Books in American Music Milestones series

A New York Times Best Seller A February IndieNext Pick Named A Most Anticipated Book of 2019 by Buzzfeed, Nylon, The A. V. Club, CBC Books, and The Rumpus. And a Winter's Most Anticipated Book by Vanity Fair and The Week Starred Reviews: Kirkus and Booklist "Warm, immediate and intensely personal."—New York Times How does one pay homage to A Tribe Called Quest? The seminal rap group brought jazz into the genre, resurrecting timeless rhythms to create masterpieces such as The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders. Seventeen years after their last album, they resurrected themselves with an intense, socially conscious record, We Got It from Here . . . Thank You 4 Your Service, which arrived when fans needed it most, in the aftermath of the 2016 election. Poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib digs into the group’s history and draws from his own experience to reflect on how its distinctive sound resonated among fans like himself. The result is as ambitious and genre-bending as the rap group itself.Abdurraqib traces the Tribe's creative career, from their early days as part of the Afrocentric rap collective known as the Native Tongues, through their first three classic albums, to their eventual breakup and long hiatus. Their work is placed in the context of the broader rap landscape of the 1990s, one upended by sampling laws that forced a reinvention in production methods, the East Coast–West Coast rivalry that threatened to destroy the genre, and some record labels’ shift from focusing on groups to individual MCs. Throughout the narrative Abdurraqib connects the music and cultural history to their street-level impact. Whether he’s remembering The Source magazine cover announcing the Tribe’s 1998 breakup or writing personal letters to the group after bandmate Phife Dawg’s death, Abdurraqib seeks the deeper truths of A Tribe Called Quest; truths that—like the low end, the bass—are not simply heard in the head, but felt in the chest.

A rapper spits rhymes into a microphone. A DJ scratches a record back and forth against a turntable needle. Fans' feet stomp along to a stiff beat. These are the sounds of hip-hop. Hip-hop music busted out of New York City in the 1970s. Many young African Americans found their voices after stepping up to the mic. In the decades afterward, rappers and DJs took over the airwaves and transformed American music. In the twenty-first century, hip-hop is a global sensation. Learn what inspired hip-hop's earliest rappers to start rhyming over beats, as well as the stories behind hip-hop legends such as Run-D.M.C., 2Pac, Lauryn Hill, and Jay-Z. Follow the creativity and the rivalries that have fueled everything from party raps to songs about social struggles. And find out how you can add your own sounds to the mix!

The 22-book American Milestone series is featured as "Retailers Recommended Fabulous Products" in the August 2012 edition of Educational Dealer magazine. When America was young, she was nearly torn apart! The new nation was already divided into tow separate worlds: North and South. These worlds collided when a newly elected Abraham Lincoln decided that he would use force to keep the Union together. Southerns like General Robert E. Lee believed that individual states should not be forced to remain in the Union against their will. "Preservation of the Union" became the battlecry when Southerners left the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. The South depended on slave labor to keep their agricultural economy growing. Many Northerns worked in factories. This cultural difference was another issue that divided young America. Between the first shots fired at Fort Sumter and the end of the war at Appomattox Court House, thousands of people died and many cities were destroyed. The Emancipation Proclamation changed the ugly face of slavery forever! Young men went off to war and came home legends. Many fought against their own brothers - and didn't come home at all! A partial list of the Table of Contents include:A Timeline of EventsWhen Brother Fought Brother: The America Civil WarHow Can War Be CivilNorth vs. SouthA Nation DividedSlavery Has Got to Go! Fort Sumter SurrendersWar Is No Picnic!: July 21, 1861Where is the Mason-Dixon Line? Battle of the Ironclads: March 8, 1862Women in the Civil WarFlags of the Civil War: SouthThe Bloodest Battle of the Civil War: September 17, 1862African Americans in the Civil WarCivil War LeadersAnd Much More!

The 22-book American Milestone series is featured as "Retailers Recommended Fabulous Products" in the August 2012 edition of Educational Dealer magazine. In this book, kids will sit in the same room with Jefferson as he frets over the best words to convey his message. They will stand in line with the great American patriots as they ink their signatures on the parchment. And they will cheer with the crowds of colonists as the founding fathers read aloud one of the most cherished documents-the Declaration of Independence! A partial list of the Table of Contents include: A Timeline of EventsThe Declaration of IndependenceA Declaration of FreedomThe French and Indian WarThe Brits Won't QuitJohn Locke's New DealWhat Do We Want? The Dunlap BroadsidesWhat Does the Declaration Mean Today? In Plain EnglishJefferson's Rough DraftFounding FathersAnd Much More!

The 22-book American Milestone series is featured as "Retailers Recommended Fabulous Products" in the August 2012 edition of Educational Dealer magazine. In May of 1607, 104 men and boys came to what would one day be known as America. They were ill-suited for the task. Learn about the hardships they faced and how they (finally) adapted to their new surroundings to establish a foothold in the New World. This book includes: • The Virginia Company • Captain John Smith • Godspeed, Discovery, and Susan Constant • John Rolfe • James Fort • Christopher Newport • Lord De La Warr • The Starving Time • Pocahontas • Chief Powhatan • Historic Jamestowne today • and lots more! This book helps kids understand this momentous event and its impact on America's future. Reproducible activities make it fun for kids to learn about the historic people, places, and fact that are part of American history. A partial list of the Table of Contents include: A Timeline of Events The First SettlementsLet's Live Right HereMaster and CommanderA Man with a Plan! This Land is Our Land! Daily Life as a PowhatanWelcome to James Fort! What Shall I Wear? The Dread of DiseaseHow Does Tobacco Grow? And Much More!

