Young people of all ages can learn important, timeless life lessons from history. Studies show that young people who engage in more nonfiction reading will build more background knowledge, which in turn will give them a greater foundation for all other reading. Here are a few recently published books—some nonfiction and some fiction based on real, historical events—that will inform and entertain readers.

Ages 4–8

Independence Cake: A Revolutionary Confection Inspired by Amelia Simmons, Whose True History Is Unfortunately Unknown. Deborah Hopkinson. Ill. Giselle Potter. 2017. Schwartz & Wade/Random House.

In an introduction, Deborah Hopkinson informs readers that Independence Cake is a fictional story about Amelia Simmons, author of American Cookery. First published in 1796 and the first known cookbook written by an American, Simmons adapted English recipes and cooking techniques. Giselle Potter’s watercolor-and-ink illustrations provide colorful details that complement Hopkinson’s imagined life story of Amelia Simmons in which local fame as a baker led to her creation of thirteen Independence Cakes (one for each of the thirteen colonies) for President George Washington’s inauguration celebration. Back matter includes an author’s note and online sources of Election Day cake recipes. 

—CA

Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing. Dean Robbins. Ill. Lucy Knisley. 2017. Alfred A. Knopf/Random House.

Growing up, Margaret was curious about everything and loved to solve complicated math problems. When she discovered computers, she taught herself to code, using her problem-solving skill to write computer programs to perform increasingly more complex tasks. In 1964, she began working with NASA as software director for Project Apollo, and in 1969 became a hero of the Apollo 11 mission when a computer overload threatened its success. “Had Margaret thought of everything that could go wrong with a lunar landing?” Yes, and the safe landing on the moon of the lunar module Eagle was accomplished. An engaging text and cartoon illustrations make this life story of Margaret Heafield Hamilton accessible to young readers. Back matter includes an author’s note, bibliography, and an additional reading list.  

—CA

Patrick and the President. Ryan Tubridy. Ill. P. J. Lynch. 2017. Candlewick.

In this historically-inspired fictional story, Patrick, a young Irish boy, meets President John F. Kennedy during his 1963 visit to his ancestral home in Dunganstown, Ireland. Patrick sings with his class for the President, and attends the Kennedy family reception where he serves President Kennedy a special dessert and shakes hands with him. “Don’t ever wash that lucky hand of yours!” said Patrick’s mam. Realistic watercolor illustrations in soft hues capture the anticipation of Patrick and his classmates as they meet the President and create memories for a lifetime. Endpapers include the lyrics of “The Boys of Wexford,” which school children sang as part of Kennedy’s 1963 welcome to Ireland. Back matter includes a day-by-day itinerary of the President’s trip to Ireland accompanied by black-and-white photos.

—NB

Ages 9–11

Refugee. Alan Gratz. 2012. Scholastic.

Three young people from different places and times—Josef, a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany in 1938; Isabel, a girl living near Havana under the dictatorship of Fidel Castro in 1994; and Mahmoud, living in war-torn Aleppo, Syria, in 2015—have the same goal: to flee their homelands with their families. Written in alternating short chapters from the points of view of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud, Gratz’s novel is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure story. It is also a compelling and heartrending historical exploration of the plight of immigrants who take incredible journeys to survive, sustained by the quest for freedom and the hope of reaching a place in which their families can rebuild their lives. Maps help readers follow the three families’ journeys, and in an author’s note, Gratz identifies the historical background against which the fictional stories of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are set.

—CA

The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked & Found. Martin W. Sandler. 2017. Candlewick.

The Whydah, which sunk off the coast of Cape Cod during a storm on April 26, 1717, and was found in 1985, is the only shipwreck that has been authenticated as a pirate ship. Marine archaeologists have studied this “sunken time capsule” with its artifacts that provide evidence of pirate life that differs from their representations in popular movies and books. Sandler’s narrative, accompanied by biographical sketches, maps, charts, and photographs, chronicles the Whydah’s transformation from slavery ship to the mightiest and greediest pirate ship of the day. Insets include information about the history of slavery in the Americas, the Articles of Agreement (rules for pirates), the history of the Jolly Roger pirate flag, pirate attack strategies, coins as windows to the past, and other relevant and interesting topics. Back matter includes source notes, a bibliography, and an index.

