Hear My Voice: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States; compiled by Warren Binford for Project Amplify; illustrations by Latinx artists

 

The topic of immigration is a difficult one. The reality of being an immigrant is immeasurably harder. In recent years and months the news has carried countless stories of the daunting journeys immigrants take to achieve a better life in the United States. Immigration has been a legal and policy issue for our government—at both state and national levels—for many, many decades, into previous centuries. Some U. S. citizens regard immigrants with fear, others with concern for their well-being. We learn with appreciation about individuals who came as immigrants and contributed mightily to our culture and progress; we know that American society today is largely comprised of immigrants—from Europe, from Asia, from Africa and South America. What are we to understand? How are we to greet newcomers to our shores and borders today? In the book Hear My Voice: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States, Warren Binford, an international children’s advocate and a professor of both law and pediatrics, records the voices of children who have crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico, sharing their experiences first-hand as they waited in detention centers. Published in 2021, the book provides a vivid look at the circumstances floods of migrant children faced, separated from their parents and guardians, in the migration process beginning in 2017. How did they sleep, eat and keep clean? We know that today, policies and practices surrounding the rights of immigrants are confusing, and injustices are too often the result. Michael Garcia Bochenek, of Human Rights Watch, says in his Foreword to the book: “This book, a story for children by children, wasn’t easy to tell and isn’t easy to hear.” Indeed, the truths of the young people interviewed are probably best shared by adults and children together in reading Hear My Voice. Readers hear the voices of 61 young people; 17 Latinx artists amplify their voices in startling yet tender double-page illustrations, providing crucial insight to the detention situation. Throughout, the courage of child migrants comes through. Additional notes provide depth on the legal and social context of child migrants, suggestions for what families might do to help, and thoughtful questions that could be the basis for family discussions. The book is presented in English from one cover and in Spanish from the other. Ages 8 to adult. Workman Publishing, New York, 2021.

 

Further information: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations focus on the topic of migration

Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story--by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry and Alexis Bunten; illustrated by Garry Meeches Sr.

Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story tells the story of Thanksgiving from a Native perspective, deepening our understanding of the history and traditions related to this celebration. A foreword introduces readers to the time and setting with which most Americans are familiar: a 1621 harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts, initiated by settlers widely known as Pilgrims. Further notes deepen our awareness of the many years before the newcomers arrived, during which the First Peoples (the Wampanoag people of this area) hunted, fished and cultivated essential crops, particularly a trio of crops known as the Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, and Squash). Readers learn a number of words in the language Wampanoag people speak (Wôpanâak), used by the grandmother who tells a story within the story: words for grandmother, corn, dwelling, foods, Ousamequin (a leader known as Massasoit) and Tisquantum (a man known as Squanto).

As young Quill and Maple accompany their grandmother gathering foods for lunch, she relates the story of Keepunumuk--the time of the harvest. Seagull and Weeâchumun (the Sister named Corn) notice new people arriving on the shores of their homeland. Over two winters, along with Fox, they wonder if the newcomers are to be trusted. The seasons change. The newcomers search for seeds. The First Peoples, observing them, worry the newcomers will not know what to do with the seeds. With springtime, the animals and plants of the region decide to help the newcomers with their crop-planting, manifested in the help of their leaders who work with the newcomers. When the newcomers hold a feast to celebrate their successful harvest, some of the First Peoples join them. As grandmother’s story ends, Quill and Maple understand how important their ancestors’ deep reverence for the creatures of land, sea and sky was to the newcomers’ sustenance and survival.

 

The book ends with further information about the geography of the Mashpee Wampanoag people, settlers and colonization, Wampanoag storytelling, the current recognition of the Day of Mourning, and the tradition of creating a Spirit Plate as part of giving thanks. Authors Danielle Greendeer (a citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation), Anthony Perry (a Chikasaw citizen), and Alexis Bunten (Yu’pik and Unangan) join with illustrator Garry Meeches Sr. (Anishinaabe) in presenting a thoughtful, resonant book that places First Peoples at the heart of a holiday celebrated by most Americans. Ages 4-9. Charlesbridge, 2022.

 

Further information for curious readers:

Reclamation of the Wôpanâak language: https://www.wlrp.org

The National Day of Mourning held on the U. S. Thanksgiving holiday: http://www.uaine.org/

 

Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition), by Anton Treuer & An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese

 

In October 2021, Indigenous Peoples’ Day was recognized as a United States national holiday celebrating Native peoples and their histories and cultures. It is regarded by many to be a counter-holiday to Columbus Day, which commemorates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas and often eclipses a recognition of our continent’s prior inhabitants. Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) goes a long way toward untangling lapses in our common knowledge and misperceptions of history as well as contemporary Native peoples. Ten topical chapters contain engaging questions--questions that many of us might ask. Chapter titles include: Terminology; History; Religion, Culture and Identity; Powwow; Tribal Languages; Politics; Economics; Education; Social Activism; Perspectives: Coming to Terms and Future Directions; and a concluding commentary entitled Finding Ways to Make a Difference.

