>> From the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. >> Lee Ann Potter: I have to tell you. I have had a lot of fun standing back there for the last couple of minutes and listening to your questions and your energy. Because I have a feeling the next hour is going to be a lot of fun. So my name is Lee Ann Potter. And I work here at the Library of Congress. And I get to officially welcome you to the Library of Congress this morning. So officially, welcome! >> Thank you. >> Lee Ann Potter: [Laughter] And I also have an opportunity to welcome an audience that is elsewhere around the country and around the world because we are live streaming this event so that the questions you ask are probably questions that other children have in mind and you're kind of speaking on behalf of all those other kids today. So I know your questions are going to be great. And in addition to welcoming you to the Library of Congress, I get to welcome you to the Young Readers Center here at the Library. If you have been to the Library of Congress before, can you raise your hand? Okay, about maybe a third of you? Those of you who've been here before, have you been to this room before? >> Yeah, I have. >> Lee Ann Potter: All right. Well, those of you who haven't been, this room is sort of like the children's room in your local library. What sorts of things -- psst -- what sorts of things are in your library at your school? >> Books [inaudible]. >> Lee Ann Potter: What else? >> Shelves? >> Lee Ann Potter: Say that again. >> Shelves. >> Lee Ann Potter: Shelves and books and what's on the walls? >> What's on the walls is -- >> More books? >> Lee Ann Potter: I like that answer. You said more books. But sometimes, there's pictures and sometimes, there's posters and all kinds of fun things on the walls. You had something to say. >> There -- [laughter] it's on the wall, there is pictures of people. >> Lee Ann Potter: That's right. >> And their culture. >> Lee Ann Potter: Excellent! Yes, sometimes there's pictures of people and sometimes, those people are authors and sometimes, those people are famous people and sometimes those people are you guys. And I bet some of your artwork is on the walls in your library. But here in the Young Readers Center, we have lots of books and we have posters on the walls. And we have opportunities to do all kinds of activities with young people like today, when we have a very special author with us. Now, I know you guys all know what authors are, right? >> Yes. >> Lee Ann Potter: What do authors do? >> Write books. >> They write the books. >> Lee Ann Potter: That's right, they write the books. Does the author also illustrate the books? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> No. >> Sometimes. >> Lee Ann Potter: Excellent answer. That's right, sometimes. Well, in this case -- you know, I have a feeling all of you are authors too. Have you guys all written stuff? >> Yeah, to my [inaudible]. >> Lee Ann Potter: Yeah, I bet you guys are. >> Oh, we had to take [inaudible]. >> Lee Ann Potter: Well, when you guys read books or when somebody reads you a book, how often do you think about the person who wrote the book? You see, that's my wish for you today. I hope that after this opportunity to meet an author today, I hope that every single book you read from now on, you think a little bit about the author and the illustrator of the book. Because when you read a book and you make a connection to that book, you're making a connection to that author too. And that's really special. And you're also making a connection nobody's ever read the book or ever will read the book. And that's really special too. So I am delighted to be welcoming Shana Corey here to the Library of Congress. She is going to be talking to us today about a very special book that she wrote recently about John F. Kennedy and a very important speech that he delivered in 1963. Now, John F. Kennedy, if he had been, if he were still alive, would be celebrating his 100th birthday this month. Do you guys think 100 is a long time? >> Today's his birthday? >> Lee Ann Potter: No, this month is his birthday. His birthday would have been at the end of the month. Now you are just itching to say something. I'm going to call on you and then I'm going to ask you really nicely to put your hands down so we can really get started, okay? Now what was it that you wanted to say? >> Sometimes, I know, sometimes people paint the walls. >> Lee Ann Potter: Yes, that's right. In libraries, sometimes people paint the walls. That's so true. You guys are all going to have a chance to say things later. So I'm going to ask you please put your hands down. Let's give a very warm welcome to Shana and welcome you and thank you. And we're so excited to hear from you and also hear about the artwork that is also here that your colleague contributed to the book. So thank you. >> Shana Corey: Thank you. I am so excited to be here, you guys. This is the Library of Congress. This is like Mission Control for libraries. That's pretty cool, right? >> Yeah! >> Shana Corey: Yeah. >> And it's [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: So I'm here today because I'm an author. But I wasn't always an author. Do you guys want to see a picture of me before I was an author? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Okay, this is me. You'll like this is me back -- this is me when I was about your age, maybe first grade. Does that look like me? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Does it? >> No. >> Shana Corey: So would it look like me if I had a big red hair bow? >> No. >> Shana Corey: No? Well, let's see it. Do you know who I think I was really drawing? I don't think I was really drawing myself. You know who I think I was really drawing when I was drawing this? Who was that? >> [Inaudible] Madeleine. >> Shana Corey: Madeleine. I love Madeleine. So Madeleine is this great book. I bet there's copies in the back here. So if you take one pro tip from today, if you want to learn to draw a big hair bow, two triangles and boom, you have your hair bow. So that's your first takeaway from today. Do you want to see what I really look like though when I was your age? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Okay, this is me when I was in elementary school. >> Which one are you? >> Shana Corey: Which one am I? Okay, raise your hand if you think I'm the sweet, happy, nice little girl with braids. >> No. >> Shana Corey: No? Raise your hand if you think I'm the kind of bossy, cranky looking big sister. >> Yes. >> Shana Corey: What, you guys? Okay, you're right. I'm the [inaudible] -- okay, hands down. I'm the bossy big sister. That's me. That's me and my sister, Marcie. Now, I wasn't an author yet in that picture. Can you guys hear me? I wasn't an author yet in that picture but I was already doing something that was getting me ready to be an author. What do you think I was doing when I was in first, second grade that was getting me ready to be an author? What do you think? >> Reading books. >> Shana Corey: Oh my gosh, you guys are such smart kids. You, look, people don't get that right away but yes, I was reading. I loved to read. Raise your hand if you love to read. >> Oh, yes. >> Shana Corey: Oh, good! Well then, you guys, you're all on your way to being authors because reading is the most important thing you can do if you want to be an author. So when I was growing up, these were some of my favorite books -- Little House on the Prairie , Betsy-Tacy , All-of-a-Kind Family . In fact, I liked reading so much that when I grew up, I decided I wanted to have a job where I could be around books all day long. Can you guys think of any -- what kind of jobs could you be around books all day long? >> Author. >> At the library? >> Shana Corey: You could work in the library. You could be a librarian and then could you imagine this would be your office. And I bet you could take home any books you wanted. That would be pretty cool, right? No? Well -- >> If you worked for the other [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: You work for the other people? What kind of book jobs can you think of? >> You can be an author or an illustrator. >> Shana Corey: You could be an author, an illustrator so you could write or draw books or draw the pictures. What kind of book jobs can you think of? >> I think you could be, you could be around books by painting pictures? >> Shana Corey: You could paint pictures like the illustrator of this book, R. Gregory Picture. R. Gregory Picture -- R. Gregory Christie. He painted these pictures so he's around books all day and then he draws the pictures. That's pretty cool. We'll do one last book job. What kind of book job can you think of? >> One last book job that I can think of is organizing books. >> Shana Corey: Oh, that's a really good one, organizing books. You think, do you think librarians organize books? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yeah, that's a really smart thought. >> I do [inaudible] offer because of your earrings. >> Shana Corey: I'm wearing book earrings. It's true. So I decided to get a job. Hold on to your thoughts because we'll do lots more in a little bit. I decided to get a job being something called an editor. Does anyone know? What's an editor? What's an editor? >> An editor likes to make books like popular books so that there are more copies for everyone to read. >> Shana Corey: Oh, interesting. So yes, that's part of what an editor does. They make sure lots of people are going to get copies of the books. What else do you think an editor does? And I'm sorry, I didn't -- I should have repeated your answer so people -- your friends far away could hear. He said that an editor makes copies of books so lots of people could read them. And what else does an editor do? >> I think an editor -- I don't know. >> Shana Corey: So I think an editor's a lot like a teacher. Do your teachers help you make your work better? >> Yeah. >> Yes, she edit it. >> Shana Corey: So an editor works with authors to help them make their stories better. So I got a job as an editor. Here is my office in New York City. I work at Random House Children's Books. And it's just like I always wanted. I'm surrounded by books all day long. So you guys might recognize some of these books. I work on books for big kids. I work on early readers and a lot of the early readers I work on are about history because I love history. I see someone pointing. Do you know that book, George Washington and the General's Dog ? >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> It's at our classroom. >> He has it. >> Shana Corey: I love that book. That's an excellent book. >> I haven't read it. >> Shana Corey: So those -- it's really good. I really recommend it. Those books are true stories. Who can tell me, what's it called when a book's a true story? Does anyone know what's a book -- what's it called when a book's a true story? >> They -- they also [inaudible] when they read the book to children who don't have books. >> Shana Corey: Oh, people read books to children who don't have books? What were you going to say? >> What was the question again? >> Shana Corey: What is it called, what's it called when a book is a true story? >> Fiction. >> Shana Corey: Whoa, really close. Nonfiction. >> Nonfiction. >> Shana Corey: Yes, exactly. Nonfiction. >> [Inaudible] it's something that's not, it's real. >> Shana Corey: In fiction, it's something that's made up. Exactly. Okay, so I also work on books. I've worked on series like Babymouse and another series that you guys wouldn't know. I don't think. No one's ever heard of Junie B. Jones, have they? >> I know! >> Shana Corey: You know Junie B. Jones? Oh, I love Junie. You have it? I have it in my backpack too. I love Junie B. Jones! So you guys, after -- after I had been editing for a while, I decided I wanted to write my own stories. Now when you guys write stories, where do you get your ideas? Where do you get -- where do you get your ideas? >> From your brain. >> Shana Corey: Sometimes you just get ideas from your brain. Where do you get your ideas? Let's see, where do you, where do you get your ideas? >> I sometimes get ideas from books. >> Shana Corey: From other books, that's a great place to get ideas. Where do you get your idea? >> From -- so sometimes, I get ideas from maybe my journal writing or poetry? >> Shana Corey: That's fabulous. Yeah, from journal writing or poetry. That's a great place to get ideas. Where do you get your idea? >> I get my ideas from other books because when I read a book, it makes me think of what I could do. >> Shana Corey: That's -- listen, you guys have such great ideas. So she gets her ideas from her journals and poetry and other books because when she reads books, it gives her ideas of other things she could do. Where do you get your ideas? >> Pictures. >> Shana Corey: From pictures. Looking at pictures is a great place to get ideas. Okay, we'll do one more. Is there anyone that hasn't? We'll do you. >> So I want to [inaudible] pictures and facts. >> Shana Corey: Pictures and facts. That's a -- are you kids sure you're first graders? Those are really good answers and thoughts. Yeah, facts and I get a lot of ideas from facts because I write a lot of nonfiction. So I'll tell you about -- come here. You write nonfiction too? That's -- I love nonfiction. So let's put hands down for a second and I'll tell you about some of the stories I've written and then we'll read the one about JFK. So a lot of my stories, a lot of my stories -- can you hear me, hon? A lot of my stories are about real people, about people that inspire me. And I get inspired by people who do things to create change like things that are going to [inaudible], they want to change the world. So some of my first books are about real ladies that lived a long time ago and they didn't like the kind of clothes women wore a long time ago. >> What kind? >> Shana Corey: What kind of clothes? What -- does anyone know anything about olden day clothes? What kind of clothes did ladies wear a long time ago? >> I know, they was wearing dresses that would show your body part. >> Shana Corey: They were wearing dresses, long dresses. Any other, what else do you know about olden day clothes? >> And sometimes, they would only wear hats because they're only allowed to wear a hat. >> Shana Corey: They had to wear hats and bonnets a lot of times. In fact, are any of you guys going to go swimming this summer? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yeah or? >> I'm going to go swimming. >> Shana Corey: Yeah, are any of you going to wear a bathing suit that looks like this? >> No. >> No. >> Shana Corey: No? Well, a long time ago, women used to wear bathing suits that looked like this. >> I don't like dresses. >> Shana Corey: But girls, you're going to wear tights, right? You can't go swimming without tights, right? >> No. >> Shana Corey: No? Well, Annette Kellermann, the woman on the right, was a real lady that lived a long time ago. And she was a champion swimmer. And she thought, we can't, you can't win races and set swimming records in those kind of bathing suits. So she invented her own bathing suit. So I write about a lot of people like that. >> That's a bathing suit [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: That's how bathing suits were invented. I also write, I write some books that are historical fiction. Does anyone know what's historical fiction? Any guesses? >> Historical fake. >> Shana Corey: It's called a fake, yeah. That's exactly right. Historical but fake. So some parts are true. There's some facts and some are made up. So I'm going to tell you which parts of this are true and which are made up. Players in Pigtails is about a real baseball league a long time ago, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. It was the first girls' baseball league and it started during World War II. All of this is true because all of the boys that played baseball went off to fight in the war. And President Roosevelt wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Baseball -- Roosevelt and he said, "You have to keep baseball going." So they started a girls' league. So I did all this research for this book. Here's real pictures of the team. Here's another real picture. But I had a problem. Hold on to your thought. I didn't know who to write about because I had all the facts about the league but I didn't have a main character because there were so many people that played baseball in this league. Hold on to your thought. But then I went to library because you can always find facts and answers at the library, right? Right, so I found this old book in this secret room that's a room on the third floor of the library by my house. I don't know even know if I was supposed to be up there. It was this dusty old book and I pulled it out and I blew out the dust. And when I read it, I got goose bumps because this old book had the song. Does anyone ever know the song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"? >> Yes! >> Shana Corey: Can you guys -- we'll all together say just the first line of the song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" all together? >> Take me out to the ball game. >> Shana Corey: Okay, hold on to your hats, folks. Guess what? That's not really the first line of that song. When I opened that book, I could not believe it. There's a whole verse that comes before that. And that's the kind of stuff you can find when you're researching in libraries. The real first line of that song is "Katie Casey is baseball mad, have the fever and had it bad." And when I read that, I got goose bumps. >> Why? >> Shana Corey: Because that means that song that everyone sings and knows and thinks of when they think of baseball, that song is really about a girl. That's pretty cool, right girls? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: I think that's really cool. So I just -- so I decided to make Katie Casey my name character. So that's why that book is historical fiction. The facts about the league are true but my main character is made up. I've also written a book about the first subway in New York City. And before I tell you about that book, I just have a question. Has anyone ever seen litter in the streets? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Has anyone ever been stuck in traffic? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Well, believe it or not, the litter in the streets especially in New York City was even worse 150 years ago than it is today. In fact, it's so bad, I don't even know if I should show you a picture. Your teachers might get upset. Eew, it's so gross. You're sure you want to see it? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Okay, this is what the litter looked like 150 years ago. >> Eew. >> Shana Corey: So this was before street cleaning, before recycling, before alternate side parking and the streets were a mess! So they were gross and in fact, can anyone tell me how did people get around 150 years ago before there were cars? How did they get around? >> Walk. >> Horses pulling the carts. >> Yes. >> Shana Corey: Horses pulled people in carts. So if there were a lot of horses on the street, what else do you think was on the street that horses produced? >> Oh. >> Shana Corey: What do you think? >> Poop. >> Shana Corey: Yes, horse poop. So the streets were really, really gross. There's another picture. Also, they hadn't invented things like stoplights. That's a picture of Broadway in New York City in the 1850s. They hadn't invented stop signs or stop lines, stoplights or even lanes. Look, there are no lanes in that picture because traffic was new. So this man named Alfred Ely Beach had an idea. He was going to invent a subway. So have any of you ever read, rode the Metro here? >> Yeah, yeah. >> Shana Corey: So Beach wanted to invent -- you just did. He wanted to invent a different kind of subway. He wanted to invent a subway that ran on pneumatic power. Does anyone know what pneumatic power is? >> No. >> Shana Corey: Okay, I need -- do you know what pneumatic power is? >> Pneumatic power is that the subway stays on forever. >> Shana Corey: That the subway what? >> Stays on forever. >> Shana Corey: Stays old forever? >> On. >> Shana Corey: Stays on forever. That's a really good thought. Would you be my volunteer? I need someone to come volunteer and demonstrate pneumatic power. Come, come up here. So are you really good at Science? >> Yes. >> Shana Corey: Okay, we have a scientist here who's going to demonstrate pneumatic power for us. Can you take this and blow it? Whoa! So I have a question for you. I didn't see you take your hand and move that. What force did you use to move that? >> Wind. >> Shana Corey: Wind. Air and that's what pneumatic power is. It's air power. So Beach used air power. You want to hold on to that? Here, let me hold onto it. You can have it at the end. Thank you so much. Can we give her a round of applause? So Beach used air, people, to move his subway back and forth. Now the book I'm going to read today is a book about this person. Who is that? >> John F. Kennedy. >> Shana Corey: John F. Kennedy -- who would be a hundred at the end of -- at the end of this month. And he inspires me because he's a real person and he had a decision to make if he was going to be brave and stand up for something he believed in. So should we read the story and see what he did? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yes, okay. I'm going to -- let's see if I can put this here so I can turn the pages in my book and read a little up closer. Yes, okay. A Time To Act , so do you guys, what's it called when a book is about a person? Do you know the name? What kind of book is about a person? Yes. >> What's the -- >> Shana Corey: No? So you -- >> Biology? >> Shana Corey: Close. Biography -- you guys are such smart kids. Biography -- so this is a biography of John F. Kennedy. So it's also nonfiction and I'm going to read it here and turn the pages. >> Oh. >> Shana Corey: John F. Kennedy loved to read about history. But history isn't just in books. It's happening all around us and the people who make history aren't just famous leaders or characters in stories, they're real people just like you. Sometimes, they are you. John or Jack as he was called, was the second of nine children in a big, rich family. If you saw the Kennedys, you might think they had everything. But take a closer look. Jack wasn't the favorite. That was his big brother, Joe. Their father wanted Joe to grow up to be the president. No one was sure what Jack would be. Jack didn't always do well in school. "He is casual and disorderly and can seldom locate his possessions," said one of his teachers. And he was often sick. But Jack was funny and people liked him. When Jack was too sick to play outdoors, he read. Jack's mother taught her children the importance of giving back to one's country. Jack took that belief seriously. When the United States entered World War II, he joined the fight. On August 2, 1943 an enemy ship ripped into the boat he commanded. Jack led their survivors to safety, towing one of the injured for more than three miles by the man's lifeboat strap. He carried the lifeboat strap in his teeth while he swam. >> Wait, what about that other page? >> Shana Corey: That other page? I'm reading. I'm not reading the whole thing because I want to make sure we have time for questions and for me to show you how it became a book. Jack's brother, Joe, also served his country. But Joe wasn't as lucky as Jack. A year after Jack's rescue, Joe was killed flying over the English Channel. The family was heartbroken. Now, it was up to Jack to carry out his father's dreams for Joe. In 1946, Jack ran for Congress. His whole family helped. After six years as a congressman, Jack was elected to the Senate. Americans loved the handsome young senator and his new wife, Jackie. They were celebrities. Soon after they were married, Jack had back surgery. While he recovered, he wrote another book with the help of his staff. Profiles in Courage told about people who had the courage to take a stand for things they believed in even when they weren't popular. Have you guys ever done something really brave? >> I have. >> Shana Corey: What? Have any of you guys ever done something that you feel like is really brave? >> Yes. >> Shana Corey: What have you done that's really brave? What -- because Jack was interested. He wrote a whole book about people who did brave things. >> I ran into the pool and I didn't even know how deep it was. >> Shana Corey: Going into a pool, that's really brave especially if you're not sure about it. What else have you done that's really brave? >> I have a nine-feet pool and I jumped into the deep feet even though that I was scared. >> Shana Corey: Oh, wow! Jumping into a pool is a really brave thing. You guys are a bunch of brave kids. So hold on -- we'll do more in a little bit. On January 2, 1960, Jack announced he was running for president. Hold on, I'm juggling a lot of things. For president of the United States -- years of practice had turned him into a powerful speaker but not everyone thought he would win. Do you think it would be hard to run for office if people were saying you couldn't win? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yeah, he was 42 years old, younger than every, any president who had ever been elected before. President Dwight D. Eisenhower called him that young whippersnapper. Eleanor Roosevelt thought Jack's father was spending too much money to help him get elected. "My dear boy," she telegrammed, "I only say these things for your own good." And Jack was Catholic. Many people believe the country wouldn't elect a Catholic. "I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end," said Jack. >> That's really for you. >> Wait. >> Shana Corey: That is -- that is Ruby pictures. Look, the pictures right before, behind it. America was also in the midst of a long, hard struggle over civil rights. Civil rights are the rights of all people to be treated fairly without being discriminated against. In many places, black people were not treated fairly and the south especially, a system called segregation kept black people apart from white people. Even though the Supreme Court -- and did you guys pass the Supreme Court on its way here, on the way here, it's just right down the street -- had declared it illegal. Black people were not allowed to go to the same schools as white people. They were not allowed to drink from the same water fountains or eat in the same restaurants or stay in the same hotels. Black people couldn't always get the same jobs as white people and sometimes, they were kept from voting. Many Americans, both civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and others who weren't famous, even students, even kids just like you guys, were trying to change that through peaceful protests. Have any of you ever been to a protest? >> Oh, yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yeah, that's really exciting. So you guys, if you've been to protests, you're already part of history. You're part of history just like the people in this book. >> I've been to a protest. >> Shana