—NB

Ages 12–14

Crossing Ebenezer Creek. Tonya Bolden. 2017. Bloomsbury.

The freedom Mariah has always longed for seems to be a possibility as she and her younger brother, Zeke, and others enslaved on the Chaney plantation join the march of General Sherman’s 14th Army Corps through Georgia following a raid by Union soldiers. As a relationship grows between Mariah and Caleb, a young black man working with the corps, she begins to dream of a home of her own with a man she loves. The hardships and dangers of the march are severe, but for Mariah, the struggles in freedom are nothing like the struggles in slavery. “Now the struggles of the march were hitched to striving for a new life.” An author’s note provides a context for this beautifully-written, carefully-researched novel which tells a personal story of a little-known event of the Civil War, the tragedy of “the betrayal at Ebenezer Creek” on December 9, 1864.

—CA

Double Cross: Deception Techniques in War. Paul B. Janeczko. 2017. Candlewick.

In this companion to Top Secrets: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing (2006) and The Dark Game: True Spy Stories from Invisible Ink to CIA Moles (2010), Paul Janeczko chronicles the use of deception in war throughout history.  Focusing on the use of deception during World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Wars, Janeczko provides numerous examples of the interplay of various deception tactics used in military operations (such as the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944) in an informative, accessible text, complemented by captioned photographs and maps. Each chapter includes an interesting sidebar on a related topic such as the use of signals and ciphers in the Civil War, the code-breaking operation at Bletchley Park in World War II, and the important role of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for communication during Operation Desert Storm, the second phase of the Gulf War. Back matter includes source notes, a bibliography, image credits, and an index.

—CA

Ages 15+

Magellan: Over the Edge of the World. Laurence Bergreen. 2017. Roaring Brook.

This young readers’ edition of Bergeen’s Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe (2003) offers a true adventure story set in the age of exploration and discovery that expands the textbook story of  Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521). With Magellan as captain general, the Armada de Molucca of five ships and 260 sailors set sail on the Atlantic Ocean in 1519 under the Spanish flag. The expedition to the Spice Islands was plagued by treacherous sailing conditions over uncharted waters, storms, harsh weather, illness, starvation, and mutiny. Magellan was killed in the Philippines during a confrontation with natives in 1521. The following year, one remaining ship, the Victoria, returned to Seville with only eighteen survivors, completing the circumnavigation of the globe. The history of this important maritime expedition includes a list of major characters, maps, and captioned illustrations. Back matter includes source notes, a bibliography, and an index.

—CA

Night Witches. Kathryn Lasky. 2017. Scholastic.

It's 1941; World War II is in full swing and the Germans are surrounding Stalingrad, intent on obliterating the city. After her grandmother and mother are killed and her home destroyed in raids on their town, 16-year-old Valya heads out on her own to not only survive, but to help. Taught to fly by her father, who was a major in the Russian Air Force, she longs to join her sister, Tatyana, as a member of the Night Witches, a band of young female Soviet pilots who bomb Nazi supply lines and clear the way for the troops, but she does not qualify because she is too young. Sneaking her way onto the base, Valya works her way up from the ground crew to the cockpit, where she is eventually able to prove herself. When Tatyana is captured by the Germans, Valya knows that it is up to her to rescue her sister, and it will entail precision timing and more than a little luck. 

—NB

Maid of the King’s Court. Lucy Worsley. 2017. Candlewick.

