All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom
by Angela Johnson art by E. B. Lewis

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom takes a fresh approach to the story of Juneteenth, a United States federal holiday celebrating African American freedom and achievement. Johnson, recipient of several ​Coretta Scott King Awards and a MacArthur Fellow, sets her story in a Texas community, when the day begins like every other day.  People rise early, preparing to toil in the cotton fields.  Gradually, word of the Emancipation Proclamation spreads throughout Texas, eventually reaching a young girl and her family. The narrative builds momentum as the day unfolds.

Join in the Celebration

Juneteenth for Mazie

Juneteenth Jamboree

Curated list of suggested books. Meaning of the Juneteen flag.

Listening to the Stars: Jocelyn Bell Burnell Discovers Pulsars
She Made History Series
by Jodie Parachini art by Alexandra Badiu

From her childhood, Jocelyn was particularly interested in the stars. By the time that she was fifteen she had set her sights on becoming an astronomer. As a graduate student she helped construct the first radio telescope and went on to identify the first four neutron stars. The 1974 Noble Prize awarded for this discovery mentioned only two men. She was not included as a prize recipient. Parachini emphasizes the numerous contributions Bell Burnell has made to astrophysics and of her efforts to support women pursuing scientific research. In 2018 Jocelyn used her three-million-dollar Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics to create a fund for young women to study astronomy.

Women Who Changed Our World

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 that he never knew existed. Eventually he would uncover a thirty-year-old family secret. 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. Yoo's narrative introduces several seemingly unconnected individuals and brilliantly interweaves their life stories. Jarod Lew wanted to understand his past. Vikki Wong fought for justice after the violent death of her son. Detroit auto workers Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz worried about job security when Toyota, Datsun, and Honda began to dominate the car market. Vincent Chin's life and death is the common factor that connects these people. It is a real life drama: a heinous hate crime and the resulting mobilization of the Asian American community.

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 

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.

Hear the Wind Blow by Doe Boyle ill by Emily Paik

Lyrical text, expressive illustration, and the science of weather are beautifully blended in Hear the Wind Blow, a picture book describing the wind. Beginning at dawn, when all is calm, with just a "kiss of air," the text progresses throughout the day as later a breeze sends leaves "scuttling in the gutter." Evidence of the approaching storm can also be observed when ocean waves begin cresting. The narrative climaxes when hurricane force winds batter a community and a family must take shelter. The denouement describes the storm’s devastating effects. Individuals move outdoors and neighbors work together to clean up and repair damage. Wires droop, and tree roots shudder- ​the world's atilt, without a rudder. Boyle's reassuring text makes clear that the storm will pass. But a warning embedded in the verses emphasizes the importance of responding to signs which signal potentially extreme weather.

Weather Spotting

The National Weather Service invites interested individuals to become weather spotters. Students may be interested in creating a school-wide initiative to identify and catalogue local weather patterns.  Charting and reporting on weather conditions could be an interesting activity.

Bronxshapes by Alex Rivera

Using photographs of common objects, Rivera celebrates his urban community with shapes found at a bodega, park, and vendor's cart. In addition to introducing geometric shapes, the book also introduces readers to city scenes that may be unfamiliar to those living in rural areas. Bronx Baby board books are chunky little packages of bilingual delights. Found objects are named and identified, expanding youngsters' English and Spanish vocabulary. A simple line of large text, with the noun boldly accentuated serves as a vehicle for infant and toddler language acquisition. These books make excellent gifts for welcoming a newborn or celebrating a toddler’s birthday. Package the books with shape blocks and a box of crayons for a great holiday gift.

My Shapes

William Still and His Freedom Stories:
​The Father of the Underground Railroad
by Don Tate

Born in New Jersey in1821, Still was the youngest child of his formerly enslaved parents. A pivotal moment for young William came when he helped a freedom-seeking neighbor escape a brutal assault. At age twenty-three he left home and moved to Philadelphia. Still found work with the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. His skills were recognized by his employer and he eventually became the society’s manager. ​During this time, William’s Philapelphia home became an Underground Railroad “station, ” where he assisted numerous individuals seeking freedom. He was astonished to learn that one of those he helped was his older brother.

Underground Railroad Heroes

Blink! (Imagine This!) by Doe Boyle ill by Adèle Leyris

Blink! invites readers to take an up-close examination of a variety of animals’ eyes. Consider these facts: The bay scallop has over sixty eyes. A dragonfly eye is composed of thousands of lenses. Yellow-glowing "eyeshine" behind the bullfrog's eyes helps it see at night. A whirligig beetle eye splits into two different parts for separately seeing above and below water. Boyle's lyrical verse introduces the eyes of specific animals. Leyris’ larger-than-life illustrations reveal anatomical details. Additional information appears within surrounding animal silhouettes.

Dragonfly by Aimèe M. Bissonette ill by Catherine Pearson

The evolution, developmental stages, appearance, and behavior of this species are presented in detail. Did you know that a Dragonfly will molt up to seventeen times before reaching adulthood or that dragonflies can fly up or down, backward, forward, and even upside down? Fascinating! This first person narrative is delivered via the species’ collective voice. The text shifts to third person for the informational bits scattered across each two-page spread. Bissonette introduces readers to precise terminology. Illustrations, descriptions, and some context clues assist readers with understanding these terms: naiads, nymphs, predators, molting, aviators, external, iridescent.

Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons
​by James Otis Smith

Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons is the comic we’ve all been longing for. Meet historical Black figures who come to life in an action-packed graphic novel. This trio of biographical vignettes features fascinating stories from the American west. Though all were born enslaved, each legendary Black adventurer left southern roots and moved west to freedom in Montana, Arkansas, or Texas. Their stories are true tales of hard work, courage, resourcefulness, and grit. Nevertheless, he injects humor and intrigue into the narrative. Smith has done his homework, creating back matter that is chock full of information, period photographs, primary sources, timelines, and other informational graphics. The color palette is predominantly earth tones, evoking the western setting. Each chapter begins with a full-page photo of the chapter’s subject. Includes an introduction by Kadir Nelson. ​

Stagecoach Mary

Mary Fields was a large, no-nonsense woman, packing an impressively fearsome rifle. Opening panels tell the well-known, almost mythical saga of one frigid Montana night in 1898 when mail clerk Mary Fields fought off a pack of vicious wolves.

Bob Lemmons

Herds of wild mustangs, comprised of up to forty females and led by one stallion, roamed over a vast expanse of the Texas plains. They were fearless. The prevailing method to control the herd was to kill the stallion and force the females on long marches. ​​Bob Lemmons had another method. To the mustangs, he was perceived as a stallion. Traveling alone with his horse Warrior, he studied a herd’s habits and recognized individual mustangs by scent and scant. Bob never changed his clothes and waited to eat until his food had lost all human smell. He moved deliberately and cautiously until he was accepted as the leader of these wild horses. Only then would he lead this herd to a ranch. There the mustangs would follow him into a corral. ​He eventually established his own ranch. This Texas legend lived 99 years.

Bass Reeves

Bass Reeves was a clever lawman who employed unusual tactics to capture wanted felons. For example, the Clancy brothers of Arkansas were wanted criminals with a $5000 reward offered for their capture. One night a quiet hardworking Black man arrived at the Clancy homestead, offering to work for a meal. He quietly endured an evening of insults from the brothers. After dark, Bass set to work and handcuffed the outlaws while they slept. The fugitives woke the next morning in irons and under arrest. They learned that the quiet visitor was Bass Reeves, Deputy US Marshall.

Additional Resources