Tag Archives: American History

Review: Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler, Sonia Paoloni, and Thibault Balahy

Biography, Book Review and Content, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler, Sonia Paoloni, and Thibault Balahy

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band
Christian Staebler and Sonia Paoloni
Illustrated by Thibault Balahy
IDW
Published October 28, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About book

Experience the riveting, powerful story of the Native American civil rights movement and the resulting struggle for identity told through the high-flying career of West Coast rock ‘n’ roll pioneers Redbone.

You’ve heard the hit song “Come and Get Your Love” in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, but the story of the band behind it is one of cultural, political, and social importance.

Brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas were talented Native American rock musicians that took the 1960s Sunset Strip by storm. They influenced The Doors and jammed with Jimmy Hendrix before he was “Jimi,” and the idea of a band made up of all Native Americans soon followed. Determined to control their creative vision and maintain their cultural identity, they eventually signed a deal with Epic Records in 1969. But as the American Indian Movement gained momentum the band took a stand, choosing pride in their ancestry over continued commercial reward.

Created in cooperation of the Vegas family, authors Christian Staebler and Sonia Paoloni with artist Thibault Balahy take painstaking steps to ensure the historical accuracy of this important and often overlooked story of America’s past. Part biography and part research journalism, Redbone tells a vivid story about this neglected chapter of American history.

My Review

Reading this book was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I’m so glad I did. The title and subtitle caught my eye. I hadn’t heard of Redbone, and the history surrounding this Native American rock band intrigued me.

The foreward gives some context, and I knew reading it that I would enjoy the book. The author’s enthusiasm for the band is infectious.

The book begins with a present-day scene that leads to an interview with Redbone band member Pat Vegas. From there, the narrative flashes back, showing scenes from the 1960s and 1970s. The scenes depict events in the lives of the band members.

To be honest, I have a LOT of catching up to do about Native American history in the US. This book helped identify some of the holes that still remain in my understanding. The text mentions Indian Boarding Schools (one band member grew up in one of these) which were in effect in some places until the 1970s. We think of these things as having happened so long ago, and that’s… really not so long ago.

I was also unfamiliar with the protest at Wounded Knee and its connection to Standing Rock. The book briefly explains the connection and the band’s decision to support the protest. I loved learning about Redbone’s history and especially the ways they stood up for Indigenous people.

This is a really fun book to read and a pretty quick one as well. There are a few pages with a lot of dialogue in one panel that were a little bit confusing at first. Overall, this is really well done. I think music fans and readers interested in learning more about Indigenous history will find lots to love in this book.

“We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee”

The book talks about a song that the band wrote in support of the protest at Wounded Knee. Here is a link to a video of the song called “We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee.”

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief, vague reference that someone had sex. Nothing on scene.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Reference to Indian Boarding Schools and the harm they caused. Reference to the battle at Wounded Knee. (Battle not shown.) References to racism against BIPOC, particularly Indigenous people.

Drug Content
Adult characters visit a bar and perform at nightclubs.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History by Ann Bausum

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History
Ann Bausum
Roaring Brook Press
Published August 12, 2025

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About White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History

This powerful and unflinching examination of racism in America by award-winning historian Ann Bausum deconstructs the warped history of the Civil War for teen readers, perfect for fans of STAMPED, JUST MERCY, and ACCOUNTABLE.

Warning: This is not your average U.S. history book.

After the Civil War, the Confederates may have laid down their arms, but they were far from accepting defeat. By warping the narrative around what really happened during and after the Civil War, they created an alternate history now known as the Lost Cause. These lies still manifest today through criticism of Critical Race Theory, book banning, unequal funding for education, and more.

This book sets the record straight and explains the true history of the Civil War, and its complex and far-reaching aftermath. Written by historian and award-winning author Ann Bausum, White Lies is an impeccably researched chronicle filled with photos, robust back matter, additional resources, and more that fans of Howard Zinn’s A Young People’s History of the United States will enjoy.

My Review

I grew up (and still live) in Florida. I was educated in the public school system, and have vivid memories of history lessons that romanticized the Confederacy. The Confederate battle flag still flies in places in my hometown. I see it less often today than I did in earlier decades, though. If I stand outside and throw a rock, I’ll very likely hit someone who believes the Civil War was about states rights.

