writing history book

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Writing History: An Introductory Guide to How History Is Produced

What is history.

Most people believe that history is a "collection of facts about the past." This is reinforced through the use of textbooks used in teaching history. They are written as though they are collections of information. In fact, history is NOT a "collection of facts about the past." History consists of making arguments about what happened in the past on the basis of what people recorded (in written documents, cultural artifacts, or oral traditions) at the time. Historians often disagree over what "the facts" are as well as over how they should be interpreted. The problem is complicated for major events that produce "winners" and "losers," since we are more likely to have sources written by the "winners," designed to show why they were heroic in their victories.

History in Your Textbook

Many textbooks acknowledge this in lots of places. For example, in one book, the authors write, "The stories of the conquests of Mexico and Peru are epic tales told by the victors. Glorified by the chronicles of their companions, the conquistadors, or conquerors, especially Hernán Cortés (1485-1547), emerged as heroes larger than life." The authors then continue to describe Cortés ’s actions that ultimately led to the capture of Cuauhtómoc, who ruled the Mexicas after Moctezuma died. From the authors’ perspective, there is no question that Moctezuma died when he was hit by a rock thrown by one of his own subjects. When you read accounts of the incident, however, the situation was so unstable, that it is not clear how Moctezuma died. Note: there is little analysis in this passage. The authors are simply telling the story based upon Spanish versions of what happened. There is no interpretation. There is no explanation of why the Mexicas lost.   Many individuals believe that history is about telling stories, but most historians also want answers to questions like why did the Mexicas lose?

What Are Primary Sources?

To answer these questions, historians turn to primary sources, sources that were written at the time of the event, in this case written from 1519-1521 in Mexico. These would be firsthand accounts. Unfortunately, in the case of the conquest of Mexico, there is only one genuine primary source written from 1519-1521. This primary source consists of the letters Cortés wrote and sent to Spain. Other sources are conventionally used as primary sources, although they were written long after the conquest. One example consists of the account written by Cortés ’s companion, Bernal Díaz del Castillo. Other accounts consist of Mexica and other Nahua stories and traditions about the conquest of Mexico from their point of view.

Making Arguments in the Textbook

Historians then use these sources to make arguments, which could possibly be refuted by different interpretations of the same evidence or the discovery of new sources.  For example, the Bentley and Ziegler textbook make several arguments on page 597 about why the Spaniards won:

"Steel swords, muskets, cannons, and horses offered Cortés and his men some advantage over the forces they met and help to account for the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire".

"Quite apart from military technology, Cortés' expedition benefited from divisions among the indigenous peoples of Mexico."

"With the aid of Doña Marina, the conquistadors forged alliances with peoples who resented domination by the Mexicas, the leaders of the Aztec empire...."

Ideally, under each of these "thesis statements," that is, each of these arguments about why the Mexicas were defeated, the authors will give some examples of information that backs up their "thesis." To write effective history and history essays, in fact to write successfully in any area, you should begin your essay with the "thesis" or argument you want to prove with concrete examples that support your thesis.  Since the Bentley and Ziegler book does not provide any evidence to back up their main arguments, you can easily use the material available here to provide evidence to support your claim that any one of the above arguments is better than the others.  You could also use the evidence to introduce other possibilities:  Mocteuzuma's poor leadership, Cortés' craftiness, or disease.

Become a Critical Reader

To become a critical reader, to empower yourself to "own your own history," you should think carefully about whether the evidence the authors provide does in fact support their theses.  Since the Bentley and Ziegler book provides only conclusions and not much evidence to back up their main points, you may want to explore your class notes on the topic and then examine the primary sources included on the Conquest of Mexico on this web site.

Your Assignment for Writing History with Primary Sources

There are several ways to make this a successful assignment. First, you might take any of the theses presented in the book and use information from primary sources to disprove it—the "trash the book" approach. Or, if your professor has said something in class that you are not sure about, find material to disprove it—the "trash the prof" approach (and, yes, it is really okay if you have the evidence ). Another approach is to include new information that the authors ignored . For example, the authors say nothing about omens. If one analyzes omens in the conquest, will it change the theses or interpretations presented in the textbook? Or, can one really present a Spanish or Mexica perspective?  Another approach is to make your own thesis, i.e., one of the biggest reasons for the conquest was that Moctezuma fundamentally misunderstood Cortés.

When Sources Disagree

If you do work with the Mexican materials, you will encounter the harsh reality of historical research: the sources do not always agree on what happened in a given event. It is up to you, then, to decide who to believe. Most historians would probably believe Cortés’ letters were the most likely to be accurate, but is this statement justified? Cortés was in the heat of battle and while it looked like he might win easy victory in 1519, he did not complete his mission until 1521.  The Cuban Governor, Diego Velázquez wanted his men to capture Cortés and bring him back to Cuba on charges of insubordination.  Was he painting an unusually rosy picture of his situation so that the Spanish King would continue to support him? It is up to you to decide. Have the courage to own your own history! Díaz Del Castillo wrote his account later in his life, when the Spaniards were being attacked for the harsh policies they implemented in Mexico after the conquest.  He also was upset that Cortés' personal secretary published a book that made it appear that only Cortés was responsible for the conquest. There is no question that the idea of the heroic nature of the Spanish actions is clearest in his account. But does this mean he was wrong about what he said happened and why? It is up to you to decide. The Mexica accounts are the most complex since they were originally oral histories told in Nahuatl that were then written down in a newly rendered alphabetic Nahuatl. They include additional Mexica illustrations of their version of what happened, for painting was a traditional way in which the Mexicas wrote history. Think about what the pictures tell us. In fact, a good paper might support a thesis that uses a picture as evidence. Again, how reliable is this material? It is up to you to decide.

