Juneteenth (On My Own Holidays) - Softcover

Nelson, Drew; Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0822559749 ISBN 13: 9780822559740

Publisher: First Avenue Editions ™, 2006

Synopsis

June 19th, 1865, began as another hot day in Texas. African American slaves worked in fields, in barns, and in the homes of the white people who owned them. Then a message arrived. Freedom! Slavery had ended! The Civil War had actually ended in April. It took two months for word to reach Texas. Still the joy of that amazing day has never been forgotten. Every year, people all over the United States come together on June 19th to celebrate the end of slavery. Join in the celebration of Juneteenth, a day to remember and honor freedom for all people.

About this title

About the Author:

Vaunda Micheaux Nelson is the author of The Book Itch, as well as three Coretta Scott King Award-winning books: No Crystal Stair, Bad News for Outlaws, and Almost to Freedom. She is a former youth services librarian in New Mexico. Visit her online vaundanelson.com.

From Booklist:

Gr. 2-4. As the school year lengthens well into June and as Juneteenth celebrations gain footing across much of the country, books on this grassroots holiday, which celebrates the belated arrival of emancipation news to Texas slaves on June 19, 1865, are sure to become increasingly popular. This entry in the On My Own Holidays series offers a solid introduction to the holiday for independent readers or for presenting to small groups. At times the historical overview sacrifices nuance for concision (not every abolitionist, for instance, "believed that blacks and whites were equal"), but the understated narrative draws children in with a dramatization of Galveston slaves receiving the long-delayed news, followed by powerful accounts of the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the incremental emancipation process. Schroder's pastel illustrations can appear muddy, but at their best, leaping, embracing figures convey the resilience and rejoicing of celebrants then and now. Information about Juneteenth traditions--such as red velvet cake and red soda pop as symbols of bloodshed in the battle for freedom--will help young readers plan jubilees of their own. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: First Avenue Editions ™
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0822559749
• ISBN 13: 9780822559740
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Schroder Mark