Nancy Churnin

"In Eliza Davis's day, Charles Dickens was the most celebrated living writer in England. But some of his books reflected a prejudice that was all too common at the time: prejudice against Jewish people. Eliza was Jewish, and her heart hurt to see a Jewish character in Oliver Twist portrayed as ugly and selfish. She wanted to speak out about how unfair that was, even if it meant speaking out against the great man himself. So she wrote a letter to Charles...

All William Ellsworth Hoy wanted to do was play baseball. After losing out on a spot on the local deaf team, William practiced even harder--eventually earning a position on a professional team. But his struggle was far from over. In addition to the prejudice Hoy faced, he could not hear the umpires' calls. One day he asked the umpire to use hand signals: strike, ball, out. That day he not only got on base but also changed the way the game was played...

"Growing up in the late 19th century, Laura Wheeler Waring didn't see any artists who looked like her. She didn't see any paintings of people who looked like her, either. So when she was offered a commission to paint portraits of accomplished African Americans, she jumped at the chance. Writers, singers, political activists, and thinkers all posed for her. Now her portraits hang in Washington, D.C.'s National Portrait Gallery, where children of all...

"When Lila and her family leave Ireland for the United States in 1850, Lila misses many things, but especially Halloween. Each year, she and her siblings look forward to tricking a sly spirit named Jack by carving turnips into jack-o'-lanterns. Now, with no turnips in sight, she'll need to find different ways to bring the spirit of the holiday to her new home. Lila and the Jack-o'-Lantern tells the true story of how Irish immigrants brought Halloween...

"The true story of how a Massachusetts neighborhood rallied together to help a lesbian couple feel welcome and loved again after experiencing anti-LGBTQ hate"-- Provided by publisher.