London Ladd

The author of Nigel and the Moon delivers a joyful picture book about how a Southern family gathers around a special table for year-round celebrations that highlight the importance of family, community, and coming together. In my family, there are traditions. And my favorite--happen around this table. No matter the season, no matter the reason, the love that surrounds this boy's family table is palpable and neverending. From a golden anniversary to Juneteenth, a special wedding to a new baby sister, here is a family that never forgets to come together and celebrate what it truly means to be there for each other. Heartfelt illustrations complement the lyrical text in this poignant picture book that reveals how Gullah Geechee culture contributes to a family's love, and reminds us the importance of building community one gathering at a time.

Taut free verse tells the little-known story of the first contraband camp of the Civil War--seen by some historians as the "beginning of the end of slavery in America." One night in 1861, three escaped slaves made their way from the Confederate line to a Union-held fort. The runaways were declared "contraband of war" and granted protection. As word spread, thousands of runaway slaves poured into the fort, seeking their freedom. These "contrabands" made a home for themselves, building the first African American community in the country. In 1863, they bore witness to one of the first readings of the Emancipation Proclamation in the South--beneath the sheltering branches of the tree now known as Emancipation Oak.