Status
Available
Publication
Carolrhoda Books ® (2021), 32 pages
Library's review
"Aonce-thriving Black community was destroyed, and the story of how it happened went untold for decades.
In the beginning of the 20th century, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was emerging as a thriving oil town, and African Americans worked to establish communities in the face of discrimination. The separate
A somber, well-executed addition to the history as the incident approaches its 100th anniversary. (Informational picture book. 8-12)" A starred Kirkus Review, www.kirkusreviews.com
In the beginning of the 20th century, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was emerging as a thriving oil town, and African Americans worked to establish communities in the face of discrimination. The separate
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neighborhoods that grew out of segregation meant that Black businesses sprang up to serve those who could not frequent White establishments. The African American neighborhood of Greenwood had so many it became known as “Black Wall Street,” with an impressive range of services and opportunities. The tenuous nature of Black prosperity was reinforced, however, when a White woman accused a Black man of assault. White mobs, unable to reach the suspect, descended on Greenwood, looting the businesses and burning the community to the ground. With no protection or assistance from law enforcement, all that the residents had achieved was lost. Further, it took 75 years before an official investigation was launched. Author Weatherford and illustrator Cooper join forces to present this important story with sensitivity and care for younger readers. Weatherford’s measured prose depicts the events in a cleareyed, age-appropriate narrative. Oklahoma native Cooper’s muted palette and oil-erasure style effectively portray first the achievement and then the devastation that followed. The author’s and illustrator’s notes provide valuable insight and context, as does the rear endpapers’ photograph of the massacre’s aftermath.A somber, well-executed addition to the history as the incident approaches its 100th anniversary. (Informational picture book. 8-12)" A starred Kirkus Review, www.kirkusreviews.com
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Awards
National Book Award (Longlist — Young People's Literature — 2021)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (Nonfiction — 2021)
Caldecott Medal (Honor Book — 2022)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee — 2023)
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Honor — Nonfiction — 2021)
Kirkus Prize (Finalist — Young Readers' Literature — 2021)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Informational Books — 2023)
William Allen White Children's Book Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2024)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Nominee — 2023)
Bluestem Award (Nominee — 2023)
Coretta Scott King Award (Winner — 2022)
Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Winner — 2022)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — 2025)
Land Of Enchantment Book Award (Nominee — 2024)
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Jane Addams Children's Book Award (Finalist — 2022)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — 2022)
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal (Honor Book — 2022)
Skipping Stones Honor Award (2022)
Lectio Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award (Gold Award — 2021)
Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature (Honor Book — 2022)
American Indians in Children's Literature Best Books (Picture Books — 2021)
Premio Campoy-Ada (1er Premio — 2022)
NPR: Books We Love (2021)
CCBC Choices (2022)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Kids (Nonfiction — 2021)
Notable Children's Book (2022)
Nerdy Book Award (Nonfiction Picture Books — 2021)
Penn GSE's Best Books for Young Readers (Selection — Picture Books — 2021)
Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids (Nonfiction Picture Books — 2021)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids (Informational Books for Older Readers — 2021)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2021
ISBN
1541581202 / 9781541581203