FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Book for Young Readers Chronicles The Pathbreaking Native American Student Who Desegregated California Schools
This first-ever book about Alice Piper’s fight for justice follows her journey to end segregation in California public schools in a landmark case that set the stage for school desegregation nationwide.
BERKELEY, CALIF. — In 1924, Alice Piper made history when she fought for—and won—the rights of Native American students, like herself, to attend public schools in California, striking a forceful blow to school segregation nationwide in the process. Alice Piper Speaks Up (on sale June 2, 2026) is the first book ever to be written about this undersung champion of civil rights, and it is the third installment in Heyday’s award-winning Fighting for Justice series for middle grade readers (8–12).
Centering the story of a determined teenager of the Nuwuvi people (of the Owens Valley Paiute) in her plight to end education discrimination against American Indians, this book shares an important story that is indispensable in understanding the history of equal education in the United States. Following the true story of Piper’s journey for admission to public school in Big Pine, California, this text explores themes of settler colonialism, Indigenous history, Indian boarding and day schools, racism as a barrier to education, and social justice for children.
The story follows Piper from her failed bid to enroll in public school to the legal case she carried forward to end segregation of Native American students throughout the state. As with other entries in the Fighting for Justice series (Fred Korematsu Speaks Up and Biddy Mason Speaks Up), this is a visually rich, multimodal text. Piper’s personal story is relayed through lyrical verse and full color illustrations, with historical context and timelines, primary sources and keyword definitions—ally, assimilate, solidarity, segregate—interwoven throughout. Questions to guide young readers’ understanding of Piper’s story and help relate her experiences to their own lives bookmark each chapter, and additional activity pages are available for download to support educators teaching from the text.
Alice Piper Speaks Up fills a conspicuous gap in public education about this Native-led stand for school integration, a landmark victory that would serve as key precedent for other desegregation cases, including the Brown v. Board ruling that ended racial segregation in US schools nationwide. Piper’s contributions to American civil rights remain woefully under-recognized, yet the visibility of her legacy grows.
Today a life-size statue of Piper sits at the entrance of Big Pine High School, where in 2024 the town celebrated her life and the 100th anniversary of the end of Native American school segregation. In 2024, she was inducted into the California Hall of Fame, and the state legislature passed a resolution to mark June 2—the date of the state court decision—as Alice Piper Day in recognition of “the historic legacy of Alice Piper’s resolve and dedication.” This book will publish in tandem with this commemorative date in 2026.
As the third volume in the Fighting for Justice Series Alice Piper Speaks Up rounds out a highly decorated series of juvenile justice books celebrating key civil rights leaders of US history. Books in the series have received multiple starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal, enthusiastic acclaim from the New York Historical Society, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards, the Los Angeles Public Library, and the National Council for Social Studies (among others), and have been widely utilized in US classrooms and districtwide curricula.
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Advance Praise for Alice Piper Speaks Up
“Alice Piper Speaks Up is an important story that should be readily adopted and used in classrooms.”
—William J. Bauer Jr., coauthor of We Are the Land: A History of Native California
“A necessary, accessible, and fascinating book that shines bright light on a history and a people that all who call California—and America!—home should know.”
—Kate Schatz, New York Times-bestselling author of Rad American Women A–Z
About the Creators of Alice Piper Speaks Up
Sage Andrew Romero is from the Tovowahamatu Numu (Big Pine Paiute) and Tuah-Tahi (Taos Pueblo) tribes. The founder and director of the AkaMya Culture Group, a nonprofit dedicated to cultural revitalization, he lives in Big Pine, California.
Photo credit: Erin Baiano
Loralee Sepsey is a writer and a member of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley. Based in Santa Ana, California, she lives with her husband and their two cats.
Photo credit: Courtney Crutcher
Morgan Thompson is a Cherokee (Cherokee Nation) artist with a love for Indigenous stories. When she’s not working, she enjoys a bit of stomp dancing or some beading on the side.
Photo credit: Kristine Thompson
Praise for the Fighting for Justice Series
Fred Korematsu Speaks Up
Fighting for Justice Volume 1
Winner, Carter G. Woodson Book Award • Winner, New-York Historical Society Children’s Book Prize • Winner, Social Justice Literature Award • Honor Title, Jane Addams Children’s Book Award • Finalist, 2017 Cybils Awards • Nominee, Georgia Children’s Book Award • Nominee, Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award • Nominee, South Carolina Junior Book Award • A Kirkus Best Book of the Year • An Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California Outstanding Title
“An invaluable profile of a civil rights hero whose story deserves greater attention. Middle schoolers will take to the superb writing and original format.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“Atkins and Yogi raise good questions … that will inspire a new generation of activists. This first book in the Fighting for Justice series is a must-read for all civics classrooms.” —Kirkus, starred review
“The relevance of the themes in Fred Korematsu Speaks Up in today’s world is unmistakable … This book gives young readers, their parents, and their teachers a suitable way to create a meaningful discussion of these important public policies that affect us all.” —Los Angeles Review of Books
“This timely history … describes the case and much more, serving admirably as a tutorial on civil rights, an introductory civics lesson, and a clarion call to action.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Its appeal and user-friendly presentation are undeniable. … Honors the legacy of an oft-forgotten champion of human rights in America.” —Booklist
“This story should be in every classroom.” —Rethinking Schools
Biddy Mason Speaks Up
Fighting for Justice Volume 2
Winner of the Nautilus Book Award • Winner of the 2021 FOCAL Award • Silver Award Winner, 2020 Independent Publisher Book Awards • Winner of the Book Award for Young People’s Literature, 2020 Maine Literary Awards • A Great Kid Books Best New Book
“Difficult but necessary, inclusive and respectful, this book does a beautiful job of telling truths about our history and how we construct it.” —Kirkus, starred review
“A first purchase for biography, history, and general nonfiction collections alike.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“Wonderful.” —Los Angeles Review of Books
“Moving and enlightening.” —Public Books
“★★★★★” —Readers’ Favorite
“This is as impressive a project as you will ever see to potentize history.” —Foreword Reviews
“A work that possesses undertones of inspiration that finally bloom into empowerment and freedom, Biddy Mason Speaks Up is a great read for all ages.” —Duende Literary
“A shining achievement.” —Multiculturalism Rocks!
“Combines moving poetry with informational sections in each chapter along with a full-page illustration of a key scene in that chapter. . . . Biddy Mason’s [story] is one with roots in California and significance everywhere.” —The Pirate Tree
“Highly recommended.” —Midwest Book Review
