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What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) is holiday commemorating the effective ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, over two years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation and months after the end of the Civil War, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed.
Juneteenth is a celebration of hope and the enduring spirit of freedom. Checkout these titles about the history of slavery in the United States and other titles by African American authors that continue to shape our culture, celebrate liberation, and acknowledge the ongoing work towards freedom and equality.
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______ A D U L T N O N F I C T I O N _______
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Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations
Nicole Taylor
Format: Hardcover
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The first cookbook to celebrate and investigate Juneteenth, from critically acclaimed food writer Nicole Taylor who draws on her decade of experiences observing the holiday.Nearly two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Union troops spread the world of liberation... |
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On Juneteenth
Annette Gordon-Reed - Liveright
Format: Hardcover
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The mesmerizing story of Juneteenth's integral importance to American history -- told by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Texas native.Interweaving American history, dramatic family chronicle, and searing episodes of memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed, the descendant of enslaved people... |
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Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery
Deborah Willis - Temple University Press; First Edition edition
Format: Print book
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The Emancipation Proclamation is one of the most important documents in American history. As we approach its 150th anniversary, what do we really know about those who experienced slavery? In their pioneering book, Envisioning Emancipation, renowned photographic historian Deborah Willis... |
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Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow
Henry Louis Gates Jr. - Penguin Press
Format: Hardcover
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A profound new rendering of the struggle by African-Americans for equality after the Civil War and the violent counter-revolution that resubjugated them, as seen through the prism of the war of images and ideas that have left an enduring racist stain on the American mind.The abolition of slavery... |
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Caste: The Origins of our Discontents
Isabel Wilkerson - Random House
Format: Hardcover
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions. "As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless... |
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Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Perseus - Audible Studios
Format: Paperback
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Roots is a groundbreaking story of history and family that spanned continents and touched generations. One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots galvanized the nation and created an extraordinary political, racial, social, and cultural dialogue that hadnt... |
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Who Freed the Slaves?: The Fight over the Thirteenth Amendment
Leonard L. Richards - University Of Chicago Press; 1st Ed. edition
Format: Hardcover
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In the popular imagination, slavery in the United States ended with Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation may have been limitedfreeing only slaves within Confederate states who were able to make their way to Union linesbut it is nonetheless generally seen as the key moment,... |
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Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865
James Oakes - W. W. Norton & Company; First edition
Format: Hardcover
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A powerful history of emancipation that reshapes our understanding of Lincoln, the Civil War, and the end of American slavery.Freedom National is a groundbreaking history of emancipation that joins the political initiatives of Lincoln and the Republicans in Congress with the courageous... |
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The Thin Light of Freedom: The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of America
EDWARD L AYERS - W. W. Norton & Company
Format: Hardcover
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Amid the devastation of war rise the first stirrings of freedom in this absorbing, ground-level narrative by an acclaimed historian.Virginia's Great Valley, prosperous in peace with a rich soil and an enslaved workforce, invited destruction in war. Voracious Union and Confederate armies... |
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Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019
Ibram X. Kendi
Format: Hardcover
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The story begins in 1619 - a year before the Mayflower - when the White Lion disgorges "some 20-and-odd Negroes" onto the shores of Virginia, inaugurating the African presence in what would become the United States. It takes us to the present, when African Americans, descendants... |
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Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America
W. Caleb McDaniel - Oxford University Press
Format: Hardcover
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The unforgettable saga of one enslaved woman's fight for justice--and reparations Born into slavery, Henrietta Wood was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed in 1848. In 1853, a Kentucky deputy sheriff named Zebulon Ward colluded with Wood's employer, abducted her, and sold her back into... |
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Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting
Terrie Williams - Scribner; First Edition edition
Format: Book
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Terrie Williams knows that Black people are hurting. She knows because she's one of them. Terrie had made it: she had launched her own public relations company with such clients as Eddie Murphy and Johnnie Cochran. Yet she was in constant pain, waking up in terror, overeating in search... |
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The Black Book
Middleton A. Harris - Random House
Format: Hardcover
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A new edition of the classic New York Times bestseller edited by Toni Morrison, offering an encyclopedic look at the black experience in America from 1619 through the 1940s with the original cover restored.. "I am so pleased the book is alive again. I still think there is no other... |