One way to think about the primary sources is to ask the questions: (1) when was the source written, (2) who is the intended audience of the source, (3) what are the similarities between the accounts, (4) what are the differences between the accounts, (5) what pieces of information in the accounts will support your thesis, and (6) what information in the sources are totally irrelevant to the thesis or argument you want to make.

How to Write a History Book

May 10th, 2018 - By Patrick T. McBriarty

Each author has her or his own approach, but the trick to writing a book is trusting the process.  As Hemingway advised a young writer, “the first draft of anything is shit!” explaining that the real work comes in the revising, rewriting, and reworking of a manuscript as many as forty, maybe fifty times, to get to the finished product.

For many writers, myself included, the first draft can be the hardest to complete, even though it is rarely where the bulk of the time lies.  It is difficult because it means turning off one’s internal editor, eschewing expectations, and silencing your ego to get something, anything, however bad, on the page.  Trying to make it good, let alone great, out of the gate is neigh impossible and just slows or can kill the process before it even begins.  The desire for perfection at the onset just causes procrastination or at worst writer’s block.

Though my friends may beg to differ, I do not really consider myself creative.  So my process leans heavily on research, often gathered over the course of several years, regularly immersing myself for days, weeks, and ideally, months at a time in original sources, secondary books, and related topics to develop a story.  Intensive immersion gets much of the material in your head to encourage long jags of writing (and editing) so the words and ideas can flow and pour out.  This is ideal when there are little or no interruptions externally, or internally – like feeling the need to look things up or fumbling with gaps in the story.  In early drafts one trick I use to minimize internal interruptions is to quickly identify a gap and move on.  I do this by simply acknowledging to myself, “I don’t know this part,” and make a note in the text like, [check this], [look this up], or [source?] to leave it behind and keep on with the flow of writing.  By making these notes in bold and brackets they are easy to pick off and deal with later during an edit review.

Finding or choosing a story can be a topic unto itself, but in short, find something that resonates or is fascinating to you.  It should be something you want to be associated with and champion.  Remember you will be stuck with it a long time, even after the book is finished.  Some people fall in and out of love with particular ideas more easily than others, so knowing yourself helps in choosing the “right” topic, idea, or story.  Ideally it has many facets for staying power with new avenues to meander keeping and it interesting.  I view writing as a process for thinking deeply and means of refining thoughts, concepts, and ideas, so choose something you enjoy and feel strongly about.

For my current project, of the approximately one-hundred whites in Chicago in 1812, most were killed or died in captivity after the Battle of Fort Dearborn.  The incident occurred on August 15, 1812, on Chicago’s lakefront.   The Indians looted the abandoned fort and burned it down the next day.  Unfortunately, very little Native American perspective on events in Chicago were recorded due to oral traditions (i.e. no recorded history) and aggravated relations of the times.  Few white survivors had the luxury of carrying documents and very few made it back to civilization.  Thus, primary accounts are rare and correspondence to individuals outside of Indian Country (as the young United States called much of the new Territories) are the next best source.

The thrill of the hunt and fact very few people are willing and lack the time or patience to do exhaustive research keeps me going – along with a dogged curiosity and focus.  Compounding the “fun” of history is the shift in use of the English language requiring an understanding of cryptic no-longer used phrasing, unexplained contextual inferences, and old word connotations.  People of the early-1800s placed great importance on personal reputation and propriety so letters are rarely direct or plain spoken.  Thus, the struggle is to quickly identify unsaid meanings and inferences that were quite clear in their day.  The juicy bits of inferred nuances, alarm, scandal, indignity, or impropriety help create a good story.

Detective work also pieces together social networks, relationships, and alliances of the cast of characters and supporting players to better interpret a collection.  Thankfully by 1812, most of the movers and shakers did read and write.  They interacted, traveled widely, and corresponded with military officers, government officials, family, and friends elsewhere.  Finding the resulting documents may uncover items that have never before been published.  And a methodical approach almost invariably results in the discovery of a new, untold history.  As the research winds down, the real work of writing begins to sort and piece together the collection into your own words.   In telling and retelling the story the ideas emerge and become refined to be consumed by an audience, so I also find it very helpful to talk about a project well before it is finished.  That is how (my) history books are created.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2018 at 10:11 am and is filed under Uncategorized . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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• The Berkshire Eagle

• Pittsfield, Massachusetts

The Triplex Cinema will hold a benefit screening of "Who Will Write Our History," 6:30 p.m. May 14. 

• PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE TRIPLEX CINEMA

The conversation between Sam Kassow and Aaron Lansky will follow a screening of the 2018 documentary film 'Who Will Write Our History,' based on Kassow's 2007 book of the same name. Kassow will also be signing books. Tickets are $100 per person and available at  thetriplex.org  

Triplex Cinema's benefit screening of 'Who Will Write Our History' features talkback with historian and Yiddish Book Center founder

Historian sam kassow and yiddish book center founder aaron lansky to participate in post-screening conversation.

• May 9, 2024
• 2 min to read

GREAT BARRINGTON — Sam Kassow, a leading historian of Polish Jewry and the Holocaust, will be joined by Stockbridge resident Aaron Lansky, the founder and director of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, in a special talkback event benefiting the Triplex Cinema, 6:30 p.m. May 14.

The conversation between Kassow and Lansky will follow a screening of the 2018 documentary film "Who Will Write Our History," based on Kassow's 2007 book of the same name. Kassow will also be signing books. Tickets are $100 per person and available at  thetriplex.org  

"Having Sam Kassow and Aaron Lansky at the Triplex is a tremendous gift to us and the community, and we are deeply honored that they will be here to discuss the important work each of them have devoted their lives to," Nicki Wilson, president of the Triplex Board of Directors, said in a news release. "When we reopened the Triplex late in 2023, we never envisioned having such an important event like this one, which will enrich our community in countless ways.”

In the book and film, Kassow writes and speaks about the critical importance of preserving historical documents. He details historical events in Poland leading up to and including World War II that affected and eventually eliminated the Warsaw Ghetto.

Academy Award-winner Adrian Brody and three-time Academy Award nominee Joan Allen provide voiceovers for the two critical figures in the film. The documentary is directed by Roberta Grossman and produced by Nancy Spielberg, Ori Eisen, Al Berg and Ronald Lauder.

Is the world’s first Yiddish museum in Amherst?

• By Aaron Simon Gross, The Berkshire Eagle
• 4 min to read

Established in 1940 by the German authorities, the Warsaw Ghetto housed 460,000 Jews in an area of 1.3 square miles; fewer than 60,000 Jews are thought to have survived after the majority were transferred to concentration camps and killed. Half of all Jewish Holocaust victims, around 3 million, were from Poland.

The longtime Charles Northam Professor of History at Trinity College, Kassow was a key consultant to the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which opened on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto and has been the author of numerous books on the Holocaust. Kassow was on the team of scholars chosen by Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, to write a one-volume history of the Holocaust in Poland.

"Who Will Write Our History" recounts the story of Nazi resistance from within the Ghetto. After the establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto, a band of writers and scholars named “Oyneg Shabes — the Joys of Shabbat” began to smuggle reports of atrocities to the outside world and to document the life and culture within the Ghetto in the hope that they would be remembered. Many of these documents were buried and only found after the conclusion of the war. Only three members of the Oyneg Shabes survived the war.

A mural that has been stored in the attic of North Adams' first synagogue may find its place at the Yiddish Book Center

• By Jane Kaufman, The Berkshire Eagle
• 5 min to read

"Who will write our history? Sam Kassow! A brilliant historian, he recounts the riveting and largely forgotten tale of Oyneg Shabes, a surreptitious band of writers and scholars who joined together in the Warsaw Ghetto to chronicle daily life under Nazi occupation," Lansky said in a release. "As liquidation neared, they buried their papers in milk cans and tin boxes. Only three members of the original group survived the war, and it took them more than a year to persuade fellow survivors to start digging. Through meticulous research, Professor Kassow has excavated those papers for a second time, and, through her powerful documentary, filmmaker Roberta Grossman shares them once again.”

Lansky is the founder and director of the Yiddish Book Center, an organization formed in 1980 to help salvage Yiddish Language publications. Starting with a small number of books, the Center has grown into the world's largest collection of Yiddish books, with more than 1.5 million titles.

'Who Will Write Our History'

What:  Benefit screening with author Sam Kassow and the Yiddish Book Center's Aaron Lansky. This documentary film is based on Kassow's book of the same name. Lansky will join Kassow for a conversation following the film. 

When:  6:30 p.m., May 14

Tickets:  $100

Information and reservations:  413-528-8886, thetriplex.org

• Aaron Lansky
• Yiddish Book Center
• Who Will Write Our History
• Samuel Kassow
• Triplex Cinema
• Nicki Wilson

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The Secret History of the White House Situation Room

A new book by George Stephanopoulos, former communications director for Bill Clinton, describes how presidents have used the White House's secure command center.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis

The book offers much more than a description of the evolving physical spaces and technology that comprise the Sit Room, as it’s called for short. It is a history of how the room has been used over the years told by the people who relied on it to do their jobs. It includes first-person accounts by cabinet members, including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who describes working with the Sit Room team during 9/11. President Johnson recorded his conversations and the book includes transcripts of some of the nightly calls he made asking about casualty counts during the Vietnam War. Equally illuminating are Stephanopoulos’s many interviews with people who staffed the room.

Stephanopoulos spoke to T&C about his own experiences in the Sit Room and how he researched his book.

Did the idea for the book come to you when you worked for President Clinton?

No. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I found out, much to my surprise, that no one had ever really done a comprehensive history of how presidents and their staffs have used that room to handle the crises that have defined our times.

