1871-1938

Each volume provides discussions of the literary and historical background of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes concise synopses of plot, characters and themes, a brief author biography, discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance, and excerpted criticism.

Provides analysis of the most frequently studied poems in literature courses. Contains author biography (if attributed), poem text, poem summary, themes, style, historical context, critical overview, and criticism.

Provides in-depth analysis of the life, works, career, and critical importance of James Weldon Johnson.

Explores the history of the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by James Weldon and J. Rosamond Johnson.

Illustrations and easy-to-read text follow a family through five generations as each is inspired by the song written in 1900 to honor Abraham Lincoln. Includes author's note on the history of the song and its meaning in her family.

Profiles the career and achievements of James Weldon Johnson, who became famous as a writer and civil rights advocate for African Americans from the second decade of the twentieth century to the 1930s.

Brief biography of the turn-of-the-century black author, educator, lawyer, and diplomat who started the first Negro daily newspaper in the United States.

A biography of the author, civil rights leader, and co-founder of the NAACP who blazed a trail for racial equality and human rights through his songs, poems, speeches, and other writings.

A biography of the lawyer, poet, editor, and musician who helped found the NAACP.