BUNTING, Eve. The Cart That Carried Martin. illus. by Don Tate. Charlesbridge. 2013. ISBN 9781580893879. JLG Level: I+ : Independent Readers (Grades 2–4).

“The cart was old. Its paint had faded. It was for sale outside Cook’s Antiques and Stuff. Nobody wanted it.” That was before it carried something heavier than the burden it bore. The wagon that no one wanted was borrowed for use in a funeral procession. Two mules led it through the streets while thousands of people sang, cried, and grieved. It was the funeral cart that carried Martin Luther King, Jr. whose spirit could not be contained in the coffin that bound him. Reading a newspaper article inspired Bunting’s latest picture book―a powerful tale of the modest artifact that now motivates men to remove their hats.

HOPKINS, H. Joseph. The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever. illus. by Jill McElmurry. S & S/Beach Lane. 2013. ISBN 9781442414020. JLG Level: BE : Biography Elementary (Grades 2–6).

When Kate Sessions first saw San Diego’s City Park (as it was then called), it looked like the rest of the desert town―there was very little green. She became a tree hunter, asking for seeds from gardeners all over the world. Soon Kate’s seedlings were growing all over the city. In 1909, city planners met to discuss the upcoming Panama-California Exposition. Kate was hired to plant thousands of trees in what was now called Balboa Park before the visitors arrived in 1915. Could the young gardener (the first woman to graduate with a science degree from UC) prepare a treeless city park in such a short time? Hopkins’ first picture book explores the powerful impact of a woman who changed the landscape of San Diego.

MARCUS, Leonard S. Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing. illus. by author. Farrar/Frances Foster. 2013. ISBN  9780374310257. JLG Level: BE : Biography Elementary (Grades 2–6).

Seventy-five years ago, a new award was established to celebrate the most distinguished work by an American children’s book illustrator. Seventy-seven years earlier, the man for whom the award was named took his first job at age fifteen. He was hired as a clerk in a British bank. Though the job was stable, especially for a young man who had experienced health issues, banking was not his heart’s desire. More than anything he loved to draw. Whenever he could, he doodled ―even on his banking papers. He knew that he would have to move to London where editorial cartoons could give him the break he needed. Armed with a small portfolio, Caldecott took the opportunity to share his work with important editors. One of them liked his art, publishing the first of many illustrations in London Society. As his popularity rose, the artist was approached to take over the work of retiring illustrator, Walter Crane. His new job would be to create the drawings for children’s toybooks. Completely changing the format, style, and design, his first book immediately sold the first printing’s 10,000 copies. From doodles as a young boy, he became the most sought-after illustrator of his time. Today, his name is recognized by children and librarians all over the country. His name was Randolph Caldecott.

McCARTHY, Meghan. Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton. illus. by author. S & S/Paula Wiseman. 2013. JLG Level: BE : Biography Elementary (Grades 2–6).

In 1942 women weren’t allowed to be commercial pilots, but Betty Skelton was determined to fly. She became a stunt pilot, calling it “aerobatic flying.” Turning her plane upside down, she became known for her daring ribbon cuts, using her propeller to slice the banner. She flew barefoot and took her dog, Little Tinker. In 1951, Skelton broke an altitude record, soaring an amazing height of 29,050 feet―higher than the top of Mount Everest. From there she drove racecars, continuing her need for speed and record-setting daredevil deeds. McCarthy’s fascinating account includes quotes, a time line, and an extensive bibliography of a woman who became “The First Lady of Firsts.”

For audio/video versions of these booktalks, please visit JLG’s Shelf Life Blog.

Junior Library Guild is a collection development service that helps school and public libraries acquire the best new children’s and young adult books. Season after season, year after year, Junior Library Guild book selections go on to win awards, collect starred or favorable reviews, and earn industry honors. Visit us at www.JuniorLibraryGuild.com.

Congressman John Lewis, his comics-obsessed staffer Andrew Aydin, and veteran graphic novelist Nate Powell have collaborated on a powerful new graphic novel memoir, March (Top Shelf Productions), that may well take its place among the greatest examples of that genre.

