The 1619 Project: Born on the Water
Penguin Young Readers Group · Print & ebook · November 16, 2021
A Picture Books pick for readers exploring The 1619 Project: Born on the Water.
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- Who it’s for
- A family-tree question opens into a lyrical reflection on slavery, survival, and Black resistance.
- Themes
- Slavery and Black resistance, Family ancestry and history, Survival and hope
- Pacing
- Reflective
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Start with this bookAbout this book
The 1619 Project’s lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson. A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations.
Continue reading
Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived. And the people planted dreams and hope, willed themselves to keep living, living. And the people learned new words for love for friend for family for joy for grow for home. With powerful verse and striking illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, Born on the Water provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity.
Memory in Verse
A family-tree question opens into a lyrical reflection on slavery, survival, and Black resistance.
Come here for
- Verse that holds painful history alongside hope, love, and joy
- A family’s search for roots reaching back beyond the water
Expect
- A young student’s perspective on ancestry and American identity
- Striking illustrations paired with thoughtful, accessible verse
Where it sits
| African American Life (U.S.) | 48% |
|---|---|
| Civil & Human Rights | 40% |
| Prejudice & Racism | 24% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- African American Life (U.S.)
- Colonial & Revolutionary U.S.
- Diversity & Culture
- Authors
- Nikole Hannah-Jones, Renée Watson
- Publisher
- Penguin Young Readers Group
- Published
- November 16, 2021
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Slavery and Black resistance · Family ancestry and history · Survival and hope
- Reading lane
- African American Life (U.S.)