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________ A D U L T F I C T I O N ________
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Juneteenth: A Novel
Ralph Ellison - Vintage
Format: Paperback
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NATIONAL BESTSELLER"[A]n extraordinary book, a work of staggering virtuosity. With its publication, a giant world of literature has just grown twice as tall."--NewsdayFrom Ralph Ellison--author of the classic novel of African-American experience, Invisible Man--the long-awaited... |
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The Underground Railroad
Colson Whitehead - Doubleday
Format: Paperback
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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, the #1 New York Times bestseller from Colson Whitehead, a magnificent tour de force chronicling a young slave's adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation... |
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Homegoing: A novel
Yaa Gyasi - Knopf
Format: Hardcover
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Winner of the NBCC's John Leonard First Book PrizeA New York Times 2016 Notable BookOne of Oprah's 10 Favorite Books of 2016NPR's Debut Novel of the YearOne of Buzzfeed's Best Fiction Books Of 2016One of Time's Top 10 Novels of 2016, Winner of 2017 PEN Hemingway award for debut... |
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The Water Dancer (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel
Ta-Nehisi Coates - Random House Audio
Format: Audiobook
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Number one New York Times best sellerOprahs Book Club PickFrom the National Book Award-winning author of Between the World and Me, a boldly conjured debut novel about a magical gift, a devastating loss, and an underground war for freedom."This potent book about Americas most disgraceful... |
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Conjure Women: A Novel
Afia Atakora - Random House
Format: Hardcover
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A dazzling debut novel that sweeps across eras and generations to tell the story of a mother and daughter with a shared talent for healing--and the conjuring of curses.The intimate bonds and transgressions among people and across racial divides, during both slaverytime and freedomtime,... |
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Beloved: Special Edition
Toni Morrison - Knopf
Format: Hardcover
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Upon the original publication of Beloved, John Leonard wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "I can't imagine American literature without it." Nearly two decades later, The New York Times chose Beloved as the best American novel of the previous fifty years.Toni Morrison's magnificent... |
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She Persisted: Opal Lee
Shelia P. Moses - Philomel Books
Format: Hardcover
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Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds - including Opal Lee!. Opal Lee grew up as a Black girl in Texas at a time when Black and white people were kept... |
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What is Juneteenth?
Jewel, Kirsti
Format: Book
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On June 19, 1865, a group of enslaved men, women, and children in Texas gathered around a Union soldier and listened as he read the most remarkable words they would ever hear. They were no longer enslaved: they were free. The inhumane practice of forcedlabor with no pay was now illegal... |
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Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem
Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
Format: Hardcover
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This lyrical celebration of Juneteenth, deeply rooted in Black American history, spans centuries and reverberates loudly and proudly today.After 300 years of forced bondage;hands bound, descendants of Africapicked up their souls - all that they owned - leaving shackles where they fell on the ground,headed... |
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The Real History of Juneteenth (Left Out of History (Read Woke ™ Books))
Elliott Smith - Lerner Publications ™
Format: Library Binding
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Juneteenth is the celebration of the day enslaved people in Texas were told they were freed -- two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Explore Juneteenth's little-told history, from the first Jubilee to the making of a national holiday.Have you ever considered... |
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The Story of Juneteenth
DORENA WILLIAMSON - WorthyKids
Format: Book
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Introduce little learners to the Juneteenth holiday with this 250-word board book about its origins and traditions.What are the origins of America's newest national holiday? With simple, age-appropriate language and colorful illustrations, this little board book introduces children... |
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Summer Crafts Across Cultures
Megan Borgert-Spaniol - Capstone Press
Format: Book
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Summer is a season of celebration! Join the fun with thirteen festive crafts that celebrate holidays from around the world. Create a hibiscus straw to commemorate Juneteenth. Braid puzzle piece friendship bracelets to mark the International Day of Friendship. It's always the season... |
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The History of Juneteenth
Arlisha Norwood - Rockridge Press
Format: Paperback
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An introduction to the history of Juneteenth for kids ages 6 to 9 On June 19, 1865, a Union soldier traveled to Texas to tell the enslaved people who lived there that they were free - that slavery was now illegal in every state. The people danced and sang in celebration of their freedom.... |
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The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States
Alliah L. Agostini - becker&mayer! kids
Format: Hardcover
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With colorful illustrations and a timeline, this introductory history of Juneteenth for kids details the evolution of the holiday commemorating the date the last enslaved people learned of their freedom.On June 19, 1865 - more than two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation... |
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Free at Last!: Stories and Songs of Emancipation
Doreen Rappaport
Format: Book
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True stories and traditional songs shed light on a lesser known era in African-American history — the crucial decades between Emancipation and the start of the Civil Rights movement.
