On Shelves Now: THE SCHOOL THE AZTEC EAGLES BUILT by Dorinda Makanaonalani Nicholson

48 p.
Ages: 8 to 12

In May 1942, German U-boats torpedoed two unarmed Mexican oil tankers off the Gulf Coast, forcing Mexico to enter World War II. With the help of United States President Roosevelt, Mexican President Camacho arranged to send one Air Force squadron to fight in the war. Thirty-eight of Mexico’s top pilots, and about two hundred sixty additional military crew were carefully selected to form the 201st Air Force Squadron, also known as the Aztec Eagles. The squadron was the first unit in history to leave Mexico on a fighting mission.

To mark this historic event, President Camacho asked the men if they had any last minute requests before they went to war. Sergeant Angel Bocanegra, a former teacher and now squadron ground crewmember, stepped forward and made a request. He asked that a school be built in his small village of Tepoztlan. The School the Aztec Eagles Built tells the exciting story of how a Mexican Air Force squadron and an unknown schoolteacher made their mark in history.

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On Shelves Now: PREACHING TO THE CHICKENS: The Story of Young John Lewis by Jabari Asim

32 p.
Ages: 5 to 8

Even as a very young boy, John Lewis knew he wanted to be a preacher when he grew up. He wanted to be the kind of leader who could use his passionate speeches to stir hearts to change, minds to think, and bodies to take action.

But why wait to grow up? At five years old, when he became the official caretaker of the sixty chickens on his family’s farm, he realized he had a wonderful audience to practice on—and they became this brave Civil Rights activist’s first flock, content under his watchful care and riveted by the power of his words.

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