 Trapped:
How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the
Chilean Desert
by Marc Aronson
Ages 8–12
In 2010, 33 miners were trapped
in a Chilean copper mine 2000 feet below the surface
for more than two months. This riveting book tells
the story of those 69 days in 12 short chapters. Photos
and diagrams illustrate both above- and below-ground
scenes, showing the struggles of the trapped men to
stay alive deep inside the mine as their rescuers work
frantically from above. This well-researched and positive
book highlights the amazing technology and the helping
hands from around the world that transformed what could
have been a horrendous tragedy into an amazing story
of survival. |
|
 Children
of the World: How We Live, Learn, and Play in Poems, Drawings,
and Photographs
by Anthony Asael, Stephanie Rabemiafara
All ages
Children from 192 countries
around the world celebrate their homelands with words
and pictures. Candid photographs, maps, fun facts,
artwork, and poems bring the children from different
countries to life in this celebration of cultural differences
and the similarities of children all over the world. |
|
 They
Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist
Group
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Ages 12–up
This accessible book presents
the origins and development of the Ku Klux Klan through
slave narratives, newspapers, congressional testimony,
and other sources, against the background of the complex
Reconstruction era of 1865–1877. Photographs, engravings,
and illustrations provide a graphic context for KKK
terrorism and the societal forces that provide a growth
medium for hate and terrorist groups. |
|
 Raucous
Royals:
Test
your Royal Wits: Crack Codes, Solve Mysteries, and Deduce Which
Royal Rumors are True
by Carlyn Beccia
Ages 9–12
This fascinating mix of costumed
caricatures, interactive text, and quizzes encourages the
reader to participate in history rather than just read
about it. The combination picture book/graphic novel is
sure to appeal to middle grade kids. |
|
 All
Stations! Distress!
April
15, 1912: The Day the Titanic Sank
by Don Brown
Ages 6–10
This gripping account captures
the grandeur of the Titanic, the terror of the disaster,
and the rescue the survivors. The watercolor and pencil
illustrations capture telling details of of actions and
facial expressions. The causes of the disaster are clearly
explained and gripping first-hand accounts are included. |
|
 Let
It Begin Here!
April
19, 1775: The Day the American Revolution Began
by Don Brown
Ages 6–10
This book begins as King George
III wins the Seven Years’ War and realizes his country
needs money. The taxes imposed on the American colonies
eventually lead to the Revolutionary War. Told in a clear
and interesting style, young readers will enjoy reading
about this time in history. |
|
 Our
Children Can Soar:
A
Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change
by Michelle Cook
Ages 4–8
This beautiful book pays tribute
to 10 African Americans from the Civil Rights movement
to the present. The powerful illustrations by many different
artists complement the text, presenting African-American
history as the story of hope. |
|
 The
War to End All Wars: World War I
by Russell Freedman
Ages 12–up
This powerful book begins with
the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914
and ends with the Treaty of Versailles in 1918. The
accessible narrative shows the brutality and horror
of trench warfare along with the leaders and the new
technology that made it all possible. The ramifications
of the war—the end to American isolation, the Russian
revolution, and the defeat that provided a foundation
for Fascism and Nazism—are clearly demonstrated. |
|
 Ballet
for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring
by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan,
Brian Floca
Ages 6–10
This inspired book manages
to capture the excitement of dance, music, and stage
design while celebrating the collaboration between
dancer Martha Graham, composer Aaron Cop,and, and
set designer Isamu Noguchi. The book follows the
creation of a ballet from Martha’s original idea
to the opening night, highlighting the vital contributions
from each of the artists. |
|
 To
the Mountaintop: My Journey Through the Civil Rights Movement
by Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Ages 12–up
This accessible historical
memoir tells the story of the author’s harassment and
threats when she entered the University of Georgia
in 1959. Other chapters tell of other struggles for
equal rights: lunch counter sit-ins, Freedom Riders,
voter registration drives. The personal look at political
struggle is both educational and inspiring. |
|
 One
World, One Day
by Barbara Kerley
Ages 4–up
Sixty beautiful photographs
follow children all around the world as they eat breakfast,
go to school, and live a normal day. The global perspectives
