Most Popular Books by Doreen Rappaport

Recounts the efforts of Jews who organized others and sabotaged the Nazis during the Holocaust, including Georges Loinger who smuggled children from occupied France into Switzerland and four brothers who led refugees into the forest to build a village and an army.

This stellar collection of accessible biographies of 13 noted Jewish Americans includes such world-famous figures as magician Harry Houdini, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Full color.

Describes an incident in the life of John Parker, an ex-slave who became a successful businessman in Ripley, Ohio, and who repeatedly risked his life to help other slaves escape to freedom.

During the Revolutionary War, two young sisters help a group of Boston women get coffee from a greedy merchant.

Jacques and his parents are hiding in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, pretending to be Catholics. On the first night of Passover, Jacques and his father elude Nazi soldiers to gather with other Jews and celebrate the Seder in secret. For this book, Doreen Rappaport researched the lives of resistance fighters and Jews in hiding: brave men and women who managed to survive one of the darkest times in history with their faith intact.

Taken from her family on the Yankton Sioux Reservation at the age of eight and sent to a school far from home, Gertrude is forced to become "civilized"--to give up her moccasins, her long hair, and her language, and to renounce her Sioux heritage. As an adult, she renames herself Zitkala-¬Sa, which means "Red Bird," and devotes her life to fighting for justice for Native Americans. Her powerful and memorable story, told in her own words from letters and diaries, will inspire anyone who has ever dreamed of making a difference.

In Drew, Mississippi, in 1965, the schools were still segregated, with "all-black" schools lacking appropriate resources. The Carters, a family of sharecroppers, had had enough. They wanted their children to have an equal opportunity for a good education. So they sent their kids to the "all-white" schools. Teasing and death threats followed - it was not easy to be black and wage a fight for equality. This beautifully illustrated book tells a true story of faith, courage, and honor: qualities Americans of any color can learn from the Carters.

Six stories of American women who defied social convention to undertake dangerous adventures.

Five accounts of black slaves who managed to escape to freedom during the period preceding the Civil War.

An eye-opening look at the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball and became an American hero. Baseball, basketball, football — no matter the game, Jackie Robinson excelled. His talents would have easily landed another man a career in pro sports, but in America in the 1930s and ’40s, such opportunities were closed to athletes like Jackie for one reason: his skin was the wrong color. Settling for playing baseball in the Negro Leagues, Jackie chafed at the inability to prove himself where it mattered most: the major leagues. Then in 1946, Branch Rickey, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, decided he was going to break the “rules” of segregation: he recruited Jackie Robinson. Fiercely determined, Jackie faced cruel and sometimes violent hatred and discrimination, but he proved himself again and again, exhibiting courage, restraint, and a phenomenal ability to play the game. In this compelling biography, award-winning author Doreen Rappaport chronicles the extraordinary life of Jackie Robinson and how his achievements won over — and changed — a segregated nation.

Offers the true story about the work that was done by so many on both sides of the ocean to create this enduring symbol of freedom and the fundraisers held by everyday people to build her the pedestal on which she would forever stand in the Hudson Harbor. 40,000 first printing.

This powerfully illustrated picture book biography tells the courageous life story of Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. As a child in Oklahoma, Wilma Mankiller experienced the Cherokee practice of Gadugi, helping each other, even when times were hard for everyone. But in 1956, the federal government uprooted her family and moved them to California, wrenching them from their home, friends, and traditions. Separated from her community and everything she knew, Wilma felt utterly lost until she found refuge in the Indian Center in San Francisco. There, she worked to build and develop the local Native community and championed Native political activists. She took her two children to visit tribal communities in the state, and as she introduced them to the traditions of their heritage, she felt a longing for home. Returning to Oklahoma with her daughters, Wilma took part in Cherokee government. Despite many obstacles, from resistance to female leadership to a life-threatening accident, Wilma''s courageous dedication to serving her people led to her election as the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. As leader and advocate, she reinvigorated her constituency by empowering them to identify and solve community problems. This beautiful addition to the Big Words series will inspire future leaders to persevere in empathy and thoughtful problem-solving, reaching beyond themselves to help those around them. Moving prose by award-winning author Doreen Rappaport is interwoven with Wilma''s own words in this expertly researched biography, illustrated with warmth and vivacity by Linda Kukuk. Don’t miss these other titles in the Big Words series! Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

She couldn''t go to college. She couldn''t become a politician. She couldn''t even vote. But Elizabeth Cady Stanton didn''t let that stop her. She called on women across the nation to stand together and demand to be treated as equal to men-and that included the right to vote. It took nearly seventy-five years and generations of women fighting for their rights through words, through action, and through pure determination . . . for things to slowly begin to change. With the help of these trailblazers'' own words, Doreen Rappaport''s engaging text, brought to life by Matt Faulkner''s vibrant illustrations, shows readers just how far this revolution has come, and inspires them to keep it going!

“Tributes to the Statue of Liberty abound, but this one stands out for its unusual approach and powerful illustrations.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) It begins in 1865 as a romantic idea, but ten years later Édouard Laboulaye’s dream catches fire. Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi gives the dream the form of a lady, holding a torch to “enlighten the world.” Engineers, plasterers, carpenters, and coppersmiths work together to turn the lady into a monument more than 100 feet tall. Doreen Rappaport’s poetic vignettes and Matt Tavares’s magnificent images remind us of the origins of a national symbol—and show that it took a lot of people to make the Lady.

In 1920, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were accused of murdering two security guards during a robbery. Both men were Italian immigrants and self-proclaimed anarchists. Were these two men guilty, or were they the victims of prejudice? Readers can assume the role of judge and jury--and decide the fate of Sacco and Vanzetti.

Combines first-person historical accounts, traditional black spirituals, and passages about the daily lives of slaves to provide a chronicle of slavery in America.

This final installment in the powerful nonfiction trilogy about the African-American experience introduces readers to the people, armed with the songs and strength passed down from their ancestors, who profoundly impacted the American Civil Rights Movement. Reprint.

When Martin was growing up he saw the signs WHITE ONLY everywhere in his hometown. Every time he read the words, he felt bad. Until he remembered what his mother told him: ¿You are as good as anyone.¿ Doreen Rappaport weaves her words and the words of Dr. Martin Luther King., Jr., into a captivating narrative to tell the story of Dr. King¿s life. The text is graceful, simple, and completely accessible for young readers; a chronology and bibliography offer other resources for exploring the life of this great American. Illustrated with stunning full-color collage art by acclaimed artist Bryan Collier, this is an unforgettable portrait of a man whose dream changed America, and the world, forever. Caldecott Honor Book, Best Illustrated Children¿s Book, NY Times, and Coretta Scott King Award.