Reviewed by Clarence Lusane Review Source: Zinn Education Project Book Author: By now, we know that the history featured in textbooks and children’s literature is often riddled with myths, distortions, and outright fabrications. Many children’s history books reinforce rather than debunk incorrect information and stereotyping ideologies. Master George’s People: George Washington, His Slaves, and His Revolutionary […]
Cause: Reconstruction America, 1863-1877
Reviewed by Adam Sanchez Review Source: Zinn Education Project Book Author: Tanya Bolden’s Cause: Reconstruction America, 1863-1877 is one of the few non-fiction texts on Reconstruction aimed at young readers. It is a strong alternative to the textbook treatment of the era. Like many textbooks, Cause focuses mainly on the battles between President Andrew Johnson and Congress, […]
Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule
Reviewed by: Adam Sanchez Review Source: Zinn Education Project Book Author: This chapter book of historical fiction by Harriette Gillem Robinet is one of the best resources available for elementary school classrooms on the Reconstruction era. 40 Acres and Maybe a Mule tells the story of Pascal, who is still enslaved at the end of the Civil War. When […]
Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal
Reviewed by: Deborah Menkart Reviewed Source: Zinn Education Project Book Author: Using her trademark style—multiple voices in free verse to share untold historical events —Margarita Engle introduces young readers to the builders of the Panama Canal. The protagonist is Mateo, a young boy from the Caribbean, lured with promises of good pay and work. Instead, […]