Doreen Rappaport – författare

In a stirring chronicle, Doreen Rappaport brings to light the courage of countless Jews who organized to sabotage the Nazis and help other Jews during the Holocaust.

Under the noses of the military, Georges Loinger smuggles thousands of children out of occupied France into Switzerland. In Belgium, three resisters ambush a train, allowing scores of Jews to flee from the cattle cars. In Poland, four brothers lead more than 1,200 ghetto refugees into the forest to build a guerilla force and self-sufficient village. And twelve-year-old Motele Shlayan entertains German officers with his violin moments before setting off a bomb. Through twenty-one meticulously researched accounts—some chronicled in book form for the first time—Doreen Rappaport illuminates the defiance of tens of thousands of Jews across eleven Nazi-occupied countries during World War II. In answer to the genocidal madness that was Hitler’s Holocaust, the only response they could abide was resistance, and their greatest weapons were courage, ingenuity, the will to survive, and the resolve to save others or to die trying.

This "magnificent account" (New York Times) of Helen Keller's life presents a moving portrait of one of the world’s great luminaries.  When Helen was nineteen months old, an illness left her unable to see or speak. She struggled to make herself understood, and often lashed out when she couldn't. With the help of a teacher named Annie Sullivan, she learned to spell words with her fingers, opening her world immeasurably. She soon learned to write and to read Braille, and even to read lips by touch; with Annie by her side, she went to college, and wrote an autobiography that shared her story with the world. She was lauded as a genius and became an advocate for people with disabilities, workers' rights, women's rights, and racial justice.  With her signature style of accessible prose laced with stirring quotes, Doreen Rappaport brings to life Helen Keller’s poignant narrative in this addition to the Big Words series of picture book biographies. Acclaimed illustrator Matt Tavares beautifully captures the dynamism and verve of Helen’s life and legacy, making Helen's Big World an unforgettable portrait of a woman whose vision for innovation and progress changed America—and the world—forever. ★ “Stirring and awe-inspiring.” —The Horn Book ★ “While there are many books available about Helen Keller for this age group, this title offers a unique and beautiful perspective on her life.” —School Library Journal “No child could read this book without imagining herself, as Helen put it, 'in the still, dark world in which I lived.' But it makes Helen’s path to self-expression all the more resonant and inspiring.” —New York Times "A worthwhile addition to biography shelves." —BooklistDon’t miss these other titles in the Big Words series!Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen OchoaRuth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader GinsburgWilma's Way Home: The Life of Wilma MankillerAbe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham LincolnMartin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

An eye-opening look at the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball and became an American hero.

Baseball, basketball, football—no matter the game, Jackie Robinson excelled. His talents would have easily landed another man a career in pro sports, but in America in the 1930s and ’40s, such opportunities were closed to athletes like Jackie for one reason: his skin was the wrong color. Settling for playing baseball in the Negro Leagues, Jackie chafed at the inability to prove himself where it mattered most: the major leagues. Then in 1946, Branch Rickey, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, decided he was going to break the “rules” of segregation: he recruited Jackie Robinson. Fiercely determined, Jackie faced cruel and sometimes violent hatred and discrimination, but he proved himself again and again, exhibiting courage, restraint, and a phenomenal ability to play the game. In this compelling biography, award-winning author Doreen Rappaport chronicles the extraordinary life of Jackie Robinson and how his achievements won over—and changed—a segregated nation.