Children. What do migrant children have to say about their situation? They live the experience. Day in. Day out.
Project Amplify documented what these minors had to say. Sixty-one young migrants from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Mexico describe in poignant detail their lives in detention centers. Warren Binford, a private citizen who inspects detention facilities, collected sworn statements of children ranging from ages five to sixteen. To protect each child’s identity, only the initial letter of a name identifies the author of individual testimonies.
This picture book offers a glimpse into the lives of migrants trapped in horrific conditions.

Back matter contains historical context, basic information, and a description of current conditions. There are questions to ask, things to think about, and suggestions for individuals who want to help relieve the youngsters' difficult circumstances.

Acknowledging these generous artists and their incredible work.

Cecilia Ruiz, Yuyi Morales, Juan Palomino, Paco Santoyo, Adriana Campos, Salomón Duarte Granados, Flavia Zorrilla Drago, Bayo Flores, Edith Valle, Gloria Féliz, Mirelle Ortega, María Lumbreras, Addy Rivera Sonda, Raul Gonzalez III,
Beatriz Gutierriz Hernandez, Daniela Martín del Campo, Dominique Arce.

This edition presents bite-sized chunks of information that suit the needs and interests for a wide audience.  It also considers contemporary issues such as  racism, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and DNA testing.

A conclusion suggests ways for both Natives and non Natives to advance toward better understanding. Back matter contains Notes, Photo Credits, Acknowledgements, Recommended Reading by topic, and an Index.

This book considers over 175 questions.  Here are a few:

Her earthenware came to the attention of an archaeologist who presented her with a fragment of black pottery. Maria was intrigued. She and her husband Julian experimented and discovered a process for making shiny black pots. Blackware fashioned by Maria and her family became a valuable collector's item.

In addition to describing pottery making, the narrative emphasizes culture, traditions, and religious practices of the Tewa. The authors use several Native terms which can be understood by using the illustrations and context clues for support. Aphelandra’s color palette of deep reds blending into rich golds and rising to a turquoise sky serves as a backdrop for Blackware. It is interesting to note that over time Maria's simple style of dress remains constant.

Shaped By Her Hands is a moving tribute to a great grandmother and her Native traditions. Excellent introduction to the technique of creating ceramics.

Back matter includes additional information on Maria Povika Martinez, Tewa People, San Idlefonso Pueblo, Authors Notes, and Selected Resources.

Beth tries to understand and manipulate events, hoping to make everything “better.” A quiet observer who clings to her idealization of the group, she goes to extraordinary measures to get along and go along, even when it doesn’t feel right.

Gilbert's characters, as seen through the lens of Beth’s perception, often reveal their personalities through dialogue. A hallmark of her writing is an exploration into the essence of each individual while simultaneously illuminating the group’s dynamic. Tiny intimate details give the story its emotional depth. One of the most heart wrenching scenes occurs when Beth stands outside her father’s house, but never steps up to his door.

After a series of missteps and misunderstandings, Beth finally acknowledges that music gives direction and purpose to her life. As she plays her violin, she becomes one with the music. Following her passion requires courage and a belief that embracing music does not mean the end of treasured relationships.

Frankie is plunged into a sordid life of drugs, violence, and corruption. He is required to carry a loaded gun, serve as protection and lookout on posse raids, package and transport shipments of marijuana. Membership in his uncle's posse lasts a lifetime. He may never op out. ​Things are further complicated when he is attracted a beautiful and talented student, an artist whose work serves as pointed social commentary. To make matters worse, her father is a police sargeant.

Frankie’s father dies. His mother and best friend are dead. The dream of studying in the United States has evaporated. His uncle’s syndicate requires him to kill and commit other horrendous acts. This is his current existence.
Frankie considers his future as a posse member and knows that can't go on living like this. The stress has become unbearable. He wonders: Is there a way out?

Hall keeps readers on tenterhooks. Will Frankie find a way to extricate himself from the posse? Can he salvage his dream of attending college in the United States? What will become of the relationship with his girlfriend? And ultimately, can he save his own soul? Is there hope?

Your Corner Dark depicts a world of poverty, desperation, and organized crime with an intensity and immediacy that doesn’t let up until the last paragraph on the final page. I couldn't put it down.

Hoping to connect with Papi at a park in San Diego, mother and daughter travel south with relatives. Tragically, they are stopped by border patrol and sent to a detention center. Conditions in the facility are despicable. Detainees live inside a chain link fence cage and sleep on a concrete floor with only a foil blanket. Unsanitary conditions and poor food threaten the life of Mami and the child developing within her womb. They endure daily acts of senseless hostility and cruelty.

