealing, and celebratory. Janine, one of the co-authors, introduces the main text with a personal message to readers, explaining that her public school education was welcoming, included necessary services, and accommodated her special needs. She wrote this to documents what other disabled kids dealt with during the reality before the laws finally changed to protect her education and the public education of all children.

With colorful illustrations in familiar settings, Janine's story explains that her birth condition, cerebral palsy (CP), presented mobility and independence challenges. Even though walking and talking were delayed (muscle-based activities), she learned early to read and think (brain-based activities). When she eventually realized that luntil aws were changed, countless children with specific needs had NEVER BEEN ALLOWED to attend public schools. She recognized a need for this book.  Her account reveals ways young people were isolated or made to pass tests, meet specific demands, or otherwise demonstrate that  they could "get by" without extra help or disruption to the ways schools had always been. 

Children were often kept home, unschooled, or even placed in residences where they were "tended to" but not educated. Wealthier parents might pay for private services at home or in special schools. In a limited number of public schools, separate (often inferior) locations, staff,  and curriculum might be provided. 

Year after year, at any given time, MILLIONS of kids were being denied their rights to a free and equal public education. In 1971, seven disabled children (named and drawn with class-picture appeal) challenged these restrictions in court. 

It was in those years that I began my own long career as a special education teacher, with the full understanding that I'd likely work in one of those separate, private institutions. Public schools were not yet required to offer education of any kind to children with special needs, and certainly not with teachers who could provide high levels of expertise. Through those early years of challenge (and several pages of well-drawn and clearly explained text), the course of their legal challenge and eventual success is shown through the lives of kids. 

The kid-figures on the page are diverse in apparent ethnic identity, needs, and appeal, leading to a double-page spread that portrays the faces of "about 1,000 kids", with the text encouraging readers to image EIGHTEEN PAGES with a thousand faces on each. That is a superb way to indicate the representation of 18.000 kids in the Washington D.C. area who were NOT receiving public education at that time. Then the point is made that, across the USA, more than EIGHT MILLION kids were being denied services due to disabilities. 

The celebratory ending follows pages depicting the tension of court arguments, a long and stressful wait for a decision, and then, finally, the news that THEY WON! Back matter follows with informative and accessible text describing the central rights of the court case and new law, a note from Janine, another from her mother Maryann (the co-author), a timeline, and a note from the attorney who led the court arguments that gained disability education rights. 

To make the law a reality was a bumpy road that is not part of the story here, but kids, their families, and teachers like me persisted at making public schools accessible, equitable, and a welcoming home for every kid with every kind of need.  

Maryann Cocca Leffler has a long and successful career as author/illustrator of children's books. Her adult daughter, Janine, has a degree in communications and works for an organization that assists adults with disabilities. She also hosts a website, JANINE'S PARTY, HERE, which offers a welcome and resources for ALL visitors to join in community with each other and celebrate the ways we are more alike than different.

 

If you haven't figured out by now that I am a fan of this book and feel personally invested in making it well known, I must not be a very effective writer. I devoted my life to delivering high quality education to EVERY child, and would have loved to have this available in the past. 

I follow many blogs, news releases, and other information sources for Chidlren's books, but was not aware of this title until it was nominated in the Elementary Nonfiction category for Cybils Awards. I'm very happy to know about it now, and hope readers here will take a close look and share it widely with families, teachers, and librarians.

.

Teacher Heroes: Standing Up, Stepping Out

 One undeniable fact related to this seemingly endless Covid19 pandemic is that teachers are heroes. Exhausted, innovative, determined, and always aware of of their role as leaders, in the past year teachers have been hailed as heroes and also decried as selfish monsters. That latter shift has been attributed to the ongoing stress and struggles of families trying to survive, but it is an inexcusable stance.

Even so, teachers manage to put aside insults, attacks, and even threats to continue to serve their students and their communities. In current circumstances, that is often less visible to the general public, but it is nonetheless true. I'd l wish I could send a copy of this recent nonfiction picture book to each and every one of them, to inspire and encourage their persistence through this model of another hidden history, one that celebrates the courage of teachers.

Calkins Creek, 2020
an Imprint of Boyd Mills and Kane

THE TEACHERS MARCH: How Selma's Teachers Changed History is written by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, with illustrations by Charly Palmer. Every time I feel that my personal, academic, and actively informed lifelong efforts have given me a firm awareness of the  major moments and events within the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties, I discover another important resource that reminds me how little I actually know. 