Elected to the House of Representatives in 1977 serving Georgia’s fifth district, Lewis is an icon of the American civil rights movement. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), he had a direct hand in the March on Washington in 1963; the voter registration drives of Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, and the integrated interstate bus rides through the South known as the Freedom Rides starting in 1961. Lewis was there on Bloody Sunday in 1965, the violent confrontation between marchers and Alabama state troopers on the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma—and has the scars to prove it. His is a remarkable story, ripe for retelling to inspire a new generation.

With the March trilogy, Lewis is doing exactly that. But it might not have happened without Aydin, who met Lewis while working on his 2008 re-election campaign. Growing up the son of a single mother in Atlanta (incidentally, Lewis’s district), Aydin had a natural affinity for underdogs, hence his love of comics—and politics. On the campaign trail, the team would share their personal stories, and Lewis, a gifted storyteller, contributed his own. When talk turned to what the staff members would do after the campaign, Aydin said that he planned to attend Comic Con, the annual comics conference. Teasing ensued. But Lewis came to Aydin’s defense, recalling that he and his friends drew inspiration from a 1956 comic, Martin Luther and the Montgomery Story.

Writing Lewis’s story

Aydin then approached Lewis and proposed that he adapt his life story as a graphic novel. Lewis agreed, on the condition that they work on the project together. Aydin joined Lewis’s staff and began developing the manuscript. He studied Lewis’s memoir Walking with the Wind (S & S, 1998) and interviewed the congressman whenever they could grab an opportunity. Lewis and Aydin submitted the finished manuscript to Top Shelf Productions. Now they had to find the right artist to bring it to life.

Enter Nate Powell, a recipient of the Eisner Award—the Oscars of the comics industry—who had just completed work on another graphic novel with a civil rights theme, The Silence of Our Friends (First Second, 2012). With a visual style that complemented Lewis’s story, Powell also demonstrated a capacity for period research. And he was eager to illustrate Lewis’s memoir.

It didn’t take long for Powell to win over Lewis and Aydin and gain their confidence. “Congressman Lewis and I spent a lot of time talking about what to include,” says Aydin. “But ultimately we had to trust Nate to do what he does best. He is so talented, with such a deep understanding of the comics medium, that at a certain point we had to just step back and let his work bring this story to life.”

Once Powell began breaking down the script, the trio realized that March would be much longer than they’d envisioned—about 500 pages. Aydin suggested a trilogy—a perfect fix, since the story was already neatly divided into three chapters.

Aydin’s narrative also had to be refined for it to shine in graphic novel form. “The most fundamental challenge is finding the line between an accurate representation of real people and their lives and a personal, emotionally expressive way of approaching the narrative visually,” says Powell. That “often requires ‘moving past’ the script entirely, seeing what else might be in the scene that’s not necessarily included in the script.”

This sensibility is evident throughout the book—perhaps nowhere more than in the prologue. In a preview of the Bloody Sunday conflict, the marchers, led by Lewis and Reverend Hosea Williams, apprehensively head over the bridge toward an ominous mob of policemen. A trooper with a bullhorn yells at the crowd to turn back—and moments later, orders an attack. All hell breaks loose. Multiple graphic strategies heighten the tension in the scene: the shifting perspectives; the size, shape, and placement of the panels; the lettering and speech balloons; and the stark black-and-white illustrations.

The chronology

March opens on the morning of President Barack Obama’s first inauguration. As Lewis prepares to attend the historic occasion, he has the opportunity to reminisce about the road that has led to this moment. Flashbacks take readers back to the congressman’s childhood, providing formative glimpses into the life of this Alabama sharecropper’s son. Memories of raising chickens quickly give way to images of racial injustice, early landmarks in the movement—Brown v. Board of Education, the murder of Emmett Till, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Lewis entered discussion with Ralph Abernathy and Martin Luther King, Jr. about integrating Troy State College in Alabama as an incoming freshman. But his parents objected and Lewis eventually entered a Baptist theological seminary in Nashville, TN, where the movement came to another critical juncture. “I have thought about that often. Not being admitted to Troy State, my parents not supporting the decision to try and enroll there, that was a blessing,” says Lewis. “If I had gone to Troy State, I would not have met individuals who injected into my heart, into my blood, into my DNA, the very spirit of nonviolence.”

Having embraced the ideals of nonviolence, a group of college students, including Lewis, instigate a 1960 sit-in. It leads to a confrontation on the steps of Nashville City Hall where the story closes. The second volume of March, anticipated for 2014, will carry the story to the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.

Early response

Meanwhile, the first volume—which bears an unprecedented jacket quote from former President Bill Clinton—had earned several starred reviews leading up to its publication on August 13. When Lewis, Aydin, and Powell made appearances at conferences including Book Expo America, the American Library Association Annual Conference, and Comic Con, it was abundantly clear that March’s message was resonating in the way that Lewis had hoped.

“I want young readers to understand that another generation of young people, who tasted the bitter fruits of segregation and discrimination, came to that point where they said, ‘We won’t take it anymore,’” Lewis says. “I would love readers to recognize that it was just ordinary people who believed so deeply that they were moved to act. And I hope they see what it took to be willing to speak up and speak out. They had raw courage, enough courage—literally—to put their bodies on the line. People were prepared to die for what they believed in.”

“I think, today, it is more important than ever for young people—and those not so young—to take a long hard look at some of the things going on around them and ask themselves, ‘What can I do?’” he continues. “Sometimes I feel like many of the things we fought for in the ’50s and the ’60s are being attacked again, and it is up to all of us to work together and keep fighting. We can’t go back. The only place for us to go is forward and each and every one of us has a contribution to make.”

Jonathan Hunt (hunt_yellow@yahoo.com) is a school librarian in Modesto (CA) City Schools. He reviews for Horn Book Magazine and blogs for SLJ at Heavy Medal.

Ada, Alma Flor and F. Isabel Campoy. Yes! We Are Latinos! (Charlesbridge; Gr 4-8). illus. by David Diaz.
Twelve narrative poems tell the stories of children and teens living in the United States. The first-person entries all begin in the same way with the narrator’s name, country or culture, current home, followed by “I am Latino/a.” The characters hail from a variety of nations (Puerto Rico, Peru, etc.) and identify with diverse cultures (Zapotec, Sephardic). Several children claim mixed ancestry, such as Lili who is Chinese and Guatemalan. The poems bear witness to lives uprooted, families separated, pride in culture, and friends reunited in a new land. Each poem is followed by a nonfiction entry. For example, Mónica from El Salvador tells the story of a father who “went North” and how the family, which now resides in Houston, TX, was reunited. This poem is followed by a brief history of “Latino Immigration to the United States.” Through Mónica’s story, and her father’s reaction to the word “illegal,” readers will also learn that “undocumented” is the preferred term when referring to someone who does not have U. S. citizenship or the documentation to live in the country. A well-researched, poignant volume. The woodcut illustrations by David Diaz are superb.

The Animal Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of Life on Earth.(Smithsonian/DK; Gr 3-7).
Don’t let the title mislead you—this striking compendium covers microscopic, plant, and animal life. Interspersed among spreads detailing in text and images the varieties of bacteria, crustaceans, ferns, and turtles, are stunning double-page close-ups of fungi, the Venus Flytrap, a Barred Owl, African Elephants, and other forms of life. Captions and notes highlight features and the more than 1,500 specimens and species in the book. Next time your students need visual guides to conifers, sponges, or whales, send them to The Animal Book.

Lewis, John and Andrew Aydin. March. Book One. (Top Shelf Productions; Gr 9 Up). illus. by Nate Powell.
Congressman John Lewis was only 23 years old in 1963 when he addressed the crowd assembled at the National Mall in Washington, DC, during the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In this volume in graphic format, Lewis recounts his early years, his education, and his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Lewis participated in non-violent anti-segregation protests from a young age and played a key role in played in lunch-counter sit-ins, bus boycotts, Freedom Rides, and other pivotal actions of the movement. This is a powerful story, told by one of America’s most distinguished activists. Two more volumes are planned. A guide for teachers is available online.

