Lesa Cline-Ransome

In 1862, Ida B. Wells was born into slavery. Today, her legacy lives on as a trailblazing journalist and activist. Celebrate the life and achievements of a Civil Rights pioneer in this definitive middle-grade biography from Coretta Scott King Honoree Lesa Cline-Ransome. Decades before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, Ida B. Wells was thrown out of her first class train car despite having a ticket. It wasn't the last time Civil Rights activist and journalist Wells would be challenged: in 1892, a white mob burned her printing press and drove her out of town. But no matter what opposition she faced, Ida B. Wells wasn't going anywhere--and in 2020, she won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for her courageous reporting on the violence against African Americans during the era of lynching. This biography is the awe-inspiring true story of Ida B. Wells, an activist icon who co-founded the NAACP, published her own newspaper, and fought for intersectionality within the suffragist movement--a trailblazer who was as important in her time as she remains today. Coretta Scott King Honor author and NAACP Image Award winner Lesa Cline-Ransome brings Ida B. Wells' achievements to life, and to a young audience that recognizes the need to shatter the status quo. Beyond just a biography, this powerful text honors the history of Civil Rights while challenging readers to push back against oppressive forces by being their boldest, bravest selves.

From the award-winning author of Before She Was Harriet comes another work of lyrical beauty, the story of Henry David Thoreau and businessman Frederic Tudor--and a changing world. Thoreau and Tudor could not have been more different from each other. Yet both shared the bounties of Walden Pond and would change the course of history through their writings and innovations. This study in opposites contrasts the austere philosopher with the consummate capitalist (whose innovations would change commercial ice harvesting and home refrigerators) to show how two seemingly conflicting American legacies could be built side by side. Oddball/ tax dodger/ nature lover/ dreamer/ That's what they called/ Thoreau. Bankrupt/ disgrace/ good for nothing/ dreamer/ That's what they called/ Tudor. Celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome takes her magnificent talent for research and detail to plumb the depths of these two history-makers. The graceful text is paired with Ashley Benham-Yazdani's period accurate watercolor and pencil artwork. In winter, readers see Tudor's men sawing through the ice, the workhorses dragging the ice, and Thoreau observing it all; in spring, summer, and fall, the ice continues its journey across the globe with Thoreau and Tudor writing and reflecting in their respective diaries. An Author's Note, which explores how Thoreau's writings influenced such figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Frost, and Mohandas Gandhi, is included.

Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free--or cost them everything they have--in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement. 1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they've strived for over generations on their very own plot of land. But Thomas' hopes--and mouth--are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger. Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn't nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn't no one tell us/how to live/how to die. Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery--but bound by poverty, access to opportunity, and patriarchal social structures. Will these women survive the hardships of their journey? And as Thomas' desire for control overpowers his common sense, will they truly be free once they get there? Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome's striking verse masterfully portrays an underrepresented historical era. Tackling powerful themes of autonomy and Black self-emancipation, Cline-Ransome offers readers an intimate look into the lives of three women and an expansive portrait of generations striving for their promised freedom. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Five starred reviews! A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year The “informative, resounding” (Booklist, starred review), and “inspiring” (The Horn Book, starred review) story of a groundbreaking civil rights leader John Lewis comes to life in this compelling and beautifully told, “excellent” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) nonfiction picture book by the award-winning team Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome. John Lewis left a cotton farm in Alabama to join the fight for civil rights when he was only a teenager. He soon became a leader of a movement that changed the nation. Walking at the side of his mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis was led by his belief in peaceful action and voting rights. Today and always his work and legacy live on.

Three starred reviews "History shines" (School Library Journal, starred review) in this inspirational, "vibrantly colored, boisterous, and well-paced" (Booklist, starred review) picture book biography of trailblazer Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman in Congress and the first woman and African American to enter the Democratic presidential race, by award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome. Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York, where her immigrant parents scraped and saved while Shirley learned all the love in the world couldn't pay the rent. Her father encouraged her ambition early on, telling her, "God gave you a brain, use it." Shirley worked hard and landed a full scholarship to Brooklyn College where she started advocating for people like her by starting a club for Black women. When her political science professor told her she should go into politics, Shirley paid attention. She broke new ground and heard "Go home to your husband" and "You don't belong here" when she was campaigning. But that didn't stop her; in fact, it made her work harder until she became the first African American woman in Congress in 1968, where she ended up serving seven terms, and advocated for important bills such as the Equal Rights Amendment. She even sought the nomination for president of the United States in 1972.​ Shirley Chisholm's life and legacy served as a catalyst for progress in America and changed the world.

