Social Studies

Get ready for Presidents’ Day

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The Painter and the President: Gilbert Stuart’s Brush with George Washington by Sarah Albee, illustrated by Stacy Innerst (Calkins Creek, 40 pages, grades 2-5). George Washington was a man of action who preferred sitting astride a horse to posing for a portrait. Gilbert Stuart was a portrait painter with a knack for capturing his subjects while making the process fun for them. But Washington had him stumped. Not only did he show up with his face swollen from his ill-fitting false teeth, but he refused to engage with Stuart in any of the topics the painter tried desperately to introduce. Finally, he noticed Washington gazing happily at a horse out the window and started talking about horse racing. It worked! He invited George to bring family and friends to their next appointment, and that worked too. Today we see the happy (or not) results of Gilbert Stuart’s hard work every time we look at a dollar bill. Includes replicas of all six presidential portraits that Stuart completed, a time line, additional information about Washington’s teeth, how the painting was used to create the engraving for the dollar bill, and a bibliography.

This lighthearted introduction to Gilbert Stuart’s portraits would make a great addition to an art class. GW may not come off as a barrel of laughs, but readers will wince sympathetically when learning of his dental issues (although there’s no mention of the fact that he bought human teeth from enslaved people). Full disclosure, this book was published in 2024, but I thought it warranted a place in the Presidents’ Day post.

Hiding In Plain Sight: Kate Warne and the Race to Save Abraham Lincoln by Beth Anderson, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (Calkins Creek, 48 pages, grades 2-5). When newly-elected U.S. President Abraham Lincoln traveled from his home in Illinois to Washington, DC in February, 1861, rumors of assassination were swirling. A plot was uncovered in Baltimore, and members of Allan Pinkerton’s detective agency took immediate steps to foil it. Central to their work was Kate Warne, the first female detective in the agency, whose undercover work as a lady from Alabama helped discover the Baltimore plot. Later, she posed as Lincoln’s sister, helping her “sick brother” board a train in Philadelphia that traveled in secret through Baltimore and on to Washington. When the supposed inaugural train arrived, word got out that Lincoln had already arrived, and Kate Warne faded into the cheering crowd, ready to take on her next assignment. Includes a six-page afterword with photos and additional information about Lincoln and Kate Warne, as well as a bibliography and illustrator’s note.

This exciting detective story would make an excellent read-aloud for both Presidents’ Day and Women’s History Month, with the mysterious Kate Warne playing a central role in preventing what could have been a national tragedy. The illustrations resemble period photographs and the whole book has kind of a scrapbook feel (the illustrator describes the scrapbooks that inspired her work in the note at the end). The additional information in the afterword provides some thought-provoking ideas and observations that could lead to some interesting discussions. Considering how little we know about Warne, there are quite a few children’s books about her: How Kate Warne Saved President Lincoln, The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln, and the fictional The Detective’s Assistant.

George Washington’s Spectacular Spectacles: The Glasses That Saved America by Selene Castrovilla, illustrated by Jenn Harney (Calkins Creek, 32 pages, grades 2-5). By the end of the American Revolution, George Washington needed glasses, but he refused to let anyone see him wearing them. When he needed to read something, he would go into his office and slam the door. Everyone thought he was grouchy, but in March of 1783, it was his army officers who were the grouchy ones, after not getting paid for all the years of the war. They were threatening to storm Congress and demand their pay. Washington consulted a congressman about the issue, who wrote a reassuring letter that George thought would appease the officers. But when it came time to read it to them, he realized he needed his spectacles. He finally put them on, and his men, realizing what their beloved leader had sacrificed during the years of war, and agreed to wait on their pay. Includes additional information about this incident, an author’s note about her research and creative process in writing this story, and a bibliography.

Truth really is stranger than fiction, I thought as I read this quirky tale which ends unexpectedly with the army officers wiping away tears as they agree to continue to work without pay. All because George Washington put on his glasses, which, according to the back matter, is exactly how it happened. It’s an interesting story that will undoubtedly prompt some discussion, which could be seen as an example of Washington’s inspirational leadership or what happens when you’re willing to be vulnerable in front of your employees, but personally it kind of made me question the wisdom of those army officers.