The 22-book American Milestone series is featured as "Retailers Recommended Fabulous Products" in the August 2012 edition of Educational Dealer magazine. The words "industrial revolution" often make us think of greasy, sooty men working on enormous machines making incredible things. In reality, the industrial revolution started many years before the monster machines were even dreamed of - and it started with some of the smallest tools and parts ever made. In the late 17th century, clockmakers, builders of scientific equipment, and firearm manufactures required precision tools to help improve their products. From these small beginnings, the greatest advancements in human history were about to spring.In this book, kids will wonder at the first screws and steam engines. They will gaze in awe at the first locomotives riding on the first iron rails, and watch in amazement at the speed of 1700s textile machinery. But most of all, they will learn about how the power of inventors, creators, builders, and businessmen changed the world forever! This 32-page book is reproducible and educational.A partial list of the Table of Contents include:A Timeline of EventsFrom Muscles to Machines! The Industrial RevolutionIn the BeginningTextile RevolutionFull Steam Ahead!On the WaterMachines that Make ThingsSteel and SkyscrapersWorking ChildrenWorkers Unite!Patent PendingAdditional Resources GlossaryAnd More!This fun-fill activity book includes:Label Car PartsBuild a SkyscraperUse Immigration Chart to Answer QuestionsCreate the Front Page of a NewspaperMake a Protest SignConnect the DotsChronological OrderDecipher the CodeAnswer the QuestionsMatchingWord SearchMazeAnd Much More!

A guitarist fires off riffs. A drummer pounds out primal rhythms. Fans scream along to a booming chorus. These are the sounds of rock. When rock 'n' roll first shook up young audiences, parents and politicians screamed in protest. But artists soon used the music to make protests of their own. Since rock's birth in the 1950s, its sounds have been blasted from garages to stadiums. The music can be the soundtrack to rebellion, a tool for self-expression, or just a way to bang your head. Find out what inspired rock pioneers to pick up their guitars. Discover the stories of outrageous punks and grungy alternative rockers. And learn more about legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Metallica, and Green Day.

A singer belts out a lonesome song. A guitarist plucks out a twangy lead. A fiddle player brings out a sweet melody. These are the sounds of country. Country music rose out of the folk songs that immigrants brought to the United States. The music spread from the American South to all over the country, capturing the hopes and the struggles of everyday people. In the twenty-first century, fans enjoy all sorts of wild, upbeat, and moving styles of country music. Find out what inspired the country's most memorable songs. Discover the stories of outlaw musicians and Nashville legends. And learn more about superstars such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and Taylor Swift.

The 22-book American Milestone series is featured as "Retailers Recommended Fabulous Products" in the August 2012 edition of Educational Dealer magazine. A like but different, bound together by common experience but made individual by geography - the original Thirteen Colonies formed the foundation of the United States of America! From Massachusetts to Georgia, the colonists learned to survive and then flourish in an unknown land full of obstacles and the unexpected. How did they muster the courage, the ingenuity, and the will to persevere? Learn just what it took in this book: • The Founding Fathers • American Flag-13 Stars and 13 stripes • How the Colonies • Formed • It's Not Easy to Break Away from the Mother Country • Meeting the Native Americans • Hands-on Activities • Reproducible Activities • Glossary • Fascinating Facts • Timeline • And Lots More! The compelling story of America's original Thirteen Colonies is a meaningful one for all students who seek to understand how what we learn from history can help us in our own quests. The true high drama of emotions... the deprivations... the determination... and the "going the distance" in spite of setbacks has lessons for all ages, ethnicities, and genders. Read along, and be inspired! "If they did it, surely I can too!"

A singer calls out to the crowd. An electric bass thumps out a beat. Horns blare and strings swirl. These are the sounds of R & B. Rhythm and blues music evolved from all sorts of sounds: swinging jazz, gritty blues, and African American spiritual songs. The music's smooth mix of styles made it unique, and its passionate performers made it a sensation. Ever since Ray Charles hit the charts in the 1950s, R & B fans have held it down on dance floors. And R & B singers have belted out messages of love and calls for social change.

The crowd sways to the melodic strumming of a bossa nova guitarist. A vocalist belts out lyrics that blend English and Spanish. Couples dance to salsa's syncopated rhythms. These are the sounds of Latin music. Before Latin music exploded into the mainstream in the 1990s, it was on the sidelines of American pop. Ritchie Valens fused Latin dance music with rock. Julio Iglesias popularized Latin ballads in the United States. And Gloria Estefan was the first crossover artist. But after Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" exploded onto the pop scene in 1999, Latin music took center stage. Follow the evolution of Latin music through the decades. Learn how its distinct sounds and catchy rhythms have been integrated into American pop. Discover how it is used for political expression. And read more about stars such as Victor Jara, Selena, and Shakira.