From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry:
The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
​by Paula Yoo

June 2012. Jarod Lew came face to face with his past. A past he never knew existed. He began a quest to uncover thirty-year-old family secrets. June 1982, Vincent Chin was sitting in front of a McDonalds when he was bludgeoned with a baseball bat. Days later, he died of massive brain injuries. The narrative introduces several seemingly unconnected individuals and brilliantly interweaves their life stories. Jarod’ Lew sought to uncover his past. Vikki Wong fought for justice after violent death of her son. Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz were auto industry workers during the years when Toyota, Datsun, and Honda began to dominate the car market. Vincent Chin's life and death is the common factor that connects all four. Compelling nonfiction recounts a heinous hate crime that sparked the growing mobilization of Asian Americans seeking justice.

Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz:
The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States
compiled by Warren Binford forward by Michael Garcia Bochenek 

The plight of immigrants arriving at the United States’ Southern Border is well documented.  Politicians, media outlets, community leaders, humanitarian groups, and religious organizations have weighed in on the subject.

Want to help?

"Project Amplify is a national nonprofit (501c3) launched to establish legal protections for children in government care." Co-Founders Professors Warren Binford, Hope Frye, Erin Albanese work to shape legislation and provide legal support for child migrants. All royalties from Hear My Voice/Esucha mi voz will be donated to Project Amplify.

Meet the Artists

Stories to Read and Share 

Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition by Anton Treur

It begins at the cover with intricate eye-catching beadwork created by Jana Schmieding (Lakota). The floral motifs, a hallmark of Ojibwe decorative arts, reflect the author's heritage. This book promises to be unique. Treur has adapted his 2012 book of the same title for a younger audience. It follows a question and answer format and is divided into sections covering a variety of topics such as History, Religion, Culture & Identity, Tribal Languages, Economics, Education, and Social Activism. The volume can be read cover to cover for a broad introduction the subject. Some readers may choose to take a deep dive into a specific topic. Others may opt to peruse the Contents or Index for questions of particular interest. Skimming through the book and pausing to digest fascinating factoids is another approach. It is possible to read the book differently each time you pick it up.

Treuer talks about creating a book for young readers.

Questions. Many Questions.

Mars is Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises by Suzanne Slade

On August 12, 2005 NASA launched the Atlas V rocket, carrying the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) equipped with a remarkable camera. Seven months later the MRO was orbiting Mars. Soon its camera began sending photos back to earth. The photos are astounding. Magnified images reveal Mars’ surface in detail showing rock layers, sand dunes, canyons, craters, volcanoes, and lava flows. The landscape changes continually. For example, the planet’s two polar ice caps are composed of dry ice. In spring, cracks begin to form in the ice, allowing gases to bubble up to the surface.

Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez
by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzales art by Aphelandra

Maria Povika Martinez created distinctive pottery that is highly prized by collectors. Her great granddaughter Barbara Gonzales and art educator Anna Harbor Freeman collaborated to tell her story with a picture book for young readers. Maria lived in San Idlefonso Pueblo near Santa Fe, New Mexico where clay was an abundant resource. As a girl, she was fascinated with the process of creating pottery. When her early efforts were not successful, she turned to ko-kōo Nicolasa to teach her. Her aunt used Tewa traditional methods: combining clay with water and volcanic ash, rolling the mixture into coils, then building the pot’s walls and firing the vessels for hours in a pottery fire. Each step was accompanied by special prayers. While still a young woman, Maria married and became a mother but never gave up her work as a potter.

Blackware began as a joint enterprise for Maria and Julian. He is credited with painting many of the pot’s intricate designs.  Currently, six generations of Maria and Julian’s descendants continue her legacy.

