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    Writing Toward Justice

    The Life and Reporting of Alice A. Dunnigan

    Author Peggy Thomas
    Illustrated by Tonya Engel
    Ebook
    Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek
    10"W x 10"H
    On sale Jan 27, 2026 | 40 Pages | 9781662680908
    Grades 2-5
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    Peggy Thomas is the author of Farmer George Plants a Nation, an award-winning history and science picture book biography of George Washington, as well as more than a dozen other books for children. She lives in Middleport, New York. Visit peggythomaswrites.com. View titles by Peggy Thomas
    Tonya Engel is an award-winning artist and Illustrator of more than 30 children’s books, many of which feature Black women in history. Her titles include Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste, Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, Rise! From Cages Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus, A Voice Named Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown, Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth by Michelle Duster, and many others. In addition to children’s books, Tonya’s art can be found on prints, greeting cards, and textiles. Visit tonyaengel.com. View titles by Tonya Engel
    "A thoughtful account of Alice Dunnigan (1906-1983), the first Black female journalist to receive Capitol press credentials. Growing up in Kentucky, the daughter of a sharecropper, young Alice railed against injustice such as segregation, but upon realizing that no one could 'care about something they didn’t know was going on', she vowed to fight through the written word. In clear, passionate language, Thomas follows Alice’s journey from child writer to educator to poorly paid but resolute reporter... A timely reminder about the power of words."--Kirkus Reviews

    "Readers follow Dunnigan as she confronts backlash with courage, even speaking directly to President Truman about the challenges Black Americans faced daily. The illustrations reinforce her story, highlighting words that defined her life, such as determination, truth, ingenuity, and justice. Rich back matter extends the learning with additional details about Dunnigan, other pioneering Black women journalists, and bibliography for further reading. This book is an inspiring addition to elementary library collections."-Booklist

    "The moments on offer—Dunnigan writing biographies of historic Kentuckians to supplement lacking school curricula or pawning her watch and taking odd jobs to pay her way to cover a cross-country presidential train trip—do offer a unique look at an underrepresented, extremely driven historical figure." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

    Author

    Peggy Thomas is the author of Farmer George Plants a Nation, an award-winning history and science picture book biography of George Washington, as well as more than a dozen other books for children. She lives in Middleport, New York. Visit peggythomaswrites.com. View titles by Peggy Thomas
    Tonya Engel is an award-winning artist and Illustrator of more than 30 children’s books, many of which feature Black women in history. Her titles include Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste, Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, Rise! From Cages Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus, A Voice Named Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown, Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth by Michelle Duster, and many others. In addition to children’s books, Tonya’s art can be found on prints, greeting cards, and textiles. Visit tonyaengel.com. View titles by Tonya Engel

    Praise

    "A thoughtful account of Alice Dunnigan (1906-1983), the first Black female journalist to receive Capitol press credentials. Growing up in Kentucky, the daughter of a sharecropper, young Alice railed against injustice such as segregation, but upon realizing that no one could 'care about something they didn’t know was going on', she vowed to fight through the written word. In clear, passionate language, Thomas follows Alice’s journey from child writer to educator to poorly paid but resolute reporter... A timely reminder about the power of words."--Kirkus Reviews

    "Readers follow Dunnigan as she confronts backlash with courage, even speaking directly to President Truman about the challenges Black Americans faced daily. The illustrations reinforce her story, highlighting words that defined her life, such as determination, truth, ingenuity, and justice. Rich back matter extends the learning with additional details about Dunnigan, other pioneering Black women journalists, and bibliography for further reading. This book is an inspiring addition to elementary library collections."-Booklist

    "The moments on offer—Dunnigan writing biographies of historic Kentuckians to supplement lacking school curricula or pawning her watch and taking odd jobs to pay her way to cover a cross-country presidential train trip—do offer a unique look at an underrepresented, extremely driven historical figure." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

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