Granddaddy's Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box

Written by: Michael S. Bandy, Eric Stein, and James E. Ransome

First line: Where we lived, I didn't need an alarm clock.

Why you should read this book: Based on historical events, this picture book shows the reality of voter suppression in the American south before the 1965 Voting Rights Act. A small boy admires his grandfather's strength in working their farm and in not responding to the culture of racism that violated his civil rights at the voting booth, and reminds young readers never to take their own rights for granted. The story is never heavy-handed and even the youngest listeners should be able to follow the characters' journey and begin to comprehend the injustice, and the author's determination to remember.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You have a tendency to lose your temper in the face of injustice; you've ever been arrested for speaking truth to power.