 Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ages 10–up
As the Revolutionary War begins, 13-year-old
Isabel and her 5-year-old sister Ruth are about to be freed
from slavery by the will of their Rhode Island mistress. However,
the unscrupulous heir prevents the reading of the will and
the girls are soon the property of an abusive Loyalist couple
in New York. Isabel agrees to spy for the Patriots in exchange
for passage back to Rhode Island for herself and her sister.
This well researched exploration of the treatment of slaves
is contained in a gripping story. |
|
 The
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation,
Volume 1: The Pox Party
by M.T. Anderson
Ages 14–up
Octavian, a black youth in Revolution-era
America, is raised in a Boston household of radical philosophers.
He is given a classical education and kept with his mother,
an African princess, in comfort. As he matures, Octavian
realizes he is an experiment to discover the intellectual
capability of Africans. When his mother dies, Octavian
runs away and joins the Patriot army. Though written
in 18th century language in the form of letters, this
powerful novel raises contemporary issues of racism,
human rights, the causes of war, and the struggle of
an individual to define himself. |
|
 The
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation,
Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves
by M.T. Anderson
Ages 14–up
Octavian heads to Virginia where
Lord Dunmore, the colony’s governor, is emancipating
slaves in exchange for military service. Octavian soon
realizes that his liberation is not a moral decision,
but a political expediency. As the Revolutionary War,
explodes around him, Octavian struggles with ideals of
liberty and his own personal growth in this fascinating
perspective on our national origins. (sequel to The
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the
Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party) |
|
 Ashley
Bryan: Words to My Life’s Song
by Ashley Bryan
All Ages
This powerful autobiography
tells a story of a creative life. Illustrations and
memories show a boy finding art materials during the
Depression, storing art supplies in his gas mask during
WWII, losing an art scholarship because of his race,
and an award-winning art career. A book for parents
and children to enjoy together, this book will inspire
artists of all ages. |
|
 Smoky
Night
text by Eve Bunting, illustrations
by David Diaz
Caldecott Medal 1995
Ages 5–10
Daniel’s cat doesn’t get along with Mrs.
Kim’s cat and Daniel’s mother doesn’t shop at Mrs. Kim’s store,
preferring to patronize African-American stores. But when Daniel’s
apartment building goes up in flames, all the neighbors, including
the cats, learn the importance of working together and accepting
differences. Inspired by the Los Angeles riots, this book delivers
a message about racism with a light touch supported by dazzling
mixed-media collage illustrations. |
|
 All
The Broken Pieces
by Ann E. Burg
Ages 11–up
Two years ago Matt Pin was airlifted
from war-torn Vietnam. Now 12, and living with his loving
adoptive American family, Matt is still haunted by memories
of the family he left behind. Told in first person free
verse, Matt’s present and past are slowly revealed as
he begins to come to terms with the guilt of being the
only survivor. |
|
 A
Thousand Never Evers
by Shana Burg
Ages 9–12
Set in rural Mississippi during the
civil rights movement, this emotionally compelling novel shows
the racism and violence endured by the African-American community
through Addie Ann Pickett, a junior high school girl. Caught
between her mother’s rule to stay away from trouble and her
brother and minister who argue that there comes a time when
dignity is worth more than life, Addie has to make some difficult
decisions. |
|
 Bog
Child
by Siobhan Dowd
Ages 12–up
When Fergus McCann is digging
for peat for his uncle to sell in 1981, he finds the
body of a small boy. Archaeologists suspect the body
is ancient and arrive in droves to study the find. Trying
to earn entrance to medical school 18-year-old Fergus
is haunted by his find and confused by the hunger strike
his imprisoned IRA brother has joined. This compelling
book raises questions about moral choices and highlights
the impact of political conflict on innocent bystanders. |
|
 March
On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed The World
by Christine King Farris, London
Ladd
Ages 9–12
Christine
King Farris, Martin Luther King, Junior’s older
sister describes the 1963 March on Washington with an
intimate down-to-earth perspective, presenting her brother
as a man rather than as an icon. |
|
 Once
by Morris Gleitzman
Ages 12–up
Everybody deserves to have something
good in their life at least once, believes Felix, a 10-year
old Polish Jew, who runs away from a Catholic orphanage to
search for his parents. After finding his home occupied by
hostile neighbors, Felix lives in hiding, in constant fear
of discovery, as he slowly becomes aware of the Nazi atrocities.
Felix’s traumatized present-tense narrative drives this powerful
novel which manages to find welcome bits of humor and heroic
kindness in the midst of horror and tragedy. |
|
 Most
Loved in All the World
by Tonya Hegamin, Cozbi A. Cabrera
Ages 4–8
When our heroine is sent north
on the Underground Railroad, her mother stays behind
to help others make the journey. She sends a beautiful
quilt with her daughter to help her find her way, and
to remind her that she is the most loved in all the world.
This beautiful book uses a child’s voice to talk about
difficult concepts of slavery, courage, and sacrifice.
