Just the Stacks

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus is a vibrant picture book biography that tells the story of Peter Mark Roget, the man behind the thesaurus. Written in lyrical prose by Jen Bryant and beautifully illustrated by Melissa Sweet, the book explores how Roget’s love of words and lists shaped not only his life but the way we think about language today. From a childhood marked by shyness and loss to his groundbreaking publication of Roget’s Thesaurus in 1852, this book is both a historical portrait and a celebration of the power of words. The Right Word  is a compelling resource for interdisciplinary learning. While it might look like a story for younger readers, its themes, structure, and artistic design make it a sophisticated tool for deep engagement in English Language Arts and Social Studies . Students can explore language development, the Enlightenment and 19th-century scientific thought, and the lifelong quest to find the “right word” to express human experience. Curricu...

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel tells the true story of George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., the engineer behind the first Ferris Wheel, designed for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Faced with skepticism and stiff competition, Ferris dared to dream up something new, an engineering marvel that could rival the Eiffel Tower from the 1889 Paris World’s Fair. With vivid illustrations and accessible narrative nonfiction, this book offers students a fascinating glimpse into a moment when imagination and  science came together to change history. This picture book makes an excellent anchor text for older students exploring innovation, design thinking, historical context, and the human stories behind scientific discovery. George Ferris’s story highlights persistence, risk-taking, and the intersection of art and engineering, perfect for interdisciplinary learning. Curriculum Connections Physics & Engineering   Explore the physical forces at play in a Ferris wheel: gravity, centr...

Baseball Saved Us tells the story of a young Japanese American boy sent with his family to an internment camp during World War II. Struggling with boredom, confinement, and prejudice, the boy and others in the camp build a baseball field. The game becomes more than recreation, it becomes a way to endure hardship, reclaim dignity, and strengthen identity. Told from a child's point of view and paired with Dom Lee’s textured, sepia-toned illustrations, this book brings an often-overlooked chapter of American history to life in an accessible, moving way. Although it's a picture book, Baseball Saved Us is ideal for use with older students because of its powerful historical content, emotional complexity, and themes of justice, identity, and resilience. It prompts students to confront racism in U.S. history, recognize the impact of war on families and communities, and reflect on how small acts, like playing a game, can become powerful forms of resistance and healing. Curriculum Co...

What happens when no one believes you but the evidence is on your side? In Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera , written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrate by Nik Henderson, turn a 19th-century public health mystery into a compelling nonfiction picture book that brings together science, history, and civic responsibility. This book introduces readers to one of the most important breakthroughs in public health history and to the power of asking questions, gathering evidence, and making connections. In 1854 London, cholera was devastating entire neighborhoods, and no one understood how or why it spread. Most doctors believed in "miasma" the idea that bad smells caused illness. But Dr. John Snow had a different idea. By observing patterns, collecting data, and critically  mapping the outbreak, he discovered that contaminated water, not bad air, was the source. This book is ideal for middle and high school science and social studies classrooms . It shows...

Duncan Tonatiuh’s Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation tells a powerful and often overlooked story in American history, the landmark 1947 court case Mendez v. Westminster , which challenged the segregation of Mexican American students in California schools. Seven years before Brown v. Board of Education , Sylvia Mendez and her parents stood up against injustice and won a case that helped lay the foundation for ending legal segregation in the United States. Told through accessible text and Tonatiuh’s distinctive, illustrations, this picture book is an ideal resource for middle and high school students . It fosters critical conversations about civil rights, equity, identity, and activism, all through the lens of a child who refused to accept inequality as normal. In a time when debates about diversity, representation, and history in schools are increasingly politicized, Separate Is Never Equal remains a powerful, age-appropriate tool for tea...