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song. (Little, Brown, Gr 2-6). illus. by Brian Pinkney.
There are a number of books written about the historic 1963 March on Washington, many offering a unique perspective on the event. In their latest collaboration this celebrated author and illustrator team tells the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s and Mahalia Jackson’s participation in the March, along the way touching on their childhoods, their dreams, and their friendship. End notes by the author and a time line add details and place the March in the context of the Civil Rights Movement, while the illustrator’s notes describe the traditions he drew on and his artistic influences—social realists painters Ben Shahn and Charles Wilbert White—broadening the use of this tribute.

Rusch, Elizabeth. Volcano Rising. (Charlesbridge, Gr 2-5). illus. by Susan Swan.
Most often what we hear of and read about are the destructive forces of volcanoes—huge explosions spewing smoke and rivers of lava destroying everything in their paths. Here Rusch focuses on the lesser-known creative aspects of volcanoes: they form mountains and islands, and fertilize and repair scarred lands. Each spread in the book offers two texts: a few large-print sentences with general information for young readers, and a smaller print, longer paragraph adding pertinent facts. The author relates the amazing story of the 1943 eruption of a volcano in  Paricutin, Mexico, which began as an ash-exploding fissure in a cornfield, giving rise to a 500-foot high cone within a week. One year later it was 1,000 feet in height, offering scientists one more “laboratory” in which to study these natural forces. Swan’s dramatic scenes of fiery eruptions above ground in oranges and reds, submarine volcanoes bathed in blues, and serene mountain landscapes and islands rising from the middle of the ocean, will have children poring over these pages. Rusch is also the author of Eruption! for older readers, featured in last month’s “Nonfiction Notes.”

Sayre, April Pulley. Let’s Go Nuts!: Seeds We Eat. (S & S/Beach Lane; K- Gr 3).
Though a minimal text and full-page color images, the author of Rah, Rah, Radishes! (2011) and Go, Go, Grapes! (2012, both S & S) explores the world of edible seeds. Each page in the book features two lines of rhyming text (“Peanut, pine nut./Go, nuts, go!”) accompanied by a close-up photo of an array of seeds. Along with familiar foods are others children may not be familiar with such as quinoa and carob. End notes explain why seeds are “such good foods,” discuss nut allergies, and answer questions (“Why don’t seeds we eat grow inside our stomachs?”). From units on farmer’s markets to cultures, this book has multiple curriculum applications. It’s also a great read-aloud choice.

Schwartz, David M. Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices.  Creston Books; Gr 1-4).
Just in time for the fall harvest season, Schwartz, the author of a number of books on math topics [How Much Is a Million? (HarperCollins,1985) and G Is for Googol (Tricycle, 1998)] examines the life cycle of a pumpkin from seed to jack-o’-lantern to decaying squash–and its eventual rebirth as the seeds that remain begin to sprout. Schwartz adopts a first-person voice for his pumpkin and the critters and organisms that visit it. As School Library Journal’s reviewer noted, “The gross-out factor is high, as each of the rodents, insects, molds, fungi, etc., do their respective jobs.” Suggestions for classroom investigations are included. Consider pairing with Wendy Pfeffer’s A Log’s Life (S & S, 1997), a “gentler” look at decomposition.

Sandler, Martin W. Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War II. (Walker; Gr 7 Up).
Combining a lucid text; poignant black-and-white archival photos; reproductions of artwork, sketches, and documents; and charts, Sandler offers an in-depth, sensitive look at the internment of Japanese-Americans in the United States during the Second World War. He begins his narrative with information on the movement of more than 250,000 Japanese citizens to the United States at the turn of the 20th-century and ends with chapters devoted to redress and the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. In between, the author covers Anti-American sentiment toward the Japanese before and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, life in the relocation centers, and the Japanese-Americans who served in our military.

The books also make excellent resources for Black History Month and can be used year round to enhance civil rights and multicultural studies. Keep them on hand to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Dr. King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28.

Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend.  By Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud, illustrations by John Holyfield. Candlewick. 2011. Reinforced Trade Edition $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4058-3.

Gr 1-4—In this fact-based tale, elderly Miz Pettway tells young Alex about the important role played by her mule in the struggle for civil rights in her poor African American community. Far from fancy, “but strong and steady, and stubborn,” like the Alabama town’s humble inhabitants, Belle hauled a wagonload of “Benders”—empowered by a visit from Dr. King—on a day-long trip to Camden to register to vote, and later on, was summoned to pull the farm cart bearing the great man’s casket through the streets of Atlanta. An accessible and affecting look at history, told in down-to-earth language and illustrated with lush acrylic paintings.

