BOOK MARKED
America the Beautiful
Books that celebrate our nation’s
history and its people
BY MARGARETTE SNOW, CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN AT DC PUBLIC LIBRARY
Continue celebrating America’s independence after the Fourth of July BBQs and fireworks
have come to an end by sharing a book with your child about different American experi-
ences and the individuals and events that have shaped the nation. This is a great way to
spark family discussions about what America means to you and to keep up the habit of
reading during summer break.

And speaking of summer reading, sign up for the DC Public Library’s Summer Challenge
at dclibrary.org/summerchallenge, open to all ages, to find literacy events and log your
reading for the chance to win prizes.

PICTURE BOOKS
As an elderly woman, Lillian recalls how her
great-great-grandparents were sold as slaves
‘Pink and Say’
in front of a courthouse where only rich
Written and illustrated by
white men were allowed to vote and the long
Patricia Polacco
fight that led to her right—and determina-
Say Curtis describes his meeting with Pinkus
tion—to cast her ballot when the Voting
Aylee, a Black soldier, during the Civil War,
Rights Act was passed.

and their capture by Southern troops.

Based on a true story about the author’s
‘She Persisted: 13 American
great-great-grandfather. Women Who Changed the World’
‘Ruth and the Green Book’
Written by Calvin A. Ramsey with
Gwen Strauss, illustrated by Floyd
Cooper Written by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated
by Alexandra Boiger
A nonfiction picture book compilation of
the stories of 13 American women who per-
When Ruth and her parents drive from sisted in overcoming obstacles and changing
Chicago to Alabama in the early 1950s to the world, including Harriet Tubman, Ruby
visit her grandma, they rely on a pamphlet Bridges, Sally Ride and Sonia Sotomayor.

called “The Negro Motorist Green Book”
to find places that will serve Black travelers
MIDDLE GRADE
like themselves.

‘Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh’
‘A Taste of Colored Water’
Written by Uma Krishnaswami
Written and illustrated by Matt
During World War II, nine-year-old Maria
Faulkner Singh learns to play softball just like her
LuLu and Jelly are very excited to see the heroes in the All-American Girls’ League at a
“colored” water they heard about in the time when her parents are experiencing rac-
city’s water fountain but are very sur- ism and trying to keep their California farm.

prised to learn what “colored” water actu-
ally means.

‘The Misadventures of the Family
Fletcher’ EARLY READERS
‘Lillian’s Right to Vote: A
Celebration of the Voting Rights
Act of 1965’
Written by Jonah Winter
illustrated by Shane W. Evans
46 Washington FAMILY JULY 2020
Written by Dana Alison Levy
Follow the adventures of a family with two
fathers, four adopted boys and a variety of
pets as they make their way through a school
year, kindergarten through sixth grade, and
deal with a grumpy new neighbor who com-
plains about everything.




BOOK MARKED
‘Save Me a Seat’
Written by Sarah Weeks and
Gita Varadarajan
Ravi has just moved to the United States from India
and has always been at the top of his class; Joe has
lived in the same town his whole life and has learning
challenges. But when their lives intersect in the first
week of fifth grade, they are brought together by a
common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and
the need to take control of their lives.

‘The Detective’s Assistant’
Written by Kate Hannigan
In 1859, 11-year-old Nell goes to live with her aunt,
Kate Warne, the first female detective for Pinkerton’s
National Detective Agency. Nell helps her aunt solve
cases, including a mystery surrounding Abraham
Lincoln and the mystery of what happened to Nell’s
own father.

YOUNG ADULT
‘The Lions of Little Rock’
Written by Kristin Levine
In 1958 Little Rock, Arkansas, painfully shy 12-year-
old Marlee sees her city and family divided over
school integration, but her friendship with Liz, a new
student, helps her find her voice and fight against
racism. ‘March: Book One’
Written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin,
illustrated by Nate Powell
The first in trilogy, this graphic novel chronicles
Congressman John Lewis’s life and his involvement
in the civil rights movement, from his childhood on
an Alabama farm to lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville
department stores.

‘Steal this Country: A Handbook for
Resistance, Persistence, and Fixing
Almost Everything’
Written by Alexandra Styron
A guide for kid activists, “Steal this Country” features
a collection of essays, profiles and interviews about
what needs fixing in the world as well the practical
tools for effecting change. Key issues include climate
change, racial justice, women’s rights, LGBTQIA
rights and immigration. n
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