Corey: You've been to a protest? So you're working to change history and to make history. That's how you make history by being part of it. And you guys are already doing that. >> I went to the -- >> Women's March? >> The Women's March. >> Shana Corey: The Women's March? >> I told Donald Trump that we -- that we should be where we want. >> Shana Corey: Wait, so you went to the Women's March. >> So we can show Donald Trump that we're -- >> That love is -- >> That love is stronger. >> And that's where she made a sign. >> That says -- >> Shana Corey: You made a sign? >> That says love is stronger. >> Shana Corey: That's fabulous! So you're part of history. You guys are changing history. You're making your voices heard and telling people how you want our country to be. Good job. Good job, all of you. So here are some more kids that were part of protests. Just a month after Jack announced he was running for president, four college students in Greensboro, North Carolina began a sit-in. So does anyone know what a sit-in is? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: It's a protest when you're sitting to make a statement. So I'll read about it. They sat quietly and peacefully at a whites-only lunch counter and waited to be served. They were refused. Every day, more and more students joined them. By the end of the week, the sit-ins had spread across the country. I'll turn the page. That October, Martin Luther King was arrested and sent to prison after participating in a sit-in. His wife, Coretta Scott-King, feared he would be killed. Jack's campaign worked secretly with Georgia's governor to get Dr. King released. Some of Jack's advisers worried that would cost him the votes of white people who didn't support civil rights. So do you think that stopped him or do you think he still wanted to help Martin Luther King? >> He wanted to help Martin Luther King. >> Shana Corey: But Jack telephoned Mrs. King. "If there is anything I can do to help," he said, "please feel free to call on me." On November 8, 1960, Jack was elected the 35th president of the United States. Hold on to your -- can you hold on to your thought for a minute and we'll do questions at the end? >> Okay. >> Shana Corey: In some things, the new president acted quick -- whoop! Thank you. In some things, the new president acted quickly and used bold words. He established the Peace Corps and challenged young Americans to go out into the world and work shoulder-to-shoulder with people in other countries. The United States and the Soviet Union were rivals competing to be the strongest. The Soviet Union had already sent a man into space. Have you guys heard about the space race? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yes, Jack declared that the United States would be the first to land the man on the moon. But on other things, in important civil rights issues, Jack was slow to act. He once declared that the president must be willing to get in the thick of fight. But now, he seemed unwilling to fight some battles. "I would like to be patient," the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson wrote to Jack, "but patience has cost us years in our struggle for human dignity." So he's moving really fast in some things but in other things, he's moving a little slower like on civil rights. But others were taking action. In that May, despite the danger, hundreds of black children and teenagers once again stood up and acted. They left their classrooms in Birmingham, Alabama and singing songs of freedom, marched peacefully to protest segregation. They were hauled off to jail. But the next day, even more young people arrived to take their places. So in the Civil Rights Movement, a lot of young people were right at the forefront. They were the ones making change and saying, "We have to do something different. We have to make our voices heard." Americans including Jack, saw the young people's courage on the news and were sickened by the violence. On June 11th, two black students applied to enroll at the University of Alabama. Alabama's white governor pledged to block them. Again and again, young people had shown their courage. Do you think Jack's going to act now? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Jack had to act. And finally, following in the footsteps of those who would set the course by sitting in and sending letters, marching and riding buses, he did. Jack ordered the National Guard to escort the students safely into school and that night, in living rooms, in kitchens, in diners across America, millions of people of all colors, children and parents and grandparents, rich people and poor people, people from the North and people from the South, people of different religions, people who had looked the other way and people who had fought for change, turned on their televisions and radios and heard the president speak. Okay, this is some of what the president said. So he made this very important speech on civil rights. He said, "One hundred years of delay has passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves yet their heirs, their grandsons are not fully free. This nation will not be fully free until all its citizens are free. Now the time has come for this nation to fulfill its promise. It is a time to act." So that's where that title comes from. So after that speech, Martin Luther King and the baseball player Jackie Robinson, sent Jack telegrams and letters and said, "Good." They basically said, "Good job." Jackie Robinson said, "The presidential statement on the color question is one of the finest declarations ever issued in the cause of human rights." Because presidents hadn't really said that before. Sometimes, they had said, "Oh, you know, we need to end segregation." But they had never really said that it's totally and completely wrong. They had made it sound like it was about politics. And Jack Kennedy was the first one that said, "No, it's just wrong." The following week, Jack sent a strong Civil Rights bill to Congress. So do you think he sent almost right across the street to Congress and the Senate Building right across the street? It's pretty cool that you guys are right in the place where all of this happened. President Kennedy was killed on November 22, 1963, just a few minutes out or just a few months after he addressed the nation on civil rights. But his legacy, his words and actions live on. Today, the Soviet Union no longer exists but young Peace Corps volunteers still go out into the world, building roads and bridges, libraries and schools. On July 20, 1969, Kennedy's space challenge was met. Two American astronauts walked on the moon. And on July 2, 1964 with the help of many courageous people, people who didn't give up, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was finally passed making it illegal to