Summer Reading 2024: Middle School

Best-selling author and the first woman to become executive editor of The New York Times, Jill Abramson has written the book she wishes she'd had as a young reader.

Explaining clearly and concisely what exactly Congress does, this book is peppered with fascinating stories, including the bloody beating in the Senate of a lawmaker in pre-Civil War days, the Watergate hearings, and Senator Joe McCarthy's shameful "witch hunt" of Communists. Kids may start considering a career in Congress themselves when they learn fun facts, such as the special "candy desk" in the Senate, and the fact that all lawmakers can bring their dogs to work!

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Coretta Scott King Honoree and Chapin alum Tonya Bolden ('76) coauthors this "highly recommended book" (School Library Journal)

This young adult adaptation of the National Book Award longlisted title brings to light the shocking truth about how not every voter is treated equally. After the election of Barack Obama, a rollback of voting rights occurred, punctuated by a 2013 Supreme Court decision that undid the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Known as the Shelby ruling, this decision allowed districts with a history of racial discrimination to change voting requirements without approval from the Department of Justice. This book follows the stunning aftermath of that ruling and explains how voter suppression works, from photo ID requirements to gerrymandering to poll closures. It also explores the resistance: the organizing, activism, and court battles to restore the basic right to vote to all Americans.

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This Coretta Scott King Author Honor book tells the important, overlooked story of black women as a force in the suffrage movement–when fellow suffragists did not accept them as equal partners in the struggle.

Susan B. Anthony. Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Alice Paul. The Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls. The 1913 Women's March in D.C. When the epic story of the suffrage movement in the United States is told, the most familiar leaders, speakers at meetings, and participants in marches written about or pictured are generally white. That's not the whole story. Women of color, especially African American women, were fighting for their right to vote and to be treated as full, equal citizens of the United States. Their battlefront wasn't just about gender. African American women had to deal with white abolitionist-suffragists who drew the line at sharing power with their Black sisters. They had to overcome deep, exclusionary racial prejudices that were rife in the American suffrage movement. And they had to maintain their dignity–and –in a society that tried to keep them in its bottom ranks. Lifting as We Climb is the empowering story of African American women who refused to accept all this.

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A detailed primer on the United States election cycle - newly revised and updated! Author Jeff Fleischer uses a fun, casual voice and real-world examples to provide an essential resource that will remain relevant long after the next president is elected.

Every four years, coverage of the presidential election turns into a horse-race story about who's leading the polls and who said what when. Social media and online news have made it easier to spread false information (even by accident) and harder to know what's accurate. It can be difficult to get good information about how the election process actually works, why it matters, or how you can get involved.

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"It's a very clear, readable... and funny... explanation of the American electoral process." - Lois Lowry, Newbery Medalist and bestselling author

A must-have for every future voter to understand the process of electing leaders (from the town dog catcher to the president) in the United States. Elections are big news–in the media, in classrooms, in Iowa and New Hampshire! But do you really know how the whole process works? For the home, for the classroom, for kids and adults, for every future voter, this book explains our country's most important decision making process.

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"A lively, inspiring depiction of an indomitable fighter for women's rights." —Kirkus Reviews

When Woodrow Wilson was elected President, he didn't know that he would be participating in one of the greatest fights of the century: the battle for women's right to vote. The formidable Alice Paul led the women's suffrage movement, and saw President Wilson's election as an opportunity to win the vote to women. She battered her opponent with endless strategic arguments and carefully coordinated protests, calling for a new amendment granting women the right to vote. With a spirit and determination that never quit--even when peaceful protests were met with violence and even when many women were thrown in jail--Paul eventually convinced President Wilson to support her cause, changing the country forever.

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"[Balances] solid, comprehensive facts on a large scale with consistent hilarity." -- Booklist, starred review

Michael Townsend presents his comic book guide to everything you ever wanted to know (and maybe a few things you didn't!) about the President of the United States. It's full of insanely weird facts about our leaders (Did you know that President Coolidge had a pet pygmy hippo named Billy?), as well as the history and powers of the presidency, day-to-day life, and pros and cons of the job.

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