Noah Webster & His Words, by Jeri Chase Ferris, illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch -- Day 50

Noah Webster is the “Webster” of Webster’s Dictionary, first published in 1828, but this landmark achievement was only one of his enormous contributions to the life of the early nation. Born on a farm in Connecticut in 1758, he told his father in no uncertain terms he wanted to be a scholar instead of a farmer. He entered Yale College at sixteen and right after graduating began teaching. He soon realized that available schoolbooks were from England. Well, America had become its own country, and Webster wanted American schoolbooks for his students. Why should Americans use British spelling, and why should there be ten different ways to spell the same word? It was a fact that some words had as many as ten spellings at that time. Soon, in 1783, his “blue-backed speller,” a truly American schoolbook, was published and soon on the desks of many. He published a grammar book too, and traveled widely to share his ideas about a common language – and, by the way, a common government, a united country instead of isolated states. A big idea blossomed in his mind: a dictionary that was 100% American! “And, Noah decided, he needed to show where every word in English came from. So he studied twenty different languages, from Arabic to Italian to Welsh.” He began his dictionary in 1807, reading and reading. His work took him to libraries in Paris, London and Cambridge for two years; when he returned in 1826 he still had to re-read his two thousand pages for mistakes. In 1828, when he was seventy, the Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language was published, for his “fellow citizens… for their happiness and learning…” In Noah Webster & His Words, author Jeri Chase Ferris and illustrator Vincent X. Kirsch together created a lively pictorial biography, with word definitions cleverly tucked into sentences for good measure. A fact not included in the book is that dictionaries, including Webster’s, are living documents, changing and adding words as usage by the public warrants. Today’s dictionaries include many words that the first Webster’s didn’t, and Noah would say that is as it should be! Ages 5-10.

Through Georgia's Eyes, by Rachel Rodríguez, illustrated by Julie Paschkis -- Day 49

American artist Georgia O’Keeffe was an observer of the landscape around her all her life – from her growing-up days in Wisconsin, through her art school years and time in Chicago and New York City, to her beloved home in New Mexico. By age twelve she had declared she was going to be an artist – make a life with her art – a bold statement for a woman in the early 1900s. As author Rachel Rodríguez writes in Through Georgia’s Eyes, “Georgia expresses feelings in her own way. Words work. But for her, the color blue says it better.” Color, shape, subtle forms, evocative images…giant flowers and concrete city canyons, red hills and adobe walls. This picture book biography of a daring, creative person who knew what she wanted to do and determinedly made it happen is told in simple, lyrical prose that draws readers squarely into O’Keeffe’s vision of “the wideness and wonder of the world.” Illustrator Julie Paschkis’s cut-paper collages convey the grandeur and the intimacy of O’Keeffe’s unique style, perfectly complementing the story. An endnote provides readers with additional details of this exceptional artist’s life. Ages 5-8.

Another wonderful picture book biography of Georgia O’Keeffe is author and artist Jeanette Winter’s My Name is Georgia. Young readers might read both and compare them, an artistic exercise in itself, particularly when viewed alongside actual reproductions of the artist’s work. 

Wilma Rudolph: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman, by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by David Diaz -- Day 48

Wilma Rudolph was not a strong little girl. She was often sick, and before she turned five she contracted polio, a dreaded disease in the United States in the 1940s. Partially paralyzed, Wilma was told she would not walk on her own again, but that did not stop her. Her large and loving family encouraged her; she diligently practiced the exercises her doctor recommended, eventually enabling her to use a brace and to attend school. Still, walking with a brace kept her from many school activities. When she was finally able to walk without it, she felt her life was starting over. She excelled at basketball, and a coach helped her win a full scholarship to college. At the age of twenty, eight years after discarding her brace, Wilma traveled to Rome as part of the U.S. Olympic team. Despite an ankle injury and public pressure (with the Olympics televised for the first time), Wilma won the 100-yard dash, then the 200-yard dash and the 400-yard team relay, earning her three gold medals and the distinction of being the first woman to win three in a single Olympics. Wilma Rudolph: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman is an inspiring biographical picture book. Kathleen Krull’s straightforward, flowing narrative and David Diaz’s stunning, strong images beautifully capture the story’s drama. Readers will burst with pride along with Wilma as she hears “The Star-Spangled Banner” marking her Olympic victories. Ages 6-11.

Child of the Civil Rights Movement, by Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Raul Colón -- Day 47

Author Paula Young Shelton was just four at the time of the Selma-to-Montgomery march for civil rights in 1965, but she was at the very heart of events. Her recollections of that time are the foundation of Child of the Civil Rights Movement, a wonderful picture book memoir of the efforts that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The grim reality of Jim Crow laws in the South drew her activist parents, Andrew and Jean Childs Young, from New York City to Atlanta. Their family experienced firsthand the “No blacks allowed here” environment; their home became an important gathering place for Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Dorothy Cotton and other leaders in the growing movement – the “family of the American civil rights movement” she knew so well. Shelton describes discussions around the dinner table as a symphony of strong feelings and calm reason, with all participants determined to launch a peaceful march that would make a difference. The Youngs marched from Selma as a family – children Andrea and Lisa and little Paula included. Several months later they watched on TV as President Johnson, with Uncle Martin looking on, signed the Voting Rights Act into law, a jubilant occasion. Illustrator Raul Colón’s rich illustrations capture beautifully the sobering substance of this historic moment and the strong and spirited light within its participants. Ages 5 up.

For older readers, Russell Freedman's Because They Marched: The People's Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America is a riveting documentary look at the powerful struggle for civil rights that look place in Alabama in the 1960s. It chronicles the barriers that faced African Americans who wished to vote, the numerous protests that took place, Bloody Sunday when 600 marchers were attacked by state troopers, the 54-mile Alabama Freedom March and rally later in in the month attended by 25,000 people, and other aspects of this momentous time. Ages 12 up.