Much credit is due to the co-authors of this book for their determination to uncover and provide those stories for people like me, and especially for young people who deserve the whole truth of heroic stories of our American history. This is especially true for social justice stories, hidden or ignored for far too long. 

Landmark events like the march led by Martin Luther King, Jr. across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma stand out as pivotal in achieving the 1965 Voting Rights Act. It was not achieved without blood, arrests, and  terror tactics by the Jim Crow "law and order" powers in charge. It might also have never happened if it weren't for the courageous efforts of Black teachers in Selma.

The back matter of this new book brightens the spotlight on these under-reported heroes who risked their lives to make the struggle for voting rights more visible and possible. The authors provide a timeline that reveals efforts to secure the vote in that area of Alabama (Dallas County) dating three decades earlier. It includes young John Lewis helping to lead the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), laying the path for the hero of this profile, Reverend F. D. Reese. Reese was  a science teacher in the segregated schools  who championed voting rights. He began leading marches for those rights more than a  year before the Selma bridge events. He did so no fanfare beyond local news, facing constant threats. He died in 2018 with accolades from those who knew him but with little public attention.

It was Reese who conceived of bolstering the voice and power of the marches by challenging the Black teachers of the community. He urged them to lead the marches, overcoming the fears and anxiety of the African American community through the power of their leadership and widespread respect. Their roles as leaders and their high public regard could lend success to the marches, but would also mean they had the most to lose. 

They could be fired, 

They could be jailed. 

The relative financial and educational strength they had, that they often contributed to their community, could be wiped out. 

Yes, their suits and polished shoes and unified voices would amplify the right to vote, the demand for equal treatment. But they had more to lose, including their own families who would be threatened if they marched. 

This longer-than-typical picture book text provides a thorough revelation of the dramatic challenges and choices they faced, the confrontations that ensued, and the ways in which Reese's vision for momentum came to pass. Without a doubt, the heroism called for in that time and place are beyond the comprehension of modern readers, especially those not facing social injustice. This history is revealed with storyteller skills, high stakes pacing, and compelling scenes that bring to modern attention the immeasurable dangers and determination involved in these teacher marches, and they merit a bright spotlight in history.

This is an outstanding example of powerful nonfiction for established readers, especially in context with the current (and ongoing) Black Lives Matter and social justice movements. The extensive research, resources, and supplementary notes in the back pages can be used to launch further investigations and to authenticate the details of this depiction. Sadly, the massive infection of distorted truths, outright lies, and hidden history continue to affect a tidal wave of media making its way into all of our lives. It is particularly  essential to prepare learners with reliable tools to determine what is and is not factual. Books such as this one move that process forward. 

As inspiring as this book is, the sad truth is that voter suppression continues to be a power-play within current politics and overall society, We must not risk sacrificing these generations of effort and courage by allowing forces to undermine and diminish equal rights. It's also true that the gradually improving options of books about underrepresented people, continues to lean toward serious or even somber subject matter. 

Also toward the past. 

Recent messages have bubbled up urging that for every book we share involving these serious subjects, as important as they are, we should be providing readers with current, celebratory, joyful books. Click these links for a few examples that can fulfill that balancing act:

HERE,  HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Thank You, John Lewis. May Your Light Shine On

Congressman John Lewis

Until his passing on the day I write this, the last surviving speaker from the 1963 August MARCH on WASHINGTON was then very young John Lewis. He eventually became Congressman John Lewis, continuing to speak out and lead across generations. 
During that long career he worked tirelessly to secure justice, to eliminate racism, and to ensure equity and freedom for all.
His individual accomplishments are too long to list but can be examined in these links:

Brief biography
A UNIFYING FORCE in CONGRESS (The Atlantic)
JOHN LEWIS Profile: ACLU

In recent books for young readers, Lewis partnered with Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell at Top Shelf Productions to produce the multiple award winning series, MARCH, a graphic history of the past and recent present. In these astonishingly accurate and appealing graphic books can be found a story within a story, tracing Lewis's personal history overlaid on the template of our nation's changes. 
The first book spans critical points at which Lewis stood on that Lincoln Memorial stage fifty years ago to speak, and into the near-present when he sat in the audience in 2009 as a congressman,  witnessing the inauguration of Barach Obama. There he was within sight of that original gathering. 
At this writing I can simply repeat and endorse the many praises this work has garnered, included rave reviews, as this one in School Library Journal. and multiple well-deserved awards. 
The death of Lewis today was the sudden but predictable course of a recent Stage Four pancreatic cancer diagnosis, which he faced with the brilliance and courage that has marked his character throughout life. 

