The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents (Presidents Book for Kids; History of United States Presidents When They Were Young)

It's difficult to write informational picture books. It's doubly difficult to create picture books on contemporary political topics that have a timeless quality, transcending the current political climate. These books can easily become outdated. Messner and Rex have brilliantly overcome this problem. How did they do it? The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents is set in the present at a museum that closely resembles the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

​Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Big Words)
by Doreen Rappaport ill by Eric Velasquez

This generously-sized picture book celebrates the life and legacy of the second woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Using her trademark format, biographical narrative interspersed with appropriate quotations,  Rappaport recounts important events in the life of this influential woman.  The U.S Constitution serves as a backdrop for the cover’s close-up portrait of the Associate Justice. Looking directly into the faces of readers, Ruth is clear-eyed and resolute. ​Opening pages feature Ruth as a young girl, her childhood filled with books and school activities, music and traditional Jewish observances.

My mother was the bravest and strongest person I have known.

Big Words: Picture Book Series

King Shaka Zulu Legend by Luke W. Molver

King Shaka: Zulu Legend continues the fascinating story of this historic figure, Introduced in Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince. As with the first volume, Molver sets the work of historical fiction within the context of a storyteller capturing the rapt attention of her audience as she continues her tale. ​This format emphasizes the importance of an oral language tradition, the epic "larger than life" stature of King Shaka, and mythological elements in this graphic novelization. With his rise to power King Shaka united many of the local clans resulting in the Zulus becoming a dominant force throughout south Africa. Shaka maintained an elaborate system of governance which provided protection and assistance while allowing local chiefs some autonomy over their own lands. ​It was during his reign that white settlers arrived on Zulu soil. Attempts to establish relationships between the Zulu and the British were difficult and less than successful.

Rich back matter enhances the work. Sections include: "The Story Continues," "How Accurate is This Story?" "The Historical Setting of King Shaka's Time," "The Challenges of Leadership," "Zulu Political Structures," "The Role of Women," "Siblings," "The Royal Homestead," "Zulu Culture and Beliefs," "Language and Naming," "Questions and Ideas for Going Deeper," "Glossary," and "Pronunciation Guide." Learn about the Shaka’s early life and his rise to power in Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince.

Charlotte Brontë Before Jane Eyre
by Glynnis Fawkes introduction by Alison Bechdel

​Charlotte Brontë Before Jane Eyre is an insightful and well-researched portrait of young Charlotte Brontë. Prologue features Brontë receiving a letter from England's Poet laureate Robert Southey. A series of panels focus on Charlotte and the emotions that play across her face as she reads his critique of her poetry.  Literature cannot be the business of a woman's life. This opening sets the stage for an illustrated chronology of the sixteen-year struggle for Brontë and her sisters Emily and Anne to establish themselves as authors. The 1800’s were not a period favorable for educated women who aspired to move beyond the traditional vocations of teacher or governess. Following the death of her mother, Charlotte is sent, along with her three sisters, to an austere boarding school. Both of her of older sisters die from "consumption" and the two younger girls are withdrawn from the school.

The four surviving Brontë children remain at home, where their imaginations take flight as they create an elaborate world based on a set of toy soldiers. They call their fantasy world Glass Town. It becomes the basis for their early ventures into writing. We will be the subject of tales and verse for years to come! Hooray for Great Glass Town! Eventually Charlotte and Emily return to school and prepare to become teachers. Both girls find the life of a teacher and governess to be distasteful. They want to write. Assuming constant care of young charges leaves no time for these accomplished siblings to pursue their passion for writing. They receive this advice: women cannot support themselves as authors.

Finally the sisters determine that they will find a way to see their work in published form. All three women submit novels for consideration. Anne's Agnes Grey and Emily's Wuthering Heights are accepted. Charlotte's The Professor is rejected. Fortunately Charlotte receives this encouraging response: perhaps she might write another novel for consideration. She gets to work on a story set on the moors. The main character is neither wealthy nor glamorous. She has endured a painful childhood. Despite difficulties the heroine is determined to succeed. Her name is Jane Eyre. Brontë writes, pouring her life and her heart into the work. When she is ready to submit her final clean copy of Jane Eyre she learns that if the publisher rejects the novel she must pay both sending and returning shipping fees. She risks a double payment if the novel is rejected. She decides to send the manuscript. I've been writing incessantly for a year- what will come of it?

