Hard Work, But It's Worth It: The Life of Jimmy Carter, written by Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Kyung Sun Han

In January 2025, President Joe Biden noted in his remarks at President Jimmy Carter’s memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington DC: “I say to young people: study the power of Jimmy Carter’s example.” Perhaps because of his modesty and matter-of-fact demeanor, as well as a presidency beset by international challenges such as the Tehran hostage-taking, Jimmy Carter in his roles as U. S. President and humanitarian have not often been in the spotlight. Bethany Hegedus says in her Author's Note for the picture book biography Hard Work But It’s Worth It: The Life of Jimmy Carter: "Jimmy Carter's childhood was filled with the makings of the man he became," and indeed her book describes the characteristics that make our 37^th president exemplary. Carter's lifelong adherence to the Good Habits of Mind he wrote down for himself at age fourteen were gleaned from his work as a farm boy who labored hard alongside African Americans in a place rigidly divided by the unwritten “Jim Crow” codes that perpetuated the inequalities of enslavement. A turning point in his understanding came when his Black friend A. D. insisted Jimmy pass through a door in front of him (an act displaying the social code of white superiority): “Why?” Carter asked himself. “Why should I pass through this door first?” With the addition of Kyung Eun Han’s engaging illustrations, young readers will discern the steadfast way in which President Carter looked outward to ways he could advance peace, health and fair play in the world. At the same time, he adhered to his internal values—throughout his life as a Georgia state senator, Georgia governor, U. S. President and subsequently as a humanitarian leader. Serving as President of the United States was but one of many forward-looking responsibilities he took on over his lifetime; a hallmark of his leadership was deep personal engagement and follow through. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." That same year, with his wife Rosalynn, Jimmy Carter established The Carter Center, dedicated then and now to “Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.” around the world. An Author's Note and a helpful timeline of Carter's life complete this inspiring book. Ages 4-7. Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins Publisher.

To learn more about Jimmy Carter's legacy as a humanitarian, explore this link to The Carter Center.

 

Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes, by Patty Cisneros Prevo, illustrated by Dion MBD

 

This exhilarating book highlights individuals who showed enormous courage as they faced challenges to their mobility because of various conditions. Blindness challenged a downhill skier; loss of a limb challenged an athlete training for long jump and high hurdles; paralysis following a car accident meant a seven-year-old developed her strengths in an aerodynamic wheelchair…And readers will meet an additional dozen people who discovered ways to address their disabilities and their dreams on the road to being strong athletes. The author Patty Cisneros Prevo herself “became a part of the wonderful community of disabled people” at age eighteen. Her book Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes is a gift to all readers, who will be introduced to brave people who solved daunting challenges. A concise, engaging story features each athlete; stories become deeply personal when each athlete shares a daily challenge and a daily joy. Bold, descriptive illustrations by Dion MBD complement the text, moving energetically across double-page spreads. The world of adaptive sports opens up to readers, providing new understanding and new horizons. Extra pages suggest good language for advocacy in disability justice work, a glossary of terms, a list of resources, and a timeline of the Paralympics. Ages 7-10. Lee & Low Books, 2023.

To learn more about the Paralympic Games, visit https://www.teamusa.com/ .

Visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/accessibility/index.htm to learn more about accessibility in our national parks.

Talking Leaves, by Joseph Bruchac

 

History comes alive through the characters in Joseph Bruchac’s novel Talking Leaves. Young Uwohali is both curious and nervous to learn why his father Sequoyah is believed by the community to be crazy--even involved in witchcraft. Uwohali knows that his mother, Sequoyah’s first wife, banished Sequoyah from living with her and their son, deepening the mystery of his absence. He also knows his father has been seen relentlessly drawing unusual symbols—on the ground and indeed everywhere he goes. This engaging story slowly reveals to Uwohali the reason that compels Sequoyah to keep drawing odd symbols. Through his dealings with the white men encroaching on native land, bargaining, and offering new tools and methods of farming, Sequoyah observed first hand that the ability to read and speak English was an invaluable asset to trade and everyday life. Thus Sequoyah wondered: would not such an alphabet for Cherokee, the spoken language that is ours, enhance our people’s ability to communicate, to share and to store knowledge? Do we not need a written Cherokee language? Uwohali tracks his father to his new home, where he lives with his second wife and daughter. Summoning the courage to approach his father, he finds out more about Sequoyah’s unusual project. He comes to understand the power of Sequoyah’s invented syllabary when he sees that his younger sister Ahyokah can actually read his father’s symbols. It is an alphabet of sorts, with a symbol for each syllable in Cherokee spoken language. When Uwohali’s skeptical friends and then, importantly, the village chief become convinced that the symbols can indeed be read, word spreads quickly that Sequoyah has done something wonderful. Readers learn about the significant invention of a written Cherokee language—a true event that inspired the development of written languages in numerous oral cultures around the world. Readers will sympathize with the range of Uwohali’s feelings as he comes to know his father and understand the revolutionary work to which he is dedicated. Notes at the book’s end specify the meanings of the Cherokee syllabary, provide further readings, and place this important event in its historical context. Ages 10-13. Dial Books, 2016; Puffin Books, 2017.

Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac has also written two books (a picture book and a novel) about the Navajo men who, as U. S. Marines, used Navajo code as a secret language in World War II: https://onehundredmorebooks.blogspot.com/2020/08/when-chester-nez-was-eight-years-old-he.html

Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment, by Allison Matulli with Clelia Castro-Malaspina, illustrated by Carmelle Kendall & Chasing the Truth: A Young Journalist’s Guide to Investigative Reporting, by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, adapted by Ruby Shamir

 

Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment provides an excellent non-partisan introduction to the important rights guaranteed to American citizens by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution: Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Assembly, and the Right to Petition. Authors Allison Matulli and Clelia Castro-Malaspina begin with a chapter describing the levels of our country’s federal and state court systems—charting the journey an issue may take from district courts and courts of appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, defining key terms like “plaintiff,” “defendant,” “opinion” and “appellant.” The text is clear and very engaging; it speaks directly to readers in middle school and above. In every chapter, specific, real-life First Amendment judicial cases (both historical and current) are presented. The cases discussed are ones affecting students—such as wearing religious clothing in schools; hate speech, symbolic speech and online speech; teaching evolution theory and topics in history; forms of protest; access to and use of media; peaceable and unpeaceable assembly; and the use of petitions. In addition to reflective questions to readers, global perspectives (examples of rights in other countries) provide a context for our own First Amendment. Very clear formatting, engaging graphics and selected sources for further reading add to the book’s usefulness for civic education studies, personal reading and family discussion—a valuable compendium for navigating today’s world. Ages 10-16. Philomel Books / Penguin Random House, 2021.

 

In Chasing the Truth: A Young Journalist’s Guide to Investigative Reporting by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, adapted by Ruby Shamir from the adult book She Said, investigative journalism is explored using examples from the work of the authors as they became accomplished in their field. Investigative journalism—aiming to both uncover and analyze the facts of a situation in the context of freedom of the press—has strategies and challenges that distinguish it from general news reporting. The authors’ landmark reporting of the sexual harassment case of Harvey Weinstein is conveyed vividly and clearly, exemplifying the goal “to reveal abuses of power that are causing harm to individuals or to the wider public.” At the book’s conclusion, cogent, very specific tips are provided as a guideline to young people considering doing investigative journalism. Ages 12 and up. Philomel, 2021.

To the Front! Clara Barton Braves the Battle of Antietam, by Claudia Friddell, illustrated by Christopher Cyr

 

Many people know Clara Barton’s name as founder of the Red Cross in America in 1881, yet her story is so much broader--rich with astonishing humanitarian work in the early days of the Civil War. In To the Front! Clara Barton Braves the Battle of Antietam, the author Claudia Friddell focuses on one episode in Barton’s life: the life-saving energy she and her coterie of civilians brought to wounded and dying soldiers at the front lines of battle between Union and Confederate soldiers. Clara’s own compelling words, taken from her journals and speeches, drive the incisive narrative reflecting her engagement delivering much-needed supplies and medical care. Indeed, Clara and her helpers were in the vanguard of help to the soldiers, arriving at the front before military materials could reach them. Barton’s vision and driving need to help combined with her personal strength, empathy and courage made a significant difference to the welfare of doctors and soldiers in the heat of battle. Christopher Cyr’s realistic illustrations capture beautifully the moods and perspectives of the story’s changing events. A thorough “Afterword” highlights primary sources to complete the picture of Barton’s life--from her early work as a teacher, then government employee, to her part in the women’s suffrage movement and the founding of the American Red Cross after the war. This biographical picture book provides insight to the Civil War and the people who brought courage and determination to the front lines. Ages 7-10. Calkins Creek, 2022.

