Display: Ann Bausum

 

The Bard and the Book

By Ann Bausum

Atlanta: Peachtree Publishing Company Inc., 2024. Informational. 103 pages.

The unlikely true story of why we know the name William Shakespeare today, and the four-hundred-year-old book that made it possible. Four hundred years ago, no one bothered to write down the exact words of stage plays. Characters' lines were scribbled on small rolls of paper (as in, an actor's role) and passed around, but no master script was saved for the future. The main reason we've heard of Romeo, Juliet, Hamlet, and Shakespeare himself is that a group of people made the excellent choice to preserve the plays after the Bard died. If they hadn't created the book known as the First Folio, Shakespeare and his works would surely have been lost to history. Part literary scavenger hunt (the search for every existing First Folio continues today), part book trivia treasure trove, and part love letter to Shakespeare, this behind-the-scenes, sharply funny true story is an ideal introduction to the Bard and his famous plays. --Editor

The Day King Died

Written by Ann Bausum

Illustrated by Solomon Hughes

New Rochelle, NY: Newmark Learning LLC, 2025. Informational.

When Martin Luther King Jr. landed in Memphis on April 3, 1968, no one knew he would be killed the next day. When he gave his famous Mountaintop speech, no one knew it would be his last. And when the world learned of his death, no one knew exactly how deeply his legacy would live on.Interwoven with excerpts from "I've Been to the Mountaintop" and "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" (the song played at King's funeral), The Day King Died recounts the last 24 hours of his life while reminding us how his teachings continue to endure. A Harmonious Tribute: This remarkable book interweaves excerpts from Dr. King's iconic "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech and the soul-stirring hymn "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" - a song that played at his funeral. Through these powerful words and the collective artistry of the illustrators, "The Day King Died" pays tribute to the last 24 hours of Dr. King's life, preserving his memory with grace and reverence. --Editor

Freedom Riders

By Ann Bausum

Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2006. Informational. 79 pages.

Offers the true account of two young men who took the risk to venture into the segregated South at the peak of the Civil Rights era to take part as Freedom Riders and fight for equality for all. --Editor

Denied, Detained, Deported

By Ann Bausum

Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2019. Informational. 111 pages.

Examines the history of American immigration, particularly those lesser-known stories of immigrants who were denied entrance into the United States or detained for security reasons, including the story of a ship of Jewish refugees. --Editor

Ensnared in the Wolf's Lair

By Ann Bausum

Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2021. Informational. 143 pages.

The stories of the children whose families were torn apart as a result of a failed attempt to assassinate Hitler in 1944. --Editor