Nonfiction that will make you question humanity

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Glenn Burke, Game Changer: The Man Who Invented the High Five by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Daniel J. O’Brien (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 32 pages, grades 2-5). As a kid, Glenn Burke was a five-tool talent: fast runner, powerful and accurate hitter, good catcher, and strong pitcher. So it was no surprise that he got called up to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made a name for himself there, and was an enthusiastic teammate, greeting runners at home plate by putting up his right hand, which the player would then smack. The high-fiving team made it to the World Series in 1977, but the next year Glenn was traded to the Oakland Athletics, a team at the bottom of the baseball standing. Why? Glenn Burke was gay, and homophobic manager Tommy Lasorda didn’t want him on the team. The trade led Glenn to quit baseball altogether. He enjoyed success playing in the San Francisco Gay Softball League and winning gold in the Gay Olympics, but struggled with drug use and unemployment, shattering his leg in a car accident and dying of AIDS at the age of 42. He lived long enough to see his high five become a universal greeting, but not to see the open acceptance of gay players in the MLB. Includes an author’s note, bibliography, and timeline.

Phil Bildner writes in the author’s note how he originally envisioned Glenn Burke’s story as a picture book, but his editor wanted a middle grade novel, which became A High Five for Glenn Burke, published in 2020. While the origin story of the high five may seem like a perfect choice for younger readers, the MLB’s homophobia and Burke’s death from AIDS may make this a better choice for older kids. It’s a moving and well-told story, ending on a note that is both sad and hopeful.

It Happened in Salem by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Brad Holland (Creative Editions, 32 pages, grades 6 and up). “You know what I’m talking about. You start whispering things about a person–hurtful things you know will get that person in trouble, untrue things you may have convinced yourself are actually true.” This second-person introduction to the Salem Witch Trials situates readers right in the middle of the action. The text is spare, relating the basic events and facts, and illustrated with haunting paintings of people in stocks and hanging from nooses. An author’s note gives more information, including the fact that it took 325 years–until 2017–for Salem to put up a plaque commemorating the individuals who were executed.

I found this book disturbing from the cover to the author’s note, which seems appropriate for the subject. You can generally count on Jonah Winter to put a unique and relevant spin on history that will have readers thinking about their own lives. I saw recommendations for this book starting in fourth grade, but I personally would not get this for an elementary library. It would be an excellent supplement for middle school or high school students learning about this period of American history, no doubt initiating some interesting conversations on gossip and bullying. I wish there had been some additional resources given at the end.

Persistence, resistance, and a fight for existence

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Ernö Rubik and His Magic Cube by Kerry Aradhya, illustrated by Kara Kramer (Peachtree, 32 pages, grades K-4). Ernö Rubik was a solitary kid who enjoyed reading and solving puzzles in his Budapest home. He grew up to be a teacher who would build models to teach his students about three-dimensional objects. His curiosity about cubes led him to try making a big cube out of small ones that could move around but stay connected. His first attempts failed, but he finally found the secret: 26 cubes in three rows, with a round mechanical core. And the rest is history as Ernö’s invention, the Rubik’s Cube, went on to become one of the most popular puzzles of all time. Includes additional information about Rubik and his cube, an author’s note, and a list of three books about the cube.

Although there are some details about Ernö Rubik’s life, the focus is on the Rubik’s cube and the perseverance needed to solve a difficult problem. If kids haven’t tried the cube, they will definitely get their hands on one and start searching YouTube for various solutions.

They Call Me Teach: Lessons in Freedom by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome (Candlewick, 40 pages, grades 1-5). A young enslaved man is known as Teach, due to his abilities to read and write that he learned growing up with the master’s son. By day he works as a clerk in the master’s store, but at night he teaches other enslaved people to read. He secretly helps people by reading their letters and, in one case, writing a receipt to help a woman escape. Just looking at a newspaper in public results in punishment, leaving readers to infer that there could be much more serious consequences for teaching literacy to other Black people. An author’s note gives more information about Black people’s quest for education throughout history. Includes a list entitled “More Books on Resistance.”