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Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty
Tonya Bolden - Abrams Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
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Published on the anniversary of when President Abraham Lincoln's order went into effect, this book offers readers a unique look at the events that led to the Emancipation Proclamation. Filled with little-known facts and fascinating details, it includes excerpts from historical sources,... |
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The Story of Juneteenth: An Interactive History Adventure
Steven Otfinoski - Capstone Press
Format: Print book
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The Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War have brought an official end to slavery, yet some Southern slave owners are refusing to comply. The road to freedom is still long and hard for many African-Americans, but youre not giving up. Will you Overcome obstacles as you make your... |
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________ J U V E N I L E F I C T I O N ________
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Jayylen's Juneteenth Surprise
Lavaille Lavette - Golden Books
Format: Book
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Created in partnership with Ebony Jr., this inspiring Little Golden Book tells the story of one young boy's first experience celebrating Juneteenth.. When Jayylen's grandfather, Paw Paw Jimmy, begins preparing for a big Juneteenth celebration, Jayylen has a lot of questions.... |
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The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story
Glenda Armand - Crown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
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This moving picture book tells the story of Juneteenth with all the care and reverence such a holiday deserves. The rhyming text and stunning illustrations will teach children about this historic day in history.. 'Twas the night before freedom, and all through the South, long-whispered... |
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All Good in the Hood
Dwayne Reed - Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
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This bounce-to-the-beat picture book by America's favorite rapping teacher from Chicago is a tribute to the sights and sounds of a city neighborhood and the special bond between brothers as they help each other overcome their fears. . Today is June 19th, Juneteenth's what they... |
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Juneteenth for Mazie
Floyd Cooper - Capstone Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
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Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty. She is ready to celebrate freedom. She is ready to celebrate a great day in American history -- the day her ancestors were no longer slaves. Mazie remembers the struggles and the triumph, as she gets ready to celebrate Juneteenth. |
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Build a House
RHIANNON GIDDENS - Candlewick
Format: Hardcover
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Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut.I learned your words and wrote my song. I put my story down.As an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, and cofounder of the traditional... |
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Come Juneteenth
Ann Rinaldi
Format: Book
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Sis Goose is a beloved member of Luli's family, despite the fact that she was born a slave. But the family is harboring a terrible secret. And when Union soldiers arrive on their Texas plantation to announce that slaves have been declared free for nearly two years, Sis Goose is horrified... |
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All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom
Angela Johnson - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
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Experience the joy of Juneteenth in this celebration of freedom from the award-winning team of Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis.Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South.... |
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Addy: A Heart Full of Hope
Connie Porter - American Girl; Reprint edition
Format: Paperback
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Having Poppa home fills Addy's heart with happiness, and moving to a boarding house brings a new special friend--one who encourages Addy to always stay hopeful for the future. Then Addy enjoys the victory of having her idea chosen for a fair fundraiser, where a friendship is born, and the answer... |
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Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs
Mary E. Lyons - Simon Pulse
Format: Paperback
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Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery; it's the only life she has ever known. Now, with the death of her mistress, there is a chance she will be given her freedom, and for the first time Harriet feels hopeful. But hoping can be dangerous, because disappointment is devastating. Harriet... |
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Freedom's Gifts: A Juneteenth Story
Sharon Wilson - Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition
Format: Hardcover
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With the help of their elderly Aunt Marshall, June and her cousin Lillie celebrate Juneteenth, the day Texas slaves found out they had been freed, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation." |
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________ Y O U N G A D U L T ________
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Copper Sun
Sharon M. Draper - Simon Pulse
Format: Paperback
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Copper Sun is the epic story of a young girl torn from her African village, sold into slavery, and stripped of everything she has ever known - except hope. |
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Daughters of Jubilation
Kara Lee Corthron - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
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In the Jim Crow South, white supremacy reigns and tensions are high. But Evalene Deschamps has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is finally making a move. On top of all that, Evvie's magic abilities... |
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Race Relations: The Struggle for Equality in America
Barbara Diggs - Nomad Press
Format: Paperback
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How could a country founded on the honorable ideals of freedom and equality have so willingly embraced the evils of enslavement and oppression? America's history of race relations is a difficult one, full of uncomfortable inconsistencies and unpleasant truths. Although the topic is sensitive,... |
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This Is My America
Kim Johnson - Random House Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
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"Incredible and searing." --Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear MartinThe Hate U Give meets Just Mercy in this unflinching yet uplifting first novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system.Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont... |
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A Sitting in St. James
Rita Williams-Garcia - Quill Tree Books
Format: Hardcover
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A tour-de-force from three-time National Book Award finalist Rita Williams-Garcia, this story of an antebellum plantation - and the enduring legacies of slavery upon every person who lives there - is essential reading for both teens and adults grappling with the long history of American... |
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My name is not Friday
Jon Walter - David Fickling Books/Scholastic Inc.
Format: Print book
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Well-mannered Samuel and his mischievous younger brother Joshua are free black boys living in an orphanage during the end of the Civil War. Samuel takes the blame for Joshua's latest prank, and the consequence is worse than he could ever imagine. He's taken from the orphanage to the South,... |
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Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue
Julius Lester - Jump At The Sun
Format: Hardcover
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Since their mother Fanny left, Emma has taken care of the Butler children, Sarah and Frances. She wants to raise them to have good hearts, as a rift in morals has ripped the Butler household apart: Sarah and their mother oppose the inhumanity of slavery while Frances and their father Pierce... |
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