Geo Librarian

  GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SPECTACULAR SPECTACLES: The Glasses That Saved America written by Selene Castrovilla, illustrated by Jenn Harney Calkins Creek, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-6626-8043-4 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Did you know that George Washington had a secret? He wore glasses! While initially embarrassed by his reliance on this reading aid, Washington’s spectacles proved themselves to be nothing short of spectacular in this charming, funny–and little-known–story from American history. The Revolutionary War was over, but Washington’s officers had not received their wages from the Continental Congress in years. Afraid they would never get their money, the officers planned to storm Congress and demand it right away. Luckily, George Washington found out about the plot just in time. He delivered a passionate speech to his men, but they were unaffected. It was on...

KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Jeffery Boston Weatherford Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-6659-1362-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 12 and up Middle grade memoir All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, illustrations, & audio provided by the author. ABOUT THE BOOK A powerful portrait of a Black family tree shaped by enslavement and freedom, rendered in searing poems by acclaimed author Carole Boston Weatherford and stunning art by her son Jeffery Boston Weatherford. I call their names: Abram Alice Amey Arianna Antiqua I call their names: Isaac Jake James Jenny Jim Every last one, property of the Lloyds, the state’s preeminent enslavers. Every last one, with a mind of their own and a story that ain’t yet been told. Till now. Carole and Jeffery Boston Weatherford’s ancestors are among the founders of Maryland. Their family history there extends more than three hundred years, but as with the genealogical sea...

  MEN OF THE 65TH: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War by Talia Aikens-Nunez Zest Books, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-7284-4962-3 Source: author for review Ages 12 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary & cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014. But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army? In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and ...

LOVE IS LOUD How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement written by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Bryan Collier Paula Wiseman book/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 9781534451032 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover and interior illustration provided by the publisher. REVIEW As a picture book biography, Love is Loud focuses on the lifelong work of Diane Nash as an activist. Raised to believe in herself and her value, Diane Nash learned to stand up against the rampant racism and segregation around her.  Interestingly, the author writes as if the reader is Diane, putting the reader front and center into the experiences and feelings that drove Diane to spend her life working for change. From the visit to an amusement park and seeing separate but not equal bathrooms to her involvement in the lunch counter sit-ins, the book highlights some of the key events in Diane's life, the key moments th...

WE ARE NOT YET EQUAL Understanding Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson with Tonya Bolden Bloomsbury, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-5476-0076-2 Source: publisher for review for CYBILS Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Carol Anderson's White Rage took the world by storm, landing on the New York Times bestseller list and best book of the year lists from New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and Chicago Review of Books. It launched her as an in-demand commentator on contemporary race issues for national print and television media and garnered her an invitation to speak to the Democratic Congressional Caucus. This compelling young adult adaptation brings her ideas to a new audience. When America achieves milestones of progress toward full and equal black participation in democracy, the systemic response is a consistent racist backlash that rolls back those wins. We Are Not Yet Equal examines five of these moments: The end ...

SIEGE How General Washington Kicked the British Out of Boston and Launched a Revolution by Roxane Orgill Candlewick Press, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8851-6 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 9-12 Middle grade nonfiction/free verse All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Step back to British-held Boston and hear the voices of citizens, militiamen, and redcoats at a turning of the tide in the American Revolution, brought to life in Roxane Orgill's deft verse. It is the summer of 1775. The British occupy Boston and its busy harbor, holding residents captive and keeping a strong military foothold. The threat of smallpox looms, and the town is cut off, even from food supplies. Following the battles of Lexington and Concord, Congress unanimously elects George Washington commander in chief of the American armed forces, and he is sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to transform the ragtag collection of volunteer militiamen into America's first...

SHACKLES FROM THE DEEP Tracing the Path of a Sunken Slave Ship, a Bitter Past, and a Rich Legacy by Michael H. Cottman National Geographic, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-4263-2663-9 YA Nonfiction Ages 12-18 Source: M edia Masters Publicity All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A pile of lime-encrusted shackles discovered on the seafloor in the remains of a ship called the Henrietta Marie, lands Michael Cottman, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and avid scuba diver, in the middle of an amazing journey that stretches across three continents, from foundries and tombs in England, to slave ports on the shores of West Africa, to present-day Caribbean plantations. This is more than just the story of one ship it's the untold story of millions of people taken as captives to the New World. Told from the author's perspective, this book introduces young readers to the wonders of diving, detective work, and discovery, while shedding light on the history of sla...

THE BORDEN MURDERS: Lizzie Borden & the Trial of the Century by Sarah Miller schwartz & wade books, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-553-49808-0 Source: purchased YA Nonfiction Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. In linear narrative, Miller takes readers along as she investigates a brutal crime: the August 4, 1892, murders of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden. The accused? Mild-mannered and highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby. Most of what is known about Lizzie’s arrest and subsequent trial (and acquittal) comes from sensationalized newspaper reports; as Miller sorts fact from fiction, and as a legal battle gets under way, a portrait of a woman and a town emerges. With inserts featuring period photos and newspaper clippings. REVIEW I knew very little about Li...

ALL DIFFERENT NOW Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-689-87376-8 Picture Book Grades 1 and up Source: school library All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Experience the joy of Juneteenth in this celebration of freedom from the award-winning team of Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis. Through the eyes of one little girl,  All Different Now  tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South. Since then, the observance of June 19 as African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. This stunning picture book includes notes from the author and illustrator, a timeline of important dates, and a glossary of relevant terms. Told in Angela Johnson's signature melodic style and brought to life by E.B. Lewis's striking paintings,  All Different Now...

I SURVIVED: The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 by Lauren Tarshis Scholastic, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-545-45936-5 Historical Fiction Grades 2-5 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK The bloodiest battle in American history is under way . . . It's 1863, and Thomas and his little sister, Birdie, have fled the farm where they were born and raised as slaves. Following the North Star, looking for freedom, they soon cross paths with a Union soldier. Everything changes: Corporal Henry Green brings Thomas and Birdie back to his regiment, and suddenly it feels like they've found a new home. Best of all, they don't have to find their way north alone-they're marching with the army. But then orders come through: The men are called to battle in Pennsylvania. Thomas has made it so far . . . but does he have what it takes to survive Gettysburg? REVIEW Something as complicated as war can be very difficult to write about, especially for a young audience.  Tars...

THE REMARKABLE RONALD REAGAN Cowboy and Commander in Chief by Susan Allen, iillustrated by Leslie Harrington Regnery Kids, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-62157-038-7 Picture Book Biography Grades 3-5 Review copy provided by publisher for blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Ronald Reagan was a natural leader, well-remembered not just for his political leadership, but also for his warmth, kindness, dignity, and optimism. There’s a lot kids can learn from Reagan, about our country and about being good leaders and good people.  The Remarkable Ronald Reagan: Cowboy and Commander in Chief  is a fun, colorful look at his life, from his humble beginnings as the son of a shoe salesman, to his years as a Hollywood actor, his service in WWII, his life as a rancher, and finally the culmination of his political career in the Oval Office. There’s plenty that even adults can learn as they read along with their kids, including Reagan’s efforts to...