Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow & Illus by Ted Rand

Listen my children, and you shall hear

of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

On the eighteenth of April in 'seventy five

Hardly a man is still alive who remembers

that famous day and year.

I loved this poem when I was a kid. As a history nerd, I loved the story of Paul Revere, but I also liked the rhythm and cadence of the words that seemed to mimic the galloping hoof beats of the horse.  

And then, I tend to be a fan of Ted Rand's work in general. 

A phantom ship, with each mast and spar

Across the moon like a prison bar.

And a huge black hull, that was magnified

By its own reflection in the tide.

Spying on the powerful British, outwitting the stronger nation, outfighting the best trained fighters in the world--the Revolutionary era is just chockful of romantic, beating the underdog stories. And Paul Revere's story is the linchpin to the successful begin of the war when we beat back the British in Lexington and Concord, inspiring pride and passion on the side of the colonists. 

Those redcoats

Climbing the belfry of the North Chapel

Paul Revere waiting for the light

One if by land, two if by sea

The fate of a nation was riding that night

And one was safe and asleep in his bed

Who at that bridge would be the first to fall

Who that day would be lying dead

Pierced by a British musket-ball.

That first shot "heard round the world" always interested me. No one could pinpoint who shot, which side was the instigator. They just know a shot was fired and a bloody six year long struggle was begun. 

As an adult, there is less romance and more agony in these stories. You understand the cost a little more--the children without fathers, the boys who would never grow up, the lives irretrievably altered by this political disagreement with the King of England. The abstract ideas of men's rights and independence having very real life consequences for a farmer's wife in the small town of Concord. 

So through the night rode Paul Revere;

And so through the night went his cry of alarm.

To every Middlesex village and farm,--

A cry of defiance and not of fear.

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code by Joseph Bruchac & Illus Liz Amini-Holmes

Today is Native American Day. At least where we live in Northern New York, which is right next to the Awkwesasne Mohawk Reservation. (Or more commonly reffered to as "the rez.") I thought this was an everywhere kind of holiday, but when I looked it up, it isn't any kind of official thing. 

But it should be.

So here is a story about a remarkable man who happens to be Native American.

Betoli was only eight when he was sent to the residential schools. To be taught to act like a white man. And in the process, he was given a white man's name--Chester.

Life was not easy in the residential schools, as I am sure everyone is aware. All the things held precious by the Native Americans were stripped away, ridiculed, and forbidden. 

Even their language, such an elemental tool was wrong. According to the people who ran these schools anyway.

The Navajo language was forbidden. Speaking it was a punishable offense. 

But during the summers, Chester was able to go back to the Navajo lands and remember the things that made his people who they were. 

I love this page, showing Chester in the two different worlds. 

During WWII, the government needed a new code. Every other code had been broken and utilized by the enemies. 

The government decided the Navajo language might just be what they needed. Chester and his friends were called up. 

The government suddenly needed the language it had been trying to beat out of these Native American children and teens. 

The Navajo codetalkers, chose an English word for each letter of the alphabet. A for ant, etc then translated those words into Navajo. The code word for the letter "A" became Wol-la-chee. Which had no bearing on the common languages the enemies would have access to when trying to decode the message. 

In addition to creating the code, Navajo speakers were needed for decoding it on the front lines as well. 

While not actively engaged in fighting, the code talkers witnessed the horrible atrocities of war. 

Chester survived.

When he returned home, they did an enemy way ceremony to help him to relearn and recover the trail of beauty and the Right Way. 

The Navajo code had done much to help the Allied war efforts and played a role in winning WWII. 

Even though the Navajo Codetalkers were so vital to the war efforts, their work and their code were kept classified for over 20 years. 

Fortunately for him, Chester did not let it bother him. He became a painter. 

In 2005, sixty years after the end of WWII, Chester was one of five code talkers who received the Congressional Gold Medal.

Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson

Okay, listen. I KNOW I took too many pictures. I am fully aware of that. But I would like to see you try to narrow it down to only a handful. Kadir Nelson is INCREDIBLE. That cover? Swoony. 

This book is an "everywoman" sharing her story. While historically accurate, this is not a biography. Rather it telling the American story, adding in the parts black people played that were later left out of the history books. 

Slaves fighting for the American colonies in the Revolution. Those that fought were freed.

All the slaves could have been freed right then and there while they were writing the constitution, but as our narrator says, slavery was like mother's milk to America. The founding fathers thought they had to have slaves to keep the country going. 

I love how Nelson paints this black into the shadow, just as the founding fathers did with the slaves.

Importing slaves became illegal in the early 1800's but still happened up until the Civil War. 

Cotton picker

There are several different sections in this book, focusing on different parts of the African-American experience. 

Each one begins with several quotes and the section itself is the perfect length for reading to my fourth grade class in one half hour class. Of course, we had to stop and discuss it, so the actual reading time is shorter, but you kind of NEED to discuss it. We had some really great discussions. 

Honestly, this might be one of the greatest books to open this conversation. It really made an impact on my fourth graders. Or.... at least it did for the half hour class I had them for. After they left the library and went to the lunchroom, it may have gone completely out of their head, but I like to think it didn't. Because, otherwise, most of what I do is pointless. Sigh. 

There have been some difficult days with middle schoolers recently, which makes me question the whole school librarian thing. So I try to convince myself I AM making a difference and expanding student's minds....

I was enchanted with spanish moss covered avenues when I was young. I cut out a picture from a magazine and tacked it up to my wall when I was ten. 

Fighting in the Civil War

Freed slaves

Intimidation tactics

Teacher

On of the reasons I love Kadir Nelson's pictures so much is the dignity, love, and humanity radiating from these images. I want to be this woman's best friend. She looks like she could teach me a thing or two about handling middle schoolers effectively. 

The Great Migration north

Civil rights protests

The jazz age

Integrating schools

The march on Washington

And finally, at long last, voting rights. 

Brave Girl by Michelle Markel & Illus by Melissa Sweet

Do  you know Melissa Sweet? I really enjoy her illustrations. For college I had to do a book talk with a theme. I really wanted to do Swan, because I am so in love with it, and this one popped into my head, as well as Mama Miti. Picture Book biographies about strong women.

 

Clara came to America as a young girl.

 

With her parents. Melissa Sweet does some awesome collage elements, mixed in with her illustrations. This book involves a lot of sewing details. Love!

Clara moves into the tenements with her family. And is "lucky" enough to get a job as a garment worker.

Such awesome illustrations!

All the shirt-waist maker girls.

Clara was distressed by the general unfairness of the garment worker's industry. Conditions were terrible and unsafe, and the managers were cruel and unkind. The men she worked with wanted to strike, but knew the women were too timid to strike.

Clara knew no such thing.

 Not tough enough?

Because they're girls?

Oh, yes, they are. Clara knows it.

She'll show them.

 

And there they are, striking. They even got society women involved in their plight and strike.

Bad things happen to strikers.

At a union conference, Clara is frustrated by the timid approach of the speakers.

Clara was not too timid.

All the skyscrapers are made of checks and paystubs. All the city is made of money, but no one wants to give money to the people making money for the people in the skyscrapers.

 

Clara was pretty awesome.