Juneteenth: Jubilee for Freedom

Children's Literature - Carlee Hallman

This new holiday is celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the freeing of slaves. It is marked by family gatherings, parades, barbecues, and music. "Red stands for the blood that people shed as slaves." Capsules show further facts, such as "People combined ‘June' and ‘nineteenth' to create the name Juneteenth." Although Texas was the last state to hear that slavery was over, it was the first to declare the date a state holiday. Directions are given for making a paper chain printed with words about freedom. Clear photographs, large print, simple vocabulary, and red chapter titles invite readers into the text. There is a table of contents, glossary with pronunciation guide, lists for further reading, Web sites, and an index. Part of the "First Facts" series and "Holidays and Culture" extension, this is a good resource for libraries for children.