A poetic tribute to the victims of the racially motivated church bombing that served as a seminal event in the struggle for civil rights. In 1963, the eyes of the world were on Birmingham, Alabama, a flashpoint for the civil rights movement. Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Civil rights demonstrators were met with police dogs and water cannons. On Sunday, Sept ...

"Mama always said you should live a life the same way you piece a quilt...You was the one to decide how your story turns out." Irene Latham's quilt metaphor depicts the story's arc, while its details explore how perception forms. This is a poignant story of racial tension, misguided understanding, and loss. "Sometimes things don't make sense, no matter how hard you try to figure it. Them are the t ...

Young Moses and his family leave Baltimore in 1889 in a quest of owning their own land and head west, where they find themselves participating in the Oklahoma Land Run. Evocative paintings and spellbinding storytelling bring this pivotal event in American history to vivid life for young readers. Full color.

A story of tragedy and triumph, this book sheds light on life during the great depression through the eyes of a boy turned hobo. While it documents what life was like all across America, and provides interesting facts about hobo life, its strongest feature is a genuine and convincing lesson about the importance and value of helping others. This is a must read not only for history lovers, but also ...

Set in the late 1950s, this is the moving story of a young boy whose father operates a ferryboat between Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas. As young Mark witnesses the building of the new Mackinac Bridge, he is torn between family loyalty and eager anticipation. Full color.

In 1944, a vacant army base in upstate New York became the temporary home of over 900 men, women and children who had fled Europe towards the end of World War II. With little more than the clothing on their backs, Rebekkah and her mother are just two of the many refugees who come to live in the camp. Full color.

Raven and Ellison tell the true story of an all-black Little League team formed in 1955 in segregated Charleston, South Carolina, that was not allowed to participate in the Little League World Series.

Muted, neutral tones covey the gravity of war, while leaving room for the emotional warmth only a dog's devotion can elicit. One of the earliest-known "mascot dogs" allowed in the U.S. Army, Rags became trench mouse catcher, messenger, and guard dog. Even in the thick of battle, Rags and his owner worked together as one. A difficult sadness punctuates the text toward the end, but thankfully the ep ...

In July 1863 the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought outside the sleepy Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg. In The Last Brother the story of one small boy is told amidst the dramatic events of those early days of July. Though he is only 11 years old, Gabe is a bugler in the Union Army. He takes his responsibility very seriously; after all, there are over 60 different battle calls for buglers ...

Set in 1777 Philadelphia, this story of a young girl who is drawn into the events of the Revolutionary War beyond her imagining is a suspenseful tale of devotion, sacrifice, and patriotism with the stark realities of America's birth. Illustrations.

Louis relies upon his father's words of wisdom when a runaway slave and her two children come looking for safe passage. In this newest title in the Tales of Young Americans series, Whelan beautifully creates a suspenseful coming-of-age story while illuminating a difficult time in America's past. Illustrations.

The true story of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese Schindler, who, with his family's encouragement, saved thousands of Jews in Lithuania during World War II. As a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania in the 1940s, Chiune Sugihara had a chance to help thousands of Jews escape the Holocaust through Japan, but it was against his government's orders. When his five-year-old son Hiroki asked, If we don't help th ...

This sweet story shows the compassion of one man and the impact small acts of kindness can have on an entire city. This book is full of photos from the pilot’s life and scanned letters written by himself and the children who adored him giving an excellent first hand account of the events. Readers are left teary eyed at the big and small sacrifices others were willing to make just so someone else ...

While the 1783 Treaty of Paris offered freedom to our original thirteen colonies, the unity required for cooperation and influence was nonexistent. Creatively presenting the process of collaboration, debate, and compromise, this book draws parallels to student experience, reiterates concepts through simple, then extended summaries in the afterword and author notes. Well crafted.

It is circa 2600 B.C. in ancient Mesopotamia during a terrible drought, and Jomar and Zefa's father must send his children away to the city of Ur because he can no longer feed them. Alone in a strange city, the siblings must put aside old resentments to survive.

Eleven-year-old Willie McLean knows that General Lee will defeat the Yankees and win the Civil War, he just knows it. When a battle moves to the fields near his home in Appomattox, Virginia, Willie's thrilled--especially when General Lee, himself, comes to Willie's house! But then General Grant comes, too. Overhearing the two men talk, Willie hears one word: Surrender. Is the war really over?

Bronco Charlie longs for a life of adventure. By the time he turned eleven, he'd been a sailor, a cowboy, and could tame wild bucking broncos. But Charlie was always itching for new challenges, and when a Pony Express horse shows up riderless, Charlie gets his big chance. The next station is fifty miles away, and Charlie will have to ride through rocky mountains in the blinding rain to safely deli ...

On a dark, cold, and rainy night in April 1777, Sybil Ludington sets out on a journey to warn American soldiers that danger is headed their way. The British are coming! They have already attacked a nearby town, and it is up to sixteen-year-old Sybil to make sure that she reaches the American soldiers before the British do. With only a large stick to defend herself, and her horse, Star, for company ...