Bryan Stevenson's incredible fight to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality comes to life in this young adult adaptation of the acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestseller that was adapted into a major motion picture starring Michael B. Jordan, Jaime Foxx, and Brie Larson. In this very personal work--adapted from the original #1 bestseller, which the New York Times calls as compelling as To Kill a Mockingbird, and in some ways more so--renowned lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson offers a glimpse into the lives of the wrongfully imprisoned and his efforts to fight for their freedom as the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson's story is one of working to protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society--the poor, the wrongly convicted, and those whose lives have been marked by discrimination and marginalization. Through this adaptation, young people of today will find themselves called to action and compassion in the pursuit of justice. A portion of the proceeds of this book will go to charity to help in Stevenson's important work to benefit the voiceless and the vulnerable as they attempt to navigate the broken U.S. justice system. A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE
FEATURED ON CBS THIS MORNING
A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR PRAISE FOR JUST MERCY: A TRUE STORY OF THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
It's really exciting that young people are getting a version tailored for them. --Salon A deeply moving collage of true stories. . . . This is required reading. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Compassionate and compelling, Stevenson's narrative is also unforgettable. --Booklist, starred review PRAISE FOR JUST MERCY: A STORY OF JUSTICE AND REDEMPTION
Gripping. . . . What hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation. --DESMOND TUTU, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Important and compelling. --Pulitzer Prize-winning author TRACY KIDDER Inspiring and powerful. --#1 New York Times bestselling author JOHN GRISHAM
A BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE
FEATURED ON CBS THIS MORNING
A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR PRAISE FOR JUST MERCY: A TRUE STORY OF THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
It's really exciting that young people are getting a version tailored for them. --Salon A deeply moving collage of true stories. . . . This is required reading. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Compassionate and compelling, Stevenson's narrative is also unforgettable. --Booklist, starred review PRAISE FOR JUST MERCY: A STORY OF JUSTICE AND REDEMPTION
Gripping. . . . What hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation. --DESMOND TUTU, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Important and compelling. --Pulitzer Prize-winning author TRACY KIDDER Inspiring and powerful. --#1 New York Times bestselling author JOHN GRISHAM
New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin gives young readers an American history lesson they'll never forget in the fun and funny King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution, featuring illustrations by Tim Robinson.
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
This isn't one of them. What it is, instead, is utterly interesting, ancedotes (John Hancock fixates on salmon), from the inside out (at the Battle of Eutaw Springs, hundreds of soldiers plunged into battle "naked as they were born") close-up narratives filled with little-known details, lots of quotes that capture the spirit and voices of the principals ("If need be, I will raise one thousand men, subsist them at my own expense, and march myself at their head for the relief of Boston" --George Washington), and action. It's the story of the birth of our nation, complete with soldiers, spies, salmon sandwiches, and real facts you can't help but want to tell to everyone you know. "For middle-graders who find Joy Hakim's 11-volume A History of US just too daunting, historian Sheinkin offers a more digestible version of our country's story...The author expertly combines individual stories with sweeping looks at the larger picture--tucking in extracts from letters, memorable anecdotes, pithy characterizations and famous lines with a liberal hand."--Kirkus Reviews Also by Steve Sheinkin: Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery
The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
Which Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward Expansion
Two Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War
Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America
With acerbic wit and a hilarious voice, Shane Burcaw's Laughing at My Nightmare describes the challenges he faces as a twenty-one-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy. From awkward handshakes to having a girlfriend and everything in between, Shane handles his situation with humor and a you-only-live-once perspective on life. While he does talk about everyday issues that are relatable to teens, he also offers an eye-opening perspective on what it is like to have a life threatening disease.
Now adapted for young readers ages 12 through 18, the national bestseller that makes real American history come alive in all of its conflict, drama, and complexity
Lies My Teacher Told Me is one of the most important--and successful--history books of our time. Having sold nearly two million copies, the book won an American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship. Now Rebecca Stefoff, the acclaimed nonfiction children's writer who adapted Howard Zinn's bestseller A People's History of the United States for young readers, makes Loewen's beloved work available to younger students.