Brassy, smokey, melodious. There's nothing like the saxophone. This incredible work from the award-winners behind Before She was Harriet includes a poster of jazz music's greatest talents. You may think that the story of the saxophone begins with Dexter Gordon or Charlie Parker, or on a street corner in New Orleans. It really began in 1840 in Belgium with a young daydreamer named Joseph-Antoine Adolphe Sax--a boy with bad luck but great ideas. Coretta Scott King Honoree Lesa Cline-Ransome unravels the fascinating history of how Adolphe's once reviled instrument was transported across Europe and Mexico to New Orleans. Follow the saxophone's journey from Adolphe's imagination to the pawn shop window where it caught the eye of musician Sidney Bechet and became the iconic symbol of jazz music it is today. Deflty retold, this history is paired with the gorgeous artwork of James E. Ransome, including an attention-grabbing poster of iconic jazz musicians you can find inside the jacket. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

An interracial friendship between two teenaged girls goes tragically wrong in this powerful historical novel set in the Jim Crow South. For Lamb follows a family striving to better their lives in the late 1930s Jackson, Mississippi. Lamb's mother is a hard-working, creative seamstress who cannot reveal she is a lesbian. Lamb's brother has a brilliant mind and has even earned a college scholarship for a black college up north-- if only he could curb his impulsiveness and rebellious nature. Lamb herself is a quiet and studious girl. She is also naive. As she tentatively accepts the friendly overtures of a white girl who loans her a book she loves, she sets a off a calamitous series of events that pulls in her mother, charming hustler uncle, estranged father, and brother, and ends in a lynching. Told with nuance and subtlety, avoiding sensationalism and unnecessary brutality, this young adult novel from celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome pays homage to the female victims of white supremacy. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

The final novel in the award-winning Finding Langston trilogy from Coretta Scott King Author Honoree and Scott O'Dell Award medalist Lesa Cline-Ransome. Clem can make anybody, even his grumpy older sisters, smile with his jokes. But when his family receives news that his father has died in the infamous Port Chicago disaster, everything begins to fall apart. Clem's mother is forced to work long, tough hours as a maid for a wealthy white family. Soon Clem can barely recognize his home--and himself. Can he live up to his father's legacy? In her award-winning trilogy, Lesa Cline-Ransome masterfully recreates mid-twentieth century America through the eyes of three boys: Langston, Lymon, and, now, Clem. Exploring the impact of the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, Jim Crow laws, and much more, Lesa's work manages at once to be both an intimate portrait of each boy and his family as well as a landscape of American history. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Praise for Finding Langston, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book and winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction There aren't any explosions in this spare story. Nor is there a happy ending. Instead, Langston discovers something more enduring: solace.--The New York Times * This crisply paced book is full of historical details of the Great Migration and the role a historic branch library played in preserving African American literary culture.--The Horn Book, Starred Review * This is a story that will stay with readers long after they've finished it.--School Library Journal, Starred Review * The impact on the reader could not be more powerful. A memorable debut novel.--Booklist, Starred Review * A fascinating work of historical fiction . . . Cline-Ransome at her best.--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review * Finding Langston is about cultural heritage and personal growth and, at its heart, about finding home wherever you land.--Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

He was born Black, poor, and lucky. The glowing story of Satchmo--the great jazz musician, Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong has been called the most important improviser in the history of jazz. Although his New Orleans neighborhood was poor in nearly everything else, it was rich in superb music. Young Louis took it all in, especially the cornet blowing of Joe King Oliver. But after a run-in with the police, 11-year-old Louis was sent away to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys where he became a disciplined musician in the school's revered marching band. Ultimately, he was to travel the world from Chicago to Paris and would transform jazz through his improvised singing (scatting) and masterful trumpet playing. He played with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and other jazz greats of his day. Armstrong was the first African-American man to host a national radio show, and the first jazz musiciain to write an autobiography. This is a joyful tribute to the virtuoso musician and buoyant personality who introduced much of the world to jazz. The author's note includes a detailed biography and resources to learn more about Louis Armstrong and jazz.