Author Anton Treuer describes the borderland in Northern Minnesota where he grew up. In the borderland, communities and schools were a mix of Whites and Indians; navigating the confusing mix of tribal, state and federal jurisdictions was difficult. Varied cultural and family contexts made understanding hard, perhaps particularly for young people: “…nobody talked about the bigger issues, which sat like a giant bear in the corner of the room every time the schools and Native families interacted.” After leaving the borderland of his childhood and completing his college degree at Princeton University in New Jersey, Treuer realized that the confusion of expectations and perceptions that the borderland presented to both Indian and White individuals remained deeply embedded in his and others' lives. He committed himself to studying, writing and teaching about Native issues--fully aware that he is but one Indian among many, though confident his research and voice could be useful in the process of striving for understanding. The result is a highly informative, thoughtful, challenging and useful book for both Native and non-Native readers. Ages 13 and up. Levine Querido/Chronicle Books, 2021.

 

Excellent additional insight to the history of Native peoples is provided by An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s original work has been adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese to reach readers in junior high and above. The authors mince no words in describing the reeducation needed within families, schools and institutions to understand better the history of our nation’s indigenous peoples, how they have fared over years of co-existence with larger populations, and, moving forward, what policies and practices can best respect the integrity and welfare of Native peoples. This is a valuable volume, inspiring reflection on and understanding of social justice issues. Ages 12 and up. Beacon Press, 2019.

 

For more excellent book recommendations, view https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com

 

View the U. S. President’s Proclamation regarding Indigenous Peoples’ Day: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/10/08/a-proclamation-indigenous-peoples-day-2021/

We the People: The United States Constitution Explored and Explained, by Aura Lewis & Evan Sargent

Many public discussions center around the U. S. Constitution, the document that frames how our national government works. It can be daunting to try to understand its contents; it was adopted in 1787 and has been added to twenty-seven times since then. We know that the initial words of the Constitution – “We the People” – convey that our government is formed with the intention of serving the people of the United States. That’s a big job. Aura Lewis and Evan Sargent, in We the People: The United States Constitution Explored and Explained, provide an excellent source for learning how the Constitution does (and sometimes does not) provide guidelines for our government. 

This helpful book is arranged chronologically: a description of our three branches of government is followed by the Preamble and the first seven articles of the Constitution and so on. Readers may wonder what a “preamble” is; the authors take care to define terms that may be new, within the narrative or in a glossary at the book’s end (for example, the preamble is “the opening statement of the original Constitution”). Double-page spreads clearly and concisely state the essence of and explain each Article, then the first ten Amendments called the Bill of Rights, and then move through each of the eleventh through twenty-seventh Amendments. Whew. But each part of the Constitution is not merely explained clearly and concisely. All the way through, the text invites thoughtful discussion with questions to the reader, such as “What do you think?” after the review of a concept, and “If you could be in one of the three branches of government, which would you choose and why?” Clear cross-references among pages lead readers to related facts on a topic without disrupting the narrative at hand. The pull and tug of authority (for example, between federal and states’ interests) and other knotty issues such as voting rights are addressed. Fun facts are sprinkled throughout, providing interesting information even adults aren’t likely to know! Numerous sidebars highlight historical and contemporary facts about people and events that enhance the story of our Constitution’s implementation through the years. 

All this information appears in graphically captivating form, with succinct and interesting text, Aura Lewis’s colorful illustrations, clear headlines and bold highlights. An activist message is conveyed throughout, encouraging readers to consider their role in contributing to the conversation about our nation’s values, laws, policies and practices. It is an excellent introduction to a foundational document. Ages 9 and up. Wide Eyed Editions / Quarto Group, 2020.

 

Take a look at the original Constitution and find additional resources at our National Archives.

The Voice That Won the Vote: How One Woman’s Words Made History, by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger

 

The 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution was passed by the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives in 1919 but it still needed to be ratified by thirty-six states in order for women to have the vote. Would Tennessee become the 36th and final state to say “Yes”? This pleasing picture book tells the little-known story of Febb Burn, an ordinary woman fed up with waiting. The campaign for women's suffrage had begun more than seventy years before in Seneca Falls, New York, at the first convention on the rights of women. Febb Burn, in August, 1920,  wrote a letter to a key legislator (and her son), Harry Burn: “Hurrah and vote for suffrage and don’t keep them in doubt”— and his one vote made the difference! This single episode speaks volumes about individual advocacy and standing up for one’s beliefs; it is set in context by a brief timeline of women’s suffrage. The Voice That Won the Vote: How One Woman’s Words Made History, by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger captures a fascinating turning-point in the journey for women’s rights. Ages 6-10. Sleeping Bear Press, 2020.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

More details from the National Constitution Center:  https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-man-and-his-mom-who-gave-women-the-vote/

View the original letter from mother to son at the Knox County Public Library in Tennessee!