All that to say that I went into this book already a believer in Bausum’s premise. I figured I’d probably be familiar with a lot of the propaganda in the book and probably not surprised by much. While I’d heard some of the information before, there were still some shocking revelations.

I really appreciate that Bausam covers the shifting perceptions about the American Civil War from wartime to 2023. Following the thread of history helped me connect the dots between historical events in ways that I was unsuccessful at before. For example, the text covers the shift in how Confederate graves are maintained/honored at Arlington National Cemetery, especially under the direction of U.S. presidents.

The book also highlights various Confederate statues and monuments. Brief acts about the monument’s creation, its location, and current status appear on a page with an image showing the statue or monument. Learning about those was interesting, too.

This is a long book. I wish there were more photographs or other formatting to visually break up the text. However, Bausum’s arguments are carefully constructed. There’s no rushing to any conclusions here. The backmatter is pretty extensive and includes a long list of sources, research notes, an author’s note, a timeline, and an index.

Conclusion

Overall, this is an incredibly helpful resource. I realized after I finished reading this that another of Bausum’s books (The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare from Oblivion) is already on my reading list. I’ve added a few of her other titles about the Civil Rights movement to my reading list as well.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to marriage.

Spiritual Content
References to Chapel construction. Vague references to God in letters and quotes from historical figures.

Violent Content
References to warfare, human enslavement and trafficking. Brief descriptions of abuse of enslaved people. A few brief descriptions of murder. References to racism and hate crimes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Malcolm Lives! by Ibram X. Kendi

Biography, Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers
Ibram X. Kendi
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published May 13, 2025

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About Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers

In collaboration with the Malcolm X Estate, this powerful biography for young readers is a modern classic in the making, written by #1 New York Times-bestselling, National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi.

Published 100 years after his birth, Malcolm Lives! is a ground-breaking narrative biography of one of the most influential Americans of all time.

Dr. Kendi expertly crafts a propulsive telling of Malcolm X’s life—from birth to death. He provides context for both Malcolm’s choices—and those around him—not just painting an intimate picture of a famous figure, but of the social and political landscape of America during the civil rights movement. Ultimately, Malcolm’s true legacy is a journey toward anti-racism. Just like history, Malcolm lives.

With short, evocative chapters, exclusive archival documents, photographs from the Malcolm X Collection at the NYPL Schomburg Center, and extensive backmatter, this is a thoughtful and accessible, must-read for all Americans.

My Review

I feel like my history textbooks never gave the appropriate amount of space to Malcolm X, his life, and his work. I suspect that some of that has to do with the fact that his message was a lot more challenging, especially for white Americans. At times, he was very clear that he had nothing to say to white America. For much of his life, he saw his mission, his calling as being to Black America.

This book doesn’t only relate Malcolm X’s life story from beginning to end. It also offers some context for the choices he made. At certain points, Dr. Kendi asks readers directly to consider the facts of history. He asks reader to think beyond what happened in one moment of Malcolm X’s life, but to look at the pattern of history before his life and since.

Some of the story follows Malcolm X’s life as a member of the Nation of Islam. I think the book explains the goals of the organization and their values really well. It also discusses where the leaders fell short of the values they preached. Dr. Kendi offers some thoughtful critique and, again, some historical context that will help readers place these events in the larger arc of history. He also emphasizes some of the reasons it’s important to know this history.

Conclusion

Earlier this year, I read a biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Jonathan Eig. It’s interesting thinking about the lives of these two men, who lived through many of the same moments in history. They had very different experiences and different ideas about what the best path forward for Black Americans would be. I think reading both books or at least learning about both leaders is something that we should all be doing. Malcolm Lives! does a great job educating readers about Malcolm X’s life and his work in America.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to marriage and dating relationships.

Spiritual Content
The book explains the establishment and history of the Nation of Islam and its teachings. Some brief explanations delve into the difference between the teaching of the Nation of Islam and the Islamic faith.

Violent Content
References to racist violence, lynching deaths, destruction of property, attempted murder, murder, and police brutality. Some reference to self-defense. These things are not described in any detail and are mentioned in the context of history. For example, the narrative discusses how someone set fire to Malcolm X’s house when he was a young child, and how it happened again while he was an adult, and that triggered those childhood memories. The author also draws a parallel between the police response to both crimes.

