Hallie Murray

The Vietnam War was one of the most controversial wars in American history, as many Americans opposed the United States' involvement in the war. The draft, which forced certain young men to fight in the war, even if they didn't want to, was particularly controversial. At the time, women were not allowed to fight in the military, but many worked directly in the conflict as nurses and administrators. Through fascinating and poignant interviews, this book tells the stories of six courageous women who served in the Vietnam War as they narrate their fascinating and sometimes difficult memories of the conflict.

Though women had been involved in war efforts in every conflict in American history, more women participated in the Gulf War than in any war before it. When the Gulf War began in 1990, women in the military were still not allowed to fight on the front lines, in positions that directly engaged the enemy, but the roles they held still proved challenging and dangerous. This engrossing book tells the stories of the women who fought bravely in the air, on land, at sea, and in enemy camps as prisoners of war, as well as honors those who gave their lives for their country.

Although not able to fight on the front lines of the Civil War, many brave women worked behind the scenes, engaged in daring acts of espionage and concealment. On the Union side, these covert operatives included actress Pauline Cushman, and abolitionist Elizabeth Van Lew, who used her considerable resources to create and operate a spy ring. Readers learn of the famed Underground Railroad operator Harriet Tubman. This engaging book spotlights seven of these hidden forces behind the Union's victory in the Civil War whose often under-examined life stories will thrill Civil War and espionage buffs alike.

Barred from fighting for their beliefs on the battlefield, though many tried, Southern women served the Confederacy in other ways, like through the timeless art of espionage. Confederate women used their wits, charm, and beauty to discover Union secrets and carry out covert operations for the war efforts. This insightful book highlights these little-discussed Confederate figures, including the famously persuasive Rose O'Neal. Readers will meet the Moon sisters, who used their acting skills to smuggle information and supplies under the noses of Union soldiers using all manner of disguises.

Although spying has always been a part of warfare, espionage didn't become an official part of American war efforts until World War II. The United States government established the Office of Strategic Services, which employed spies, translators, map readers, and code breakers to help gather information. Many of these roles were filled by women. This compelling book tells the riveting stories of six of these lady spies, including singer Josephine Baker, who smuggled military secrets on her sheet music; model and countess Aline Griffith; and the dangerously effective "Limping Lady," Virginia Hall.

When the United States became involved in World War II in 1941, only men were allowed to join the Air Force to fly planes in combat. Two intrepid female pilots named Nancy Harkness Love and Jacqueline Cochran told the Air Force they believed that women aviators could help in other ways. In 1943, through their efforts, the Women Airforce Service Pilots was founded. This exciting book highlights a few of the more than one thousand female aviators who created and went through this program, including Love, Cochran, and Ann Baumgartner Carl, the first woman to fly an Air Force fighter jet.

At the time of the American Revolution, women were not given many opportunities to participate in life outside the home. As many men headed off to war, their wives, daughters, and mothers had to take on new roles. Some women disguised themselves as men and fought as soldiers, while others helped the American war effort through spying and gathering information. Still others wrote and published revolutionary propaganda or helped raise money for the new American army and government. With this fascinating book, readers will be introduced to women working in all different capacities in the war that made America.

At the time of the American Revolution, women were not given many opportunities to participate in life outside the home. As many men headed off to war, their wives, daughters, and mothers had to take on new roles. Some women disguised themselves as men and fought as soldiers, while others helped the American war effort through spying and gathering information. Still others wrote and published revolutionary propaganda or helped raise money for the new American army and government. With this fascinating book, readers will be introduced to women working in all different capacities in the war that made America.

James Thomas Cool Papa Bell was a National Negro League all-star who was best known for his legendary speed. A center fielder, Bell's batting average was regularly over .4, and in one season he was said to have stolen 175 bases in just 200 games. Because of segregation, Bell was never able to play for a major league team, but he was considered by many to have been the fastest man in baseball's history. His story illuminates the financial and social struggles black players faced during a time of racial and political upheaval in America.

Satchel Paige was an enormously popular pitcher whose career spanned nearly thirty seasons across numerous teams. When he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948, he became the oldest major league rookie on a major league team, and he was the first Negro league player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Paige is often considered one of the most talented and entertaining pitchers of any race to have ever played baseball. This engaging narrative of both his successes and struggles introduces young readers to America's complicated racial and political landscape in the early twentieth century.

Inspire your readers with this biography. The exceptionally athletic Monte Irvin was an outfielder who started in the Negro leagues and eventually became one of the earliest black Major League Baseball players after joining the New York Giants in 1949. He played in two World Series with the Giants and after retiring worked as a baseball scout and served in an administrative role in the MLB commissioner's office. Readers will learn that as a mentor to Willie Mays, Irvin helped pave the way for other black players in the major leagues despite encountering racism on and off the field, and he was honored greatly later in life for his achievements.

