A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
One Step Forward is a compelling debut YA historical fiction novel in verse about Matilda Young--the youngest American suffragist imprisoned for picketing the White House to demand women's right to vote.
Raised in a politically divided family, Matilda wondered if she could be as courageous as her older sister who fought for suffrage. Joining the radical protest movement came with plenty of risk. Women were routinely scorned, harassed, arrested--and worse. And taking a stand for her rights could tear her family apart.
Told in powerful verse, One Step Forward follows Matilda's coming-of-age journey as she takes her first step into action. Amid the backdrop of World War I, Matilda's story vividly highlights the extreme mental, physical, and emotional battles faced by the protestors leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. It also reveals the bravery, hard work, and spirit of the women who paved the way for future generations to use their voices and votes.
But the questions don't stop at women's rights: The Watergate scandal is intensifying. As evidence mounts that the White House engaged in crimes, smears, and cover-ups to manipulate an election, Patty worries her dad, a fundraiser for President Nixon, could somehow be involved. Determining truth from lies becomes ever more essential for the nation's future--and for Patty's.
Illustrated throughout with remarkable real-life images and headlines, this timely exploration of 1973--the year of Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Roe v. Wade--unfolds through the story of a young woman driven to question everything as she learns to think for, and rely on, herself.
During a long weekend in March, a group of twentysomethings from Virginia meet for an overnight costume party. For their venue, the host has rented the historical Sophomore Manor: a place where the most prestigious socialites of the 1940's and '50s partied until the celebrity owners mysteriously went missing.
The event began innocently enough: cocktail toasts, elaborate costumes, and exchanged pleasantries. But at the height of the party, Jane Parks notices her twin has vanished from the scene. It isn't until Jane finds her sister's body that the real guessing game begins.
That's where you come in. It's up to you, detective, to expose a present-day link between the victim, the guest list, and Sophomore Manor's unsolved history.
This interactive novel casts the reader as the detective. With integrated clues to examine and entangled interviews to analyze, the reader must make a case in this whodunit novel turned criminal investigation.
With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.
Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink is a piercing, unforgettable love story set in Greenwood, Oklahoma, also known as the Black Wall Street, and against the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.
Isaiah Wilson is, on the surface, a town troublemaker, but is hiding that he is an avid reader and secret poet, never leaving home without his journal. Angel Hill is a loner, mostly disregarded by her peers as a goody-goody. Her father is dying, and her family's financial situation is in turmoil. Though they've attended the same schools, Isaiah never noticed Angel as anything but a dorky, Bible toting church girl. Then their English teacher offers them a job on her mobile library, a three-wheel, two-seater bike. Angel can't turn down the money and Isaiah is soon eager to be in such close quarters with Angel every afternoon. But life changes on May 31, 1921 when a vicious white mob storms the Black community of Greenwood, leaving the town destroyed and thousands of residents displaced. Only then, Isaiah, Angel, and their peers realize who their real enemies are.A Young Man's Search for Identity and His Native Culture
Thomas Black Bull was raised in the old ways of his Native American ancestors, off the reservation in the mountainous wilderness of southern Colorado. When tragedy tears him from everything he knows, Thomas is thrust headlong into modern American life. Parents gone, he learns a different way of life and works the regional rodeo circuit, but it fails to fulfill him. While tempted by the tug of civilization, he is called to his native Ute heritage, and Tom's journey comes full-circle.
With keen insight, Hal Borland portrays a man's struggle to find his identity in a society that sees him differently. When the Legends Die paints a rich and moving portrait of the rugged American West against the vivid backdrop of the beautiful southwestern landscape.
Be sure to read Hal Borland's other bestselling classics--High, Wide, and Lonesome: Growing Up on the Colorado Frontier (paperback, ISBN 978-1-63561-882-2) and The Dog Who Came to Stay (hardcover, ISBN 978-1-63561-883-9; paperback, ISBN 978-1-63561-884-6), published by Echo Point Books.
