Fearless Mary: The True Adventures of Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver


Tami Charles - 2019
    A former slave, Fields became the first African American woman stagecoach driver in 1895, when, in her 60s, she beat out all the cowboys applying for the job by being the fastest to hitch a team of six horses. She won the dangerous and challenging job, and for many years traveled the badlands with her pet eagle, protecting the mail from outlaws and wild animals, never losing a single horse or package. Fields helped pave the way for other women and people of color to become stagecoach drivers and postal workers.

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis


Matt de la Pena - 2011
    This elegant and powerful picture book biography centers around the historic fight in which Black and White America were able to put aside prejudice and come together to celebrate our nation's ideals.

Noah Webster and His Words


Jeri Chase Ferris - 2012
    But who was that Webster? Noah Webster (1758–1843) was a bookish Connecticut farm boy who became obsessed with uniting America through language. He spent twenty years writing two thousand pages to accomplish that, and the first 100 percent American dictionary was published in 1828 when he was seventy years old. This clever, hilariously illustrated account shines a light on early American history and the life of a man who could not rest until he’d achieved his dream. An illustrated chronology of Webster’s life makes this a picture perfect bi-og-ra-phy [noun: a written history of a person's life].

That's Betty!: The Story of Betty White


Gregory Bonsignore - 2022
    Early in her career, at a time when women had little power in Hollywood, she starred in, directed, and produced her own shows, creating opportunities for other women and for people from marginalized groups. She has campaigned to end bullying and has stood up for the LGBTQIA+ community. And she has devoted much of her life advocating for the fair treatment of animals.This innovative picture book biography follows a young boy who is doing a class presentation about Betty White...with a little help from Betty herself! Whimsical yet fact-filled, That's Betty! tells the story of a life well-lived while celebrating Betty's many fans.A Who Did It First? Book

Mae Among the Stars


Roda Ahmed - 2018
    She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering.She wanted to be an astronaut.Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.

Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School


Janet Halfmann - 2018
    Lilly Ann read everything she could get her hands on, and through newspapers, she learned of places in the North where slavery had been abolished. She longed to have that freedom too.As Lilly Ann's reading and writing skills improved, she shared her knowledge with others by starting a school. After toiling for their masters all day, Lilly Ann's students would slip nervously into the night to attend her "midnight" school. Every noise reminded them of the painful punishment they faced if they were found out. But the students were willing to risk any danger for the chance at an education. Over the years, hundreds of enslaved men and women learned to read and write under their teacher's patient guidance.

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton


Don Tate - 2015
    Horton became the first African American to be published in the South, protesting slavery in the form of verse.

I Have a Dream


Martin Luther King Jr. - 1973
    The appendixes include texts of some of King's most famous speeches.

Send a Girl! The True Story of How Women Joined the FDNY


Jessica M. Rinker - 2021
    When she grew up, she longed for a job that was challenging, different every day, and required physical and mental strength. In 1977 when the New York City Fire Department finally complied with the Civil Rights Act (from 1964) by allowing women to take the FDNY exam, Brenda jumped at the chance.But the FDNY changed the rules of the exam so women wouldn't be able to pass it. Even a lot of men couldn't pass this new exam.So Brenda Berkman took the FDNY to court. In 1982, they finally made a fair test, and Brenda and 41 other women passed. Brenda went on to serve in the FDNY for 25 years, reaching the positions of Lieutenant and Captain, and was a first responder during the attacks on the Twin Towers on 9/11. After her retirement, Brenda founded the United Women Firefighters, an organization that helps train and prepare women to be firefighters. Send a Girl! is Brenda Berkman's inspiring story.

The Pilot and the Little Prince: The Life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


Peter Sís - 2014
    Antoine dreamed of flying and grew up to be a pilot—and that was when his adventures began. He found a job delivering mail by plane, which had never been done before. He and his fellow pilots traveled to faraway places and discovered new ways of getting from one place to the next. Antoine flew over mountains and deserts. He battled winds and storms. He tried to break aviation records, and sometimes he even crashed. From his plane, Antoine looked down on the earth and was inspired to write about his life and his pilot-hero friends in memoirs and in fiction. Peter Sís's remarkable biography celebrates the author of The Little Prince, one of the most beloved books in the world. A Frances Foster Book.

Little Libraries, Big Heroes


Miranda Paul - 2019
    From an award-winning author and illustrator, the inspiring story of how the Little Free Library organization brings communities together through books, from founder Todd Bol's first installation to the creation of more than 75,000 mini-libraries around the world.

Sharice's Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman


Sharice Davids - 2021
    And she never thought she’d be one of the first Native American women in Congress. During her campaign, she heard from a lot of doubters. They said she couldn’t win because of how she looked, who she loved, and where she came from. But here’s the thing: Everyone’s path looks different and everyone’s path has obstacles. And this is the remarkable story of Sharice Davids’ path to Congress.Beautifully illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, an Ojibwe Woodland artist, this powerful autobiographical picture book teaches readers to use their big voice and that everyone deserves to be seen—and heard!The back matter includes information about the Ho-Chunk written by former Ho-Chunk President Jon Greendeer, an artist note, and an inspiring letter to children from Sharice Davids.

Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston


Alicia D. Williams - 2021
    Now, her mama always told her that if she wanted something, “to jump at de sun”, because even though you might not land quite that high, at least you’d get off the ground. So Zora jumped from place to place, from the porch of the general store where she listened to folktales, to Howard University, to Harlem. And everywhere she jumped, she shined sunlight on the tales most people hadn’t been bothered to listen to until Zora. The tales no one had written down until Zora. Tales on a whole culture of literature overlooked…until Zora. Until Zora jumped.

Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement


Stephanie Roth Sisson - 2018
    Spring after spring, year after year, she observed how all living things are connected. And as an adult, Rachel watched and listened as the natural world she loved so much began to fall silent. Spring After Spring traces Rachel’s journey as scientist and writer, speaking truth to an often hostile world through her book, and ultimately paving the way for the modern environmental movement.

Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind


Cynthia Grady - 2018
    Before they are moved, Breed asks the children to write her letters and gives them books to take with them. Through the three years of their internment, the children correspond with Miss Breed, sharing their stories, providing feedback on books, and creating a record of their experiences. Using excerpts from children's letters held at the Japanese American National Museum, author Cynthia Grady presents a difficult subject with honesty and hope." A beautiful picture book for sharing and discussing with older children as well as the primary audience" -- Booklist STARRED REVIEW "A touching tribute to a woman who deserves recognition" -- Kirkus Reviews"[An] affecting introduction to a distressing chapter in U.S. history and a brave librarian who inspired hope" -- Publisher's Weekly