Known as one of the best pinch-hitting third baseman to ever play the game, Judy Johnson played seventeen seasons of Negro league baseball before retiring in 1937. Johnson was known for his calm and professional demeanor on the field, and he also managed many of the teams he played for. After his retirement, he went on to become one of the first black men hired to a coaching position for a Major League Baseball team. This book chronicles the life of the sports hero while introducing readers to the difficulties of living in a time of segregation and political upheaval.

Josh Gibson, sometimes known as the black Babe Ruth for his skill at bat, was a power hitter and catcher in the Negro Leagues. He played on the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords between 1930 and 1946. Gibson died tragically from a brain tumor in 1947, just months before Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color barrier. Though he was never able to join an MLB team due to discrimination, Gibson is often considered to have been one of the best catchers and sluggers in baseball's history.

James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell was a National Negro League all-star who was best known for his legendary speed. A center fielder, Bell's batting average was regularly over .4, and in one season he was said to have stolen 175 bases in just 200 games. Because of segregation, Bell was never able to play for a major league team, but he was considered by many to have been the fastest man in baseball's history. His story illuminates the financial and social struggles black players faced during a time of racial and political upheaval in America.

Buck Leonard was a famous first baseman who played for one of the top teams in Negro league history, the Homestead Grays, for sixteen seasons, beginning in 1934. Leonard's skill led him to be known as the "black Lou Gehrig," but he was not offered a Major League Baseball contract until 1952. He declined because he felt he was too old and might damage the image of black players in general if he were injured. Leonard's story illuminates the unique challenges Negro League players faced in a time of segregation and racism.

Inspire your readers with this biography. The exceptionally athletic Monte Irvin was an outfielder who started in the Negro leagues and eventually became one of the earliest black Major League Baseball players after joining the New York Giants in 1949. He played in two World Series with the Giants and after retiring worked as a baseball scout and served in an administrative role in the MLB commissioner's office. Readers will learn that as a mentor to Willie Mays, Irvin helped pave the way for other black players in the major leagues despite encountering racism on and off the field, and he was honored greatly later in life for his achievements.

Known as one of the best pinch-hitting third baseman to ever play the game, Judy Johnson played seventeen seasons of Negro league baseball before retiring in 1937. Johnson was known for his calm and professional demeanor on the field, and he also managed many of the teams he played for. After his retirement, he went on to become one of the first black men hired to a coaching position for a Major League Baseball team. This book chronicles the life of the sports hero while introducing readers to the difficulties of living in a time of segregation and political upheaval.

Of the estimated six million Jews who died during the Holocaust, it is believed that at least three million died in work camps, where Jews were forced on pain of death to work on behalf the German military or perform backbreaking labor, and death camps like Auschwitz and Dachau. Originally built as prisons for Adolf Hitler's political opponents, these camps became the last stop for those deemed unacceptable under the Nazi regime, whether because of their race, religion, sexuality, or other attribute. Readers will learn of the horrors of the gas chambers, which could kill hundreds at once, the countless crematoria for burning dead bodies, and the horrific experiments of the infamous Joseph Mengele. Survivors' accounts of these atrocities will spur student discussion of trauma and PTSD, while tales of resistance attempts will engender conversation about courageous action in the face of almost certain death.

Both Jewish and Gentile teens played a key role in resisting the Nazi regime. Students will learn first-hand of the different resistance groups in Nazi Germany, from the anti-authoritarian pranksters Edelweiss Pirates to the communist Baum Group to the anti-fascist Christians of The White Rose. This book also examines resistance outside of Germany. While Western European countries focused on military resistance and rescuing children, resistance in Eastern Europe primarily meant survival, as Aryan-looking Jews became couriers carrying badly-needed food to those in need. Students may be inspired toward high-level ethical discussions of the role children played in certain resistance activities and the impossible choices faced by those embroiled in guerrilla warfare in the forests of Eastern Europe.

Though many teens and children did not fully understand what was happening in the early days of Adolf Hitler's reign, they certainly felt the effects of anti-Semitism. Students in Nazified schools were forced to perform the Hitler salute every day, and Jewish students were increasingly persecuted by teachers and peers alike. Friends turned against friends, and there was enormous pressure on young Gentiles to adhere to Hitler's racist policies, as Aryan teens were compelled and eventually forced to join the Hitler Youth or the League of German Girls. Students may find parallels between the pressure to conform in these groups and the echo chambers of social media. These stories of Nazi teens will spur discussion of the recruiting tactics and bonding rituals of racist groups in America today.