Drug Content
References to smoking cigarettes and using drugs. Nothing shown graphically. This also shows how seriously Malcolm X took his faith, because he stopped smoking or using drugs when he joined the Nation of Islam and later converted to Islam.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Hidden Figures: Young Readers Edition by Margot Lee Shetterly

Biography, Blogger's Favorites, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation Into Space (Young Readers Edition)
Margot Lee Shetterly
HarperCollins
Published November 29, 2016

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About Hidden Figures: Young Readers Edition

The uplifting, amazing true story—a New York Times bestseller

This edition of Margot Lee Shetterly’s acclaimed book is perfect for young readers. It is the powerful story of four African-American female mathematicians at NASA who helped achieve some of the greatest moments in our space program. Now a major motion picture starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, and Kevin Costner.

Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

This book brings to life the stories of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, who lived through the Civil Rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the movement for gender equality, and whose work forever changed the face of NASA and the country.

My Review

This book has been on my reading list for a long time. Since we’re facing more explicit attempts to erase the achievements of women and BIPOC, I wanted to take the chance to read and talk about this book.

One amazing thing about the book is that the author, Margot Lee Shetterly, grew up in Hampton, Virginia. So she grew up where these women worked and lived. She knew many of them. I imagine it must have been really cool to compile the information and create this book telling the stories of people she knew herself.

In addition to doing a great job laying out the development of the space program alongside other historical events, such as the Civil Rights Movement, Hidden Figures (Young Readers Edition) also has some great resources in the back. A timeline shows how the space program developed with other major events listed. This reinforces the narrative’s work, anchoring these women’s lives in the larger story of American history. A glossary defines words younger readers may be less familiar with. A chapter-by-chapter list of sources makes it easy for readers wanting more information on a particular event to find it. The backmatter also includes a section listing books for further reading.

The biographies of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden are the focus of the book. Shetterly shares information about their education, family life, careers, and their roles in the space program.

I wish I’d read the book before watching the movie so that this was my first interaction with the information. I’m still really glad I read the book. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the space program, Black history, women’s history, or careers in mathematics.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief reference to marriage and family.

Spiritual Content
I think there was brief reference to attending church.

Violent Content
References to the Civil Rights Movement and sit-ins. Brief reference to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby

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The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, a Legacy of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History (Adapted for Young Adults)
Karen Valby
Delacorte Press
Published January 14, 2025

Penguin/Random House | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults)

A full accounting of five incredibly talented Black ballerinas from The Dance Theater of Harlem, founding members among them, that illuminates their hard-fought, historic, and overlooked contributions to the world of classical dance at a time when racism shut out Black dancers from major dance companies.

It was true until only recently, their past achievements had been erased—that’s what happened to five Black ballerinas, members of the groundbreaking Dance Theater of Harlem. At the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, Lydia Abarca, who dance critics praised effusively, was the first Black prima ballerina of this major dance company, performing lead roles in the most iconic ballets. She was also the first Black ballerina to grace the cover of Dance magazine.

Alongside fellow founding members Sheila Rohan and Gayle McKinney-Griffith, and first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells, these swans of Harlem shone a bright light on the depth of Black professional classical dancers. Their grit, determination, and exquisite artistry propelled them to dizzying heights, but over the decades, their trailblazing and triumphs were largely forgotten.

Now these ballerinas and longtime friends are giving voice to their stories on and off stage—reclaiming a past so that it is finally recorded and acknowledged.

My Review

I couldn’t put this incredible book down. As a former dancer myself, I love reading about dance history. This book is packed with personal stories and experiences centering on five Black ballerinas who had ground-breaking careers beginning in the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

One of the things the book does so beautifully is to hold many things concurrently. For example, it acknowledges the five dancers’ love and appreciation for Misty Copeland and her career but also respects their frustration at the way their own achievements have been erased.

The book celebrates the incredible achievements of the Dance Theatre of Harlem but doesn’t shy away from the flaws or harm that existed in the company, whether through colorism or harsh criticism from its director.

Really, the story continually centers the stories of these five incredible women. It follows the paths of each one’s career to their reconnection during the COVID-10 pandemic and their reflections on the past from that vantage point.

