Tonya Bolden

Savannah Riddle feels suffocated by her life as the daughter of an upper class African American family in Washington, D.C., until she meets a working-class girl named Nella who introduces her to the suffragette and socialist movements and to her politically active cousin Lloyd.

Saving Savannah

Carol Anderson

This young adult adaptation of the New York Times bestselling White Rage is essential antiracist reading for teens. An NAACP Image Award finalist A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A NYPL Best Book for Teens History texts often teach that the United States has made a straight line of progress toward Black equality. The reality is more complex: milestones like the end of slavery, school integration, and equal voting rights have all been met with racist legal and political maneuverings meant to limit that progress. We Are Not Yet Equal examines five of these moments: The end of the Civil War and Reconstruction was greeted with Jim Crow laws; the promise of new opportunities in the North during the Great Migration was limited when blacks were physically blocked from moving away from the South; the Supreme Court's landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision was met with the shutting down of public schools throughout the South; the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 led to laws that disenfranchised millions of African American voters and a War on Drugs that disproportionally targeted blacks; and the election of President Obama led to an outburst of violence including the death of Black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri as well as the election of Donald Trump. Including photographs and archival imagery and extra context, backmatter, and resources specifically for teens, this book provides essential history to help work for an equal future.

Understanding Our Racial Divide

We Are Not Yet Equal

The award-winning author of "Crossing Ebenezer Creek" pens a poetic novel about a young black woman's self-discovery in post-Reconstruction-Era Savannah.

Inventing Victoria

Award-winning author Tonya Bolden sheds light on an unknown moment of the Civil War to readers in a searing, poetic novel about the dream of freedom.

Crossing Ebenezer Creek

Raised in Charleston, West Virginia, at the turn of the twentieth century by her grandfather and aunt on off-putting tales of family members she has never met, twelve-year-old Delana is shocked when, after Aunt Tilley dies, she learns the truth about herparents and some of her other relatives.

Finding Family

From the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of White Rage, a young readers' edition of a startling--and timely--history of voter suppression in America

How Not All Voters Are Treated Equally

One Person, No Vote (YA Edition)

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) is best known for the telling of his own emancipation. But there is much more to Douglass's story than his time spent enslaved and his famous autobiography. Facing Frederick captures the whole complicated, and at times perplexing, person that he was. Statesman, suffragist, writer, and newspaperman, this book focuses on Douglass the man rather than the historical icon.

The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man

Facing Frederick

the trump of jubilee

The Emancipation Proclamation

The Journey of a King

M.L.K.

Published on the anniversary of when President Abraham Lincoln’s order went into effect, this book offers readers a unique look at the events that led to the Emancipation Proclamation. Filled with little-known facts and fascinating details, it includes excerpts from historical sources, archival images, and new research that debunks myths about the Emancipation Proclamation and its causes. Complete with a timeline, glossary, and bibliography, Emancipation Proclamation is an engrossing new historical resource from award-winning children’s book author Tonya Bolden. Praise for Emancipation Proclamation: FOUR STARRED REVIEWS "A convincing, handsomely produced argument..." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Bolden makes excellent use of primary sources; the pages are filled with archival photos, engravings, letters, posters, maps, newspaper articles, and other period documents. Detailed captions and a glossary interpret them for today’s readers." —School Library Journal, starred review "The language soars, powerfully communicating not just the facts about the Emancipation Proclamation but its meaning for those who cared most passionately." —Booklist, starred review "Bolden tackles these questions in a richly illustrated overview of the lead-up to the Proclamation, organizing and reiterating information already familiar to many middle-schoolers, while introducing material that will probably be eye-opening to students who have taken their textbook’s version of history at face value." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review Award School Library Journal Best Book of 2013 Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbons List 2013 Notable Children's Books from ALSC 2014 2014 Carter G.Woodson Middle Level Book Award

Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty

Emancipation Proclamation

"A biography of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the House of Representatives and the first Black woman to run for president with a major political party"--

The Extraordinary Life of Fighting Shirley Chisholm

Speak Up, Speak Out!

An exploration of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal that discusses the arts, finance, labor, legislation, its influence on the Great Depression, and other related topics.

New Deal America, 1932-1939

FDR's Alphabet Soup

DIV /div Sarah Rector was once famously hailed as “the richest black girl in America.” Set against the backdrop of American history, her tale encompasses the creation of Indian Territory, the making of Oklahoma, and the establishment of black towns and oil-rich boomtowns. Rector acquired her fortune at the age of eleven. This is both her story and that of children just like her: one filled with ups and downs amid bizarre goings-on and crimes perpetrated by greedy and corrupt adults. From a trove of primary documents, including court and census records and interviews with family members, author Tonya Bolden painstakingly pieces together the events of Sarah’s life and the lives of those around her. The book includes a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Praise for Searching for Sarah Rector STARRED REVIEWS "This handsome volume with its many photographs is carefully sourced and has a helpful glossary, illustration credits and index. Bolden admirably tells a complex story while modeling outstanding research strategy, as her insightful author’s note attests." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "This book will be extremely useful to teachers and librarians seeking material to align with Common Core State Standards dealing with the craft of writing of informational text." --School Library Journal, starred review "Bolden’s remarks on tracking down Sarah’s story will appeal to those who enjoy untangling historical mysteries." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The Richest Black Girl in America

Searching for Sarah Rector

A mix of short stories, essays, a comic strip, a speech, an interview, poems, and more which offer insights and advice for girls.

