Presenter of
the National Book Awards
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Presenter of
the National Book Awards
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Martin W. Sandler is the award–winning author of Imprisoned, Lincoln Through the Lens, The Dust Bowl Through the Lens, Kennedy Through the Lens, and How the Beatles Changed the World. He has won five Emmy Awards for his writing for television and is the author of more than sixty books, four of which were YALSA Nonfiction Award finalists. More about this author >
Filed in the following archives
1919 was a world-shaking year. America was recovering from World War I and black soldiers returned to racism so violent that that summer would become known as the Red Summer. The suffrage movement had a long-fought win when women gained the right to vote. Laborers took to the streets to protest working conditions; nationalistic fervor led to a communism scare; and temperance gained such traction that prohibition went into effect. Each of these movements reached a tipping point that year.
Now, one hundred years later, these same social issues are more relevant than ever. Sandler traces the momentum and setbacks of these movements through this last century, showing that progress isn’t always a straight line and offering a unique lens through which we can understand history and the change many still seek.
Martin W. Sandler’s riveting work of nonfiction, 1919 The Year That Changed America, focuses on one year of turbulence and its far-reaching aftermath. Sandler’s evocative language brings 1919 to life for young readers, showing us the impact of that crucial year on major issues like race relations, women’s rights, and climate change. This carefully researched and curated work strikingly demonstrates the interconnected nature of history–as it happens and its rippling consequences for years to come.
Martin W. Sandler accepts the 2019 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature
