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YA Nonfiction

Respect the Mic

Respect the Mic

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An expansive, moving poetry anthology, representing 20 years of poetry from students and alumni of Chicago's Oak Park River Forest High School Spoken Word Club -- now in paperback!

"Poets I know sometimes joke that the poetry club at Oak Park River Forest High School is the best MFA program in the Chicagoland area. Like all great jokes, this one is dead serious." -Eve L. Ewing, award-winning poet, playwright, scholar, and sociologist

For Chicago's Oak Park and River Forest High School's Spoken Word Club, there is one phrase that reigns supreme: Respect the Mic. It's been the club's call to arms since its inception in 1999. As its founder Peter Kahn says, "It's a call of pride and history and tradition and hope."

This vivid collection of poetry and prose -- curated by award-winning and bestselling poets Hanif Abdurraqib, Franny Choi, Peter Kahn, and Dan "Sully" Sullivan -- illuminates just that, uplifting the incredible legacy this community has cultivated. Among the dozens of current students and alumni, Respect the Mic features work by NBA champion Iman Shumpert, National Youth Poet Laureate Kara Jackson, National Youth Poet Laureate Kara Jackson, National Student Poet Natalie Richardson, comedian Langston Kerman, and more.

Revolution in Our Time The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People

Revolution in Our Time The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People

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A National Book Award Finalist
A Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor Book
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book
A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book


With passion and precision, Kekla Magoon relays an essential account of the Black Panthers--as militant revolutionaries and as human rights advocates working to defend and protect their community.

In this comprehensive, inspiring, and all-too-relevant history of the Black Panther Party, Kekla Magoon introduces readers to the Panthers' community activism, grounded in the concept of self-defense, which taught Black Americans how to protect and support themselves in a country that treated them like second-class citizens. For too long the Panthers' story has been a footnote to the civil rights movement rather than what it was: a revolutionary socialist movement that drew thousands of members--mostly women--and became the target of one of the most sustained repression efforts ever made by the U.S. government against its own citizens.

Revolution in Our Time puts the Panthers in the proper context of Black American history, from the first arrival of enslaved people to the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Kekla Magoon's eye-opening work invites a new generation of readers grappling with injustices in the United States to learn from the Panthers' history and courage, inspiring them to take their own place in the ongoing fight for justice.

Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

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WINNER OF THE 2021 YALSA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS!

SIX STARRED REVIEWS!

Discover the dark side of Charles Lindbergh--one of America's most celebrated heroes and complicated men--in this riveting biography from the acclaimed author of The Family Romanov.

First human to cross the Atlantic via airplane; one of the first American media sensations; Nazi sympathizer and anti-Semite; loner whose baby was kidnapped and murdered; champion of Eugenics, the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding; tireless environmentalist. Charles Lindbergh was all of the above and more. Here is a rich, multi-faceted, utterly spellbinding biography about an American hero who was also a deeply flawed man. In this time where values Lindbergh held, like white Nationalism and America First, are once again on the rise, The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh is essential reading for teens and history fanatics alike.

Rise Up and Sing

Rise Up and Sing

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This inspiring introduction to activism and social justice for young teens shows the important role music plays in changing the world, featuring:
  • Musicians young teens will know and love: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X, and more!
  • Iconic artists from past generations: readers will learn about the extraordinary impact of artists such as Nina Simone, Neil Young, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, and more.
  • Playlists for each social justice issue: Each chapter includes a playlist with recommended songs about an area of activism, from classic tracks to contemporary hits.
  • In Rise Up and Sing!, Andrea Warner explores how music has contributed to the fight for social justice. Across eight areas of activism--the climate emergency, Indigenous rights, civil rights, disability rights, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, gender equality, the peace/anti-war movement, and human rights--Warner introduces some of the artists, past and present, who have made a difference both on stage and off.

    Through ground-breaking artists and iconic moments, Rise Up and Sing! shows us that a song is never just a song, and that music really does have the power to change the world.

    Rising Troublemaker

    Rising Troublemaker

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    *AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!*

    In this young readers edition of her New York Times bestseller Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie Ajayi Jones uses her honesty and humor to inspire teens to be their bravest, boldest, truest selves, in order to create a world they would be proud to live in.

    The world can feel like a dumpster fire, with endless things to be afraid of. It can make you feel powerless to ask for what you need, use your voice, and show up truly as your whole self. Add the fact that often, people might make you feel like your way of showing up is TOO MUCH.