Stories, Songs, Poems, and Smart Talk by 33 Extraordinary Women

33 Things Every Girl Should Know

A celebratory and inspiring look at some of the most important black women in STEM Award-winning author Tonya Bolden explores the black women who have changed the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in America. Including groundbreaking computer scientists, doctors, inventors, physicists, pharmacists, mathematicians, aviators, and many more, this book celebrates more than 50 women who have shattered the glass ceiling, defied racial discrimination, and pioneered in their fields. In these profiles, young readers will find role models, inspirations, and maybe even reasons to be the STEM leaders of tomorrow. These stories help young readers to dream big and stay curious. The book includes endnotes, a bibliography, and an index.

50+ US Black Women in STEM

Changing the Equation

A collection of 150 biographic profiles tracing the epic history of Black men in America from the Jamestown landing to the dawn of the 21st century

The Book of African American Men

Strong Men Keep Coming

An engaging look at life and legacy of Muhammad Ali for readers of all ages Muhammad Ali was one of the world’s best-known figures, and this incredible biography delves into precisely why. From his unlikely beginnings as a skinny, young Cassius Clay learning to box at a local gym to becoming the heavyweight champion of the world at the famous “Rumble in the Jungle,” where even the skies let loose with rain right after his victory, Ali has captivated the world. Tonya Bolden’s careful research and elegant telling, paired with R. Gregory Christie’s incredible paintings, make this a book that will inform and inspire readers of all ages. "Bolden's engaging text has a free-verse structure punctuated with enthusiastic exclamations that is enjoyable to read aloud.... The illustrations are striking." —School Library Journal (Starred review)

The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali

Employs essays, poems, quotations, fictional testimonials, biographical blurbs, photographs, artwork, and even a play to guide readers through U.S. women's history.

From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths to the E. R. A.

33 Things Every Girl Should Know about Women's History

The fascinating biography of one of America’s most influential African American voices from the award–winning author of Speak Up, Speak Out! Teacher. Self-emancipator. Orator. Author. Man. Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) is one of the most important African American figures in US history, best known, perhaps, for his own emancipation. But there is much more to Douglass’s story than his time spent in slavery and his famous autobiography. Delving into his family life and travel abroad, this book captures the whole complicated, and at times perplexing, person that he was. As a statesman, suffragist, writer, newspaperman, and lover of the arts, Douglass the man, rather than the historical icon, is the focus in Facing Frederick. “Most folks know Frederick Douglass as an escaped slave turned abolitionist. Bolden’s insightful, and impeccably researched, biography reveals, instead, a multifaceted man who would travel many paths and constantly redefine himself . . . Bolden’s beautiful, sophisticated narrative demonstrates that throughout all of his responsibilities, Douglass never lost sight of his biggest role—humanitarian.” —Booklist (starred review) “This narrative about a well-known figure feels fresh due to Bolden’s skilled storytelling . . . A spirited biography that fully honors its redoubtable subject.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Bolden successfully demonstrates in this biography how monumental a figure Frederick Douglass is in U.S. history . . . Bolden adroitly demonstrates the wealth of Douglass’s life and accomplishments with this stellar biography. A must for all nonfiction collections.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “An excellent biography.” —School Library Connection

The Life of Frederick Douglass, A Monumental American Man

Over the centuries, untold numbers of black men and women in America have achieved great things against the odds. Pathfinders is a collective biography of sixteen diverse American men and women of African descent who made their mark on American history in the 18th to 20th centuries. People who dared to dream, take risks, and create goals not only for themselves, but for others and the betterment of their society, too. Award-winning author Tonya Bolden offers an insightful look at these figures, from Venture Smith, who bought his freedom; to Sadie Alexander, who contributed to the Civil Rights movement in the United States; to Katherine Johnson, who helped the United States land on the moon. Among the incredible people in this nonfiction masterpiece are James Forten (1766–1842), a powder boy then prisoner of war during the Revolution, who grew up to be the captain of his own ship and one of Philadelphia’s leading abolitionists and wealthiest citizen; Richard Potter (1783-1835), an accomplished magician, ventriloquist, and hypnotist who paved the way for other well-known entertainers like Harry Houdini; Paul Revere Williams (1894–1980), born poor and an orphan by age four, who became known as the “Architect to the Stars” (among them Danny Thomas); Jackie Ormes (1911–1985), who first made her mark as a cartoonist in the 1930s; and Katherine Johnson (1918), a mathematician and physicist whose calculations were key to the successful missions of astronauts Alan Shepard, John Glenn, and Neil Armstrong. Each evocative profile includes an enlightening look at the historical build up and several images ranging from paintings and photographs to primary documents. The book ends with endnotes, a timeline, a bibliography, and an index. Ideal for Black History Month and common core usage, this book will also find wide appeal year-round for curious minds looking to discover fascinating pieces of American History, as well as interesting career possibilities. The book examines the lives of: Venture Smith, prince James Forten, entrepreneur Richard Potter, magician James McCune Smith, physician Mary Bowser, spy Allen Allensworth, town founder Clara Brown, pioneer Sissieretta Jones, concert singer Maggie Lena Walker, bank founder Charlie Wiggins, race car driver Eugene Bullard, combat pilot Oscar Micheaux, filmmaker Jackie Ormes, cartoonist Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, economist and attorney Paul R. Williams, architect Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, mathematician

Tonya Bolden

Books

Your next favorite book is out there