(12/08) |
|
 John
Brown: His Fight for Freedom
by John Hendrix
Ages 8–12
In the late 1850s, John Brown,
the infamous white abolitionist, backed his beliefs
with action. This unflinching biography presents Brown’s
transformation from a supporter of the underground
railroad into an activist prepared to use violence
to support his beliefs. The violent raid in Harper’s
Ferry, Virginia, that led to Brown’s arrest and execution
provides an exciting climax to this compelling biography. |
|
 Claudette
Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
by Phillip Hoose
Ages 10–up
In March 1955, nine months
before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat to
a white passenger, 15-year old Claudette Colvin was
dragged from a bus and arrested for the same reason.
This book introduces readers to the courageous teenager
who was overshadowed by Rosa Parks as the center of
the bus boycott. Young readers are encouraged to empathize
with young Claudette, at first dismissed as too “emotional” to
withstand public scrutiny, but later a key witness
in the federal lawsuit that would end discrimination
on public transportation. (2010 Newbery Honor Book) |
| |
|
 The
Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family and
Farewells
by Debbie Levy
Ages 10–up
This book tells the true story
of a year in the life of Jutta, a 12-year-old girl
in 1938 Nazi Germany, and the author’s mother. Photos
and translations of comments from friends written in
Jutta’s diary introduce each chapter, giving a vivid
picture of an ordinary teenager in an extraordinary
time and place. This very personal and powerful book
in verse documents a year of change, confusion, cruelty,
and farewells. |
|
 Snow
Falling in Spring: Coming of Age
in China During the Cultural Revolution
by Moying Li
Ages 12–up
In this memoir, Moying, a 12-year
old student in Beijing, finds her house ransacked and her
father taken to a labor camp. With faith in knowledge and
education, Moying survives the climate of fear that accompanies
the rise of the Red Guard. |
|
 Crow Call
by Lois Lowry
Ages 6–12
Lizzie’s father has been away in WWII
for longer than she can remember, so the fall hunting trip
the two take together after his return is awkward. But her
father respects her wishes, even when they are fanciful, and
gives her the crow call to summon the birds. To Lizzie’s relief,
her father never fires his gun on the magical day. Based on
Lowry’s own childhood, this picture book is a loving look at
the relationship between parent and child. Though set in the
past, it is fully relevant to today’s military families. |
|
 Number
the Stars
by Lois Lowry
Newbery Medal 1990
Ages 10–up
It’s 1943 in Nazi-occupied Denmark, and
the Jews are about to be rounded up and sent to the death camps.
Annemarie Johannesen’s best friend Ellen Rosen is Jewish. The
Johannesen family helps Ellen’s parents go into hiding and take
Ellen into their own home, pretending she is part of their family.
Narrated by 10-year-old Annemarie, this book vividly portrays
the Nazi threat and the courage it takes to help friends while
possibly endangering your own family. This moving and suspenseful
book is based on true events. |
|
 Purple
Heart
by Patricia McCormick
Ages 12–up
Matt Duffy, an 18-year old private
with memory problems following a traumatic brain injury
in Iraq, receives the Purple Heart. Haunted by the image
of a young Iraqi boy being killed, Matt slowly remembers
the contradictory events that led to the honor. This
gripping book raises moral issues without judgment, encouraging
readers to think deeply about loyalty, war, and the nature
of heroism. |
|
 What
the World Eats
by Peter Menzel, Faith D’Aluisio
All Ages
Twenty-five families in 21 countries
around the world are photographed surrounded by a week’s
worth of food. The multi-generational portraits provide
an avenue for exploring each family’s hopes and struggles
while gently raising issues about global food supplies.
Family recipes, maps, and county information reveal provocative
statistics. (adapted from Hungry
Planet) |
|
 Under
a Red Sky
Memoir
of a Childhood in Communist Romania
by Haya Leah Molnar
Ages 12–up
Eva Zimmerman grew up as an adored
only child in an apartment shared by her parents, grandparents,
and aunts and uncles in Bucharest, Romania. Sheltered by
her protective family from the harsh realities of scarce
food and housing under communist rule with the secret police
watching every move, religion and politics were never discussed
at home. In 1958, Eva is shocked to discover that she is
Jewish, and that her whole family has applied to emigrate
to Israel. Black and white family photographs illustrate
this poignant memoir of a girl struggling to understand
her own identity. |
|
 Sunrise
Over Fallujah
by Walter Dean Myers
Ages 12–up
Robin Perry, nephew to Myer’s
Vietnam soldier from Fallen
Angel, writes to his uncle from Iraq in this powerful
novel that may help American teens grapple intelligently
and thoughtfully with the war in Iraq. |
|
 Sweethearts
of Rhythm
The Story of the Greatest
All-Girl Swing Band in the World
by Marilyn Nelson, Jerry Pinkney
Ages 10–up
Nelson’s poems and Pinkney’s
luminous paintings perfectly complement each other in
this tribute to an integrated female swing band that
toured the USA from the late 1930s to mid 1940s. Titled
after swing tunes, the 20 poems underscore the role of
music in bring joy and hope to an era haunted by war
and racism. |
|
 Marching
For Freedom:
Walk
Together Children and Don’t You Grow Weary
