Synopses & Reviews
An astonishing civil rights story from Newbery Honor winner and multiple-time National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin.
On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution.
The Port Chicago 50 is a fascinating story of the prejudice and injustice that faced black men and women in America's armed forces during World War II, and a nuanced look at those who gave their lives in service of a country where they lacked the most basic rights.
This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum, including history and social studies.
Steve Sheinkin is the acclaimed author of many nonfiction works, including The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism and Treachery, Newbery Honor Book and National Book Award Finalist Bomb: The Race to Build — and Steal — the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, and National Book Award finalist Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War.
"Sheinkin delivers another meticulously researched WWII story, one he discovered while working on his Newbery Honor book, Bomb. . . . Archival photos appear throughout, and an extensive bibliography, source notes, and index conclude this gripping, even horrific account of a battle for civil rights predating Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"Sheinkin follows Bomb (rev. 11/12) with an account of another aspect of the Second World War, stemming from an incident that seems small in scope but whose ramifications would go on to profoundly change the armed forces and the freedom of African Americans to serve their country." The Horn Book
Review
"Through effective research, Sheinkin re-creates a story that remains largely unknown to many Americans, and is one of the many from World War II about segregation and race that is important to explore with students." School Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"An impressive work and an inspiring one." The New York Times
About the Author
Steve Sheinkin is the award-winning author of fast-paced, cinematic histories for young readers. He is a three-time National Book Award finalist and two-time winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. Bomb was a Newbery Honor Book and The Port Chicago 50 won the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Nonfiction. His other acclaimed books include The Notorious Benedict Arnold and Most Dangerous. Sheinkin also writes the Time Twisters series. He lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife and two children.