While both these children’s picture books are historical fiction, they are both based on real occurrences. One is based on the actual court case when a Chinese American family wanted to send their daughter to school in California and fought in the courts for that right. The other is based on the experiences of Black women who, after centuries of not having rights, and decades of not being able to vote, finally went to the voting booth.

“The Day Madear Voted” by Wade Hudson and Don Tate is about the long history of Black people denied their right to vote through various unscrupulous means like poll taxes, reading tests, and arbitrary “tests” they had to pass. In the Author’s Note, we learn that the story begins four years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It’s important for children to learn that while the Fifteenth Amendment was meant to guarantee the right of all people to vote (actually, men), Jim Crow laws meant that states could prevent Black people from exercising that right. They were also segregated in schools, restaurants, and on transportation. This book not only shares that information; it shares how joyful it can feel to fulfill the right to vote. Another book that shares the same information and feelings in an equally powerful way is “Lillian’s Right to Vote” (Schwartz & Wade Books). I’d love to read both of these to a group of students and have them compare and contrast the two stories. (Nancy Paulsen Books)

An historical fiction picture book about segregation and the fight for equality is “Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School” by Traci Huahn and Michelle Jing Chan. This is based on the true story of Mamie Tape, and the author interviewed Mamie’s descendants to get information about her life. When Mamie’s mother took her to attend school, San Francisco didn’t allow Chinese children in its schools. Mamie was devastated because she played with the neighborhood children, but she wasn’t allowed to be in school with them. Her family hired lawyers to fight in court for the right for Mamie to attend the neighborhood public school, and they won. But the school district appealed it. When the state Supreme Court agreed that she should be able to attend the public school, the principal refused to let her in, claiming that the school was beyond its capacity. It was a lie. And shortly thereafter, the school board opened a separate school for Chinese children. It had no playground and was on the second floor of a grocery store. But Mamie attended, and she lived to the time when segregation was outlawed. I would pair this picture book with another one, “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams). This picture book is also set in California, but with a child of Mexican descent instead of Chinese. It’s also a very powerful read, and again, I’d read both books and have the students compare and contrast them. (Crown Books for Young Readers)

A teaching device that I used a lot with my gifted students was to read two or more picture books that covered the same topic, giving us a chance to delve into the topic in more depth and often from different points of view. Comparing and contrasting the books, using a T-graph or just bulleted notes, was a way to ensure that the students really thought about the content of the stories and what different facts and concepts each one presented.

Please note: All books were provided by the publishers for review purposes.