The Known World

In one of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, two-time National Book Award Finalist Edward P. Jones introduces us to Henry Townsend, a black farmer, boot maker and former slave who comes under the tutelage of William Robbins, the most powerful man in Jones's fictitious Manchester County, Virginia. Making certain he never circumvents the law, Townsend runs his affairs with unusual discipline. But his widow, Caledonia, can't uphold the order he has imposed on his estate and it begins to fall apart shortly after his death. Slaves take to escaping under the cover of night, and families who had once found love beneath the weight of slavery begin to betray one another. Beyond the Townsend estate, the known world also unravels: low-paid white patrollers stand watch as slave ' speculators' sell free black people into slavery, and rumors of slave rebellions set white families against slaves who have served them for years.

Literature & Fiction

Jones, Edward P.

Contemporary

Amistad

Masterful, Pulitzer-prize winning literary epic about the painful and complex realities of slave life on a Southern plantation. An utterly original exploration of race, trust and the cruel truths of human nature, this is a landmark in modern American literature. Henry Townsend, a black farmer, boot maker, and former slave, becomes proprietor of his own plantation -- as well as his own slaves. When he dies, his widow, Caldonia, succumbs to profound grief, and things begin to fall apart: slaves take to escaping under the cover of night, and families who had once found love beneath the weight of slavery begin to betray one another. Beyond the Townsend household, the known world also unravels: low-paid white patrollers stand watch as slave 'speculators' sell free black people into slavery, and rumours of slave rebellions set white families against slaves who have served them for years. An ambitious, luminously written novel that ranges from the past to the present, The Known World seamlessly weaves together the lives of the freed and the enslaved -- and allows all of us a deeper understanding of the enduring multi-dimensional world created by the institution of slavery.

Edward P. Jones

Me & Neesie (reillustrated)

Janell does everything with her best friend, Neesie, but Mama and Daddy can't seem to understand that Neesie's not made up. She's very real ... to Janell. In Me &amp; Neesie, Eloise Greenfield offers a reassuring story about the special place an imaginary friend and a loving, caring family have in a little girl's heart. First published in 1975, Me &amp; Neesie was selected as a Reading Rainbow book. This special thirtieth anniversary edition has been illustrated with new, vibrant paintings by Jan Spivey Gilchrist.

Children's Books

Greenfield, Eloise

Growing Up & Facts of Life

The Friendly Four

With the summer upon them, four kids from the city find friendship in one another as the lazy days go by--learning a lot about themselves, each other, and their community in the process that will forever alter their views of the world in which they live.

Biographies

Tapping a wellspring of comfort, inspiration, and renewal, Gloria Jean Pinkney has gathered twenty-two African-American spirituals and reverential songs. She's carefully chosen a psalm for each to illuminate its meaning. Soaring artwork by her husband, Jerry, and their sons, Brian Pinkney and Myles C. Pinkney, graces these pages. Expressing themselves in three distinct styles, these award-winning artists draw on a shared heritage to create images that meld beautifully. Including notes on music by daughter, Troy, and Gloria Jean Pinkney's moving tribute to the importance of spirited music in their lives, this is a book families will treasure. It evokes a universal feeling of harmony, with time-honored songs, psalms, and wondrous art to stir the heart. Your whole family is invited to join in as Gloria sings the twenty-two selections chosen for this book on the accompanying CD. Gloria Jean Pinkney grew up with the tradition of churchgoing, but she was a reluctant soloist until the Lord and His Redeemer strengthened her confidence. Her most recent publication is a book about the Holy Spirit, In the Forest of Your Remembrance.

Music from Our Lord's Holy Heaven Book and CD

Pinkney, Gloria Jean

Arts, Music & Photography

Complete with a CD of five Christmas carols sung by the Boys Choir of Harlem, including "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night," an illustrated book and CD set celebrates the birth of Jesus and the wondrous events surrounding that special night in a manger in Bethlehem so many centuries ago.

