Books published by publisher First Avenue Editions TM

June 19th, 1865, began as another hot day in Texas. African American slaves worked in fields, in barns, and in the homes of the white people who owned them. Then a message arrived. Freedom! Slavery had ended! The Civil War had actually ended in April. It took two months for word to reach Texas. Still the joy of that amazing day has never been forgotten. Every year, people all over the United States come together on June 19th to celebrate the end of slavery. Join in the celebration of Juneteenth, a day to remember and honor freedom for all people.

Monkeys! Seals! Tigers! Check out these eight action-packed scenes to see what happens during a full day at a busy zoo. In each picture, the zoo buzzes with activity. Visitors, zookeepers, and animals move from place to place. Look for the changes that happen. Keep your eye on the clock too. By spending a whole day in the same place, you can watch events unfold from morning to night.

The Velveteen Rabbit is not a 'real' rabbit, like the rabbits he meets in the forest. He has seams and is full of stuffing. Still, the Velveteen Rabbit doesn't mind as long as the boy who owns him loves him. One of the rabbit's friends tells him that a toy becomes real if its owner truly loves it. But when the boy leaves home to recover from an illness and is forced to leave his Velveteen Rabbit behind, what will become of his beloved toy? A heartwarming tale of childhood and the transforming power of love, this unabridged version of the children's picture book written by English-American author Margery Williams Bianco was first published in 1922.

Ever wonder where chocolate came from? We have the Mayan king Kukulkán to thank. Kukulkán is more than a king―he is also a god. One day he brings his people an amazing gift: a chocolate tree! But there is just one problem. Kukulkán’s brother, Night Jaguar, doesn’t want regular people to have chocolate. He thinks only gods should eat the tempting treat. Will Night Jaguar prevail? Or will the Mayans get to keep their chocolate tree?

In 1957, nine teenagers were chosen to be the first black students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. A small group of people in Little Rock, including the governor of Arkansas, wanted to keep them out. But those nine students knew they had a right to a good education. And they would do anything to crack the wall that had kept black people and white people apart.

James Forten knew how important freedom was. He was a free African American born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When the American Revolution started in 1776, James was too young to help fight for freedom from British rule. But in 1781, at age fifteen, he took a job on the Royal Louis, an American ship. A British warship soon captured the Royal Louis. James was taken prisoner. The British often sold African American prisoners into slavery. What would happen to James? Would he ever see his family again?

Gazing up at the stars, Benjamin Banneker longed to understand how and why things worked as they did. In a time when most black Americans were slaves, Banneker lived a life of freedom and became known as America's first black American man of science. He helped survey Washington, D.C., and became the first black American to write an almanac. Through his accomplishments, he helped advance the cause of equality for African Americans.

More than anything, nine-year-old Booker T. Washington longed to go to school, but he had to get a job to earn money for his family. Though the Civil War had freed them from slavery, Booker's family had to work hard to survive. Booker didn't forget his dream. He taught himself the alphabet, studied at night after work, and was able to realize his dream.