The Port Chicago 50

Steve Sheinkin is on fire! His thrilling, atomic bomb Newbery Honor book BOMB, was one of my personal favorites from 2013 and prior to that, THE NOTORIOUS BENEDICT ARNOLD wowed readers not too long ago, in 2010. Sheinkin has become an author to take notice of. When I learned that he discovered the Port Chicago story while researching BOMB, and was passionate enough about it to immediately publish the story and get it out there, I was sold.

Everyone knows about the atomic bomb and its effects, so in BOMB, Sheinkin's storytelling abilities really shone. He took a topic many had extensive background knowledge of, and wove an intricate, yet thrilling narrative of the scientists and countries behind creating the atomic bomb. BOMB was recognized as distinguished by many because of the way Sheinkin crafted that story.

THE PORT CHICAGO 50 goes like this: During World War II, the Navy finally allows African-Americans to serve in roles other than mess hall attendants and cooks. What should have been an advancement in Civil Rights, quickly turned into further segregation as enlisted African-Americans were sent to California to load ammunition (sometimes "hot") onto ships. Someone had to do the job and the Navy thought it was the perfect job for their new black enlistees. Late one night, a cargo ship explodes, killing many, and soon after, the Navy marches the black groups back out there to continue loading ammunition. 50 men, "led" by Joe Small, refuse to load ammunition and are court-marshaled and tried for mutiny.

I'm willing to bet that not many have heard of the Port Chicago incident, especially younger readers. I'm in my 30's and I had never heard of it. So with THE PORT CHICAGO 50, Sheinkin has a head start in captivating his readers because the story feels so new. While he doesn't have to rely so much on his storytelling abilities to weave together the research and narrative here, he still proves to be a master at it. The character development of Joe Small and other members of the Port Chicago 50 is top notch, and the courtroom drama is on par with A Few Good Men.

This is a story that needs to be read. There is an extensive canon of civil rights literature out there, with heroes like Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King Jr. Much like Phillip Hoose did with CLAUDETTE COLVIN in 2009, Sheinkin has uncovered a story that needs to enter that canon. I hope teachers wouldn't be too scared of the language (Sheinkin does drop a few censored f-bombs) to introduce this to young readers. Any 5th grader on up, learning about World War II or the Civil Rights Movement needs to read this story.

"These are the stories we think of as the foundation of the civil rights movement, and rightfully so. But it's important to remember that before Brown v. Board of Education or Truman's executive order, before Rosa Parks or Jackie Robinson--before any of this, there was Port Chicago."

This is my top read of 2014, so far.