Essential reading in our age of fake news and slippery, sloppy history, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Young Readers' Edition cuts through the mindless optimism and outright lies found in most textbooks that are often not even really written by their authors. Loewen is, as historian Carol Kammen has said, the history teacher we all should have had. Beginning with pre-Columbian history and then covering characters and events as diverse as the first Thanksgiving, Helen Keller, the My Lai massacre, 9/11, and the Iraq War, Loewen's lively, provocative telling of American history is a counter-textbook that retells the story of the American past (The Nation).
This streamlined young readers' edition is rich in vivid details and quotations from primary sources that poke holes in the textbook versions of history and help students develop a deeper understanding of our world. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Young Readers' Edition brings this classic text to a new generation of readers (and their parents and teachers) who will welcome and value its honesty, its humor, and its integrity.
"Who better to raise teens' awareness of mental illness and health than the YA authors they admire?" --Booklist (starred review) "[A] much-needed, enlightening book." --School Library Journal (starred review) Your favorite YA authors including Ellen Hopkins, Maureen Johnson, and more recount their own experiences with mental health in this raw, real, and powerful collection of essays that explores everything from ADD to PTSD. Have you ever felt like you just couldn't get out of bed? Not the occasional morning, but every day? Do you find yourself listening to a voice in your head that says "you're not good enough," "not good looking enough," "not thin enough," or "not smart enough"? Have you ever found yourself unable to do homework or pay attention in class unless everything is "just so" on your desk? Everyone has had days like that, but what if you have them every day? You're not alone. Millions of people are going through similar things. However issues around mental health still tend to be treated as something shrouded in shame or discussed in whispers. It's easier to have a broken bone--something tangible that can be "fixed"--than to have a mental illness, and easier to have a discussion about sex than it is to have one about mental health. Life Inside My Mind is an anthology of true-life events from writers of this generation, for this generation. These essays tackle everything from neurodiversity to addiction to OCD to PTSD and much more. The goals of this book range from providing a home to those who are feeling alone, awareness to those who are witnessing a friend or family member struggle, and to open the floodgates to conversation.
A beautifully illustrated book that covers the essential life skills that kids need to know
Discover how you can become the awesome person you want to be with this guide to essential life skills for kids. This life book tackles the difficulties that kids face and helps prepare them for whatever the future may hold.
Inside the pages of your essential life skills book, you'll discover: - Life skills education is an important topic, especially for children, as highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO)
- Beautiful illustrations accompanied by stunning photography help to engage readers to digest complex topics like understanding body language and decision making
- Topics that drill down into all the different aspects of life skills education for 7-9-year-olds, such as communication, solving problems, making decisions, understanding yourself and others, critical thinking skills, and coping in difficult times
- Practical advice on how to think up solutions for difficult problems, how to work with other people as a team, and how to write a feelings diary using mindfulness An illustrated guide book for kids that includes practical advice and real-life examples that teach problem-solving, how to make good decisions, and excellent communication skills. Kids will learn how to better understand themselves and others, as well as create coping strategies for difficult situations. Kids can work through engaging activities like making mind maps, thinking about body language, and putting themselves in someone else's shoes. Developing life skills not only leads to better prospects at school and in a future career, but it also gives young people higher self-esteem to aim for a bright, secure and happy future.
Discover how you can become the awesome person you want to be with this guide to essential life skills for kids. This life book tackles the difficulties that kids face and helps prepare them for whatever the future may hold.
Inside the pages of your essential life skills book, you'll discover: - Life skills education is an important topic, especially for children, as highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO)
- Beautiful illustrations accompanied by stunning photography help to engage readers to digest complex topics like understanding body language and decision making
- Topics that drill down into all the different aspects of life skills education for 7-9-year-olds, such as communication, solving problems, making decisions, understanding yourself and others, critical thinking skills, and coping in difficult times
- Practical advice on how to think up solutions for difficult problems, how to work with other people as a team, and how to write a feelings diary using mindfulness An illustrated guide book for kids that includes practical advice and real-life examples that teach problem-solving, how to make good decisions, and excellent communication skills. Kids will learn how to better understand themselves and others, as well as create coping strategies for difficult situations. Kids can work through engaging activities like making mind maps, thinking about body language, and putting themselves in someone else's shoes. Developing life skills not only leads to better prospects at school and in a future career, but it also gives young people higher self-esteem to aim for a bright, secure and happy future.
