From the category archives:
Richard Nixon, U.S. PresidentLives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
Nicknamed “Tricky Dick,” Nixon was the 37th president, the first to visit all 50 states, and the only one to have resigned from office.
Learn more about Nixon at his presidential library and museum.
Elvis Presley, musicianShake, Rattle & Roll: The Founders of Rock & Roll by Holly George-Warren, illustrated by Laura Levine (Houghton Mifflin, 2001)
Rock on! The King lives on. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis moved to Memphis as a teen and began recording after high school. Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog and Love Me Tender were just a few of his hits.
Have you been to Graceland? Learn about tours to Elvis’ home and other Elvis news at Elvis.com.
Sadako by Eleanor Coerr, illustrated by Ed Young (Putnam, 1993)
This is an adaptation of Eleanor Coerr’s classic novel, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. In this story, Sadako Sasaki, a young Japanese girl stricken with “atom bomb disease” holds fast to the legend that if a person who is ill folds a thousand origami paper cranes, the wish to be well again will be granted. Though Sadako fell shy of her goal, her friends and classmates rallied behind her cause and saw that she was buried with one thousand cranes. Three years after her death, a statue of this great peacemaker was erected in Hiroshima Peace Park.
Visit a special exhibit about Sakado and her life posted by the city of Hiroshima.
Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (Charlesbridge, 2005)
Z is for Zora in this tribute to famous women. An African-American writer during the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston was also a folklorist and anthropologist.
A page about Zora Neale Hurston is available at the VG: Voices from the Gaps Women Artists and Writers of Color, An International Website. It offers information about Hurston’s life and times, writings, and criticism.
Alvin AileyAlvin Ailey by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Hyperion, paperback, 1995)
African American dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey’s Texas childhood, his Los Angeles dance experiences, and his founding of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City make for inspiring reading.
Attend an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance or learn more about their programs at Alvin Ailey.org.