When I received my review copy of this book, I grabbed my copy of Misty Copeland’s Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy. I’d read it back in 2023 wanted to see if it included any of the women featured in this book. It doesn’t, and in fact, Copeland didn’t even know about these dancers until after writing her book. In a chapter near the end, the five ballerinas join her on stage and share their history with her. I wasn’t expecting to have their absence in Copeland’s book explained. I love that it was something the author included, though.

Conclusion

Dance fans and fans of the arts will especially want to check out this book. The writing is compelling and makes you feel like you get to know each dancer personally. The story is perfectly timed to add to our conversations about the erasure of Black achievements in history and the importance of continuing to tell these stories.

Don’t miss the giveaway at the end of the post!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
References to verbal abuse. References to colorism and fat-phobic comments.

Romance/Sexual Content
Very brief references to marriage and divorce.

Spiritual Content
One dancer eventually converts to Islam. Another uses yoga and Buddhist practices to manage stress.

Violent Content
See above references to verbal abuse. Brief reference to a marriage ended by domestic violence.

Drug Content
Reference to a partner’s cocaine addiction and two dancers’ struggles with alcoholism.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Swans of Harlem Tour Schedule

Visit the other stops and get more information about the book.

February 24th — The Candid Cover

February 25th — The Story Sanctuary (you are here)

February 26th — Lit Lemon Books

February 26th — Tea Time Lit

February 27th — Twirling Book Princess

February 28th — Bloggin’ ’bout Books

Giveaway for The Swans of Harlem

Enter to win a copy of the book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Steve Sheinkin
Roaring Brook Press
Published January 21, 2014

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights

An astonishing World War II military story of civil rights from New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin.

A National Book Award Finalist
A YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution.

The Port Chicago 50 is a fascinating story of the prejudice and injustice that faced black men and women in America’s armed forces during World War II, and a nuanced look at those who gave their lives in service of a country where they lacked the most basic rights.

This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum, including history and social studies.

“Sheinkin delivers another meticulously researched WWII story, one he discovered while working on his Newbery Honor book, Bomb…Archival photos appear throughout, and an extensive bibliography, source notes, and index conclude this gripping, even horrific account of a battle for civil rights predating Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

My Review

This is a moment in history that I didn’t have knowledge of. If we learned about it in school, it must have been a very brief mention. So the information about the explosion at Port Chicago was new to me. It’s well-explained, with some set-up information and context. Sheinkin’s goal was to tell the story from the perspective of the men involved, and he succeeds.

What’s also excellent about The Port Chicago 50 is how Sheinkin orients readers using other familiar historical events. This disaster happened two and a half years after the attack on Pearl Harbor and just over ten years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. It happened almost three years before Jackie Robinson became the first Black major league baseball player. So, readers who are not familiar with this incident but know about other landmark moments in history can insert this information into the timeline of other familiar events pretty quickly.

I thought that was a really smart approach, and it made reading the book feel like it helped me piece together American history in a fresh way.

The author also highlights the fact that in the 1940s, people lived in two different, segregated Americas. Black Americans had trusted news sources that reported events that white newspapers were not covering. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years thinking about the divide between where different Americans get their news. It was eye-opening to realize that this has been true for much longer than I was aware. (Nothing like reading a book to help you confront privilege.)

Conclusion

It’s easy to see why this book was a National Book Award finalist the year it was published. It brings light to a too often overlooked moment in history. The Port Chicago disaster sparked big changes in civil rights. It also left 50 men who served their country wrongly branded as mutineers.

This excellent book about historical events worth remembering is perfectly tailored to its intended audience.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some mild profanity in significant quotes from witnesses and key historical figures. References to the F-word, but it’s bleeped out. The author clarifies that the whole word was used in the trial.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to racism and racist slurs. Sheinkin notes stories of Black servicemen who were attacked and then blamed for their attack.

Some brief descriptions of the explosion at Port Chicago and the resulting injuries. Some men had PTSD symptoms afterward and were victimized by a fellow serviceman who would play startling pranks on them. For example, he would tangle his bedsheet in a box fan to create a loud rattling noise.

When some men refused an order by their commanding officer, some were told they would be shot.

Drug Content
Reference to adults visiting a bar to ask for a beer.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.