Who did you interview and why?

Everyone from cabinet officials to secretaries…it really ran the gamut. What was most exciting to me was being able to find so many people who had actually worked in the Sit Room as duty officers and directors. They're really the heart and soul of the room and their stories haven't been told before.

Were you surprised to learn how other administrations used it?

I've covered six presidents as a reporter, but I still learned something I didn't know about each president who used the room, about how it was used, and about the crises they handled. And I got many of these details from the perspective of apolitical officers who serve the presidency, not just the president who happens to be holding the office.

Tell us about the room’s staff.

The Sit Room is really three things. A place; a process that people use to handle crises; and the people who do it. Twenty-four hours a day, the staff and officers are taking in information from all over the world, public and private intelligence, digging through it ,and figuring out what needs to be brought to the attention of the president and his top aides. And they're also the communication center for the White House. If the President is going to talk to a foreign leader, it all goes through the situation room.

It just got a big, $50 million upgrade. Do you think the Sit Room will continue to change?

It will have to because technology is moving so quickly. One of the people I interviewed for the book was Eric Schmidt [the former CEO of Google], who talked about the challenges and the opportunities that artificial intelligence both poses and offers to the Situation Room. On the one hand, because you can create so many kinds of deep fakes, it makes the job of those in the Situation Room harder. On the other hand, the job of many of those duty officers is sifting through mountains of information and that now can be done so much more quickly by computers, which don't need to sleep.

Are there any protocols about how the room is used? Where does the President sit?

Usually at the head of the table but sometimes in the middle. When the President is there, the principals, meaning the cabinet secretaries, the national security advisor, etc., sit at the table. Usually there's a handful of staffers, the plus ones, who are seated on the perimeter.

Also, it's the ultimate no phone zone. You have to put your phone in a locker when you go in. And there are enough detection devices so that when somebody does bring their phone in, they're inevitably caught.

Norman Vanamee is the articles director of Town & Country.

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18 Children’s Books that Celebrate Deaf Culture and History 

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Did you know that September is Deaf Awareness Month, and National Deaf History Month is celebrated in April? These months are a time to celebrate the culture, history, and contributions of the D/deaf and hard of hearing community, and to advocate for equitable access by highlighting the unique needs of community members. One of my favorite ways to do that, of course, is by reading (and sharing) a great children’s book !

Five years ago, I was hired to work at an elementary school with a program for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. It has been a joy to be allowed to see into a part of the world that was completely new to me, and to raise my own awareness of books that reflect the lived experience of so many of our students–books that also need to provide a window into the DHH community for our students outside of the program.

Perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned is the absolute diversity within the DHH community. In looking for titles to include in this article, I sought out books representing as many different experiences as possible. Therefore, you will find books below that have characters who use strictly sign language , those who use a combination of speech and sign language, and those who are auditory/oral (listen, speak, and lip read). Some of these characters use hearing aids, some have cochlear implants, and some do not use hearing amplification at all.

There are stories where a character’s deafness is key to the plot and others where it is simply another trait of a complex character. I have also chosen to include a few books whose main character is hearing but who have family members or friends who are deaf. Above all, I wanted books that represented the community with sensitivity and knowledge. Most of these books are by authors who are deaf themselves or who work or live with members of the deaf community.

My hope is that you will find a gem of your own among this list–a book you fall in love with that helps you truly celebrate Deaf Awareness Month !

Books that Celebrate Deaf Culture and History 

Picture books.

Ada and the Helpers written by Travis D. Peterson, illustrated by Melissa Fischer A young fox with cochlear implants loves to dance, but she is afraid others will make fun of her “helpers”. On her way to the talent show, she comes across other animals who need some extra help too, and she’s happy to provide it. When they reach the talent show, her new friends find a way to help Ada in return. With the mantra “Now let’s help others too!” and rhyming text, this is a fun read with a good message about friendship and support. 

Boy written by Phil Cummings, illustrated by Shane Devries Set in a village with a nearby castle and a dragon problem, this charming picture book tells the story of a boy who is deaf and who sees the situation differently. Confused by the fighting, the boy gets the king, knights, and dragon to talk to each other instead. Like the dragon, the boy is misunderstood by the villagers, who don’t understand his “dancing hands”.

Can Bears Ski? written by Raymond Antrobus, illustrated by Polly Dunbar Little Bear goes through his days as he has always done, but a strange new question keeps popping up: Can bears ski? As the adults around him begin to realize that Little Bear can’t hear, he gets the support and help he needs, including hearing aids. This semi-autobiographical story does an excellent job of showing the process of diagnosis and treatment in an age appropriate way, with a gentle humor that all readers can connect with.

Monster Hands written by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan, illustrated by Dion MBD Milo is scared of the monster under his bed so he asks his neighbor Mel in sign language what to do. Mel signs back that Milo should try shining a light on the wall and making monster hands. Mel keeps giving Milo ideas and Milo continues to make monster shadows on the wall, finally combining all the monster hand moves at once. Eventually, the monster is gone. Milo signs a big hug to his friend. The artwork beautifully captures the nighttime hues illuminated by flashlights as well as the sign language communication and emotions of the characters.

Dad and Me in the Morning written by Patricia Lakin, illustrated by Robert G. Steele Originally published in 1994 but re-released in paperback in 2019, this book is well worth seeking out. It tells the story of the early morning walk shared by a deaf boy and his father as they go to watch the sunrise together. Reminiscent of Owl Moon for the way it highlights sensory details and accompanies the text with beautiful watercolor illustrations, this peaceful story deserves a permanent place on the read aloud shelf.

Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language written by Joanna Que and Charina Marquez, illustrated by Fran Alvarez, translated by Karen Ligas Sam notices that her new neighbors use sign language, and she wonders what they are saying. As she and young Mai become best friends, Mai teaches Sam how to communicate using Filipino sign language. With clean, simple illustrations, readers can pick up a few signs, too– but more than that, this story builds the understanding that different communities have different sign languages. An excellent starting place to recognize the global nature of Deaf culture.

Fairy Magic written by Cerrie Burnell, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson Unique because of its depiction of a child with a BAHA hearing band, this magical story follows Isabelle as she discovers she can communicate with a fairy called Summer-Blue. But no one in her family believes her! She spends the summer learning from the fairy about all the ways of sensing the world in nature. Eventually, her twin brother is willing to “listen to the silence” too, and together, they meet a new fairy just as fall begins. (Published only in the UK.)  

Freddie and the Fairy written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Karen George Bessie-Belle the fairy offers to grant any wish that Freddie has. But Freddie has a habit of mumbling, and Bessie Belle doesn’t hear well! The result is a series of mis-granted wishes: a net instead of a pet, a frog instead of a dog, and so on. With rhyming text and pacing that give children the chance to guess what goes on, this is a fun read aloud that in the end highlights three golden rules to use when speaking to those who are deaf. 

Mighty Mila written by Katie Petruzziello, illustrated by Nadja Sarell  Mila has cochlear implants and BIG personality. When she decides to prove that she’s a big kid by doing things on her own. But when it’s time to learn to ride her bike, she realizes that a little help isn’t always a bad thing. Mila’s implants and how she hears the world are seamlessly included in a story that focuses more on every child’s desire for independence as they grow up.

Transitional / Early Reader

Cheer Champs written by Elliott Smith, illustrated by Amanda Erb

This story follows Leah as she goes from gymnastics to cheerleading.  Leah is deaf, and at first, the transition is rocky because her coach and teammates don’t consider how to make the routines inclusive and accessible for her.  But with a little help from a new friend, Leah is sure to find success!  Told with simple text and a straightforward plotline, this early reader is a quick and enjoyable read.

Crazy for Apples written by C.L. Reid, illustrated by Elena Aiello

Part of the excellent Emma Every Day series, this book introduces us to Emma as she goes apple picking with her dad and her best friend, Izzie.  Things at the orchard don’t go quite as they hoped, but everyone tries to make the best of it.  With the help of Farmer Bell, who can sign, too, the girls find a fun twist at the end of the story. Each book in the series contains the fingerspelling alphabet and ASL signing vocabulary.  There are currently twelve published titles with more on the way, and you’ll want to get them all!

Middle Grade

El Deafo written by Cece Bell (GRAPHIC NOVEL)

Based on author Cece Bell’s own experience growing up, El Deafo gets right to the heart of what it’s like to be the only kid with a Phonic Ear in school.  At first it makes Cece feel weird and different, but then she realizes that having the power to hear her teacher everywhere (even in the bathroom!) might just be a super power when it comes to impressing other kids.  This funny graphic novel is a favorite that kids just can’t get enough of!

Charlie & Frog written by Karen Kane

Surrounded by feckless adults, Charlie Tickler has no idea how his summer with his grandparents in Castle-on-the-Hudson will go. And that’s before a deaf woman signs the word “dead” to him outside the library and then goes missing. Charlie knows he must solve the mystery, and luckily he finds the one person in town who can help him: Frog Castle. Frog is super smart, very resourceful, and eager to be the best detective around. She also happens to be Deaf and fluent in the ASL they’ll need to know to solve the mystery. A great example of the mystery genre for kids, this book backs up its plot with fingerspelling images and descriptions of how to sign in a win-win formula for a fun read.

Song for a Whale written by Lynne Kelly

Iris feels more alone than she’s ever felt.  She’s the only Deaf kid in her school and the only Deaf person in her immediate family.  Her grandparents are Deaf, but her grandpa died and her grandma hasn’t been the same since.  So when she learns about a whale, Blue 55, who is just as isolated as she is, she’s determined to use her skills with technology to make a connection–even if she has to travel across the country to do it.  An absolutely beautiful story that takes you deep into Iris’s point of view with empathy, heartache, and joy. 

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess written by Shari Green

Nothing is going right for Macy McMillan: her mom is getting remarried, they have to move from the house she loves, and her best friend Olivia hates her. On top of that, Macy’s mom tells her she has to help the elderly woman next door box up all her books–and Ms. Gillan can’t even sign so Macy can understand her! But it turns out there’s more to Ms. Gillan than Macy would have guessed, and together they begin to share stories and find ways to help each other through the hard parts of life. Told in verse with signing indicated by bold text, this is a heartwarming book you won’t be able to put down.