This husband and wife team has created a fascinating story that focuses on the large majority of enslaved people for whom escape was impossible and who tried to resist and improve themselves in the ways that were available to them, despite the risk of cruel punishments. Sure to be a Coretta Scott King award contender.

Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough by Hayley Rocco, illustrated by John Rocco (G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades K-3). The story of David Attenborough’s life is told by another husband and wife team. Young David loved exploring the natural world around his English home, and he continued those studies as a university student. When he graduated, television was just becoming popular, and he got a job introducing viewers to the world of nature. Before long, he was traveling all over the world to show people plants and animals of different ecosystems. His travels made him more aware of the ways that wild places were shrinking and living creatures were losing their habitats. David shifted his focus to helping people understand what was happening and giving them information to help them make better choices for the planet, work that he continues today in at the age of 98. Includes an author’s note with additional information about David Attenborough and rewilding, a couple of photos, and a bibliography.

Like the Ernö Rubik biography, this is an engaging read that’s a little light on biographical information. Most pages only contain a sentence or two of text, along with award-winning illustrator’s John Rocco’s beautiful depictions of the natural world. Quotes from David Attenborough are scattered throughout the book, and the end matter fleshes out his life a bit more.

National treasures

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Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge by Elizabeth Partridge, illustrated by Ellen Heck (Chronicle Books, 60 pages, grades 2-5). The two children of a lighthouse keeper observe the creation of the Golden Gate Bridge from their house. Told in second person narration (“You leap out of bed–how did you forget? Today’s the day work begins on the Golden Gate Bridge”), the text includes plenty of construction details and emphasizes the seemingly impossible nature of the project. As the kids grow older, the foreman gets to know them and sometimes includes them in some aspects of construction, like the day they get to ride the elevator to a height of 700 feet above the water. Finally, on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge is open to the public, and crowds of people, including the two children, walk across the bridge, where “the word impossible seems like nothing at all.” Includes an afterword with additional information.

Great Lakes: Our Freshwater Treasure by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Jamey Christoph (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Beginning with the history of the five Great Lakes, formed by the melting of a huge glacier that covered more than half of North America, the narrative shifts to the present importance of the lakes. Not only are they home to many species of plants and animals, but they contain almost all of the surface freshwater in North America. Although they are essential in supporting humans, we’ve done our best to poison and pollute them. In recent years, work has been done to protect them, and readers are invited to investigate how they can help preserve these national treasures. Includes messages from the author and Kathleen Smith, an indigenous woman from the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, information about the Center for Great Lakes Literacy, and a list of sources.

Both of these books are chock full of fascinating information, well supplemented by beautiful, detailed illustrations, that will help readers better understand two famous American landmarks. Although they are both picture books, each one contains quite a bit of text and somewhat technical information, making them better choices for older elementary and middle school readers.

A final pair of books about voting before the big day

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Show Up and Vote by Ani DiFranco, illustrated by Rachelle Baker (Rise x Penguin Workshop, 48 pages, ages 4-8). A young girl looks back at the end of Election Day, recalling how she was reluctant to go out on a rainy November morning, but her mother told her that they were on a mission. At the polling station, the girl recognizes friends and neighbors, realizing that voting is a community event. In the voting booth, she watches her mom make her selections, and as they finish, the two of them imagine people across the country doing the same thing. Proudly wearing their “I voted” stickers, they walk home, and the girl sees her neighborhood with new eyes, as a place where people work together to create a community, and “showing up to vote is how it all starts.”

Singer and songwriter Ani DiFranco has created an accessible introduction to voting and Election Day with rhyming text (and no capital letters) that reads kind of like a folk song and colorful illustrations that resemble retro posters. Readers will learn a bit about voting and be empowered to get involved in their communities.

Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 256 pages, ages 12 and up). Dyson and Favreau continue their exploration of American history that they began in Unequal with this story of voting rights from the founding of the United States to the present. There are inspiring narratives about Black, female, Latinx, and Native activists who worked to get the vote for their communities, alongside less inspiring ones such as how white women largely refused to help Black and Native women once they had secured their own right to vote. And there are downright depressing ones that continue to this day like the Citizens United Supreme Court decision that has encouraged huge amounts of spending across the political spectrum and the gerrymandering of districts for political gain. The list of “People-Power Ideas” at the end (get rid of the electoral college, expand the House of Representatives, introduce ranked-choice voting, among others) seem commonsensical yet depressingly unlikely to happen. There are also ideas for student activism, a voting rights timeline, additional resources, and an index.

