CCBC Booklists

CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.

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Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America: A Love Story

by Deborah Heiligman

CCBC Review:

This luminous biography of Jewish activist and anarchist Emma Goldman spotlights her turn-of-the-century activism while highlighting contemporary issues. A tumultuous early life in Lithuania and St. Petersburg included beatings by her father, an experience that solidified her independent spirit and resistance of authority. Smart, curious, and a seeker of art and culture, Goldman arrived in the U.S. in 1885, already intrigued by the radical political ideals of anarchy. A short-lived marriage cemented Emma’s citizenship and her commitment to free love. Moving to New York City as a single seamstress, she met famous anarchist Johann Most and began moving in activist circles. She also met Alexander “Sasha” Berkman and his cousin, Modest, two men who became her lifelong friends and on-again/off-again lovers. The trio pursued many political issues together, but the Homestead steel strike hardened their anarchistic beliefs. Convinced that Henry Clay Frick, Andrew Carnegie’s chief negotiator in Homestead, must die, Sasha carried out an attempted assassination. Emma’s fateful connection to Sasha and her brief citizenship-granting marriage trailed her throughout her life, ultimately serving as proof of her status as a public enemy of the United States. Heiligman’s engaging profile depicts an imperfect activist ahead of her time. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

CCBC Age Recommendation: 14 and older
Age Range: Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Formats: Biography, Autobiography and Memoir Substantial Narrative Non-Fiction
Subjects: 19th Century Activism and Resistance Economic Privilege Girls and Women Independence/Self-Reliance Jewish People Lithuanians and Lithuanian Americans Oppression Police Violence Politics and Political Systems Russians and Russian Americans Self-Esteem and Self-Worth Sexuality U.S. History Work and Labor
Diversity subject: Jewish
On CCBC Booklist: Youth and Incarceration: Big Emotions, Personal Accounts, and Familial Experiences

Publishers: Farrar Straus Giroux, Macmillan
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 326
ISBN: 9781250823076
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 920 Goldman

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