Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence Fairy Tales & Folklore - Country & Cultural this is National Book Award

this is National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds’s fiercely stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother

we meet his great-grandmother Sophia

penning the long-erased stories of nine pioneering black women physicians beginning in 1860

acclaimed and award-winning author Angela Johnson explores the ramifications of unexpected death in this compelling coming-of-age story

But when she gets home

Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence Fairy Tales & Folklore - Country & Cultural this is National Book AwardBefore the Ships is a powerful and poetic celebration of the early roots of Black history. The great achievements and accomplishments across Africa prior to the Transatlantic slave trade are told through melodious text and evocative illustrations, that culminate into the strength and resilience of modern day Black people. For so many of us, the first introduction to Black history begins with lessons about slavery. While slavery is a crucial part of