It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way, by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad & Babies, by Gyo Fujikawa

 

When Gyo Fujikawa’s Babies was published in 1963, it felt to many parents like a quiet miracle. It was a sturdy book, tall and narrow, able to be held easily and read aloud to a young child in one’s lap. Read once, read twice, read three times in a row, it always brought a smile. The babies depicted were engaged in all the possible baby antics “oh, so busily.” They were bathed and had their diapers changed; they played, they were mischievous, and always they were “hugged and cuddled and loved.” But what made the book extra special was that babies of all races were gently, joyfully depicted: readers could see faces like theirs and their neighbors. Fujikawa was in the vanguard of children’s book creators who chose to portray children of color in everyday stories, as did Ezra Jack Keats in his classic The Snowy Day,

 

How did Gyo Fujikawa come to write and illustrate Babies? That story is told with enormous grace and liveliness in It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way, by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad. Gyo was born in California, the child of immigrants from Japan. Her mother, a poet, and her father, a laborer, provided a home full of drawing materials and books where anything felt possible to Gyo. But the wider world of school and society did not feel hospitable, even when her family moved to the Japanese American community of San Pedro in southern California; her classmates in the high school, a ferry ride away, were mostly white. Her good fortune was to be noticed and supported by two teachers who encouraged her to go to art school for college. After that, Gyo spent a year in Japan absorbing Japanese cultural heritage and the wonderful creations of native print makers—but she found the customary teaching tools too restrictive. She began to create her own methods, returning to America to work as a muralist and graphic artist in New York. The tragedy of Japanese internment in 1942 separated her from her West Coast parents, and Gyo felt once again isolated in a world that regarded her as a stranger. She found solace in her art—bringing a blank page alive with drawings—while very aware of the civil rights activism surrounding her. She created a book that had black babies and white babies together, engaged in ordinary baby activities, not segregated. When a publisher said “No” to producing her book, Gyo “looked the publisher in the eye and said: ‘It shouldn’t be that way. Not out there on the streets. Not here on this page. We need to break the rules.’” And thus was born a book that helped seed an invaluable evolution in children’s book publishing: producing diverse books. Babies has stood the test of time—translated into 17 languages and remaining bright, beautiful and beloved. Maclear and Morstad’s biographical picture book concludes with an intriguingly detailed timeline and engaging notes from the author and illustrator. Ages 4-9. HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2019.

   Grosset & Dunlap, 1963.

I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story, by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin, illustrated by Julia Kuo & Betsy Ross and the U. S. Flag, by Danielle Smith-Llera & I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story, by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin, illustrated by Julia Kuo

 

Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco’s Chinatown. His parents had come to the United States from China in search of a better life. Immigrants worked hard in many capacities–keeping shops, becoming farmers, helping to build our nation’s transcontinental railroad. Having been born in the United States, Wong Kim Ark was truly an American. But then the country passed a law that said no more Chinese immigrants could enter America; also, Kim Ark’s parents could never become citizens, hold particular jobs or be safe from prejudice. Discouraged, they returned to China but Kim Ark chose to stay in America. After visiting his parents later in China (his first time there), Kim Ark was not allowed to reenter the United States even though he was an official citizen, and he was unjustly imprisoned. With help from people who cared about his situation, he was freed, but his citizenship status was not yet settled. Kim Ark’s case went all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court. Justices considered the 14^thAmendment, ratified on July 9, 1868, which declared anyone born in the United States is a citizen; they also considered what his Chinese heritage could mean regarding his allegiance to country. After a year of debate, the Court ruled that Kim Ark was indeed a citizen. That 1898 decision has had a profound effect on the right of American-born people to be lawful citizens, though it does not ensure that American-born Chinese and others are free from racial prejudices. This true story–of Wong Kim Ark’s determination to certify his American citizenship against many odds–is inspiring. The non-fiction picture book I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story is gracefully told by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin. Illustrations by Julia Kuo reflect Kim Ark’s journey in every detail, with additional details contained in a timeline and afterword. Readers are given many things to think about regarding yesterday and today’s attitudes about immigration and citizenship. Indeed, what does it mean to be a citizen in our United States democracy? Ages 5-9. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2021.

We sometimes hear the story that a woman named Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag, with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen stars in a circle on a blue field, not unlike the colors and design elements of our national flag today. But did she do that? The book series entitled “Fact VS Fiction in U. S. History" demonstrates for readers that: “History is not set in stone. It has a way of changing over time depending on who is telling the story.” In this volume of the series (Betsy Ross and the U. S. Flag), author Danielle Smith-Llera asks many questions and presents primary sources (such as paintings and written correspondence from the period) to help readers think knowledgeably about the history of our flag. Betsy Ross was an upholsterer and made many flags in her workshop, but was she asked by members of the Continental Congress (the government of the thirteen colonies) to make a flag representing the new government? Ross told her family that she did meet with George Washington, commander of the Continental Army that secured American independence. Her story was affirmed by her relatives years later, but there is no historical proof of that happening. When Ross’s grandson told the story about his grandmother making the flag, it was published widely, and even school books included Ross’s association with the original flag. Intriguing clues to a variety of facts about the flag’s design and construction are presented throughout the book, inviting readers to consider various occasions and evidence. It is concluded that “the flag, like the Revolution it presents, was probably the work of many hands.” A glossary and additional sources of information are appended, including an excellent website: The History of the American Flag. View the series Facts VS Fiction in U. S. History  Ages 8-11. Capstone Press, 2021.