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“All men are born free and equal.” Everybody knows about the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But the founders weren’t the only ones who believed that everyone had a right to freedom. Mumbet, a Massachusetts enslaved person, believed it too. She longed to be free, but how? Would anyone help her in her fight for freedom? Could she win against the richest man in town? Mumbet was determined to try. This picture book biography tells her story for the first time, illustrating how her brave actions set a milestone on the road toward ending slavery in the United States.

This is an historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public’s fear of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War. In the spring of 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of cannons. It’s the Siege of Boston, the Patriots’ massive drive to push the Loyalists out that turns the city into a chaotic war zone. Elsbeth’s father — her only living relative — has gone missing, leaving her alone and adrift in a broken town while desperately seeking employment to avoid the orphanage. Just when things couldn’t feel worse, the smallpox epidemic sweeps across Boston. Thousands of people rush in from the countryside begging for inoculation. At the same time, others refuse protection, for the treatment is crude at best and at times more dangerous than the disease itself. Elsbeth, who had smallpox as a small child and is now immune, finds work taking care of a large, wealthy family with discord of their own as they await a turn at inoculation, but as the epidemic and the revolution rage on, will she find her father?

Who was Mary Katharine Goddard? Born in 1738, she was homeschooled by her mother in reading and math. She took over her brother’s printing shop a few years later and became an expert in printing newspapers, essays, and posters. When the American Revolution started, she published important news that helped the fight against the British — even if it meant that if she was caught, she’d be punished for treason. In 1776, Mary was asked to print the Declaration of Independence — she is the only woman whose name is on the Declaration.

The home of the United States president was built by many hands, including those of slaves, who undertook this amazing achievement long before there were machines to do those same jobs. Stirring and emotional, Floyd Cooper’s illustrations bring to life the faces of those who endured hard, brutal work when the profit of their labor was paid to the master, not the slave. The fact that many were able to purchase their freedom after earning money from learning a trade speaks to the strength of those individuals. They created this iconic emblem of America, brick by brick. Includes an insightful author’s note and a list of selected resources.

Commemorate the innumerable ways the African American community has shaped the foundation of the United States in this poetic picture book from the Caldecott Honor-winning team behind Freedom in Congo Square.

Black hands molded clay, chiseled marble,
rendered portraits, and painted vistas.
Black hands penned literary testaments
that have stood the test of time.

Since the United States won independence in 1776, African Americans have contributed greatly to the nation’s culture, politics, economy, and landscape. Black Hands celebrates the countless contributions of African Americans — from building the White House, birthing jazz, and landing a man on the moon to pushing for social justice. Black excellence, however, has too often been overlooked.

In the shadows of the American Revolution, a quiet signal could be the difference between victory and defeat. Anna Smith Strong (1740–1812) risked everything to help George Washington ― not with muskets, but with spycraft. Recruited by Washington’s spymaster Major Benjamin Tallmadge, Anna became part of the Culper Ring, an intelligence network operating under constant danger. From her home in Setauket, Long Island, she helped move vital information through enemy-occupied territory―where discovery could mean prison or execution. Her most ingenious tool looked perfectly ordinary: laundry on a clothesline. By arranging a black petticoat and carefully placed handkerchiefs, Anna could signal when a message was ready and guide fellow spies to the correct pickup point―turning “everyday life” into a coded lifeline for the Patriot cause. The book also includes an author’s note, bibliography, index, and a spy code so kids can jump into the world of secret messages themselves.

Prudence Wright had a spark of independence. Annoyed when the British king held back freedoms in colonial Massachusetts, feisty and fearless Prudence had enough. She said no! to British goods, determined to rely on her resourcefulness and ingenuity to get by. And when British troops continued to threaten the lives of her family and community, she assembled and led the “minute women” of Pepperell to break free of tradition. Wright rallied the first and only group of “minute women” to fight the British, changing history in the process.This untold story of a courageous and brave woman from the Revolutionary War continues to inspire today.

A powerful picture book about the real-life experience of a Japanese American boy incarcerated with his family during World War II. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, strength comes in the form of the small, smooth stone Min’s father gives him before being led away by FBI agents. In his absence, Min and his family do their best to keep their produce business afloat and earn enough support to get Min’s father released. But the FBI won’t release his father, and soon, Min and his family are forced into an incarceration camp in Colorado. Imprisoned on the dusty plains and facing both the pain of displacement and the injustice of being incarcerated by his own country, Min must learn to adapt and to find beauty―and strength―where most wouldn’t. Cowritten by Minoru (Min) Tonai, an advocate for Japanese American rights, Unbreakable is based on Tonai’s harrowing real-life experiences and has been welcomed with five starred reviews. In the extensive back matter readers will find information on the American incarceration camps and the campaign to release Tonai’s father, a timeline, a bibliography, author and illustrator notes, and questions for further discussion perfect for caregivers and educators to further engage young readers.