There's a lot a guy needs to know as he grows up and makes his way in the world. And a lot of it, he wouldn't necessarily want to have to ask about because then, well, people would know he didn't know what he was doing! For all the guys out there who want to have it all together, Jonathan Catherman offers this collection of one hundred step-by-step instructions on almost everything a guy needs to know, including how to
- wear cologne correctly
- manage a credit card
- talk to a girl
- plan a date
- write a résumé
- ask for a reference
- clean a bathroom
- throw a football
- change a tire
- behave during a traffic stop
- fold a shirt
- tie a tie
- grill a steak
- clear a sink drain
- find a stud in a wall
In fact, if it's in here, it's an important skill or character trait practiced by capable and confident men. With great illustrations and a supporting website, this all-in-one reference tool for young men in the making is the perfect gift for birthdays, graduations, or any occasion.
- wear cologne correctly
- manage a credit card
- talk to a girl
- plan a date
- write a résumé
- ask for a reference
- clean a bathroom
- throw a football
- change a tire
- behave during a traffic stop
- fold a shirt
- tie a tie
- grill a steak
- clear a sink drain
- find a stud in a wall
In fact, if it's in here, it's an important skill or character trait practiced by capable and confident men. With great illustrations and a supporting website, this all-in-one reference tool for young men in the making is the perfect gift for birthdays, graduations, or any occasion.
Get inside the head of Michelle Obama: author, lawyer, humanitarian, and the trailblazing first Black woman to serve as First Lady of the United States.This collection of quotes has been carefully curated from Michelle Obama's numerous public statements--interviews, books, social media posts, television appearances, and more. It's a comprehensive picture of her legacy as one of America's most recognizable and influential women, specifically geared toward middle and high school readers. The quotes in the collection touch on education, friendship and community, life lessons, America, the role of First Lady, making change, inequality and injustice, and more. This edition includes educational materials and resources for lesson plans designed to provoke discussion and thought for readers in grades 7-12 about Michelle Obama's ideas.
Michelle Obama has been challenging others' expectations since she was a young woman growing up on Chicago's South Side. When a high school counselor told her, "I'm not sure you're Princeton material," Obama graduated as the salutatorian and went off to Princeton anyway. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Obama spent several years as an attorney at a prestigious Chicago law firm before committing her efforts to public service and community outreach. When her husband, Barack Obama, was elected president in 2008, she began a new chapter of her life as the first Black woman to serve as First Lady of the United States of America. While always conscious of the unique pressures and difficulties of her role, Obama made it her mission to present her authentic self to the American people. Her pride in and openness about the aspects of her identity that made her unusual among First Ladies--including her race, working-class upbringing, career path, and educational achievement--made her a figure beloved by the general public.
Since emerging on the global stage, Obama has become a source of inspiration for young people all over the world, largely due to her engaging authenticity and candor. Now, Michelle Obama: In Her Own Words offers a unique look into the mind of one of the world's most influential women by collecting 200 of her most insightful quotes. Meticulously curated from interviews, speeches, statements, and other sources, Michelle Obama: In Her Own Words creates a comprehensive picture of Michelle Obama, her wisdom, and her legacy.
Special educational materials for classrooms are available from Agate Publishing.
Michelle Obama has been challenging others' expectations since she was a young woman growing up on Chicago's South Side. When a high school counselor told her, "I'm not sure you're Princeton material," Obama graduated as the salutatorian and went off to Princeton anyway. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Obama spent several years as an attorney at a prestigious Chicago law firm before committing her efforts to public service and community outreach. When her husband, Barack Obama, was elected president in 2008, she began a new chapter of her life as the first Black woman to serve as First Lady of the United States of America. While always conscious of the unique pressures and difficulties of her role, Obama made it her mission to present her authentic self to the American people. Her pride in and openness about the aspects of her identity that made her unusual among First Ladies--including her race, working-class upbringing, career path, and educational achievement--made her a figure beloved by the general public.
Since emerging on the global stage, Obama has become a source of inspiration for young people all over the world, largely due to her engaging authenticity and candor. Now, Michelle Obama: In Her Own Words offers a unique look into the mind of one of the world's most influential women by collecting 200 of her most insightful quotes. Meticulously curated from interviews, speeches, statements, and other sources, Michelle Obama: In Her Own Words creates a comprehensive picture of Michelle Obama, her wisdom, and her legacy.