O Holy Night: Christmas with the Boys Choir of Harlem

Public Domain

Some of My Best Friends: Writings on Interracial Friendships

Emily Bernard examines the complexities of interracial friendships -- white and black, Latino and white, black and Asian, black and Jewish -- in this poignant book that includes essays from Pam Houston, Darryl Pinckney, Luis Rodriguez, and Susan Straight, among others. Meet a young Italian American heading off to college, the first in his family to do so -- where he rooms with and befriends a sophisticated young black man from a highly educated, socially prominent Washington, D.C., family. Meet a second-generation Korean American "from the 'hood" who is more comfortable with Latinos and blacks than with Korean kids who grew up in the suburbs, and compares his friendships to bi-bam-bap, a Korean dish of "all different vegetables, meats, rice, hot sauce mixed in together like crazy." Meet a black man who reflects on a twenty-year friendship with a Jewish man he met in school and with whom he can talk about absolutely everything, except perhaps the politics of the Middle East. A book that celebrates interracial friendships as it examines them, Some of My Best Friends is a timely look at a subject that has yet to be fully explored.

Politics & Social Sciences

Bernard, Emily

Social Sciences

Growing interest in reparations for African Americans has prompted a range of responses, from lawsuits against major American corporations and a march in Washington to an anti-reparations ad campaign. As a result, the historical link between slavery and contemporary race relations is more potent and obvious than ever. Lawmakers, distinguished academics, and grassroots organizers have embraced the idea that reparations should be pursued vigorously in courts of law and legislative bodies. But others ask, Who should pay? And how would reparations help heal the wounds of the past?
This comprehensive collection -- the only one of its kind -- gathers together the seminal essays and key participants in the debate. Pro-reparations essays by an array of contributors, including Congressman John Conyers Jr., Christopher Hitchens, Professor Molefi Kete Asante, and activist Deadria C. Farmer-Paellmann, are balanced by counterarguments by Shelby Steele, Armstrong Williams, and linguist John McWhorter, among others. Also included are important documents such as the First Congressional Reparations Bill of 1867 and the Dakar Declaration of 2001.
Whether you are for or against reparations, Should America Pay? is the definitive sourcebook for future discussions on the subject and is invaluable to anyone looking for historical and legal insight into one of America's most urgent and passionate debates.

Should America Pay?: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations

Winbush PhD, Raymond

Growing interest in reparations for African Americans has prompted a range of responses, from lawsuits against major corporations and a march in Washington to an anti-reparations ad campaign. As a result, the link between slavery and contemporary race relations is more potent and obvious than ever. Grassroots organizers, lawmakers, and distinguished academics have embraced the idea that reparations should be pursued vigorously in the courts and legislature. But others ask, Who should pay? And could reparations help heal the wounds of the past?
This comprehensive collection -- the only of its kind -- gathers together the seminal essays and key participants in the debate. Pro-reparations essays, including contributions by Congressman John Conyers Jr., Christopher Hitchens, and Professor Molefi Asante, are countered with arguments by Shelby Steele, Armstrong Williams, and John McWhorter, among others. Also featured are important documents, such as the First Congressional Reparations Bill of 1867 and the Dakar Declaration of 2001, as well as a new chapter on the current status and future direction of the movement.

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Sixteen-year-old Crystal knows she's blessed. She is drop-dead gorgeous and in the beginning stages of a glamorous career as a model in New York City. At first, modeling is exciting. But soon, her life becomes less and less about her, and more and more about her body. Crystal wonders if her new life is worth giving up everything -- her friends, her beliefs, and her self-respect.

Crystal

Teen & Young Adult

Myers, Walter Dean

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Books by Amistad

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Amistad publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Known World

The Known World

Me & Neesie (reillustrated)

The Friendly Four

Music from Our Lord's Holy Heaven Book and CD

O Holy Night: Christmas with the Boys Choir of Harlem

Some of My Best Friends: Writings on Interracial Friendships

Should America Pay?: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations

Should America Pay?: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations

Crystal