Days after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Hitler declared war on the U.S., unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships. Suddenly the waves outside Louisa June’s farm aren’t for eel fishing or marveling at wild swans or learning to skull her family’s boat — they’re dangerous, swarming with hidden enemies. Determined to help her mama and aching to combat Nazis herself, Louisa June turns to her quirky friend Emmett and the indomitable Cousin Belle, who has her own war stories — and a herd of cats — to share. In the end, after a perilous sail, Louisa June learns the greatest lifeline is love.
Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves
This middle grade historical novel set during the Great Depression is a moving tale of the spirit of American persistence, found family, and the magical partnership between girl and horse. Bea wakes to Daddy’s note in a hayloft, where he abandoned her with her little sister after the stock market crash took everything: Daddy’s job at the bank, their home, Mama’s health and life. How is Bea supposed to convince the imposing Mrs. Scott to take in two stray children? Mrs. Scott’s money and Virginia farm are drying up in a drought and the Great Depression, too. She might have to sell her beautiful horses, starting with a dangerous chestnut that has caused tragedy in the past and injures her stableman shortly after Bea arrives. Bea understands the chestnut’s skittish distrust. She sees hope in the powerful jumper — if he can compete at horse shows, they might save the farm, and maybe Bea can even win a place in Mrs. Scott’s heart.
Bea and the New Deal Horse
Looking at the past and how different historical events connect is as interesting as it is learning about those who initially investigated them. The latest Factopia book connects seemingly disparate facts while Famous Finds and Finders: Searching for the Past (opens in a new window) takes a brief look at who, how, and when discovery.
History FACTopia!
The title says it all! Brief but accessible information about a range of topics is ideal to dip into or spend hours poring over.
Absolutely Everything! A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots, and Other Things too Numerous to Mention
A teen nicknamed Wrecker becomes involved with a fake Covid vaccination card smuggling ring to further confuse his already complicated his life. By turns humorous and tense, this fast-paced novel set in the Florida Keys is sure to engage readers.
Wrecker
The “ick” factor combines with humorous illustrations and solid information to present the plagues that have afflicted people for centuries. From the bubonic plague to scurvy, the informal narrative is edifying, engaging, and well-documented — offering young readers a unique look at the history of disease.
Plague-Busters: Medicine’s Battles with History’s Deadliest Diseases
Few people realize that the fame of Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century painting was created in large measure by its theft in the 20th century. The lively narrative alternates between the artist and the search for the missing painting. Sardonic illustrations add humor and interest to this well-documented and fascinating story.
The Mona Lisa Vanishes
Wrap-around stories are used to present fascinating information in an inviting, accessible, and authoritative way. This title from the Science Comics series provides information about commonplace creatures now at risk. Another book, World War II: Fight on the Home Front (opens in a new window) (from the History Comics series), provides a look at the impact of the last century’s war on those not engaged on the frontline.
Frogs: Awesome Amphibians
You’re invited to a party for the late and ever-great poet of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes, held at the Schomburg Library in New York and attended by Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka. Inspired by a photograph, the author’s lively rhythmic language combines with illustrations made of handmade stamps for a party to enjoy again and again.
There Was a Party for Langston
Two Harlems, one a place where a cultural Renaissance began and the other a girl named for that storied community. Two styles of illustration are included — one shows readers the young girl who explores contemporary Harlem with her father, the other depicts the history of a place. The result is a unique, informative look at history and its continued relevance today.
Harlem at Four
On the night of November 20, 1969, eighty-nine young Native American activists crossed the San Francisco Bay under cover of darkness, calling themselves the “Indians of All Tribes.” Their objective? To claim the former prison island of Alcatraz, basing their actions on an 1868 treaty that said abandoned federal land could be returned to Indigenous peoples. Taking a stand on an island reclaimed as “Indian Land,” these peaceful protestors brought worldwide attention to the issues facing present-day Native Americans, as well as the centuries of unjust federal Indian policy.
Of All Tribes: American Indians and Alcatraz
Told in the voices of young people, a novel in verse about the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Author Jacqueline Jules, who was a school librarian in Arlington, Virginia on 9/11, tells the story of that day through a tapestry of poems.
Smoke at the Pentagon
New Orleans is known as a place where hurricanes happen … but that’s just one side of the story. Children of New Orleans tell about their experiences of Hurricane Katrina through poignant and straightforward free verse in this fictional account of the storm. Books like this can help children contextualize and discuss difficult events.
A Place Where Hurricanes Happen
Heroes are “curious, critical, and even uncertain in the face of adversity.” This was true of Claudette Colvin who planted a seed that started the Montgomery bus boycott. Her story is told from her point of view juxtaposed to the Rosa Parks, a lifelong activist. Cartoon illustrations and accessible language tell the story of how many people came together to effect change.
Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes
The development of the atomic bomb during World War II first originally presented in the author’s book, Bomb, has been recast in a graphic format. Dramatically illustrated, the story in history comes vividly to life in a fresh and different way.
Bomb
Around the world there are ancient “time capsules” waiting to be rediscovered. They come in the form of “ancient rock paintings, drawings, and etching.” Ancient cave art is presented in dramatic illustrations and an informative text peppered with questions. Extensive back matter concludes this riveting glimpse at human’s ancestors.
Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art
“I can’t wait for my hair to grow” is the powerful opening to this book, which lays groundwork for this compelling story highlighting not only the significance of hair to Indigenous peoples, but also memory, generational trauma, and the power of healing. Using three generations of hair as the medium, Lindstom’s sparse, poetic language (“Our ancestors say: Our hair is our memories. Our source of strength”) and Littlebird’s bright palette capture both serenity and hope. (School Library Journal)
My Powerful Hair
A window into a child’s experience of the Great Migration. Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North — one she can’t begin to imagine. Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains.
Overground Railroad
As the Revolutionary War rages on, Isabel and Curzon have narrowly escaped Valley Forge—but their relief is short-lived. Before long they are reported as runaways, and the awful Bellingham is determined to track them down. With purpose and faith, Isabel and Curzon march on, fiercely determined to find Isabel’s little sister Ruth, who is enslaved in a Southern state — where bounty hunters are thick as flies. Return to the American Revolution in thisconclusion to the middle grade Seeds of America trilogy.
Ashes
The Patriot Army was shaped and strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter. This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. He navigates the dangers of being a runaway slave in this second novel in the historical middle grade The Seeds of America trilogy.
Forge
When yellow fever strikes 18th century Philadelphia, 16-year-old Matilda’s life is forever changed. Contemporary readers are likely to see themselves in Matilda while being transported back in time through striking smells and sights of an earlier time.
Fever 1793
Based on the true story of a boy in Brooklyn who became neighbors and friends with his hero, Jackie Robinson. In 1948, when eight-year-old Steve learns that his African American baseball hero Jackie Robinson — who broke the color barrier in the sport the previous year — will be the new next-door neighbor in his all-Jewish Brooklyn neighborhood, he gains knowledge about respect, friendship, and unity.
The Hero Two Doors Down
Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this warm loving biography of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball. Jackie Robinson was an outstanding athlete, a devoted family man and a dedicated civil rights activist. Includes never-before-published letters by Jackie Robinson, as well as photos from the Robinson family archives.
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America
A portrait of the baseball legend, written by his daughter, traces the events that led up to Robinson’s historic signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers and his role in promoting the desegregation of baseball.