Twelve-year old Elizabeth Rose Camperdowne has accepted that it is her duty to save her impoverished but noble family by marrying well. After her engagement falls through in a scandal, she is sent to Trumpton Hall to train to become a lady. It is not long before Eliza and her cousin Katherine are sent as maids of honor to serve King Henry VIII’s latest wife, Anne of Cleves. Hoping for lucrative marriage matches, they are immediately drawn into court intrigue. When Anne doesn’t produce an heir, she is dismissed, and Katherine is chosen as the king’s next wife. This story follows the fictional character, Eliza, through age 18, when Katherine is beheaded for treason. In the epilogue, British historian Worsley tells how she used her knowledge of Hampton Court Palace to create this fictional version of Tudor history that she hopes will provide insights into Katherine Howard’s life.

—NB

Nancy Brashear is Professor Emeritus of English from Azusa Pacific University, in Azusa, California. Carolyn Angus is former director of the George G. Stone Center for Children's Books, Claremont Graduate University, in Claremont, California.

Some of Erin Kessel's fourth graders have never left their rural North Carolina hometown, or even ventured to the nearest beach just an hour-and-a-half away. This fact is a major motivator for their participation in the Global Read Aloud (GRA), which allows “Kessel’s Crew” to connect virtually with students in faraway classrooms to read and share their ideas about the very same book. Conceived by seventh-grade teacher, author, and blogger Pernille Ripp, the Global Read Aloud has grown from its 2010 start with 150 students to among more than one million K-12 readers in 2017. In her September 2015 ILA chat, Ripp discussed the project’s beginnings and its continuing evolution.

Erin, a four-year GRA veteran, has connected her students with classrooms in three Canadian provinces and in Sunbury, Victoria, Australia to share their ideas about Marty McGuire, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Fish in a Tree, and The BFG. She and her students will join Global Read Aloud 2017 this October. After selecting a book study that's best suited for her students, Erin will connect with another teacher with similar interests through GRA’s Edmodo network. Together, they will decide how and through what venues their students will communicate. 

As a tech innovator in her school, Erin’s early GRA interest was linked with a grant-funded 1:1 Chromebook project meant to integrate global awareness, digital literacy, and technology within her literacy block. However, one of GRA's strongest assets is that teachers can employ whatever tech tools fit their comfort levels. In fact, her maiden voyage relied only on Edmodo, Skype, and “old school snail mail” to deliver a North Carolina-style care package to their classroom partners.

Erin and her students report huge payoffs from connecting with classrooms across the world, echoing benefits documented by expert sources such as the Center for Global Education. In addition to learning about tech apps and programs from other teachers, Erin signed on to GRA with the main goal of opening doors to the world for her rural students. “I want to ensure my students have an open mind about all people in our world and not just a stereotype based on what they see on TV or hear on the news. Allowing students to actively communicate and even see students from around the world and realize the commonalities that they share allows my students to create their own opinions of other's cultures and allows them to realize that although we may be different in some ways, we are all humans with the same purposes in life.”

 Autumn, a student who had not traveled outside of her hometown, said “The kids we talk to have the same interests as me…they even like Barbies and play video games! I thought since they spoke another language that they didn't do the same things as us.”

As these examples illustrate, using literature to forge connections across cultures has huge potential to promote empathy and unity, foster cross-cultural friendships, and help students gain greater understandings about the global community by looking more critically at the world.

Ready to take the leap? Erin encourages other literacy teachers by sharing her experiences and mentoring teachers who are new to GRA. Her first-time suggestions include:

• Setting attainable tech expectations
• Trying GRA with a small group of students before launching with the whole class
• Partnering with another grade-level classroom in your own school
• Being mindful of international time zones if you wish to connect live with international classroom partners
• Collaborating with only one class partner (GRA allows collaboration with multiple classrooms reading the same book)
• Considering the demands of adhering to the six-week timeline involved

Terry S. Atkinson is an associate professor in the Department of Literacy Studies, English Education, and History Education at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.

Cinnamon scones.

That’s what was on Cornelius Minor’s mind as he left for the International Literacy Association (ILA) 2016 Conference & Exhibits for his first ILA conference experience. Just two days earlier, he had watched the livestream of the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Philando Castile, which came on the heels of the Alton Sterling shooting in Baton Rouge, LA.