Show Me a Sign and Set Me Free written by Anne Clare LeZotte

Stunningly detailed and descriptive historical fiction, these are the first two books in the Show Me a Sign trilogy, with the third book ( Sail Me Away Home ) due to be published this year.  Show Me a Sign introduces us to Mary Lambert, who lives in the town of Chilmark on Martha’s Vineyard, where historically, 1 in 4 people were deaf. Growing up deaf in this community, Mary doesn’t realize how remarkable it is to be surrounded by those who understand Deaf culture and can use Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language to communicate together.  Then she is kidnapped as a “live specimen” and taken to the mainland to be experimented on, and her perspective of herself and the world are turned upside down. 

Signs of Survival written by Renee Hartman with Joshua M. Greene 

Renee and her sister Herta are young girls living with their Jewish family in Bratislava when the Nazis arrive in 1939, changing their lives completely. As the only hearing member of her family, Renee must become the “family’s ears” and warn them of danger.  When the girls are sent away for their own safety, Renee knows she must protect her deaf sister and never leave her isolated and alone.  Adapted from recordings of their own testimonials and told in simple transcript form, this book follows the girls through history from the ghettos to the concentration camps and beyond. While the descriptions are age appropriate for upper middle grade readers, the book doesn’t shy away from the horrors of the Holocaust. An important read with a unique perspective on family ties and the Holocaust. 

Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion written by Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth

As a young girl growing up in Scotland, Evelyn Glennie loves music.  But when she loses her hearing at age ten, everyone seems to think she won’t be able to play music ever again.  Everyone but Evelyn and her parents, that is.  This biography follows her fight to take her rightful place in the world of music, and the many ways she changed that world. With joyful illustrations and dazzling onomatopoeia carrying the reader along, this book is a must-read! 

Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy by Bill Wise, illustrated by Adam Gustavso

This biography introduces William Hoy, the first deaf baseball player in the major leagues. The book explains how Hoy became deaf as a young child, began to play baseball while attending the Ohio School for the Deaf, and how those two things together created a hugely historic life. Among the highlights are details of how Hoy brought signs to the ballfield when it came to calling balls and strikes, and the description of the only time a deaf batter faced off with a deaf pitcher in major league baseball.  In addition, the book addresses Hoy’s nickname, “Dummy” Hoy, head on in kid-friendly language that makes clear why we don’t use this term today.  Wise writes with the voice of a true baseball fan and peppers the text with records, firsts, and statistics that will please sports fans.  Gustavson’s illustrations match the text with their celebratory tone. 

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Physical Disabilities in Children’s Books

Middle Grade Speculative Fiction

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Leah Pellegrini lives in Colorado, where she has been an educator for over 20 years. In 2019 she moved into the school library, following her passion for children’s literature and promoting the joy of reading. In her spare time, she loves to read, write, and travel the world.

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Writing History: A Guide for Students

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• ISBN-10 0195122208
• ISBN-13 978-0195122206
• Publisher Oxford University Press
• Publication date November 12, 1998
• Language English
• Dimensions 5.75 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• Print length 128 pages
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (November 12, 1998)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195122208
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195122206
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• #2,608 in Creative Writing & Composition
• #17,683 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
• #36,777 in History (Books)

About the author

William kelleher storey.

William Kelleher Storey was born in Queens, New York, in 1965. Bill grew up on Long Island and was educated at Andover, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins. He began his college teaching career at Harvard, where he taught writing from 1995 to 1997. Since 1999 he has been a history professor at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. In 2013, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education named Storey to be the State Winner in the U.S. Professor of the Year competition. Bill's research and writing about the history of international conflict and technology has been supported by a Fulbright Scholarship as well as grants from the MacArthur Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Society for the History of Technology has awarded him the Abbot Payson Usher Prize for the year's best journal article (2005) and the Sidney M. Edelstein Prize for the year's best book (2009).

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Stormy Daniels, Who Testified About Sex With Trump, Will Return to Stand

The porn star at the center of the ex-president’s criminal trial, who will testify again on Thursday, spoke under oath about their encounter at a golf tournament in 2006, a meeting that could shape American history.

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By Ben Protess ,  Jonah E. Bromwich ,  Maggie Haberman ,  Michael Rothfeld and Jonathan Swan

When Donald J. Trump met Stormy Daniels, their flirtation seemed fleeting: He was a 60-year-old married mogul at the peak of reality television fame, and she was 27, a Louisiana native raised in poverty and headed to porn-film stardom.

But that chance encounter in Lake Tahoe, Nev., some two decades ago is now at the center of the first criminal trial of an American president, an unprecedented case that could shape the 2024 presidential race.

This week, Ms. Daniels has been on the witness stand telling her side of the story, often in explicit detail. She has already faced five hours of questioning, and after the trial’s midweek hiatus, she is expected to return on Thursday to undergo additional cross-examination from Mr. Trump’s legal team.

The charges against Mr. Trump stem from her story of sex with him during that 2006 celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, a story she was shopping a decade later, in the closing days of the presidential campaign. Mr. Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, paid Ms. Daniels $130,000 in hush money before Election Day, and the former president is accused of falsifying business records to cover up reimbursements for Mr. Cohen.

