Troubled Waters

From Young People's Poet Laureate Carole Boston Weatherford and award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier, a stirring account of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, as witnessed by the Alabama River.

Some say water is the mightiest force on earth.
But the yearning for freedom is even stronger.

For centuries, the Alabama River has been a witness. Buried in its riverbed are countless fossils and artifacts-as well as souls, secrets, and stories.

Troubled Waters brings history to life through the voice of this mighty waterway, from the earliest settlers on its shores to 1965, when Black citizens in Selma rose up like a river to demand their right to vote.

In this breathtakingly original picture book, celebrated creators Carole Boston Weatherford and Bryan Collier show that the Alabama River is much more than a witness to history. It is also a source of strength, keeping hope afloat through times of trouble; and a rising tide, coursing on a journey toward justice.

Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of numerous award-winning books including BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood which received a Newbery Honor and R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, illustrated by Frank Morrison which won the 2021 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award. When she's not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. She lives in North Carolina.

Bryan Collier is the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winner of numerous children's books, including Rosa and Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When he's not painting, he spends his time visiting schools and encouraging young artists and readers. Bryan lives in New York with his wife and daughter. www.bryancollier.com

• Publisher:‎ Bloomsbury Books (February 1, 2021)
• Language: ‎English
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• ISBN-13: ‎9781681198187
• Reading age: 8-12 years
• Grade level: ‎3-6
• Item Weight: ‎1 pounds
• Dimensions:‎ 9.4 x 0.3 x 11 inches