He felt angry, helpless, and heartbroken.

“I walked into school that day, visibly carrying my hurt. Wondering what I would say. I needed allies. And my colleagues were eating scones,” said Minor. “Cinnamon scones. I can still smell them.”

Minor, a lead staff developer at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, had reached a breaking point.  He never wanted a student to feel the way he felt walking into the breakroom at work that day. He sent a letter to ILA’s Executive Board, asking if it was possible to add a space for educators to gather and talk about the week’s events, which also included the killing of five Dallas police officers. The resulting “Impromptu Conversation Led by Cornelius Minor” was immediately added to the conference’s agenda. Minor modeled how teachers could talk about emotionally charged and controversial topics to a passionate, standing-room-only crowd.

It was considered by many to be a highlight of ILA 2016.

Minor’s session inspired ILA to add a new event to this year’s lineup: “Disrupting a Destructive Cycle: How Literacy Drives Social Change.” Moderated by The New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, ILA’s goal was that the panel would encourage more literacy educators to facilitate difficult conversations in the classroom centered on topics like racism, implicit bias, and equity—issues confronting students every day. Students need an outlet and support. Educators need tools.

Partnering with Heinemann to broadcast the event via Facebook Live to reach more educators around the globe, the forum took place on Saturday, July 15 at the ILA 2017 Conference & Exhibits in Orlando, FL. Approximately 250 educators attended in person and 7,500 people on Facebook Live have watched it to date.

Joining Minor on the panel were Monita K. Bell, senior editor for Teaching Tolerance; Deborah Delisle, executive director at ASCD; Zareen Jaffery, executive editor of Salaam Reads; Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education; and Gene Luen Yang, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

In her keynote speech, “Literacy as Liberation,” Hannah-Jones walked the audience through the history of the criminalization of literacy and segregation in education, starting with 18th-century slavery and arriving at present day. Her takeaway? Despite landmark decisions like Brown v. Board of Education and (mostly) well-intentioned education reform efforts, the U.S. education system is still separate and unequal.

“The classrooms in Detroit are abysmal,” Hannah-Jones said. “You have students who’ve never taken home a textbook in 13 years. Who don’t have enough chairs. Who have moldy food. Where the water is not drinkable. Who are being assigned third-grade worksheets when they’re in high school, but that’s because they’re reading at a second-grade level.”

This was not shocking to Thomas, a “product” of the Detroit public school system who returned to the Detroit classroom as a teacher for six years before she, and most of her other young, black colleagues, were fired.

“I was expensive to employ. I was a traditionally certified public school teacher,” she said.

Over the next hour, the panelists talked about what they’re doing to disrupt cycles of inequality and affect social change. Thomas believes that one of the most important steps administrators can take is to remove the structural barriers to teacher candidates of color by developing a strategic plan around diverse hiring practices.

Delisle, who formerly served as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education under President Barack Obama, recognized the social constructs on very early stages of children’s lives. She emphasized the need for stronger teacher training programs that prepare teachers to walk into a classroom and challenge the status quo.

“Are they ready to have critical conversations among themselves? In addition, are they willing to question what books are used, what novels are promoted, what kinds of conversation and discourse they can actually have in a classroom? And even among themselves, are they able to question their own practices?”

Panelists also discussed the importance of using books and texts that reflect a mosaic of races, cultures, religions, ages, genders, and sexual orientations to help students identify with literature and connect books to their life.

“When I was a kid, it was hard to find stories with characters who looked like me or lived like me,” said Yang. “I think one of the reasons why I love superheroes so much is because almost every superhero has a dual identity. As an Asian American, that was my reality.”

As a Pakistani-American Muslim, Jaffery also failed to see her own experiences reflected in the books she read as a young girl. In 2016, she founded Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon & Schuster that focuses on children's and young adult books featuring Muslim kids and families. Her intent was to promote a more nuanced and honest portrayal of the everyday lives of Muslim families.