by Elizabeth Partridge
Ages 9–12
Told in the voices of men and women
who participated as children and teens, this powerful book
tells the disturbing yet hopeful story of the march from
Selma to Montgomery in 1965. The dramatic personal stories
are illustrated by striking and unforgettable photographs. |
|
 Keeping
Score
by Linda Sue Park
Ages 9–12
Jim teaches Maggie the art of
scoring a baseball game, and she believes her extra involvement
in the game helps support her beloved Dodgers. When Jim
is drafted and sent to Korea, she searches for a way
to support him, too. |
|
 Bamboo
People
by Mitali Perkins
Ages 11–14
Chiko (15) is pressed into
military service by the Burmese government. A scholar
rather than a soldier by nature, Chiko finds himself
involved in the ongoing war against the Karenni people,
one of the many ethnic minorities in modern Myanmar
(formerly Burma). Chiko is wounded and found by Tu
Reh, an angry Karenni teen. Told from both perspectives,
this novel shows both teens struggling with the prejudices
of culture and class. Themes of family, friendship,
and the circumstances of war are explored in this accessible
story. |
|
 Burn
by Suzanne Phillips
Ages 12–up
This thought-provoking book tells the
story of Cameron Grady, a badly bullied freshman who escapes
by playing with fire. When fatal results occur, the reader
is challenged to examine some hard questions about who is a
victim and who is a criminal, and how far a victim is allowed
to go in the struggle to stand up for himself. |
|
 Sojourner
Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney
Ages 5–9
Belle was born into slavery, and
when her master fails to honor his promise to free her,
Belle runs away. But she knows that she will never be truly
free when others live in slavery, so Belle changes her
name to Sojourner and begins to travel across the country,
demanding equal rights for black people and for women.
Pinkney’s glowing illustrations capture the charisma and
courage of this larger-than-life heroine. |
|
 January’s
Sparrow
by Patricia Polacco
Ages 8–12
The Crosswhite family witness
the brutal whipping of January, a slave caught while
trying to escape, and flee the Kentucky plantation
in the middle of the night. Young Sadie is heartbroken
when she realizes she has left the wooden sparrow January
carved for her, her only memento of her dead friend.
The Crosswhites travel through the Underground Railroad
to Marshall, Michigan, where they finally live in freedom.
Then January’s sparrow appears on their doorstep. Based
on a true story, this book is both horrifying and empowering. |
|
 Back
of the Bus
by Aaron Reynolds, Floyd Cooper
Ages 6–8
One winter day in Montgomery
Alabama, a young boy and his mother are riding where
they are supposed to—in the back of the bus.
The boy passes the time rolling his marble in the aisle,
and Rosa Parks, sitting up in the front of the bus
where she isn’t supposed to, rolls it back to him.
See through the eyes of a child, who begins to wonder
if maybe Rosa does belong up there after all, brings
Rosa Park’ s defiance to vivid life. Beautifully lifelike
oil paintings convey the emotional tension of that
famous bus ride. |
|
 Eighth-Grade
Superzero
by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Ages 10–14
Reggie McKnight earned the nickname “Pukey” thanks
to a disaster on the first day of middle school. So he
decides to hide out for the rest of the year with his
two best friends: Ruthie, a fellow Jamaican and political
activist, and Joe C. White, an aspiring rapper working
on a project at a homeless shelter with his church’s
youth group. Reggie becomes increasingly interested in
the homeless shelter project and his community, leading
to his eventual participation in his school’s presidential
race. There aren’t easy answers or solutions in this
book that deals honestly with issues of racial bias and
social justice. |
|
 Silent
Music
by James Rumford
Ages 4–9
Like his hero Yakut, who wrote
about the destruction of Baghdad in 1258, Ali turns to
calligraphy during the bombing of Baghdad in 2003. |
|
 We
Troubled the Waters
by Ntozake Shange, Rod Brown
Ages 9–12
This unflinching look at the
Civil Rights Movement by poet Ntozake Shange and artist
Rod Brown presents powerful scenes of the fight for justice
from 1941 to the present. |
|
 How
I Learned Geography
by Uri Shulevitz
Ages 4–8
Uri’s boyhood memories of WWII:
using geography and imagination to combat fear and rage
while fleeing Warsaw for Kazakhstan. |
|
 Borderline
by Allan Stratton
Ages 12–up
Mohammed “Sami” Sabiri’s
life falls apart when his father is accused of collaborating
with Muslim terrorists to poison the water supply of New York
City and Toronto. In the wave of discrimination that follows,
Sami’s mother is fired from her job and Sami is bullied at
school. Sami goes undercover in an attempt to prove his father’s
innocence in this gripping thriller that grapples with the
terrifying reality of racial and religious discrimination. |
|
 Climbing
the Stairs
by Padma Venkatraman
Ages 12–up
Set in World War II India, 15-year-old
Vidya’s father joins the freedom fighters who follow
Gandhi’s nonviolent protest of British rule. During a
rally he is severely beaten and left too brain-damaged
to support his family, who must move in with relatives
and work as servants. This novel movingly presents a
unique time and place and shows how love and hope can
blossom in even the most dismal of circumstances. |
| |
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