MARCH, BOOK ONE, was widely acknowledged as a groundbreaking effort to ignite young readers with the powerful sense of urgency of those Civil Rights Years. It was so widely acclaimed and used that it was soon followed by MARCH, BOOK TWO, which was also widely awarded and welcomed in schools, libraries, and individual lives. Among its many accolades are these:
New York Times Bestseller
One of YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2016 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work - Winner
2016 Harvey Award for Best Biographical, Historical, or Journalistic Presentation - Winner
2016 Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album Original - Winner
2016 Street Literature Book Award Medal for Best Graphic Novel - Winner
2016 Denver Independent Comic & Art Expo Award for Best Work - Mid/Large Press - Winner

The concluding volume, MARCH, BOOK THREE, released in 2016 to conclude the dramatic and detailed story of Lewis and other dedicated Civil Rights leaders continuing the struggle throughout succeeding years. The trilogy captures the compelling voice of Lewis with the immediacy and inspiring tone that he sustained until his last breath.
Each book in this unequaled and essential series has garnered attention and I'm confident that they will continue to do so:
Winner of the 2016 National Book Award for Young People's Literature
#1 New York Times Bestseller
2017 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner
2017 Michael L. Printz Award Winner
2017 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal Winner
2017 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction - Winner
2017 Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature - Winner
2017 Flora Stieglitz Straus Award Winner
2017 LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature - Finalist

Nancy Paulson books, 2016

I dedicate this blog to picture books, but I've occasionally used the platform to call attention to the importance of graphic novels and nonfiction content in graphic format. These are perfect examples of the power of combining images and voice to convey stories with an impact that neither media alone would achieve. 
Even so, the audience for these is not the very young. That doesn't mean that the life of Lewis is not accessible and compelling, even for the youngest. Please also read PREACHING TO THE CHICKENS: The Story of Young John Lewis to learn more about the earliest years of his lifelong journey to lead us to a better world. His story is inspiring and more timely now than ever.
Lewis often referenced his early years in speeches, and it is a blessing to us all that his story was captured so beautifully in the text of Jabari Asim and the incomparably rich images of E. B. Lewis. 

Apart from the absolutely stunning illustrations of E. B. Lewis (no relation to the subject), this book is an invaluable early-childhood story of an American figure whose contribution to human rights is immeasurable. This book opens his life-story to even the youngest readers and all readers seeking insight to the origins of Lewis's commitment to causes greater than himself. He continues to teach us this through his lifetime examples and his words and accomplishments. 

Anchoring this in COVID 19 Time and #BLackLivesMatter movement:
This is simply a note in confirmation of some facts that Lewis lived and confronted throughout his life: 
Struggle never ends.
Truth is not found in the statements of the media or the perceived reality that is delivered by those with political agenda and investment in the status quo.
We are stronger when we stand up and speak up together, but sometimes we must have the courage to be the only voice among our circle of contacts. 
Whether we take on that challenge or not is a question of personal integrity.
This applies to deciding to wear a mask, return kids to schools, or walk (or sit) in protest.
Struggle never ends.
Be inspired by Lewis to examine your own moral compass and act on it.

Every Word, Every Voice, Every Ride Advances Freedom

In the earliest weeks after launching this blog, nearly a decade ago, I wrote a post titled: WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT FEBRUARY?  In it, I shared my concern that THEME MONTHS, such as BLACK HISTORY MONTH, serve many valuable purposes but also carry risks. My concerns are many, but topping the list are two worries: 

That history, stories, and books shared during a specified month will be predominantly about a single topic, like slavery, 

and

collections of important and amazing books (and other resources) will be hauled out and packed away following the turn of a calendar page. 

A third worry is that the stories shared will focus exclusively on well-known facts and figures. Stories of magnificent talent and achievements abound, and the point of historic or honor month is to EXPAND our knowledge of the contributions of various individuals and groups. Since many of these are not at our fingertips, or already part of well-worn collections, there are countless worthy stories to share that are NOT household names, but should be. One example of a book profiling such a leader is MIDNIGHT TEACHER: Lilly Ann Granderson and her Secret School, by Janet Halfmann.