Bell believes that bias reduction starts internally. She said that educators should practice self-reflection to observe their own biases, with the assistance of online tools such as Project Implicit's Hidden Bias Test, or by seeking out professional development opportunities that engage specifically with bias. Once they have conquered their own biases, she recommends educators use Teaching Tolerance’s classroom activities with their students.

“You don’t know what you don’t know about yourself,” said Bell. “Once you recognize these things in yourself, you can start to do the work to counter it.”

During the conversation, half of the attendees were silent, motionless, absorbed. The rest couldn’t sit still; they were live Tweeting, clapping, and shouting out in agreement.

Juli-Ann Benjamin was among the attendees who was too enthralled to pick up her phone. In the 22 years she has served as a teacher, assistant vice principal, and now, a literacy coach, in the New York and New Jersey public school systems, very few professional development experiences have truly resonated with her experiences as a black educator.

“I’ve come to ILA for seven or eight years and have never felt more included and happy to be a black educator,” she said. “I’m a happier ILA member because I now see myself within the workshop sessions.”

Outside of the session, a flurry of social media activity has sustained since Saturday.

Hannah-Jones, along with ILA, hopes that the panel will continue to reach more educators and help them normalize conversations about race and social justice, and empower their students to become agents of social change.

As a mother, teacher, and administrator in charge of student discipline and safety, I cannot emphasize enough about the importance of digital citizenship among young people. I already wrote a post about the importance of personal branding. I wrote another post about the digital natives myth. This time, in light of the Harvard’s recent decision to rescind admissions offers to 10 freshmen, I want to talk about what adults can do to protect children from themselves.

It surprises me that so many parents I work with tell me that they have no idea what social media accounts their children have. Having been a high school teacher for over a decade, I have seen so many of my students post and share inappropriate things online. Many of them have told me that their parents had no idea.

I recommend that the parents learn what type of social media tools their children use. Just as you would want to know who your children’s friends are if they were to physically visit your home, you would want to know who your children are communicating with in the cyber space. Consider the case of Conrad Roy III (an 18-year-old who committed suicide after receiving texts from his girlfriend urging him to do so) and Michelle Carter (the girlfriend who sent the offending texts and is now convicted of involuntary manslaughter).This tragedy demonstrates the destructive power of words, as well as the need for parents and educators to maintain an open dialogue with young people about their digital presence.  

I also encourage parents to teach their children what to post and what not to post. For example, I taught my children that they shouldn’t post anything online unless they are okay with it being on the homepage of Yahoo, Bing, or CNN. I ask them to consider whether the post promotes a positive and professional self-image. We talked about how every post contributes to a narrative of their own creation.

Finally, I ask the parents to have a serious conversation about online humor. I taught my children that the humor doesn’t quite translate as easily on Twitter or Facebook as it does in-person. I showed them how I could take a screenshot of something they posted and forward something to another person. I talked about the possibility of someone starting an online conversation without them while using their own words against them. I asked them how defenseless they would feel if what they thought was funny was misinterpreted and misconstrued by others. I told my children over and over again that the freedom of speech doesn’t guarantee the freedom from consequence.

So what can teachers and administrators do? First of all, we can educate ourselves better. We need to make sure we are setting good examples when using social media accounts. We can also educate parents about the importance of digital citizenship and social media literacy. I know of several districts that hold parent education nights on such topics, which is a great way for schools to partner with the community to keep our students safe. We can encourage all parents to establish common sense rules in their homes when it comes to digital device use. Finally, we can continue to help our students to take control over their personal digital brand. 

Kip Glazer is a native of Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States in 1993 as a college student. She holds California Single Subject Teaching Credentials in Social Studies, English, Health, Foundational Mathematics, and School Administration. In 2014, she was named the Kern County Teacher of the Year. She earned her doctorate of education in learning technologies at Pepperdine University in October 2015. She has presented and keynoted at many state and national conferences on game-based learning and educational technologies. She has also consulted for Center for Innovative Research in Cyberlearning and the Kennedy Center ArtsEdge Program. Her Purposeful Tech column looks at how classroom teachers can think critically about today's instructional technologies.