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST SELECTION
In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This YA reimagining of The Great Gatsby centers trans love in a cast removed from its cishet white default, finally exploring those longing glances and wistful sighs between Nick and Jay. New York City, 1922. Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Wisconsin, has no interest in the city's glamor. Going to New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional, which could set up his future--and his life as a man--and benefit his family. Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old cousin, Daisy Fabrega, who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy fiancé, Tom--and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay, has erased all signs of her Latine heritage, and now passes seamlessly as white. Nick's neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named Jay Gatsby, whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant that they both dazzle and terrify Nick. At one of these parties, Nick learns that the spectacle is all meant to impress a girl from Jay's past--Daisy. And he learns something else: Jay is also transgender. As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of decadence, he spends more time with Jay, aiming to help his new friend reconnect with his lost love. But Nick's feelings grow more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Jay's openness, idealism, and unfounded faith in the American Dream. Praise for Self-Made Boys:In 1946, Eva leaves behind the rubble of Berlin for the streets of New York City, stepping from the fiery aftermath of one war into another, far colder one, where power is more important than principles, and lies are more plentiful than the truth. Eva holds the key to a deadly secret: Project Bluebird -- a horrific experiment of the concentration camps, capable of tipping the balance of world power. Both the Americans and the Soviets want Bluebird, and it is something that neither should ever be allowed to possess.
But Eva hasn't come to America for secrets or power. She hasn't even come for a new life. She has come to America for one thing: Justice. And the Nazi that has escaped its net.
Critically acclaimed author of The Light in Hidden Places, Sharon Cameron, weaves a taut and affecting thriller ripe with intrigue and romance in this alternately chilling and poignant portrait of the personal betrayals, terrifying injustices, and deadly secrets that seethe beneath the surface in the aftermath of World War II.
Sam Sakamoto doesn't have space in her life for dreams. With the recent death of her mother, Sam's focus is the farm, which her family will lose if they can't make one last payment. There's no time for her secret and unrealistic hope of becoming a photographer, no matter how skilled she's become. But Sam doesn't know that an even bigger threat looms on the horizon.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese airplanes attack the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. Fury towards Japanese Americans ignites across the country. In Sam's community in Washington State, the attack gives those who already harbor prejudice an excuse to hate.
As Sam's family wrestles with intensifying discrimination and even violence, Sam forges a new and unexpected friendship with her neighbor Hiro Tanaka. When he offers Sam a way to resume her photography, she realizes she can document the bigotry around her -- if she's willing to take the risk. When the United States announces that those of Japanese descent will be forced into relocation camps, Sam knows she must act or lose her voice forever. She engages in one last battle to leave with her identity -- and her family -- intact.
Emily Inouye Huey movingly draws inspiration from her own family history to paint an intimate portrait of the lead-up to Japanese incarceration, racism on the World War II homefront, and the relationship between patriotism and protest in this stunningly lyrical debut.
It is 1950, and 15-year-old Kate Dinsmore wants to become a journalist. But, her tobacco-farming father can't afford to send her to college. She devises a plan to move from rural North Carolina to her wealthy grandparents' home in Charlotte in hopes of gaining their financial support. Now she has a new set of problems. How can she please her society-conscious grandmother and conform to her new classmates' lifestyles? She meets Lillian, her grandmother's teenage maid, and in spite of their racial differences, they form a tentative friendship. While exploring her grandmother's attic, Kate unearths a secret that rocks her world and Lillian's too. The shocking discovery reveals half-truths that threaten the girls' friendship. What will Kate do when she must choose between Lillian and her new society friends? Through a mentorship with a newspaper editor, Kate realizes that journalism requires honesty. But, the risks of truth-telling make Kate question herself. If she reveals what she has learned, what price will she pay?
⚠ Content Rating for Half-Truths - Young Adult
Half-Truths is a historical fiction novel for young adult readers (13+), set in the 1950s American South. It contains themes that reflect the realities of the time period, including:
This book is written with sensitivity and historical accuracy, aiming to encourage critical thinking, empathy, and discussions about past and present social issues. Recommended for ages 13 and up.
The Awakening of Malcolm X is a powerful narrative account of the activist's adolescent years in jail, written by his daughter Ilyasah Shabazz along with 2019 Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe award-winning author, Tiffany D. Jackson.
No one can be at peace until he has his freedom. In Charlestown Prison, Malcolm Little struggles with the weight of his past. Plagued by nightmares, Malcolm drifts through days, unsure of his future. Slowly, he befriends other prisoners and writes to his family. He reads all the books in the prison library, joins the debate team and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm grapples with race, politics, religion, and justice in the 1940s. And as his time in jail comes to an end, he begins to awaken -- emerging from prison more than just Malcolm Little: Now, he is Malcolm X. Here is an intimate look at Malcolm X's young adult years. While this book chronologically follows X: A Novel, it can be read as a stand-alone historical novel that invites larger discussions on black power, prison reform, and civil rights.An award-winning novel about the resilience of the human spirit, the power of duty, the fragile relationship between humans and nature, and the sacrifices we make for family.