 

Readers can make a virtual visit to the Clara Barton Museum in Washington DC. More information about the September 17, 1862, Battle of Antietam can be found at this National Park Service website.

The Green Glass Sea, by Ellen Klages; Bomb, by Steve Sheinkin; and The Children of Los Alamos, by Katrina R. Mason

In 1943, the town of Los Alamos, New Mexico, existed on no map. It was a highly secret community where scientists and mathematicians worked on “the gadget”—the atomic bomb they felt would end World War II. In this unusual encampment, Dewey Kerrigan and Suze Gordon (young daughters of scientists at work on The Hill) meet. They don’t like one another. Dewey is a loner, fascinated by everything mechanical and constantly inventing curious devices with components garnered from the encampment’s dump. Suze, artistic and strong-willed, strives to be in the popular circle of girls in the community and joins in teasing “Screwy Dewey.” Over the next few years, the girls are brought together by changes in their families amidst the demands of the intensely-focused community—eventually gaining a respectful, even loyal, friendship. The historical setting created by author Ellen Klages in The Green Glass Sea is fascinating, and true to both the actual events of the time and the dynamics of preteen and family relationships. Readers will become familiar with this period of history and its hidden project. They will be introduced to the dilemma felt by the developers of the atomic bomb: in meeting our objective (to bring an end to the war), did we introduce a power to humanity that we may regret? The meaning of the book’s title becomes clear as the book concludes. Recipient of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, this fictional but realistic novel provides a context for understanding the complex demands of scientific exploration and the actual people involved. Ages 9-12. Puffin Books, 2008. 

 

Author Steve Sheinkin excels at presenting complex historical topics in a compelling way. His non-fiction Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon documents the origin of the atomic bomb in the 1938 discovery of nuclear fission in Germany, through its development in the secret labs of Los Alamos, to the several Soviet spies trying to steal key information and the international debate over nuclear proliferation. The complex nature of the bomb, its use and the dynamics of the Cold War are well described, elucidating an important era of our history and a context for current deliberations about nuclear power. Ages 11-16. Roaring  Brook Press, 2012.

For older readers and adults, The Children of Los Alamos, by Katrina R. Mason, presents interviews with adults who lived as young people in the rarified setting of Los Alamos. Offering a variety of perspectives, the narratives confirm that living at the secret community as children in the 1940s carried a lifelong impact. Reflections in this documentary book include deep appreciation for the dedicated energy characterizing the community, with a shared sense of mission creating a bond, as well as sobering thoughts about the enduring effects of the landmark use of atomic power to end WWII with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Ages 12 to adult. Twayne Publishers, 1995.

Our Country’s Presidents: A Complete Encyclopedia of the U. S. Presidency, written by Ann Bausum

 

The job of president of the United States of America has to be one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Forty-five individuals have held this important position since George Washington was elected, in 1789, to lead our fledgling country. The requirements of the position have increased over time as our country grew, in both population and complexity. Our country’s democracy rests, at the national level, on three branches of government: the executive, the judicial and the legislative. The president heads the executive branch, undertaking responsibilities stated in our Constitution, but the impact of the president’s work extends even further--as an influential leader and advocate for the health and general welfare of our country. Our Country’s Presidents: A Complete Encyclopedia of the U. S. Presidency, by history author Ann Bausum, is an excellent compendium of information about each of our presidents, up through the national election of Joe Biden in November 2020. Bausum explores the milestones, challenges and leadership approach of each president, placing each president’s term of office in the context of our history. Readers learn, for example, that Abraham Lincoln led the country during the critical years of the Civil War, how Dwight D. Eisenhower served our country during World War II, the response of George W. Bush to terrorist attacks in September 2001, that Barack Obama faced the demands of the financial crisis of 2008 and beyond. Richly illustrated with primary sources, timelines, presidential portraits, fact boxes and helpful topical essays that describe a variety of themes related to the office of the presidency, this volume is both informative and engaging. It could be a wonderful resource for family conversation as we move into a national election year in 2024. What do you, as a reader, care about as you consider the qualifications of a potential president? What is most important to you? What hopes do you have regarding our country's leadership? Ages 7-12. National Geographic, 2021.

 

Read more about the responsibilities of the President and Executive Branch!