A century after its creation, the ACLU remains the nation’s premier defender of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. On January 19, 1920, a small group of idealists and visionaries, including Helen Keller, Jane Addams, Roger Baldwin, and Crystal Eastman, founded the American Civil Liberties Union. The American Civil Liberties Union partners with award-winning authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman in this “forceful, beautifully written” (Associated Press) collection that brings together many of our greatest living writers, each contributing an original piece inspired by a historic ACLU case. Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael Lopez’s dazzling art celebrate the extraordinary ability to lift ourselves up and imagine a better world. This precious skill, their grandmother tells them, harkens back to the days long before they were born, when their ancestors showed the world the strength and resilience of their beautiful and brilliant minds. Then, on a day full of quarrels, it’s time for a trip outside their minds again, and they are able to leave their anger behind. Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored you are now.” And before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López's highly anticipated companion to their #1 New York Times bestseller The Day You Begin illuminates the power in each of us to face challenges with confidence.

(This book is also available in Spanish, as El mundo era nuestro!) But not to worry-they know there is always tomorrow to do it all over again-because the block belongs to them and they rule their world. That is, till their moms call them home for dinner. Freedom from morning till night to go out to meet their friends and make the streets their playground-jumping double Dutch, playing tag and hide-and-seek, building forts, chasing ice cream trucks, and best of all, believing anything is possible. It's getting hot outside, hot enough to turn on the hydrants and run through the water-and that means it's finally summer in the city! Released from school and reveling in their freedom, the kids on one Brooklyn block take advantage of everything summertime has to offer.

Two children’s book superstars-#1 New York Times bestseller Jacqueline Woodson, the author of The Day You Begin, and Leo Espinosa, the illustrator of Islandborn-join forces to celebrate the joy and freedom of summer in the city, which is gloriously captured in their rhythmic text and lively art.

Our Gracie Aunt by Jacqueline Woodson