I found this book both extremely depressing and surprisingly hopeful, seeing that our current threats to democracy are actually part of a centuries-long plot to keep voting and power concentrated in the hands of a few. The struggles that have ensued to give more people the right to vote have resulted in torture, imprisonment, and murder, yet ordinary people have persevered and often ultimately met with success. Seeing ourselves as part of this long history rather than poised at some do-or-die moment gives me a glimmer of hope to continue the struggle.

Reminder: I have an Election Day and Voting Rights book list if you’re looking for more. I haven’t had a chance to add these two books yet!

Election Day, part two

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We Shall Not Be Denied: A Timeline of Voting Rights and Suppression in America by Cayla Bellanger DeGroat and Cicely Lewis (Lerner Publications, 48 pages, grades 4-8). Beginning with a present-day example of laws being passed to limit voting by mail, the authors trace the history of groups of Americans whose right to vote has been suppressed. A timeline at the bottom of each page keeps track of important years in voting rights history, while the text and illustrations give more details about those events. Although there have been backwards steps, the trajectory has slowly inched forward to give women, Indigenous people, Asian Americans, and Black citizens voting rights, and voting has become more accessible through absentee ballots and the repeal of poll taxes and other discriminatory practices. There is still work to do, and the final pages suggest actions readers can take, as well as offering reflection questions, a glossary, and index, and a reading list.

Readers will learn that voting, which should be a right, has too often been a privilege reserved for certain groups based on race, gender, and class. Although it contains a fairly brief, straightforward narrative, the book offers a lot of food for thought and discussion and would make an excellent resource to begin an investigation into the history of voting rights and the state of those rights today.

With Election Day just weeks away, teachers and librarians will undoubtedly be looking for resources to share with students. Here’s an Election Day and voting rights book list to help you out.

Indigenous history

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Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools by Dan SaSuWeh Jones (Scholastic Focus, 304 Pages, grades 5-8). Dan SaSuWeh Jones tells the story of his family’s history with the Chilocco Indian Agricultural (boarding) School, beginning with the forcible capture of his grandmother Little Moon There Are No Stars from the Ponca reservation in 1885 at the age of four. The Chilocco school, run by Quakers, did not condone the physical abuse found at other Indian boarding schools, but it did use strict, military-inspired practices to force the students to assimilate to white culture. Little Moon There Are No Stars, renamed Elizabeth, stayed on for several years after her graduation to work as a school matron, and sent her own daughter there as well. By the time the author’s sister attended the school in the 1950’s, there had been many changes, becoming a vocational school that provided a positive experience for many (although certainly not all) of the students. The 1960’s and 1970’s saw political movements that helped the school and its students embrace their various cultures and languages. While the author didn’t attend the school, he worked there after it closed in 1985 as part of a maintenance crew trying to preserve the buildings and grounds. In his final chapter, he writes of the appropriateness that those buildings have crumbled, leaving the land to its natural state, a metaphor for the enduring nature of Indigenous cultures that have survived so much trauma yet still continue to live on. Includes an introduction by Denise K. Lajimodiere (Turtle Mountain Band, Chippewa), photos throughout the text, and a long list of additional resources.

Reading this book caused me to reflect on how much this blog has educated me and changed my views on American history. I’m not sure I knew anything about Indian boarding schools ten years ago, but I’ve learned from children’s books over the years, and this one added a lot to that knowledge. It’s masterfully written, weaving together a personal family memoir and the history of boarding schools in North America. The author writes unflinchingly about a multitude of abuses and deaths of children at many different schools, while at the same time acknowledging that some students had positive experiences and learned to embrace their heritage, particularly in the later years of the schools’ histories. The final chapters give hope that some of the many, many crimes and trauma committed against indigenous people are finally being at least brought to light and possibly, in some cases, addressed and healed. There are some horrific descriptions of child abuse, so be aware of that element when sharing this book with kids. I hope this book will be considered for awards, especially by the Sibert committee.

