Kent State, by Deborah Wiles

 

In early May 1970, four unarmed college students were killed and nine other people wounded at Kent State University in Ohio. The event shocked the nation; it was the first time students were killed in an anti-war gathering. Protesting the war in Vietnam had been going on for years; it escalated at numerous college campuses and public venues in late April 1970, when South Vietnamese forces and U. S. troops invaded Cambodia in an effort to curb planning and recruitment by the North Vietnamese military. In her book Kent State, author Deborah Wiles examines documentary evidence (oral histories, personal interviews with witnesses, newspapers and other written accounts archived in Kent State University special collections and in the Kent Public Library and Historical Society) to compose her novel about the May events at Kent State. In a remarkable narrative, Wiles presents accounts of the happenings from variety of perspectives—from students (protesters, bystanders, the Black United Students), from townspeople, from the National Guardsmen who were called in, from the local police and more. To convey the chaos and concerns as events unfolded over several days, voices from each perspective are written in different fonts—a sort of prose poem enabling readers to grasp the disparate emotions and conflicting opinions. 

 

One might call Kent State a “docu-novel”—a fictional story based on authentic sources, intended to convey the true import of happenings. Encyclopedia Britannica says: “history [is a] discipline that studies the chronological record of events, usually attempting, on the basis of a critical examination of source materials, to explain events.” Using primary sources, author Wiles draws readers into the immediacy of the occasion, forcing an awareness of multiple points of view in the context of our U. S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Those several days on the Kent campus and town seem nothing short of terrifying when long-held beliefs feel suspended. The narrative in Kent State does not draw conclusions about whether calling out the National Guard was warranted by the student protests. The intent of the demonstrations was peaceful protest; the origin of some disruptive activities and a fire on campus was never fully determined. What does our nation’s dedication to “the freedom of speech, or of the press; the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” mean at a particular time and place? What does it mean when innocent people are harmed? Who are the other people affected and in what way? What role does media play? Whose role is it to protect First Amendment rights, or to exert control? These questions remain pointedly relevant in today’s world. Freedom of speech and of expression are cornerstones of a vital democracy. What steps can we take to protect them in challenging times? Ages 12-18. Scholastic Press, 2020.

 

Readers can visit the May 4 Visitors Center online: https://www.kent.edu/may4visitorscenter/online-exhibits . 

To read and think further about documentary novels, visit the author’s website: https://deborahwiles.com .

Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist MaVynee Betsch, by Heidi Tyline King, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

 

Sometimes the actions of just one person can leave a lasting footprint on the course of history. MaVynee Betsch left such a footprint. Growing up along the northeast coastline of Florida, MaVynee came to love the ocean beach. Her great grandfather Abraham Lincoln Lewis loved it too, but despaired that the ocean water was divided by an orange rope separating black swimmers from white—customary segregation during the Jim Crow years of our history. Lewis, a successful entrepreneur, bought the beach and established a lively and beautiful recreation spot for the black community. It soon became American Beach—a magnet for people far and near, including such performers as Ray Charles and Duke Ellington. Meanwhile, MaVynee had grown up to become an opera singer, performing across the wide ocean in Europe. Returning to America when her mother became ill, MaVynee discovered  that “her” American Beach had suffered from neglect as a result of desegregation laws that opened facilities across the nation to all races, drawing people to new venues. MaVynee made a pledge to save the beach and restore it to its rich natural beauty. In the process, she fought with beachfront developers and garnered supporters through her determined and flamboyant energy. Ultimately just a sliver of beach front remained but through her tireless efforts, the U. S. President George W. Bush signed the protection of American Beach into law. It became part of the National Park Service, and a site on the National Register of Historic Places and Florida Black History Trail. In Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist MaVynee Betsch, author Heidi Tyline King weaves MaVynee’s personality and passion into a wonderful story. Ekua Holmes’s vibrant paint-and-collage illustrations capture the moods and spirit of both the beach and its indomitable advocate MaVynee, a true “agent of change.” Ages 4-9. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021.

 

For more information about MaVynee and American Beach, explore https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/mavynee-beach-lady-betsch-39 and https://www.nps.gov/places/american-beach-nana-sand-dune.htm

Because Claudette, by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Tonya Engel

 

Claudette Colvin’s name may not be easily recognized among the luminous heroes of the civil rights movement—such people as Martin Luther King, Jr, Rosa Parks and John Lewis. This wonderful picture book introduces readers to young Claudette in a compelling way, in a narrative echoing the “Because” in the title with a series of instances that had a ripple effect. Only 15 years old, Claudette began the ripple when she was arrested in March, 1955, refusing to give her seat on a public bus to a white person two years before Rosa Parks’s similar action initiated the Montgomery Bus Boycott. At the time of her arrest, Claudette’s parents obtained a lawyer who suggested she meet with Rosa Parks, then a member of the NAACP, an active civil rights organization. Ms. Parks and Claudette became good friends. As she learned more and more about historical heroes working for equality and women actively working for equal rights in the present, Claudette did not feel alone in her pursuit. When a young preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at a local church, he inspired key citizens of Montgomery to take immediate action, and the ripple expanded outward. One person after another did their important parts to organize a bus boycott urging the mayor of Montgomery to change the law regarding sitting on the city's buses. Flyers were printed, people who normally rode the buses walked or shared rides to work, people far away donated money to the cause, and young Claudette was asked to testify in court about her experience and belief about equality. Claudette was so convincing, the judge changed the law, but the city of Montgomery and the state of Alabama refused to comply, and the bus boycott went on for well over a year. Finally, the issue was settled in a U. S. Supreme Court decision: “On December 21, 1956, anyone could sit wherever they liked on the bus.”

