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In this follow-up series to Representative John Lewis’s life story, Run, Book One looks at the dramatic transitions and struggles Representative Lewis went through after participating in the March on Selma and the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, during the Civil Rights Movement. Many of the lessons shared from the representative’s life align with today’s struggles. This is a graphic biography.
 TOP 10 LIST Abe, Frank, Tamiko Nimura, Ross Ishikawa, and Matt Sasaki. We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance at Wartime Incarceration. May 2021. Chin Music Press. $19.99. Paperback. 160 pages. 9781634059763. Young Adult. The collective history of three Japanese Americans who refused to accept the American government’s charge of sabotage and treason as the reason for imprisonment in the internment camps set up by the American government. This is a graphic biography.  Clark, Zion and James S. Hirsch. Zion Unmatched. August 2021. Candlewick. $17.99. Hardback. 32 pages. 9781536224189. Children’s Picture Book. A photographic essay about Zion Clark, a paraplegic who was born with caudal regression syndrome. While growing up in foster care, Zion was subjected to bullying, physical abuse, and malnourishment. Today Zion is a professional wrestler and world record holder.  Fièvre, Michelle-Jessica. Empowered Black Girl: Joyful Affirmations & Words of Resilience. January 2021. Mango Publishing Group. $15.95. Paperback. 224 pages. 9781642505603. Young Adult. Author Michelle-Jessica ‘M. J.’ Fièvre continues her support and uplift of Black adolescent girls. In her latest publication, the focus is on mental, physical, and social health and the resilience needed to sustain the healthy positive outlook needed to carry out their goals and dreams. Aspirational text is provided from women throughout the African Diaspora.  Heumann, Judith with Kristen Joiner. Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Stark a Revolution. June 2021. Beacon Press $14.95. Paperback. 215 pages. 9780807003596. Young Adult. Author Judith Heumann has been paralyzed from polio for all of her life. In this autobiographical account, the author shares the story of her journey for equal access and equity, a fight she has battled for since her years in elementary school where she was described as a fire hazard because of her wheelchair.  TOP 10 LIST Man, Chella and Ashley Lukashevsky. Continuum (A Pocket Change Collective). June 2021. Penguin Workshop. $8.99. Paperback. 64 pages. 9780593223482. Young Adult. Chella Man uses his experiences as a deaf, genderqueer, transgender, Jewish youth of color to encourage others to embrace their identity and cultivate a sense of self-acceptance as they grow in strength to advocate for themselves. This is an illustrated informational text.  Rosser, Kareem. Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Spirt That Changed Their Lives Forever. February 2021. St. Martin’s Press. $28.99. Hardback. 304 pages. 9781250270863. Young Adults and Older. In this autobiography, author Kareem Rosser tells how he and his younger siblings were able to change their destiny in life when they discovered a passion for horseriding and conquering the elite circles of polo at national and international levels. Rosser’s story is not all cheer, but is ultimately uplifting. He received a polo scholarship to the University of Colorado and is now a financial analyst in Philadelphia and executive director of the stables that introduced him to the love of horses and the sport of polo. |  Chang, Jeff and Dave ‘Davey D’ Cook. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. March 2021. Wednesday Books. $18.99. Hardback. In this young adult version of the 2005 adult edition, the historical timeline of hip hop and rap is laid out from the earliest days of the 1960s forward. Equal time is given to the contributions from this nation’s geographic regions, and clear connections updated from the original 2005 publication are established on hip hop and rap’s link to the racial injustice of past and contemporary times.  Craft, Aimée. Treaty Words: For as Long as the River Flow. March 2021. Annick Press. $14.95. Hardback. 60 pages. 9781773214969. Middle Grades. In this poetic narrative, an Anishinaabe girl and her grandfather enjoy time together at the river bank. As they watch the river flow, the grandfather tells her an Indigenous viewpoint for the meaning of treaties, which originated between the Creator and all living things on earth, including people.  TOP 10 LIST Free Minds Writers. They Called Me 299-359: Poetry by the Incarcerated Youth of Free Minds. November 2020. Shout Mouse Press. $14.99. Paperback. 120 pages. 9781950807154. Young Adult. The Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop members are a group of incarcerated youth in Washington, DC who compiled and edited this anthology of poetry and essays that serve as the authors’ personal testimonies to their experiences of incarceration, challenge, and growth.  Hudson, Wade. Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South. October 2021. Crown. $17.99. Hardback. 272 pages. 9780593126356. Middle Grades. Wade Hudson is an award-winning author and founder of the independent publishing company, Just Us Books. During the height of the Civil Rights movement, he was an adolescent and very aware of the injustices brought about by segregation. His autobiography brings that first-hand experience to middle-grade readers.  TOP 10 LIST Rouse, Victorya. Finding Refuge: Real Life Immigration Stories From Young People. September 2021. Zest Books. $14.99. Paperback. 264 pages. 9781541581609. Young Adult. In Victorya Rouse is an ESL teacher in Spokane, Washington. In this anthology, she shares the immigration stories of former students, from a variety of global cultures, who were in her high school ESL class. Many came fled war-torn countries and sought relief from political and religious persecution, and gang and drug violence.  Strong, Amanda and Dr. Sherry Farrell-Racette. Four Faces of the Moon. September 2021. Annick Press. $17.95. Paperback. 136 pages. 9781773214535. Young Adult. In this origins story of author Amanda Strong, readers are privileged to read and see the manner in which the author reconnects to her Métis ancestral heritage through art, language, and cultural knowledge. Illustrated biography in stop motion. |
In the Margins Book Awards 