This Land: A History of the Land We’re On by Ashley Fairbanks, illustrated by Bridget George (Crown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). “This is my house. I live here with my family,” the narrator begins. “Before us, another family lived here.” Other families lived there, too, but further back in time, a whole community lived on the land before they were forced off by Europeans, something that happened all across the country. The narrator has a friend who is Anishinaabe (like the author and illustrator), and he and his grandma remind the boy of the Indigenous people who once lived there: their food, their songs, and mostly, the way they considered the land to be sacred. Now, as he travels around the U.S. with his family, the boy learns about different Indigenous groups who lived in those places and remembers how they once honored the land they were on. Includes additional information about land acknowledgement, discussion questions, and ideas for learning more about local Native people.

This straightforward story reminds readers to learn about the history of the land they now call home and recall that it once belonged to people who were forced to leave their homes. I really liked how the book acknowledges those who lived on the land of well-known sites like Mount Rushmore and New York City. I read in a review that the title calls to mind the controversy around the song “This Land Is Your Land,” a song that is considered problematic by many Indigenous people. I wasn’t aware of this and was reminded once again of how much I have learned from reading books for this blog.

Election Day

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Leo’s First Vote by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Isabel Roxas (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Leo’s excited that his dad has recently become a naturalized U.S. citizen, which means Dad gets to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Leo plans to go with him to the polls, but in the meantime, his class is having a mock presidential election. The kids learn about elections, and at home, Leo watches conventions and debates with his family. Everyone’s talking about the upcoming election, and when Leo hears a cousin say he’s not going to vote (“What’s the point?”), he feels deflated. But when his class’s mock election is determined by one vote, Leo finds his enthusiasm again. The last page shows Dad reading a newspaper with a headline declaring, “Historic turnout!” Also available in a Spanish language edition, ¡El primer voto de Leo!

Lots of facts about elections are woven into Leo’s story, and the excitement around voting will have kids eagerly anticipating Election Day. Personally, I am feeling so jaded about the day (Leo’s cousin really spoke to me) that I almost didn’t write this review, but good for Leo and his dad (and Christina Soontornvat) for having such enthusiasm about it.

Presidential Elections and Other Cool Facts: Understanding How Our Country Picks Its President by Syl Sobel, J.D. (Sourcebooks Explore, 5th edition, 48 pages, grades 2-5). This straightforward introduction to the presidency tells how elections work, as well as giving interesting facts about campaigns, the electoral college, First Ladies, and the order of succession should the President die or become disabled. There’s a list of all the U.S. Presidents, along with the years of their terms, and party affiliations. Includes a glossary, index, and lists of resources.

Rumor has it there’s an updated version of this book, but interlibrary loan has only been able to send me older ones, so I got to travel back to a time when Barack Obama was President, and Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to have been elected President at age 73. It’s a good introduction to the presidency and the election process, and although the writing and illustrations aren’t particularly exciting, it includes the kinds of facts and trivia kids (and adults) enjoy learning.

A pair of award contenders

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Barrio Rising: The Protest That Built Chicano Park by María Dolores Águila, illustrated by Magdalena Mora (Dial Books, 40 pages, grades 1-4). The narrator lives in a neighborhood called Barrio Logan, one of San Diego’s oldest Chicano neighborhoods, where residents have been looking forward to finally getting the park they’ve been promised for years. When they find out that the new construction being done is for a police station, they’ve had enough. Neighbors band together to take over the land and protest, despite orders from the police to disperse. For twelve days, the crowd grows, drawing protesters from nearby barrios. Finally, the city council holds a meeting, led by Leon Williams, San Diego’s first Black councilman, and announces they’ve changed the plan from a police station to a park. Everyone celebrates and pitches in to create Chicano Park. Includes additional information about the park, which is now a National Historic Landmark. Also available in a Spanish language edition, El barrio se levanta: La protesta que construyó el Parque Chicano.

Keep this book in mind when Hispanic Heritage kicks off on September 15. The story about this 1970 event is inspiring, and the illustrations juxtapose birds, butterflies, and purple flowers with the gritty urban setting. I’d love to see it get some Belpré Award recognition for either the story or the illustrations.

Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence by Maisha Oso, illustrated by Candice Bradley (Orchard Books, 40 pages, grades K-5). Instead of starting with the slave trade, as is often the case with Black history in America, this book begins “before the ships” when civilizations flourished across Africa. There were kings and queens, doctors, scribes, artisans, and merchants. Impressive buildings were created, as were stories and music, while scientists and mathematicians studied the world. A wordless page showing a slave ship sailing through the darkness divides the book between the past and the present, “after the ships.” The descendants of those Africans now live different lives, but they are still warriors, scholars, and leaders, or, as the final page says, “We are the light.” Includes an author’s note telling how her time in Africa showed her the cultures of Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.

I’ll be surprised if this doesn’t get a Coretta Scott King award or honor. I love the focus, all too rare, on the civilizations that existed before African people were captured and sold into slavery, and I will definitely be sharing this book with teachers at my school. I would have enjoyed even more back matter, including a map or two.

Finding their voices

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Ida B. Wells Marches for the Vote by Dinah Johnson, illustrated by Jerry Jordan (Christy Ottaviano Books, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Although this book tells the story of Ida B. Wells’s life, starting with her birth in Mississippi and continuing with some of her activism in Tennessee and Chicago, the main event is a march in Washington DC in 1913 for women’s right to vote. Many of the organizers felt that this march should be for white women only, or at least segregated (Alice Paul is specifically mentioned as expressing that view). Despite these protests and the suggestions that Ida march at the back of the line with her sorority, she made her way to the Illinois delegation and joined the white women in that group to march for their right to vote. Includes an author’s note, photos, a timeline of Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s life, and a list of sources.

The author does a masterful job of giving readers an overview of Ida’s life but focusing on one specific event that demonstrates the way she stood up for herself and other Black people. The back matter adds a lot and makes this a great resource for research.

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice by Kari Lavelle, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Young James loved words, especially poetry, but when asked to read in front of the class or to say hello to a visitor at home, the words stuck in his throat. He finally stopped talking and just listened, paying close attention to his teachers, especially Professor Crouch who taught him poetry. James recited the poetry when he was alone, and sometimes he tried writing his own, but sharing it with the class was out of the question for him. One day, a shipment of grapefruit to his house inspired him to write a poem, and with Professor Crouch’s encouragement, James read “Ode to Grapefruit” to the class. This recitation opened the door for him, and he began performing on stage, as a debater and an actor, and eventually the distinctive voice of James Earl Jones became known around the world. Includes notes from the author (a speech pathologist) and the illustrator, as well as information and resources on stuttering and a list of sources.

This would make an excellent read-aloud, since the text is pretty short, and James’s issues are something most kids would relate to. I did wonder about the illustrations with all the kids having a slice of grapefruit in their mouths–did James hand them out, or was he just imagining them? But it would be fun to reveal at the end that the story is about the man who became the voice of both Darth Vader and The Lion King’s Mufasa.

Seeker of Truth: Kailash Satyarthi’s Fight to End Child Labor by Srividhya Venkat, illustrated by Danica da Silva Pereira (little bee books, 40 pages, grades 2-5). As a child in India, Kailash Satyarthi was inspired by the story of how a hummingbird stopped a forest fire by carrying drops of water in its beak. When he saw a boy working as a cobbler by the side of the road, Kailash wondered how he could help him go to school. Like the hummingbird, Kailash started with small deeds to make a difference–raising money and collecting books to help kids who couldn’t afford to go to school. As an adult, Kailash started his career as a teacher, but he wanted to do more. He quit his job and began rescue missions to free children forced to work in factories, mines, and quarries. His work gained international recognition, including the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with Malala Yousafzi, and resulted in worldwide changes to child labor laws. Includes an author’s note with additional information and a couple of photos, and a list for further reading.

This excellent picture book biography tells the story of Kailash Satyarthi’s life in a way that will easily be understandable to kids and will show them the power of a single individual to make a difference in the world. I liked that it tells the story of his entire life, so the reader can see how his ideas evolved, yet keeps the text brief enough for a good read-aloud.