Rad American History A-Z

February 1, 2020
An examination of social movements that changed U.S. history and culture. The team of Schatz and Stahl, collaborators on the Rad Women series that explores the impacts of women and progressive movements, in their latest entry present challenges to the status quo in U.S. history. In addition to centering little-known incidents, the focus is on grassroots organizations and underrepresented individuals who pushed for change and responded to injustice. When familiar narratives are included, it is with an original perspective. The creators are clear about their point of view: "These are the stories and truths that many people would prefer to deny, the details that often get ignored, glossed over, sanitized, or left out--especially in history books." The role of Harriet Tubman as a spy and operative in the Civil War's Combahee River Raid highlights another side of her work as a liberator of enslaved persons. A look at Jane Addams and Hull House shines a light on support for immigrants in the late 19th century. Details about the Black Lives Matter and the Youth Climate movements provide useful context about contemporary activism. Attention is also paid to the arts, including music, theater, and visual art. The lively writing and the complementary black-and-white illustrations make this an enticing read. Useful sidebars and additional definitions expand upon the main text. A concise and intriguing survey of the relentless fight for social change. (notes on the illustrations, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

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March 15, 2020
Grades 7-10 In the introduction to this lively, insightful book, the author quotes Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thusly: It only has ever been radicals that have changed this country. In evidence is this encyclopedic gathering of mini-essays about sometimes controversial, rad people, groups, and movements, arranged from A (for Alcatraz) to Z (for Zuccotti Park). Many of the subjects are familiar: jazz, libraries, Stonewall; others are lesser known: Combahee River Raid, Great Law of Peace, Korematsu v. United States, and so on. Entries are selected, in part, the author states, because they're just really cool. Each one focuses on the radical aspects of its subjects; the Library entry, for example, includes material about fostering library integration, resisting the Patriot Act provisions, censorship, and more. Each entry concludes with a list of other things that fall under the letter in question; thus, Library's L also features Latinx, The Liberator, Lost Colony of Roanoke, and Loving v. Virginia. The book is generously illustrated with bold cut-paper and watercolor pictures that add punch to the text. Altogether an offbeat introduction to American history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)