    BE TOO MUCH, and use it for good. That is what it means to be a troublemaker. In this book, Luvvie Ajayi Jones - bestseller of books, sorceress of side-eyes and critic of culture - gives you the permission you might need to be the troublemaker you are, or wish to be. This is the book she needed when she was the kid who got in trouble for her mouth when she spoke up about what she felt was not fair. This is the book she needed when kids made fun of her Nigerian accent. This is the book that she needed when it was time to call herself a writer, but she was too scared.

    As a Rising Troublemaker, you need to know that the beautiful, audacious life you want is on the other side of doing the things that will scare you. This book will help you face and fight your fear and start living that life ASAP.

    Rising Troublemaker

    Rising Troublemaker

    $17.99
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    *AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!*

    In this young readers edition of her New York Times bestseller Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie Ajayi Jones uses her honesty and humor to inspire teens to be their bravest, boldest, truest selves, in order to create a world they would be proud to live in.

    The world can feel like a dumpster fire, with endless things to be afraid of. It can make you feel powerless to ask for what you need, use your voice, and show up truly as your whole self. Add the fact that often, people might make you feel like your way of showing up is TOO MUCH.

    BE TOO MUCH, and use it for good. That is what it means to be a troublemaker. In this book, Luvvie Ajayi Jones - bestseller of books, sorceress of side-eyes and critic of culture - gives you the permission you might need to be the troublemaker you are, or wish to be. This is the book she needed when she was the kid who got in trouble for her mouth when she spoke up about what she felt was not fair. This is the book she needed when kids made fun of her Nigerian accent. This is the book that she needed when it was time to call herself a writer, but she was too scared.

    As a Rising Troublemaker, you need to know that the beautiful, audacious life you want is on the other side of doing the things that will scare you. This book will help you face and fight your fear and start living that life ASAP.

    Roots, Routes, and Roofs..... the Road so Far: Understanding the Meaning of Becoming a Global Citizen

    Roots, Routes, and Roofs..... the Road so Far: Understanding the Meaning of Becoming a Global Citizen

    $20.99
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    Roots, Routes, and Roofs.....The Road so Far, explains the lifestyles and experiences Tejas has embraced in four countries that differ from one another culturally, religiously, and historically. Therefore he gets to celebrate life's little joys by learning each of the country's languages, by integrating with the local communities, and most importantly by finding his true identity through the travels and adaptations. As an Indian family, Tejas and his family members carry their knowledge of India everywhere they live and embrace their Indian background as much as embracing their residence country's background. The gift he once received when he was young, the gift of travelling, is no longer of use due to the outbreak of a horrible pandemic. Everything is disrupted; institutions forced to shut down, jobs lost, and what personally affects Tejas the most: the prohibition on travelling. Tejas wrote this book to touch on several emotions, and evoke different moments from his childhood that remind him what travel felt like. Hopefully, travellers who face the same problem as Tejas can read this book, reminding them of a nostalgic moment of their life, and feel like they are actually travelling somewhere, just as Tejas feels when he writes about his personal perspectives and descriptions of the countries he has lived in.
    Ruth Bader Ginsburg: In Her Own Words: Young Reader Edition

    Ruth Bader Ginsburg: In Her Own Words: Young Reader Edition

    $15.95
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    Get inside the head of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, history's second woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice.This collection of quotes has been curated from Ruth Bader Ginsburg's numerous public statements--interviews, court opinions, oral arguments from her time as a lawyer, speeches, and more. It's a comprehensive picture of her legacy and her impact on American history, specifically geared toward middle and high school readers. The quotes in the collection touch on equality, the law, feminism, the United States justice system, education, 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 Ginsburg's ideas.Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg earned respect and admiration over the course of her remarkable lifetime, during which she broke barriers and set her sights on the highest levels of achievement at every turn. Beginning with her graduation from Cornell as the highest-ranking woman in her class, and then her enrollment in Harvard Law School in 1956, where she was one of only nine women in a class of 500, she steadily moved up the ranks of the American legal system until she was appointed as the second woman in history to join the Supreme Court in 1993.During her time on the Supreme Court, she became known for her fiery dissents, her fundamental work toward equality and fair treatment, and her eloquent thought-leadership. Even after her death in 2020, she serves as an inspiration to all and a role model for women everywhere.Now, Ruth Bader Ginsburg: In Her Own Words offers a unique look into the mind of one of the world's most influential women by collecting 200 of Ginsburg's most insightful quotes. Meticulously curated from interviews, speeches, court opinions, dissents, and other sources, Ruth Bader Ginsburg: In Her Own Words creates a comprehensive picture of Ginsburg, her wisdom, and her legacy.Special educational materials for classrooms are available from Agate Publishing.
    Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story

    Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story

    $19.99
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    What happened to me must never happen to you.--Sachiko Yasui

    August 9, 1945, began like any other day for six-year-old Sachiko. Her country was at war, she didn't have enough to eat. At 11:01 a.m., she was playing outdoors with four other children. Moments later, those children were all dead. An atomic bomb had exploded just half a mile away.