My firm belief about the importance of these stories is why I make it a point to spotlight outstanding stories throughout the year, books about and by people of every color and culture. Please, do NOT view these two titles as suggested books for "next month". These are outstanding nonfiction books for every day of every year, as their contents reveal. 

Schwartz & Wade Books, 2019

The first of two books in this post actually does portray a former-enslaved woman, but it focuses on the story of her freedom- through the power of reading. THE OLDEST STUDENT: How Mary Walker Learned to Read is written by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and illustrated by Caldecott honor winner Oge Mora.

It is always inspiring to read authentic stories about overcoming illiteracy, about fulfilling a lifelong desire to read. This true story of Mary Walker,  enslaved from her birth in 1848, leaves many gaps in her long life. But the Bible she was gifted has served as documentation of her major life landmarks (marriage, birth of children) even though she was unable to read or write for herself. She understood the value of written records and intentionally added her personal mark to each of those entries in her Bible. To her, though, it was all scribbles.
Mary and her family lived in the South, where she worked a hardscrabble life of injustice and struggle, but she carried her Bible to church on Sundays. There she joined in the singing, even though she couldn't read a word in her Bible or in the hymnals.
By the time she was 114 years old she had outlived every other family member, but had still not learned to read or write. She was saddened that a lifetime of meaningless scribbles and wiggles in print remained a puzzle to her. Mary may have felt untaught, but she was not unable to learn. She joined a reading class in her senior living center and began a dedicated effort to become a reader and writer. 
Mary lived to 121 years old, winning attention from presidents and the general public. She missed her family members, but took comfort in being able to read the words of her Bible. 
From her earliest enslaved years in the fields to an amazing flight in an airplane, she reveled in the ability to fly free, which her reading finally provided. 
This is among the most inspiring stories I've encountered in recent years, and that would be true if only from the facts about Walker's remarkable life. The restrained but compelling narrative style of the text combines well with the gorgeous illustrations (acrylic paint, china marker, collage with patterned paper and print clippings). Mary Walker's well-documented story comes to life with the flair of the cakes she baked until her last year-- light as a feather- and delicious!

Harry N. Abrams, 2020

Mary Walker's longevity and eventual literacy garnered extensive attention in the previous century. Another event from that era gained global attention at the time and continues to shape discussions and decisions about Civil Rights to this day. A recent post makes my point that major events such as the Washington March for Jobs and Freedom on August 23, 1963 are the subject of amazing books, including recent ones. 
On the very day of that march, in a Baltimore neighborhood, another momentous event occurred, peacefully and significantly, and yet that story is NOT widely know, until now. It is long overdue, and welcome.
A RIDE TO REMEMBER: A CIVIL RIGHTS STORY is co-authored  by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan, with emotionally powerful and evocative illustrations by award-winning Floyd Cooper. 
As the text clearly describes, some gains for equality of opportunity had arrived in Baltimore by that summer of 1963. Equal access to the local amusement park was not among them. The history-making little tot featured in the story is co-author Sharon Langley. Her parents raised her to understand the significance of an event she admittedly cannot remember from that day. After all, she was the first African American to ride the carousel with permission at only eleven months old. 
The text is well-structured to reveal the irregular and inconsistent application of social customs and laws, arbitrarily barring "some people" from access to particular events and locations. The narration offers a light but effective treatment of the symbolism of horses of every color and type, all traveling round and round together, carrying children of various ages and skin colors, all starting and ending in unison. 
A lovely post-event stage of the story reveals that the actual carousel from those events was eventually relocated to the Washington Mall, operated by the Smithsonian Institute. The fiftieth anniversary of Sharon Langley's ride was celebrated on the Mall when she and her extended family were invited to view the refurbished horse she actually rode as a child, with an historic plate added to the saddle and her name inscribed on one of the horseshoes. 
I was even more pleased that the narration and images revealed details about the protests preceding her ride, protests involving religious leaders of many faiths, skin colors, and ages. Those peaceful protests resulted in arrests, and images of those arrested included a family with three young white boys in a police car. Images like those, and the attention provided by the media, helped turn public opinion from resistance to acceptance much more quickly than might otherwise have been the case. That does not mean privileged people are more heroic than people of color, but that the combined support and unified actions of so many, together,  made clear the need to eliminate barriers and share the community and its resources peacefully. 
Perhaps I'd finally stop whining about the mixed benefits of theme months if I was sure that books like these would continue to be published, purchased, circulated, and shared throughout the year, each year, and every year. 
Every voice DOES matter, and that is especially true when it comes to sharing the good news about books like these.