The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money Deals

Here’s how key figures involved in making hush-money payoffs on behalf of Donald J. Trump are connected.

On Tuesday, Ms. Daniels’s fast-paced testimony lasted nearly five hours, during which she described an encounter with Mr. Trump, now 77, that he has long denied. Tension gripped the courtroom, her voluble testimony filling a heavy silence. She made jokes; they did not land.

After about a half-hour on the stand, she began to unspool intimate details about Mr. Trump, so much so that the judge balked at some of the testimony. He implied it was gratuitously vulgar, and the defense sought a mistrial.

Ms. Daniels said the future president had invited her to dinner inside his palatial Lake Tahoe hotel suite. He answered the door wearing silk pajamas. When he was rude, she playfully spanked him with a rolled-up magazine. And when she asked about his wife, he told her not to worry, saying that they didn’t even sleep in the same room — prompting Mr. Trump to shake his head in disgust and mutter “bullshit” to his lawyers, loud enough that it drew a private rebuke from the judge, who called it “contemptuous.”

Ms. Daniels then recounted the sex itself in graphic detail. It happened, she said, after she returned from the bathroom and found Mr. Trump in his boxer shorts and T-shirt. She tried to leave and he blocked her path, though not, she said, in a threatening manner. The sex was brief, she said, and although she never said no, there was a “power imbalance.”

“I was staring up at the ceiling, wondering how I got there,” she told the jury, adding that Mr. Trump did not wear a condom.

The testimony was an astonishing moment in American political history and a crowning spectacle in a trial full of them: a porn star, across from a former and potentially future president, telling the world what she was once paid to keep quiet about.

Ms. Daniels, 45, has told her story widely — to prosecutors, reporters, her friends, in a book — but never to jurors, and not with Mr. Trump in the room. Her appearance on the stand appeared to unnerve Mr. Trump as she aired his dirty laundry, under oath, in mortifying detail.

But Ms. Daniels’s story is not just a sordid kiss-and-tell tale; it spotlights what prosecutors say was Mr. Trump’s criminality. He is accused of engineering the false business records scheme to cover up all traces of their tryst: the hush money, the repayment to Mr. Cohen and, yes, the sex.

While the defense cast the testimony as a smear, Ms. Daniels provided prosecutors with some useful details. She established the fundamental story of her encounter with Mr. Trump. And she testified that she would have told the same uncomfortable tale in 2016, had she not taken the hush money from Mr. Trump’s fixer.

Who Are Key Players in the Trump Manhattan Criminal Trial?

The first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump is underway. Take a closer look at central figures related to the case.

But her testimony, at times, seemed problematic for the prosecutors who had called her. Ms. Daniels testified that money was not her motivation, and that she wanted to get her story out. That could draw skepticism from jurors, who have heard that she accepted the $130,000 and, in exchange, did not tell her story for more than a year.

“My motivation wasn’t money,” she said. “It was motivated out of fear, not money.”

The jury also saw the judge, Juan M. Merchan, scold Ms. Daniels at least twice, instructing her to stick to the questions asked of her. At one point, he even issued his own objection, interrupting her testimony as she began to describe the sexual position she and Mr. Trump assumed.

Justice Merchan, generally a stoic presence with a tight grip over his courtroom, showed rare exasperation as the testimony veered in a scurrilous direction and the trial took on a circuslike atmosphere.

He also asked Ms. Daniels to slow down. She was a rapid-fire talker, prone to laughter and lengthy asides.

Outside the jury’s presence, the judge said that “there were some things better left unsaid” in her testimony and suggested that Ms. Daniels might have “credibility issues.”

Yet he rejected the defense’s bid for a mistrial, instead inviting Mr. Trump’s lawyers to mount an aggressive questioning of Ms. Daniels.

“The more times this story has changed, the more fodder for cross-examination,” he said.

Susan Necheles, the Trump lawyer who led the cross-examination, heeded the judge’s advice.

She painted Ms. Daniels as a lying opportunist. She unearthed excerpts from Ms. Daniels’s book to suggest that her story had changed over time. And in a potentially troublesome moment for Ms. Daniels, Ms. Necheles implied that she had fabricated an account of a Trump supporter threatening her and her daughter in a Las Vegas parking lot, a story she did not share with her baby’s father.

“Your daughter’s life was in jeopardy, and you did not tell her father, right?” Ms. Necheles asked, the implication being that the story was phony.

Ms. Daniels was indignant. And during some cross-examination, she parried effectively, performing even better than she did with her answers to prosecutors.

Her testimony brought full circle one of the earliest scandals that loomed over Mr. Trump’s presidency. Ever since The Wall Street Journal broke the news six years ago that Mr. Cohen had paid her to keep quiet, her story has changed the course of American politics and laid the groundwork for the case.

Over the years, Ms. Daniels has leaned into her Trump-adjacent fame. She has sold merchandise, filmed a documentary, sat for high-profile interviews and written a book that was so tell-all it included detailed descriptions of the former president’s genitalia. Mr. Trump has also dished out insults that ridiculed her appearance, calling her “horseface.”