Special educational materials for classrooms are available from Agate Publishing.
A stunning visual autobiography of two crazy-talented besties, bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds and painter Jason Griffin, who could never be who they are singularly if they weren't who they were together. Once upon a time in America, there were two Jasons. Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin. One a poet. One an artist. One Black. One white. Two voices. One journey in mind: to move to New York, the city of dreams, to make their own dreams come true. Willing to have a life not un-hard, so long as it wasn't unhappy. Willing to let the city swallow them whole, so long as it gives them their chance. They had each other. "What if painting was a sin, and the poetry became taboo. And no one ever clapped for me again. My question is, would you?" They clapped. Oh, they clapped. And aren't we glad?
A powerful collection of essays from actors, activists, athletes, politicians, musicians, writers, and teens, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, actress Alia Shawkat, actor Maulik Pancholy, poet Azure Antoinette, teen activist Gavin Grimm, and many, many others, each writing about a time in their youth when they were held back because of their race, gender, or sexual identity--but persisted. Aren't you a terrorist? There are no roles for people who look like you. That's a sin. No girls allowed. They've heard it all. Actress Alia Shawkat reflects on all the parts she was told she was too ethnic to play. Former NFL player Wade Davis recalls his bullying of gay classmates in an attempt to hide his own sexuality. Teen Gavin Grimm shares the story that led to one of the infamous bathroom bills, and how he's fighting it. Holocaust survivor Fanny Starr tells of her harrowing time in Aushwitz, where she watched her family disappear, one by one. What made them rise up through the hate? What made them overcome the obstacles of their childhood to achieve extraordinary success? How did they break out of society's limited view of who they are and find their way to the beautiful and hard-won lives they live today? With a foreword by Minnesota senator and up-and-coming Democratic party leader Amy Klobuchar, these essays share deeply personal stories of resilience, faith, love, and, yes, persistence. An International Latino Book Award Winner
A National Council for Social Studies Selection Each tale is a soulful testament to the endurance of the human spirit and reminds readers that they are not alone in their search for self. . . . An unflinchingly honest book that should be required reading for every young person in America. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review An invaluable collection of snapshots of American society. --VOYA, starred review [A] gem of a book. . . . There's a lot to study here and talk about on the way to becoming kinder, more empathetic, and most important, compassionate. --Booklist Readers encountering injustice in their own lives may be compelled to take heart--and even action. --Publishers Weekly A powerful collection of voices. --SLJ The sheer variation in writing styles, subject-matters, and structure to these narratives provides readers with inspiration in assorted forms and a complex interpretation of what it means to persist. --The Bulletin
A National Council for Social Studies Selection Each tale is a soulful testament to the endurance of the human spirit and reminds readers that they are not alone in their search for self. . . . An unflinchingly honest book that should be required reading for every young person in America. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review An invaluable collection of snapshots of American society. --VOYA, starred review [A] gem of a book. . . . There's a lot to study here and talk about on the way to becoming kinder, more empathetic, and most important, compassionate. --Booklist Readers encountering injustice in their own lives may be compelled to take heart--and even action. --Publishers Weekly A powerful collection of voices. --SLJ The sheer variation in writing styles, subject-matters, and structure to these narratives provides readers with inspiration in assorted forms and a complex interpretation of what it means to persist. --The Bulletin
Discover an extraordinary tale of friendship and survival between a man and a dog in World War II in this young readers' adaptation of the New York Times bestseller No Better Friend. No Better Friend tells the incredible true story of Frank Williams, a radarman in Britain's Royal Air Force, and Judy, a purebred pointer, who met as prisoners of war during World War II. Judy, who became the war's only official canine POW, was a fiercely loyal dog who sensed danger--warning her fellow prisoners of imminent attacks and protecting them from brutal beatings. Frank and Judy's friendship, an unbreakable bond forged in the worst circumstances, is one of the great recently unearthed stories of World War II. As they discover Frank and Judy's story in this specially adapted text, young readers will also learn about key World War II moments through informative and engaging sidebars, maps, photographs, and a timeline.
