Ida B. the Queen: The extraordinary life and legacy of Ida B. Wells by Michelle Duster, illustrated by Hannah Giorgis.

Did you know that the FBI kept files on activist Ida B.Wells? 

This intriguing biography by the subject’s great granddaughter offers middle and high school readers an introduction to Ida Wells the activist, journalist, publisher, editor, teacher and probation officer.  The first section links Wells to other African-American activists who were also followed by the FBI.

We then learn about her early life,  see a timeline of African American history, and consider  Wells’ legacy and that of other powerful figures and events of her time.   And finally the author discusses contemporary activists including Stacy Adams,  and the Black Lives Matter movement.  

Backmatter contains hyperlinked sources, image credits, and an index.  Highly recommended for proficient readers eager to know more about Black history.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Duster, Michelle and Hannah Giorgis.  Ida B. the Queen: The extraordinary life and legacy of Ida B. Wells. New York: Atria, 2021

Hidden Figures Younger Readers’ Edition by Margot Lee Shetterly

In this younger readers’ edition of her popular adult non-fiction title, researcher and writer Shetterly makes the fruits of her seven-years research available to anyone who has not yet developed the vocabulary and stamina to consume her original text. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race is rendered accessible in this version to anyone able to read and understand English text on a fourth-grade reading level. Wider margins, double-spaced text, and simplified language make the 198-page book a natural pick for students who are able to comprehend non-fiction narrative but not yet ready to tackle the original title intended for sophisticate readers. Many readers will already be familiar with the story of several African-American omen who bravely contributed their talents to NASA and eventually send the US into space for the first time while confronting horrendous racism and sexism at work. Back matter includes an index, a glossary, suggested further reading, and source notes as well as a timeline, lending itself well to instruction on previewing texts as well as providing a wealth of support for less-experienced readers. Highly recommended for book clubs, interdisciplinary reading initiatives, and independent readers reading at upper-elementary levels and beyond. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber 
Shetterly, Margot Lee.  Hidden Figures Young Readers Edition: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.  New York: Harper, 2016. Print.

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick

Many students here at Passages have heard of Malala Yousafzai, but for those who have not, a quick mention of the fact that she was shot at close range and that a bullet entered her head and travelled down under her skin to her shoulder quickly grabs their attention.  Patricia McCormick, with whom readers may be familiar from her works of fiction based on in-depth research and lengthy interviews on the Cambodian genocide, sex slavery, self-harm, and war, has collaborated with the Nobel Peace Prize winning teenager to provide younger readers with access to Malala’s story and the context in which it unfolded: life in Pakistan’s Swat valley before the 2007 earthquake that set the stage for the Taliban to come to power and eventually issue an edict in 2009 that no girls were permitted to go to school.  

Readers may be inspired by Malala’s courageous activism while beginning to develop schema for understanding Sunni Islam and its conflict with Islamic jihadists, life in rural and urban Pakistan, and Pashtun culture.  This edition contains two sections of reproductions of color photographs which help readers visualize the Swat valley, public floggings, Malala’s everyday life, and her travels as an activist and humanitarian. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Yousafzai, Malala with Patricia McCormick.  I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World.  New York: Hachette, 2016.  Print.

Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story by Peter Bagge

Wife, mother, nurse, birth-control activist, fiery-haired firebrand.  Peter Bagge draws and writes all of these sides of the outspoken Margaret Sanger in this non-fiction graphic novel.  While reading this book, one gets the sense of a life lived so large it can not be contained within the pages.  As the text must leap from milestone to milestone, selections of pivotal points in Sanger’s life can easily be delineated and examined by a class looking to gain historical perspective of the women’s rights movement.  Bagge elaborates further on his text by way of back matter providing historical context, additional information, and revealing editorial decisions.  The comic book style illustrations make Sanger’s story accessible to mature readers.  --Anne Lotito-Schuh

Bagge, Peter. Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story. Montreal: Drawn & Quarterly, 2013. Print.