I Have a Dream. By Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrations by Kadir Nelson. w/CD. Random/Schwartz & Wade. Trade $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-85887-1; Library Edition $21.99. ISBN 978-0-375-95887-8; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98772-4.
Gr 2 Up–Insightful, articulate, and heart-stirring, Dr. King’s famous oration is as inspiring today as when first delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial 50 years ago. Nelson’s majestic oil paintings provide a magnificent accompaniment to an excerpt from the speech, showcasing broad scenes of the historic gathering, captivating close-ups of the speaker, and uplifting images that visually convey Dr. King’s dream of “a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.” 

March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World. By Christine King Farris, illustrations by London Ladd. Scholastic. 2008. Trade $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-03537-8.

Gr 1-5—Writing with unassuming eloquence, Farris provides a compelling look at the March on Washington, effectively balancing fact-filled descriptions of events with unique personal perceptions and pride for a brother who was able to “…touch so many people in such a big way.” London’s painterly illustrations provide you-are-there snapshots that both portray the historical setting and convey the participants’ soaring emotions.

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By Doreen Rappaport, illustrations by Brian Collier. Hyperion. 2001. Trade $19.99. ISBN 978-078680714-7; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-1423106357.

Gr 2-5—This picture book biography pairs spare paragraphs about Dr. King’s life and achievements with pertinent and profound quotations taken from his writings and speeches. Imbued with the sharp-edged shapes and luminous colors of a stained-glass window, Collier’s breath-taking watercolor and cut-paper collage illustrations combine realism with heart-lifting spirituality. A beautifully written and visually striking introduction to the man and his world-changing wisdom.

Martin Luther King Jr.: A King Family Tribute. Angela Farris Watkins, editor. Abrams. 2013. Trade $18.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0269-3.

Gr 4 Up–Memories, stories, and reflections about “ML,” as he was called by his relatives, are paired with never-before-published family photos in this scrapbook-style tribute. A celebration of life that is warm, personal, and inspiring.

My Uncle Martin’s Words for America. By Angela Farris Watkins, illustrations by Eric Velasquez. Abrams. 2011. Reinforced Trade Edition $19.95. ISBN 978-1-41970022-4.

K-Gr 4—Told from the perspective of his young niece, Angela, this inviting picture book describes how Dr. King used “words of love” to fight for change. Watkins’s crystalline first-person narrative introduces watershed moments in the Civil Rights Movement, highlights Dr. King’s role as leader, and incorporates phrases from his speeches. Presented in bold lettering, terms such as “nonviolence,” “justice,” and “brotherhood” resound throughout the text and are explained with child-friendly definitions and examples. The realistic paintings dramatically depict events with a mix of vivid action scenes and elegant portraits. Watkins’s companion volume, My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart (Abrams, 2010), also handsomely illustrated by Velasquez, provides an intimate and affectionate look at Uncle M.L. through the eyes of a child.

We March. By Shane W. Evans. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter. 2012. Trade $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-539-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 9781466810846.

PreS-Gr 3—The members of an African American family rise at daybreak, pray and make preparations at their church, and journey to Washington D.C. to join with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds in a hope-filled “march to justice,/to freedom,/to our dreams.” Told in simple first-person plural text and illustrated with radiant double-page paintings, this powerful picture book reels in young readers and makes them part of an historic moment.

What Was Your Dream, Dr. King? And other Questions about Martin Luther King Jr. by Mary Kay Carson, illustrations by Jim Madsen. Sterling. 2013. Trade $12.95. ISBN 978-1-4027-9622-7; pap. $5.95. ISBN 978-1-4027-9045-4.

Gr 1-4—Utilizing an inviting question-and-answer format, Carson presents an overview of Dr. King’s life, endeavors, and beliefs, providing historical context with clear explanations of segregation and defining moments in the civil rights movement. Straightforward and accessible, the text is sprinkled with primary quotes and accompanied by sepia-toned paintings.