The Sibert winning picture book,  Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera , author Candace Fleming and illustrator Eric Rohmann offer readers a stunningly detailed and scientifically rich look into the life of one of Earth’s most essential, and endangered creatures. Through a blend of lyrical nonfiction and dramatic visuals, the book chronicles the life cycle of a single honeybee, from her emergence as a young worker to her final flight. At first glance, Honeybee  seems more suited for younger readers, but this book is packed with complex scientific content , delivered with clarity and care. It is an ideal complement to middle and high school science units on life science, ecology, entomology, and biodiversity. It also serves as an entry point to deeper conversations about the role of pollinators in global food systems and environmental sustainability . Curriculum Connections Science / Life Sciences & Ecology This book aligns beautifully with NGSS-aligned units on: ...

  Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution , written by Rob Sanders and illustrated by Jamey Christoph, is more than a picture book.  It’s a gateway into civil rights history, protest, identity, and justice. Told from the unique perspective of the Stonewall Inn itself, this beautifully illustrated nonfiction narrative traces the events that led to the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, one of the pivotal moments in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. At a time when some school districts are questioning or restricting access to LGBTQ+ materials, it’s essential to affirm that this book is rated E for Everyone . Stonewall is historically accurate , age - appropriate , and essential . It not only belongs in the elementary school it also belongs in middle and high school libraries and classrooms as well. It not only centers LGBTQ+ voices, it also tells a deeply American story of people demanding to be seen, heard, and treated with dignity. This book opens powerful conversations ab...

In Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood , Tony Hillery tells the true story of how a vacant, trash-filled lot in Harlem was transformed into a thriving urban garden, thanks to a group of determined students from PS 175 and one committed adult. With vibrant illustrations by Jessie Hartland and an accessible narrative voice, this picture book introduces big ideas: food justice, community activism, environmental sustainability, and the power of youth voice. While often used in elementary classrooms, Harlem Grown is an ideal resource for middle and high school students , particularly in social studies , science , and civics classes. It models how local action leads to systemic change and how one person can empower others to take ownership of their environment and their futures. Curriculum Connections Social Studies / Civics At its core, Harlem Grown is a civic story. It demonstrates how communities can solve problems through collaboration and grassroots effort. ...

Born in Puerto Rico in 1874 to a Black Caribbean mother and a German father, Arturo Schomburg grew up asking questions about African heritage and the role of Black people in history. When a teacher told him that people of African descent had no history worth learning, he made it his life’s mission to prove otherwise. Carole Boston Weatherford’s Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library , with beautiful illustrations by Eric Velasquez, tells the story of that mission. How one man collected, preserved, and celebrated the histories too often left out of textbooks. This beautifully written biography in verse is more than a story about one man, it is the power of research, the importance of identity, and the importance of rewriting the record to include those who’ve been erased. This book is great for use in middle and high school social studies and ELA classrooms , especially during units on the Harlem Renaissance, African American history, immigration, or the development of public institu...

Jason Chin’s The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey is a beautifully illustrated, conceptually rich picture book that invites readers into the microcosmic world inside the human body. This Sibert and Caldecott winning author/illustrator of nonfiction picture books translates complex scientific ideas into accessible, awe-inspiring narratives.  While often shelved in elementary collections, this book holds deep potential for middle and high school science and ELA classrooms. The Universe in You explores the intricacies of cells, molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles, presented through a poetic narrative and accompanied by dynamic, diagram-rich illustrations. What sets this book apart for older students is the use of callout text embedded in the illustrations . These mini-infographics, diagrams, and labeled visuals function like a guided tour, allowing readers to engage with scientific content without overwhelming expository passages. They model how science writers pair i...

  Telling the Story That Was Left Out In 1921, a thriving Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as Greenwood or “Black Wall Street” was destroyed in a violent, state-sanctioned act of racial terror. For decades, this story was omitted from textbooks and classroom conversations. Many adults first learned of it not in school, but through the HBO series The Watchmen , assuming the horrific events depicted must be fiction. Carole Boston Weatherford’s Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, winner of multiple awards including the Coretta Scott King author and illustrator awards,   sets the record straight, with grace. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper in soft, sepia-toned style, the book does what history texts failed to do for nearly a century: tell the truth. Book Summary  Unspeakable opens by painting a picture of life in Greenwood, a prosperous community built by Black Americans, many of whom were formerly enslaved or descendants of those who were. Readers learn how Green...