The Real History of Juneteenth by Elliott Smith
Series: Left Out of History (Read Woke ™ Books)
Published by Lerner Publications on January 1, 2023
ISBN: 172847583X
Pages: 32
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
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In partnership with Cicely Lewis, the Read Woke Librarian, Lerner is publishing a “Left Out of History” series. This book, aimed at grade 4-6, offers the history of Juneteenth. Using plenty of archival and contemporary photographs, author Smith provides the background for the holiday, the rise in popularity of celebrating the day, and then brief profiles of the change-makers who advocated for a state-wide holiday (Texas) and finally a national holiday (signed into law by President Biden in 2021). There are also questions for reflection throughout the book that make this a fantastic resource for a classroom teacher. This is a succinct and useful book though the “Read Woke Books” logo on the cover could be a trigger for challenges in the current fraught political climate.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Middle School