Hello, Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson

Sixteen-year-old Estella is an orphan living on the streets of London in the 1960’s. She lives with two sleight-of-hand con artists in the crumbling remains of an abandoned building. The trio’s principal source of income is derived from carefully planned and brilliantly executed pickpocketing. These lifters are masters of their craft. But Estelle is more than a common thief. Her passion is fashion. She designs and constructs stunning one-of-a-kind styles. This clever seamstress scouts high-end establishments for luxurious fabrics, furs, lace, and elegant accessories. With the help of her accomplices, she nicks the best materials and takes them back to the sewing machine in her grimy little hovel. The resulting ensembles are amazing. Estelle has a dark secret. There is another personality residing inside this resourceful girl-of-the-streets. It’s Cruella, a vicious and spiteful evil twin who occasionally pops into her head offering diabolical suggestions. Usually Estelle can keep Cruella in check by saying to her alter ego “Thank you for coming, but you may go now.”

Standing on Her Shoulders
​by Monica Clark-Robinson art by Laura Freeman

Mother and grandmother share with a young daughter/granddaughter her awe-inspiring legacy. For generations the women in her family have been trailblazers, creating a noble foundation for their progenitors. Due to their efforts, their descendants face the possibility of a bright future. As the narrative progresses, a vision of the reach of influential women expands beyond family to encompass a broad range of American women who have made significant contributions to arts, sciences, athletics, and activism. Individuals such as Shirley Chisholm, Serena Williams, Chloe Kim, Frida Kahlo, Mary Church Terrell, Ynes Mexia, and Megan Rapinoe are singled out. ​Clark-Robinson's succinct text consists primarily of rhythmic rhyming couplets. Alliteration packs a powerful punch. Excellent read aloud. For we are standing on the shoulders of the strong, smart, sage, and soulful ​ones who have gone before us.

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty

Esther is the middle child, sandwiched between thirteen-year-old Imogene and younger sister Astrid. She is the ordinary one, nondescript, often overlooked by her mother. What should have been a normal year at boarding school opens with several unexplained incidents. Esther’s best friends do not return for the next school term. Two new students have taken the absent girls’ places. A tiny little woman with a bizarre ritual for greeting her students is Esther’s teacher. Life seems to have taken an unsettling turn. School is the same. Only it is not. Set in a land of Empires and Kingdoms, it's a tale of mystery and magic. Mythological creatures abound. A Water Sprite absconds with a young child. ​ There are Faeries, Ogres, Whisperers, True Mages, Spellbinders, and Shadow Mages such as Radish Gnomes and Sterling Silver Foxes. They usually inhabit realms far away from Esther’s school. But lately they are sighted nearby.

What's Silly Hair Day with No Hair?
​by Norene Paulson ill by Camila Carrosine

Young Bea has one characteristic which differentiates her from her classmates. She is bald. Within the circle of her family members and close friends, this is generally not a problem. ​However, no hair becomes an issue during the school-wide Spirit Week. Thursday is designated as Silly Hair day. How can someone without hair participate? Bea and her best friend consider several solutions including wearing a wig, crafting fake hair, even staying home from school. Sadly, nothing feels right. At the last possible moment, the two girls brainstorm and come up with a solution that is “absolutely right.” Readers will cheer for Bea, a girl who has many interests, a wonderful best friend, and a desire to be fully engaged in the world around her. She is not a child to be pitied. Carrosine's sweet illustrations show Bea with a slightly enlarged head which gives her baldness emphasis. Facial expressions eloquently convey Bea's wide range of emotions.

Personal Connection

Viva la difference

Bird Show by Susan Stockdale

What do you get when you combine ornithology with fashion? Bird Show: a picture book filled with stylized images of eighteen birds. Avians run the gamut from common fowl such as jays and starlings to exotic creatures like the Royal Flycatcher and Marvelous Spatuletail. Human clothing such as cloaks, aprons, vests scarfs, and gowns describe each bird's feather patterns, coloration, and distinctive markings. A single bird is the star of each page and is accompanied by a descriptive rhyming couplet. Alternate pages span the double page spread, allowing ample space for expansive wing and tailfeathers. Glorious visual and literary imagery.