September 17 is National Voter Registration Day. We have compiled a list of titles, mostly nonfiction and educational, surrounding the topic of voting. We invite you to read, learn, and register to vote.
I Voted: Making a Choice Makes a Difference, DB107902, by Mark Shulman
An introduction to voting by explaining the concept of choosing individually and as a group highlighting the strategies involved in selecting a classroom pet. The author explains how those same principles apply when we choose and vote for leaders at the local, state, and national level. For grades K-3. 2020.
Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, DBC06809, by Jonah Winter
Lillian is an old woman, but she still wants to vote. She is the great-great-granddaughter of slaves, sold in front of the courthouse where Lillian now wants to vote. In those days, only rich white men could vote. The Civil War, the women's suffrage movement, and social protests are all parts of the story bringing about the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a law protecting every citizen's right to vote. For grades K-3. 2021.
One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote, DBC25080, by Bonnie Worth
Written in simple rhyme, this Cat in the Hat's Learning Library Book introduces early readers to the concept and practice of voting with a focus on the American Presidency! For grades 2-4. 2016.
Vote for Our Future! BR023178, by Margaret McNamara and Micah Player
The students at Stanton Elementary School, which is a polling place, find out all they can about voting and then encourage everyone in their neighborhoods to cast their ballots. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2020.
A Vote for Susanna the First Woman Mayor, DBC17319, by Karen M. Greenwald
In 1887 Susanna Salter was ready to vote for the first time ever. The State of Kansas had just given women the right to vote in municipal elections. But some men in Susanna's hometown, Argonia, did not think she, or any other woman should have a say in choosing their next mayor. They put Susanna on the ballot for mayor, as a joke. They were sure she would lose, and then women like her would stay at home, where they belonged. But the joke was on them when Susanna won the race! Told by a grandmother who remembers what happened on that fateful election day, this is a true story of a woman who stood up for her right to vote and accomplished so much more. For grades K-3. 2021.
For Which We Stand: How our government works and why it matters, DB102033, by Jeff Foster
Foster, an AP government teacher, discusses America's founding documents, the three branches of government, how the voting process works, the Electoral College, political parties, and more. Commercial audiobook. For grades 3-6. 2020.
America Votes: How Our President Is Elected, BR015268, by Linda Granfield
Explains the U.S. presidential election process including its history, the role of political parties, becoming a candidate, campaign finance, voting fraud, the electoral college, and casting ballots. Emphasizes the right and the responsibility of citizens to vote. For grades 4-7. 2003.
Are American Elections Fair? BR017757, by Stuart A. Kallen
Ten essays debate the U.S. election process. Includes arguments for and against the electoral college, electronic voting machines, felons' and undocumented immigrants’ voting rights, and campaign finance reform. Discusses the disputed presidential election of 2000 and provides a list of relevant organizations. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote -- a History, a Crisis, a Plan, DB109456, by Eric H. Holder and Sam Koppelman
Since the gutting of the Voting Rights act in the landmark Shelby County v. Holder case in 2013, many states have passed laws restricting the vote. America is a fragile democracy whose citizens have only had unfettered access to the ballot since the 1960s. The author takes readers through three dramatic stories of how the vote was won: first by white men, through violence and insurrection; then by white women, through protests and mass imprisonments; and finally, by African Americans, in the face of lynchings and terrorism. Full of surprising history, intensive analysis, and actionable plans, this is a powerful primer on our most urgent political struggle from one of the country's leading advocates. Commercial audiobook. 2022.
On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights, DB109026, by Lawrence Goldstone
One promise of democracy is the right of every citizen to vote. And yet, from our founding, strong political forces were determined to limit that right. The Supreme Court, Alexander Hamilton wrote, would protect the weak against this very sort of tyranny. Complex threats against the right to vote persist even today. Beginning in 1876, the Supreme Court systematically dismantled the equal protection guarantees of the Fourteenth Amendment and the right to vote in the Fifteenth. And so, a half million African Americans across the South who had risked their lives and property to be allowed to cast ballots were stricken from voting rolls by white supremacists. This book tells the story of an American tragedy, the only occasion in United States history in which a group of citizens who had been granted the right to vote then had it stripped away. It is a warning that the right to vote is fragile and must be carefully guarded and actively preserved lest American democracy perish. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy, DB119833, by Richard L. Hasen
Throughout history, too many Americans have been disenfranchised or faced needless barriers to vote. Part of the blame falls on the Constitution, which does not contain an affirmative right to vote. The Supreme Court has made matters worse by failing to protect voting rights and limiting Congress's ability to do so. The time has come for voters to act and push for an amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee this right for all. Commercial audiobook. 2024.