discriminate in jobs based on the color of one's skin and providing for the integration of schools and public places. Hold on one second and then we'll do questions in a little bit. In the 50 years since the bill was passed, there has been much progress on civil rights. But there have been step backwards too. History isn't a straight line. And it's not words written in books and permanent ink. It's changing. We're changing it every day. You guys, when you go to protests and things, you're changing history. "From here on out, you are the decision makers," Jack once told young people. "You are the writers of history. And so now, it's your turn to choose your course, to speak up, to act, to move the world forward, to make history." So kids your age can and have made history. You guys are part of history. So I was going to show you guys, do you want to see how this story became a book and then we'll have time for questions? >> Yes. >> Shana Corey: So I'll show you, when I first wrote this, the first thing I do is I look for inspiration. And you guys were talking about where you get your ideas and someone said, "Pictures." I get a lot of ideas from photographs. These are some of the real pictures of John F. Kennedy's family. I know you guys saw some Kennedy memorabilia upstairs. Did you see pictures? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yes. So he's the second oldest. Here's another picture of his family later. He's right in the middle in the back. But even more, as much as I was inspired by John F. Kennedy, I was even more inspired by the people he was inspired by, the people that were really creating the change, those brave kids that were showing their courage by protesting. Who knows, who is that? Does anyone who -- who? >> Ruby Bridges. >> Shana Corey: Everyone knows. Who is that? >> Ruby Bridges? >> Shana Corey: You guys, I can't get over these kids. They are so smart. Yes, that's Ruby Bridges. So she was the first black student to integrate in elementary school, right? What were you going to say? >> Why did she have to go to the white kid's school? >> Shana Corey: You know, that's a really good question. She wanted to. She wasn't -- she hadn't been allowed to but usually the schools that the white kids went to had better resources. They had more money so they -- she wanted to have the same things that her parents wanted her to have because she deserved just as good an education as everyone else, right? >> Why would the [inaudible]? >> Shana Corey: That's a really good question. You know, have you heard -- noticed sometimes when some people think that some people are worried that they're going to -- if they share with people that they won't have as much. I think it had to do with that. Some people felt like they wanted to keep all the good stuff so they would keep the other people out and they felt like they wanted all the good stuff. And yeah, it wasn't a fair system. The Supreme Court said it was unfair, right? And so now we could be together. I was also inspired. These are some of the real kids. Remember in the book, the march when the kids left their classrooms in Birmingham and marched? That's called the Children's Crusade. Here are some of the real kids who marched. Just like you guys when some of you said you had marched recently. And I was inspired by those kids. So when I started reading about Kennedy -- >> I marched. >> Shana Corey: When you marched, I wanted to write about the kids that inspired him. So then I started writing. I also found lots of old documents. This is a letter John F. Kennedy wrote when he was a little boy. Here are some telegrams he got. There's a telegram from Eleanor Roosevelt that says, "My dear boy," and then I started writing my rough draft. You know, my rough drafts are kind of messy. I don't know if I should show it to you. They're -- >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yeah? >> Yes. >> Shana Corey: Okay, this is what my rough drafts look like. This is a rough draft for my baseball book. >> Wow. >> Shana Corey: So if you were in the library and you could check out any book you wanted, how many of you would get that if you saw it on the shelf? What -- >> I won't. >> Shana Corey: Not many, right? What's it missing? What does it need before it can be a book? What's it missing? >> It's missing pictures and it's missing a front page. >> Shana Corey: It's missing pictures, a title page. One more -- what else is it missing? >> It's also missing the title. If it had a title, then they would actually be a book. >> Shana Corey: If it had a title, it actually would be a book. Okay, one more. What else is it missing? What does it need before it can be a book? >> It could be a book with [inaudible] they wanted and everything that it has to be, I'll have pictures on it. >> Shana Corey: You're right. Not all books have pictures. You're absolutely right. Not all books have pictures. And it is pretty messy, right? >> No. >> Shana Corey: No? Should we get one more? What were you going to say? >> It's missing a period. >> Shana Corey: Is it? It probably is. And I can't even tell. It's missing -- I think it's missing correct spelling. It's missing pages. It's pretty messy. So what I do after my first draft is I revise. I -- who can tell me, what does revise mean? What does revise mean? >> You do it again. >> Shana Corey: Yeah, I do it again. So I keep working on it to make it better and better. And when it's as good as I can possibly make it, I type it all neatly. Here's a typed up version of a book I did about the Girl Scouts. And I sent it to my editor. Now, how many people think when I send my typed up, very neat, spellchecked version to my editor, she says, "It's brilliant. It's perfect. We're going to publish tomorrow just like this." Is that what you guys think? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yeah? You see, I think that every single time and it never happened. Instead, she sends it back to me full of ideas for how I can revise it more. You want to see what she sent me back when I sent her this? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: So this is about Daisy Low, the founder of Girl Scouts. Here is what she said back to me. >> Oh [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: If you look, all of those are comments about ways I can make the story better. I think in this one, the only thing she said I could keep was the main character's name. And that's only because it's nonfiction. It really was her name. Everything else she wants me to change and try to make it better because if we're going to ask you guys to take your time to read it, we really need to work as hard as we can to make it good. And then the last thing we do is we send it to the illustrator. This illustrator's name is R. Gregory Christie for this book. And the illustrator does some sketches. So that's what his sketches look like before he does these beautiful paintings that you see behind me. And for covers -- covers can take a really long time, just like authors revise and revise to get their stories right. Illustrators revise and revise [inaudible] art for that. Here are some of what Greg Christie when he was working on the cover. This is what the final cover looks like. Put it here so you guys can see. But you can see these are some things when he was experimenting with different ideas. Getting different ideas down. These are just he was thinking maybe we should have Kennedy walking to the podium? >> I would [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: What? >> It doesn't [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: Sorry, a couple didn't come through but so look, all these different ideas. But when we were talking about these, we had a thought. It's great to see Kennedy in these but what was Kennedy's big inspiration? The book's about who inspired Kennedy? Yeah, who inspired Kennedy? >> What does inspire mean? >> Shana Corey: Inspire means who made him give his speech? Who -- >> Yes, Martin Luther King. >> Shana Corey: Martin Luther King and also who else? >> The kids when they were marching. >> Shana Corey: And also the kids. But you're right, Martin Luther King wrote to him and said, "You need to do more." And the kids marching and he saw pictures of those kids marching and being met by violence and he thought if they can do it, we have to do something. So R. Gregory Christie decided, "You know what? The kids need to be on the front cover too because they're as important as Kennedy in this story at least." So the final cover -- here, let's see if I have the final cover up there -- is it he'd brought the real kids and he worked them into the illustration because that's -- so inspiration means the thing that makes you do something. So that was Kennedy's inspiration. And that's everything I was going to tell you guys about today. Do you guys have questions for me? Yes, questions. >> Why did, if they were making a sign, why did they color the sign blue? >> Shana Corey: Oh, good question. I bet the real sign had words on it. But I would guess, you know, artists can all -- they always -- they can make their decisions on what they think looks the best. I think that it's probably, if you put words on it, it might distract from the title. That would be my guess as to why there aren't words on that sign. Good question. Yes. >> So I kind of have an answer to Kai. So maybe since it's -- so maybe that's -- so maybe the back of the sign was actually supposed to be blue paper. >> Shana Corey: Oh, that's a good -- because we could be looking at the back of the sign there. That's a good thought. >> Why are they [inaudible]? >> Shana Corey: Okay, we'll come back. Yes. >> Why did they -- why did they -- did he have a funeral? >> Shana Corey: Kennedy? >> Yes. >> Shana Corey: He did. When he died which was later, it was in November of the same year that he gave the speech. He had a big, big funeral. Any other question? Yes. >> What inspired you to write the book? >> Shana Corey: To write this book? I was interested in writing about Kennedy because I knew it was his hundredth birthday. But what I was really interested is I knew he was president during the Civil Rights Movement. And I didn't know what his involvement was. I had always read about those two parts of history separately. I had read about Kennedy and then I'd read about things like the sit-in and Ruby Bridges. And I wondered what was he actually doing? He was the president. He had to be involved in it. And so I started trying to research and find out what he was doing. Good question. Yes. >> What did you really like about in the book about Kennedy? >> Shana Corey: What do I like in the book about Kennedy? I can tell you my favorite piece of art is -- it's not here. It's a piece of art that's all the kids watching television. I find that really powerful because you see kids all over, different kids, you know, some kids from the South, some from the North and I thought it must be powerful to have a president stand up for something that you know is right. Actually, did any of you guys -- you probably didn't -- there's the book that Kennedy wrote called "Profiles in Courage" about brave people, they're awards -- Profile in Courage Awards and they just gave them out this past week. And guess who got the Profile in Courage Award? >> John F. Kennedy. >> Shana Corey: John F. -- good, good idea. This year, it went to President Barack Obama. So that was cool. >> He was my favorite president [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: He was your favorite president? Well, you can hear his speech. He just -- just this past week, he talks about Kennedy which was neat. >> He's very famous. >> Shana Corey: He is very famous. Yes? >> How come when Martin Luther King got shot, how come segregation end? >> Shana Corey: You know, it didn't end right away like officially, it ended with the Civil Rights Act. And even before the Civil Rights Act, there was a Supreme Court case that said there shouldn't be segregation. But history, it can take a long time. Change happens slowly. I think we want it to happen faster, right? I know I do but change happens -- >> Like what the [inaudible]. >> I thought that everybody [inaudible] and he still got shot that they would just end it right away. >> Shana Corey: I know, it would be nice if it had just ended right away. I think it's also that you have to keep working for things, right? Because sometimes, it's like we could relax and think something's all done. That's why in the book, I talk about how like we have gone forward but then we slide backwards too. So that's why we have to keep marching and protesting in for things we believe in. Yes. >> Why did, why did the guy shoot him in the first place? >> Because he's mad at him. >> Shana Corey: Kennedy or Martin Luther King? >> Why was he mad at him? >> Martin Luther King. >> He didn't like him. >> Shana Corey: Martin Luther -- because -- >> He met Kennedy. >> Shana Corey: He met Kennedy? >> Yes. >> Shana Corey: You know, there are -- >> He didn't like any neighbor that had [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: I think he just -- you know, I honestly don't know. I think he didn't agree with him but [inaudible]. >> He didn't like the speech. >> Shana Corey: He did not like the speech. It was a little bit later. But I think a lot of times, it's dangerous being a president. That's why presidents have the Secret Service, right. Have you guys ever seen Secret Service? >> Yeah. >> Shana Corey: Yeah, so now they actually do a lot more safety things than they used to do like they don't have open cars and stuff so that their presidents can