Julius Lester

Julius Bernard Lester (1939-2018) was an acclaimed American author of children's books, nonfiction, and novels, best known for works like To Be a Slave (Newbery Honor), John Henry (Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and Caldecott Honor), and Day of Tears (Coretta Scott King Award), as well as his retellings of Uncle Remus tales. A civil rights activist with the SNCC, folk musician, photographer, and longtime professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he converted to Judaism in 1982 and received numerous literary honors including Lewis Carroll Shelf Awards and ALA Notables. His over 40 books explored Black history, folktales, and identity, translated into eight languages.