Lesa Cline-Ransome

A Newbery Honor BookThree women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement.1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land.But Thomas’ hopes—and mouth—are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger.Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn’t nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn’t no one tell us/how to live/how to die.Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery—but bound by poverty, access to op

“A powerful story.” —The Horn Book“A worthy addition to children’s biography collections.” —Booklist“A solid treatment of an important but little-known figure, and it may prompt kids to think about th

In this stirring and powerfully illustrated story, an enslaved young man uses his ability to read and write to educate others in the pursuit of freedom. Back inside the store I write up receipts for Master's deliveries for Master's orders In 'tweenI write up a receipt for her freedom The young man known as Teach secretly learned to read, write, and use numbers growing up alongside the master's son. And although on this Southern plantation these are skills he can never flaunt, Teach doesn't keep them to himself: In the course of a week, he'll teach little ones the alphabet in the corner stall of a stable and hold a moonlit session where men scratch letters in the dirt. He'll decipher a discarded letter bearing news of Yankee soldiers and forge a pass for a woman hoping to buy precious time on a perilous journey north. And come Sunday, Teach will cross the swamp to a hidden cabin, reading aloud to the congregation God's immortal words to the pharaoh: Let my people go. With a spare, movin

A Newbery Honor BookThree women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement.1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land.But Thomas’ hopes—and mouth—are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger.Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn’t nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn’t no one tell us/how to live/how to die.Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery—but bound by poverty, access to op

A companion novel to Finding Langston, recipient of a Coretta Scott King Writing Honor and winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Behind every bad boy is a story worth hearing and at

Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger comes a chapter book series about women who stood up, spoke up and rose up against the odds!Before Ro

Behind every bad boy is a story worth hearing and at least one chance for redemption. It's 1946 and Lymon, uprooted from his life in the Deep South and moved up North, needs that chance.Lymon's father

A Coretta Scott King Author Honor BookWinner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical FictionWhen eleven-year-old Langston's father moves them from their home in Alabama to Chicago's Bronzeville distr

In a debut historical novel about the Great Migration a boy discovers Chicago's postwar South Side and the poetry of Langston Hughes. When 11-year-old Langston's mother dies in 1946, he and his father

Come meet the good, the bad, and the ugly—yes, germs!There’s so much to discover about germs. Did you know that germs make your stomach growl as they break down your food? Or that they can travel the

HOW DID A POOR BOY named Edson—who kicked rocks down roads and dribbled balls made from rags—go on to become Pele, the greatest soccer player of all time? While other kids memorized letters, Edson mem

HOW DID A POOR BOY named Edson—who kicked rocks down roads and dribbled balls made from rags—go on to become Pele, the greatest soccer player of all time? While other kids memorized letters, Edson mem

Marshall Taylor could ride his bike forward, backward, even perched on the handlebars. When his stunts landed him a job at the famous Indiana bike shop Hay and Willits, folks were amazed that a thirte

From apples to cows, kettles to scarecrows, warm country images abound in a delightful alphabet poem which is accompanied by striking folk-art illustrations by the Coretta Scott King Award-winning ill

From apples to cows, kettles to scarecrows, warm country images abound in a delightful alphabet poem which is accompanied by striking folk-art illustrations by the Coretta Scott King Award-winning ill

A lush and lyrical biography of Harriet Tubman, written in verse and illustrated by an award-winning artist.We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As Ge

When Lizzie's parents are granted their freedom from slavery, Mama says its time for Lizzie and her brother Paul to go to a real school--a new one, built just for them. Lizzie can't wait. The scraps o

“A detail-rich picture book.” —Kirkus Reviews“Straightforward and inviting.” —School Library JournalFrom award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome and acclaimed illustrator Raúl Colón comes the sensitiv

Husband-and-wife duo James E. Ransome and Lesa Cline-Ransome collaborate to tell the inspiring story of sisters, champion athletes, and tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams.Venus and Serena Wil

An award-winning team relates the story of jazz innovator Louis Armstong's rise from street waif to international superstar in a lusciously illustrated picture book.

A young girl helps her father, the captain of a whale boat, on a whale-watching trip and relates how her ancestors hunted whales in the same waters. Includes information on the history of whaling, wha