February 2024 – Nonfiction Monday

February 26, 2024February 24, 2024

Small Shoes, Great Strides

Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Author) and Alex Bostic (Illustrator)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost didn’t set out to make history. But when these three Black first graders stepped into the all-white McDonogh No. 19 Public School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960, that’s exactly what they did. They integrated their school just ten minutes before Ruby Bridges walked into her school, also in New Orleans. Like Ruby, the trio faced crowds of protestors fighting against public school desegregation efforts and relied on US Marshals (seen in the excerpt below) to keep them safe. Their teacher protected them every step of the way, and the girls formed a close bond, becoming friends for life.

Snippet:

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

February 12, 2024February 10, 2024

A History of the World in 25 Cities

A History of the World in 25 Cities (The British Museum)
by Tracey Turner (Author), Andrew Donkin (Author), Libby VanderPloeg (Illustrator)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Visit cities from every inhabited continent on Earth, from the walled city of Jericho built over 10,000 years ago, to the modern-day metropolis of Tokyo, the most-densely populated city in the world today. Each carefully researched map takes readers on a city tour at a unique moment in time–from exploring Athens in ancient Greece during the birth of democracy, to walking the beautiful lamplit streets of medieval Benin, deep in the West African rainforest. Cities featured include Jericho, Memphis, Athens, Xianyang, Rome, Constantinople, Baghdad, Jórvík, Benin City, Tenochtitlán, Granada, Beijing, Venice, Delhi, Cuzco, Amsterdam, Sydney, Paris, London, Bangkok, Saint Petersburg, New York City, Berlin, San Francisco, and Tokyo.

Snippet:
BENIN CITY
1500s
In the middle of the West African rain forest, huge walls and deep moats surrounded a city that gleamed with brass. Benin City was the heart of a rich and powerful empire that stretched for hundreds of miles.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

February 5, 2024February 2, 2024

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Supreme Court Justice

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Supreme Court Justice
by Emily Dolbear (Author)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: On June 30, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the 116th Supreme Court justice. In that moment, she also became the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the United States. This middle grade biography explores Jackson’s childhood, education, and adulthood, providing readers with a better understanding of who Jackson is and what led to her historic seat on the US Supreme Court.

Snippet: “On this vote, the yeas are 53, the nays are 47, and this nomination is confirmed,” announced the vice president. Loud applause broke out on the Senate floor of the US Capitol. For almost a minute, many senators recognized the historic moment with clapping and cheers.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!