John's Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon

True vignettes and traditional verse, set against starkly powerful images, tell the story of enslaved Africans in America as it has never been told before. A man who cannot swim leaps off a slave ship into the dark water. A girl defies the law by secretly learning to read and write. A future abolitionist regains his will to live by fighting off his captor with his bare hands: "I will not let you use me like a brute any longer," Frederick Douglass vows. Drawing from authentic accounts, here is a chronology of resistance in all its forms: comical trickster tales about outwitting "Old Marsa"; secret "hush harbors" where Africans instill Christian worship with their own rituals; and spirituals such as "Go Down Moses," whose coded lyrics signal not just hope for deliverance, but an active call to escape. Boldly illustrated with extraordinary oil paintings by award-winning artist Shane W. Evans, and meticulously researched by Doreen Rappaport, this stunning collection -- spanning the period from the early days of slavery to the Emancipation Proclamation -- is an invaluable resource for teachers, parents, libraries, students, and people everywhere who care about what it means to be free, what it is to be human. Back matter includes important dates, a bibliography, resources for further information, and an index.

A magnificently illustrated picture book biography of Barack Obama​: a tireless organizer, a brilliant orator, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the first Black president of the United States of America.<BR><BR> Before he became the president, Barack Obama was a little boy called Barry. Amid a happy childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, he also yearned for a better understanding of Black history and culture, and a better sense of his own identity as a Black American. Spurred by conversations around race, injustice, and inequality, he became a community organizer, practiced civil rights law, and was elected to the US Senate. “Yes we can!” became a rallying cry for his message of hope and change throughout the 2008 presidential election—which resulted in Barack Obama becoming the first Black president of the United States.<BR><BR> This addition to the highly acclaimed Big Words series celebrates one of the most inspiring American leaders of our time. With evocative illustrations by award-winning artist Tonya Engel, Doreen Rappaport’s richly detailed narrative employs rousing quotes from Obama himself and encourages young readers to investigate who they are and who they might one day become.<BR><BR>Don’t miss these other titles in the Big Words series!<BR>Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa<BR>Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg<BR>Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller<BR>Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln<BR>Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This “riveting biography” (Kirkus Reviews) presents a thought-provoking portrait of celebrated human rights activist Frederick Douglass.<BR><BR> Frederick Douglass was born into slavery. He was taken from his mother as a baby, and separated from his grandparents when he was six. He suffered hunger and abuse, but miraculously, he learned how to read. Frederick read newspapers left in the street, and secretly collected spellings from neighborhood children. Words, he knew, would set him free. When Frederick was twenty, he escaped to the North, where he spread his abolitionist beliefs through newspaper articles, autobiographies, and speeches. He believed that all people—regardless of color or gender—were entitled to equal rights. It is Douglass's words, as well as his life, that still provide hope and inspiration across generations.<BR><BR> In this installment of the critically acclaimed Big Words series, Doreen Rappaport captures Frederick's journey from boy to man, from slavery to freedom, by weaving Frederick's powerful words with her own. London Ladd's strong and evocative illustrations combine with the text to create a moving portrait of an extraordinary life.<BR><BR>Don’t miss these other titles in the Big Words series!<BR>Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa<BR>Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg<BR>Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller<BR>Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln<BR>Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.