of the numerous photographers echo the theme of one
global family. |
|
 Big
Wig
by Kathleen Krull, Peter Malone
Ages 8–12
This playful “history
of hair” follows our fascination with hair from
prehistory to the punks. The humorous gouache illustrations
beautifully complement the information about hair fashions
and follies in ancient Egypt, Mexican, and Indian societies
and through the royal courts of Europe to modern times. |
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|
 The
Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family and
Farewells
by Debbie Levy
Ages 10–up
This book tells the true story
of a year in the life of Jutta, a 12-year-old girl in
1938 Nazi Germany, and the author’s mother. Photos and
translations of comments from friends written in Jutta’s
diary introduce each chapter, giving a vivid picture
of an ordinary teenager in an extraordinary time and
place. This very personal and powerful book in verse
documents a year of change, confusion, cruelty, and farewells. |
|
 Canadian
Railroad Trilogy
by Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Wallace
Ages 4–up
The lyrics of Lightfoot’s 1967
song describe the construction of the transcontinental
Canadian Pacific Railway, commissioned to mark Canada’s
Centennial. Wallace’s beautiful paintings celebrate
the Canada’s natural beauty while also illustrating
the damage to First Nation people and the hardships
of those who toiled to build the railroad. Many paintings
show the railway in detail, while others focus on the
history and settlement of Canada. |
|
 Flesh
and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and its Legacy
by Albert Marrin
Ages 10–up
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory in New York City burst into flames.
The factory was crowded with workers, mainly young
Italian and Jewish women. The doors were locked to
prevent the workers from leaving before the end of
the work day, and 146 people died in the fire. One
hundred years later, this powerful book examines the
poor working conditions the immigrant factory workers
endured, the greed that motivated the bosses and owners,
and the courage of the workers who banded together
to change working conditions for everyone in America. |
|
 Heart
and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
by Kadir Nelson
Ages 9–up
From pre-Revolutionary slavery
to the election of President Obama, this powerful book
documents the story of a people whose struggles and
achievements helped to define America. The grandmotherly
narrator tells the story of injustice, courage, hope,
and inspiration from her ancestors arrival on a slave
ship to her recent vote for an African American president.
Dramatic oil paintings present the determination and
strength of both well known historical figures and
everyday people. The intimate and personal narration
make this inspiring book accessible to young readers. |
|
 Miles
to Go for Freedom: Segregation and Civil Rights in the Jim
Crow Years
by Linda Barrett Osborne
Ages 10–14
Continuing the story begun
in Traveling
the Freedom Road, this thought-provoking book examines
racial segregation and early civil rights efforts in
the United States from the 1890s to 1954—the
Jim Crow years. First-person accounts, photographs,
and other primary sources capture the period’s violence,
dehumanization, and individual and collective defiance. |
|
 To
Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story
by Casey Scieszka, Steven Weinberg
Ages 14–up
This entertaining travelogue
follows the author and illustrator on their two-year
goddess around the world. After graduating from college,
the couple taught English in Beijing, traveled through
Shanghai, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, and studied
the role of Islam in the educational system of Mali.
The present tense narration and cartoon sketches add
sparkle to the exploration of each country’s language,
food, traditions, and politics, while highlighting
the friendships made throughout the trip. |
|
 I’ll
Pass For Your Comrade:
Women
Soldiers in the Civil War
by Anita Silvey
Ages 10–14
This non-fiction book tells the
fascinating story of the women who risked their lives and
reputations to fight in the Civil War. Vintage photographs,
etchings, and memoirs illuminate the adventures and struggles
of the women who cut their hair and disguised themselves
as men to join the fight. Highly accessible language helps
to put these unconventional women in historic context. |
|
 River
of Dreams:
The
Story of the Hudson River
by Hudson Talbott
Ages 6–8
The series of watercolor spreads
traces the role of the Hudson River through the colonization
of New York, the era of steamboats, the building of the
Erie Canal, and environmental degradation. Packed with
facts, maps, and timelines, this amazing book manages
to present an astounding among of information without
overwhelming young readers. |
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