The International Literacy Association (ILA) celebrated achievements in literacy research, instruction, and advocacy on Sunday afternoon at the ILA Literacy Leader Awards, part of the ILA 2017 Conference & Exhibits in Orlando, FL.

ILA applauded both new and familiar faces—from 30 under 30 honorees to former presidents. Attendees traveled from as far as Perth, Australia, to accept their awards in person and deliver remarks.  

ILA Associate Executive Director Stephen Sye said he is thrilled to honor this class of literacy leaders, and he looks forward to seeing what they accomplish next.

“ILA is proud to recognize and present the Literacy Leader Awards to so many magnificent educators who are working tirelessly to bring literacy to all,” said Sye. “From our up-and-coming rising star teachers to our veteran educators who have served the organization with grace and passion, we’re confident that we can achieve our mission of advancing literacy worldwide with champions like those we were able to honor today.”

Award highlights include:

• ILA presented the inaugural Corwin Literacy Leader Award, which honors a district or school administrative literacy leader who has worked to increase student literacy achievement within a school or district by advancing professional development, instructional resources support, and the development of literacy programs. The first recipient of the Corwin Literacy Leader Award is David Wilkie, principal at McVey Elementary in Newark, DE. After returning from the ILA 2016 Conference & Exhibits, Wilkie was inspired to rebuild the school's culture of literacy. Wilkie has been working with ILA to implement independent reading time, school-wide author and book studies, interactive read-alouds, and other reading initiatives at McVey Elementary. This year, he returned to conference with a group of 23 teachers and staff members.

• The ILA William S. Gray Citation of Merit Award, recognizing a nationally or internationally known individual for his or her outstanding contributions to the field of reading/literacy, was awarded to John Guthrie, the Jean Mullan Professor of Literacy Emeritus at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Guthrie is the former research director of ILA, a former fellow of the American Education Research Association and the American Psychological Association, a member of the ILA Hall of Fame, and a member of the National Academy of Education. His research focuses on motivations and strategies in reading at all school levels. 
• Marique Daugherty, a 2015 ILA 30 Under 30 honoree, received the Technology and Literacy Award, which is given to a K–12 educator who is making an innovative contribution through the use of education technology. A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Daugherty is currently a language and literacy specialist at Rosedale Hewens Academy Trust in Slough, UK. She holds a master’s degree in literacy studies from the University of the West Indies and has created and led literacy programs and institutes in Jamaica, including The Five Steps Literacy Program, which supports reading, comprehension, fluency, and word recognition.
• Recognizing newly published authors who show extraordinary promise, ILA Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards were presented to Lori Preusch, Aimée Bissonette, Lindsay Eagar, Sandra Evans, Reyna Grande, Jeff Zentner, Karen Fortunati Devlin, and Nicolaia Rips.
• The Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading, presented to a college or university teacher of reading methods or reading-related courses, was awarded to Peggy Semingson, professor of language and literacy studies at The University of Texas at Arlington. Her research interests include digital pedagogies to engage preservice and inservice teachers, socially distributed knowledge sharing that takes place online, and students who have difficulty in literacy learning. She has won two prestigious awards related to distance learning.

• The ILA Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award, honoring an exceptional dissertation completed in the field of reading or literacy, was awarded to  Laura Northrop for Breaking the Cycle: Cumulative Disadvantage in Literacy, completed for the University of Pittsburgh. Chaired by Sean P. Kelly, Northrop’s dissertation was published in Reading Research Quarterly.
• ILA past president Carmelita Williams received the ILA Special Service Award, which is given to an individual who has demonstrated unusual and distinguished service to the International Literacy Association. Williams is the former director of Norfolk State University’s Center of Excellence for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement.

The full list of award winners is available here.

Alina O’Donnell is the editor of Literacy Daily.