A window into a child's experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators of Before She Was Harriet and Finding Langston. Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North-- one she can't begin to imagine. Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains. Each leg of the trip brings new revelations as scenes out the window of folks working in fields give way to the Delaware River, the curtain that separates the colored car is removed, and glimpses of the freedom and opportunity the family hopes to find come into view. As they travel, Ruth Ellen reads from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, reflecting on how her journey mirrors her own-- until finally the train arrives at its last stop, New York's Penn Station, and the family heads out into a night filled with bright lights, glimmering stars, and new possiblity. James Ransome's mixed-media illustrations are full of bold color and texture, bringing Ruth Ellen's journey to life, from sprawling cotton fields to cramped train cars, the wary glances of other passengers and the dark forest through which Frederick Douglass traveled towards freedom. Overground Railroad is, as Lesa notes, a story of people who were running from and running to at the same time, and it's a story that will stay with readers long after the final pages. An American Library Association Notable Children's BookA New York Public Library Best Book of the YearA School Library Journal Best Book of the YearA Junior Library Guild SelectionA Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Named a Best Picture Book by the African American Children's Book ProjectA Booklist Editor's Choice

A companion novel to Finding Langston, recipient of a Coretta Scott King Writing Honor and winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Behind every bad boy is a story worth hearing and at least one chance for redemption. It's 1946 and Lymon, uprooted from his life in the Deep South and moved up North, needs that chance. Lymon's father is, for the time being, at Parchman Farm--the Mississippi State Penitentiary--and his mother, whom he doesn't remember all that much, has moved North. Fortunately, Lymon is being raised by his loving grandparents. Together, Lymon and his grandpops share a love of music, spending late summer nights playing the guitar. But Lymon's world as he knows it is about to dissolve. He will be sent on a journey to two Northern cities far from the country life he loves--and the version of himself he knows. In this companion novel to the Coretta Scott King Honor wining Finding Langston, readers will see a new side of the bully Lymon in this story of an angry boy whose raw talent, resilience, and devotion to music help point him in a new direction. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the YearA Junior Library Guild Selection Named a Best Multicultural Children's Book by the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book Praise for Finding Langston, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction There aren't any explosions in this spare story. Nor is there a happy ending. Instead, Langston discovers something more enduring: solace.--The New York Times * this crisply paced book is full of historical details of the Great Migration and the role a historic branch library played in preserving African American literary culture.--The Horn Book, Starred Review * This is a story that will stay with readers long after they've finished it.--School Library Journal, Starred Review * The impact on the reader could not be more powerful. A memorable debut novel.--Booklist, Starred Review * A fascinating work of historical fiction . . . Cline-Ransome at her best.--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review * Finding Langston is about cultural heritage and personal growth and, at its heart, about finding home wherever you land.--Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

Before Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin made the same choice. She insisted on standing up - or in her case, sitting down - for what was right, and in doing so, fought for equality, fairness, and justice. In this chapter book biography by award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome, readers learn about the amazing life of Claudette Colvin - and how she persisted. Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton!

The inspirational, true story of how Frederick Douglass found his way to freedom one word at a time. This picture book biography chronicles the youth of Frederick Douglass, one of the most prominent African American figures in American history. Douglass spent his life advocating for the equality of all, and it was through reading that he was able to stand up for himself and others. Award-winning husband-wife team Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome present a moving and captivating look at the young life of the inspirational man who said, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”

“A powerful story.” —The Horn Book “A worthy addition to children’s biography collections.” —Booklist “A solid treatment of an important but little-known figure, and it may prompt kids to think about the role and composition of a free press.” —BCCB “Cline-Ransome tells [Ethel Payne’s] story with economy and drive. ‘Somebody had to do the fighting,’ she quotes Payne saying, ‘somebody had to speak up.’” —Publishers Weekly Renowned author Lesa Cline-Ransome and celebrated illustrator John Parra unite to tell the inspiring story of Ethel Payne, a groundbreaking African American journalist known as the First Lady of the Black Press.“I’ve had a box seat on history.” Ethel Payne always had an ear for stories. Seeking truth, justice, and equality, Ethel followed stories from her school newspaper in Chicago to Japan during World War II. It even led her to the White House briefing room, where she broke barriers as the only black female journalist. Ethel wasn’t afraid to ask the tough questions of presidents, elected officials, or anyone else in charge, earning her the title, “First Lady of the Black Press.” Fearless and determined, Ethel Payne shined a light on the darkest moments in history, and her ear for stories sought answers to the questions that mattered most in the fight for Civil Rights.