Civil Rights – Peachtree Publishing Company Inc.

7 Inspiring Books to Honor the International Day of Peace

Peachtree Publishing Company — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 16:00:51 +0000

Each year on September 21, the world observes the International Day of Peace. This is a time for everyone to come together and recognize the strength that comes from acceptance of all cultures. We’ve gathered a list of some of our favorite titles to celebrate the efforts of people all around the world who understand the importance of building these strong, peaceful connections with others, no matter a person’s background.

14 Cows for America
Written by Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez
in collaboration with Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah

A mere nine months have passed since the September 11 attacks, and hearts are raw as the Maasai people offer a gift to the heartsick American nation that is as unexpected as it is extraordinary. This gift of fourteen cows emerges from the choking dust and darkness as a soft light of hope―and friendship. Accompanied by stunning paintings of Thomas Gonzalez, master storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy hits all the right notes in this elegant story of generosity that crosses boundaries, nations, and cultures.

Dangerous Jane
Written by Suzanne Slade
Illustrated by Alice Ratterree

From the time she was a child, Jane’s heart ached for others. At first the focus of her efforts was on poverty, and lead to the creation of Hull House, the settlement house she built in Chicago. For twenty-five years, she’d helped people from different countries live in peace at Hull House. But when war broke out, Jane decided to take on the world and become a dangerous woman for the sake of peace. Suzanne Slade’s powerful text written in free verse illuminates the life of this inspiring figure while Alice Ratterree’s stunning illustrations bring Jane Addam’s and her world to life.

Sweet Land of Liberty
Written by Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins

On Easter Sunday 1939, Marian Anderson performed at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial for a crowd of over 75,000 people. A man named Oscar Chapman had learned that Anderson was not allowed to sing at Constitution Hall because of the color of her skin, so he helped produce a landmark concert that―for at least one evening―bridged the color divide to bring a city and much of the nation together. This inspirational story recreates a bygone era and pays tribute to remarkable real-life people and a magical moment in modern history.

Flowers for Sarajevo
Written by John McCutcheon
Illustrated by Kristy Caldwell

One morning, the bakery in the Sarajevo market is bombed and twenty-two people are killed. The next day, a cellist walks to the bombsite and plays the most heartbreaking music Drasko can imagine. The cellist returns for twenty-two days, one day for each victim of the bombing. Inspired by the musician’s response, Drasko finds a way to help make Sarajevo beautiful again. Based on real events of the Bosnian War, award-winning songwriter and storyteller John McCutcheon tells the uplifting story of the power of beauty in the face of violence and suffering.

Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells
The Daring Life of a Crusading Journalist
Written by Philip Dray
Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn

In 1863, when Ida B. Wells was not yet two years old, the Emancipation Proclamation freed her from the bond of slavery. As she grew older, Ida held her family together, defied society’s conventions, and used her position as a journalist to speak against injustice. But Ida’s greatest challenge arose after one of her friends was lynched. How could one headstrong young woman help free America from the looming “shadow of lawlessness”?

Author Philip Dray tells the inspirational story of Ida B. Wells and her lifelong commitment to end injustice. Award-winning illustrator Stephen Alcorn’s remarkable illustrations recreate the tensions that threatened to upend a nation while paying tribute to a courageous American hero.

Watch Out for Flying Kids!
How Two Circuses, Two Countries, and Nine Kids Confront Conflict and Build Community
by Cynthia Levinson

Author Cynthia Levinson explores the world of social circus―a movement that brings kids from different worlds together to perform amazing acts on a professional level, as well as work to bring about change in their worlds. Levinson follows the participants of two specific circuses that also work together periodically: Circus Harmony in St. Louis and Circus Galilee in Israel. As the kids’ relationships evolve over time, the members learn how to overcome assumptions, animosity, and obstacles both physical and personal. This inspiring nonfiction book highlights stories of collaboration, compromise, and overcoming obstacles.

Eleanor’s Story
An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany
by Eleanor Ramrath Garner

During the Great Depression, when she is nine, Eleanor’s family moves from her beloved America to Germany, where her father has been offered a good job. But war breaks out as her family is crossing the Atlantic, and they cannot return to the United States. Eleanor tries to maintain her American identity while fervently hoping for an Allied victory, yet for years she must try to survive separations, bombings, hunger, the final fierce battle for Berlin, the Russian invasion, and the terrors of Soviet occupancy.

This compelling story immerses readers in the first-hand account of surviving World War II as a civilian. It’s a story of trying to maintain stability, hope, and identity in a world of terror and contrasts, and it puts a very human face on the horrors of war, helping readers understand that each casualty of war is a person, not a number.

