Happy Birthday Rosa Parks

Happy Birthday to this Civil Rights Activist who would have turned 100 years old today.

Having grown up in rural Alabama, she lived with racial segregation on a daily basis. Most people associate Rosa Parks with her defiance on a city bus, which was the beginning of the civil rights movement.

Today, the United States Post Office unveiled its newest stamp in its civil rights series of stamps. A very fitting honor for Rosa Parks.

Enslow author, Jeff Burlingame, Wins NAACP Award



Author Jeff Burlingame

Enslow author, Jeff Burlingame, was on hand at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards ceremony held on February 17 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles California to receive the award for Outstanding Literary Work in the Youth/Teens category.  This was the second year in a row that Mr. Burlingame was nominated for this award. Last year, he was nominated for another Enslow biography, Malcolm X: "I Believe in the Brotherhood of Man."




And the winner is...

You can read more about Jeff Burlingame and his experience at the awards ceremony here.

Jesse Owens: "I Always Loved Running" is part of Enslow's African-American Biography Library series.

 "An interesting and informative telling of the life of Jesse Owens. Engaging in content and format."
          –Marlene Owens Rankin, Managing Director, The Jesse Owens Foundation



ISBN: 978-0-7660-4397-6
School & Library Price: $23.95
Grades 6–up



Today is National Arbor Day

National Arbor Day is celebrated the last Friday in April, but did you know that different states celebrate Arbor Day on different days depending on their best tree-planting time? Whatever day your state celebrates Arbor Day it's a great opportunity to connect children with nature using books in your classroom and library.

Our title,  Trees, Weeds, and Vegetables–So Many Kinds of Plants! from our I Like Plants! series includes an activity perfect for Arbor Day celebrations and comes with a free educator's guide available through our website. For grades K–3, this easy-to-read science book fills a need for nonfiction science readers while entertaining students with stunning color photos and fascinating facts. Budding scientists will love discovering the plants in their neighborhood.

Johnny Appleseed Day

 Did you know that Johnny Appleseed was a real man, named John Chapman? Learn more about Johnny Appleseed and the seeds in planted in our

Johnny Appleseed: "Select Good Seeds and Plant Them in the Ground" title.
For grades 5–up.

Video Games

I bet video games are on your Christmas shopping list. I know they're on mine. Still popular with kids and adults, the first video game was invented by Ralph Baer in 1968 and looked more like a console covered with brown wood-grain paper. It was stuffed with three hundred parts and could run several simple games. It wasn't until 1970 when Magnavox, a leading TV set manufacturer, offered to pay Baer royalties to develop and market his game ideas that his work finally paid off. Baer's first check in the amount of $100,000 was presented to him in the hospital where he was waiting for an operation.

Enslow's title The Guy Who Invented Home Video Games: Ralph Baer and His Awesome Invention is part of our Genius at Work Great Inventor Biographies series. If your school or library hosts a gaming program, you may want to introduce this title to your participants so they can have a better understanding as to how millions of video games today are the result of Ralph Baers lone question, "What Else Can a TV Do?"

Happy Birthday Halle Berry

Halle Berry "Beauty Is Not Just Physical"
Author: Michael A. Schuman

ISBN-13: 978-0-7660-2467-0

Publication Year: 2006
Interest Level: Grades 6-up
Page Count: 112

"Being thought of as 'a beautiful woman' has spared me nothing in life," says Halle Berry. With her extraordinary beauty, wealth, and an Academy Award for Best Actress, it seems as if Berry has it all. Yet her life has been anything but a fairytale. From the pain of an abusive father to the sting of racism from her peers, Berry emerged as a high achiever, beauty queen, and model. As an actor, her beauty often kept her from being considered for meaningful roles, and it took a while for her to achieve the success she deserved. In 2002, Berry’s Academy Award–winning performance in the small-budget art film Monster's Ball made history, stirred controversy, and launched her into superstardom.

Today would have been Louis Armstrong's birthday

One of the greatest trumpet-playing, jazz musicians ever, Louis Armstrong's trademark "scat" singing and natural showmanship dazzled audiences for over fifty years. Patricia and Fredrick McKissack have authored an elementary biography about Louis Armstrong while Michael A. Schuman's biography is for the middle school reader.

Happy Birthday Mr. President!

Ever want to read a biography about the President? Enslow has two: one geared toward the elementary student and the other is for the middle school reader.

Enslow also has a pictorial series about the First Family entitled The Obama Family Photo Album, which includes photos of the First Family (and Bo!)

Today would have been Ida B. Wells-Barnett's birthday

This civil rights activist did not back down from anyone. For the elementary market, Enslow has a 32 page biography. For the middle school market, a 128 page book is available.

Today would have been the birthday of Gwendolyn Brooks

Gwendolyn Brooks ''Poetry Is Life Distilled''
Author: Christine M. Hill
ISBN-13: 978-0-7660-2292-8

Publication Year: 2005
Interest Level: Grades 6-up
Page Count: 128

For Gwendolyn Brooks, writing was vital to life—"like breathing or eating," she said. Brooks cast her poets’ eye on the daily struggles of ordinary African-Americans and told the truth about racism and urban poverty. In 1950, Brooks became the first black writer to win a Pulitzer Prize. As the civil rights movement evolved, so did Brooks’s own views. Her work grew sharper with black pride and solidarity. Brooks’s career spanned more than fifty years, and her poetry appeals to people from all walks of life. This vividly drawn life story will fascinate Brooks’s fans and entice other readers to discover her poetry.

Today would have been Duke Ellington's birthday

Duke Ellington ''I Live With Music''
Author: Carin T. Ford
ISBN-13: 978-0-7660-2702-2

Publication Year: 2007
Interest Level: Grades 6-up
Page Count: 128

As a composer, bandleader, and pianist, Duke Ellington topped all other jazz musicians of his day. Ellington infused the beats and the rhythms of jazz with a more classical sound and intelligence, elevating jazz to an honored status. Carin T. Ford's new biography examines the life and career of this exceptional entertainer.

Happy Birthday Paul Robeson!

Today would have been Paul Robeson's 112th birthday!

This actor, singer, and political activist inspired a lot of people, and is still known for his unwavering stature as a champion of civil rights.

Enslow has two titles about this political activist for the elementary and middle school markets.

Today is Colin Powell's birthday

Older readers will enjoy this biography about Colin Powell.

Younger readers will enjoy this one.

Birthday of Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington was born on this day in 1856.


Enslow has two biogaphies about Booker T. Washington. Middle school students might enjoy this title. Elementary students will have an easier time reading and understanding this title.

On this day in 2002

Halle Berry became the first African-American performer to win a best actress Oscar for her performance in "Monster's Ball."