Fawkes line drawings and ink wash are an excellent medium for the pastoral British Isles ​setting.

Meet Glynnis Fawkes as she discusses two of her recent projects.

Brontë Times Three

A Likkle Miss Lou:
​How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice
by Nadia L. Hohn ill by Eugenie Fernandes

A picture book brimming with poetry, rhythms, and song, A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice introduces young readers to the early years of a native poet and performance artist.  Nadia L. Hohn describes Louise's fascination with the speech she that was an integral part of her daily life. Jamaican patois, an English-based creole language with a West African influence is spoken by the most Jamaicans. At school, she was required to restrict her language to what was considered "proper" English. Louise was reprimanded by her teacher when she included words and phrases from Jamaican dialect in her assignments. ​Fortunately, she became a student at Excelsior College, where acceptance and appreciation for her native tongue was encouraged. ​Hohn's narrative is rich and colorful. She captures the flavor and cadence of the language in this sumptuous feast of poetic expression.

Fernandes' illustrations tell their own tale. Louise's face moves from doubt and discouragement to wonder and joy. The animated faces of her classmates and native storytellers feature a variety of warm shades of brown. Back matter includes an extensive Note from the Author with details on the life and works of Coverley. Hohn describes her own introduction to the works of this poet. A glossary, with photos of peanut drops and water crackers, is helpful. References contains a citation list.

Spread out youself deh, Liza. Dress ooman a come.

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Uber-talented Raina Telgemeier has done it again. She has created a companion volume to her endearing and enduring classics Smile and Sisters. Guts is also autobiographical. It recounts Telgemeier’s bouts with stress and the mental, social, and emotional costs of anxiety. This may be her most personal book to date, detailing her childhood panic attacks, phobias, and anxiety. She opens up about the distress that she experienced and her body's responses to these fears. ​ Beginning in the fourth grade, Raina begins worrying about vomiting, an experience that assaults all of the senses: sight, sound, taste, and smell. The possibility of throwing up, even hearing the word vomit becomes a trigger, sending her to the bathroom. ​Stress-provoking factors multiply. They include crowded living conditions, fear of speaking in public, the possibility of contracting the flu, and eating contaminated food. The result: this young girl spends her days and nights in a state of continual turmoil.

Raina brilliantly uses the graphic novel format to tell her story. She knows when to over-fill a panel or page with people and actions, reinforcing her suffocating claustrophic feelings. Panel placement is an integral part of the story, at times horizontal bands move from the top of the bottom of the page.  Full page panels set the scene and provide important background information.  A full page is a significant statement which invites readers to pause. One of my favorites is the full-page image of her sneakers.  As readers pause to consider what it feels like to look down at shoes and become "grounded" they can experience the value of this technique. Facial expressions and body language are a hallmark of her work. She effectively captures fear, frustration, and eventually, self-confidence. Panels which are predominantly green signal her moments of extreme distress. A swirling mass of worry and doubt encircle Raina in various shades of green.

​ ​Thanks Raina. It takes courage to relive painful childhood experiences. It takes talent to accurately record your experiences in comic format. It takes empathy to share your journey through dark moments with young readers. It takes intention to seek help through therapy. You are a woman of courage, talent, empathy, and guts. Readers are fortunate that their beloved author has shared her story. Thank you.

Telgemeier Treasures

Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins
by Michelle Meadows ill Ebony Glenn

​Echoing the rhythmic quality of dance, Meadows uses rhyming couplets to tell the story of Janet Collins.  The cumulative syntax traces her story from early beginnings to prima ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera House. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1917 and raised in Los Angeles, California, Janet displayed not only talent, but a love for dance. ​ In a time when dance opportunities were limited for a youngster of color, Collins found ways to realize her dream. Whether it was finding teachers or studying and performing other forms of dance including Spanish, Caribbean, and African, she continued to pursue her passion.

