Fact Friday and Arc Review: Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Image: Candlewick Press

Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon. 400 p. Candlewick Press, September 28, 2021. 9781536214185. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon. Teen readers wishing to learn the history of the Black Panther Party will find an accessible narrative in these 400+ pages. Ms. Magoon provides important historical context, linking the harsh and inhumane treatment of slaves to the Jim Crow laws that severely limited the activities of Black people once slavery was outlawed, through the Civil Rights movement to the formation of the Black Panther Party in 1966 in response to police violence against Black people.

The imagery projected in the media and by law enforcement, including the FBI, was one of militancy and menace, belying the fact that the foundational tenets of the organization were to provide food, education and health care to the community. They armed themselves for protection, not intimidation. Ms. Magoon breaks up the meticulously researched narrative with side stories that highlight various leaders, many of whom were imprisoned or killed. I was riveted.

The book design is pleasing as well, with plenty of white space and black and white, well-captioned photos sized to maximize effect. 75+ pages of back matter includes more information about the key people in the movement, a timeline, a glossary, books and websites for further reading, 32 pages of source notes, an extensive bibliography, image credits, copyright acknowledgements and an index, making this a mentor text for young researchers.

Revolution in Our Time belongs in every school and public library. Adults would do well to read it too. I'm sure that many are not aware of this history. I admit that I was, only because I read Ms. Magoon's debut, The Rock and the River, which planted the seed for this book, and Rita Williams-Garcia's 2010 novel, One Crazy Summer. 

Revolution in Our Time is not due out until September 28, so please put it on your radar. I expect it will make many year-end "Best" lists and there's lots of room on that striking cover for well-deserved awards.

Fact Friday and Audiobook Review: Stamped, Racism, Anti-racism and You: a remix of Stamped from the Beginning by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi.

Image: LBYR

Happy last day of school, TMS Readers! Fact Friday features: Stamped, Racism, Anti-racism and You: a remix of Stamped from the Beginning by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi. Yes, you read that right. Jason Reynolds has forayed into nonfiction territory and adapted Dr. Kendi's National Book Award-winning, Stamped from the Beginning for a young audience. 

On the opening page, or in my case on the opening track, since I listened to Mr. Reynolds read his work, he assures the reader/ listener, "This is NOT a history book." It is, but it certainly does not feel like one in this capable storyteller's hands. Jason Reynolds is a fearless writer, always willing to experiment, as he does so with font changes and dramatic use of white space. He & Dr. Kendi bring the reader back to 1415, when a document was written to justify the enslavement of human beings on religious grounds. He connects the dots through history from the arrival of the first ships bearing enslaved men and women to the New World, through the Civil War, the Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights Movement, the "war on drugs," the school-to-prison pipeline to the #BLM movement of today. He does so with a bit of humor to balance the horror and despicable injustices. He also takes the occasional break to remind the reader to stop and breathe. Because that's exactly what happens. You find yourself holding your breath. This inspiring work will compel you to sit with the material and do some reflection. You might even reread it, as I intend to do soon.

Jason Reynolds' writing here is conversational. I've read each of his novels and heard him speak on multiple occasions so his voice is firmly in my head. I started reading an arc with my eyes, then heard that he was narrating the audio and decided to wait and listen to the real voice. And what a voice. Even my dog was entranced. 

Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism and You belongs in all libraries. I would love to make this a One Book One School read or, at least an all-faculty read. I can't recommend this enough.

Fact Friday: Port Chicago 50: disaster, mutiny and the fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

Image: Roaring Brook Press

Port Chicago 50: disaster, mutiny and the fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin. 200 p. Roaring Brook Press/ Macmillan, January, 2014. 9781596437968. (Own.)

Fact Friday features Port Chicago 50: disaster, mutiny and the fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin. If you think you dislike narrative non-fiction, you have probably not read anything by Steve Sheinkin. He has the research chops and the narrative skills to take the reader back in time in an intense, immersive reading experience. It is not surprising that he won the Edwards Award this past January for his body of work. 

In Port Chicago, he relates the story of a little-known military disaster from World War II. Port Chicago was a naval base in the San Francisco bay where mostly Black soldiers loaded bombs onto the vessels under dangerous conditions. On July 17, 1944, a huge explosion killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds more. The men were ordered to report back to duty the following day. Two hundred men refused, citing the dangerous conditions. They were charged with treason and threatened with the firing squad. Sheinkin delves into the racism that kept troops segregated and allocated the most dangerous jobs to soldiers of color. 

Fact Friday: Forgotten Bones: uncovering a Slave Cemetery by Lois Miner Huey

Forgotten Bones: uncovering a slave cemetery by Lois Miner Huey. 56 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, October, 2015. 9781467733939. 

A backhoe operator digging up a street outside of Albany in 2005 happened to spot a skull roll down the pile of dirt he was making. Work on the sewer line had to stop while the police were called. They needed to determine whether or not the area was a crime scene. The police summoned the medical examiner, who eventually determined that the skull was several hundred years old. The utility workers could not resume however, since archaeologists were now interested in finding out whether this was the site of a burial ground. Remains were found in the area at another time of a single grave. What if this was an unmapped burial ground? The land was near to the site of a farm owned by the Schuyler family. They owned slaves. Could this be their slaves' burial ground? Now, archaeologists wanted to set up a dig to discover a new slave burial ground. The utility work would have to wait.

I found this book fascinating. The narrative was well-organized and filled with lots of detail about the meticulous work of the archaeologists both in the field and in the lab. Two chapters were devoted to explaining slavery in the north.  Backmatter includes an author's note, two-page glossary, source notes, a selected bibliography, books and websites and places to visit. 

I loved the design as well. How can one resist that cover?  Compelling photos abound inside from color photos of the dig through black and white historical photos and maps. The layout is pleasing with the background alternating between creamy tan and graph paper and sometimes both. Readers learn the importance of graph paper and meticulous notes to an archaeologist, so it's a fitting design detail. 

I have no idea how I missed reading this but am glad I finally did. A great addition to any library collection.