Featured history picks

This love letter to Black life in the United States highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes.

An anthology of contemporary Black poets whose works explore joy, love, origin, race, resistance and praise.

Two little mineral piles, Stalactite and Stalagmite, foster a friendship over millions of years as they grow closer together, figuratively and literally.

An author and culture journalist argues that doomsday beliefs, deeply rooted in American history, have shaped the nation's culture, from its fascination with heroism and consumerism to its susceptibility to cult-like thinking and strongman leaders.

In 1845, Sir John Franklin and a crew of 129 sailors set out from England for the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage, but both ships and every member of their party vanished without a trace.

The Kennedy name has long been synonymous with wealth, power, glamor and integrity. But this carefully constructed veneer hides a dark truth: the pattern of Kennedy men physically and psychologically abusing women and girls, leaving a trail of ruin and death in each generation's wake.

A kidnapped Nahua girl, enslaved and thrust into the heart of Spanish conquest, uses her wit, magic and resilience to carve her own destiny and rewrite her legacy as both traitor and goddess amidst a clash of empires.

Illuminates how an over century-long history of Asian migration, labor and community formation in the U.S. is fundamental to understanding the American experience and its existential crises of the early 21st century.

In 1879, three women-- Lettie; her mother, Sylvia; and young teacher Philomena-- who are free from slavery but bound by poverty, access to opportunity and patriarchal social structures-- head westward on a perilous wagon journey that could cost them everything they have, including their lives.

After reporting on the War on Terror, Black Lives Matter protests and the slaughter in Gaza, the author concludes that much of what the West promises is a lie; there will always be groups outside the boundaries of privilege who won't be considered fully human.

Based on the true history of Operation Pedro Pan, a joint mission between the U.S. government and the Catholic Welfare Bureau to evacuate 14,000 children from Cuba between 1960 and 1962, this is the story of these children's lives.

An unforgettable portrait of the royal household as told by the former butler to King Charles III.

Exploring the story of information throughout human history, this highly visual book shows how our ability to record information in the form of writing and collecting data has caused an explosion of technological progress.

An unflinching examination of the breadth of Black responses to white oppression, particularly those pioneered by Black women.

When 13-year-old Rosemary is evacuated from WWII London to her grandmother's home in America, she uncovers a hidden family truth-- that they are Anishinaabe-- leading her to embrace her heritage, forge new bonds and find beauty in unexpected places.

The author examines the significance of Black history and its role in education. Drawing on his experiences as a lifelong learner and classroom teacher, he explores topics such as the American Revolution, the concepts of race and nation and the importance of historical inquiry.

A social history exploring how first-generation Jewish immigrants established the American toy industry, effectively defining 20th-century childhood.

In this intergenerational tale perfect for fans of Messy Roots and Illegal, the author combines historical research of the Guatemalan Civil War with his own experiences as a Guatemalan immigrant to tell a story of family, sacrifice, survival and hope.

This eye-opening and engaging history of the worker actions that brought us weekends, pay equality, desegregation, an end to child labor and more documents how the labor movement has shaped America and how it intersects with many of the major issues facing modern teens.

An anthology of all-star poetic voices depicting the diversity of the Black experience.

This picture book biography of legendary writer and activist James Baldwin introduces readers to a passionate Black man who discovered his true power in the written word, which opened the world to him as he fearlessly used his voice.

Against the backdrop of the Great Depression, trace Lorena Hickok-- or Hick's-- rise from devastating childhood to renowned journalist, and follow the most significant friendship and romantic relationship of her life with first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.

Blends history, mythology, memoir, and reportage as it follows a man's journey to reclaim Indigenous identity and culture amid colonial erasure, exploring family, trauma and Indigenous political and environmental movements across North America.

The author, Sara Novic, chronicles her journey from hiding her hearing loss as a child to finding her identity within the Deaf community. She blends her personal experiences with a researched history of disability rights within the United States.

In the city of Kingston, built upon the ashes of Bombay, Kalki Divekar and her friends secretly build a resistance movement from within British rule, balancing survival and rebellion as they navigate personal losses, shifting alliances and the high stakes of fighting for their city.

Explores the color orange across nature, culture, history and art-- revealing its rich presence in everything from animals and fruit to space suits and ceremonies.

At night, Lola de La Peña becomes the masked vigilante Salvación to protect her family and town from a man wielding deadly magic, but her mission is complicated when she begins falling for Alejandro, a member of his dangerous entourage.

From ancient Rome and the European Middle Ages to today's traditions, explore the surprising and sometimes dark origins of some of our most beloved holiday bakes. Through 40 recipes adapted for modern bakers, learn how to make Linzer tartlets, Christstollen, almond cookies and other goodies.

Exploring the powerful empires and diverse peoples in Europe, Asia and Africa beyond the reaches of Greece and Rome, the author takes readers along Morocco's sandy caravan routes to the northern Black Sea's freezing winters, from Co-Loa in Vietnam's Red River valley to the forts south of Hadrian's W

Follows two families in alternative timelines of the Salvadoran civil war-- a stunning exploration of the mechanisms of fate, the gravity of the past and the endurance of love.

Two scheming prospectors conned wealthy investors and geologists by leaving purchased rough diamonds and rubies across a remote western wilderness, sparking a brief but massive nationwide prospecting craze.

This book details the author's experiences as a child prisoner in the Japanese-American internment camps of World War II, reflecting on the choices his family made in the face of institutionalized racism.

This graphic novel explores the infamous Salem witch trials and the long shadows they cast more than 300 years later.

The author, Kai Naima Williams-- great-granddaughter of Yuri Kochiyama-- chronicles the experiences and lessons, hardships and victories and people and places that shaped Yuri's life and influenced her activism.