A 10 year old girl narrates this fictionalized story, based on real events and people, of how her rural southern town builds a new school for African American children with the help of Julius Rosenwald (then president of Sears Roebuck).
Dear Mr. Rosenwald
The lives and times of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln are presented through written and pictorial information in a scrapbook-like format. A well developed, tragic portrait of Mary Lincoln emerges as her life is presented beyond the assassination of the President.
The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Mary and Abraham Lincoln
Isabel, an enslaved 13-year old, and her younger sister are set to be freed but instead are sold to a ruthless Loyalist at the start of the Revolutionary War. Life in New York City during the time comes vividly alive as do the complexities of the war. The first novel in the historical middle grade The Seeds of America trilogy.
Chains
Lincoln’s own words punctuate this overview of his life and times including lighter moments. Full color illustrations exaggerate Lincoln’s physical features but complement the man’s complexity.
What Lincoln Said
Not only did Vinnie Ream work at the post office but was the first woman (and the youngest) commissioned to sculpt an image of Abraham Lincoln. Watercolors and documentation combine to present a portrait of an artist and the city in which she lived.
Vinnie and Abraham
The Civil War and the soldiers in Washington, D.C., infiltrated the play of Tad and Willie on the grounds of the White House. And their father still takes time to pardon one of the boy’s toy soldiers!
Mr. Lincoln’s Boys
The voices of Abraham Lincoln’s sons, Willie and Tad, are used effectively to reveal their father as both a man and as a leader during very difficult times.
Lincoln and His Boys
The friendship between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, the abolitionist who was once enslaved, is presented in richly imagined text and collage illustrations.
Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship
Luke and his father travel by buggy to pay respects to the train carrying the assassinated Abraham Lincoln from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Illinois. Evocative text and illustration are well-researched to capture the period from a child’s point of view.
Abraham Lincoln Comes Home
A straightforward overview of Lincoln’s life is punctuated by Lincoln’s words and commanding images. Additional resources for further reading and research are included as are sources used in this unforgettable book.
Abe’s Honest Words
Before leaving for Ford’s Theater, Abraham Lincoln reflects on his life — his accomplishments and disappointments. Realistic illustrations reflect the serious tone of this unusual glimpse of the 16th President.
Abe Lincoln Remembers
Drama abounds in what might have happened if Austin Gollaher had not pulled the young Abraham Lincoln from a swollen Kentucky creek that day in 1816. This engaging tale was inspired and expanded from a real event noted by the author.
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale
The basic life and accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln are introduced in free verse and detailed illustrations in an open format. A concluding note provides additional information.
Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books
This is the story of librarian Pura Belpré, told through the eyes of two young children who are introduced to the library and its treasures just before Christmas. Lulu Delacre’s lovely illustrations evoke New York City at the time of the Great Depression, as well as the close-knit and vibrant Puerto Rican community that was thriving in El Barrio during this time. Bilingual Spanish-English text.
The Storyteller’s Candle
Ali, a contemporary boy living in Bagdad enjoys soccer, “loud, parent-rattling music,” and Arabic calligraphy. Ali finds solace in it during the noise of war much like 13th century calligrapher Yakut. Dynamic, evocative illustrations make this book memorable, sure to remind readers that children are similar world-over.
Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad
Wangari Maathai’s native Kenya was a changed land, literally blowing away because its trees and growth had been destroyed. Rather than complain, she started a reforestation effort for which she was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Handsome illustrations combine with crisp text to tell the story of one person’s impact.
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangara Maathai
Self-taught artist Clementine Hunter used paint and canvas to record life in the rural south. Her work was first hung on a clothesline, much later in galleries. This attractive picture book biography concludes with an author’s note and actual images by Hunter.
Art from Her Heart
Not all pirates did their dirty work on the sea and not all of them were men. The stories in history and lore of the Sea Queens are presented in an evocative format with bold illustrations, separating fact from fiction.
Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World
Alexander Calder — Sandy — had a vivid imagination and a fascination with the circus; his sketches of the circus became 3-dimensional. Vivid illustrations combine with an informal text to introduce a man whose art continues to inspire and intrigue.
Sandy’s Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder
Dramatic illustrations depict a range of possible sabertooth cats, likely relatives to the cats that live today in the wild and in people’s homes. How information about these extinct animals has come to light is clearly presented and is sure to pique curiosity.
Sabertooth
Poems piece together the story of the quilters of Gee’s Bend in Wilcox County, Alabama. Though over a hundred years old, the art of quilting is alive and is now accessible through poetry and vivid illustration.
Stichin’ and Pullin’: A Gee’s Bend Quilt
This fact and fun-filled look at female contributions to the American Revolution provides a serious but lighthearted introduction to a range of known and unknown women. Affable illustrations include thought and speech bubbles.
Independent Dames: What You Never Knew about the Women and Girls of the American Revolution
The Sacrifice
When Colton Wescott sees this sign for the Pony Express, he thinks he has the solution to his problems. He’s stuck with his ma and two younger sisters on the wrong side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, with no way to get across. They were on the wagon train heading to California when Pa accidentally shot Colton and then galloped away. Ma is sick, and Colton needs money to pay the doctor. He’d make good money as a Pony rider. he also needs to get to California to deliver freedom papers to Ma’s sister, a runaway slave. The Pony Express could get him there too…