Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando

921 AND

Inspiration struck when Momofuku Ando spotted the long lines for a simple bowl of ramen following World War II. Magic Ramen tells the true story behind the creation of one of the world's most popular foods.

We Are Still Here

975.004 SOR

Too often, Native American history is treated as a finished chapter instead of relevant and ongoing. This companion book to the award-winning We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga offers readers everything they never learned in school about Native American people's past, present, and future. Precise, lyrical writing presents topics including: forced assimilation (such as boarding schools), land allotment and Native tribal reorganization, termination (the US government not recognizing tribes as nations), Native urban relocation (from reservations), self-determination (tribal self-empowerment), Native civil rights, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), religious freedom, economic development (including casino development), Native language revival efforts, cultural persistence, and nationhood.

Separate is Never Equal

379.2 TON

When her family moved to the town of Westminster, California, young Sylvia Mendez was excited about enrolling in her neighborhood school. But she and her brothers were turned away and told they had to attend the Mexican school instead. Sylvia could not understand why—she was an American citizen who spoke perfect English. Why were the children of Mexican families forced to attend a separate school? Unable to get a satisfactory answer from the school board, the Mendez family decided to take matters into its own hands and organized a lawsuit. In the end, the Mendez family’s efforts helped bring an end to segregated schooling in California in 1947, seven years before the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education ended segregation in schools across America.

The Oldest Student

921 WAL

In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she was freed, and by age 20, she was married and had her first child. By age 68, she had worked numerous jobs, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to raise money for her church. At 114, she was the last remaining member of her family. And at 116, she learned to read. From Rita Lorraine Hubbard and rising star Oge More comes the inspirational story of Mary Walker, a woman whose long life spanned from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, and who--with perseverance and dedication--proved that you're never too old to learn.

Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jimenez, Daughter of the Nahua

E AME

As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to grind corn in a metate, to twist yarn with her toes, and to weave on a loom. By the fire at night, she listened to stories of her community’s joys, suffering, and survival, and wove them into her heart.

Mambo Mucho Mambo! The Dance That Crossed Color Lines

793.3 ROB

Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood. Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was the 1940s in New York City, and they were forbidden to dance together . . . until first a band and then a ballroom broke the rules. Machito and His Afro-Cubans hit the scene with a brand-new sound, blending jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas creating Latin jazz, music for the head, the heart, and the hips. Then the Palladium Ballroom issued a bold challenge to segregation and threw open its doors to all. Illustrated with verve and told through real-life characters who feature in an afterword, ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! portrays the power of music and dance to transcend racial, religious, and ethnic boundaries.

Born on the Water

E HAN

A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.

I Am Ruby Bridges

921 BRI

A picture book relating the experience of Ruby Bridges, written in her own words, of being the first Black girl to integrate into a previously all-white school in the United States after desegregation was passed. Reflects on the meanings of her names--Ruby, a precious jewel, and Bridges, bridges for crossing gaps--and how she hopes to continue to use her story and social justice activism to bridge the gap between all people everywhere. Includes a glossary.

Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding a Home

921 MAR

Zahra is just a young girl when her family tells her they must leave her home country of Kuwait because others say they don't belong. Zahra wonders if any place will feel like her home with its desert sands and butterflies that fill the sky. When they move to a different desert--New Mexico in the United States--things are different, but over time she learns that different can be good, just like the hot air balloons that fill the sky, reminding her of the butterflies she remembers.

The Case for Loving

306.84 ALK

Children may be surprised to learn that interracial marriage was illegal in nearly all U.S. states up until the second half of the last century. In 1958, Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, a white man and a black woman, fell in love in Virginia, a state that outlawed interracial marriage. After traveling to Washington, D.C. to wed, they returned home only to be arrested and jailed. Refusing to let the state outlaw their marriage, the Lovings took the case to the Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously that restricting marriage based on race was unconstitutional. This book chronicles the injustice of past laws, offers a strong and positive message of acceptance and equality, and “just might inspire the next generation of young civil rights activists” 

Alicia Alonso Dances On

921 ALO

Young Alicia Alonso faced many challenges in her quest to become a ballerina, beginning with dance practice in her tennis shoes in a Cuban studio. Yet, no matter the obstacle, she found a way to rise to the challenge. This children's book biography of the prima ballerina, documents not only her childhood in Cuba, but also her move to New York City, when her country offered no further opportunities. Even then, just as she was nearing the pinnacle of her career, an illness caused her to begin losing her eyesight. Battling through a series of operations, Alicia's struggles didn't diminish, but she found a way to dance through them and earn the rare honor of prima ballerina assoluta.

I Am An American: The Kim Wong Ark Story

921 ARK

Children's book biography describes the life of Wong Kim Ark, an American-born citizen who was denied re-entry into the United States in 1873 after a trip abroad to visit family in China because of a discriminatory law restricting Chinese immigration and citizenship. Ark sued the United States government and his case made it to the Supreme Court, where a landmark case was decided, granting anyone born in the United States American citizenship.

The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America

921 PER

A picture book biography of former Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman on a presidential cabinet and the author of FDR's New Deal, which continues to impact Americans today.

Sewing the Rainbow: The Story of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag

921 BAK

A picture book biography of Gilbert Baker, chronicling his creation of the rainbow flag and its role in the gay rights movement. Describes how Gilbert grew up visiting his grandmother's clothing store and drawing beautiful clothing until his father took away his art supplies turning Gilbert's colorful, sparkly, glittery world gray. Discusses how Gilbert moved to San Francisco when he grew up and found his inspiration for the rainbow flag. Includes an endnote discussing the gay rights movement and Gilbert Baker's legacy.

The Journey of York: The Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

921 YOR

Documents the little-known account of York, a slave who traveled with the 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific Ocean and endured dangerous conditions, terrain, and labor. Describes the important contributions York made to the journey and his peacemaking role with the American Indian nations they encountered. Includes an author's note.

A Computer Called Katherine

921 JOH

Katherine knew it was wrong that African Americans didn't have the same rights as others--as wrong as 5+5=12. She knew it was wrong that people thought women could only be teachers or nurses--as wrong as 10-5=3. And she proved everyone wrong by zooming ahead of her classmates, starting college at fifteen, and eventually joining NASA, where her calculations helped pioneer America's first manned flight into space, its first manned orbit of Earth, and the world's first trip to the moon!

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag

921 MIL

A picture biography that tells the story of how Harvey Milk's activism led to the creation and use of the rainbow flag to show his dream that all people, even gay people, should have equality.