Tag: History

Stories to share with your community on Juneteenth and beyond

On June 19, 1865 in Galveston, TX, enslaved African Americans were finally informed of their freedom, despite the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation two years prior. Juneteenth is also referred to as “Freedom Day”, “Emancipation Day”, and “Juneteenth Independence Day.” The first celebrations of Juneteenth were about honoring former enslaved people. Today celebrations of Juneteenth consist of gathering with family, BBQs, parades, festivals, beauty contests, and other celebratory events to remember the lives of their enslaved ancestors.

For those who would like to learn more, we recommend reading “Juneteenth: The Growth of an African-American Holiday” and “So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?”

Learn more about these books →

Celebrate LATINITAS during Women’s History Month!

Discover how 40 influential Latinas became the women we celebrate today in Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers by Juliet Menéndez, a gorgeous collection of biographies accompanied by stunning hand-painted illustrations! Don’t miss Latinitas (Spanish Edition): Una celebración de 40 soñadoras audaces available on March 1st!

Download free educator resources and teacher’s guides (available in both English and Spanish!) to use alongside the book. Plus, enter to receive a free Latinitas art print to display in your classroom or library.

Enter to receive a free Latinitas art print (while supplies last!)
Download the Latinitas teacher’s guide in English here.
Download the Latinitas teacher’s guide in Spanish here.

Find more resources to celebrate LATINITAS here →

Activity Kit: Rosie the Riveter: The Legacy of an American Icon by Sarah Dvojack

Rosie the Riveter: The Legacy of an American Icon by Sarah Dvojack
On Sale Now!
Ages 4-8

This gorgeous picture book highlights how an iconic image of a working woman evolved into an inspirational symbol of hope and strength for all girls and women.

Rosie the Riveter was born in 1942, in the middle of the Second World War. Riveting is a way to hold pieces together to make something strong and powerful. In a time when everything was coming apart, America turned to Rosie and American women to hold things together.

Over time, Rosie came to represent so much more. As women pushed back against all the things society suggested they could not do, they used the symbol of Rosie to motivate, represent, and unite them. Today, Rosie isn’t just one woman—she’s every woman. Like a rivet, she holds us all together, reminding us how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.

This inspirational text traces Rosie’s formation and legacy from World War II to today, letting girls know that they are capable and strong—just like Rosie and the long history of strong women who came before and after. Included in the back of the book is additional information on the history of Rosie the Riveter.

Download the ROSIE THE RIVETER Activity Kit!

MacKids Spotlight: Randi Pink

This month we’re interviewing Randi Pink, author of Angel of Greenwood. May 31, 2021 marks 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre. In this historical fiction account of the tragedy, the thriving Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, OK is destroyed by an angry mob of white people. Randi Pink honors the real victims of Greenwood by acknowledging the strength and resilience in this community and two teenagers who fall in love in the midst of chaos. 

Randi shares more about her inspiration for the story and what she hopes young readers will learn here.

Read a Q&A with Randi here →

Teacher’s Guide: CHANCE: Escape from the Holocaust

Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood by Uri Shulevitz

From a beloved voice in children’s literature comes this landmark memoir of hope amid harrowing times and an engaging and unusual Holocaust story.

With backlist sales of over 2.3 million copies, Uri Shulevitz, one of Farrar, Straus and Grioux’s most acclaimed picture-book creators, details the eight-year odyssey of how he and his Jewish family escaped the terrors of the Nazis by fleeing Warsaw for the Soviet Union in Chance.

It was during those years, with threats at every turn, that the young Uri experienced his awakening as an artist, an experience that played a key role during this difficult time. By turns dreamlike and nightmarish, this heavily illustrated account of determination, courage, family loyalty, and the luck of coincidence is a true publishing event.

Download the teacher’s guide here →