    In the days and months that followed, Sachiko lost family members, her hair fell out, she woke screaming in the night. When she was finally well enough to start school, other children bullied her. Through it all, she sought to understand what had happened, finding strength in the writings of Helen Keller, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.

    Based on extensive interviews with Sachiko Yasui, Caren Stelson shares the true story of a young girl who survived the atomic bomb and chronicles her long journey to find peace. Sachiko offers readers a remarkable new perspective on the final moments of World War II--and their aftermath.

    This striking work of narrative nonfiction tells the true story of six-year-old Sachiko Yasui's survival of the Nagasaki atomic bomb on August 9, 1945, and the heartbreaking and lifelong aftermath. Having conducted extensive interviews with Sachiko Yasui, Caren Stelson chronicles Sachiko's trauma and loss as well as her long journey to find peace. This book offers readers a remarkable new perspective on the final moments of World War II and their aftermath.

    "Magnetic and chilling in its simplicity."--The New York Times Book Review

    "A story of staggering hardship and extraordinary resolve. . . . Luminous, enduring, utterly necessary."--starred, Booklist

    "An essential addition to World War II biography collections for middle school students."--starred, School Library Journal

    "Caren Stelson tells Yasui's story with warmth [and] sympathy."--The Washington Post

    NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST

    Say Her Name

    Say Her Name

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    From award-winning author Zetta Elliott comes a stirring and powerful poetry collection that reveals the beauty, danger, and magic found at the intersection of race and gender.

    Inspired by the #SayHerName campaign launched by the African American Policy Forum, these poems pay tribute to victims of police brutality as well as the activists insisting that Black Lives Matter. Elliott engages poets from the past two centuries to create a chorus of voices celebrating the creativity, resilience, and courage of Black women and girls.
    This collection features forty-nine powerful poems, four of which are tribute poems inspired by the works of Lucille Clifton, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, and Phillis Wheatley. This provocative collection will move every reader to reflect, respond-and act.

    Say More

    Say More

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    Talking about consent can feel overwhelming, especially for young people who may be navigating their own boundaries for the first time. In Say More, consent culture activist Kitty Stryker guides teenagers in exploring what consent means to them. This timely and practical workbook allows the reader to work at their own pace and in their own way, with concrete examples from Kitty's own youth, prompts inspired by questions teens have asked her and comprehensive resources to encourage further exploration and introspection.

    Semi-Famous

    Semi-Famous

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    "A clever, irreverent, and laugh-out-loud funny crash course on fame." --Hank Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author

    Social media star and comedian Josh Sundquist takes readers on his hilarious journey to the fringes of viral stardom to discover if it's possible to be both very famous and very happy.

    As a semi-famous internet creator, Josh Sundquist knows what it's like to chase fame, but he also knows that more fame usually means more stress. So he set out on a pseudo-scientific investigation to find out if there is any way for fame and happiness to overlap.

    He attempts to define the word "fame"--hint: it's harder than you'd think. He turns back time to identify the first facially-recognizable celebrity (you might know his former BFF Brutus). He digs into the numbers to debunk urban legends associated with stardom (ever heard of the 27 Club?). He talks to other semi-famous people (from K-pop sensations to former child stars) and asks them: Is this fame thing making you happy? If not, why are you doing it? If so, what's your secret? All while recounting funny stories about his own cringy fame-seeking (like his many attempts, and failures, to get onto MTV).

    Packed with playful diagrams, fascinating insights from celebrities, and embarrassing truths from Josh's experience with semi-fame, this is a must-read for anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming famous...or at least going viral on TikTok.

    Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey

    Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey

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    A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    Ernest Shackleton was one of the last great Antarctic explorers, and he led one of the most ambitious Antarctic expeditions ever undertaken. This is his story, and the story of the dozens of men who threw in their lot with him - many of whom nearly died in the unimaginably harsh conditions of the journey. It's an astonishing feat - and was unprecedented at the time - that all the men in the expedition survived.

    Shackleton's expedition marked the end of a period of romantic exploration of the Arctic and the Antarctic, and this is as much a book about the encroaching modern world as it is about travel. But Nick Bertozzi has documented this remarkable journey with such wit and fiendish attention to detail that it's impossible not to get caught up in the drama of the voyage. Shackleton is a phenomenal accompaniment to Bertozzi's earlier graphic novel about great explorers, Lewis & Clark.