But at other times, Ms. Daniels appeared tortured, detailing the personal toll of outsize exposure. Suddenly, she was not just a porn star but a threat to a man who commands the most fervent political movement in modern American history. She told reporters she was inundated by threats from Trump supporters, many of which were graphic. She feared for her family and has divorced her third husband, the father of her daughter.

“I have been just tormented for the last five years or so,” she said in the opening scene of “Stormy,” a documentary about her life that was released on Peacock. “And here I am, I’m still here.”

Ms. Daniels joined the trial at a pivotal moment. On Monday, prosecutors had asked two veterans of the Trump Organization’s accounting department to show jurors the 34 records they say Mr. Trump falsified to conceal his reimbursement of Mr. Cohen for the hush money. Those include 11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 entries in Mr. Trump’s ledger that portrayed the payments as normal legal expenses.

The Donald Trump Indictment, Annotated

The indictment unveiled in April 2023 centers on a hush-money deal with a porn star, but a related document alleges a broader scheme to protect Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign.

In the weeks ahead, Mr. Cohen is expected to take the stand and connect the dots between the salacious details and the substantive documents. On Tuesday, Ms. Daniels’s testimony took jurors through the smuttier elements of the case.

She began by recounting a difficult childhood in Baton Rouge. Her parents split up when she was young, she said.

She wanted to be a veterinarian and was editor of her high school newspaper. Eventually, she began stripping, she says, because she earned more than she did shoveling manure at a horse stable.

By the time she met Mr. Trump at the golf tournament in 2006, she was a player in porn. She was an actress, and would ultimately find her footing as a director and producer.

Asked to identify Mr. Trump in the courtroom, she called him out as the man in a navy suit jacket. Ms. Daniels, dressed in all black and wearing glasses, reduced the singular former president to just another man in the courtroom.

She spent much of her testimony describing that first encounter in Lake Tahoe. When she met Mr. Trump, she knew he was a golfer and the host of the “The Apprentice,” the reality show that revived Mr. Trump’s celebrity for a new generation. In a memorable line, Ms. Daniels said she also knew that he was “as old or older than my father.”

Later that day, she said, Mr. Trump’s aide approached and invited her to dinner. She says he took her number, but that her initial reaction was “eff no,” abbreviating an expletive.

But her publicist encouraged her: “What could possibly go wrong?”

She then transported jurors inside his hotel room, painting the sprawling suite in minute detail, capturing every aspect down to the color of the tiles.

She said Mr. Trump had taken an interest in her business and asked about unions, residuals and health insurance, as well as about testing for sexually transmitted diseases. “He was very interested in how I segued from becoming just a porn star to writing and directing,” she said.

Ms. Daniels said Mr. Trump told her, “You remind me of my daughter. She is smart and blond and beautiful, and people underestimate her as well.”

She recalled going into the bathroom to do her lipstick, where, she said, she noticed gold tweezers and Old Spice.

Later, they stayed in touch, she said. In 2007, they met at Trump Tower in New York, at a Trump Vodka launch party in Los Angeles and at a Beverly Hills hotel — all interactions that appeared to undercut Mr. Trump’s claims that he barely knew her.

The jury was also shown contact logs from Ms. Daniels’s phone and from Mr. Trump’s assistant’s phone showing that they remained in touch. And when they did talk, she said, Mr. Trump had a nickname for her: “honeybunch.”

They have only spoken through lawyers since then, most notably during the hush-money negotiations. When Ms. Necheles accused Ms. Daniels of using that effort to “extort money from President Trump,” Ms. Daniels objected.

“False,” she said.

“That’s what you did, right?” Ms. Necheles persisted.

“False!” Ms. Daniels shouted.

Reporting was contributed by William K. Rashbaum , Kate Christobek , Jesse McKinley , Wesley Parnell and Matthew Haag .

Ben Protess is an investigative reporter at The Times, writing about public corruption. He has been covering the various criminal investigations into former President Trump and his allies. More about Ben Protess

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman

Michael Rothfeld is an investigative reporter in New York, writing in-depth stories focused on the city’s government, business and personalities. More about Michael Rothfeld

Jonathan Swan is a political reporter covering the 2024 presidential election and Donald Trump’s campaign. More about Jonathan Swan

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

News and Analysis

Michael Cohen, the one-time fixer for Donald Trump and the star witness at his criminal trial, testified that Trump instructed him to make a hush-money payment  to the porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

With no cameras recording Trump’s trial, cable news anchors and producers are improvising to animate dramatic moments  like Cohen’s testimony.

Senator J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican who is in the mix to be Trump’s running mate, joined the former president’s entourage in court  as Cohen took the stand.

More on Trump’s Legal Troubles

Key Inquiries: Trump faces several investigations  at both the state and the federal levels, into matters related to his business and political careers.

Case Tracker:  Keep track of the developments in the criminal cases  involving the former president.

What if Trump Is Convicted?: Could he go to prison ? And will any of the proceedings hinder Trump’s presidential campaign? Here is what we know , and what we don’t know .

Trump on Trial Newsletter: Sign up here  to get the latest news and analysis  on the cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.