Written by Olivia A. Cole Illustrated by Jessica Gibson This powerful picture book shows the importance of raising your own strong voice to defend what you love. Sasha the bear loves the meadow in her forest more than anything. But when great yellow beasts threaten to cut and burn the forest, Sasha and the other…
Written by Derrick Barnes In this much anticipated middle grade novel by author Derrick Barnes (Ruby & the Booker Boys), two thirteen-year-old African-American boys become friends during a three-day stint in after school suspension. They were both involved in two unrelated incidents with the same person, the resident menace at Alain Locke Middle, Tariq Molten. Robeson…
Written by Derrick Barnes Illustrated by Barbara Jean Phillips-Duke Rhyming words help a grade-schooler deal with his angry feelings in a more constructive way.
By Ann Gonzalez Running for My Life is the powerful story of Andrea McKane, a fourteen-year-old who struggles to cope with her mother’s schizophrenia. She must face the heartbreaking fact that her mother, with whom she once laughed and played, has vanished into her disease, possibly forever. The book accurately portrays the difficulties a teen…
By John Weber Homer abruptly finds out at age 13 that he’s adopted when his gruff father, an Iowa farmer, announces it after dinner one night. Homer is crushed and decides he must find his real family who he learns were in New York City. On his way, he stops to tell his best friend,…
By Lynda Durrant Jennie Hodgers dressed as a boy for the first time in order to help support her impoverished Irish family with a shepherd’s wages. Then her arrival in America confirmed her belief that the world offers better opportunities to young men than to young women. So Jennie maintained her outward identity as Albert…
By Lynda Durrant Rosemary Elizabeth likes Pleasant Hill. Unlike her former home, the Kentucky Shaker community is serene and full of beautiful things. The food is plentiful and delicious, and she dresses in spotless white garments. Above all, she and her younger siblings are safe there—from their drunken, often violent, father, and from the war…
Written by Marilyn Nelson Illustrated by San artists of the Kuru Art Project of Botswana Ostrich and Lark spend their days on the grasslands of southern Africa surrounded by a chorus of birdsong. From his perch in a tree Lark joins the chorus, while below Ostrich is silent. Then comes the joyful day when Ostrich…
By Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile A groundbreaking and timely graphic memoir from one of the most iconic figures in American sports—and a tribute to his fight for civil rights. On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint,…
Illustrated by April Harrison Written by Michelle Edwards All the highs and lows of having a bossy, protective, and loving older sibling are depicted in this heartwarming picture book by a critically acclaimed author and award-winning illustrator. Meet Lee, a little boy who won’t give up until he learns how to sew, and Zora, the sister who…
