Ida B. Wells and the Untold Truth of a Country

Description: In the 1890s, Ida B. Wells documented the horrific lynchings of African-Americans and revealed the untold truths of the U.S. Her legacy as a trailblazing journalist and activist is honored in this definitive middle-grade biography from Newbery Honoree Lesa Cline-Ransome.

Decades before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, Ida B. Wells was thrown out of her first class train car despite having a ticket. It wasn't the last time Civil Rights activist and journalist Wells would be challenged: in 1892, a white mob burned her printing press and drove her out of town. But no matter what opposition she faced, Ida B. Wells wasn't going anywhere--and in 2020, she won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for her courageous reporting on the violence against African Americans during the era of lynching.

This biography is the awe-inspiring true story of Ida B. Wells, an activist icon who co-founded the NAACP, published her own newspaper, and fought for intersectionality within the suffragist movement--a trailblazer who was as important in her time as she remains today.

Coretta Scott King Honor author and NAACP Image Award winner Lesa Cline-Ransome brings Ida B. Wells' achievements to life, and to a young audience that recognizes the need to shatter the status quo. Beyond just a biography, this powerful text honors the history of Civil Rights while challenging readers to push back against oppressive forces by being their boldest, bravest selves.

Review Quotes: The book is thoughtfully organized to maintain readers' attention while still going into great detail about her life. . . . Wells's strong personality and convictions shine through, and readers will find this to be an inspiring read about a woman who stood her ground and gave a voice to the voiceless. . . . A solid purchase for middle school and high school biography collections for its thorough and poignant details about the life of an incredibly formidable historical figure.
--School Library Journal (starred review)

Cline-Ransome's exemplary biography of a noteworthy figure effectively employs primary sources to bring its subject to life. The short chapters contribute to its accessibility, and the carefully chosen historical details place Wells' life and work in the context of her times. A captivating narrative that reveals a fascinating, complex woman who was determined to change the world.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Archival photographs, engravings, and newspaper article reproductions punctuate the narrative, reinforcing the volume's theme of media combatting biased storytelling and influencing historical record. This timely volume pointedly approaches the United States's harrowing history, the consequences of which still reverberate into the nation's present.
--Publishers Weekly