Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice


Susanna Reich - 2017
    Coming of age during the Great Depression, Pete saw poverty and adversity that would forever shape his worldview, but it wasn't until he received his first banjo that he found his way to change the world. It was plucking banjo strings and singing folk songs that showed Pete how music had the incredible power to bring people together.Using this gift throughout his life, Pete encouraged others to rally behind causes that mattered--fighting for Civil Rights, ending the Vietnam War, or cleaning up the Hudson River. For Pete, no challenge was too great, and what started out as a love for music turned into a lifetime of activism and change. His greatest talent--and greatest passion--would become an unforgettable part of American history.

Sonny's Bridge: Jazz Legend Sonny Rollins Finds His Groove


Barry Wittenstein - 2019
    His return to music was an interesting journey--with a long detour on the Williamsburg Bridge. Too loud to practice in his apartment, Rollins played on the New York City landmark for two years among the cacophony of traffic and the stares of bystanders, leading to the release of his album, The Bridge.Written in rhythmic prose with a bebop edge, this picture-book biography of Sonny Rollins's journey to get his groove back will delight young and old fans alike.

The Period Book: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up


Karen Gravelle - 1996
    With more than 300,000 copies sold, The Period Book stands out from the pack by specifically addressing younger girls. And with eleven now the average age at which girls get their period, this supportive and practical approach, providing clear and sensitive answers to common questions, is evern more welcome today.The revised edition includes a new introduction for parents and an additional chapter about body image.

Shaped by Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez


Anna Harber Freeman - 2021
    She grew up to discover a new firing technique that turned her pots black and shiny, and made them--and Maria--famous. This inspiring story of family and creativity illuminates how Maria's belief in sharing her love of clay brought success and joy from her New Mexico Pueblo to people all across the country.

Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars


Gary Golio - 2020
    But his childhood was interrupted when he lost his mother and his sight. How does a blind boy make his way in the world? Fortunately for Willie, the music saved him and brought him back into the light. His powerful voice, combined with the wailing of his slide guitar, moved people. Willie made a name for himself performing on street corners all over Texas. And one day he hit it big when he got a record deal and his songs were played on the radio. Then in 1977, his song--Dark Was the Night--was chosen to light up the darkness when it was launched into space on the Voyager I space probe's famous Golden Record. His immortal song was selected for the way it expresses the loneliness humans all feel, while reminding us we're not alone.

Charlie Takes His Shot: How Charlie Sifford Broke the Color Barrier in Golf


Nancy Churnin - 2018
    Sifford had won plenty of black tournaments, but he was determined to break the color barrier in the PGA. In 1960 he did, only to face discrimination from hotels that wouldn’t rent him rooms and clubs that wouldn’t let him use the same locker as the white players. But Sifford kept playing, becoming the first black golfer to win a PGA tournament and eventually ranking among the greats in golf.

A Brief History of Underpants


Christine Van Zandt - 2021
     Gain a whole new understanding of underthings as you:Learn which ruler was buried with over 100 pairs of underwear.Discover how people kept their underclothes from falling off before elastic was invented.Find out why some underwear was made from feathers.And much, much more!Zany illustrations add to the humor, and step-by-step instructions teach real dyeing and washing techniques used hundreds of years ago. Interact with the topic directly by turning the reveal wheel on the front cover to see underwear evolve through the ages.

Three Lines in a Circle : The Exciting Life of the Peace Symbol


Michael G. Long - 2021
    One line to the right. One line to the left, then a circle. That was all—just three lines in a circle.This bold picture book tells the story of the peace symbol—designed in 1958 by a London activist protesting nuclear weapons—and how it inspired people all over the world. Depicting the symbol's travels from peace marches and liberation movements to the end of apartheid and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Three Lines in a Circle offers a message of inspiration to today's children and adults who are working to create social change. An author’s note provides historical background and a time line of late twentieth-century peace movements.One line straight down. One line to the right. One line to the left, then a circle. That was all—just three lines in a circle.This bold picture book tells the story of the peace symbol—designed in 1958 by a London activist protesting nuclear weapons—and how it inspired people all over the world. Depicting the symbol's travels from peace marches and liberation movements to the end of apartheid and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Three Lines in a Circle offers a message of inspiration to today's children and adults who are working to create social change. An author’s note provides historical background and a time line of late twentieth-century peace movements.

Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope


Mara Rockliff - 2019
    Growing up Jewish in Bialystok, Poland, in the late 1800s, young Leyzer Zamenhof was surrounded by languages: Russian, Yiddish, German, Polish, and many others. But the multiethnic Bialystok was full of mistrust and suspicion, and Leyzer couldn't help but wonder: If everyone could understand each other, wouldn't they be able to live in peace? So Zamenhof set out to create a new language, one that would be easy to learn and could connect people around the world. He published a book of his new language and signed it Dr. Esperanto -- "one who hopes." Mara Rockliff uses her unique knack for forgotten history to tell the story of a young man who saw possibility where others saw only barriers, while Polish illustrator Zosia Dzierzawska infuses every scene with warmth and energy, bringing the story of Esperanto to life.

We Move the World


Kari Lavelle - 2021
    Ali comes an inspiring and empowering picture book about the small things kids do that have the potential to change the world!Meet some of the world’s most beloved movers, shakers, scientists, activists, dreamers and doers—in this inspirational book by debut author Kari Lavelle, who gently reminds us that before folks like Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Neil Armstrong, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Sylvia Earle were activists and trailblazers, they spoke their first words, took their first steps, and dreamed about the future.We Move the World introduces these folks and more from the past and present as models for what every childhood first can lead to. From first steps to solving puzzles and learning the alphabet, all the small things are only the beginning. They can lead to future activism and innovation that just might change the world!With Nabi H. Ali’s vibrant illustrations, which introduce memorable moments from history, We Move the World is a picture book that gives the youngest movers and shakers a chance to see how much is possible just because of the things they already do. The book includes robust backmatter that gives further context on each figure and historical moment, including the most recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Indelible Ann: The Larger-Than-Life Story of Governor Ann Richards


Meghan P. Browne - 2021
    

Welcome To Your Period


Yumi Stynes - 2019
    A frank, funny, age-appropriate guide for pre-teens about getting your period, from Dr Melissa Kang (a former Dolly Doctor) and Yumi Stynes (all-round excellent woman).Getting your period for the first time can be mortifying, weird and messy – and asking questions about it can feel even worse.But it doesn’t have to be like that!This little book is packed with honest advice on all the things you need to know: from what cramps feel like to whether you can feel it coming out, to what you should do if your pad leaks onto your clothes. Welcome To Your Period includes case studies, first-person accounts and questions from real teens (and answers from real experts – us!) so you can manage your period like a boss.

The Key Is Lost


Ida Vos - 2000
    When they go into hiding from the Nazis during World War II, they lose everything but each other.As they move from attic to attic, Eva and Lisa must rely on their courage, their imaginations, and the compassion of strangers to survive.Based on the author's own experiences in Wartime Holland," The Key Is Lost" is a moving, understated story about the will to live and how two girls triumph against tremendous odds.Best of the Year Holocaust Books for Youth (Booklist)

I, Doko: The Tale of a Basket


Ed Young - 2004
    It is not only grain from the field that he carries--he has also carried his master's child, and wood for the fire. He was there when the child became a man and married. And he very nearly had to carry the grandfather away forever. Luckily, someone wise beyond their years spoke up and made it possible for Doko to carry the grandfather home again instead. As ever, Ed Young has taken a simple fable and made it into a masterpiece of stunning illustration and expert storytelling. This beautiful and unique book celebrates the generations with great originality.

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph


Roxane Orgill - 2016
    Could he pull it off? In a captivating collection of poems, Roxane Orgill steps into the frame of Harlem 1958, bringing to life the musicians’ mischief and quirks, their memorable style, and the vivacious atmosphere of a Harlem block full of kids on a hot summer’s day. Francis Vallejo’s vibrant, detailed, and wonderfully expressive paintings do loving justice to the larger-than-life quality of jazz musicians of the era. Includes bios of several of the fifty-seven musicians, an author’s note, sources, a bibliography, and a foldout of Art Kane’s famous photograph.