be a little safer. But yeah, it's much better to -- if you have concerns, to peacefully protest, right, versus violence? Yes. >> I know that so when I saw that picture, I thought so I knew it was going to be like that because on the book, in the red writing, it said -- it says "John F. Kennedy's Big Speech." >> Shana Corey: It does say that. So we had a lot of -- I'll tell you a few little behind-the-scene things about that picture. When we first saw the painting, it was all in color. And that's something the artist revised because we started thinking about it and what do you guys know about televisions from a long time ago? What do you know about -- you kids are so smart. >> It was black and white. It was black and white. >> Shana Corey: Yeah, a lot of TVs, most TVs were still black and white. So he had to go back and change the art because we realized, wait, that probably wouldn't have been in color. And we also did a lot to the title, "A Time To Act" comes from the speech he gave. Those were some of the words. And then we had to -- we debated whether it should be John F. Kennedy's Big Speech or JFK's Big Speech because a lot of people called him JFK. What would you guys have done? >> [Inaudible] the F there for? >> Shana Corey: Fitzgerald, that was his -- yes. >> Back then, TV was not really invented. >> Shana Corey: But it was invented. >> And I saw a real live TV way, way back then and also something what I did brave was go under water when I didn't even, when I was, when I didn't even want to do it. >> Shana Corey: That is really brave. A lot of people did brave water things. Yeah, so TV was just invented. That's why the book says a lot of people listened to it on the radio because not everyone had a TV and the government didn't have the internet. No one was live streaming the speech. But you know what, you guys, you can actually watch the speech. You can go online and your teacher can find -- you can watch a video of this actual speech. It's on my website or the JFK Library. Yes. >> So not all the people who helped our country is black. Not all of them. >> Shana Corey: No, you're right. They were certainly, there were white people and other people that helped too, right? Allies? Yes. >> I know the last name of the person who killed John F. Kennedy. >> Who? >> Shana Corey: What? >> His last name is Oswald. >> Shana Corey: You're right. Yes. >> Oswald? >> What month was his funeral? >> Shana Corey: You know, I would assume -- he died in November -- November 22nd. I actually don't offhand know the date of his funeral but I bet it was still November. >> I know the [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: You know the sit-in book? Is it the one, the four friends sitting there? I love that book. That's a wonderful book. There are wonderful books about the -- about the sit-in. Yeah, there's a wonderful book about -- there are several wonderful books about Martin Luther King. There's great books about Ruby Bridges. Ruby Bridges actually wrote a kid's book that you can find to read when -- it's just interesting. >> Are you going to [inaudible]? >> Shana Corey: I don't know if you guys are going to get read books here after. Are they reading books? If not, I'm sure you can come back and I bet you have a lot of these books in your school. >> Didn't the person who got, who killed John F. Kennedy, didn't he get hanged? >> Shana Corey: No, he didn't. But he was -- that's a good thought. He was actually, he was shot. He was someone -- >> Yeah, someone shot him [inaudible]. >> I know the person who [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: You guys, I think know more about Kennedy. >> I know who killed Oswald. >> Shana Corey: Who killed Oswald? >> Jack Ruby, right? >> Yeah. >> Jack Ruby. >> That's right. >> Shana Corey: Jack Ruby. And there are books about that too. That's the thing. One of the neat things about writing is you can write different things. So this book is really about Kennedy and civil rights. But there are books, I know lots of great books too, that talk about his assassination. There are some early readers that are really good about him too and other picture books. >> Then Oswald also got arrested for killing John F. Kennedy. >> Shana Corey: Yes. Yes. >> The person who killed John F. -- the person who killed John F. Kennedy and then the person who shot the person who shot John F. Kennedy, who shot that person? >> Shana Corey: Yes, it was a really intense time, right, of American history because it was all -- >> It happened all in one day? >> Shana Corey: No, I don't believe it happened all in the same day. No. Yes. >> When was this book made? >> Shana Corey: So this book -- good question -- it just came out last month. It was just published but I really wrote it last year because it takes a long time for -- the illustrator gets to do their work after it's already written. So I wrote it and then it went to the illustrator. Yes. >> When -- when did the segregation end? >> Shana Corey: Good question, so I believe with the Civil Right -- what were you going to say? >> I know when slavery ended. >> Shana Corey: When did slavery end? >> Nineteen -- 1869. >> Shana Corey: Good. >> I know when the first dependence says we celebrate on the fourth of July because that's in our first dependence was wrote in. >> Shana Corey: You're right. You guys know such good -- >> And George Washington was in the fight. >> Shana Corey: And George Washington was in the revolutionary war and then was the first president? >> The first president [inaudible]. >> Shana Corey: So I think segregation, it was -- it took longer to actually end and when it became illegal. >> So we -- so we kind of know this other person named Paul Revere. >> Shana Corey: I kind of know about a person named Paul Revere too. >> Oh, what is that? >> Do this. >> Shana Corey: It's part of American history. And Paul Revere has to do with the American Revolution too. I think Paul Revere is very interesting. Yes. >> Are you writing another book? What would it be about? >> Shana Corey: Good question. So right now, I'm actually writing a book about Michelle Obama. Yes. >> Any [inaudible]? >> Shana Corey: I think this is the very last question. >> Was the person who killed JFK arrested? >> Shana Corey: Yes, he was arrested. You guys have been a wonderful audience with fabulous questions and fabulous answers. Can you give yourselves a round of applause? [ Applause ] Thank you, guys. Thank you, guys, for being -- >> For now. >> Shana Corey: What, sweetie? >> There's no -- >> Oh yes, [inaudible] it's yes. >> Shana Corey: Right, if your teacher says to put it away then you have to put it away. Thank you for being my volunteer. >> Oh no. >> Shana Corey: You're going home from here? >> This has been a presentation of the Library of Congress. Visit us at loc.gov.