Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist Mavynee Betsch

This heartfelt picture book biography illustrated by the Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes, tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an African American opera singer turned environmentalist and the legacy she preserved.

MaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she couldn't just go to any beach--most of the beaches in Jacksonville were for whites only. Knowing something must be done, her grandfather bought a beach that African American families could enjoy without being reminded they were second class citizens; he called it American Beach. Artists like Zora Neale Hurston and Ray Charles vacationed on its sunny shores. It's here that MaVynee was first inspired to sing, propelling her to later become a widely acclaimed opera singer who routinely performed on an international stage. But her first love would always be American Beach.

After the Civil Rights Act desegregated public places, there was no longer a need for a place like American Beach and it slowly fell into disrepair. MaVynee remembered the importance of American Beach to her family and so many others, so determined to preserve this integral piece of American history, she began her second act as an activist and conservationist, ultimately saving the place that had always felt most like home.

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Published: 04/13/2021
Pages: 40
Weight: 1.1lbs
Size: 9.60h x 10.70w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781101996294
Age: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.3
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 514512 / Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist Mavynee Bersch


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 03/01/2021 pg. 47
Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2021
Publishers Weekly 03/15/2021
Shelf Awareness 04/23/2021
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2021 pg. 134

About the Author
Heidi Tyline King has written many books for adults, but this is her first book for children.

Ekua Holmes has lived and worked in Boston her entire life. She began her picture book career in 2015, illustrating Voice of Freedom: Fanny Lou Hamer, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award. She was awarded back-to-back Coretta Scott King Illustration Medals for Out of Wonder in 2017 and The Stuff of Stars in 2018. Her books have achieved numerous medals, honors, and international acclaim.