RIP Jesse Jackson
Civil Rights leader, presidential candidate, and human rights advocate Jesse Jackson died yesterday. He was part of so much modern Black History.
Happy Presidents’ Day!
Have you read anything uplifting about the presidency lately? The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President by Doris Kearns Goodwin is written for children (ages 9-13), but readers of all ages can enjoy this look at the early lives of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ by an acclaimed presidential historian who writes primarily …
In Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Some bookstores may be closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 19, 2026, but many are open and ready to help you find inspiring and informative books about Dr. King and his fight for Civil Rights.
These Truths by Jill Lepore
First, this is exhaustively researched, brilliant, and eloquent, both (in the author’s words) as “a brief history” and “a civics primer.” Second, it will pair nicely with the 2026 celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, helping to inform our interpretations of that document, its historical context, and its continuing relevance. And …
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
In this patriotic, inspiring, and untampered compilation, McMahon chronicles the extraordinary lives of ordinary Americans. We learn about teachers like Virginia Randolph, who created schools for children in the rural south. We learn about Inez Milholland, Maria De Lopez, and Rebecca Brown Mitchell and their decades’ long fight for women’s suffrage. We learn about Senator …
Rise Up: Powerful Protests in American History written by Rachel C. Katz and illustrated by Sophie Bass
What an inspiring reminder that protest can be patriotic! Explore 25 historical moments of American resistance that helped shape our nation in the illustrated children’s book Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History. Today’s also the on-sale day for the much-anticipated Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping. NPR did a great piece on …
March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
I think March should be required reading in all American high schools. It’s a historical graphic novel about the civil rights movement and the life of John Lewis. Nate Powell’s stark black and white illustrations and John Lewis’s words create an evocative and immersive experience that would be difficult (if not impossible) to achieve in …
Treaty Justice by Charles Wilkinson
I was searching for an up-to-date account of the events and issues surrounding Boldt Decision on the 50th anniversary of that momentous court case, and Treaty Justice was just the ticket. While I learned what I had hoped to about the so-called “fish wars,” I found the book to offer an outstanding overall account of the …
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
This book will change the way you view North American history. It is an honest an eye-opening account of what happened to Native Americans as a result of European immigration and “manifest destiny.” It should be required reading. — Melissa, Trail’s End Bookstore, Winthrop, WA Explore history and how it impacts the present with staff …
Ghosts of Honolulu by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll, Jr.
Here’s Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor, written by Leon Carroll, Jr., and Mark Harmon. Hang on, Mark Harmon? Like the actor Mark Harmon? Let’s do a little due diligence here. Harmon has spent the last couple decades playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS, a …
