FOUR AMAZING AMERICAN HEROES

I struggled with a title for this. It's February. It's African-American history month. But... these people are Americans that every child and adult should know. They are heroes. They overcame huge obstacles. They saw problems and brought about change. They wrote amazing stories and lived amazing lives. I encourage you to learn more about them in the books listed below.

 

Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book  

by Keila V. Dawons; illustrated by Alleanna Harris

Imagine taking a trip and not knowing if you will be able to find a safe place to eat, go to the bathroom, get gas, or spend the night just because your skin color is not white. Opening the Road is an exceptional book that explains how Victor Hugo Green created a directory of safe places for black people traveling the highways and byways of the USA (and eventually foreign countries). He saw a need and he provided help.

You could pair this book with Nic Stone's Clean Getaway for upper elementary - "Scoob" Lamar and his G'Ma go on a wild adventure through the South and the Traveler's Green Book plays a major role in the story.

 

Jump at the Sun: 

The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher 

Zora Neale Hurston  

by Alicia D. Williams; illustrated by Jacqueline Alcaantara

 Zora is one of my all-time favorite people so I was more than delighted to read Williams biography. Zora's mother always told her she needed to "jump at the sun" and Zora took that advice to heart, as Williams ably relates to her readers. And illustrator Alcaantara has brought Zora's folktale characters to life! This is a great introduction to the amazing life of Zora Neale Hurston. 

 

If you want to know more about Zora, read the Zora and Me series by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon. It is written for a tween audience.

The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy 

 by Kekla Magoon; illustrated by Laura Freeman

Did you know that Marshall's first name was originally Thoroughgood but when he was in 2nd grade, he decided to change it to Thurgood? That was just one of many things that Thurgood would change in his lifetime!  I am a big fan of Kekla Magoon and learned a lot by reading this biography. I encourage you to read this book and other books by her. Try The Season of Styx Malone for starters.

 

Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou  

by Bethany Hegedus; illustrated by Tonya Engel

Much of Maya Angelou's early life was tragic and heartbreaking but her grandmother, her brother - Bailey, and other people in Stamps, Arkansas like Mrs. Flowers, were rocks to cling to in an otherwise tempestuous childhood. When Maya was eight she was raped by her mother's boyfriend. She chose to speak out against her abuser. He spent only one night in jail but was then found murdered. Maya blamed herself and suffered from selective mutism for several years. But with help from others she finally found the courage to speak again. And speak she did!

I think this would be a good book to pair with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's 2020 Newbery Honor Book Fighting Words which also deals with sexual abuse and courage.