The New-York Historical Society and DiMenna Children’s History Museum celebrate African American history year-round, but we, and most other cultural institutions, pay special homage in February for African American History Month. Why? African American History Month, or Black History Month, started with one man: a historian, author, and teacher named Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). Dr. Woodson…

Slave catchers, medicine showmen, and the Battle of Gettysburg…They’re all part of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, this month’s read for the Reading into History family book club. Readers are invited to the Museum to discuss the book and Skype with acclaimed, multi-award-winning author Rodman Philbrick on Sunday, April 10 from 2…

Have you ever read a novel narrated by a ghost? Choctaw author and storyteller Tim Tingle’s How I Became a Ghost is just such a book, and it’s this month’s selection for the Reading into History Family book club. We’ll be meeting to discuss this remarkable book this Sunday, March 6, from  2 – 4…

Do you keep a journal? If you do, you probably think of it as one of your most private possessions; but to historians hundreds of years from now, your journal might be worth writing a whole book about! That’s what acclaimed children’s author Tonya Bolden thought about a journal kept by Michael Shiner, an African…

You probably know that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. You may not know that a previous assassination attempt was made on him during his 13-day train journey from Springfield, IL, to his inauguration in Washington, D.C., in 1861. Even more remarkable, it was a female detective who saved Lincoln’s life! That detective,…

By Rachel Walman This past Sunday, families gathered for a Veterans Day-themed Reading into History family book club meeting to discuss the book Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone. This amazing book chronicles the tumultuous journey of a group of African American…

If you are a middle or high school student, chances are you had to read To Kill A Mockingbird this summer. If you are a parent, chances are that you also read this book around the same age as your children are now. This 1960 novel has been a literary touchstone for the past 55…

Summer may be drawing to a close, but the Reading into History family book club is about to start up again! We’re meeting this Sunday at 2 pm to discuss Matt Phelan’s graphic novel Bluffton about a boy who spends a few magical summers with a young Buster Keaton. Many people know Buster Keaton as…

Reading into Mockingbird is a series of posts about the historical themes in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the Reading into History Teen Summer’s 2015 read. Through these posts, we will provide historical background to enhance your reading of the book and your participation in our Goodreads discussions and teach-in event at the…