Welcome to Litsy!

Something to know about me: I‘m terrible at picking favorites! Either a million things spring to mind, or none do. Children‘s books apparently fall into the first category. #WinterReadathonDailyChallenge @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

Published: 2014
This books comes from the perspective of a little girl when the news of freedom finally came to slaves in the south. This is such an impactful book and one I want to use in my own classroom.
Awards: Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, ILA Teachers' Choice Reading List, SLJ Best Books of the Year, Junior Library Guild Selections

This story centers around a character's experience of emancipation & is accessible for early elementary-aged children. It's powerful in that the author & illustrator capture a variety of reactions to learning about emancipation. They've included plenty of factual data in the backmatter, including the illustrator's note from which I pulled this quote. #Juneteenth #PictureBook

5⭐️! This actually made me cry! It‘s illustrated children‘s historical fiction about the first Juneteenth. The illustrations are amazing! The art was a major undertaking based on a huge scale volunteer reenactment project so the artist could take photos to base her period paintings off of. The author and illustrator both discuss wanting to do this project justice, and I think they did. The power they felt working on it really shines through.

This simple story really puts you in the moment. Both the illustrations and the poetic text appeal to your senses by detailing small, personal sights, sounds, and smells.
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Note about historical context: The author expects readers to have previous knowlege of American slavery or the meaning behind #Juneteenth. If this doesn't apply to you, I suggest first reading the notes at the back of the book. They're informative AND moving. #dw2020reads

Juneteenth!