This month we celebrate the history of New York State and look particularly at the Dutch influence on this history. Our list includes titles for all ages, mostly nonfiction but with a few historical fiction titles as well. Read, learn, and enjoy!
The morning chair, DB043247, by Barbara M. Joosse
Bram is a little Dutch boy who lives with his parents in a seaside village. In 1950 Bram’s family gets immigration papers to move to America. Bram’s mother had told him about America while they sat in their morning chair and sipped tea. Now both chair and family have a new home. For grades K-3. 2017.
The Jews of New Amsterdam, DB030469, by Eva Deutsch Costabel
Early one September morning in 1654, twenty-three Jews escaping persecution in Brazil sailed into the harbor of New Amsterdam (now New York). The governor wanted to expel them, but his employer, the Dutch West India Company, gave them permission to stay. Restrictions were placed on their freedom, however. They could not own homes, join the army, or hold certain jobs. This book tells the story of how they adapted and progressed. For grades 3-6. 1968.
American Archaeology Uncovers the Dutch Colonies, DB071662, by Lois Miner Huey
Discusses archaeological finds at sites in New York and Delaware colonized by the Dutch between 1609 and 1664. Explains what scientists have learned from the garbage of ordinary settlers who lived in forts, towns, and farms. For grades 4-7. 2010.
New York, BR009011 and DB034611, by Donald H. Bragaw, R. Conrad Stein, Paul J. Scudiere, and Robert L. Hillerich
Since its founding as a Dutch colony, New York has served as the gateway to America. Millions of immigrants to the United States have passed through New York City. And millions have chosen to stay there, making New York City the largest city in the nation and one of the most culturally diverse in the world. New York state also leads in industry, agriculture, and commerce. An introduction to the "Empire State" for grades 4-7 and older readers. 1989.
Martin Van Buren 8th President of the United States, BR007999 and DB030108, by Rafaela Ellis
Martin Van Buren was born in 1782 in a small Dutch community in New York. Although Martin was needed to work in his family's tavern, he finished the academy and became a law apprentice when he was fourteen. He soon discovered politics and moved to New York City where he became a notable lawyer and politician. He was elected president in 1836. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 1990.
The Mohawk, DB072686, by Nancy Bonvillain
History of the New York state Mohawk, the largest nation in the Iroquois Confederacy. Discusses the tribe's seventeenth-century fur-trading partnership with the Dutch and the English, skill at basketry, and adjustments to twentieth-century changes. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2005.
A Brief Political and Geographic History of North America: Where Is New France, New Netherland, And New Sweden, DB068569, by Lissa Jones Johnston.
Discusses three major colonies that played important but little-known parts in the history of North America prior to the establishment of the thirteen colonies that became the United States. Covers related geographic names and key leaders. For grades 6-9. 2008.
The Hudson: A History, DB062666, by Tom Lewis
An overview of the Hudson River region since its seventeenth-century discovery by Europeans and changes to the area over time. Details its geography from the Adirondacks to New York City. Discusses the waterway's importance in travel, commerce, industry, and war and as an inspiration to artists, writers, and environmentalists. 2005.
The Island at The Center of The World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and The Forgotten Colony That Shaped America, DB058272, by Russell Shorto
Portrait of the "first New Yorkers"--the earliest European inhabitants of Manhattan predating the thirteen "original" English colonies. From archival documents including letters, deeds, journals, and court proceedings, the author reconstructs the multiethnic Dutch settlement and clash of two seventeenth-century powers that ended in 1664 when England took over Manhattan. 2004.
A history of the Jews in America, DB036162, by Howard Morley Sachar
Begins with the transplanting of European Jews to the New World and the establishment of New Amsterdam in 1654. Also discusses subsequent Jewish immigration, especially from eastern Europe; challenges newcomers face adapting to a new world while retaining their heritage; milestones in Jewish life, such as the Holocaust and the Six-Day War; and Jewish involvement in society. 1992.
City of dreams a novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and early Manhattan, DB064726, by Beverly Swerling
In 1661, English surgeon Lucas Turner and his sister Sally, an apothecary, arrive at the Dutch settlement on the island of Manhattan. Violence and betrayal soon make the siblings enemies, beginning a feud that resonates for generations. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2001.
Knickerbocker's History of New York, DB030658, by Washington Irving
Knickerbocker is an imaginary historian who records the early history of New York when it was still New Amsterdam, perceiving the traditions of the city in a comic manner. 1956.