Betita recalls her father's stories of their proud heritage. They are travelers from the land of the cranes. Now Betita is longer able to soar. Confined to a wire cage, hope seems lost. This resourceful girl discovers a way to cope. Her fourth-grade teacher showed her how to create picture poems, recording her life with words and images. She keeps a daily journal using her poetry and art to express her feelings.

There are no simple solutions. With little hope for asylum, there seems to be no influential individual that can rescue this suffering family. Mami eventually decides to sacrifice her dream of freedom and security to save herself and her two children. The plight of these individuals is painful to witness.

The Land of Lost Cranes, a fictionalized depiction of undocumented individuals, is gut wrenching. ​This novel in verse, exquisitely expressing a young girl’s longing, will find a place in the hearts of readers everywhere.

These picture books introduce youngster to tales of immigrants coming to American from Mexico and the Caribbean.

When a another cause for protest arises, the family proudly displays the poster backs featuring Lubaya's art. Her drawings beautifully illustrate the movement’s issues, adding an additional way to look at important concerns.

Nelson's poetic language precisely captures Lubaya's personality. Her verses speak in general terms of the need for socially-conscious activism. Illustrations flesh out a few specific social issues at stake. The words "Freedom Now" and "Clean Water" can be seen on two of Lubaya's posters. Williamson's signature style featuring vivid shapes on solid color backgrounds is distinctly different from Lubaya's drawings rendered on white rectangles.

Readers learn that in Swahili Lubaya means “young lionesses.” Using her unique skills, a young girl is able to make her voice heard. Not every contribution to a cause can be uttered. However, each individual can find a way to contribute and be heard.

From conception to birth, from early development to childhood, a mother and son navigate the complexities and wonder of life. With soaring poetic language, this young man is taught about his noble birthright.

Page design combines with Collier's art to create a visual stunner. Initial images depict the vastness and wonder of the cosmos. This contrasts with a subdued blossoming pattern. The concept of matter is simultaneously expansive and intimate. Realistic portraits stand out from a stylized background. The Illustrator's Note explains the significance of the flower motif repeated throughout the pages.

Camila constructs an elaborate charade to conceal from her family her passion for fútbol and her identity as La Furia. She tells her mother that she is with a friend when she participates in games and team practice. So that she can’t be contacted, she allows her phone to run out of minutes. She waits until no one is home to wash her uniform and pretends to study for an upcoming medical school entrance exam.
Her life is further complicated when a childhood friend, now an international fútbol star, returns to Argentina for a brief visit. It is apparent to both that this is more than friendship. The attraction is mutual. Camila faces a heart wrenching dilemma. Does she abandon her dream of becoming a world class athlete and follow the guy who makes her heart sing? Or does she remain focused on her life-long ambition and reject his offer of a life together?

This story is about choices. Hard choices. Camila agonizes over her decisions, recognizing that with each choice, she may be closing a door. Will she choose to follow her passion for fútbol or succumb to her desire to be with the boy she loves? Can she stand up to her abusive father? Will she remain silent? Can she confide in her mother?

Narration moves fluidly between Spanish and English. Madariaga flawlessly differentiates the varying degrees of English fluency among her Spanish-speaking characters. Singing flows beautifully as a natural extension of the narration. The longing, indecision, frustration, and passion of an older teen is clearly evident in this performance.

The author obviously knows and loves the sport. The play by play descriptions bring readers onto the pitch, delivering immediacy and fierce intensity to the narrative. Méndez storytelling is a polished gem. Her characters are multifaceted. The narrative reveals their sparkling qualities as well as inherent flaws. Their lives are messy. There are no simple solutions. Things are not perfect. However, there is hope.
Furia is intense, filled with desires and dreams, heartache and disappointment, pain and passion. Camila is a girl of my heart.

Born about 1832 on a Tennessee plantation, she set out to find work following Emancipation in 1865. From chambermaid, to companion, mission laborer, and restaurant proprietor, Mary was a hard worker. She had a reputation as a whisky-drinking, card-playing, sharp-shooter. She was well-regarded for her years delivering mail by stagecoach. She was the second woman and the first African American woman to drive the Star Route. She never missed a delivery, even when she had to strap on snowshoes and slog through wet snow to complete a shipment. Mary was so revered by the people of Cascade Montana that each year school would close in honor of her birthday.

Action. Intrigue. Humor. Fascinating tales well told. Kudos Mr. Smith. A must-have for library and school collections.

Learn more about these American frontier heroes with picture books created by award-winning authors and illustrators. Bonus: R. Gregory Christi's art print of Bass Reeves is available for purchase.