Teaching for Change

How Septima Clark Led the Civil Rights

Movement to Justice

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Quill Tree Books

(Harper Collins)

(pub. 1.27.2026)

40 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Authors: Yvonne Clark-Rhines with

Monica Clark-Robinson

   Illustrator: Abigail Albano-Payton

Character: Septima Clark

Overview:

" Septima Clark was born poor, Black, and a girl. Being one of those things in 1898 was hard, but all three meant that access to education was going to be a fight. But with strong, hard-working women in her life, a determination to learn, and a passion for knowledge, Septima learned to read and write against all odds.

Teaching for Change charts the monumental life of one tenacious woman—once referred to as The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—who made it her mission to bring equity to literacy. Thanks to her efforts, the Black community was able to rise up against oppressive Jim Crow laws that tried to stifle their votes.

Septima persevered through adversity, discrimination, and even wrongful arrests to ensure that the road to liberation remained open for all people. This story is a testament to the power and importance of community-minded action."

Tantalizing taste:

"She would teach anyone who would listen,

and children would gather around to learn.

Even though every card she'd been dealt

was stacked against her,

from a young age, there was a fire in Septima.

Her daddy taught her peace

and her mama taught her strength -

and with those as her guide,

Sepia could always find a way."

And something more: Yvonne Clark-Rhines in Author's Note explains: "Septima was more than a grandmother to me... Mama Seppie had the strength of a lion and the heart of an angel. Mama Seppie is the embodiment of Black Girl (Woman) Magic."

Copland

A Story About America

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Viking Books for Young Readers

(Penguin Random House)

(pub. 2.24.2026)

40 pages

Ages 4-8

Author and Illustrator: Veronica Mang

Character: Aaron Copland

Overview:

" Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn in 1900 at the dawn of a new generation. In a community of immigrants, he had a front-row seat to the many ways that the United States was growing and changing. During this electrifying time, Aaron began making music as dynamic and innovative as the people and progress around him. While some didn't understand his style or appreciate his desire to break the rules in his compositions, he endeavored to create a sound that reflected the America he knew and loved."

Tantalizing taste:

"Aaron finds an extraordinary teacher. In 1921, it is unthinkable for a woman to teach a man how to compose. But the world is changing. Mademoiselle teaches Aaron how to grow a seed of an idea into a symphony.

His dream begins to bloom."

And something more: Veronica Mang shared in the Author's Note: "Aaron's music, in all its tenderness and strength and joy, asks us: What does it mean to be American, and who can we be at our best? That is the question that inspired me to write this book."

"Composers don't write music to console their audiences as though they were composing lullabies. They write music to stir people up, to make them think about the varieties of human experience depicted in their work." - Aaron Copland.

Otherwise Known as Judy the Great

A Poetic Ode to Judy Blume

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Christy Ottaviano Books

(Little Brown Young Readers)

(pub. 2.17.2026)

48 pages

Ages 6 -1o

Author and Illustrator: Selina Alko

Character: Judy Blume

Overview:

" Judy Blume is known for fearlessly discussing topics that were once considered taboo.

As a young girl, Judy was not encouraged to share her feelings, so instead she invented stories as a way to understand the world around her. Growing up Jewish, during and in the aftermath of WWII, dramatically shaped Judy’s childhood. Her younger years were full of fear. Judy processed her conflicted emotions by making up stories where she could control the conflict as she worked through challenging life scenarios.

These stories became the subjects of the books she later published for children, tweens, teens, and adults including Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, Freckle Juice, and the Fudge series.

This inspiring collection of poems celebrates the childhood years of Judy Blume, one of the most beloved American writers of all time."

Tantalizing taste:

"Judy wanted to dig up the truth

of being a young person.

She wished to write stories for kids,

to help them navigate their lives,

to help them grow up...

One day,

Judy sat down at her desk,

pressing letters into words,

then words into sentences.

And not right away,

but soon,

Judy's stories

one by one

would break out and

BLOOM.

And something more: Selina Alko shared in the Author's Note: "Over the years, Judy Blume's most powerful and revealing books have been banned...Judy Blume has worked tirelessly throughout her career to fight censorship. She has been a pioneer of advocacy for young readers at the onset of a growing movement to suppress expression in young people's literature, which sadly continues today.

I hope that this book will motivate a new generation of young readers and writers to get to know the trailblazing author Judy Blume. Maybe they will see themselves in young Judy's childhood. Or maybe they will be inspired in other ways by the one and only Judy Blume, otherwise known as Judy the Great!"