An American Story, Kwame Alexander
An American Story, Kwame Alexander
List: $4.99 | Sale: $3.50
Club: $2.49

An American Story

Author: Kwame Alexander

Narrator: Stacy Gonzalez

Unabridged: 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/03/2023

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

#1 New York Times Bestselling and award-winning author of The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander, pens a powerful picture book that tells the story of American slavery through the voice of a teacher struggling to help her students understand its harrowing history.

From the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South, this is a story of a people's struggle and strength, horror and hope. This is the story of American slavery, a story that needs to be told and understood by all of us. A testament to the resilience of the African American community, this book honors what has been and envisions what is to be.

With stunning mixed-media illustrations by newcomer Dare Coulter, this is a potent book for those who want to speak the truth. Perfect for family sharing, the classroom, and homeschooling.

About Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander is a poet, an educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty-five books, including his Newbery Medal–winning middle grade novel The Crossover. Some of his other works include Booked, which was longlisted for the National Book Award; The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life; Swing; the picture books How to Read a Book and How to Write a Poem (coauthored with Deanna Nikaido), both illustrated by Melissa Sweet; and The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and won the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. He is a regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, currently serving as their poet ambassador. He lives in Virginia with his family. Visit his website at kwamealexander.com. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Bookishrealm on January 21, 2023

This amazing book. I shouldn’t be surprised because everything that Kwame Alexander does is pretty amazing. An American Story not only captures the horrors of American slavery but also the need for hope to move forward. While readers move through this book, they’ll come across the statement “how do......more

Goodreads review by Betsy on January 16, 2023

How soon is too soon? How early is too early? Is it possible to teach the hard parts of American history (putting back in all the people who were left out of our history books when we were kids) to children of a young age? I’m not just saying this off the top of my head, because all across this nati......more

Goodreads review by DaNae on March 04, 2023

Kwame Alexander acknowledges that there are atrocities too difficult to discuss. Smothering them is not the answer. With his lyric language he unfolds history, not shying away from the worst of it. Eventually ending with hope, strength and promise. An essential book. Also, I wondering when slavery st......more

Goodreads review by Katie on January 06, 2023

A must have picture book.......more

Goodreads review by Sara on January 10, 2024

Made me cry.......more


Quotes

*"Beautifully crafted and brutally honest, this offers a thoughtful introduction to a necessary topic."
 —Booklist, starred review

*"With powerful art from a bold new talent, this is a probing and sensitive take on a devastating chapter of U.S. history."Kirkus, starred review

*"Alexander and Coulter have created a powerful counternarrative in their efforts to answer the question, “How do you tell a story about slavery?”Horn Book