Best Selling Books by Pat McKissack

Uses slave narratives, letters, diaries, military orders, and other documents to chronicle the various stages leading to the emancipation of slaves in the United States.

When Messy Bessey starts to clean up her desk at school, she inspires the rest of the class to clean up the entire room.

Bessey and her mother bake cookies for Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah, and after cleaning up the kitchen, they distribute the treats to their neighbors.

Presents stories of remarkable men and women who have produced inventions that made major contributions to a wide range of fields.

Messy Bessey discovers that with proper care her garden will flourish.

Traces the life and achievements of the black educator who fought bigotry and sought equality for blacks in the areas of education and political rights.

An important figure for children to know about, Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week, later expanded to Black History Month, and educated people about the accomplishments and achievements of African Americans. This book is excellent for report-writing and research as well.

One of the most celebrated writers of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes incorporated the rhythms, sounds, and language of Harlem into his poems. Give your readers a fascinating introduction to this talent.

Our Martin Luther King Book is a reinforced, library bound book in The Child''s World series Special Day Books.

Traces the history of baseball in the Negro Leagues and its great heroes, including Monte Irwin, Buck Leonard, and Cool Papa Bell.

Satchel Paige was forty-two years old when he became the first African-American pitcher in the American League. His achievements ultimately won him a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

"Belmont Plantation, Virginia, 1859"--Cover.

A fun and engaging way for young children to figure out concepts and solving problems on his or her own. Rookie Readers (Ages 5-7) have provided entertaining, high-quality introductions to reading for more than a generation. Each title features full-color, often hilarious illustrations and engaging stories that always involve a young child figuring out concepts or solving problems on his or her own. Messy Bessey shows herself to be a true friend and a good guest when she helps to clean up after a messy birthday sleepover.

After having fun at their family reunion, Messy Bessey''s family cleans up and leaves the park as beautiful as when they arrived.

Louis Armstrong was the father of the modern jazz trumpet style. He was also famous for his singing and playing of the song, Hello Dolly. Give your readers an unforgettable biography that is bound to become a favorite book.

This book describes the historical account of the "Amistad" and the freeing of Africans who had been kidnapped in the 1830s.

Describes the life of the sharecroppers'' son who became an Olympic legend, and challenged Hitler''s dream of Aryan superiority.

Examines the lives and achievements of African-American scientists from colonial days to the present, including Benjamin Banneker, George Washington Carver, and several black astronauts.

An easy-to-read retelling of the traditional tale about the little red hen and her lazy friends.

Erased by Time In 1619 twenty Africans stepped foot on American soil. They came not as slaves, but as indentured servants. They knew if they could hold on and finish out their sentences, they would be free. They came with dreams of the future and a vision of life as good as any other person''s, black or white. Who were these people? How did they get here? What happened to them? Much of the information about them -- even their names -- has been lost. Stories about them are incomplete, and facts are blurred by centuries of neglect. But their stories are worth knowing and keeping and sharing, for they are a part of the American saga. This is their story.

Simple text and illustrations describe the life and accomplishments of the revered civil rights pioneer.

Messy Bessey learns a lesson about sharing when she cleans out her closet.

Eleven-year-old Nellie Lee Love records in her diary the events of 1919, when her family moves from Tennessee to Chicago, hoping to leave the racism and hatred of the South behind.

After teasing his friends about their fears during a camping trip, Christopher discovers one of his own.

A collection of stories intended to be told, drawn from a variety of traditions including European, African, and contemporary American. Includes tips on such aspects of storytelling as voice patterns, body expression, and audience participation.

In the next Clone Codes installment, Houston, a cyborg, tells his story. Houston must fight to overcome the rules of his strange universe, where the government uses laws to torment its citizens, especially cyborgs.

An easy-to-read retelling of the fairy tale about three clever goats and a nasty troll.

Recounts the life of the author and civil rights leader who blazed a trail for racial equality and human rights through his songs, poems, speeches, and other writings.

The adventures of a kind-hearted doctor, who is fond of animals and understands their language, as he travels to Africa with some of his favorite pets to cure the monkeys of a terrible sickness.