Young Ballerinas

Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson ill Don Tate

Deborah Hopkinson introduces young readers to an important historical figure: Carter G. Woodson. ​Born in 1875, the son of a formerly enslaved father and mother, young Carter grew up hearing the stories of his Virginian parents' struggles. Times were hard for this family. As a result, Woodson left school in his early teens to labor as a farm-hand, garbage collector, and coal miner. He and other West Virginia coal miners were often invited to the home of Oliver Jones, a Civil War veteran. Carter would read the newspapers to Jones and the other miners, researching and answering their questions.

Carter Reads the Newspaper is an excellent introduction to African American History Month. Use this poster with a display of books featuring biographies, historical accounts, historical fiction, and other works by Black authors and illustrators.  Download a copy of the poster featuring an inspiring quote and art by Don Tate.

For two decades Laurie Halse Anderson has been speaking out, giving voice to teens who have experienced horrific trauma. Speak has brought the shame and humiliation experienced by rape victims out of the dark recesses of suppressed memory. Acknowledging the suffering, the rage. Initiating the first steps to healing. In my early years as a youth librarian, Speak was constantly requested, always checked out. The story is as relevant to a fourteen-year-year-old girl from a small Texas town in 2000 as it is to a teen living in urban New York in 2019.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson It all started in 1999. Laurie Halse Anderson published her first book: a ground-breaking young adult novel chronicling the story of fifteen-year-old Melinda Sordino. Beginning her freshman year, this young student is ostracized by her former friends and classmates. She is singled out at a school pep rally for calling the police at a summer party. What Melinda cannot say is that she was raped at that party. School becomes unbearable. She is constantly confronted with the shame and agony of that night, as the boy who raped her is a student at her school. Shunned by her friends,

Speak: The Graphic Novel ​by Laurie Halse Anderson ill by Emily Carroll Publishing a graphic novel version of Speak is both an obvious choice and a brilliant decision. This visceral narrative translates to striking visual imagery. Anderson chooses to update the original story, including references to cell phones and Instagram. This gives the narrative a fresh, contemporary vibe. Her Author's Note serves as an introduction. A helpful list of organizations which support victims of sexual assault contains descriptions and contact information can be found in the back matter.

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson Told primarily in verse, this memoir covers a wide range of events and emotions. Part One shares moments from Laurie’s difficult and conflicted childhood, her rape at age thirteen and subsequent reliance on drugs to mask the anguish, the slow ascent from depression during tenth grade, her year as a foreign exchange student in Denmark, and her foray into writing for teens. Part Two explores the publication of Speak and the impact it has had on her and a world-wide audience. Part Three returns to recurring symbols and themes: trees, blood, family, and stories. She acknowledges her parents’ personal troubles, but is willing to maintain a relationship with each. What a generous heart!

Bonus: Additional Resources

Since my early draft of this post, a twentieth anniversary edition of Speak​ has been released. It includes a new introduction by Ashley C. Ford as well as an afterword by Jason Reynolds. This edition also features an updated Q&A, resource list, an essay, and poem by Anderson. I look forward to reading this updated edition. I’ve Talked With Teenage Boys About Sexual Assault for 20 Years. ​This Is What They Still Don’t Know  Laurie Halse Anderson Time January 15, 2019

Laurie reads "Me,Too" from Shout. Laurie reads "Listen" from the 20th edition of Speak.

Fearless Mary:
The True Adventures of Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver
by Tami Charles ill Claire Almon

Mary Fields was a stagecoach driver in Montana during the 1890's. Her story is fascinating. This former slave defied racial, gender, and age-related prejudice, serving as a mail carrier to Saint Peter's Mission. She successfully took on what was considered "man's work." Being "first" is hard. Not everyone likes the idea of a woman driving a stagecoach. Tami Charles weaves together incidents from Field's life to create a compelling tale: protecting mail from thieves, unleashing her trained eagle on would-be marauders, standing guard overnight to save her cargo from a pack of wolves. Remarkably, during her eight years of mail delivery she never lost a horse or a package.

Meet Mary Fields

Mary Fields, also known as Stagecoach Mary, is a dynamic individual. While much of her life are unknown, a few documents survive which chronicle her personal history.  Charles limits the book's narrative to Fields’ years as a contract driver. She softens her portrayal of Mary, referring to her rifle as an "iron weapon." It is seen only in shadow on her back.

Photos and biographical information History Stories website.