 

In Because Claudette, author Tracey Baptiste describes the journey begun by Claudette in a clear, matter-of-fact manner that allows readers to follow this important path of activism on the part of ordinary citizens. Tonya Engel’s luminous illustrations invite readers into the moments described, completing a riveting account of this important time in the history of civil rights. Ages 6-9. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2022.

Further information about the Montgomery Bus Boycott: https://www.nps.gov/articles/montgomery-bus-boycott.htm

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement, by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington

Our nation has become increasingly aware of Emmett Till’s name and circumstances in recent years as the history of injustice to African Americans is documented more thoroughly and accurately. Readers may be less familiar with the voice and the relentless actions of Emmet's mother Mamie Till-Mobley, who spoke immediately and publicly about his death by lynching in August 1955. Her actions led, ultimately, to the passage by the U. S. Senate of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act on March 7, 2022, making lynching a federal crime. In the nonfiction illustrated book Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement, author Angela Joy and artist Janelle Washington document the extraordinarily painful and courageous role Mamie Till-Mobley played in the movement to bring justice and healing to individuals and communities suffering from loss and injustice. Emmett’s mother insisted that his body—beaten, killed and thrown in the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi where Emmett was visiting relatives—be sent home to Illinois and displayed publicly for people to see the horror her son endured. The men responsible for Emmet’s death were not convicted, the result of an inaccurate, incomplete, unjust trial. The book’s text is concise and lyrical, describing Emmet, his mother, his lynching and the events and advocacy that followed in powerful simplicity. Janelle Washington’s cut-paper and colored illustrations capture telling moments in the narrative, inviting readers to sense deeply the import of Emmet’s story. Mamie Till-Mobley, through her relentless energy, connected with African Americans well familiar with the discrimination of the Jim Crow era, including Rosa Parks, spurring further activism that powered the Civil Rights movement. Till-Mobley, as an educator and activist, founded the Emmett Till Players in 1973, a group of young people who brought the inspiring words of Martin Luther King, Jr., to audiences across the nation. An author’s note, an illustrator’s note, the “Choosing Brave: The Soundtrack," vocabulary related to the story, a timeline and sources provide excellent additional insights to the story of Emmett Till. The importance of this story cannot be overemphasized, difficult though it is, and this is the book through which young people and their grown-ups can experience it. Ages 8 to adult. Roaring Brook Press, 2022.

 

For readers interested in more books for young people related to peace, social justice, global community and equity, please explore the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards.

Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky, by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer & That Book Woman, by Heather Henson, illustrated by David Small

 

Winter can be cold, damp and stormy for many people around the country. Can you imagine how chilly it would be riding a horse in the mountains of eastern Kentucky in the wintertime, delivering the books stored in your saddlebags to isolated homes across the region? That’s exactly what librarians did during the Great Depression, a difficult period in our history following the collapse of the stock market in 1929. The Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky--part of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) program created by the federal government in 1935--served residents of a state hit particularly hard when many coal mines were closed. Books were delivered by flatboat in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana as part of free public library services on the rise for rural communities across the nation. In eastern Kentucky, rough terrain and winding creek beds required navigating by horse; the courageous and determined women delivering materials were called “Pack Horse Librarians.”

 

Authors Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer interviewed former pack horse librarian Grace Caudill Lucas and drew on the resources of numerous research libraries and historical societies to compile the riveting nonfiction book Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky. Stories and documentary photos of the mountainous routes librarians traveled and the homes they visited bring readers immediately into the experience. Librarians lived in the regions they served, establishing trusted relationships with the families and small schoolhouses that gladly received the precious books and tattered magazines. Upon occasion, a librarian could pause to read a book to listeners or receive a handful of walnuts or a handwritten recipe as a thank you. By and large her days were long and hard; energy came from knowing how much her services and supportive words meant to her patrons. Too, she looked forward to returning to her own family, rubbing down her horse, and having a hot meal at the end of her day before starting the next journey. Pack horse librarians earned $28 a month; daily trips were about eighteen miles long and librarians traveled fifty to eighty miles on horseback each week. Teams of librarians met regularly at a headquarters library to share information; they kept materials (all of which were donated) rotating among various locales. They endeavored to bring “just right” items to their patrons, knowing that the gifts of literacy and literature were precious. Childrens books were in great demand; sometimes children read them aloud to parents and grandparents who were not themselves able to read, contributing to an ever-expanding need for reading materials.

 

Pack horse library services ended in 1943; not until 1956 did the Library Services Act establish federal support for libraries generally, founding a valuable system of collections nationwide. There is no doubt that the determination of Kentucky pack horse librarians exemplified the value of unwavering support for libraries in our country. The next time you visit your school or public library, be sure to say “Thank you!” to the librarians who serve us so well! Ages 8-12. Purple House Press, 2019.

For younger readers, That Book Woman, written by Heather Henson and illustrated by David Small, provides a fictional glimpse of pack horse librarians through the eyes of young Cal. He is at first dubious about the value of learning to read but comes to admire the loyal librarian who rides in all weathers to bring his sister books. Once his older sister helps him learn to read, he decides it's okay! Ages 4-7. Atheneum books for Young Readers, 2008.

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/