American Child

Explore the life and career of Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King-awarded author and illustrator Kadir Nelson.

How did Tammy Duckworth become a Senator? Listeners will learn all about this great Asian American politician and the significant events in her life in this low-leveled biography.

Serena Williams is a standout professional tennis player. Learn about her childhood and her rise to becoming a tennis superstar.

Michelle Wie is a standout golfer. Learn about her childhood and her rise to becoming a golf superstar.

Después de leer sobre niños que rompen récords, Camila sueña con romper uno también. Pero, ¿cuál de los récords mundiales debe conquistar? Intenta de varias maneras, pero descubre que no es fácil. ¿Llegará a convertirse en una estrella rompe récords?

After a trip to the zoo, Katie wonders how animals clean their teeth. She asks her dental hygienist at her dental appointment. The hygienist, Ms. Malek, can't answer all of Katie's curious questions, but she still makes Katie's trip to the dentist comfortable and fun.

On a winter morning in 1990, Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota picked up the Bismarck Tribune. On the front page, a small girl gazed into the distance, shedding a tear. The headline: Foster home children beaten - and nobody's helping. Dorgan, who had been working with American Indian tribes to secure resources, was distressed. He flew to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation to meet with five-year-old Tamara and her grandfather. They became friends. Then she disappeared. And he would search for her for decades until they finally found each other again.

Twelve-year-old Jorge is lonely and resentful after being sent to live with his grandparents. His first day at his new school doesn’t go well after catching the attention of his belligerent principal and the school bullies, so Jorge might be a little desperate for a friend. But the only kid who shares his interest in junk food and games turns out to be a young chupacabra—a legendary monster whose kind is known for being bloodthirsty livestock killers.

Ayo's mother founded the biggest civil rights movement to hit New York City in decades. It’s called ‘See Us’ and it tackles police brutality and racial profiling in Harlem. Ayo has spent her entire life being an activist and now, she wants out. She wants to get her first real kiss, have a boyfriend, and just be a normal teen. When her mom is put into a coma after a riot breaks out between protesters and police, protestors want Ayo to become the face of See Us and fight for justice for her mother who can no longer fight for herself.

Taut free verse tells the little-known story of the first contraband camp of the Civil War - seen by some historians as the "beginning of the end of slavery in America". One night in 1861, three escaped slaves made their way from the Confederate line to a Union-held fort. The runaways were declared "contraband of war" and granted protection. As word spread, thousands of runaway slaves poured into the fort, seeking their freedom. These "contrabands" made a home for themselves, building the first African American community in the country.

Negro league baseball players didn’t always get the respect that major leaguers received. And yet many - including Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Roy Campanella - quickly became standouts in the major leagues after 1947. Others didn’t get to prove their mettle in the majors at all - or not until long past their prime. New York Times best-selling author Carole Boston Weatherford compiles an enthralling summary of Negro league history that includes fascinating tidbits about prominent pitchers, hitters, utility players, teams, and traditions.

In Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15, 1963, it is one little girl's 10th birthday. Excited about Youth Day at the 16th Street Baptist Church, she puts on her patent leather shoes and practices her choir solo. But her birthday will include no cake and no candles this year. A group of men have tucked a bundle of dynamite under the church's steps, and when it goes off, four girls are dead: AddieMae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair.

A biography of the African American artist who grew up in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance and became one of the most renowned painters of the life of his people.

Acclaimed poet and award-winning children’s author Jonah Winter - inspired by a political rally he attended during the historic 2008 presidential campaign - tells the moving story of Barack Obama. Beginning in Africa and Kansas, this enlightening biography describes Obama’s life as an ongoing journey, from his birth in Hawaii to his election as president. Obama emerges as someone who, even from an early age, wondered where he belonged and who he might become.

You may never have heard of him, but you've probably heard of the many people civil rights activist Bayard Rustin influenced. He was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and refused to move to the back of the bus many years before Rosa Parks did. The son of a freed slave, Bayard Rustin grew up during the peak of the Jim Crow laws, which segregated Blacks and Whites.

Did you know that NASA uses mathematics for space travel? Meet Katherine Johnson, one of the first African-American and female mathematicians who worked for NASA. Learn about her life growing up in segregated America and her journey to pursue her education and dreams. Her mathematical calculations helped American astronauts to go to space, land on the moon, and return to earth safely in 1969!

The humans are freezing during a cold winter and have no fire to warm themselves. They ask Coyote for help! Under the leadership of a Coyote, all the animals of the forest band together to steal fire from three wicked sisters and deliver it to humans in this tale from the Pacific Northwest. Can he defeat the skookums or will they continue to keep the fire all to themselves?

A biography telling the life story of Booker T. Washington, along with his accomplishments toward promoting the education of African Americans.

Follow the saga of American exploration, from Jefferson and Monroe securing the Louisiana Purchase through the bold explorations of Lewis & Clark and Sacagawea. Experience the dawning of a new age aboard Robert Fulton's steamboat, and ride the rumbling wagons of the Oregon Trail pioneers. Feel the devastating effects faced by proud Native American warriors, and witness the mammoth undertaking of the transcontinental railroad. Journey with the brave souls who hung out the sign, "Gone West".

Patrick Mahomes, the 2018 most valuable player in the National Football League, could have succeeded in any sport. Growing up, he played baseball, basketball, and football. After joining the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, he broke record after record, including most passing yards and most passes completed in a single season. Learn all the facts on Mahomes's meteoric rise in the NFL in this exciting biography.