After a storm devastates the farm his parents have been renting, Junior moves with his family to Roxboro, North Carolina. The year is 1959, and the nine-year-old boy has to navigate the realities of the segregated South while adjusting to life in town. Instead of farming, his father works at the lumberyard, and his mother takes in laundry from the white people in town. Junior meets new friends who have a TV ― and their own books! These new friends offer to take Junior to the library, and he’s surprised to discover that in a clearing in the forest, there’s a log cabin that houses a library for Black residents. The library in the woods feels magical, giving Junior a sense of possibility and community. The books he checks out also help him uncover a secret he never knew about his father. This fictional account is based on a real-life library that the author visited as a child. The heartfelt text, accompanied by illustrations from award-winning artist R. Gregory Christie, celebrates family, libraries, and the resourcefulness of the Black community.

An adventure story about a son and his father who set out to win land during the Oklahoma Land Rush — if they can survive the journey. It’s 1889, barely twenty-five years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and a young Black family is tired of working on land they don’t get to own.
 So when Will and his father hear about an upcoming land rush, they set out on a journey from Texas to Oklahoma, racing thousands of others to the place where land is free — if they can get to it fast enough. But the journey isn’t easy — the terrain is rough, the bandits are brutal, and every interaction carries a heavy undercurrent of danger. And then there’s the stranger they encounter and befriend: a mysterious soldier named Caesar, whose Union emblem brings more attention and more trouble than any of them need. All three are propelled by the promise of something long denied to them: freedom, land ownership, and a place to call home — but is a strong will enough to get them there? 

When Helen was nineteen months old, an illness left her unable to see or speak. She struggled to make herself understood, and often lashed out when she couldn’t. With the help of a teacher named Annie Sullivan, she learned to spell words with her fingers, opening her world immeasurably. She soon learned to write and to read Braille, and even to read lips by touch; with Annie by her side, she went to college, and wrote an autobiography that shared her story with the world. She was lauded as a genius and became an advocate for people with disabilities, workers’ rights, women’s rights, and racial justice.

Discover the mysteries of history in this factoid-filled guessing game. Lift the flap to learn the purpose of each specific contraption. A perfect book for sharing together with curious children of different ages.

Dramatic descriptions of the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Tambora in the early 19th century open this compelling story of Earth’s warning signs, often left unheeded by humankind. This is the true story of how a massive catastrophic eruption plunged the world into darkness, altering the global climate and inspiring the likes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Black and white sketches enhance the compelling presentation which is fully sourced and documented.

Pocket Bear was created to fit in the pocket of a soldier on the front during World War I. He is now the mascot of a used toy store where stuffed animals are refurbished to be loved again. How Pocket and his friend — a cat who is a burglar — save the store and its owners while building community makes a heartwarming, surprisingly sophisticated, tense tale.

Mousse, the green-and-white-striped character first introduced in A Day with Mousse, decides to travel south with Barnacle, his walrus friend. Soon they are joined by another friend … is three a crowd? Original characters in lighthearted illustrations combine with an accessible tale of jealousy and friendship in this humorous and recognizable story.

Born enslaved in Maryland, Harriet Tubman became a force of nature with her determination and tenacity. Collage illustrations in a naïve style combine with poems chronologically organized by year to present a unique portrait of an icon of Black history. Resources are appended.

Growing up in the segregated South had a lasting impact on young Marian. Her words punctuate high points in her life and activism, and ultimately her impactful work with the Children’s Defense Fund. Resources and additional material are included in this warmly illustrated biography.

With lyrical text and radiant artwork, this poetic picture book explains the history behind Juneteenth celebrations. So Many Years simultaneously acknowledges the history of slavery in the US as well as the astonishing Black resilience that has led to an enduring legacy of Black joy.

On June 19, 1865, the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned they were free, ending slavery in the United States. This day was soon to be memorialized with the dedication of a park in Houston. The park was called Emancipation Park, and the day it honored would come to be known as Juneteenth.   In the voice and memory of the park itself — its fields and pools, its protests and cookouts, and, most of all, its people—the 150-year story of Emancipation Park is brought to life.

What’s the difference between a country and a continent? And what about a wormhole and a black hole? What’s the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? In space, on earth, in food, even in history many things are similar but are in fact quite different. Explore 150 pairs here through facts and illustration.  

This weird, wacky, and downright fun and informative look at how disparate things connect is a worthy addition to the FACTopia series.

A fascinating examination of manned spaceflight and the power of image — the astonishing photograph taken during the Apollo 8 mission. Sure to inform and generate talk between adults and young people.

A fascinating look at the early life of Japanese-American artist, Ruth Asawa, suggests the importance of lines and balance in her experiences in her life and in her art.

Before he was a household name, Cassius Clay was a kid with struggles like any other. Kwame Alexander and James Patterson join forces to vividly depict his life up to age seventeen in both prose and verse, including his childhood friends, struggles in school, the racism he faced, and his discovery of boxing. Readers will learn about Cassius’ family and neighbors in Louisville, Kentucky, and how, after a thief stole his bike, Cassius began training as an amateur boxer at age twelve. Before long, he won his first Golden Gloves bout and began his transformation into the unrivaled Muhammad Ali.