These stories jump and shout with the energy and spirit of the African American oral storytelling tradition. They also shine the light on ten women of the 19th and 20th centuries who dedicated their lives to the fight for Black freedom and civil rights: Sojourner Truth, Biddy Mason, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ella Josephine Baker, Dorothy Irene Height, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Shirley Chisholm. Andrea Davis Pinkney is an irresistible storyteller: “When Mary Jane McLeod slid from her mother’s womb, her eyes were wide open and she let loose a newborn’s holler that seemed to be shouting good news.” Her tales beg to be shared, enjoyed, and talked about around the dinner table, on a walk, or in the car. These are stories of struggle, of conviction, of pride, of lives worth knowing, and of courage in the face of obstacles. They can help children to understand the history of this nation and the strength to be drawn from values and personal conviction. A bibliography for further reading rounds out this striking volume. (Age 10 and older)