Books in Poetry for Young People series

A Young People's History of the United States brings to US history the viewpoints of workers, slaves, immigrants, women, Native Americans, and others whose stories, and their impact, are rarely included in books for young people. A Young People's History of the United States is also a companion volume to The People Speak, the film adapted from A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States.Beginning with a look at Christopher Columbus’s arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians, then leading the reader through the struggles for workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and ending with the current protests against continued American imperialism, Zinn in the volumes of A Young People’s History of the United States presents a radical new way of understanding America’s history. In so doing, he reminds readers that America’s true greatness is shaped by our dissident voices, not our military generals.

WINNER OF THE 2007 CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR HONOR AWARD! A fresh design and appealing new cover enliven this award-winning collection in the acclaimed Poetry for Young People series. Showcasing the extraordinary Langston Hughes, it's edited by two leading poetry experts and features gallery-quality art by Benny Andrews that adds rich dimension to the words. Hughes's magnificent, powerful words still resonate today, and the anthologized poems in this splendid volume include his best-loved works: “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”; “My People”; “Words Like Freedom”; “Harlem”; and “I, Too”--his sharp, pointed response to Walt Whitman's “I Hear America Singing.”

An acclaimed anthology receives a new design and cover! Award-winning writer, historian, and civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou is a true American icon. Twenty-five of her finest poems capture a range of emotions and experiences, from the playful “Harlem Hopscotch” to the prideful “Me and My Work” to the soul-stirring “Still I Rise.” Award-winning artist Jerome Lagarrigue masterfully illustrates each verse, and renowned academic Dr. Edwin Graves Wilson, a longtime colleague of Dr. Angelou, has written the book's introduction, introductions to the poems, and annotations.

A longtime professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, Ronald Takaki was recognized as one of the foremost scholars of American ethnic history and diversity. When the first edition of A Different Mirror was published in 1993, Publishers Weekly called it "a brilliant revisionist history of America that is likely to become a classic of multicultural studies" and named it one of the ten best books of the year. Now Rebecca Stefoff, who adapted Howard Zinn's best-selling A People's History of the United States for younger readers, turns the updated 2008 edition of Takaki's multicultural masterwork into A Different Mirror for Young People.Drawing on Takaki's vast array of primary sources, and staying true to his own words whenever possible, A Different Mirror for Young People brings ethnic history alive through the words of people, including teenagers, who recorded their experiences in letters, diaries, and poems. Like Zinn's A People's History, Takaki's A Different Mirror offers a rich and rewarding "people's view" perspective on the American story.

Use all your senses—not just your eyes—when you read Robert Frost’s remarkable poems. Your own world will quickly melt away as Frost draws you into winter wonderlands, forests, and fields. More than twenty-five of the Pulitzer-Prize winner’s best-loved poems are included, along with stunning illustrations, in this introduction to the work of one of America’s greatest poets.

The newest addition to the acclaimed Poetry for Young People series shines a light on the power and beauty of African-American verse. Co-editors Arnold Rampersad and Marcellus Blount—both towering figures in literary criticism—have put together an impressive anthology that will open up a world of wonderful word images for children. The classic poems come from some of the most influential and celebrated African-American writers in history, including Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Countee Cullen, Lucille Clifton, and James Baldwin. Helpful and generous annotations, a lively introduction, and beautiful illustrations by Karen Barbour make this the ideal book to introduce young readers to the marvels of poetry.

The creator of unforgettable tales of horror that remain classics to this day, Edgar Allan Poe may be best-known as a nineteenth-century short-story writer, but he was also a great poet who composed verses that expressed his emotions and feelings. More than twenty of his poems are brought to a new generation of readers with colorful illustrations and easy-to-understand notes that will encourage the enjoyment and appreciation of a great talent. Selections include the famous, spine-tingling “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee.”

A Young People's History of the United States brings to US history the viewpoints of workers, slaves, immigrants, women, Native Americans, and others whose stories, and their impact, are rarely included in books for young people. Volume 1 begins with a look at Christopher Columbus’s arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians, then leads the reader through the earliest struggles for workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights during the 18th and 19th centuries. Volume 2 picks the thread up in the early 20th century, covering both World Wars, Vietnam, the Black Rights movement, and ending with the current protests against continued American imperialism. Zinn presents a radical new way of understanding America’s history. In so doing, he reminds readers that America’s true greatness is shaped by our dissident voices, not our military generals.A Young People's History of the United States is also a companion volume to The People Speak, the film adapted from A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States.

See the beauty and magic of the everyday world through the eyes of Emily Dickinson, one of America’s best-loved and most renowned poets. Flowers, birds, sunrises, sunsets, the moon, and even her own existence take on surprising meanings and colorful illustrations accompany more than thirty-five of her best-loved poems. An ideal way to introduce young readers to the marvels of prose, the Poetry for Young People series opens up the world of wonderful word images by pairing classic verses with beautiful illustrations, and by providing helpful definitions and commentary.

From the grand and mythic Idylls of King Arthur to the tragic, rousing "Charge of the Light Brigade," Alfred Lord Tennyson's poetry explores a range of magical, dramatic, and thoughtful topics. This outstanding and stunningly-illustrated entry in the much-praised Poetry for Young People series gathers excerpts from 26 of his finest works. The biography and annotations by a distinguished scholar, and extraordinary full-color paintings by a renowned artist on nearly every page, are the hallmarks of this acclaimed series. Youngsters will enjoy encountering Tennyson's "Mermaid"; the "Lotos Eaters"; and "Ulysses." A beautiful picture of "The Lady of Shalott," captures the sad heroine's isolation "in her four gray walls, and four gray towers." Images of a lonely man and a sweeping landscape illustrate Tennyson's masterpiece, In Memoriam. Plus: the haunting "The Owl," the lullaby "Sweet and Low," "The Hesperides," and other immortal verses.About the Editor:John Maynard is Professor of English at New York University and the former chair of the department. He has written books on Robert Browning, Charlotte Bronte, and the Victorian view of religion and love. Professor Maynard is also co-editor of the journal Victorian Literature and Culture.About the Illustrator:Allen Garns has worked as a freelance illustrator for a number of publishers and magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly. He has received awards from the Society of Illustrators of New York, American Illustration, and Communication Arts and Graphics. His paintings have been exhibited in a number of galleries.

Classic verses about love and jealousy, friendship and betrayal, politics and ambition, and the complexity of human life. William Shakespeare’s verses—illustrated in remarkable paintings—encourage, fascinate, provoke laughter, and inspire deep feelings in readers. His classic lines moves us as much today as when Shakespeare first wrote them, from “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” to “Double, double, toil, and trouble.” Introduce children to the Bard with this wonderful, fully annotated collection of sonnets and soliloquies, enhanced with beautiful, highly realistic color paintings that bring each excerpt to vivid life.

"In an attractive large-size volume...25 poems to introduce Robert Frost to young people. The selections are arranged by the seasons, and Sorensen's handsome watercolor illustrations capture the feel of the New England landscape without in any way trying to provide literal images for the poetry. There's an excellent biographical essay, and at the bottom of each page, Schmidt provides a brief note on some of the possible ways to read the lines....These nature poems show that poetry holds feelings and ideas that everyone can understand."--Booklist. "...superb; the poems introduced in a tone that is informative but not pedantic."--PW. "...satisfies in every way."--SLJ. "Include[s] both well-known favorites and those less often read or quoted. 'Mending Wall,' 'Birches,' 'The Road Not Taken' are essential Frost and all are here."--Quill & Quire. ". . . thoughtfully compiled and brilliantly illustrated."--Buzz Weekly. 48 pages (all in color), 8 1/2 x 10.