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The 1619 Project

By: Nikole Hannah-Jones, Renée Watson
Narrated by: Nikole Hannah-Jones
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Publisher's summary

The 1619 Project’s lyrical picture book in verse, adapted for audio, chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson.

A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders.

But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.

And the people planted dreams and hope,

willed themselves to keep

living, living.

And the people learned new words

for love

for friend

for family

for joy

for grow

for home.

With powerful verse and striking illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, Born on the Water provides a pathway for listeners of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity.

©2021 Nikole Hannah-Jones (P)2021 Listening Library

Critic reviews

#1 New York Times Bestseller!

An Amazon Best of the Year 2021

A Time Magazine Best Children’s Books of 2021

A NPR Best Books of the Year 2021

A School Library Journal Best Books of 2021

A NYPL Best Books 2021

A Chicago Public Library Best Books 2021

A Barnes & Noble Best Picture Book of 2021

A Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2021

A News & Observer Best Books of 2021

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

A New York Public Library Best Book of 2021

A Barnes & Noble Book of the Year finalist

A 2022 Irma S. Black Award Contender

A 2022 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Winner

A 2022 NCTE/CLA Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award Winner

A 2022 SDUSMP Phillis Wheatley Book Award in the Children's (Ages 0-17) Non-fiction Category

A 2022 AAMBC Literary Award Nominee

"A gift to Black Americans and everyone else who reads it." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Black history is not merely a story of slavery and suffering but one of perseverance and hope." ―Publisher's Weekly, starred review

Featured Article: The top 100 kids books of all time


Listening to a story is the first way that we’re introduced to books as kids. And while our parents and grandparents (and babysitters and siblings!) are no doubt wonderful narrators who left indelible marks on our bookish hearts, the performances featured on this list elevate these stories to new heights. Representing listens for kids ages 0-12, and featuring animals, magical creatures, awkward middle schoolers, and more, our kids essentials will help you rediscover the magic of childhood.

What listeners say about The 1619 Project

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VERY inspiring

This is an awesome telling, of our history. I plan to share this with my granddaughter who is recently studying the minimized version of slavery. Thank you, because this will help her greatly.

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Oh wow; I’m so honored to know the stories

I love this book because it makes sense so much now. This was a great book.

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Knowing

Very very biological I absolutely love this and it has been a complete joy to listen , it was the “knowing” for me

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Very informative

I liked everything about this short story and I would definitely recommend this. It’s very descriptive

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T45 RNB to Gift membership: M

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Beautifully written

I think this book will cause us to ask more questions about our full history

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Heartbreaking but not Broken

How many teachers assign the “heritage” or family tree unit without an understanding of what they are asking of children who should not have to explain or describe a history that is personal and for many, painful. So many family-trees chopped at the knees in history and brought to knees in the classroom. This story should be required reading for all teachers and the family tree and heritage project and standards need to be totally reconsidered.

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Super Inspiring

I love how beautifully written this book was. Our legacy lives on and I hope that our children continue to learn more about this African history.

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We Must Seek…

We must seek the knowledge; legacies, strength, unity, empowerment, endurance, and contributions our families and our people have made and sacrificed for a placed we were forced to come, and yet, after over 400 years, still fighting for such a small fraction of what we built and helped establish! Thank you, the history of one Black American Family was shared by a Grandmother to her grandchildren to carry on for many generations to come, is the beginning until now, history and life of most Black American Families! Excellently explained and narrated in a way that it will capture the attention and listening ears of all ages. I thoroughly enjoyed this powerful historical journey of our people! I too, will be sharing it with my grandchildren.

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Beautifully written child friendly account.

I could read this over and over again. It was hopeful, realistic, and written to empower and enlighten.

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