Book Type: Middle School

High School, Middle School

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom – Lynda Blackmon Lowery

Overview

A firsthand memoir from the youngest marcher in the Selma voting rights campaign, offering a powerful youth perspective on the Civil Rights Movement.

Good For

Early High School readers studying civil rights history through personal narrative.

About the Author

Lynda Blackmon Lowery, the youngest person to take part in the whole Selma Voting Rights March of 1965, now works as a case manager at a mental health center, and still lives in Selma, Alabama.

Find a Library Near You   Get it Online

High School, Middle School

The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation – Jonathan Hennessey

Overview

A visually engaging, article-by-article exploration of the Constitution that explains its origins, evolution, and enduring importance.

Good For

Early High School readers seeking an accessible yet serious introduction to constitutional principles.

About the Author

Jonathan Hennessey is a writer living in Los Angeles. A ten-year veteran of the film and television production industry, Hennessey also works as a story analyst for Phoenix Pictures. He is the author of The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation.

Find a Library Near You   Get it Online

High School, Middle School

Fly Girls – P. O’Connell Pearson

Overview

The inspiring story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, whose courage and skill helped win World War II despite limited recognition at the time.

Good For

Early High School readers interested in WWII history and overlooked contributions.

About the Author

P. O’Connell Pearson has always taught history—first in the high school classroom and then as a curriculum writer and editor across grade levels. Ready to share her enthusiasm for stories of the past in a new way, she earned an MFA in writing for young people from Lesley University and now writes narrative nonfiction for ages ten and up. Her books have received recognition from Bank Street, NCSS, the New-York Historical Society, Arizona Library Association, and more.

Find a Library Near You   Get it Online

High School, Middle School

Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary – Martha Brockenbrough

Overview

A vivid and balanced biography that brings Hamilton’s brilliance, ambition, flaws, and lasting influence on American government to life.

Good For

Early High School readers interested in founding-era history and complex historical figures.

About the Author

Martha Brockenbrough draws on her diverse experience in journalism, research, nonfiction, and literary teen fiction to bring Alexander Hamilton to life in Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary. A powerful storyteller and narrative voice, Brockenbrough is also the author of the critically acclaimed YA novels The Game of Love and Death and Devine Intervention. She enjoys reading Hamilton’s original correspondence, playing board games, and spending time with her family.

Find a Library Near You   Get it Online

High School, Middle School

Johnny Tremain – Esther Forbes

Overview

A classic of historical fiction, this novel follows a Boston apprentice swept into the events of the American Revolution, blending personal growth with pivotal moments in history.

Good For

Middle School readers interested in Revolutionary-era history through an engaging story.

About the Author

Esther Forbes (1891-1967) garnered a Newbery Medal and an enduring place in children’s literature with the publication of Johnny Tremain. Her adult novel, Paul Revere and the World He Lived In, won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1943.

Find a Library Near You   Get it Online

High School, Middle School

March (Trilogy) – John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

Overview

This award-winning graphic memoir recounts Congressman John Lewis’s firsthand experiences in the Civil Rights Movement, showing how courage, nonviolence, and young people helped change the nation.

Good For

Middle School readers ready for a vivid, personal engagement with civil rights history.

About the Authors

John Lewis was Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District Representative and an American icon widely known for his role in the Civil Rights Movement. From 1963 to 1966, Lewis was Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). As Chairman, John Lewis became a nationally recognized leader.

Nate Powell is a New York Times bestselling, award-winning graphic novelist. His work includes the March trilogy, graphic adaptations of Rick Riordan’s The Lost Hero and James W. Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me, and many solo books including Save It for Later, Fall Through, and Swallow Me Whole.

Andrew Aydin is the co-author (with Congressman John Lewis) of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel series March. After college, upon taking a job with Congressman Lewis, Andrew learned that the civil rights legend had been inspired as a young man by a classic 1950s comic book, Martin Luther King & The Montgomery Story. They discussed the impact that comic books can have on young readers and decided to write a graphic novel together about the civil rights era.

Find a Library Near You   Get it Online