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Young Activist

Peachtree Publishing Company — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 17:00:56 +0000

Shopping for the holidays can be stressful when you’re trying to figure out the perfect gift for everyone on your list. But this year we’ve got you covered! Encourage a love of reading by giving a book this holiday. Find the perfect gift for every young reader in your life with our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide!

For: The Young Activist

Dangerous Jane
Written by Suzanne Slade
Illustrated by Alice Ratterree

For twenty-five years, Jane Addams had helped people live in peace at Hull House. But when war broke out, she decided to take on the world and become a dangerous woman for the sake of peace.

Learn about Jane Addams’s inspiring actions in this heartening picture book biography. While Jane’s world efforts for peace won her the title “Most Dangerous Woman in America” by the FBI, she eventually became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This book will truly change the way the readers think about the impact of generosity and kindness! Read an excerpt here.

Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells:
The Daring Life of a Crusading Journalist
Written by Philip Dray
Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn

With a deep belief in America’s promise of “freedom and justice for all,” young Ida defied society’s conventions and used her position as a journalist to speak against injustice and be a tireless crusader for civil rights.

With eloquently written text and whimsical illustrations, this stunning picture book biography of one of the most important progenitors of the Civil Rights Movement will inspire any young reader looking to make a difference.

Marching with Aunt Susan:
Susan B. Anthony and the Fight for Women’s Suffrage
Written by Claire Rudolf Murphy
Illustrated by Stacey Schuett

Stirred to action when Susan B. Anthony comes to town to lead the campaign for women’s suffrage, Bessie joins the movement and discovers that small efforts can result in small changes—and maybe even big ones.

Inspired by the diary of the real Bessie Keith Pond, a ten-year-old girl who lived in California during the suffrage campaign, this thought-provoking introduction to the fight for women’s rights reminds readers that society cannot evolve unless people—even young people—dare to take a stand.

Fault Lines in the Constitution:
The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws the Affect Us Today
Written by Cynthia Levinson & Sanford Levinson

Many of the political issues we struggle with today have their roots in the US Constitution. The Levinsons take readers back to the creation of the US Constitution and discuss how contemporary problems were first introduced—then they offer possible solutions.

Perfect for young government and history buffs, this engaging and thought-provoking look at the Constitution’s creation and it’s ramifications in today’s society will encourage exploration and discussion from young and old readers alike. Read an excerpt here. For more from award-winning author Cynthia Levinson, also check out We’ve Got a Job: The 2963 Birmingham Children’s March.

Find these titles and more at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble. Still looking for more great ideas? Our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide has even more gift recommendations for your little readers this holiday season!

An Interview with Cynthia Levinson

Peachtree Publishers — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:26:00 +0000

In continuing our 50th anniversary week of the 1963 Birmingham Children’s March and celebration of We’ve Got a Job, Cynthia shares a bit about her writing process and what it was like to write such an important book:

We’ve Got a Job is your first book — when you started this process did you envision it as the book it has become? What were some of your early goals for this project?

My first goal was to learn the story, myself. Although I was in high school in 1963, I didn’t know that the key actors in obtaining civil rights in Birmingham were children. So, I wanted to fill the gaps in my knowledge. Once I set out on the quest, I couldn’t stop! And, when I discovered James, Audrey, Wash, and Arnetta, who generously told me their stories in detail, I knew that children today needed to hear them, too.

I don’t think I could have envisioned the book that it became, partly because Maureen Withee did such a spectacularly creative job designing it. In addition, Kathy Landwehr’s editing pushed me to investigate, clarify, and verify critical story lines and details that I hadn’t initially understood or appreciated. This book was definitely a team effort. So, it ultimately became a common vision, not mine alone.

You did a lot of research and travel while developing We’ve Got a Job. What advice would you give other nonfiction writers looking to capture authenticity in their writing (something you’ve done so well)?

First, thank you! My basic advice is: Listen–closely and critically. I learned much more than I anticipated by asking a question with one area of inquiry in mind, only to discover layers I was unaware of by being open to hearing unexpected responses. So, listening entails being willing to question one’s assumptions. Of course, writers also have to ferret out whom to listen to. I talked to everyone who would let me; it took a degree of skeptical analysis to determine which people were reliable and revealing.

What do you hope people will take away from We’ve Got a Job as we look back over the last 50 years since the march?

Many children I talk with about Birmingham 50 years ago are disbelieving about the extent of segregation and cruelty there then. I think it’s important for young people to be aware that, although prejudice takes different forms today, it still exists. And, where they see it, they can act to erase it.

What are you working on now?

Thanks to Peachtree, I’m working on two new projects! The one I’m immersed in at the moment focuses on circus–children’s circus–as a way of overcoming boundaries. These boundaries can be physical, political, religious, cultural, and social. It should be a thrilling and revealing book.

Thank you Cynthia first for writing such a wonderful book and for taking the time to talk a bit about it!