Mary Call has promised her dying father to keep her brother and sisters together forever in their home in the Great Smoky Mountains, and to never to take any help from strangers. She is determined to keep her word--and her pride. No matter what.
At first she is sure she can manage. Romey, Ima Dean, and Devola help gather herbs to sell in town; the riches of the mountains will surely keep the family clothed and fed. But when winter comes, fast and furious, Mary Call learns that the land where the lilies bloom can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and it will take more than a promise to keep her family together.
This classic coming of age story explores issues of poverty, character, and perseverance. A strong option for classroom, homeschool, or independent reading.
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST SELECTION
In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This YA reimagining of The Great Gatsby centers trans love in a cast removed from its cishet white default, finally exploring those longing glances and wistful sighs between Nick and Jay. New York City, 1922. Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Wisconsin, has no interest in the city's glamor. Going to New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional, which could set up his future--and his life as a man--and benefit his family. Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old cousin, Daisy Fabrega, who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy fiancé, Tom--and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay, has erased all signs of her Latine heritage, and now passes seamlessly as white. Nick's neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named Jay Gatsby, whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant that they both dazzle and terrify Nick. At one of these parties, Nick learns that the spectacle is all meant to impress a girl from Jay's past--Daisy. And he learns something else: Jay is also transgender. As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of decadence, he spends more time with Jay, aiming to help his new friend reconnect with his lost love. But Nick's feelings grow more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Jay's openness, idealism, and unfounded faith in the American Dream. Praise for Self-Made Boys:Now with a fresh new look and introduction, Jennifer Donnelly's astonishing, Printz Honor-winning debut--the story of a young woman's coming-of-age and the murder that rocked turn-of-the-century America. A Printz Award Honor Book
A contemporary classic. Jennifer Donnelly is the master of historical fiction! ---Ruta Sepetys, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Carnegie Medal
Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has a word for everything, and big dreams of being a writer but little hope of seeing them come true.
With the fresh pain of her mother's death lingering over her and the only out from her impoverished life being marriage to the handsome but dull local rich boy, Maddie flees from her home. She takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown entrusts her with the task of burning a secret bundle of letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from Big Moose Lake, Mattie discovers that the letters could reveal the grim truth behind a murder.
Set in 1906 in the Adirondack Mountains, against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, this Printz Honor-winning coming-of-age novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, and real, and wholly original.
When Rose Nolan arrives on Ellis Island as a seventeen-year-old Irish immigrant, she is looking for a land of opportunities; what she finds is far from all she'd dreamed. Stubborn and tenacious, she refuses to give up. Left alone to fend for herself and her younger sister, Rose is thrust into a hard-knock life of tenements and factory work.
But even as she struggles, Rose finds small bright points in her new life--at the movies with her working friends and in the honest goals of her mentor, Gussie. Still, after her exhausting days as a working girl, Rose must face the confusion of balancing her need for simple fun with her more wary feelings about joining Gussie in her fight for better working conditions. When the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 rushes into Rose's life, her confusions are brought to an all-too-painful head. To whom and to what can she turn when everything around her is in ashes? Sharp, poignant, and stirringly real, MJ Auch has written a powerful historical novel that is hard to put down.I never grow tired of cheering for Emily, and neither will a new generation of readers.--Mitali Perkins, author of You Bring the Distant Near, finalist for the National Book Award
This standalone novel by the author of the beloved Betsy-Tacy series, Emily of Deep Valley is set in Betsy Ray's Deep Valley and tells the story of a young woman who longs to go off to college following her high school graduation, but whose family commitments demand she stay close to home. Resigning herself to a lost winter, Emily nonetheless throws herself into a new program of study and a growing interest in the local Syrian immigrant community, and when she meets a handsome new teacher at the high school, gains more than she ever dreamed possible. Maud Hart Lovelace's only young adult standalone novel, Emily of Deep Valley is considered to be one of the author's finest works.
This edition includes a foreword by acclaimed young adult author Mitali Perkins, compelling historical material about the real people who inspired Lovelace's beloved characters and a biography of illustrator Vera Neville, whose original cover illustration is featured on the cover.
I re-read these books every year. --Laura Lippman
There are three authors whose body of work I have reread more than once over my adult life: Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Maud Hart Lovelace. --Anna Quindlen