Best Children's American History of 2000s

Read their incredible stories: The Children’s Blizzard, 1888. The Titanic Disaster, 1912. The Great Boston Molasses Flood, 1919. The Japanese Tsunami, 2011. The Henryville Tornado, 2012. Gr 2–5—Tarshis retells the stories of five natural disasters, including the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the Children's Blizzard of 1888, and the Henryville Tornado in 2012, from the third-person perspective of a young person who survived each of the events.

Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash. Vashti Harrison earned her MFA in Film/Video from CalArts and BA from the University of Virginia.

From former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza comes a book for young readers that highlights Barack Obama's historic presidency and the qualities and actions that make him so beloved. His books include the New York Times bestseller The Rise of Barack Obama , which documents the president's meteoric ascent from his first day in the United States Senate through the 2008 Pennsylvania presidential primary.

The Caldecott Medal Winner, Sibert Honor Book, and New York Times bestseller Locomotive is a rich and detailed sensory exploration of America’s early railroads, from the creator of the “ stunning ” ( Booklist ) Moonshot. The substantial text is delivered in nonrhyming stanzas as enlightening as they are poetic: the “smoke and cinders, / ash and sweat” of the coal engine and the Great Plains stretching out “empty as an ocean.” Blasting through these artful compositions are the bellows of the conductor (“FULL STEAM AHEAD”) and the scream of the train whistle, so loud that it bleeds off the page: “WHOOOOOOO!” Font styles swap restlessly to best embody each noise (see the blunt, bold “SPIT” versus the ornate, ballooning “HUFF HUFF HUFF”).

"The very first kids' book released by the iconic publishing house City Lights, Rad American Women A-Z navigates the alphabet from Angela Davis to Zora Neale Hurston with colorful illustrations and short, powerful narratives. Like all A-Z books, this one illustrates the alphabet—but instead of "A is for Apple", A is for Angela—as in Angela Davis, the iconic political activist. B is for Billie Jean King, who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; C is for Carol Burnett, who defied assumptions about women in comedy; D is for Dolores Huerta, who organized farmworkers; and E is for Ella Baker, who mentored Dr. Martin Luther King and helped shape the Civil Rights Movement. And the list of great women continues, spanning several centuries, multiple professions, and 26 diverse individuals. There are artists and abolitionists, scientists and suffragettes, rock stars and rabble-rousers, and agents of change of all kinds. By offering a fresh and diverse array of female role models, we can remind readers that there are many places to find inspiration, and that being smart and strong and brave is rad. Pre-school and young children will be captured by the bright visuals and easily modified texts, while the subject matter will stimulate and inspire high-schoolers and beyond. Women need to take radical steps to become feminists, and to be strong to fight for their rights and those of others facing oppression and discrimination. One woman represents each alphabetical letter beginning with Angela Davis, an activist, teacher, and writer, and concludes with Zora Neale Hurston, an anthropologist and writer.

The #1 New York Times bestseller freshly adapted for the next generation, now with brand new content including an author Q&A and never-before-seen photographs Inspiration for the PBS American Experience Documentary 'The Boys of '36'. For readers of Unbroken , out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working-class boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. Accolades for The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation): "Offering a model of masterful nonfiction writing, Brown expertly balances the leisurely pacing of the protagonists' back stories with the exciting race scenes, related with concrete nouns, lively verbs, and short sentences, selected and adapted for this edition by Mone. "Those seeking an inspiring true story or a great sports tale will be pleased with this stirring work." "With a lyrical flair, Brown tells the story of these men in a manner that intersperses the drama of the time period with the emotional and physical turmoil of their lives. Young adult readers may not understand or even know about the desperation of the Depression, or what it was like at the genesis of Nazi Germany, but the tale of these persistent men, each with their own personal struggle, will entice readers of all ages." Accolades for the adult edition of The Boys in the Boat : - #1 New York Times bestseller. - 2014 ABA Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year. - 2014 Washington State Book Award.

New York Times Bestseller Nathan Hale, the author’s historical namesake, was America’s first spy, a Revolutionary War hero who famously said “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country” before being hanged by the British. Comic panels of varying sizes enhance the real-life events and support the stories’ over-the-top humor... the writing is accessible and entertaining; author Hale’s style gives readers an insider-y, you-are-there-type scoop." Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Adapted from Bill O’Reilly’s bestselling historical thriller, Killing Lincoln , this book will have young readers—and grown-ups too—hooked on history. It opens in the often-chaotic closing days of the Civil War, capturing the jubilation following Lee's surrender, the events of Lincoln's last days, and Booth's obsessive hatred of Lincoln and his conspiracy to assassinate him.