Voices of Reality

A titillating book about American history? Before your kids roll their eyes, get hold of All the People. This, the 10th and final volume of “A History of US,” caps off the liveliest, most realistic, most well-received American history series ever written for children (Oxford University Press: all ages, available in paperback at $9.95 each, or $99.50 for the set; hardcover $14.95, or $149.50 for the set). Series author Joy Hakim, a former teacher, is no bland, faceless committee. She’s opinionated, fond of juicy stories and talented at keeping them moving. Here she cruises through the years between World War II and the present, with tales of Presidents, Joseph McCarthy, Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, heroes of modern technology, Jackie Robinson (a whole chapter), entertainers who died of drug overdoses. She spices the no-nonsense commentary with photos, sidebars, quirky quotes. Dumb things Nixon said, Reagan Administration scandals, her theories about the unpopularity of Carter, her hopes for Clinton, the importance of Billie Jean King to the women’s movement, a short course on Russian history (because you need it to understand American)--it’s all here. A worthy addition to the home library shelf, as a supplement to un-titillating textbooks.

In writing about Malcolm X, Hakim briefly discusses Muslims, or followers of Islam. Muslims are lately never far from the headlines and are the religious group--currently the fastest-growing one in the U.S.--most apt to be labeled negatively. Dismantling stereotypes is one function of Richard Wormser’s American Islam: Growing Up Muslim in America (Walker: $15.95, ages 12 and up). What better way to demystify this slice of reality than by interviewing American Muslim teens about their daily lives? Wormser includes a history of Islam and its basic beliefs, stories of immigrants from Middle Eastern countries, and reasons for the religion’s increasing popularity with African-Americans. A timely listen to real voices rarely heard from.

Gangs are another group seldom heard from, in book form at least, making Crews: Gang Members Talk to Maria Hinojosa (Harcourt: $9 paperback, ages 12 and up) a rare find. Current events inspired Hinojosa, an NPR news correspondent from “All Things Considered” to ask: “What makes it so easy now for kids to turn to violence?” She found ways to get kids to open up--girls, boys, whites, blacks and Latinos--and analyze their violent reality from their perspective. “I have lived twice as much as you have,” says one 17-year-old, with only powerlessness and anger to show for it. An afterword reveals the fates so far of those interviewed.

A less-malignant form of powerlessness hits all kids at an earlier age: Who are these people in my house? Aunts and grandmothers and other relatives are more interchangeable than they know; the concept of a stepparent can be staggering. To sort it out, Loreen Leedy has written and illustrated Who’s Who in My Family? (Holiday House: $15.95, ages 5 to 8). It’s one of few books for this age on the topic of relationships within families, which can be really confusing--even as one matures.