Published by Bloomsbury 

Summary: In 1847, at the age of four, Sarah Roberts started at the Otis School in Boston, just a few blocks from her home. Soon, though, she was told by the police that she had to leave. The Otis was for white children, and Sarah was African American.  The school she could attend was further from her house, had no place to play, and owned a single book.  Sarah’s parents decided to fight the decision.  They took their case to the Massachusetts Supreme Court, where it became the first case in the nation in which a white lawyer and an African American lawyer worked together, and the first in which an African American lawyer argued a case in a supreme court.  They lost the case, but Sarah’s father didn’t give up.  He traveled around the state to gain support, and in 1855, Massachusetts became the first state to outlaw school segregation.  Goodman writes that the fight for justice is often like that, a few steps backward, then a few more forward. She concludes with the story of Linda Brown and how her experience with segregated schools, similar to Sarah Roberts’, led to the 1954 Supreme Court decision banning all segregated schools in the U.S.  Back matter includes a timeline, a follow-up on some of the people in the story, resources, and how a nonfiction book is researched and written.  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  This little-known story is an important and inspirational part of American history.  It’s told well, with beautiful illustrations.  The last two pages do a fabulous job of outlining the work and research that go into the creation of a nonfiction book.

Cons:  The coloring in the illustrations sometimes make it difficult to differentiate skin tones.  Maybe that was intentional, but I found it a little confusing.

Published by Roaring Brook Press 

Summary:  Many strands of U.S. history from the 1960’s and 1970’s are woven together here.  The main focus is Daniel Ellsburg, who started working at the Pentagon the same day as the Gulf of Tonkin incident that escalated the Vietnam War.  The history of Vietnam is detailed, starting from the country’s last days as a French colony, to the division of North Vietnam and South Vietnam and the Cold War struggle over Communism in each part of the country.  As Ellsburg learned more about this history and the lies told to the American people about it by each U.S. President going back to Eisenhower, he became more disillusioned with the United States government.  This culminated in his theft of the Pentagon Papers, a report prepared by former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara documenting the secret history of the Vietnam War.  McNamara was hoping to use this report to help future politicians avoid the mistakes of the past; instead, it was leaked by Ellsburg to the press.  An infuriated Richard Nixon tried to destroy Ellsburg’s credibility by arranging a break-in at his psychiatrist’s office.  The team in charge bungled the job, then tried to make up for it a few weeks later with a covert operation at the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters at the Watergate Hotel.  The book ends with Nixon’s resignation; an epilogue includes Daniel Ellsburg’s positive commentary on a contemporary case: Edward Snowden’s leaks about the NSA’s domestic spying.  Back matter includes extensive works cited, source notes, and an index.  360 pages; grades 6-9.

Pros: Liberally interspersed with black and white photos, this book lays out an incredibly complex web of events in an understandable and engaging manner. Although I lived through this period of history, I wasn’t aware of many of the events and how they all fit together, connecting the Vietnam War, the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, and Nixon’s resignation.

Cons:  This will not be of interest to every middle school reader.  Get it into the hands of the history buffs.

Published by Wide Eyed Editions

Summary: Each two-page spread in this oversized book is teeming with information about one of the fifty states. A large map is covered with small illustrations showing interesting, occasionally offbeat, places to visit.  Sidebars give introductory information, key facts such as state symbols and where the state name comes from, and moments to remember in the state’s history.  Famous people from the state are given head shots around the map, with women and minorities well-represented.  Back matter includes state flags; pictures of all the U.S. Presidents with the years of their terms, birthplaces, and wives’ names; and an enormous index.  112 pages; ages 8 and up.

Pros:  Great fun for browsing, this book offers much standard state information, as well as unique trivia.  Readers will be ready to set off on a cross-country trip.

Cons:  It’s a difficult book to put down…or to wrest from your teenager when you’re ready to write a review of it.