Astonishing comics about world-changing women. What could possibly be better? --NEIL GAIMAN Thoughtful, timely and super-engaging. --JACQUELINE WOODSON I wish I'd had Noisemakers when I was growing up. --ALISON BECHDEL From the creators of Kazoo magazine, a quarterly magazine for girls ages 5-12, which Amy Poehler's Smart Girls called required reading, comes a graphic novel anthology of women who are not afraid to make some noise! Did anyone ever get anywhere by being quiet? To change anything, you have to make some noise! From the creators of the award-winning Kazoo magazine comes a look at the lives of 25 extraordinary women through the eyes of 25 extraordinary comic artists. In chapters titled Grow, Tinker, Play, Create, Rally, and Explore, you'll meet Eugenie Clark, who swam with sharks, Raye Montague, who revolutionized the design process for ships, Hedy Lamarr, a beautiful actress and brilliant inventor, Julia Child, a chef who wasn't afraid to make mistakes, Kate Warne, the first female detective, who saved the life of President-Elect Abraham Lincoln, and many more. In 25 distinct styles from some of the most exciting comic artists, Noisemakers makes for great Women's History Month reading and is perfect for everyone who is not afraid to use their voice and for those who could use a little boost.
This inspiring memoir, now adapted for young adults, chronicles Top Chef star and Forbes and Zagat 30 Under 30 phenom Kwame Onwuachi's incredible and odds-defying fame in the food world after a tough childhood in the Bronx and Nigeria.
Food was Kwame Onwuachi's first great love. He connected to cooking via his mother, in the family's modest Bronx apartment. From that spark, he launched his own catering company with twenty thousand dollars he made selling candy on the subway and trained in the kitchens of some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country. He faced many challenges on the road to success, including breaking free of a dangerous downward spiral due to temptation and easy money, and grappling with just how unwelcoming the world of fine dining can be for people of color. Born on Long Island and raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana, Kwame Onwuachi's incredible story is one of survival and ingenuity in the face of adversity. Praise for the adult edition of NOTES FROM A YOUNG BLACK CHEF Kwame Onwuachi's story shines a light on food and culture not just in American restaurants or African American communities but around the world. --Questlove Fierce and inspiring. . . . This rip-roaring tale of ambition is also a sobering account of racism in and out of the food industry. --New York Tiimes Book Review
Food was Kwame Onwuachi's first great love. He connected to cooking via his mother, in the family's modest Bronx apartment. From that spark, he launched his own catering company with twenty thousand dollars he made selling candy on the subway and trained in the kitchens of some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country. He faced many challenges on the road to success, including breaking free of a dangerous downward spiral due to temptation and easy money, and grappling with just how unwelcoming the world of fine dining can be for people of color. Born on Long Island and raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana, Kwame Onwuachi's incredible story is one of survival and ingenuity in the face of adversity. Praise for the adult edition of NOTES FROM A YOUNG BLACK CHEF Kwame Onwuachi's story shines a light on food and culture not just in American restaurants or African American communities but around the world. --Questlove Fierce and inspiring. . . . This rip-roaring tale of ambition is also a sobering account of racism in and out of the food industry. --New York Tiimes Book Review
Review every skill and question type needed for SAT success - with eight total practice tests.
The Official SAT Study Guide includes eight official SAT(R) practice tests - all of them created by the test maker. As part of the College Board's commitment to transparency, all practice tests are available on the College Board's website, but The Official SAT Study Guide is the only place to find them in print along with over 250 pages of additional instruction, guidance, and test information. With guidance and practice problems that reflect the most recent information, this edition takes the best-selling SAT guide and makes it even more relevant and useful. Be ready for the SAT with strategies and up-to-date information straight from the exam writers. The Official SAT Study Guide will help students get ready for the SAT with:- 8 official SAT practice tests, written in the exact same process and by the same team of authors as
the actual exam
- detailed descriptions of the math and evidenced based reading and writing sections
- targeted practice questions for each SAT question type
- seamless integration with Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy. Note: The optional SAT Essay is discontinued for weekend SAT.