A Place to Land: MLK, Jr.'s DREAM Challenges Us

Happy Birthday Celebration Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. There will never be "too many" books about this remarkable man whose national and global leadership and sacrifice should never be forgotten. 

Neal Porter Books, 2019

A PLACE TO LAND: Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Speech That Inspired a Nation is
among the remarkable nominated for Cybils nonfiction awards for 2019. There were several about this iconic man. This one stands out, a product of impressive collaboration by author Barry Wittenstein, illustrator Jerry Pinkney, and publisher Neal Porter Books.
Watch for this title to garner multiple awards and honors in the coming weeks, particularly at ALA Midwinter Conference in Philadelphia January 24-26.

I write my own notes about the outstanding books I choose to share here, but in this case I'll quote directly what Indiebound.org says, which is exactly what I want you to know:

"Much has been written about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington. But there's little on his legendary speech and how he came to write it. Find out more in this gripping book with illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was once asked if the hardest part of preaching was knowing where to begin. No, he said. The hardest part is knowing where to end. "It's terrible to be circling up there without a place to land."Finding this place to land was what Martin Luther King, Jr. struggled with, alongside advisors and fellow speech writers, in the Willard Hotel the night before the March on Washington, where he gave his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. But those famous words were never intended to be heard on that day, not even written down for that day, not even once." 

When I began this blog eight years ago, one of my earliest posts shared thoughts about why MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. is such a personal hero of mine. If you have the time and haven't read that early post before, I invite you to do so. In it I include a variety of titles that can (and should, IMO) be read and shared across many ages. As I continue in my ninth year of considering and celebrating wonderful picture books, the list of recommended titles related to MLK,Jr. has grown. In the next few days I'll share some very recent titles and add them to my page of suggested books to consider. 
For now, on this celebration day, let's retain the focus on this remarkable story. It is a story of dedication, mindfulness, intention, collaboration, and grace. 

After reading it, I also encourage you to seek out and read a book about a very significant behind-the-scenes contributor to this iconic event, the speech, and many other aspects of the Civil Rights era (and beyond). I wrote about TROUBLEMAKER FOR JUSTICE: BAYARD RUSTIN in a post on my website blog, here. Co-authors Jacqueline Houtman, Walter Naegle, and Michael G. Long have produced an authoritative story of the many ways in which Bayard Rustin should be celebrated today, too, and every day, for the ways in which determination, hard work, and collaboration can change the world.

Whether our interest is in the Women's March, the Fridays For Future, the MARCH FOR OUR LIVES, or BLACK LIVES MATTER, let's not fall into the trap of imagining ourselves as activists because we scroll through various sources, verify validity of content, and then speak up for others (and TRUTH) among our various contacts. 

Those steps matter. 
Reading these books and sharing them matters. 
But taking actual STEPS matters more.
That might involve SHOWING UP at a meeting, march, or protest for which others have done the hard work to organize and promote it. 
Or volunteering to help on the next project. 
Or making phone calls. 
Or lending design skills. 
Or writing skills. 
Or registering voters.
Or offering rides to those who need them. 
Or... getting inspired and finding ways to offer yourself to the betterment of our world. 
Others who have done so can inspire you.

Start today.

LIZZIE Demands a Seat: And Demands to be Read

January brings me to the eighth anniversary of launching this blog about picture books. When I wrote my first post I had no idea I would continue this long or that it would lead me to so many other activities involving the picture book format I love and respect deeply . 
Now, I've moved far beyond featuring my own favorite or thematic titles, although that still happens. Since I've received more and more requests to review current releases, I included a page to describe my selection guides for choosing which titles to feature. I welcome such requests, but ask authors and publishers to check this page first.

Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills Press. January, 2020

When a copy of LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights  found its way to my inbox, there was no question that I would want to share it here. I know that the author, BETH ANDERSON, incorporates deep and detailed research that provides insights into her subjects' stories, intentions, and habits. Her historic narratives read with the urgency and relevance of contemporary events, inviting reflection and investigation into people and choices that shaped our current lives.
The illustrator for this title, E. B. LEWIS, was an equal guarantee that I would love this book. He calls himself an "artistrator" for good reason. Any single page or spread from any of his picture books can stand alone as admirable art. But in the context of each story, his images also enrich and engage readers with research-inspired details and artfully interpreted emotions in gesture, facial expressions, colors, and luminous focus.
For those reasons alone, I would have welcomed reading this advance copy (received from publisher as PDF). The subject matter added to my enthusiasm. I'm always longing to read more about hidden or underreported history, especially stories that take a step away from the most  common and popular subjects.That's especially true of stories involving civil rights and racism. 
All too often, the stories on these subjects that spring to mind involve Martin Luther King, Jr, Rosa Parks, or Ruby Bridges. They are typically placed in Southern states and explore widely publicized events. 
But each of the most momentous changes in our nation's laws and attitudes was preceded by many individual efforts, often with much less public attention or support.
I wrote about one such example in a prior post, HERE. 

THE FIRST STEP: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial. Written by Susan E. Goodman and illustrated by E. B. Lewis, the story of equal-education-seeking young Sarah Roberts couldn't be in better hands.

Did you notice that E. B. Lewis illustrated this picture book, too? Goodman makes the point in the back matter of that historic account that the equal rights case described in the story LOST when it reached the court. Even so, it was a first step of many that led to the eventual BROWN vs BOARD OF EDUCATION ruling. In addition, it revealed discrimination and inequality in lives in the northern states, not only in former slave states. A line Goodman uses midway through the story is this:

"Every big change has to start somewhere". 

LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT also demands to be read.

As a twenty-four-year-old free Black woman in New York City in 1854, Lizzie Jennings was not good at waiting- for anything. The illustrations reveal what back matter later articulates: Lizzie was educated, came from a well-to-do family of abolitionist activists, and lived a full life with many community responsibilities. In the opening scene, she relied on the horse-drawn streetcar to reach her church in time to play the organ, tapping her heels impatiently until it appears.

The "tradition" in NewYork City was that Black people could ride the public streetcars if no White people on board objected. If they did, then dirty, unreliable streetcars would eventually come by, displaying a sign: "Colored People Allowed in the Car."
The opening encounter reveals that Lizzie was denied a seat by the conductor, not because of complaints from passengers, but from his open racism- in a FREE Northern state! Lizzie confronted him, indicating the many empty seats. He shoved and shouted, but she held her ground. A crowd gathered as the streetcar and horses waited in place. Even after she was dumped on the street, she scrambled aboard and hung on tight.
The conductor resumed the ride, but hailed a police officer only five blocks further on the route. He soon put Lizzie out, despite her claim to prevent having her rights violated. The officer dared her to file a complaint, saying ti would have no success.
The following sequence of events reveals surprising support: from a White witness, from her internal debate about making things worse if she lost a case, and from an organized community determined to move ahead in the name of justice. 

"The gavel sounded, and the case began—

Elizabeth Jennings v. The Third Avenue Railroad Company."

Remember, this happened more than a hundred years before Rosa Parks's similar protest led to the bus boycott in Montgomery.  Despite a jury of only White men, Lizzie;s case had the support of a qualified attorney, a White male witness, and Lizzie's own willingness to assert her rights. 
She won the case.  
Others were inspired by her success and launched cases against other individual streetcar companies. They, too, helped move the balance of justice toward equality. 

This historical picture book has a satisfying and inspiring conclusion, followed by a note from the author that offers an equally stirring elaboration on the details of Lizzie's life and times. The primary and other resources cited in the back matter invite further investigations and allow readers to confirm details as they wish to do so. 

This book is an exemplary nonfiction title that will appeal to early elementary readers as well as older ones, including adults. Particularly at a time in which we might despair at local and global issues, this serves as a reminder that standing up, speaking up, and sustaining our sense of self is worth the effort. That being knocked flat, denied, and insulted will not lock the door on change. Like Lizzie, we can climb aboard and hang on, accept help from advocates, and seek support from our communities. 
Individual efforts can be cumulative, can become the stepping stones for those that follow. 
I urge everyone to share this book with youth of any age.

It releases on January 7, 2020, and is available for preorder now.

I received the PDF advance file for this title with no promise of a positive review.