    SHOUT

    SHOUT

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    A New York Times bestseller and one of 2019's best-reviewed books, a poetic memoir and call to action from the award-winning author of Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson!

    Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and advocates for, survivors of sexual assault. Now, inspired by her fans and enraged by how little in our culture has changed since her groundbreaking novel Speak was first published twenty years ago, she has written a poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless. In free verse, Anderson shares reflections, rants, and calls to action woven between deeply personal stories from her life that she's never written about before. Described as "powerful," "captivating," and "essential" in the nine starred reviews it's received, this must-read memoir is being hailed as one of 2019's best books for teens and adults. A denouncement of our society's failures and a love letter to all the people with the courage to say #MeToo and #TimesUp, whether aloud, online, or only in their own hearts, SHOUT speaks truth to power in a loud, clear voice-- and once you hear it, it is impossible to ignore.

    Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke

    Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke

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    *"[An] excellent exercise in narrative nonfiction." --Booklist (starred review)

    From New York Times bestselling author Andrew Maraniss comes the remarkable true story of Glenn Burke, a "hidden figure" in the history of sports: the inventor of the high five and the first openly gay MLB player. Perfect for fans of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown.

    On October 2nd, 1977, Glenn Burke, outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, made history without even swinging a bat. When his teammate Dusty Baker hit a historic home run, Glenn enthusiastically congratulated him with the first ever high five.

    But Glenn also made history in another way--he was the first openly gay MLB player. While he did not come out publicly until after his playing days were over, Glenn's sexuality was known to his teammates, family, and friends. His MLB career would be cut short after only three years, but his legacy and impact on the athletic and LGBTQIA+ community would resonate for years to come.

    New York Times bestselling author Andrew Maraniss tells the story of Glenn Burke: from his childhood growing up in Oakland, his journey to the MLB and the World Series, the joy in discovering who he really was, to more difficult times: facing injury, addiction, and the AIDS epidemic.

    Packed with black-and-white photographs and thoroughly researched, never-before-seen details about Glenn's life, Singled Out is the fascinating story of a trailblazer in sports--and the history and culture that shaped the world around him.

    Praise for Singled Out

    "A compelling narrative . . . This is a meticulously researched history of the ways queer culture in the '70s intersected with baseball, Blackness, and larger culture wars, with one man at their center." --Kirkus Reviews

    Squirrel Is Alive: A Teenager in the Belgian Resistance and French Underground

    Squirrel Is Alive: A Teenager in the Belgian Resistance and French Underground

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    A sure to be classic in Holocaust literature from an underrepresented voice.

    Squirrel is Alive: A Teenager in the Belgian Resistance and French Underground is the incredible story of Mary Rostad's early life. Rostad was 16 years old when the Nazis conquered her home city of Brussels in 1940. She joined the resistance movement, serving in Belgium and later France, primarily as a courier of underground documents. At the end of World War II, Rostad met U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Allen Rostad.

    Stamped Racism Antiracism and You

    Stamped Racism Antiracism and You

    $12.99
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    Don't miss this "fresh and conversational" (TIME Magazine), "potent and provocative" (The San Francisco Chronicle), #1 New York Times bestselling exploration of racism--and antiracism--in America.

    This is NOT a history book.This is a book about the here and now.
    A book to help us better understand why we are where we are.
    A book about race.

    The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. Racist ideas are woven into the fabric of this country, and the first step to building an antiracist America is acknowledging America's racist past and present. This book takes you on that journey, showing how racist ideas started and were spread, and how they can be discredited.

    Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds with research from renowned author Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways you can identify and stamp out racist thoughts, leading to a better future. Now available for younger readers: Stamped (for Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You
    Download the free educator guide here: https: //www.hachettebookgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Stamped-Educator-Guide.pdf

    Stamped Racism Antiracism and You

    Stamped Racism Antiracism and You

    $18.99
    More Info
    Don't miss this "fresh and conversational" (TIME Magazine), "potent and provocative" (The San Francisco Chronicle), #1 New York Times bestselling exploration of racism--and antiracism--in America.

    This is NOT a history book.This is a book about the here and now.
    A book to help us better understand why we are where we are.
    A book about race.

    The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. Racist ideas are woven into the fabric of this country, and the first step to building an antiracist America is acknowledging America's racist past and present. This book takes you on that journey, showing how racist ideas started and were spread, and how they can be discredited.

    Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds with research from renowned author Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways you can identify and stamp out racist thoughts, leading to a better future. Download the free educator guide here: https: //www.hachettebookgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Stamped-Educator-Guide.pdf
    Now available for younger readers: Stamped (for Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You