A timely and essential history of Black voter suppression, adapted from the National Book Award longlisted adult book
This young adult adaptation brings to light the shocking truth about how not every voter is treated equally. After the election of Barack Obama, a rollback of voting rights occurred, punctuated by a 2013 Supreme Court decision that undid the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Known as the Shelby ruling, this decision allowed districts with a history of racial discrimination to change voting requirements without approval from the Department of Justice. This book follows the stunning aftermath of that ruling and explains how voter suppression works, from photo ID requirements to gerrymandering to poll closures. It also explores the resistance: the organizing, activism, and court battles to restore the basic right to vote to all Americans. Complete with a discussion guide, photographs, and information about getting involved with elections in teens' own community, this is an essential explanation of the history of voting rights--and a call to action for a better future. As the nation gears up for the 2020 presidential election season, now is the time for teens to understand the past and work for change.
Michael L. Printz Honor Book
Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book
Boston Globe/Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book
Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Teens Six Starred Reviews--★Booklist ★BCCB ★The Horn Book ★Publishers Weekly ★School Library Connection ★Shelf Awareness A Booklist Best Book for Youth * A BCCB Blue Ribbon * A Horn Book Fanfare Book * A Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book * Recommended on NPR's Morning Edition by Kwame Alexander This powerful story, told with the music of poetry and the blade of truth, will help your heart grow.-Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Shout [A] testimony and a triumph.-Jason Reynolds, author of Long Way Down In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in a compelling and moving memoir in verse. Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night - and discovered the magic and impact of writing. For many years, Nikki's notebooks were her most enduing companions. In this accessible and inspiring memoir that will resonate with young readers and adults alike, Nikki shows how the power of those words helped her conquer the hazards - ordinary and extraordinary - of her life.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book
Boston Globe/Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book
Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Teens Six Starred Reviews--★Booklist ★BCCB ★The Horn Book ★Publishers Weekly ★School Library Connection ★Shelf Awareness A Booklist Best Book for Youth * A BCCB Blue Ribbon * A Horn Book Fanfare Book * A Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book * Recommended on NPR's Morning Edition by Kwame Alexander This powerful story, told with the music of poetry and the blade of truth, will help your heart grow.-Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Shout [A] testimony and a triumph.-Jason Reynolds, author of Long Way Down In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in a compelling and moving memoir in verse. Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night - and discovered the magic and impact of writing. For many years, Nikki's notebooks were her most enduing companions. In this accessible and inspiring memoir that will resonate with young readers and adults alike, Nikki shows how the power of those words helped her conquer the hazards - ordinary and extraordinary - of her life.
Award-winning Mexican author Juan Pablo Villalobos explores illegal immigration with this emotionally raw and timely nonfiction book about ten Central American teens and their journeys to the United States.
You can't really tell what time it is when you're in the freezer. Every year, thousands of migrant children and teens cross the U.S.-Mexico border. The journey is treacherous and sometimes deadly, but worth the risk for migrants who are escaping gang violence and poverty in their home countries. And for those refugees who do succeed? They face an immigration process that is as winding and multi-tiered as the journey that brought them here. In this book, award-winning Mexican author Juan Pablo Villalobos strings together the diverse experiences of eleven real migrant teenagers, offering readers a beginning road map to issues facing the region. These timely accounts of courage, sacrifice, and survival--including two fourteen-year-old girls forming a tenuous friendship as they wait in a frigid holding cell, a boy in Chicago beginning to craft his future while piecing together his past in El Salvador, and cousins learning to lift each other up through angry waters--offer a rare and invaluable window into the U.S.-Central American refugee crisis. In turns optimistic and heartbreaking, The Other Side balances the boundless hope at the center of immigration with the weight of its risks and repercussions. Here is a necessary read for young people on both sides of the issue.
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Brendan Kiely starts a conversation with white kids about race in this "well-executed and long overdue" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) introduction to white privilege and why allyship is so vital. Talking about racism can be hard, but... Most kids of color grow up doing it. They have "The Talk" with their families--the honest talk about survival in a racist world. But white kids don't. They're barely spoken to about race at all--and that needs to change. Because not talking about racism doesn't make it go away. Not talking about white privilege doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The Other Talk begins this much-needed conversation for white kids. In an instantly relatable and deeply honest account of his own life, Brendan Kiely offers young readers a way to understand one's own white privilege and why allyship is so vital, so that we can all start doing our part--today.